General Awareness

GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION - January 2020

Jan 2020

Mar 30, 2024

UNESCO Opens Applications for Women's Education Prize Worth Rs. 41 lakh

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is currently accepting applications for the 2024 UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education.
This award aims to recognise exceptional efforts in advancing girls' and women's education worldwide.
The UNESCO Executive Board, in collaboration with the People's Republic of China, will select two laureates for the 2024 prize, with each recipient being awarded 50,000 US dollars.

Mar 29, 2024

Odisha Agrees to Sign MoU with Centre to Implement PM SHRI School Scheme

Odisha agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for implementing the PM SHRI school scheme. With the coastal state agreeing to implement the scheme, West Bengal, Kerala and Delhi are the only states which have not signed an MoU with the Union Ministry of Education to have such schools.
The MoU will be signed by the state before the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year. This partnership between the Odisha government and the Ministry of Education signifies stronger Center-state relations.
The PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme targets to upgrade 14,500 schools and is expected to benefit 1.8 million students. It also aims to ensure these schools serve as model institutes and encapsulate the spirit of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

India's First Indigenous Pneumonia Vaccine by SII Launched

The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) would be used to treat pneumonia in children and has been developed by SII in collaboration with other partners like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, according to an official statement from the health ministry.
The first indigenous vaccine against pneumonia, developed by the Serum Institute of India (SII), was launched by Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday. The vaccine would be sold under the name 'Pneumosil' and would be available either as a single dose in a vial and pre-filled syringe or as multidose in vials at affordable prices, the Union ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW) said in a statement.
The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) would be used to treat pneumonia in children and has been developed by SII in collaboration with other partners like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the statement said. Vardhan said that the vaccine has been developed during the Covid-19 pandemic time and is also in line with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat program (self-reliant India) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

UGC Allows NET Score for PhD Admissions

The University Grants Commission (UGC) announced that starting from the 2024-25 academic session, scores from the National Eligibility Test (NET) will be accepted for PhD admissions. This decision aims to streamline the admission process, as many universities currently conduct separate entrance exams for PhD candidates. By accepting NET scores, candidates will no longer need to appear for multiple exams.
The decision, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, was made in the 578^th UGC meeting, following recommendations from an expert committee. The UGC-NET, conducted twice a year in June and December, is used to award Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and select Assistant Professors for candidates with master's degrees.

IIM Bangalore, FPSB India Jointly Launch Executive Education Programme in Financial Planning

The Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with FPSB India, a financial planning standards board, to launch an executive education programme in financial planning.
This new course by IIM Bangalore and FPSB India is being launched to enhance the landscape of financial education and professional development in the country. The programme will offer tailored for working professionals and students to cater to the growing demand for advanced financial planning education. This programme will provide the expertise of both institutions to deliver comprehensive learning to meet the evolving needs of the industry.

Mar 28, 2024

Gujarat State Education Minister Launches Shiksha Reform

Gujarat's Minister of State for Education, Praful Pansheriya, launched the online learning platform Shiksha Reform in Surat. The event was attended by noted educationist Deepak Rajguru, trustees, principals, Kimmo Nikkanen from Finland's Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, and educationist Antti Isovita.
Shiksha Reform, a collaborative effort with Microsoft and a leading Finnish university, aims to deliver high-quality courses by experienced and highly qualified teachers to revolutionise education, particularly in technology.
Co-founders Rajiv Soni and Paresh Chalodiya said that Shiksha Reform offers short-term courses in cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence and cyber security in association with Microsoft and the Finnish university.
Shiksha Reform's courses are prepared by leading corporations and universities, with state-of-the-art study material. Students can access their courses forever, without any time or other constraints, and are trained by highly qualified and industry-experienced mentors.

IIT Guwahati Transfers Pioneering Swine Fever Vaccine Technology to BioMed Pvt

The Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) has transferred a first-of-its-kind vaccine technology to BioMed Pvt. Ltd., a company specialising in vaccine manufacturing. This revolutionary technology involves a recombinant vector vaccine specifically designed to combat the classical swine fever virus in pigs and wild boars. It fills a significant gap in India's vaccine landscape.
The vaccine utilises a reverse genetic platform pioneered and refined at IIT-G. Classical swine fever is a highly contagious disease among pigs, posing a severe threat with a very high mortality rate, although it does not affect humans.
In India, instances of this disease have been frequently observed in the northeastern States, as well as in Bihar, Kerala, Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat. The vaccine work was initiated in 2018-2019 through collaborative efforts between researchers from IIT-G's Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering and the Assam Agricultural University in Guwahati.

Mar 27, 2024

IIM Calcutta, Emeritus Jointly Launch Advanced Programme in Strategic Project Management

The Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIMC) partnered up with Emeritus, an online learning platform, and launched Advanced Programme in Strategic Project Management to address modern project complexities. This nine-month high-impact programme by IIM Calcutta is designed for mid and senior-level executives aiming to spearhead strategic initiatives with a project-oriented approach.
This new course is also beneficial for individuals with direct or indirect experience of working on projects, aiming to transition between project management domains or prepare for more challenging roles in Strategic Project Management.

University of Houston Renews MoU with ICCR to Set up New Chair on Tamil Language, Literature

The University of Houston and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) renewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up the ICCR Chair of Indian Studies to conduct research on Tamil language, literature and culture at the university.
The MoU was signed last year (2023) but was renewed for another year at a ceremony held in March 2024 at the University of Houston, between its Chancellor and the President Dr. Renu Khator, and Consul General of India in Houston, D. C. Manjunath.
The Chair aims to teach and conduct research on Tamil language, literature and culture at the University of Houston. The establishment of the Chair was welcomed by the leaders in the Joint Declaration issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US in June 2023. Under the MoU, Dr. T. Vijayalakshmi, the visiting chair professor from India, has been teaching a curated Tamil Language and Culture Course at the University for the last two semesters.

IIT Madras Signs MoU with Starburst Accelerator to Set up €100 Million Start-up Hub

The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT Madras) partnered up with French aerospace and defence firm Starburst Accelerator SARL to set up an innovative hub for start-ups with a funding support of €100 million.
Under this partnership, IIT Madras will enable Starburst to set up accelerator programs to boost Aviation, Space, and Defence (ASD) ecosystem in India.
This partnership will enable export promotion and provide support for Indian ASD start-ups to explore international markets through the extensive network of Starburst.
Under this partnership, Starburst will create a consulting team that can be composed of IIT Madras alumni and experienced military officers besides ASD managers and senior consultants from Starburst offices to help start-ups scale up in their growth journey. Through this, the two institutes plan to provide access to entrepreneurs and innovators, drive new technologies, business ideas, and models, and boost the Indian aerospace and defence innovation ecosystem.

Mar 26, 2024

Prof Jai Shankar Singh New Vice-Chancellor of RGNUL Patiala

Prof Jai Shankar Singh was appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Patiala.
Prior to his appointment, Prof Singh was Dean of the Faculty of Law at University of Allahabad.
Prof Anand Pawar, the University's Registrar, was officiating as Vice-Chancellor until now. Prof Pawar was appointed officiating VC after Prof G. S. Bajpai re-joined National Law University (NLU) Delhi in March 2023.

PM Modi Inaugurates State-of-the-Art Medical Facility in Thimphu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay jointly inaugurated a modern hospital in the Bhutanese capital, Thimphu. The Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuk Mother and Child Hospital is a shining example of the strong development cooperation between India and Bhutan.
The hospital is a state-of-the-art 150-bedded facility that has been built with Indian assistance.
India and Bhutan established diplomatic relations in 1968, and their relationship is guided by the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1949 and revised in 2007.

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