CDSCO launches NSWS Portal for Medical Devices Management
Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), under the Directorate General of Health Services,Ministry of Health & Family Welfare(MoHFW), launched the National Single Window System (NSWS)Portal to streamline, import, clinical investigations, and testing of medical devices.
The site is designed and developed by Invest India, under the Departmentfor Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade(DPIIT), Ministry ofCommerce and Industry(MoCI), through Tata Consultancy Service (TCS)for CDSCO.
About NSWS portal:
- The portal will be a one-stop shop for all approvals required by theinvestor and facilitates ease of doing business.
- This is an independent portal distinct from the existing SUGAM portal orthe cdscomdonline portal for the medical devices industry.
- The Know Your Approvals (KYA) module of the portal includesguidance for 32 Central Departments and 32 States.
- This hosts applications for approvals from 31 Central Departments and22 State Governments.
Key Points:
- Initially, three activities under Medical Devices Rules, 2017- Certificate of Registration (CoR), license tomanufacture medical devices for clinical purposes, and license to import medical devices for investigationsor testing, went live on NSWS from January 1, 2024.
- Stakeholders are mandated to submit applications for these activities through the NSWS portal, as theexisting cdscomdonline portal for these activities will be disabled from January 15, 2024.
- The CDSCO also released a user guide for navigation and a contact number for user queries.
Desert Cyclone 2024: 1st India-UAE Joint Military Exercise Begins in Mahajan,Rajasthan
Desert Cyclone 2024, the 1st edition of the India-United Arab Emirates (UAE) joint military exercise,commenced in Mahajan, Rajasthan on 2nd January 2024. The 2-week-long Exercise will conclude on 15thJanuary 2024.
The goal of the exercise is to achieve sharedsecurity objectives and foster bilateral relationsbetween two nations.
Key Points:
- The goal of the exercise is to achieve sharedsecurity objectives and foster bilateral relationsbetween two nations.
- To boost interoperability in Sub-conventionalOperations, focusing on Fighting in the Built-UpArea (FIBUA) within desert and semi-desertterrain under Chapter VII of the United Nations(UN) Charter on Peace Keeping Operations.
- It will enhance cooperation and interoperabilitybetween both sides during Peace KeepingOperations.
- The drills under ‘Desert Cyclone 2024’demonstrate India and the UAE’s joint dedication to regional security and stability.
Key Points:
Capital– Abu Dhabi
President– His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Currency– UAE Dirham (AED)
J&K becomes First UT to Implement PM Vishwakarma Yojana
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has become the first Union Territory (UT) in India to implement the PradhanMantri Vishwakarma Yojana (PMVY). The training programme for the 1st batch of 30 trainees(Viswakarmas) in ‘darzi craft’ under PMVY wasinaugurated at Industrial Training Institute (ITI)Shopian, J&K.
Key Points:
- PM Vishwakarma Yojana(PMVY) is a CentralSector Scheme (CSS) launched by the Ministry ofMicro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME)in September 2023.
- The scheme aims to improve the quality andreach of products and services of artisans andcraftspeople
- The tagline of the scheme is ‘SammanSamarthya Samridhi’
- The beneficiary should be at least 18 years old.
About the training program:
- The trainees will be offered basic training of 5 to 7days, and advanced training of 15 days or more.
- The trainees will be paid a stipend of Rs 500 per day and will receive a free modern toolkit worth Rs15,000.
Five New Countries Join BRICS in 2024
Five countries namely Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has joinedBRICS(Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa)bloc as their membership came into force from January 1,2024.
With the induction of new members, BRICS’ membershipcount increased to 10 from 5.
Key Points:
- The addition of new members is seen as a strategic effortto reshape traditional global order into a multipolarworld with voices from the Global South taking a moreprominent role on the international stage.
- Inclusion of two huge powers (Saudi Arabia and UAE)highlights the growing assertiveness of middle powerschallenging the established Western-led order.
- The expansion of the BRICS also creates newinvestment opportunities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
- Both countries are diversifying their economy acrossvarious sectors, including tourism, real estate,construction, transport, manufacturing, and capitalexpenditure.
About BRICS:
- BRICS was formed in September 2006 and it originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC).
- It was renamed as BRICS after South Africa was accepted as a full member in September 2010.
- At present, the BRICS represents 41% of the global population, 24% of the global Gross DomesticProduct (GDP) and 16% of the global trade.
REC Limited & RVNL signed MoU to Finance RVNL Infrastructure Projects up to Rs35,000 Cr
REC Limited (formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited) signed a Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) with Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) to finance up to Rs 35,000 crore for multimodal infrastructure projects to be executed by RVNL over the next 5 years.These projects will include multi-modal logisticshub projects, rail infrastructure projects, and road,port, and metro projects where RVNL is venturinginto.
Key Points:
- REC Ltd provides long-term loans and financialsolutions for the power infrastructure sector,covering Generation, Transmission, Distribution,Renewable Energy (RE), Electric Vehicles (EVs),Battery Storage, and Green Hydrogen
- REC Ltd diversified into the Non-PowerInfrastructure sector including Roads andExpressways, Metro Rail, Airports, etc. and Electro-Mechanical (E&M) works for sectors like Steel andRefinery.
- RVNL serves approximately 30% of Indian Railways’ infrastructure requirements. It pioneers largeinfrastructure projects under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) PPP model.
- RVNL’s primary focus is on Railway projects, with expansions into road, port, irrigation, and metroprojects, often interlinked with railway infrastructure.
About REC Limited:
CMD– Vivek Kumar Dewangan
Headquarters– Gurugram, Haryana
Established in– 1969
Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli Won Pubity Sport Men’s Athlete of Year 2023 Award
Indian cricketer Virat Kohli won the Pubity Sport Men’s Athlete of the Year 2023 Award by defeatingArgentine footballer Lionel Messi in the final clash of the online poll in which Kohli got 78 percent out ofthe total votes while Messi got remaining 22 percent.Spanish footballer Aitana bonmati(76%)wins Pubity female Athlete of TheYear 2023 Award by defeating Americantennis player Coco Gauff (24%).
Key Points:
- Virat Kohli made his international debut in2008 against Sri Lanka in a One-DayInternational(ODI) match held in Sri Lanka.
- He is the third highest run-scorer in ODI’swith 13848 runs while Sachin RameshTendulkar-India(18426 runs) and KumarChokshanada Sangakkara-Sri Lanka(14234runs) are in first and second positionrespectively.
Kohli set a world record for the highest run tally in a single edition of the ODI World Cup (2023 in India),scoring 765 runs. - His notable awards include Arjuna award in 2013.
- He was also honored with the Padma Shri award in 2017 in the field of sports.And Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (Name changed into Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna) in 2018.
J&K DGP launches Grievance Redressal Portal ‘Awaam Se,Awaam Ke Liye’
- Director General of Police (DGP) of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), R RSwain, has launched the J&K Police Grievance Redressal Portal ‘AwaamSe, Awaam Ke Liye’.
- The portal aims to address the issues faced by the citizens and policepersonnel in a more structured and decentralised manner.
- The portal also improves the density and quality of resolving the issues