Daily Current Capsules

25 and 26 August 2023

Dadi Prakashmani

• The President of India, released a postage stamp in memory of Dadi Prakashmani, former chief of Brahma Kumaris
• This stamp was released under the ‘My Stamp’ initiative of the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications to mark the 16^th death anniversary of Dadi Prakashmani.

Know! about Dadi Prakashmani

• Dadi Prakashmani was a pioneer for all women.
• She was the leader of a spiritual organization primarily run and managed by women at a time when women did not have an equal status in society.
• She was the Administrative Head of Brahma Kumaris from 1969 until 2007.
• Her exceptional leadership was displayed by the practical fact that during her lifetime, the organization expanded from 1 country to 120 countries with over 5,000 centres and sub-centres around the world.
• She headed the Brahma Kumaris movement, the world’s largest spiritual organisation run by women.
• Dadi Janki was 21 years old when she chose her spiritual path and became a founding member of Brahma Kumaris.

International Conference on Structural Integrity (ICONS 2023)

• The Third International Conference on Structural Integrity (ICONS 2023) was inaugurated at Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu
• ICONS 2023 is jointly organized by the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam and the Society for Failure Analysis, in association with Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Indian Society for Non-destructive Testing, Kalpakkam Chapter, Indian Institute of Metals Kalpakkam Chapter and Indian Structural Integrity Society. 
• ICONS 2023 is attended by around 250 delegates from India and abroad comprising of mechanical engineers, materials scientists, academicians, industry experts, plant managers and regulatory personnel.
• The conference will be deliberating on various topics related to recent development and future directions in assessing and ensuring structural integrity of structures and operating equipments in nuclear, defense, aerospace, chemical and oil industries.

The project AMBER

• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), in collaboration with Generation India Foundation (GIF) and Amazon Web Services India Private Limited (AWS India) is providing ‘cloud’ skills training to 1,500 learners and connecting them to employment opportunities, under project AMBER.
• The initiative has been undertaken under the SANKALP programme of MSDE with a focus on women to improve gender diversification in the tech industry and underprivileged groups.
• Projects like AMBER, which is a joint initiative of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) – under the aegis of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) – and GIF create the necessary avenues.
• Co-funded by MSDE (under the SANKALP program) and private philanthropy, project AMBER aims to train 30,000 youth, 50% of whom will be women. 

Know! about PROJECT AMBER

• PROJECT AMBER (Accelerated Mission for Better Employment and Retention) is a joint initiative of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Generation India Foundation (GIF) under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
• This project is co-funded by MSDE (under the SANKALP programme) and private philanthropy and aims to train 30,000 youth, 50% of whom will be women trainees.
• The training will be conducted in post-COVID resilient job roles, over a period of two years.
• Generation’s holistic 7-step skilling methodology will be utilised to drive higher quality skilling, improved employment, and retention outcomes.

Know! about SANKALP

• Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (“SANKALP”) is a programme of the Ministry of Skill Development with loan assistance from the World Bank.
• It aims to improve short term skill training qualitatively and quantitatively through strengthening institutions, bring in better market connectivity and inclusion of marginalised sections of the society.
• SANKALP was launched on 19th January 2018 and has a tenure till March 2023.

Generation India Foundation

• It is a not-for-profit founded by McKinsey & Company in 2014.
• Generation is a global youth employment program that connects unemployed and underemployed young adults with skills and jobs, and helps provide high-quality entry-level talent for employers.
• It has become the world’s largest demand driven skilling initiative, with 50,000+ graduates spread across 16 countries.
• Generation is pioneering a new way to build skills and job-readiness – and applying it in high-growth industries around the world.

Kumbhalgarh as a tiger reserve

• The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) cleared the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)’s in-principle approval to declare Kumbhalgarh as a tiger reserve.

Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in the Rajsamand District of Rajasthan State in western India.
• The wildlife sanctuary surrounds the Kumbhalgarh fortress
• The sanctuary extends across the Aravalli Range, covering parts of Rajsamand, Udaipur, and Pali districts, ranging from 500 to 1,300 metres in elevation.
• It is part of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.
• It acts as a dividing line between Mewar and Marwar, two different parts of Rajasthan.
• River Banas also graces the sanctuary and is the primary source of water.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) was established in December 2005, following a recommendation of the Tiger Task Force
• The Prime Minister of India established it to reorganise the management of Project Tiger and India’s many Tiger Reserves in India.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has been constituted under section 38 L (1) of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Further, as per the section 38 L, sub section 2 of the said Act, the authority consists of the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Environment and Forests ( as Chairperson), the Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment and Forests (as Vice-Chairperson), three members of Parliament, Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests and other members. 
• The authority derives its power from section 38 O (1) of WLPA, 1972 and functions under the guidance of Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and members.

CSIR-NEERI plans grid-based strategy to combat Delhi’s air pollution 

• The CSIR -National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) will develop a grid-based mitigation strategy to tackle the air pollution problem in Delhi.
• CSIR-NEERI will develop a grid-based mitigation strategy, termed ‘Local Area Management Plan’ (LAMP), for each hotspot, for each season.”
  The ‘one size fits all’ approach has rarely worked for air pollution mitigation
• LAMP will allow policymakers to devise tailored strategies for pollution control within their jurisdiction, aligning with the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) goals.

Know! about National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI)

• NEERI was originally established in 1958 as the Central Public Health Engineering Research Institute (CPHERI).
• This renaming reflects the shift of concern from sanitation to wider public health matters.
• It has been described as the “premier and oldest institute in India.
• It is a premier research institute created and funded by the Government of India dedicated to environmental science and engineering.
• The institute’s primary mission is to conduct research and development activities related to various aspects of environmental management, pollution control, and sustainable development.
• NEERI falls under the Ministry of Science and Technology of the central government.

Know! about Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR):

• It is one of India’s premier scientific and industrial research organisations.
• It was established as an autonomous body by the government of India in 1942 to promote scientific knowledge and boost industrialisation and economic growth.
• It is now one of the largest publicly funded R&D organisations in the world.
• CSIR maintains a large network of national laboratories and field stations and employs thousands of scientists, researchers, and support staff.

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TEAM CL/GKP