Daily News Analysis : 22 July 2024

Madhya Pradesh Leads as the Top Performer in the PM SVANidhi Scheme

Madhya Pradesh has been recognized as the ‘Best Performing State’ under the PM SVANidhi scheme. Assam secured second place in the ‘Best Performing States – Innovation and Best Practices Award’ category. The scheme, launched in June 2020, aims to support street vendors economically impacted by COVID-19. Key achievers include the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, with a focus on financial inclusion and community development.
 

Key Points:
A) Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar gave away the awards to the winners.
B)  The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) secured the top spot in the ‘Best Performing ULBs – Loan Performance with mega and million plus cities’ category, with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation following closely behind.
C) The awards in the the National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM) was also announced, with Kerala topping the chart in the category of ‘Systematic Progressive Analytical Real Time Ranking (SPARK), followed by Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

NTIPRIT, NICF, and WMTDC have been consolidated into a single entity

The DoT has merged its three training institutes—NTIPRIT, NICF, and WMTDC—into the National Communications Academy (NCA). The Secretary (T) will head the NCA, with the Additional Secretary (T) as Vice-Chairperson. Located across three campuses, the NCA aims to enhance training efficiency, resource optimization, and interdisciplinary research. The Chairperson will control budget allocations and operations, while strategic decisions will be made by the Governing Council. This integration benefits both trainees and the industry by fostering a holistic training environment.

Key Points:

A) The Minister of Communications (MoC) approved the merger of these entities on the recommendation of the Committee for Organisational Reforms.
B) The NCA shall function as a single unit for all purposes including budget and transfers with three existing campuses, one at Ghaziabad, and the other two at Ghitorni.
C) The academy is designed to create better integration and efficiency by streamlining training, resource optimisation, and will offer a more holistic approach to skill-building.

National Mango Day Observed on July 22

National Mango Day, celebrated on July 22, honours the mango’s exquisite taste and health benefits. Dating back 5,000 years in Indian culture, the fruit’s name comes from the Malayan word “manna.” Belonging to the Anacardiaceae family, mangoes were officially recognized by India’s National Horticulture Board in 1987. Celebrations include exploring different varieties, tasting events, culinary experiments, educational activities on farming and cultural significance, and health-focused workshops and recipes highlighting mangoes’ nutritional value.
 

Key Points:
A) Mangoes are an excellent provider of vital nutrients that are renowned for enhancing the immune system.
B) Mangoes are of many varieties, and National mango Day is the best occasion to try out some of the exotic varieties of mangoes.
C) The best way to spend the day is by learning and tasting more varieties of mangoes and appreciating the taste and benefits.

Ram Charan to be Honoured at Melbourne Film Festival 2024

Ram Charan, star of the blockbuster “RRR,” will be honoured as the Ambassador for Indian Art and Culture at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2024. The festival, running from August 15 to 25, will feature a retrospective of his films. Charan’s upcoming project, “Game Changer,” boasts a star-studded cast including Kiara Advani and Anjali, with a budget of Rs 300-400 crore and music by S. Thaman. This accolade highlights Charan’s rising global profile and contributions to Indian cinema.
 

Key Points:
A) The festival, hosted by the Victorian State Government annually, will organise a retrospective of the actor’s films to celebrate his journey in the film industry.
B) Ram Charan’s next films are Game Changer with Kiara Advani and RC16 with Janhvi Kapoor.

Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum Awarded the Gandhi Mandela Prize 2020

Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Guatemalan human rights activist, was awarded the Gandhi Mandela Award 2020 on July 18, 2023, marking Nelson Mandela’s 106th birth anniversary. The award honours individuals who promote the values of peace, community service, and human rights, as championed by Gandhi and Mandela. Menchú Tum, recognized for her activism for Indigenous rights and social justice, joins past recipient Dalai Lama in receiving this prestigious accolade.
 

Key Points:

A) According to the Gandhi Mandela Foundation, this award honours individuals who advance peace, harmony, and the principles championed by both Gandhi and Mandela, including community service and social development.
B) The Dalai Lama was honoured with this esteemed award in 2019.
C) Rigoberta Menchú Tum, a K’iche’ Guatemalan human rights activist, feminist, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has dedicated her life to advocating for the rights of Indigenous peoples in Guatemala and advancing Indigenous rights on a global scale.

China Deploys New Gaofen-11 (05) High-Resolution Spy Satellite

China’s latest addition to its CHEOS constellation, the Gaofen-11 (05) high-resolution satellite, was successfully launched on July 18, 2024, aboard a Long March 4B rocket from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The satellite enhances China’s Earth observation capabilities, aiding in land surveys, urban planning, and disaster management. It joins four earlier Gaofen-11 satellites, known for their high-resolution optical imagery. This launch marks China’s 33rd orbital mission of 2024, with plans for around 100 launches this year.
 

Key Points:
A) The launch was China’s 33rd orbital mission of 2024.
B) CASC stated early in the year that the country was aiming to launch around 100 times.
C) This includes around 70 launches by CASC—China’s state-owned main space contractor—and 30 from commercial providers. 

Eurosport India Names Shikhar Dhawan MotoGP Brand Ambassador

Eurosport India has appointed Indian cricket star Shikhar Dhawan as the MotoGP brand ambassador in India. Dhawan will feature in the campaign ‘Face Kar Race Kar,’ aimed at boosting MotoGP’s popularity. Expressing his enthusiasm, Dhawan highlighted his personal connection to racing and his excitement to help introduce MotoGP™ to a broader audience. Eurosport India, which has renewed its MotoGP broadcasting rights for three years, aims to elevate the sport’s presence in India, supported by Dhawan’s wide appeal.

Key Points:

A) Dhawan, renowned for his energetic demeanour on the cricket field, will channel his enthusiasm for racing in the new campaign, ‘Face Kar Race Kar’.
B) The ‘Face Kar Race Kar’ campaign encapsulates the indomitable spirit of MotoGP, celebrating resilience and inspiring fans to conquer challenges with unwavering determination

Two New Flower Fly Species Discovered in Kerala for the First Time

Researchers from Shadpada Entomology Research Lab (SERL) at Christ College, Irinjalakuda, have discovered two new flower fly species, Mesembrius bengalensis and M. quadrivittatus, in Kerala’s Kole wetlands and Vilagan Kunnu hillocks. This is the first time these species have been reported in Kerala. Published in ENTOMON, the findings enhance the region’s faunal list and underscore the ecological role of flower flies in pollination and nutrient recycling. SERL, established in 2019, focuses on insect taxonomy, bio-ecology, and conservation.
 

Key Points:
A) Flower flies belong to the family Syrphidae of order Diptera and are commonly called flower files because they are frequent visitors of flowers like many bees and wasps.
B) They are flies that evolved to mimic bees or wasps to escape from their predators, explains Dr. Bijoy.
C) The recent study is published in the journal ENTOMON, the official publication of the Association for Advancement of Entomology.

MoHUA Organized Utkrishtata ki Ore Badhte Kadam

On July 18, 2024, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) hosted the “Utkrishtata ki Ore Badhte Kadam” event to honour top performers under the PM SVANidhi and DAY-NULM schemes. Key figures included Minister Manohar Lal and Minister of State Tokhan Sahu. The event recognized outstanding contributions with PRAISE and SPARK awards and featured panel discussions on future directions for these schemes. PM SVANidhi provides loans and incentives to street vendors, while DAY-NULM focuses on urban poverty reduction and livelihood improvement.
 

Key Points:
A) Notable accomplishments achieved through both programs were emphasized at the event.
B) The event featured the release of a collection of uplifting stories from DAY-NULM beneficiaries and the Annual Report of PM SVANidhi, offering a glimpse into the diverse initiatives and changes implemented by the program in the past year.
C) Furthermore, the Minister unveiled new functionalities of the PM SVANidhi mobile app, including a voice-based complaint system, chatbot, and e-Parichay card.

BIS Partners with IISc Bengaluru to Advance Standardization

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, signed an MoU on July 3, 2024, to establish the BIS Standardization Chair Professor. This initiative aims to integrate standardization topics into academic curricula, foster academic participation in standards formulation, and support research and development in standardization. The collaboration will also involve co-hosting events, sharing lab facilities, and exploring Centres of Excellence. BIS and IISc anticipate this partnership will advance standardization practices and enhance product and service quality in India.
 

Key Points:
A) The BIS Standardization Chair Professor aims to foster a robust partnership between BIS and IISc, promoting collaborative activities in Standardization and Conformity Assessment on the principles of equality and reciprocity.
B) The partnership aims to strategically engage academic stakeholders in the development of standards and incorporate the teaching of Indian standards into academic programs.
C) Professor Govindan Rangarajan, the Director of IISc, expressed his dedication to this program as well.