Scheme for IPR awareness
- A scheme for IPR awareness – Creative India; Innovative India has been launched by Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM).
- It aims at raising IPR awareness amongst students, youth, authors, artists, budding inventors and professionals to inspire them to create, innovate and protect their creations and inventions across the country.
- Area of Coverage of the scheme is Pan India, including Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3 cities as well as rural areas.
- Total project Duration - 3 years (2017 – 2020).
- The scheme targets to conduct IP awareness workshops/seminars tailored in 4 categories – Primary School, Secondary school, University/ College and Industry, including MSMEs and Startups.
- CIPAM - It is a professional body under the aegis of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.
- It works to take forward the implementation of the National IPR policy and creating public awareness about IPR in the country.
India Innovation Summit
- The India Innovation summit is organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
- The 13th India innovation summit is to be held in Bangalore this year.
- The conference will provides an ideal platform for Indian Industry to understand the various nuances of innovation, the critical role innovation plays in business success.
India Innovation Index
- It is launched by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), NITI Aayog, and Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP).
- The index will rank states on Innovations through country’s first online innovation index portal.
- The India Innovation Index Framework will be structured based on the best practices followed in Global Innovation Index (GII) indicators.
- The Global Innovation Index (GII), co-published by World-Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Cornell University and INSEAD with CII as a Knowledge Partner.
- It has been ranking world economies including India since 2007 according to their innovation capabilities.
- India currently ranks 66th out of 128 countries on the Global innovation Index (GII) 2016.
Greenland Sharks
- Greenland Sharks is the longest living vertebrates on Earth, which live for up to 400 years.
- It is found in the deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean from Canada to Norway, including the deep oceans around the north of Britain.
- Scientists have sequenced the full mitochondrial DNA information of Greenland sharks in an attempt to find the secret of its life longevity.
- The sharks are believed to have unique genes that could help explain their long lifespan and also for other vertebrates including humans.
Science-meets-art Festival
- The State of Goa organised the first Science-meets-art Festival, “The Story of Light” in 2015.
- This year, Science-meets-art Festival is going to be organised with the theme of “The Story of Space” in Goa.
- It is an interdisciplinary, informal learning festival that will explore ‘space’ and its connection with science, philosophy, art and culture.
- It is a month long festival engaging artists, scientists, educators and philosophers to create informal learning experiences for all ages.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Recently, UNESCO decided to recognise “HEBRON”, a West Bank City sacred to both Jews and Muslims as “Endangered Palestinian heritage site” (i.e) World Heritage Site in danger.
- UNESCO, the UN cultural agency, is responsible for promoting peace, social justice, human rights and international security through International cooperation on educational, science and cultural programs.
- It has 195 member states and is based in Paris, France.
- UNESCO’s World Heritage Mission – Encourage world countries to protect Natural and Cultural Heritage sites.
- It publishes Global Education Monitoring report and Gender Parity Index.
- It also leads the initiative of Man and Biosphere Programme for protecting Biosphere reserves across the world.
Ragi
- Recently, Genome sequencing of Millet Ragi is done for the first time in the world.
- Scientists have identified genes which are responsible for drought-tolerance and high nutrient quality of Ragi.
- This information serves as a base for further increasing the drought tolerance of Ragi and rice & wheat through transfer of genes from Ragi.
- Ragi was first domesticated from a wild species in Western Uganda and the Ethiopian Highlands before being introduced to India around 3,000 BC.
- Ragi occupies 12% of global millet cultivation area.
- In India, Karnataka leads in the cultivation of Ragi followed by Rajasthan.
