General Awareness

GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION - January 2023

Jan 2023

Aug 04, 2023

Indian Railways & IIT-Madras Ink MoU for 5G Test Bed

The Ministry of Railways and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) signed a memorandum of understanding ((MoU) to establish the India 5G test bed at the Indian Railway Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications (IRISET) in Secunderabad; the facility would be dedicated to the testing and development of 5G use cases for Indian Railways.
The MoU between IRISET and IIT-Madras aims to accelerate the indigenisation efforts of Indian Railways in the field of communications and create a testing facility for Indian Railways. The Indian Railways aims to leverage the potential of 5G technology to enhance its operational efficiency, passenger experience and overall safety. By simulating real-world scenarios, researchers and industry experts will explore innovative solutions to modernise various aspects of Railway communication and services.
The indigenous 5G solution and testbed has been developed jointly by IIT-Kanpur; Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) under MeitY; IIT-Bombay; Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology (CEWiT), a society of IIT-Madras; and IIT-Madras, as part of the indigenous 5G testbed project funded by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to a consortium of eight institutes.

IIT Roorkee, Think India to Host 'G20 Impact Summit' for National Development

Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) and 'Think India,' an organisation dedicated to promoting Indian nationalism and national reconstruction, teamed up and hosted the prestigious 'G20 Impact Summit: Unleashing the Potentials.' This exciting event took place on August 2 and 3, 2023, at the esteemed Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee.
The primary objective of the G20 Impact Summit was to unleash the potential for impactful changes in our society by fostering meaningful discussions, promoting collaboration, and facilitating knowledge-sharing among students, researchers, and innovators from diverse sectors.
By bringing together some of the brightest minds from institutions such as IISc, IITs, NITs, IIMs, and several National Law Schools, the event aimed to infuse a 'Nation First' attitude.

Aug 03, 2023

Skill Development Ministry and Amazon Web Services Team up to Offer Free AI Courses

The Ministry for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) joined forces with Amazon Web Services (AWS) India to equip students with essential skills in cutting-edge technologies.
The collaboration will offer free online programmes in cloud computing, data annotation, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) through the Directorate General of Training's Bharat Skills Platform.
Under the partnership, nominated educational institutions will receive AWS's cloud computing curriculum, enabling students to prepare for certifications and relevant roles in cloud technology.
This initiative aims to empower students from Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) across India.

UGC Declares 20 Universities as Fake and Not Empowered to Confer any Degree

The University Grants Commission (UGC) declared 20 universities as fake and not empowered to confer any degree with Delhi having eight such institutions, the highest.
Delhi has eight fake universities -- All India Institute of Public and Physical Health Sciences; Commercial University Ltd, Daryaganj; United Nations University; Vocational University; ADR-Centric Juridical University; Indian Institution of Science and Engineering; Viswakarma Open University for Self-Employment; and Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya (Spiritual University), according to the UGC.
Uttar Pradesh has four such universities — Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith; National University of Electro Complex Homeopathy; Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University (Open university); and Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad.
Karnataka, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Kerala also have fake universities.
As per the UGC, a number of institutions are offering degrees in contrary to the provisions of the UGC Act. Degrees awarded by such universities shall neither be recognised nor valid for higher education or employment purpose. These universities are not empowered to confer any degree.

Aug 02, 2023

NHPC and ALIMCO Sign MoU for Providing Aids and Assistive Devices to Divyangjans

NHPC Limited and Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding, under which NHPC will provide CSR support for distribution of aids and assistive devices to around 1,000 Divyangjans (Persons with Disabilities) in the vicinity of NHPC Projects located in North and North Eastern states.
The MoU was signed at NHPC Corporate Office, Faridabad under the CSR initiative of NHPC. The MoU was signed by Group Deputy General Manager (HR), CSR & SD, NHPC and General Manager - Marketing, ALIMCO in the presence of Shri Uttam Lal, Director (Personnel), NHPC; Executive Director (CSR & SD), NHPC, and other senior officers from NHPC CSR&SD Division and ALIMCO.

Jitendra Singh Launches India's First Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scanner

In a medical breakthrough, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Jitendra Singh launched India's first indigenously developed, affordable, lightweight, ultrafast, high field (1.5 Tesla), next-generation Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scanner.

Aug 01, 2023

Education Ministry Inks 106 MoUs to Foster Innovation and Research

The Ministry of Education inked 106 MoUs with prestigious organisations and institutions, paving the way for an exciting era of collaboration in education and industry-academia partnerships. These agreements are set to fuel innovation, drive groundbreaking research, and facilitate the exchange of knowledge across diverse domains, promising significant advancements for the future.
The MoUs were signed in association with the Atal Innovation Mission, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Apparel Made-ups and Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council, Automotive Sector Skill Council, Sports, Physical Education, Fitness and Leisure Skills Council, Central Square Foundation (CSC), Educational Initiatives Private Limited, Oxford University Press India, Logistics Sector Skill Council, Furniture and Fittings Sector Skill Council, Life Sciences Sector Skill Council, Textiles Sector Skill Council and Healthcare Sector Skill Council.

Centre Requests AIIMS-Delhi to Limit PhD Research Duration to Six Years

The union health ministry requested the All India Institute of Medical Sciences- Delhi to cap the duration of PhD scholars or scientists who are working on research projects to six years. However, the AIIMS administration has yet to implement the order.
However, PhD scholars and scientists working on research papers at AIIMS have been protesting against the decision.
The directive issued by the health ministry states, "Project staff will not be allowed to continue or hired to serve beyond six years of cumulative engagement in the institute."

Jul 31, 2023

CBSE Signs 15 MOUs to Promote Skill Education, Assessment and Teacher Training

With a vision to promote Skill Education, Assessment, and capacity building of teachers, CBSE signed 15 MoUs with different Institutes. The NEP emphasises stronger collaboration between academia and industry. The curriculum needs to be aligned with industry requirements, making provision for internships and apprenticeships for students to promote industry exposure.
It is equally important to update the capacity of teachers for desired outcomes. CBSE, through these initiatives, has thus entered into strategic partnerships for skill development, education, and training.
In order to ensure that students acquire a diverse set of expertise and ensure the availability of quality infrastructure along with exposure to students to emerging technologies, 12 MOUs have been signed with Sector Skill Providers such as Atal Innovation Mission, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Apparel Made-ups and Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council, Automotive Sector Skill Council, Sports, Physical Education, Fitness and Leisure Skills Council, Logistics Sector Skill Council, Furniture and Fittings Sector Skill Council, Life Sciences Sector Skill Council Textiles Sector Skill Council, Healthcare Sector Skill Council.

Bhutan Announces Successful Elimination of Rubella

Bhutan announced the successful elimination of rubella. The World Health Organisation recognised Bhutan's efforts to tackle this highly contagious and potentially devastating disease.
In the past 20 years, Bhutan's health workers have worked tirelessly and fought against rubella, also known as German Measles. This infectious disease poses a threat to those infected and also causes severe complications for pregnant women, resulting in irreversible birth defects in newborns. However, Bhutan's efforts in vaccination promotion and creating awareness have resulted in commendable success.

To have a Say in Key IIM Appointments, Centre Set to Appoint President as Visitor

In a move that could potentially curb the autonomy granted to 20 Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) in 2017, the Centre introduced an amendment to the IIM Act in the parliament, proposing to make the President the Visitor of all B-schools.
The amendment, if comes into effect, will strip the IIM Board of the power to select and appoint chairpersons and directors to the institutes. Under the amendments, the Visitor will have the power to appoint the Chairperson to the Board of Governors of the institute, and nominate an individual to the search-cum-selection committee for the positions of Director, giving the government a say in these crucial calls.
The Visitor will also have the power to appoint the Chairperson to the Coordination Forum of the institute, as per the Bill.
The Visitor would also be empowered to set up an inquiry against the institute in case of suspected irregularities, and remove the institute's director, besides allowing the Central Government to constitute an interim Board in case of suspension or dissolution of the said Board of Governors.
This is the second attempt by the union government at curbing the autonomy granted to the 20 premier Business-schools.

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