Shri Dharmendra Pradhan’s 3-Day Visit to UAE Focused on Education and Skill Development Partnership
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education(MoE) and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship(MSDE) embarked on a significant 3-day visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) fromNovember 1-3, 2023.During his visit, he engaged in discussions with key UAE ministers, officials, educators, Indian community representatives, and business leaders
- India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have expanded their educational cooperation by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
- NSDC International has signed an agreement with We One, a subsidiary of DP World, to support the skill development and employment opportunities for the front-line workforce
- National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and EFS Facilities Services Group, a UAE-based Facilities Management Firm, have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate Skilled International Workforce Mobility (IWM) for Indian nationals, with a specific emphasis on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries
About United Arab Emirates (UAE):
President- Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Prime Minister- Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Capital– Abu Dhabi
Currency– UAE dirham (AED)
IAEA Data Platform: IAEA Launches Open Data Platform to make Scientific Data More Accessible
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) launched an open data platform namely ‘IAEA Data Platform’ to streamline scientific data accessibility for decision-makers, Member States, experts, and the public.It consolidates, organize and standardize IAEA data into a single repository, enhancing transparency, and knowledge.
Key Points:
- IAEA Data Platform organizes data into three main topics:- Nuclear Safety and Security- Nuclear Technology and Applications- Safeguards and Verification
- The platform enables access to diverse data, including the Incident and Trafficking, unauthorized nuclear activities and the Modaria Dataset, an international compilation of soil-plant concentration ratio values for tropical environments.
- The platform includes tools like filtering options, tags, and an activity panel for tracking data changes over time.A unique feature of the platform is the Application Programming Interface (API) option, enabling data access through systems.
About International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA):
It is world’s foremost intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Director General– Rafael Mariano Grossi
Headquarters– Vienna, Austria
Establishment– 1957
Salman Rushdie receives First-Ever ‘Lifetime Disturbing the Peace Award’
Salman Rushdie receives First-Ever ‘Lifetime Disturbing the Peace Award’Indian-born British-American author Salman Rushdie received the first-ever “Lifetime Disturbing thePeace Award” presented by the Vaclav Havel Center in Manhattan, New York, United States of America (USA).
Key Points:
- He has authored many novels and book of stories including Midnight’s Children which was awarded the Booker Prize in 1981.
- In 2008, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to literature.
- The Havel center was founded in 2012 as the Vaclav Havel Library Foundation,
- It is named for the Czech playwright and dissident who became the last president of Czechoslovakia after the fall of the Communist regime
Union Minister Jitendra Singh Launches Dashboard of DST for Effective Parliament Business
Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science &Technology(MoST) launched the software application Department of Science and Technology (DST), “Dashboard”, for real-time, prompt and effective Parliament business.
Key Points:
- This portal streamlines real-time Parliament business, including questions, Acts, Cabinet Notes, and Gazette Notifications of the Government of India related to DST
- It will serve as a dashboard for all activities of DST.
- The Minister urged the DST officials to utilize AI (Artificial Intelligence)-driven technology for analyzing Parliament Questions across various parameters.
ICMR-NIP Unveils DISHA Portal to Make Diagnostic Services Through Geo-Mapping labs services in India
The Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) National Institute of Pathology (NIP) in New Delhi,Delhi launched “DISHA” – DIagnostic Services in Healthcare : Availability & Geo-mapping of Laboratory services in India portal (www.icmrdisha.in) to assist the public to identify and locate nearest diagnostic health facilities.The free and dynamic DISHA portal lists the diagnostic public healthcare facilities across India.ICMR-NIP is gathering data on diagnostic public healthcare facilities and creating a user-friendly online map to access suitable laboratory facilities
Key Points:
- The portal also identify areas with an imbalance between population densities and diagnostic facilities
- The data from the portal can help public health experts and government policymakers to empower existing labs, and create new facilities where necessary.
- Geographic Information System (GIS) has been implemented to enhance the accessibility to the essential information.
37th National Games Goa: Maharashtra Tops Medal Tally With 228 medal
- Maharashtra Finished top in the medal tally with 228 medals(80 gold, 69 silver, and 79 bronze) in the 37th edition of the National Games held in Goa from October 26th to November 9th, 2023.
- Maharashtra won the Raja Bhalindra Singh Trophy for the overall championship in the National Games 2023, and it is also the first time Maharashtra has topped the medal tally since 1994
- Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) finished in second place with 126 medals (66 gold, 27 silver, and 33 bronze) while Haryana finished in third place with 192 medals (62 gold, 55 silver, and 75 bronze).
World Kindness Day 2023 – November 13
World Kindness Day (WKD) is annually observed across the globe on November 13 to promote kindnessand inspire people to engage in at least one act of kindness that aspires to unify the world as one.13th November 2023 marks the observance of 26th World Kindness Day. The theme for World Kindness Day 2023 is “Be Kind Wherever Possible”.
Key Points:
- The idea of World Kindness Day dates back to 1997, when the World Kindness Movement, a coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) focused on kindness, hosted the first conference in Tokyo, Japan to unite like-minded organizations from across the world.
- World Kindness Movement launched World Kindness Day as an annual observance in 1998
- The 1st World Kindness Day was observed on 13th November 1998.
Children’s Day/Bal Divas 2023- November 14
Children’s Day also known as Bal Divas is annually observed across India on November 14 to honour the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s 1st Prime Minister, who was known for his love and affection for children.The day aims to emphasise the significance of nurturing and celebrating the vibrant spirit of the younger generation.14 November 2023 marks the 134th birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal nehru.
Key Points:
- Children’s Day in India was initially observed on November 20 which is the day when the United Nations (UN) celebrates World Children’s Day since 1954.
- However, after Jawaharlal Nehru died in 1964, the Indian Parliament passed a resolution to commemorate Nehru’s birthday as Children’s Day, as a tribute to his love for children.
- Since then, to commemorate his birth anniversary, Children’s Day is celebrated on November 14.It has become an annual event dedicated to the children of the nation.