UniFocus IAS ( UNIFOCUS UNIVERSAL )

Union Minister of Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan will inaugurate the National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations (NAKSHA)   in 152 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across 26 States and 3 Union Territories (UTs) at Raisen, Madhya Pradesh tomorrow.  The NAKSHA program aims to create and update land records in urban areas to ensure accurate and reliable documentation of land ownership. This initiative will empower citizens, improve ease of living, enhance urban planning, and reduce land-related disputes. The IT-based system for property record administration will foster transparency, efficiency and support sustainable development. The Survey of India is the technical partner for NAKSHA programme which is responsible for conducting aerial surveys and providing orthorectified imagery, through third party vendors, to state and Union Territory governments. The end-to-end web-GIS platform will be developed by the M...

  The President of the United States of America, The Honorable Donald J. Trump hosted the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi for an Official Working Visit in Washington, DC on February 13, 2025. They have announced following initiatives: Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA):  It was announced  to scale industry partnerships and production in the Indo-Pacific. A new partnership between Anduril Industries and Mahindra Group on advanced autonomous technologies announced to co-develop and co-produce state-of-the-art maritime systems and advanced AI-enabled counter Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to strengthen regional security, and between L3 Harris and Bharat Electronics for co-development of active towed array systems. "U.S.-India COMPACT (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) for the 21st Century” :  It was announced to  drive transformative change across key pillars of cooperation. Under this initi...

  Safeguarding India’s Ancient Wonders Posted On: 14 FEB 2025 4:53PM by PIB Delhi “Heritage is not only history. Rather a shared consciousness of humanity. Whenever we look at historical sites, it lifts our mind from the current geo-political factors.” ~Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi   India, a land of surprises is home to some of the world’s most iconic cultural and archaeological treasures. From the intricately carved temples of Khajuraho and the historic ruins of Hampi to the revered Somnath temple, the country boasts a vast array of monuments that reflect its rich history, diverse traditions and architectural brilliance. These sites stretching from the northern Himalayas to the southern tip of Kanyakumari are a testament to India’s glorious past and cultural legacy. However, climate change and extreme weather patterns such as rising sea levels, heatwaves, forest fires, torrential rains and strong winds are putting these invaluable landmarks at significant risk. The dama...

  On Feb. 6, NASA’s NEO Surveyor (Near-Earth Object Surveyor) passed its critical design review. It was e xpected to launch no earlier than late 2027. Mission's aim is to  discover and characterize most of the potentially hazardous asteroids and comets that come within 30 million miles of Earth’s orbit.   These are collectively known as near-earth objects, or NEOs. Mission will carry out five-year baseline survey to find at least two-thirds of the near-Earth objects larger than 140 meters (460 feet).   NASA , JPL

India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – comprising Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein – have taken a significant step towards deeper economic collaboration with the inauguration of the India-EFTA Desk. This initiative follows the recently concluded India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), which positions EFTA as the first European bloc to formalize a trade pact with India. Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal hailed TEPA as a landmark agreement, emphasizing India’s growing role in global trade. “This desk will serve as the bridge between businesses on both sides, ensuring transparency, trust, and ease of doing business,” he stated. He underscored India’s ambition to surpass $100 billion in EFTA investments, highlighting the country’s commitment to fostering equitable and mutually beneficial trade relationships. The India-EFTA Desk will provide structured support to EFTA businesses looking to invest, expand, or establ...