NATIONAL:
1. Standing Committee on Statistics
Why in news - Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has set up Standing Committee on Statistics (SCoS).
Key Points –
• Chair of the new panel - Pronab Sen (India’s first chief statistician).
• It has replaced the Standing Committee on Economic Statistics, set up in 2019.
• It has a broader mandate to review the framework and results of all surveys conducted under the National Statistical Office (NSO).
• Members (upto 16 members) - 10 official members, and 4 non-official (eminent academics).
2. Mobile Component Manufacturing Facility
Why in news - Taiwan's Foxconn signed a letter of intent (LoI) with Tamil Nadu to establish the facility in Kanchipuram.
Key Points –
• Tamil Nadu aims to emerge the electronics manufacturing hub of Asia.
• With 38,837 factories as of FY 20 (15.7% of India), Tamil Nadu is the Industrial capital of India.
3. Anti-Discrimination Norms
Why in news – Ministry of Education has formed an expert panel to revise anti-discrimination norms in higher universities.
Key Points –
• Aim - to revisit regulations on anti-discrimination with respect to SCs, STs, OBCs, PwD and other minorities.
• The UGC had in 2012 issued the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutes) Regulations, 2012.
INTERNATIONAL:
1. Voyager 2
Why in news – NASA detected a signal from its Voyager 2 spacecraft on August 1, after losing communication for over a week.
Key Points –
• Voyager 2 (launch - August 20, 1977) is currently in interstellar space (about 19.9 billion km away from Earth).
• Voyager 2 is the second spacecraft to enter interstellar space (1st - Voyager 1).
• Voyager 1 was sent to space about 2 weeks after Voyager 2 (yes, Voyager 1 was launched after Voyager 2).
• Interstellar space — the region that lies outside the impact of our Sun’s constant flow of material and magnetic field.
GOVERNMENT SCHEME:
1. National Deep Tech Startup Policy (NDTSP)
Why in news - Draft NDTSP Released for public consultation by the National Consortium.
Key Points –
• Aim - to propose a framework to address the needs and strengthen the Indian deep tech startup ecosystem.
• Deep Tech refers to advanced and cutting-edge technologies that are based on significant scientific and engineering innovations. e.g., AI and ML.
About National Consortium –
• Set up on the recommendation of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
• Apex-level body to propose a comprehensive policy framework for the Indian deep tech startup ecosystem.
• Chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
2. Modernizing ‘DIKSHA’
Why in news - Ministry of Education selected Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) to modernize edtech platform ‘DIKSHA’.
Key Points –
• Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) is India’s national education technology platform.
• DIKSHA supports 1.48 million schools across 35 states and UTs and is available in 36 Indian languages.
About DIKSHA (2017) –
• Initiative of - National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT), under Ministry of Education (MoE).
• Adopted by almost all the States, UTs, central autonomous bodies/boards including CBSE.
• DIKSHA has been declared as ‘One Nation, One Digital Platform’.
• DIKSHA is built using MIT licensed open source technology called Sunbird. (developed by the EkStep Foundation).
3. Vivad se Vishwas – II (Contractual Disputes)
Why in news – M/o Finance (Department of Expenditure) has launched the scheme, “Vivad se Vishwas II – (Contractual Disputes).
Key Points –
• Aim - to effectively settle the pending contractual disputes of government and government undertakings.
• It is a one-time settlement scheme.
• Coverage - cases where the court order was passed by 30 April 2023, and the arbitral order was given by 30 January 2023.
ECONOMY:
1. Centre's Debt
Why in news - The central government's debt stood at Rs 155.6 lakh crore or 57.1% of the GDP at the end of March 2023.
Key Points –
• It has reduced from 61.5% of GDP in 2020-21.
• Debt of state governments at the end of 2022-23 (estimate) - about 28% of GDP.
• Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) - Rs 54.35 lakh crore in 2022-23 (Rs. 45.41 lakh crore in 2018-19).
Value Addition –
• GFCF –
(a) total amount of investment made in the production of physical assets, such as buildings, machinery, equipment, and infrastructure, within a country during a
specific period.
(b) indicates the increase in the nation's capital stock and productive capacity.
SCIENCE – TECH:
1. Hygroelectricity
Why in news - University of Massachusetts Amherst has developed a technology which can generate electricity from humid air.
Key Points –
• It can harness electricity from the air we breathe.
• This concept was first explored by physicist Nikola Tesla.
How it works (Role of Nanotechnology) –
• A tiny device comprising two electrodes and a thin layer of material is filled with nanopores.
• Nanopores (<100 nm in diameter) allow water molecules from the air to pass through the device.
• Molecules interact with the edges of the nanopores, leading to a buildup of electric charge.
• This process effectively transforms the device into a miniature battery, generating continuous electricity.
Value Addition –
• Electricity can be harvested from the air using a special material made of nanowires using the bacteria Geobacter sulfurreducens.
• The “air-gen” effect of the nanowires is actually generic, meaning that any kind of material can harvest electricity from air.
2. 5G Testbed
Why in news – IRISET (M/o Railways) and IIT Madras have signed an MoU to establish 5G testbed.
Key Points –
• This testbed will be located at IRISET in Secunderabad to test 5G use for the Indian Railways.
• IRISET - Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications.
Value Addition –
• The 5G Solution and testbed have been developed jointly by –
(a) IIT Kanpur
(b) Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) under MeitY
(c) IIT Bombay
(d) Center of Excellence in Wireless Technology (CEWiT), a society of IIT Madras.
STATES/UTs:
1. Water Sports Policy 2023
Why in news - Uttar Pradesh approved the Water Tourism and Adventure Sports Policy 2023.
Key Points –
• Potential sites - Hills in the Vindhya and Bundelkhand regions and forests of Terai area.
• Validity - 10 years.
• Applicable to all inland land-based, air-based, and water routes, dams, reservoirs, lakes, rivers, ponds, and all adventure activities on various water bodies.
BIHAR:
1. AN College Patna
Why in news - Patna’s AN College gets highest NAAC grade in Bihar.
Key Points –
• It has got A+ grade with 3.36 institutional cumulative grade point average (CGPA).
• Among the universities in the state, Central University of South Bihar (CUSB) has the top ranking of A++.
• Number of institutions graded by the NAAC in Bihar – 43.
POINTERS:
• In June 2023, the production of core industries has reached what percent of the highest level of 5 months - 8.2%
• Which Indian-origin author's debut novel 'Western Lane' has made it to the Booker Price longlist - Chetna Maroo.
• Who became the first cricketer to hit a six on his last ball with the bat in Test cricket while also taking a wicket on the last ball of his career - Stuart Broad.
• Who has been appointed as Additional Director General of Military Nursery Service (MNS) - Maj Gen Amita Rani.
• Which ministry has launched India's first indigenously developed MRI scanner - Ministry of Science & Technology.
• Which ministry has launched the mobile application of ULLAS: Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram - Ministry of Education.
• Which country has commissioned the world's largest wind turbine with a capacity of 16 MW – China.
• In which city Nykaaland, India's first beauty and lifestyle festival will be held - Mumbai.
• Which player has won the Belgian Grand Prix title for the 8th time in a row - Max Verstappen.
• Where has Asia's highest ever land art group exhibition titled “sā” been launched at an astounding altitude of 3600 m - Leh, Ladakh.