India has been unanimously elected as the President of the UN-Habitat.
It is the UN programme working towards a better urban future. Its mission is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all.
UN-Habitat reports to the United Nations General Assembly.
Since the UN-Habitat came into being in 1978, It is only the third time that India has been elected to lead this important organization after 2007 and 1988.
The theme of the 26th Meeting of the Governing Council is “Opportunities for effective implementation of the New Urban Agenda”.
Technology and Innovation Support Centers
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have signed an agreement to establish Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISC).
TISC program provides innovators in developing countries with access to locally based, high quality technology information and related services, helping them to exploit their innovative potential and to create, protect, and manage their intellectual property (IP) rights.
The Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) is designated as the National Focal point for the TISC national network.
Services offered by TISCs may include:
Access to online patent and non-patent (scientific and technical) resources and IP-related publications;
Assistance in searching and retrieving technology information;
Training in database search;
On-demand searches (novelty, state-of-the-art and infringement);
Monitoring technology and competitors;
Basic information on industrial property laws, management and strategy, and technology commercialization and marketing.
Electrick
Scientists have developed a new technology that can turn any surface — including walls, furniture and steering wheels — into a touch screen using tools as simple as a can of spray paint.
With the new technology dubbed Electrick, conductive touch surfaces can be created by applying conductive paints, bulk plastics or carbon-loaded film.
Like many touchscreens, Electrick relies on the shunting effect — when a finger touches the touchpad, it shunts a bit of electric current to ground.
By attaching a series of electrodes to the conductive materials, researchers showed they could use a well-known technique called electric field tomography to sense the position of a finger touch.
Biodegradable Electronics
Scientists have developed a new ultra thin, flexible electronic device that is biodegradable, an advance that may help tackle the problem of mounting electronic waste.
They created a flexible electronic device that can easily degrade just by adding a weak acid like vinegar.
Khooni Bhandara
A unique underground water management structure of the Mughal era in Madhya Pradesh, known as the ‘Khooni Bhandara,’ is eyeing the tag of UNESCO world heritage site.
Khooni Bhandara is a network of Kundis (well-like structures), which are inter-connected through an underground tunnel.
The system ensured a smooth course of water from the first to the last Kundi, based on the law of gravity.
An iron stairs or rope is used to go down in the tunnel through these well-like structures.
The structure, also a popular tourist spot, is still functional and serves high-quality drinking water to a portion of Burhanpur.
