Startup India under Ministry of Commerce and Industry has recently launched the Startup Academia Alliance programme.
It is a unique mentorship opportunity between academic scholars and startups working in similar domains.
It aims to reduce the gap between scientific research and its industrial applications in order to increase the efficacy and impact of these technologies.
The first phase of the programme was launched in partnership with Regional Centre for Biotechnology and TERI.
Exercise Maitree
It is a joint military exercise between Indian Army and Royal Thai Army.
It will emphasize in joint counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations in rural and urban scenario under UN mandate.
It is going to be held in Thailand this year.
Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme
The scheme is initiated by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
It is launched with an intent to enhance India’s competitiveness in knowledge intensive sectors.
Its objective is to enhance the number of PhDs in Electronics System Design & Manufacturing (ESDM) and IT/IT Enabled Services (IT/ITES) sectors in the country.
The salient features of the scheme are
It provides 25% more fellowship amount than most of the other PhD Schemes.
Part-time PhD candidates get one time incentive on completion of the PhD.
Scheme also supports 200 Young Faculty Research Fellowships in the areas of ESDM and IT/ITES with the objective to retain and attract bright young faculty members in these sectors.
National Commission for Backward Classes
The 123rd constitutional amendment bill to provide consitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes secured parliament's approval.
The Present NCBC is a statutory body, created in 1993.
It's power is limited only to recommend to the government inclusion or exclusion of a community in the central list of OBCs.
Also, the power to hear complaints of the OBCs and protect their interests remained with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.
After this amendment, NCBC will be able to enforce the safeguards provided to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) and solve their grievances.
The bill gives the proposed Commission the power to inquire into complaints of deprivation of rights and safeguards.
It gives it the powers of a civil court trying a suit and allows it to summon anyone, require documents to be produced, and receive evidence on affidavit.
It will be required to present annual reports to the President on working of the safeguards for backward classes.
These reports will be tabled in Parliament, and in the state legislative assemblies of the concerned states.
Hypersonic Aircraft
China has successfully tested its first wave rider hypersonic aircraft "Xingkong-2 or Stary Sky-2" that can carry nuclear warheads.
It has the capability to penetrate any current generation anti-missile defence systems.
Its range is 30 kms in altitude and it travels at Mach 5-5.6.
Biggest land survey exercise
The State government of Maharashtra, along with the Survey of India, had initiated a project, which will survey about 1.20 lakh hectares using drones.
If the current method "Electronic Total Stations (ETS) " are used, it will take 30 years to survey such a big area.
ETS is a field instrument for surveying of land, which establishes maps and boundaries for landowners.
Survey of India will procure the drones, survey the lands, process the images and then hand over the data to the Settlement Commissioner office of Maharashtra.
