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By admin: Nov. 8, 2024

India has for the second consecutive year outperformed China in the QS Asia University Rankings 2025,

Tags: INDEX

QS Asia University rankings  2025

Why in news?

• India has for the second consecutive year outperformed China in the QS Asia University Rankings 2025, signaling a significant improvement in the country’s higher education ,released by global higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds.

The 11 indicators used to compile the QS Asia University Rankings are as follow:

• Academic reputation (30%)
• Employer reputation (20%)
• Faculty/student ratio (10%)
• International research network (10%)
• Citations per paper (10%) and papers per faculty (5%)
• Staff with a PhD (5%)
• Proportion of international faculty (2.5%) and proportion of international students (2.5%)
• Proportion of inbound exchange students (2.5%) and proportion of outbound exchange students (2.5%)

Important Points:

• With193 Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) ranked in the list from India,the country showed the highest growth in university representation. The list also includes 21 new entrants.
• India was followed byChina with 135 universities, and Japan with 115 universities, according to the latest annual list of Asia’s best universities released by global higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds.
• India surpassed China in the 2024 QS ranking with 148 ranked universities. Only 133 educational institutes from China made to the list last year.
• About seven Indian universities are featured in the top 100 institutes in Asia. 
• The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) ranked the highest followed by IIT Bombay, which slipped to second place. Other names include the University of Delhi, IISc Bangalore, IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, and IIT Kanpur.

Madhya Pradesh ups women quota in state services to 35%

Tags: State News

Madhya Pradesh ups women quota in state services to 35%

Why in news?

• The state cabinet has cleared a proposal to increase the reservation for women in all state government services from the current 33 per cent to 35 per cent.

Key features:

Other states having women reservation in government jobs 30%or more than 30%:

• In 2016, the government extended the 35% reservation for women to all government jobs in Bihar for which direct recruitment is made.
• At the stage of direct recruitment, 30 percent posts shall be reserved for women candidates in accordance with the provision of Chhattisgarh Civil Service (Special Provision for Appointment of Women) Rules, 1997.

Project Shaurya Gatha to conserve and promote India’s military heritage

Tags: Defence

Project Shaurya Gatha to conserve and promote India’s military heritage 

Why in news?

• The 2nd edition of the annual Indian Military Heritage Festival (IMHF) is all set to kick start in New Delhi on November 8, 2024.
•  Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan will inaugurate the festival this year, along with the three Service Chiefs. 

Aim:

• The two-day festival aimsto engage global and Indian think tanks, corporations, public and private sector undertakings, non-profits, academicians, and research scholars focusing on India’s national security, foreign policy, military history and military heritage. 

Key features:

• The inauguration of the festival will also witness the launch of Project ‘Shaurya Gatha’.
•  The project is an initiative of the Department of Military Affairs and the USI of India which aims to conserve and promote India’s military heritage through education and tourism.
• This year’s festival is supported by the Ministry of Defence, Department of Military Affairs (DMA), Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, DRDO, Department of Tourism Ladakh, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, Ministry of Culture, and the British High Commission. 
• The inaugural IMHF held on October 21-22, 2023, at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, showcased India’s military culture through performances by military bands from the three Services and various exhibits highlighting the diverse aspects and initiatives of the Indian armed forces.            

Susie Wiles, will be the first woman to hold the position of White House Chief Of Staff in US history.

Tags: Person in news

Susie Wiles-White House Chief Of Staff  

Why in news?

•  US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday announced that his campaign manager,Susie Wiles, will be his White House chief of staff. 
• Susie Wiles, will be the first woman to hold the position of White House Chief Of Staff in US history.
• She will replace  the current chief of staff Jeff Zients  who held the post in the administration of Joe Biden. 

 Function of white house chief staff:

• The chief of staff is the most senior political appointeein the White House. 
• The Office of the Chief of Staff is responsible for directing, managing and overseeing all policy development, daily operations, and staff activities for the President. 
• This office coordinates and communicates with all departments and agencies of the Administration.
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Gujarat becomes India's first state to implement a dedicated semiconductor policy

Tags: Science and Technology

Gujarat becomes India's first state to implement a dedicated semiconductor policy

 Why in news?

• CG Power and Renesas will set up a state-of-the-art Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility in Sanand, a project totaling morethan Rs 7,500 crore.
• The government has also approvedKeynes Semicon’s facility in Sanand, anticipated to produce around 6 million chips daily with an investment of Rs 3,300 crore. 

Aim:

• ambitious policy aims to solidify Gujarat’s position as a leader in semiconductor self-reliance, supported by the newly created ‘Gujarat State Electronics Mission.’

Key features:

• Enhancing central government support for semiconductor units, the state offers additional financial assistance,including a 40% subsidyfor capital expenditure. 
• The policy further offers semiconductor businesses incentives, such as a 100% one-time refund on stamp dutyand registration fees, a Rs 2 per unit electricity subsidy, and a Rs 12 per cubic-metre rate for water.
•  The policy also includes up to 75% land acquisition subsidy for semiconductor units in Dholera, which is being developed as India’s first Greenfield Smart City.
• This region, envisioned as‘Semicon City,’ is a strategic hub aimed at attracting semiconductor investments and fostering industry growth.

Benefits:

• These projects, supported by the Gujarat Semiconductor Policy, are set to generate thousands of high-skilled jobs across the state.
• This state-level initiative complements the central government’s‘India Semiconductor Mission,’ launched in 2021 with a budget of Rs 76,000 croreto boost domestic semiconductor production.
•  India’s semiconductor market,valued at $15 billion in 2020, is projected to surpass $63 billion 2026.
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