Uttarakhand Affairs
Uttarakhand education department clears Rs 1,850 crore budget for Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan
The state Education department has cleared a budget proposal of Rs 1,850 crore for the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme in the current financial year. The department is going to present the proposal to the central government in a meeting scheduled to be held later this month where the latter will ultimately decide on the amount of budget to be released for the scheme. Last year, the had presented a budget proposal of Rs 1,500 crore to the Centre, following which, a budget of Rs 900 crore was approved for the scheme by the central government.
According to the Union ministry of education website, SSA is an integrated scheme for school education extending from pre-school to Class XII to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels of school education. Meanwhile, several job aspirants hope that the state starts recruitment on the vacant posts of BRP (Block Resource Person) and CRP (Cluster Resource Person) after the Centre releases the budget for the scheme. It is estimated that there are around 900 vacant positions of BRP and CRP inUttarakhand. Notably, a budget of Rs 208 crore has already been approved for the mid-day meal scheme in the state.
National and International Affairs
Modifications in FAME II Scheme
The FAME II scheme was modified by the Department of Heavy (DHI).
Highlights:
The goal of the modification is to encourage the use of electric vehicles.
The implementation of a demand incentive of Rs. 15,000 per kWh for electric two-wheelers, with a maximum cap of 40% of the vehicle’s cost.
Energy Efficiency Services Limited has launched an Aggregate Demand for 300,000 electric three-wheelers.
Innovations for Defence Excellence – iDEX
For the next five years, the DEFENCE Minister has approved a budget of Rs 498.8 crore for Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) Defence Innovation Organization (DIO).
About Idex:
iDEX was founded in 2018 to achieve self-sufficiency and foster innovation and technology development in the fields of defence and aerospace by bringing together MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, and R&D institutions, academia, etc.
iDEX will also provide them with grants/funding and other assistance to conduct R&D that has a high potential for future adoption for Indian defence and aerospace needs.
It was issued by the Ministry of Defence’s Department of Defence Production.
ALH Mk-III Coast Guard
The Coast Guard received Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Mk III
Highlights:
The state-of-the-art helicopters are designed and manufactured in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (Hal), Bengaluru.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk III is an indigenously built multirole helicopter powered by a Shakti engine.
The ALH Mk III has an all-glass cockpit with HAL’s Integrated Architecture Display System (IADS) and will be used for special operations such as search and rescue and coastal surveillance.
The Shakti (Safran Ardiden 1H1) engines power the customised Mk-III.
New Atlantic Charter between USA and UK
The President of the United States and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom signed a new version of the 80-year-old Atlantic Charter. The Atlantic Charter was a joint declaration issued by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Newfoundland on August 14, 1941, during World War II.
About New Atlantic Charter (2021):
The new charter is an effort toward a grand vision of global relationships based on Democracy and territorial Integrity;
It is a promise made by the United Kingdom and the United States to meet the challenges of today’s world.
It calls on both countries to adhere to the international order based on rules,
It also addresses <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/Climate-change”>Climate Change and Biodiversity.
It also emphasises emerging technologies, cyberspace, and long-term global development.
It calls on Western allies to oppose disinformation and other malicious influences, including in Elections.
It promises that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will remai
The report of the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2019-20 has been released by the Union Education Minister. The report contains key performance indicators on the current status of higher education in India. The Department of Higher Education publishes it every year.
Student enrollment has increased by 11.4 percent over the last five years, from 2015-16 to 2019-20.
Uttar Pradesh has the highest student enrolment rate in India (49.1% male and 59% female), followed by Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
In 2019-20, the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) increased by a negligible 0.8 percent.
GER is the number of students registered at a given education level, regardless of age, Female enrolment has increased by more than 18% overall.
ESA to Launch EnVision Mission to Venus
European Space Agency (ESA) is now growing its own probe to learn about Venus, for a holistic view of the planet from its inner core to its higher .
Highlights:
The mission dubbed EnVision will possibly be launched to the planet in early 2030.
EnVision probe of ESA will decide how and why Venus and Earth developed so differently, even whilst being in the habitable zone to the Sun.
European Space Agency will undertake this mission with contributions from NASA.
EnVision spacecraft will elevate various units to find out about the planets surroundings and surface, screen hint gases in the ecosystem and analyse its floor composition. NASA would grant a radar to photograph and map the surface.