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UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 13-08-2024

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August 13, 2024

Amrit Gyan Kosh Portal & Faculty Development portal

The Union government recently launched the ‘Amrit Gyan Kosh’ Portal & Faculty Development portal.

Amrit Gyan Kosh Portal

  • The portal is described as a shared learning resources knowledge bank, providing access to India-centric case studies and reducing dependence on Western materials.
  • Launched by- Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions.
  • The portal is launched under the Mission Karmayogi.

Mission Karmayogi is an initiative aimed at transforming civil servants from 'Karmachari' (employee) to 'Karmayogi' (dedicated worker) through competency-driven capacity building.

  • Amrit Gyan Kosh will also give civil servants access to a wealth of learning materials, including policy simulations, and immersive and interactive content, crucial for preparedness and future readiness.

Faculty Development Portal

  • The Faculty Development Programme aims to enhance the teaching abilities of practitioners and faculties, ensuring they can effectively deliver knowledge to civil servants.
  • It aims to provide resources and support for educators to improve their skills and effectiveness in training civil service officials.

National Capacity Building Commission (NCBC)

  • The National Capacity Building Commission (NCBC) was constituted on April 1, 2021.
  • It aims to drive the standardization and harmonization of civil services training across the country, to enhance the effectiveness of public service and create a competent civil service.
  • It supports the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building, also known as Mission Karmayogi.

Reference

PIB | Amrit Gyan Kosh

 

Porous composite xerogel

Researchers have developed a porous composite xerogel dressing that provides a crucial solution for uncontrolled haemorrhage.

  • Uncontrolled haemorrhage- It refers to severe bleeding that cannot be stopped or managed effectively with standard medical interventions.
  • This condition can result from various causes, such as traumatic injuries, surgical complications, deaths in accidents, military operations, and surgeries or certain medical conditions.

Uncontrolled haemorrhage,  accounts for over 40% of trauma-related deaths, is often inadequately managed by traditional methods.

  • Xerogel – The recently discovered porous composite xerogel dressing can help blood clot rapidly and provide relief for uncontrolled hemorrhage.
  • Developed by- Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) Pune, under the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
  • Composition- The dressing incorporates silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) and calcium, which aid in blood clotting.
  • Enhanced Clotting Ability- The xerogel dressing increases the blood clotting index by 13 times compared to conventional dressings.
  • Porous Structure- The dressing features multiple pores around 30 µm, contributing to its high absorbance capacity.
  • Platelet Aggregation- The xerogel dressing enhances platelet aggregation by inducing the formation of pseudopodia, crucial for clot formation.
  • Calcium Release and PAR1 Gene Upregulation- The dressing stimulates calcium release from platelets and upregulates the protease-activated receptor gene (PAR1) on platelet surfaces.
  • Applications- The xerogel haemostatic dressing can potentially reduce blood loss, disability, and mortality during surgery, trauma care, and military or surgical operations.

Porous composite xerogel

Reference

PIB | Porous composite xerogel

 

National Centre for Good Governance

Recently, India and Maldives renewed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to train 1,000 Maldivian civil service officers from 2024 to 2029.

  • NCGC- It serves as a think tank for governance and policy reforms.
  • Nodal agency- It is an apex–level autonomous institution under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
  • Establishment- 2014.
  • Origin- The Centre originated from the National Institute of Administrative Research (NIAR), established in 1995 by LBSNAA, India's premier civil services training institute.  
  • NIAR was later renamed and integrated into NCGG.
  • Principles - Good governance, emphasizing the rule of law, transparency, and citizen centric governance.
  • Mandate and functions- Addresses governance issues at local, state, and national levels across various sectors.
  • Major objectives-  
    • Serve as a think tank for governance and policy reforms.
    • Act as a national repository of best practices and methodologies.
    • Conduct action research and capacity-building.
    • Provide consultancy services and governance advice.
    • Promote innovative idea sharing.
    • Engage with national and international bodies.
    • Raise resources for activities.
    • Undertake additional tasks as assigned by the Government.
  • Core areas- Focuses on governance, policy reforms, capacity building, and training for civil servants and technocrats in India and other developing countries.
  • Governing body- The NCGG is overseen by a Governing Body led by the Cabinet Secretary.
  • Members- The Governing Body consists of
    • Secretaries from 9 ministries/departments,
    • 5 distinguished members (academicians, administrators, specialists, and innovators),
    • The Director General of NCGG, who acts as the Member–Secretary. 
  • Management committee- The NCGG's Management Committee, chaired by
    • The Secretary of DARPG and including 12 ex-officio members from various ministries and
    • The Cabinet Secretariat, oversees the administration, management, and implementation of the society's programs and funds.

References

  1. PIB | India-Maldives MoU to train 1,000 Civil Service Officers
  2. NCGG | National Centre for Good Governance

 

National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Ranking

The Education Ministry recently released the Indian Ranking Report for 2024.

Key Highlights of the report

  • IIT Madras- Best educational institution in India for the 6th consecutive year since 2019.
  • Retained 1st place in the engineering category for the 9th year since 2016.
  • IISc Bengaluru- Ranked 1st in both universities and research categories, maintaining this position since 2016 and 2021, respectively.
  • Management- IIM Ahmedabad is the best management institute for the 5th consecutive year since 2020.
  • Medical sciences- AIIMS, New Delhi is the best medical institution for the 7th consecutive year.
  • Innovational institutions- IIT Bombay ranks 1st, followed by IIT Madras and IIT Delhi.
  • Pharmacy - Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi is the Top college for pharmacy.
  • Dental sciences- Saveetha Institute, Chennai is the best dental science college.
  • Architecture and planning- IIT Roorkee retained 1st place for the 4th consecutive year.
  • Hindu college & Miranda House, New Delhi: Top two in the colleges category.
  • Law- National Law School of India University, Bengaluru is the best law school for the 7th consecutive year.
  • Agriculture- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi is the top for agriculture and allied sectors.
  • State public universities- Anna University, Chennai topped the category.
  • Open university- IGNOU, New Delhi is the best in its category.
  • Skill university- Symbiosis Skill and Professional University, Pune is the best in the new skill universities category.
  • 3 new categories- Open Universities, Skill Universities, and State Public Universities were added to the rankings.

National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)

  • NIRF- It is the first ever methodology by the government to assess and rank institutions of higher education in the country.
  • Nodal agency- Ministry of Education.
  • Launch- 2015.
  • Aim- It aims to provide a transparent and reliable ranking system based on various parameters that reflect the quality of education and research.
  • Historical Context- The first NIRF rankings were published in 2016.
  • Function- This framework ranks institutions nationwide based on recommendations from an MHRD Core Committee.
  • Parameters- It uses 5 key parameters

NIRF

References

  1. The Hindu | NIRF ranking 2024
  2. Ministry of education | National Institutional Ranking Framework

 

PM-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana

Recently, the Government of India has issued  Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of 'Model Solar Village’ under PM-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.

  • It is a Scheme for installing rooftop solar and providing free electricity up to 300 units every month for One Crore households.
  • Launched in -  February, 2024.
  • Nodal Ministry - Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
  • Aim - To increase the share of solar rooftop capacity in the country.
  • Empower residential households to generate their electricity.
  • Implementation period - Till FY 2026-27.
  • Features – Central Financial Assistance Subsidy of up to Rs.78,000.
  • Collateral-free low-interest loan products of around 7% for installation of residential RTS systems up to 3 kW.
  • Model Solar Village – Under the scheme, one Model Solar Village will be created in each district .
  • Objective of Model Village - To act as a role model for adoption of rooftop solar in rural areas.
  • Promote green and clean energy access to electricity in the villages.
  • Empower village communities to become more self-reliant in meeting their energy needs.
  • Develop 24x7 solar-powered village covering all the households and public areas that acts as a model for other villages to follow.
  • Promote technologies like solar-based home lighting systems in all households, solar based water system in the village, solar pumps for agricultural purposes.
  • Eligibility criteria of Model Village - It must be a revenue village with population size of more than 5,000.
  • Selection Process - Villages are assessed competitively on their overall distributed renewable energy (RE) capacity installed in  6 months.
  • Implementation Agency - State/UT Renewable Energy Development Agency under the supervision of District Level Committee (DLC).
  • Under the scheme, DISCOMs are designated as State Implementation Agencies (SIAs) responsible for facilitating various measures.
  • Benefits - Each Model Solar Village shall be eligible for a grant of Rs 1 crore as Central Financial Assistance.

References

  1. PIB | PM Surya Ghar  Model Solar Village
  2. MNRE | Model Village Guidelines
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