News: Vice President of India has released the Atal Rankings of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA),2020.
Facts:
- Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements(ARIIA): It is an initiative of the Ministry of Education, Government of India.
- Aim: To systematically rank all major educational institutions and universities on indicators related to promotion of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development amongst their students and faculties.
- Major Indicators for ranking are:
- Programs and Activities on IPR, Innovation, Start-up and Entrepreneurship
- Pre Incubation & Incubation Infrastructure & Facilities to Support I&E
- Annual Budget Spent on Promoting and Supporting I&E Activities
- Courses on Innovation, IPR and Entrepreneurship Development
- Intellectual Property(IP), Technology Transfer and Commercialization
- Successful Innovation and Start-ups & Funding Innovation & start-ups.
- Rank Categorization:
Key Takeaways:
- IIT Madras bagged the top position under the category of Institutes of National Importance, Central Universities, and Centrally Funded Technical Institutes.
- Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai got the top position under Government and Government Aided Universities.
- College of Engineering, Pune got the top position under Government and Government Aided Colleges.
- Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar got the top position under Private or Self-Financed Universities.
- S R Engineering College, Warangal got the top position under Private or Self-Financed Colleges.
- Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women secured top place under this category.
2.Union Minister launches “Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge”
News: Union Minister of Communications and Electronics & Information Technology has launched “Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge- Innovate Solutions for #Atma Nirbhar Bharat”.
Facts:
- Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge: It aims to invite innovators, startups and students to use microprocessors to develop various technology products.
- Features:
- IIT Madras and Center for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) have developed two microprocessors named Shakti and Vega respectively under the Microprocessor Development Programme of the Ministry of Electronics and IT(MeitY).
- These microprocessors could be used by innovators, startups and students to develop various technology products.
- Funding: Financial support to the tune of Rs. 4.30 Crore at various stages of the Challenge for developing the hardware prototype and incubating a start-up is being offered.
Additional Facts:
- Microprocessor: It is an integrated circuit (IC) that contains a few millions of transistors (semiconductor-based electronic devices) fused on a semiconductor chip.
- It is just a few millimetres in dimension and is used in almost every electronic device from microwave and washing machine in homes to advanced supercomputers of a space station.
3.Railways to deploy ‘Ninja UAVs’ for surveillance
Facts:
- Ninja: It is a drone or unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) procured by the Indian Railways to monitor its assets, ensure safety for passengers and aid the deployed security personnel.
Additional Facts:
- Drones or unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV): It is an unmanned aircraft piloted from a remote pilot station.
- Drone Innovators Network(DIN): It was formed in 2018 at the World Economic Forum in Davos,Switzerland.
- Purpose: It is a community of progressive governments, supported by industry and other key stakeholders who are accelerating the adoption of drones with progressive regulatory approaches.
4.Cancer cases could increase by 12% in next 5 years: ICMR
News: Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) and National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research(NCDIR) has released “National Cancer Registry Programme Report 2020”.
Facts:
- About the report: The report provides trends and information related to cancer incidence, mortality and treatment in India in 2020 based on data collected through a network of population and hospital-based cancer registries across the country.
Key Findings:
- Rise in Cancer Cases: India’s cancer cases could increase by 12% in the next five years.
- Tobacco Related Cancers: In 2020, tobacco-related cancers are estimated to contribute to 27.1% of the total cancer burden and the highest of this will be in the North-eastern region of the country.
- Most Cancer Cases: Among men, cancers of the lung, mouth, stomach and oesophagus were the most common.For women, breast and cervix uteri cancers were the most common.
Additional Facts:
- National Cancer Registry Programme(NCRP): It is an initiative of ICMR and is overseen by National Centre for Disease Informatics & Research(NCDIR),Bengaluru.
- Objectives: The main objectives of this Programme are:
- To generate reliable data on the magnitude and patterns of cancer
- Undertake epidemiological studies based on results of registry data
- Help in designing, planning, monitoring and evaluation of cancer control activities.
- Develop training programmes in cancer registration and epidemiology.
5.‘Dhanwantari Rath’ to bring Ayurveda at doorsteps of Delhi Police families
Facts:
- Dhanwantari Rath: It is a mobile unit provided by All India Institute of Ayurveda(AIIA) for extending the Ayurveda Preventive and Promotive health services in the residential colonies of Delhi Police.
- Ayuraksha: It is a joint initiative of the Delhi Police and All India Institute of Ayurveda with the aim to maintain the health of front line COVID warriors like Delhi Police personnel through Ayurveda Immunity boosting measures.
6.RBI unveils framework for retail payments entity
News: Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has released a ‘Framework for Authorisation of Pan-India Umbrella Entity for Retail Payments’.
Facts:
- In February 2020, RBI had proposed to create an alternative umbrella organisation for retail payments to prevent the monopoly of National Payment Corporation of India(NPCI).
About the Framework:
- New umbrella entity(NUE): It shall be a company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 and may be a ‘for-profit’ or Non-profit company as decided by it.
- Paid up capital: The entity will have minimum paid-up capital of Rs 500 crore with no single promoter group holding over 40% investment in the capital.
- Functions:
- It can set up, manage and operate new payments systems in the retail space comprising ATMs, white label PoS, Aadhaar-based payments and remittance services.
- It will manage clearing and settlement systems for participating banks and non-banks and also monitor developments in the retail payment system both in India and abroad.
- It will frame necessary rules and the related processes to ensure that the system is safe and sound and that payments are exchanged efficiently.
- Corporate Governance: The entity has to follow corporate governance norms set by the RBI, the central bank retains the right to approve the appointment of directors and nominate a member on the entities’ board.
Additional Facts:
- NPCI: It is an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India.
- It is an initiative of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks Association (IBA) under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
- It has been incorporated as a Not for Profit Company under the provisions of Section 25 of Companies Act 1956 (now Section 8 of Companies Act 2013).
7.Explained: What is Bhadbhut project?
News: Gujarat government has awarded the contract for the construction of Bhadbhut barrage project.
Facts:
- Bhadbhut Project: It is a 1.7-km barrage project across the river Narmada and 25 km from the mouth of the river where it flows into the Gulf of Khambhat.
- Purpose:
- To prevent salinity ingress which refers to the process of saltwater invading areas which previously contained only freshwater.
- To stop most of the excess water flowing out of the Sardar Sarovar Dam from reaching the sea and thus create a sweet water lake on the river.
- To prevent flooding in years when rainfall is higher than normal by building embankments.
- The project is a part of Kalpasar Project which aims to build a 30 km dam across the Gulf of Khambhat for establishing a huge freshwater coastal reservoir for irrigation, drinking and industrial purposes.
Additional Facts:
- Barrage: It is an artificial barrier across a river or estuary to prevent flooding, aid irrigation or navigation or to generate electricity by tidal power.
