General Awareness

GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION - October 2019

Oct 2019

Jul 31, 2021

PM Modi Launches SAFAL, AI for All Initiatives

To commemorate the first anniversary of National Education Policy 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched SAFAL (Structured Assessment for Analysing Learning), and 'AI For All' joint initiative in collaboration with the CBSE.
SAFAL is a competency-based assessment for grades 3, 5, and 8 introduced by CBSE. It will be used to assess the progress of foundational skills and basic learning outcomes/competencies among students. As a diagnostic assessment, it will provide developmental feedback to schools and teachers to improve teaching-learning without additional examination pressure on students.
SAFAL will be conducted on a pilot basis in CBSE schools for students in grades 3, 5, and 8 during the academic year 2021-22, in key curricular areas of language, mathematics, and EVS/science. CBSE has invited affiliated schools to participate in SAFAL 2021-22.

Jul 30, 2021

Malaysia Registers World's First Affordable New Drug for Hepatitis C

World's first affordable as well as effective new drug for hepatitis C has been registered by Malaysia. This new drug offers hope for accessible treatment to the millions of people around the world who are suffering from this disease.
The drug which has been named ravidasvir has been approved for use along with an existing drug named sofosbuvir.
This approval came five years after the Malaysian government had partnered with Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) to develop the drug.
According to the World Health Organization, around 71 million people globally are thought to be living with Hepatitis C which is a blood-borne virus that is one of the leading causes of liver cancer and can lead to cirrhosis.
Hepatitis C has no vaccine.

IIT Hyderabad Develops Covid RNA Test Kit 'COVIHOME'

India's first Rapid electronic Covid-19 RNA Test kit that allows self-testing at home called 'COVIHOME' has been developed by a research group at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad. The kit has been validated by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology and can be used to check for Covid-19 trace at the comfort of home.
This test kit can produce results within 30 minutes for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.
The major benefit of this testing kit is that it does not require RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction), an expert human resource, and a BSL 2 lab facility for the extraction of RNA, so it has the potential for one to take the test at home without expert supervision.
The validation report confirmed the kit's efficiency at 94.2 per cent, Sensitivity 91.3 per cent and Specificity 98.2 per cent.

Maruti Suzuki, Savitribai Phule Pune University Tie-up to Train Youth

Maruti Suzuki India Limited has announced a partnership with Maharashtra's Savitribai Phule Pune University to train youth in automobile retail. The aim is to offer a customised three years "Bachelor of Vocational Studies in Retail Management" course to students. The three-year curriculum will comprise one-year classroom training followed by two-year on-the-job training at Maruti Suzuki authorised dealerships.
The course is based on the concept of 'Earn while you Learn' where students will receive a stipend during their on-the-job training. The course will allow the students to build a promising career in automobile sales in India.

Jul 29, 2021

IIT Kanpur to Set Up Centre for Energy Policy and Climate Solutions

Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK) has established the 'Chandrakanta Kesavan centre for energy policy and climate solutions' to assist policy makers with practical solutions to the problems of climate change. The aim of the centre will be to spearhead the development of technology and policy solutions to help India and the world combat climate change.
An agreement to establish this centre was signed earlier this month (July) between IIT Kanpur and Sudhakar Kesavan, an alumnus of the class of 1976 from IIT Kanpur. The centre is named in the memory of his mother Dr. Chandrakanta Kesavan who was a role model for Indian women in science.
The centre will be an autonomous organisation within IIT Kanpur. It will be anchored in, and work closely with, the department of sustainable energy engineering. The centre will focus on policy, communications, education and outreach efforts aimed at implementing technology and science-based solutions in the country at large, outside the academic world. The center will become a platform to bring eminent academics, technologists, researchers and policy makers from across the world together to discuss and address these issues.

Mumbai, Bengaluru Lose Top-100 Spots in QS Best Student Cities Ranking

Mumbai and Bengaluru are out of the global top-100 list and are currently ranking at 106 and 110, respectively in the latest edition of the QS Best Student Cities Ranking.
While Mumbai lost 29 places, Bengaluru fell by 21 places in the ninth edition of the rankings brought out by global higher education analysts QS Quacquarelli Symonds.
However, among the different metrics as part of the methodology, Mumbai gained 27 places in the 'Affordability' indicator to rank at 21st globally. On the other hand, despite losing three places in the same indicator, Bengaluru was placed seventh globally in the affordability metric.
QS rank cities with a population of at least 250,000 and with at least two universities placing in the QS World University Rankings.

Jul 28, 2021

30 Delhi Govt. Schools will Come under New Education Board from 2021-22

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced that the newly formed Delhi Board of School Education (DBSE) will affiliate 30 government schools from the 2021-22 academic session.
Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, said the government will launch 20 Schools of Specialised Excellence (SoSE) by August 15. The decisions were taken at the second General Body meeting of DBSE and SoSE, chaired by Sisodia.

Jul 27, 2021

Online Post Graduate Diploma in Sustainability Science by IGNOU

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) launched a postgraduate diploma in sustainable science. The online post graduate diploma in sustainability science (PGDSS) will be offered by the varsity's School of Inter-Disciplinary and Trans-Disciplinary Studies (SOITS).
The PGDSS programme mainly focuses on the genesis and principles of sustainable development, its tools, implementation and assessment strategies in a holistic way.
The basics of natural resource management, ecological economics, global and local efforts for sustainable development through good governance, law and policy are integrated into an academic framework so that students are able to understand the tools and techniques in developing and implementing sustainable development projects.

No Proposal to Rename IIT Madras as IIT Chennai

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan ruled out any proposal to rename the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras as IIT Chennai.
Pradhan made the statement in response to a written question in Lok Sabha.
"Any such proposal for amending the name of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras is not under consideration of the government," he said.
Madras city was renamed as Chennai in 1996 by the Tamil Nadu government.

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