After COVID Break, Centre Approves Fourth Phase Roll-out of GIAN Initiative
Past its brief discontinuation during the COVID period, the Ministry of Education rolled out the fourth phase of the Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) initiative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project to rope in eminent scholars from across the world to teach at Indian universities.
Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) initiative in Higher Education was launched in 2015.
The Central government has spent at least Rs. 126 crore in payment to support foreign faculty's travel and honorarium since the inception of GIAN. Each foreign faculty member is paid a lavish sum of $8000 (Rs. 7 lakh) for a week of teaching and $12,000 (Rs. 12 lakh) for conducting a two-week course.
As per reports, the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), after evaluating the scheme, recommended its continuation.
Dec 01, 2023
PM Modi Launches Scheme to Provide Drones to Women self-help Groups
Narendra Modi inaugurated the Pradhan Mantri Mahila Kisan Drone Kendra, a scheme to empower women self help groups by providing them access to drones for agricultural purposes.
The scheme will enable women self help groups to use drones for crop monitoring, pest control, soil testing, and irrigation. He said that the scheme will also enhance their productivity and income and make them self-reliant.
Women self help groups will be provided with 15,000 drones in the next three years and the women will be given training to fly and use drones, the PMO said, adding that the initiative will encourage the use of technology in agriculture.