13 Jan 2023: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. World’s Longest River Cruise - MV Ganga Vilas flagged off in Varanasi
2. Vidisha becomes the first-ever district for on-ground deployment of innovative 
5G use cases
3. India’s First Centre of Excellence in Online Gaming to be set up in Shillong

1. World’s Longest River Cruise – MV Ganga Vilas flagged off in Varanasi

Syllabus: GS 3, Indian Economy.

Mains: Growth and Development.

Prelims: MV Ganga Vilas.

Context: MV Ganga Vilas was flagged off from Varanasi.

Details:

• The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi flagged off the World’s Longest River Cruise-MV Ganga Vilas. It is in line with the vision to boost River Tourism, which has enormous untapped potential.
• A tent city in Varanasi and several other inland projects worth around Rs.1000 crores were also launched.
• It is the longest river cruise, extending from Kashi to Dibrugarh and will provide a unique opportunity to bring tourism sites in North India to the world tourism map. It will also give a push to the tourism sector and employment potential in Eastern India.
• PM highlighted the twin approaches adopted for overall development around the Ganga basin, which are Namami Gange for cleanliness and Arth Ganga for economic development.
• The cruise will pass through 25 different river streams and is significant for those who are keen to understand the river system of India.

Also read: National River of India – Facts about Ganga River for UPSC

MV Ganga Vilas:

• The cruise will start its journey from Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) and will cover about 3,200 km in 51 days to reach Dibrugarh (Assam) via Bangladesh. It will sail across 27 river systems in India and Bangladesh. 
• It comprises 3 decks with 18 suites on board and an overall capacity of 36 tourists.
• The 51-day cruise would cover 50 tourist sites including World Heritage Sites, National Parks, River Ghats, and major cities like Patna (Bihar), Sahibganj (Jharkhand), Kolkata (West Bengal), Dhaka (Bangladesh), and Guwahati (Assam).

Source: Hindustan Times

Read more about Ganga Vilas in the linked article.

2. Vidisha becomes the first-ever district for on-ground deployment of innovative 5G use cases

Syllabus: GS 3, Science and Technology.

Mains: Science and Technology- developments and their applications.

Prelims: 5G application.

Context: On-ground deployment of innovative 5G use cases.

Details:

• Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh (MP) became the first-ever district in India for the on-ground deployment of innovative 5G use cases offered by startups.
• Vidisha is an aspirational district in MP.
• The initiative was jointly undertaken by the Vidisha District Administration and the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
• DoT under Telecom Startups & MSMEs Mission (TSuM) and 5G Vertical Engagement Partnership Program (VEPP) facilitates collaborations of Digital Communication Tech – startups & SMEs to potential users like State governments, Aspirational districts, Smart Cities, etc. to accelerate Digital Transformation.
• On 12th January 2023, the following use cases of 5G were demonstrated by startups in collaboration with C-DOT:
  • Superceuticals: 5G/4G Enabled smart health kiosk for instantly measuring vitals & performing tests.
  • Ambupod: 5G/4G Enabled Auto Ambulance with remote doctor support.
  • LogyAI: Cataract Eye Screening application through smartphones.
  • Easiofy: AR/VR-3D visualization application for effective screening of Lung & Brain.
  • TechXR: AR/VR- 3D immersive experience kit for students for advanced learning and teaching tool for innovative teaching approaches.
  • BKC Aggregators: Fasal Salah App – personalized crop advisory for farmers.
  • Dvara-Surabhi: Unique Biometric muzzle identity of cattle to be used by the state department and insurance companies, and predicting health status of cattle to be used by dairy farmers.
• The digital solutions would be supported by BharatNet to ensure uninterrupted services to user communities of Vidisha.

For more information on 5G, read here: What is 5G All About?

3. India’s First Centre of Excellence in Online Gaming to be set up in Shillong

Syllabus: GS 3, Science and Technology.

Mains: Science and Technology – developments and their applications.

Prelims: Centre of Excellence in Online Gaming.

Context: India’s First Centre of Excellence in Online Gaming would be established in Shillong.

Details:

• Digital India Startup Hub through the Software Technology Parks of India would establish India’s first Centre of Excellence in Online Gaming at Shillong by March 2023.
• This move would catalyze startups and entrepreneurs from North East India to build the Next Gen Online Gaming ecosystem.
• Notably, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has also circulated draft amendments to the IT Rules 2021 related to Online Gaming.  
• It was highlighted by the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, that imparting digital skills to the youth in North East Region would empower them to grab job opportunities in the galloping digital economy.
• It was also announced that MeitY would establish a state-of-the-art facility under the National Institute of Electronics and IT (NIELIT) to provide training on cutting-edge digital skills at Shillong.
• It was also informed that Skill India would be relaunched by the government through PMKVY 4.0 to train approximately 50,000 individuals in Meghalaya with future-ready skills.

Also read: Digital India – Objectives, Advantages & Challenges

Read the previous PIB articles here.

January 13th, 2023, PIB:- Download PDF Here