1. UGC launches new research fellowship and research grants schemes on Teachers Day
Tags: National
The University Grant Commission (UGC) has launched new research fellowship and research grants schemes on the occasion of Teachers Day on 5 September 2022.
Savitribai Jyotirao Phule Fellowship for Single Girl Child
Its aim is to promote the education of single girl child and encourage them to pursue research work. This allows for the award of a PhD degree. There is no fixed limit of slots in the fellowship programme. This fellowship will be for 5 years.
Fellowship for Superannuated Faculty Members
The 'Fellowship for Superannuated Faculty Members' is being launched with an aim to provide research opportunities to retired teachers. There are 100 slots available for this fellowship and selected candidates will be given ₹50,000 per month as part of the fellowship and ₹50,000 per annum as contingency.
Research Grant for In-Service Faculty Members'
The 'Research Grant for In-Service Faculty Members' seeks to provide research opportunities to regularly appointed faculty members. The quantum of support under the scheme is ₹10 lakh which will be provided to 200 selected candidates for a tenure of two years.
Dr DS Kothari Research Grant for Newly Recruited Faculty Members
The 'Dr DS Kothari Research Grant for Newly Recruited Faculty Members' will provide research opportunities to regularly appointed faculty members. The quantum of support under the scheme is ₹10 lakh which will be provided to 132 selected candidates for a tenure of two years.
Dr Radhakrishnan UGC Post-Doctoral Fellowship
The 'Dr Radhakrishnan UGC Post-Doctoral Fellowship' will offer an opportunity to carry out advanced studies and research in Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Humanities and Social Sciences including languages in Indian universities and institutions.
This fellowship has 900 seats and 30 percent of them are reserved for women candidates. The selected candidates will be given ₹50,000 per month as part of the fellowship and ₹50,000 per annum as contingency.
UGC chairman: Professor M. Jagadesh Kumar
2. China became the first country to approve a needle-free, inhaled version of a Covid 19 vaccine. The vaccine has been developed by CanSino Biologics Inc.
Tags: Science and Technology International News
China became the first country to approve a needle-free, inhaled version of a Covid 19 vaccine. The vaccine has been developed by CanSino Biologics Inc.
This is a developing new.
3. PM Modi announces PM-SHRI Scheme for upgrading 14500 school across country on Teachers Day
Tags: National Government Schemes
On the occasion of Teacher's Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a new initiative, Pradhan Mantri Schools For Rising India (PM-SHRI) Yojana on 5 September 2022.
Under the Yojana, the development and upgradation of 14 thousand 500 schools across the country will be undertaken.
In a series of tweets, Mr Modi said, these PM-SHRI schools will become model schools which will encapsulate the full spirit of National Education Policy.
He said, emphasis will be given on a discovery oriented, learning centric way of teaching.
The Prime Minister said, the focus will also be on modern infrastructure including latest technology, smart classrooms, sports and more.
Teacher’s day is observed on 5 September every year to celebrate the birth anniversary of Dr S. Radhakrishnan.
4. India’s External debt grew by 8.2% year on year ending March 2022
Tags: National Economy/Finance
Releasing the 28th edition of the Status Report on India’s External Debt 2021-22 the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance, said that India’s external debt is being managed prudently and is sustainable. There is no fear of any Sri Lanka type situation.
According to the report, from a cross-country perspective, India’s external debt is modest, occupying 23th position globally.
Total External Debt of the country
The total external debt of the country at the end of March 2022 was USD 620.7 billion as compared to USD 573.7 billion in the same time period.
It grew by 8.2% as compared to the same time period last year.
Long and short term debt share in total external debt
The long-term debt was estimated at USD 499.1 billion. Long term debt means loans which have a duration of one years or more.
The share of the long term debt in the total external debt was 80.4 per cent. Higher the ratio of the long term debt in the total debt is a good sign for a country.
The short-term debt was at USD 121.7 billion. The share of the short term debt in the total external debt was 19.6 percent of the total debt. The short-term trade credit was predominantly in the form of trade credit (96 per cent) financing imports.
Short term debt means it has a maturity period of less than one year.
Favourable debt indicators
External Debt as a ratio to GDP fell to 19.9 per cent as at end-March 2022 from 21.2 percent a year ago.
Foreign currency reserves as a ratio to external debt stood slightly lower at 97.8 per cent as at end-March 2022 than 100.6 per cent a year ago. It means that India has enough foreign exchange to pay off its entire debt.
The share of the sovereign borrowing (money borrowed by the Government of India) was USD 130.7 billion. It increased by 17.1 percent over the same period last year mainly due to additional allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during 2021-22.
The non-sovereign debt (borrowed by companies), on the other hand, grew 6.1 per cent to USD 490.0 billion over the level as of end-March 2021.
Commercial borrowings, NRI deposits and short-term trade credit are the three biggest constituents of the non-sovereign debt, accounting for as much as 95.2 per cent.
While NRI deposits declined by 2 per cent to USD 139.0 billion, commercial borrowings at USD 209.71 billion and short-term trade credit at USD 117.4 billion rose by 5.7 per cent and 20.5 per cent, respectively,
While 53.2 percent of the total external debt is denominated in US dollar, Indian rupee denominated debt, estimated at 31.2 per cent, was the second largest.
The debt service ratio fell to 5.2 per cent during 2021-22 from 8.2 per cent during 2020-21 due to buoyancy in current receipts and a decline in debt service payments.
5. Mary Elizabeth Truss to be the new Prime Minister of United Kingdom
Tags: Person in news International News
Mary Elizabeth Truss or Liz Truss has been chosen as the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK) by her Conservative party on 5 September 2022. She is the third women Prime minister of the UK after Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May. She will be the 56th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
The ruling conservative party also known as Tories voted to elect their leader after the current Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation in July after months of scandal.
Liz Truss who was serving as the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs since 2021 defeated Rishi Sunak by getting 57% of the valid votes cast. She got 81,326 votes while Sunak got 60,399.
Rishi Sunak, former finance minister in the Boris Johnson government, is a person of Indian origin and married to the daughter of Infosys founder N. R. Narayana Murthy.
Boris Johnson will travel to Scotland to meet Queen Elizabeth on 6 September to officially tender his resignation. Truss will follow him and be asked to form a government by the monarch Queen Elizabeth II.
Truss will become the Conservatives' fourth prime minister since a 2015 election.
Truss takes over as the country faces a cost of living crisis, industrial unrest, a recession and war in Europe, where Britain has been a leading backer of Ukraine.
6. Centre Grants ‘in-Principle’ Approval of three Bulk Drug Parks to Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh
Tags: National National News
The Pharmaceutical Department under Ministry of Chemical & Fertilizershas given 'in-principle' approval to the proposals of three states- Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh under the scheme of "Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks".
Objective of Bulk Drug Parks
Reducing the cost of manufacturing bulk drugs by creating world class common infrastructure supported by the central government.
To enhance the competitiveness of the domestic bulk pharmaceutical industry.
Bulk Drug Parks Scheme
The scheme was notified in the 2020 with a financial outlay of Rs 3,000 crore.
The Department of Pharmaceuticals is implementing so many schemes to make the country self-reliant in API and Drug Intermediates.
One of the major initiatives under this is also the scheme of Bulk Drug Park.
The bulk drug parks to be developed under this scheme will provide common infrastructure facilities at one place.
This will create a strong ecosystem for bulk drug manufacturing in the country and will also bring down the manufacturing cost significantly.
Under this scheme, financial assistance will be provided to three states for setting up bulk drug parks.
The Indian pharmaceutical industry is the third largest in the world by size.
Financial Assistance to States for Bulk Drug Parks
The financial assistance for the proposed bulk drug parks in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh will be 70 per cent of the project cost of common infrastructure.
The financial assistance to Himachal Pradesh being a hill state would be 90 percent of the total project cost.
The maximum assistance under the scheme for a bulk drug park would be limited to Rs 1,000 crore.
Bulk Drugs Park to be constructed on 1402.44 acres of land in Tehsil Haroli of Una district in Himachal Pradesh
Bulk Drugs Parks to be constructed on 2015.02 acres of land in Jambusar Tehsil of Bharuch district of Gujarat
Bulk Drugs Parks will be constructed on 2000.45 acres of land in KP Puram and Kodhaha of Thondagi mandal of East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.
Other Initiatives of Pharmaceutical Department
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Domestic Manufacturing of KSM/Drug Intermediates (DI) and API
7. Centre Grants ‘in-Principle’ Approval of three Bulk Drug Parks to Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh
Tags: National National News
The Pharmaceutical Department under Ministry of Chemical & Fertilizershas given 'in-principle' approval to the proposals of three states- Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh under the scheme of "Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks".
Objective of Bulk Drug Parks
Reducing the cost of manufacturing bulk drugs by creating world class common infrastructure supported by the central government.
To enhance the competitiveness of the domestic bulk pharmaceutical industry.
Bulk Drug Parks Scheme
The scheme was notified in the 2020 with a financial outlay of Rs 3,000 crore.
The Department of Pharmaceuticals is implementing so many schemes to make the country self-reliant in API and Drug Intermediates.
One of the major initiatives under this is also the scheme of Bulk Drug Park.
The bulk drug parks to be developed under this scheme will provide common infrastructure facilities at one place.
This will create a strong ecosystem for bulk drug manufacturing in the country and will also bring down the manufacturing cost significantly.
Under this scheme, financial assistance will be provided to three states for setting up bulk drug parks.
The Indian pharmaceutical industry is the third largest in the world by size.
Financial Assistance to States for Bulk Drug Parks
The financial assistance for the proposed bulk drug parks in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh will be 70 per cent of the project cost of common infrastructure.
The financial assistance to Himachal Pradesh being a hill state would be 90 percent of the total project cost.
The maximum assistance under the scheme for a bulk drug park would be limited to Rs 1,000 crore.
Bulk Drugs Park to be constructed on 1402.44 acres of land in Tehsil Haroli of Una district in Himachal Pradesh
Bulk Drugs Parks to be constructed on 2015.02 acres of land in Jambusar Tehsil of Bharuch district of Gujarat
Bulk Drugs Parks will be constructed on 2000.45 acres of land in KP Puram and Kodhaha of Thondagi mandal of East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.
Other Initiatives of Pharmaceutical Department
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Domestic Manufacturing of KSM/Drug Intermediates (DI) and API
8. UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee will hold special meeting in India focused on new and emerging technologies
Tags: Summits International News
The United Nations has announced that the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee will hold a special meeting in India on 29 October 2022.
The theme of the Conference is: Increasing threat posed by the misuse of new and emerging technologies.
The Special meeting will focus on three areas where there is an increasing threat of abuse by the Terrorist namely
(a) the Internet and social media,
(b) terrorism financing,
(c) unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
UN Security Council :
It is one of the 6 Principal organs of the United Nations. The Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
It consists of 15 members. Five members, the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom are permanent members with veto power.
The Remaining 10 members are elected by the General Assembly for two years. They do not have veto power.
9. 30th Southern Zonal Council meet
Tags: National National News
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the 30th Southern Zonal Council meeting of South Indian States and Union Territories in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on 3 September.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The objective of the meeting was to promote regional cooperation between the states on issues of common national importance.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, chief ministers of other southern states - Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana - and the lieutenant governors of the southern union territories of Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands attended the meeting.
During the meeting, 26 issues were discussed, nine were resolved, 17 were put up for further consideration, of which nine were related to the reorganisation of Andhra Pradesh.
The Union Home Minister called upon the southern states to find an amicable solution to end all issues, especially those related to river water sharing.
The Home Minister said that the Ministry of Home Affairs is trying to check the drug menace by emphasising the need for regular NCORD (Narco Coordination Centre) meetings between the states.
Since 2015, Rs 4,206 crore has been approved for the Fisheries Infrastructure Development Fund scheme in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
About Zonal Councils :
In 1956 first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru give the idea of creation of Zonal Councils.
There are five Zonal Councils in India which were established in 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorganization Act, 1956.
A Standing Committee is constituted by each Zonal Council consisting of the Chief Secretaries of their respective Zonal Councils of the Member States.
These Standing Committees meet from time to time to resolve the issues.
Chairman - The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils
Vice-chairman - Chief Minister of the host state
10. 30th Southern Zonal Council meet
Tags: National National News
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the 30th Southern Zonal Council meeting of South Indian States and Union Territories in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on 3 September.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The objective of the meeting was to promote regional cooperation between the states on issues of common national importance.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, chief ministers of other southern states - Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana - and the lieutenant governors of the southern union territories of Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands attended the meeting.
During the meeting, 26 issues were discussed, nine were resolved, 17 were put up for further consideration, of which nine were related to the reorganisation of Andhra Pradesh.
The Union Home Minister called upon the southern states to find an amicable solution to end all issues, especially those related to river water sharing.
The Home Minister said that the Ministry of Home Affairs is trying to check the drug menace by emphasising the need for regular NCORD (Narco Coordination Centre) meetings between the states.
Since 2015, Rs 4,206 crore has been approved for the Fisheries Infrastructure Development Fund scheme in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
About Zonal Councils :
In 1956 first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru give the idea of creation of Zonal Councils.
There are five Zonal Councils in India which were established in 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorganization Act, 1956.
A Standing Committee is constituted by each Zonal Council consisting of the Chief Secretaries of their respective Zonal Councils of the Member States.
These Standing Committees meet from time to time to resolve the issues.
Chairman - The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils
Vice-chairman - Chief Minister of the host state
