21 Nov 2023: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Sant Mirabai Janmotsav
2. Exercise Vajra Prahar
3. PARAKH
4. World Fisheries Day
5. Rapid Innovation and Startup Expansion (RISE)

1. Sant Mirabai Janmotsav

Syllabus: GS-1, History

Prelims: Sant Mirabai

Mains: Bhakti Movement in India 

Context:

‘Sant Mirabai Janmotsav’ is being organized to celebrate the 525th Birth Anniversary of Sant Mirabai.

About Sant Mirabai:

• Sant Mirabai was one of the most prominent Bhakti saints from North India.
• She was a 16th-century Rajput princess who was an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna.
• Her devotion was to such an extent that social mores and traditions of the time didn’t matter to her and for this, she was even persecuted according to legend.
• Many bhajans are attributed to Mirabai that are still popular today.

Also read: Bhakti Movement

2. Exercise Vajra Prahar

Syllabus: GS-3, Security; GS-2, IR

Prelims: Exercise Vajra Prahar

Mains: India – US relations

Context:

14th Edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise “VAJRA PRAHAR 2023” commenced at the Joint Training Node, Umroi, Meghalaya.

Details:

• Ex Vajra Prahar aims at sharing best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics.
• The first edition was conducted in the year 2010 in India.
• During this three-week exercise, both sides will jointly plan and rehearse a series of Special Operations, Counter Terrorist Operations, and Air Borne operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain. 

Read more on Ex Vajra Prahar in the link.

3. PARAKH

Syllabus: GS-2, Education

Prelims: PARAKH

Context:

PARAKH survey conducted successfully.

Details:

• The State Educational Achievement Survey by PARAKH was conducted to understand the baseline performance in developing the competencies at the end of the foundational, preparatory, and middle stages. 
• The survey covered approximately 80 lakh students from 3 lakh schools at 5917 blocks.
• The primary objective of this survey is to assess the learning competencies of students at the end of each educational stage, i.e., foundational, preparatory, and middle (classes 3, 6 and 9) with a primary focus on Language and Mathematics.
• The insights gained from this survey will lead to evidence-based decision-making and the implementation of initiatives aimed at improving the education system.

4. World Fisheries Day

Syllabus: GS-3, Economy

Prelims: World Fisheries Day

Mains: Blue economy

Context: 

World Fisheries Day observed on 21 November.

World Fisheries Day 2023:

• On this occasion, the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, GOI organised the Global Fisheries Conference India 2023 on 21 and 22 November 2023 at Gujarat Science City in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. 
• The government aims to celebrate the contribution and achievements of fish farmers and other stakeholders and reinforce its commitment towards sustainable and equitable development of the fisheries sector.
• The theme of World Fisheries Day 2023 is “Build enabling policy environments for small-scale artisanal fisheries”.

Read more on World Fisheries Day in the link.

5. Rapid Innovation and Startup Expansion (RISE)

Syllabus: GS-2, IR; GS-3, Economy

Prelims: Rapid Innovation and Startup Expansion

Mains: India – Australia relations

Context:

AIM, NITI Aayog launched a new accelerator called Rapid Innovation and Startup Expansion (RISE) to support Australian and Indian circular economy startups.

Details:

• • Startups and small to mid-sized enterprises(SMEs) in India and Australia working on circular economy technologies and solutions will benefit from this initiative.
  • The India Australia RISE Accelerator is delivered in partnership between CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).
  • The nine-month accelerator programme enables Australian and Indian innovators and industry partners to tackle shared national and global challenges. The program focuses on environment and climate technologies.
  • RISE will help businesses navigate early steps in a new region, validate and adapt technology and research overseas, fast-track connections to the right partners, customers and talent, and build credibility to succeed in international markets.

Read the previous PIB articles here.