Launch of National Logistics Excellence Awards
⇒ With a view to turn the spotlight on the logistics sector, recently, the government announced the launch of National Logistics Excellence Awards.
Category:
The awards are in two categories, the first group includes logistics infrastructure/service providers and second one is for various user industries.
Objective:
The awards will highlight best practices including consolidation, process standardisation, technological upgrade, digital transformations, and sustainable practices.
Mr. Pawan Agarwal, Special Secretary, Logistics Division said, through these awards we aim to turn the spotlight on logistics service providers who have attained operational excellence, adopted digitisation and technology, improved customer service and pursued sustainable practices, among other achievements.
The winners will be announced on 31 October 2021.
'Indian Institute of Heritage' at Noida
⇒ The government has decided to set up the ‘Indian Institute of Heritage’ at Noida, Gautam Buddha Nagar.
The Institute is being set up as Deemed to be University by integrating Institute of Archaeology (Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology), School of Archival Studies under National Archives of India, New Delhi, the National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property, Lucknow, National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology and Academic Wing of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi.
Indian Institute of Heritage will be a world-class university that would focus on the conservation and research in India’s rich tangible heritage.
Two Unique Initiatives of PMAY-U
⇒ Recently, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U), one of the world’s largest affordable housing Missions, has launched two unique initiatives to take ahead the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Housing for All’.
These two unique initiatives are Khushiyon Ka Aashiyana- Short Film contest 2021 and Awas Par Samvaad – series of 75 seminars and workshops.
‘Awas Par Samvaad’ aims to create awareness and promote discussion, deliberation and dissemination on ‘Housing for All’ among multiple stakeholders belonging to varied streams of learning and practices, e.g. – engineering, urban community development, planning, finance, etc.
Norman Borlaug National Award
⇒ Kajal Chakraborty, principal scientist at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), has won national recognition for his research efforts to develop a series of nutraceutical products from seaweeds to treat various lifestyle diseases, including diabetes.
At the 93rd ICAR Foundation Day, Principal Scientist of CMFRI, Dr Kajal Chakraborty, bagged the prestigious Norman Borlaug National Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research instituted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research functioning under the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
Other Awards for CMFRI include:
- Fasina Makkar, a PhD scholar who received the ‘Jawaharlal Nehru Award’ for her doctoral thesis research in agricultural and allied Sciences
- ‘Rajarshi Tandon Rajbhasha Award’ for excellent implementation of Official Language Policy among the ICAR institutes situated in the ‘C’ region
- ‘ICAR’ Best Hindi Magazine Award — Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Puraskar — for its in-house Hindi magazine ‘Matsyagandha’
International
Maritime Partnership Exercise between INS Tabar & FRENCH NAVY
⇒ INS Tabar, on completion of port visit to Brest, France undertook maritime partnership exercise with FNS Aquitaine, a French naval Frigate in the Bay of Biscay on 15 and 16 July 2021.
A twin engine helicopter (NH 90) from FNS Aquitaine and four Rafale fighter aircraft from French Navy also participated in the exercise.
A wide range of operations like Anti – Submarine, Surface Manoeuvers, Replenishment at Sea approach, Firing on target etc. were exercised by the ships.
The exercise was mutually beneficial in enhancing interoperability and towards consolidating combined operations against maritime threats.