27 May 2024 PIB
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. PRAGATI-2024 2. Hydrogen Bus for Indian Army 3. Long Range Forecast Outlook for the Southwest Monsoon Rainfall Season 4. Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative 5. 77th World Health Assembly 6. Linear Accelerator (LINAC)
1. PRAGATI-2024
Syllabus: GS-3, Science and technology
Prelims: PRAGATI-2024; Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences
Context:
The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) is hosting “Pharma Research in AyurGyan And Techno Innovation (PRAGATI-2024)” in New Delhi.
Details:
- PRAGATI-2024 is an interactive meeting that explores research opportunities and fosters collaboration between CCRAS and the Ayurveda drug industry.
- The meeting aims to maximise the potential of Ayurveda stakeholders in drug and device development by connecting researchers and industrial partners involved in manufacturing Ayurveda formulations and technological innovations.
- Goals of the meeting:
- Utilise research outcomes and technologies developed by CCRAS.
- Establish robust networks for collaborative research in quality control, drug standardisation, product development, and validation.
- Identify potential industrial partners with in-house R&D facilities.
- Explore opportunities for capacity building for researchers in drug manufacturing and product development.
- Assist Ayurveda professionals in initiating start-ups and incubating centres, promoting entrepreneurship in Ayurvedic pharmaceutics.
- The event includes specialised technical sessions as well as participation from representatives of 35 pharmaceutical companies nationwide.
- A dossier detailing all 35 formulations and three instruments developed or in progress by CCRAS, including Ayush 64, Ayush SG, Ayush Gutti, and others, will be presented to the participating industries for discussion and review.
2. Hydrogen Bus for Indian Army
Syllabus: GS-3, Environment and Ecology
Prelims: Hydrogen bus
Mains: Hydrogen as an alternative fuel
Context:
The Indian Army received the first hydrogen bus.
Details:
- The Indian Army has collaborated with the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) for demonstration trials of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus technology.
- An MoU was signed between the Army and the IOCL for this purpose.
- The MoU emphasised the commitment to fostering innovation and advancing sustainable transport solutions for the future.
- The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus has a seating capacity of 37 passengers. It promises a mileage of 250-300 km on a full 30 kg onboard tank of Hydrogen fuel.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology:
- Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology offers a clean and efficient alternative by converting Hydrogen gas into electricity through an electrochemical process. The process leaves water vapour as the only by-product, thus ensuring zero emission.
The Army’s Other Green Initiatives:
- In March 2023, the Indian Army became the first government entity to ink an MoU with National Thermal Power Corporation Renewable Energy Limited to install Green Hydrogen-based Microgrid Power Plants along the Northern Borders.Â
- A pilot project is being set up at Chushul, where a 200 200-kilowatt green hydrogen-based Microgram will provide 24×7 clean electricity to troops deployed in inhospitable terrain and extreme climatic conditions.
3. Long Range Forecast Outlook for the Southwest Monsoon Rainfall Season
Syllabus: GS-1, Geography
Prelims: IMD
Mains: Monsoons in India
Context:
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) updated Long Range Forecast Outlook for the Southwest Monsoon Rainfall Season (June-September) 2024.
Highlights of the Long Range Forecast:
- The southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall over the country as a whole is likely to be 106% of the long period average (LPA).
- Above Normal rainfall is most likely over the country as a whole during the monsoon season (June to September), 2024.
- The southwest monsoon seasonal (June to September 2024) rainfall is most likely to be above normal over Central India and South Peninsular India (>106% of LPA), normal over Northwest India (92-108% of LPA) and below normal over Northeast India (<94% of LPA).
- The southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall over the Monsoon Core Zone (MCZ) consisting of most of the rainfed agriculture areas in the country is most likely to be Above Normal (>106% of LPA).
- Above Normal rainfall is most likely over most parts of the country except many areas of the northern part of Northwest India, Northeast India, the eastern part of Central India and adjoining areas of east India, where below normal to normal rainfall is most likely.
- Temperatures in June
-
- Above-normal monthly maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country, except many parts of southern peninsular India, where normal to below-normal temperatures are most likely.Â
- Above-normal monthly minimum temperatures are likely across most parts of the country, except extreme northern parts of northwest India and a few pockets of east and northeast India, where normal to below-normal minimum temperatures are most likely.
- Above-normal heatwave days are likely over most areas of Northwest India and adjoining areas of Central India.
4. Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative
Syllabus: GS-3, IT, Cybersecurity
Prelims: Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative
Context:
NeGD organised the 44th Deep Dive Training of Chief Information Security Officers under MeitY’s Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative.
Details of the training programme:
- National e-Governance Division (NeGD), under its Capacity Building scheme, organised the 44th CISO Deep-Dive training programme from May 27–31, 2024 with participants from Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and New Delhi at the Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi.Â
- The deep-dive training specifically aims at educating and enabling CISOs to understand cyber-attacks comprehensively and thoroughly, get necessary exposure to the latest technologies of safeguarding, and translate the benefits of a resilient e-infrastructure to individual organisations and citizens at large.Â
- The training is also focused on providing a holistic view of legal provisions, enabling CISOs to formulate policies in the domain of cyber security and build concrete cyber crisis management plans.
- The programme aims at spreading awareness, sensitising and orienting participants on cyber safety and security, thus facilitating the Digital India programme for integrated delivery of various government services to citizens.Â
- Launched in 2018, the CISO training is the first-of-its-kind partnership between the Government and industry consortium under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
MeitY’s Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative:
- The Cyber Surakshit Bharat initiative was conceptualised with the mission to spread awareness of cybercrime and build capacities of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT officials, across all government departments.
- The objective is to ensure adequate safety measures to combat cybercrime, and for organizations to defend their digital infrastructures and become future-ready in tackling cyber-attacks.
- It is a public-private partnership that will leverage the expertise of the IT industry in the domain of cybersecurity.
- Operating on the principles of awareness, education and enablement, it will include training programmes on cybersecurity.
- Partners include Microsoft, WIPRO, Intel, NASSCOM, CERT-In, etc.
5. 77th World Health Assembly
Syllabus: GS-2, Health
Prelims: World Health Assembly, WHO
Context:
The 77th World Health Assembly was co-hosted by the WHO Regional Office for Southeast Asia (SEARO) and the Government of India, in Geneva.
Details:
- The purpose of the meeting was to strategize concerted actions of Member States, WHO and Partners in addressing key public health agenda in the Southeast Asia Region.
- Addressing the gathering, India’s Health Secretary highlighted the digital technologies being leveraged by India during COVID which like CoWIN, are being transformed into UWIN, a digital platform for tracking immunization and creation of digital certificates for every child.
6. Linear Accelerator (LINAC)
Syllabus: GS-3, Science and technology
Prelims: Linear Accelerator (LINAC)
Context:
The Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER), Mumbai exchanged an MoU on MRI and technology transfer of Linear Accelerator with the industry.
What is Linear Accelerator (LINAC)?
- A linear accelerator, or LINAC, is a machine that is commonly used to deliver external beam radiation treatments to cancer patients.Â
- For the customised delivery of radiation therapy, a linear accelerator is programmed before each session to deliver high-energy X-rays that conform to the specific size, shape and location of a tumour.Â
- In this way, the LINAC can target and destroy cancerous cells in a precise area of a patient’s body with minimal exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue.Â
- To ensure patient safety, a linear accelerator has several built-in protective measures designed to prevent the delivery of dosages above the prescribed amount.
- A linear accelerator can be used to treat cancer in virtually any area of the body.
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