03 November 2019: PIB Summary & Analysis

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November 3rd, 2019 PIB:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. National Institute of Ocean Technology
2. Bilateral Meetings of the Prime Minister on the side-lines of ASEAN – India Summit, Bangkok
3. Air pollution in Delhi and neighbouring regions
4. AYUSH Minister Inaugurates National Research Institute of Unani Medicine for Skin Disorders
5. Dustlik 2019
6. Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Parv
7. India International Science Festival

National Institute of Ocean Technology

Context:

The Vice President addressed the silver jubilee celebrations of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT).

He also launched Coastal Flood Warning System app for Chennai (CFLOWS- CHENNAI) developed by the NIOT.

About the NIOT:

• NIOT is an autonomous society under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, established in 1993.
• It has its main office in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• The chief objective of the institute is to develop reliable indigenous technologies to solve the various engineering problems associated with the harvesting of non-living and living resources in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which is about two-thirds of the land area of India.
  • What is EEZ?
  • The EEZ is a sea zone prescribed by the UNCLOS in 1982, over which a country has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and wind.
  • It stretches from the baseline out to 200 nautical miles from a country’s coast.
  • The term EEZ does not include the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles. It also does not include the territorial sea.
  • The difference between territorial sea and the EEZ is that the former confers full sovereignty over the waters, whereas the latter is merely a “sovereign right” which refers to the coastal nation’s rights below the surface of the sea.
  • The surface waters are international waters.
• The institute engages in developing technologies for sustainable utilization of ocean resources.
• It also engages in providing solutions to organisations working in the field.

About CFLOWS- CHENNAI:

• It is a Coastal Flood Warning System app for Chennai.
• It is India’s first integrated coastal flood warning system.
• It was conceptualised by the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Union Government, after the devastating 2015 Chennai floods.
• It is an integrated GIS-based decision support system to provide forecast on potential inundation 10 days in advance.
• It will be hosted and made operational at National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) with meteorological data inputs from India Meteorological Department (IMD), National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS).
• The system can simulate the scenario and predict what will happen in a particular area.
• It has 6 modules, including 3D visuals of flooding in infrastructure, buildings, roads and ward boundaries.

Bilateral Meetings of the Prime Minister on the side-lines of ASEAN – India Summit, Bangkok

Context:

The Prime Minister met separately the PM of Thailand and the President of Indonesia at the ASEAN – India Summit at Bangkok. He also met the State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi.

Details:

To know more about the ASEAN, click here.

Air pollution in Delhi and neighbouring regions

Context:

Principal Secretary to PM held a high-level meeting with the States of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi to tackle air pollution.

Details:

• The meeting reviewed the situation arising out of stubble burning, construction activities, burning of wastes and industrial and vehicular pollution.
• It has been decided that the Cabinet Secretary will monitor the situation with these States on a daily basis.
• State Chief Secretaries have been asked to monitor the situation in the districts on a 24×7 basis.
• The Centre has also asked the neighbouring states to reduce fire incidents and dust levels due to adverse meteorological conditions in the last three days.
• About 300 teams have been deployed in the field in the national capital to tackle the challenge of air pollution.
• The main focus is on 7 Industrial Clusters and major traffic corridors in the NCR.
• Similar arrangements have also been made by Punjab and Haryana and necessary machinery has been provided in the states.

Know more about the pollution levels in Delhi at the Nov 2^nd 2019 CNA under the heading: ‘Health emergency declared in the capital.’

AYUSH Minister Inaugurates National Research Institute of Unani Medicine for Skin Disorders

Context:

The Union Minister inaugurated the National Research Institute of Unani Medicine for Skin Disorders (NRIUMSD) upgraded from the Central Research Institute of Unani Medicine (CRIUM) at Hyderabad.

Details:

To know more about AYUSH, click here.

Dustlik 2019

Context:

The Defence Minister spoke at the Curtain Raiser event of the first-ever India-Uzbekistan Joint Exercise ‘Dustlik 2019’ at Tashkent in Uzbekistan.

About Dustlik 2019:

• Dustlik 2019 will be conducted for about ten days in November 2019 at Tashkent.
• This is a joint exercise of the armies of India and Uzbekistan.
• The exercise will enable sharing of best practices and experiences between the Armed Forces of the two countries and would lead to greater operational effectiveness.
• The primary focus will be on counterterrorism.

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Parv

Context:

Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Parv’ culminated.

About Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat:

• This initiative was launched in October 2016 to promote engagement amongst the people of different States/UTs so as to enhance mutual understanding and bonding between people of diverse cultures, thereby securing stronger unity and integrity of India.

To know more about Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, check PIB dated 13 October 2019 under the heading ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav’.

India International Science Festival

Context:

The fifth India International Science Festival will be held at Kolkata in November 2019.

About the India International Science Festival (IISF):

• The prime objective of the festival is to instill scientific temper among the masses, showcase India’s contribution in the field of S&T over the years and encourage translation of its benefits to people.
• It aims to build a strategy for inclusive advancement of Science and Technology.
• The festival is an annual event organised jointly by the science and technology-related Ministries and Departments of the Government of India and Vijnana Bharati (Vibha).
• The first festival took place in 2015.
• The theme for this year’s festival is ‘RISEN India – Research, Innovation, and Science Empowering the Nation’.
• The festival is probably the biggest platform in the country to bring together students, researchers, innovators, artists, and the general public to celebrate India’s achievements in science and technology.
• IISF is also an attempt to encourage young minds towards the field of science and to promote networking of stakeholders working towards the propagation of science.
• Almost 12000 participants are expected in this event from India and abroad.
• There will be a Students Science Village where more than 2,500 school students from all over the nation have been invited.
  • Under the Pradhan Mantri Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, every Member of Parliament has been asked to nominate five students each along with their teacher from their constituency for the village.
  • In six different houses named after our scientists, these students will be engaged in several science-fun activities and interact with scientists and technocrats.
• There will also be a Young Scientists’ Conference at the IISF 2019.
• There will also be exhibitions and a book fair.
• Another important event which will take place under the ambit of the festival is the Vigyanika Science Literature Festival.
• There will also be a Women Scientists & Entrepreneurs Conclave.

About the Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science & Technology:

• It is a department within the Ministry of Science and Technology in India.
• It was established in May 1971 to promote new areas of science and technology and to play the role of a nodal department for organising, coordinating and promoting scientific and technological activities in the country.
• It provides funds to various approved scientific projects in India.
• It also supports various researchers in India to attend conferences abroad and to go for experimental works.

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