Home » Current Affairs Date: 30 December 2021

Current Affairs Date: 30 December 2021

National

'Future Skills PRIME' programme

⇒ The Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics and IT, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar launched the ‘Future Skills PRIME’ programme.

It is a joint initiative by Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) and NASSCOM.

Aim:

Conceived as a first-of-its-kind initiative, Future Skills PRIME aims to create an up-skilling/re-skilling ecosystem in 10 emerging technologies to facilitate continuous enhancement of skills of IT professionals in line with their aspirations and aptitude.

10 emerging technologies- such as artificial intelligence, IOT, blockchain, 3D printing, AR/VR, cyber security, cloud computing etc.

Future Skills PRIME is also providing an opportunity for training of Government officials, specially the technical/ scientific cadres, and making them familiar with the nuances of emerging technologies through industry-curated courses.

India’s First Manned Ocean Mission Samudrayan

⇒ Union Minister of State (I/C) Science & Technology; Minister of State (I/C) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh launched India’s First Manned Ocean Mission Samudrayan at Chennai on 29 October 2021.

On this occasion Dr Jitendra Singh said:
    • With the launch of this Unique Ocean Mission, India joins the the elite club of nations such as USA, Russia, Japan, France and China to have such underwater vehicles for carrying out subsea activities.
    • This niche technology shall facilitate Ministry of Earth Sciences, MoES in carrying out deep ocean exploration of the non-living resources such as polymetallic manganese nodules, gas hydrates, hydro-thermal sulphides and cobalt crusts, located at a depth between 1000 and 5500 meters.
    • The preliminary design of the manned submersible MATSYA 6000 is completed and realization of vehicle is started with various organization including ISRO, IITM and DRDO roped-in to support the development.
    • Sea trials of 500 metre rated shallow water version of the manned submersible are expected to take place in the last quarter of 2022 and the MATSYA 6000, the deep water manned submersible will be ready for trials by the second quarter of 2024.

Pan-India Legal Awareness Program for Women

⇒ The National Commission for Women (NCW), along with National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has launched a pan-India Legal Awareness Program for Women, “Empowerment of Women through Legal Awareness”.

The Legal Awareness Program for Women has been launched to impart practical knowledge about legal rights and remedies provided under various women related laws, thereby making them fit to face the challenges in real life situations.

Significance:
    • The programme aims to cover all the States and Union Territories across the country through regular sessions to make women aware of the various machineries of the justice delivery system available for redressal of their grievances.
    • The project will sensitize women and girls about their rights as provided under the various laws including the Indian Penal Code.
    • The project will also make them aware of the procedure of approaching and utilizing various channels available for the redressal of grievances, i.e., the Police, the Executive and the Judiciary.
Pilot project:

Earlier, the Commission had launched a pilot project ‘Legal Awareness Programme’ in collaboration with NALSA for women at the grass-root levelon August 15, 2020.

The Pilot project had covered all the districts of 8 States, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Assam.

Three programs have been started in Dehradun, Uttarakhand

⇒ The Union Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah launched the Mukhyamantri Ghasiyari Kalyan Yojana and computerization of cooperative societies in Dehradun, Uttarakhand on 30 October 2021.

Three programs have been started simultaneously on this occasion.
  1. Computerization of all PACS (Primary Agricultural Credit Society) of Uttarakhand:
    • With computerization, PACS members do not have to deal with any scams.
    • Computerization helps in direct linkage of PACS with district banks, district banks with state cooperative banks and state cooperative banks with NABARD and all schemes of farmers reach farmers directly through PACS.
2. Beginning of Chief Minister Ghasiyari Kalyan Yojana:
    • Under this program, 2,000 farmers will cultivate maize on about 1,000 acres of land.
    • A plan has been made to make nutritious animal feed in a scientific way, which will benefit about one lakh farmers.
    • Under the Mukhyamantri Ghasiyari Kalyan Yojana, animal feed will be given at the rate of two rupees per kg on 30 percent subsidy and as a result, women will be saved from many calamities.
3. Inauguration of the Cooperative Training Centers:
    • These cooperative training centers are very important to take cooperative movement forward. Cooperation cannot be promoted without training.

International

Ex Yudh Abhyas 2021

⇒ The 17th Edition of Indo-US joint exercise “Ex Yudh Abhyas 2021”, the joint military training between Indian and the US Armies concluded at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska on 29 October 2021.

It was commenced on 15 October 2021 at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Alaska. The joint exercise is hosted alternately between the both countries.

Participants:
    • The Indian contingent comprised 350 personnel of an Infantry Battallion group of the 7 MADRAS Regiment.
    • The US contingent consisted of 300 soldiers of the First Squadron (Airborne) of the 40th Cavalry Regiment.
Two phases of the Exercise:
    • The exercise was conducted in two phases.
    • The first phase comprised combat conditioning and tactical training by both the contingents.
    • Training received by both contingents in the first phase was put into practice in the validation stage.
    • Both contingents jointly took part in the validation exercise which comprised combat shooting, rappelling and helicopter-based mobilisation of quick response teams.
Aim:

The aim of this 14-day exercise was to familiarise each other with operational procedures, combat drills and developing inter-operability.

» The two Armies have gained from each other’s expertise and experience in conduct of platoon and company level operations.

Previous version:

The previous version of this exercise was held at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Bikaner, Rajasthan in February 2021.

Source: PIB & Other News Reports

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