1. Arvind Kejriwal Launches Country’s First Virtual School for Classes 9 to 12
Tags: National National News
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced the launch of the country's first virtual school in Delhi.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The name of this school will be 'Delhi Model Virtual School'.
The classes in this virtual school will be completely online and the students will be able to complete the classes from their home.
There will be no option of physical classes in the school. All classes will be online only which will also be recorded so that students can view the recorded classes later.
In the initial phase, classes from class 9 to 12 will be held in it.
Children from any state across the country will be able to take admission in this virtual school.
This school with online classes will also have a digital library for the students.
Happiness Classes, Patriotic Courses, Sports University, Skill University, Army Preparatory etc. have also been established by the Delhi Government.
Education Ministry refutes Delhi Government's claim :
The Centre-run National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) has refuted Kejriwal's claim that his government is starting the first virtual school in the country.
NIOS, which functions as an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Education, said that India's first virtual school was started by it in August 2021.
About Delhi :
After independence in 1947, Delhi was accepted as the capital of the Union of India.
It got the status of a Union Territory in 1956.
Under the 69th Constitutional Amendment, 1991, the Union Territory of Delhi was declared as the 'National Capital Territory of Delhi', giving special status.
A 70-member assembly and a 7-member council of ministers were also arranged for Delhi.
NCR includes the districts of Uttar Pradesh (8), Haryana (14) and Rajasthan (2) adjoining Delhi.
Lieutenant Governor- Vinay Kumar Saxena
Chief Minister- Shri Arvind Kejriwal
2. Arvind Kejriwal Launches Country’s First Virtual School for Classes 9 to 12
Tags: National National News
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced the launch of the country's first virtual school in Delhi.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The name of this school will be 'Delhi Model Virtual School'.
The classes in this virtual school will be completely online and the students will be able to complete the classes from their home.
There will be no option of physical classes in the school. All classes will be online only which will also be recorded so that students can view the recorded classes later.
In the initial phase, classes from class 9 to 12 will be held in it.
Children from any state across the country will be able to take admission in this virtual school.
This school with online classes will also have a digital library for the students.
Happiness Classes, Patriotic Courses, Sports University, Skill University, Army Preparatory etc. have also been established by the Delhi Government.
Education Ministry refutes Delhi Government's claim :
The Centre-run National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) has refuted Kejriwal's claim that his government is starting the first virtual school in the country.
NIOS, which functions as an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Education, said that India's first virtual school was started by it in August 2021.
About Delhi :
After independence in 1947, Delhi was accepted as the capital of the Union of India.
It got the status of a Union Territory in 1956.
Under the 69th Constitutional Amendment, 1991, the Union Territory of Delhi was declared as the 'National Capital Territory of Delhi', giving special status.
A 70-member assembly and a 7-member council of ministers were also arranged for Delhi.
NCR includes the districts of Uttar Pradesh (8), Haryana (14) and Rajasthan (2) adjoining Delhi.
Lieutenant Governor- Vinay Kumar Saxena
Chief Minister- Shri Arvind Kejriwal
3. India’s first indigenously developed vaccine for cervical cancer launched
Tags: Science and Technology National News
India’s first indigenously developed quadrivalent Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer launched by Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh in Delhi on 1 September.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The name of the vaccine is CERVAVAC.
The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has given market authorization to Serum Institute of India (SII) to manufacture indigenously developed vaccine against cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer in women in the age group of 15 to 44 years in India.
About CERVAVAC :
Vaccine CERVAVAC has demonstrated robust antibody response that is approximately 1,000-fold higher based on all targeted HPV types and age groups.
This vaccine protects women from cervical cancer.
It has been developed by the Serum Institute of India (SII).
This vaccine will ensure the prevention of cancer caused by human papillomavirus (types 6, 11, 16 and 18).
About Cervical Cancer :
It is a sexually transmitted infection.
It occurs in the cells of the cervix (the lower part of the uterus) that connects to the vagina.
It is mostly caused by long-term infection with HPV.
It is the second most prevalent cancer form and the second leading cause of cancer death among women aged 15–44.
Women who have HIV are six times more likely to develop cervical cancer than normal women.
Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) :
It comes under the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
It is responsible for approval of licences of specified categories of drugs like blood and blood products, vaccines, IV fluids and sera in India.
It sets the standards and quality of the manufacture, sale, import and distribution of drugs in India.
4. Cyber Security Exercise “Synergy”
Tags: National National News
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and IT, Government of India in collaboration with the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) of Singapore successfully designed and conducted a cyber security exercise “Synergy” for 13 countries on 31 August.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- It is a part of the International Counter Ransomware Initiative- Resilience Working Group.
The group is led by India under the leadership of the National Security Council Secretariat.
Theme - “Building Network Resiliency to Counter Ransomware Attacks”.
Exercise 'Synergy' was hosted by CERT-In on its exercise simulation platform.
Each state participated as a National Crisis Management Team composed of different government agencies.
Aims of the Exercise :
To exchange best practices among member-states to make the network resilient against attacks such as ransomware and cyber extortion.
About CERT- In :
It is a government-mandated information technology (IT) security organisation.
Its purpose is to respond to computer security incidents, report on vulnerabilities and promote effective IT security practices throughout the country.
It was created by the Indian Department of Information Technology in 2004.
Functions of CERT-In :
Collection, analysis and dissemination of information on cyber attacks.
Cyber Security Incident Forecasting and Alerts
Emergency measures to deal with cyber attacks
Coordinating cyber incident response activities
5. Cyber Security Exercise “Synergy”
Tags: National National News
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and IT, Government of India in collaboration with the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) of Singapore successfully designed and conducted a cyber security exercise “Synergy” for 13 countries on 31 August.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- It is a part of the International Counter Ransomware Initiative- Resilience Working Group.
The group is led by India under the leadership of the National Security Council Secretariat.
Theme - “Building Network Resiliency to Counter Ransomware Attacks”.
Exercise 'Synergy' was hosted by CERT-In on its exercise simulation platform.
Each state participated as a National Crisis Management Team composed of different government agencies.
Aims of the Exercise :
To exchange best practices among member-states to make the network resilient against attacks such as ransomware and cyber extortion.
About CERT- In :
It is a government-mandated information technology (IT) security organisation.
Its purpose is to respond to computer security incidents, report on vulnerabilities and promote effective IT security practices throughout the country.
It was created by the Indian Department of Information Technology in 2004.
Functions of CERT-In :
Collection, analysis and dissemination of information on cyber attacks.
Cyber Security Incident Forecasting and Alerts
Emergency measures to deal with cyber attacks
Coordinating cyber incident response activities
6. PM Modi to unveil new naval ensign
The Prime Minister will unveil the new naval ensign (flag) for the Indian Navy in Kochi on the sidelines of the commissioning of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard Limited on 2 September.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The new Navy flag will be far from the colonial past and full of Indian heritage.
The new naval ensign will replace the present ensign that carries the Saint George Cross with the Tricolour in the canton (top left corner of flag).
This flag will essentially replace the pre-independence flag of the Indian Navy, which had a red George Cross on a white background with the Union Jack of the United Kingdom at the top left corner.
The design of the new flag has not been made public yet.
What is a Naval Ensign?
It is a maritime flag used by naval ships of different countries to denote their nationality.
It may be similar to the national flag of the country or it may be different from it.
In the case of India, the naval flag used by the Indian Navy is different from the national flag.
Indian Navy has changed its flag several times :
This was changed during the pre-colonial era and after independence.
The Indian Navy got its first flag during the colonial period under British rule.
In 1928, the white flag of the Royal Navy was used by the Royal Indian Navy (1934 to 1950) along with the St. George's Cross and the Union Jack flag.
After independence, on 26 January 1950, the Royal Indian Navy was renamed the Indian Navy, with the crest and flag "Indianised".
Accordingly, the Union Jack on the earlier flag was replaced by the tricolor or national flag of India in the canton (upper left corner of the flag).
In 2001, the flag of the Indian Navy was changed once again to distinguish it from the pre-colonial era.
A blue spire of the Indian Navy was installed on a white background.
The government decided to re-adopt St. George's Cross.
In 2014, another change was made to the flag with the inclusion of the Indian national motto: Satyameva Jayate below the national emblem in Devanagari script.
What is the Saint George’s Cross ?
The red cross on white background is known as the Saint George’s Cross.
It is named after a Christian Warrior Saint who is believed to have been a crusader during the third crusade.
This cross also serves as the flag of England which is a constituent of the United Kingdom.
The flag was adopted by England and the City of London in 1190 to identify English ships entering the Mediterranean Sea.
7. G20 Digital Innovation Network event organised at Bali, Indonesia
Tags: Summits International News
The G20 Digital Innovation Network event will be held from September 2-4 at the Bali International Convention Centre, Bali, Indonesia.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- Startups based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) will participate in this program.
Telangana AI Mission (T-AIM) has announced that four startups from Telangana AI Mission have been selected by MeitY to represent India in the G20 Digital Innovation Network (DIN).
T-AIM is a state government initiative supported by NASSCOM.
The four startups representing India in the G20 Digital Innovation Network are Aarficus, EduBooks, Unimart and MayaMD.
All these are supported by the Revv Up program of Telangana Government.
Goal of the G20 Digital Innovation Network :
The forum aims to find 100 most promising startups in 5 priority areas (Healthcare, Renewable Energy, Smart Society, Financial Inclusion and Supply Chain).
Theme of G20 Digital Innovation Network 2022 :
The theme of this year's event is 'The Rise of Digital Economy: Post-Pandemic Recovery and Beyond'.
G20 Digital Innovation Network program launched :
This forum was started by Italy in the year 2021 by selecting the ten best startups in the name of G20 Digital Innovation League.
This year it has been renamed the G20 Digital Innovation Network.
About Telangana AI Mission (T-AIM) :
Telangana AI Mission (T-AIM) Mission is an AI mission run by the Government of Telangana, which is operated by NASSCOM.
Under T-AIM, a program called "Revv Up" is also run to enable AI startup. Which helps in providing a global platform to these startup groups for emerging technologies.
Revv Up is a free-of-equity-or-cost acceleration program by T-AIM specifically designed for early-stage AI startups.
8. Approval of MoU between India and Nepal in the field of Biodiversity Conservation
Tags: National National News
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Biodiversity Conservation with the Government of Nepal.
Objective of the MoU :
The objective of the MoU is to promote cooperation between the two countries in the field of forests, wildlife, environment, and climate change.
To increase and strengthen cooperation and coordination in the field of climate change.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- India is one of the 17 mega-diverse countries in the world and is taking several steps to conserve wildlife population and biodiversity.
It will help in restoration of corridors and interlinking areas and sharing of knowledge and best practices.
The Government of India has adopted several laws, policy initiatives for the conservation of vast flora and fauna in the country and across the borders of neighboring countries.
Biodiversity Hotspots in India :
The Himalayas - entire Himalayan region covering India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Pakistan, Myanmar
Indo-Burma Region - entire North East Region (excluding Assam), it also covers the region of Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, South of China.
The Western Ghats - entire region of Western Ghats
Sundaland - Nicobar group of islands in India and also covers the other Southeast Asian Countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines.
9. Approval of MoU between India and Nepal in the field of Biodiversity Conservation
Tags: National National News
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Biodiversity Conservation with the Government of Nepal.
Objective of the MoU :
The objective of the MoU is to promote cooperation between the two countries in the field of forests, wildlife, environment, and climate change.
To increase and strengthen cooperation and coordination in the field of climate change.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- India is one of the 17 mega-diverse countries in the world and is taking several steps to conserve wildlife population and biodiversity.
It will help in restoration of corridors and interlinking areas and sharing of knowledge and best practices.
The Government of India has adopted several laws, policy initiatives for the conservation of vast flora and fauna in the country and across the borders of neighboring countries.
Biodiversity Hotspots in India :
The Himalayas - entire Himalayan region covering India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Pakistan, Myanmar
Indo-Burma Region - entire North East Region (excluding Assam), it also covers the region of Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, South of China.
The Western Ghats - entire region of Western Ghats
Sundaland - Nicobar group of islands in India and also covers the other Southeast Asian Countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines.
10. 'PARAKH' - A new regulator to bring uniformity between the state and central boards in India
Tags: National National News
The Center is planning to create 'PARAKH', a benchmark framework for assessing students at secondary and higher secondary levels, to bring about "uniformity" across state and central boards.
What is PARAKH?
PARAKH full name is -Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development.
It will act as a constituent unit of the NCERT.
It will also be tasked with conducting periodic learning outcome tests like National Achievement Survey (NAS) and State Achievement Survey.
This framework will seek to curb the emphasis on rote learning as envisaged by the National Policy on Education (NEP) 2020.
It will be the proposed implementing agency and also will be part of the NEP proposal.
Its team will consist of leading assessment experts with a deep understanding of the education system in India and internationally.
Response of the States :
Most states supported the proposal to conduct board exams twice a year, including one test to help students improve their scores.
The states have also agreed to the proposal to introduce two types of papers on mathematics - a standard exam, and an exam of higher level aptitude.
This will help in reducing the fear of maths among the students and encourage learning.
