UniFocus IAS ( UNIFOCUS UNIVERSAL )

The Ministry of Education celebrated the 4th anniversary of the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 with Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam 2024 in New Delhi’s Manekshaw Centre Auditorium today. Minister of State for Education & Minister of State (IC), Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Shri Jayant Chaudhary and Minister of State for Education & Development of North Eastern Region, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar were present at the event. Shri K. Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, Department of Higher Education; Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy; academicians, Vice Chancellors of Universities, many eminent personalities, esteemed guests, officials and students, also attended the event. In a significant stride towards a unified educational framework, a panel discussion was held that focused on the "Equivalence of Curriculum and Assessment across all School Boards", bringing together distinguished educators, policyma...

The mRNA Technology Transfer Programme, jointly developed by WHO and MPP, was launched in July 2021 with the aim to build capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) for the development and production of mRNA-based vaccines. Sinergium Biotech, a partner in the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme, has developed candidate H5N1 vaccines and aims to establish proof-of-concept in preclinical models. Once the preclinical data package is concluded, the technology, materials, and expertise will be shared with other manufacturing partners, aiding the acceleration of the development of H5N1 vaccine candidates, and bolstering pandemic preparedness efforts. Since its inception, the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme has developed and implemented a platform that was used to establish the immunogenicity, efficacy, and safety of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate in preclinical animal models. Afrigen is the centre where the platform was created and is being validated and this technology is now bein...

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav launched today  Ideas4LiFE  for inviting ideas related to products and services, which induce behavioral changes related to environment-friendly lifestyles in the presence of Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. Shri Yadav    called upon the fraternity of students, research scholars, faculty and innovators to come up with innovative and out of box ideas, which will work towards fulfillment of the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister for mindful and deliberate utilization of resources. The portal  ‘Ideas4Life.nic.in ’ will allow participants to submit their ideas and innovations online. The winning ideas under each of the seven themes of Mission LiFE will be recognized and awarded with attractive prizes for individuals as well as for institutions . UGC, AICTE, IITs and Educational Institutions acro...

The Indian Express The Village Defence Groups ( VDGs ) constituted in pursuance of the Government Order No.Home-293 of 1995, dated 30.09.1995, have over the years successfully ensured the safety and security of the identified vulnerable villages and supplemented the efforts of the Security Forces in safeguarding the internal security in Jammu and Kashmir. The aim of the VDGs is to organize small group of volunteer armed civilians in the identified villages along the borders as well as in-depth areas of the Jammu division, with a view to instill sense of self protection and ensure the safety and security of such villages, infrastructural installations in and around them and to check the trans-border movement. Each group shall be headed by retired officer of the Army/CPMF/J&K Police. Members of these group will work on voluntary basis and they are selected by District Administration from ex-servicemen and ex-policemen and able bodied young men who can handle arms/ammunitions. T...

In a significant milestone, India and 13 other Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) partners have established three supply chain bodies under the landmark Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Agreement relating to Supply Chain Resilience. The inaugural virtual meetings of the Supply Chain Council (SCC), Crisis Response Network (CRN), and Labor Rights Advisory Board (LRAB) marked a major step forward for cooperation among partner countries for strengthening supply chain resilience in the region. Through these inaugural meetings, 14 IPEF partners reaffirmed their commitments and collective resolve to facilitate closer cooperation to strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of critical supply chains and better prepare for and respond to supply chain disruptions that pose a risk to economic prosperity while strengthening labor rights. The first-of-its-kind IPEF Supply Chain Resilience Agreement was signed by the Union Minister Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal alo...

Can be applied between  July 25 to August 16, 2024   Age Criteria: M ust have been born not earlier than July 02, 1994 and not later than July 01, 2003. Educational Qualifcation:  Graduation in any discipline /Equivalent technical or professional qualification with minimum 60% marks (50% for SC/ST/PwBD applicants) or Post-Graduation in any discipline / Equivalent technical or professional qualification with minimum 55% marks (pass marks for SC/ST/PwBD applicants) in aggregate of all semesters / years. Refer RBI Home Page RBI

NASA Streams First 4K Video from Aircraft to Space Station, Back Agarwood Bearded fireworms ( Hermodice carunculata ) International Tiger Day 2024 - A Global Commitment to Tiger Conservation Humayun’s Tomb World Heritage Site Museum inagurated

New Schemes to increase the income of farmers SCHEMES FOR AGING PEOPLE AND DIVYANGJANS HIGHLIGHTS OF NEW CRIMINAL LAWS 46th World Heritage Committee Session concluded in New Delhi NPPA monitors the prices of scheduled as well as non-scheduled medicines under DPCO, 2013

A team at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland streamed 4K video footage from an aircraft to the International Space Station and back for the first time using optical, or laser, communications. The feat was part of a series of tests on new technology that could provide live video coverage of astronauts on the Moon during the   Artemis missions. Historically, NASA has relied on radio waves to send information to and from space. Laser communications use infrared light to transmit 10 to 100 times more data faster than radio frequency systems. NASA News

India has successfully prevented inclusion of  Aquilaria malaccensis  (agarwood) in the Review of Significant Trade (RST) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).  It will ease export restrictions of Agarwood from India. It was mainly grown in north eastern states. This development is expected to help farmers of respective states.  Review of Significant Trade (RST) Mechanism: At CoP19, the CITES Secretariat launched the Review of Significant Trade (RST) Management System.  It was designed to identify Appendix-II listed species that may be subject to unsustainable levels of international trade, and identify problems and solutions concerning effective implementation of Article IV paragraph 2 a), 3 and 6 a) of the Convention. About Agarwood: Agarwood, aloeswood, eaglewood, gharuwood or the Wood of Gods, most commonly referred to as oud or oudh (from Arabic: عود, romanized: ʿūd, pronounced [ʕ...

Fishermen from Sicily have reported growing problem caused by  Bearded fireworms ( Hermodice carunculata ) - Times of India Bearded fireworms are usually 15 cm (6 inches) in average length, but can reach up to 30 cm (12 inches). At first glance, this fire worm looks like a centipede with its elongated and flattened appearance, multiple segments, white silks, and parapodia and  gills  located on the side of its body. Its colors are varied and range from greenish, to yellowish, to reddish, grayish through white with a pearly glow. The body consists of 60 to 150 identical segments separated from each other by a thin white line and protected by  cuticles . Each segment has a pair of parapodia, a structure for locomotion, clusters of stinging white bristles, and red or orange gills all in bilateral position. The anterior part of the worm can be recognized by small growths, called  caruncle , which have the same color of th...

Every year on  July 29 , International Tiger Day is celebrated to highlight the importance of tiger conservation across the globe. The declaration to celebrate this day was made on  July 29, 2010 , in St. Petersburg, aiming to unite all tiger range countries in a concerted effort to enhance tiger conservation and management worldwide. This day serves as a platform to raise awareness about the challenges faced by these magnificent creatures and the efforts being made to safeguard their future. In 2010,  Global Tiger Reserve Day  was celebrated to raise awareness and bolster international efforts for tiger conservation. Recognizing the critical situation of wild tiger populations, world leaders and conservation experts convened in St. Petersburg, Russia, to devise strategies for tiger recovery. This landmark event marked the  first time in history that national leaders gathered specifically to address the conservation of a species . The meeting resulted in the...

  The Museum is a facility of the Archaeological Survey of India designed and built in collaboration with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC). Inspired from the ancient ‘ Baolis ’ or stepped wells of Delhi, this underground museum is designed to retain the visual integrity of the monuments located in the complex, as per the UNESCO recommendation that site museums be provided at World Heritage Sites to provide the cultural context of the heritage edifice. The Museum boasts over 500 esteemed artefacts - from the collections of the National Museum, Archaeological Survey of India and Aga Khan Trust for Culture. Miniatures, manuscripts, significant architectural elements from Humayun’s Mausoleum such as the original finial of the tomb, inspired by temples in India is made of copper of almost 100% purity, coins, contemporary art and craft pieces, astrolabes and celestial spheres amidst other metal ware, several stone inscriptions dating from the 14th century onwards, glass, textiles, e...

Government of India is implementing various schemes and programmes for the welfare of farmers in the country. Some of the recently launched schemes include Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-KISAN), Pradhan Kisan Mantri Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM), Formation and promotion of 10,000 FPOs, National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) etc. A brief of major beneficiary oriented schemes, including recently launched ones, being implemented by the Department of Agriculture and farmers’ Welfare is given at below: Brief details of major schemes implemented by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Sl No Name of the Scheme Purpose 1 Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) PM-KISAN is a central sector scheme launched on 24th February 2019 to supplement financial needs of ...