NATIONAL NEWS

Governmenrt Launched 'One Nation One Subscription Scheme'

The government of India has approved a new central sector scheme, the One Nation One Subscription scheme, to expand access to scholarly journals to students, faculty, researchers, and scientists in the country under one platform.

The initiative aims to provide access to nearly 13000 scholarly journals published by 30 international publishers through a unified digital portal to eligible higher educational institutions and research and development laboratories.

This is expected to boost research and development (R&D) and innovation in the country.

The Department of Higher Education under the Union Ministry of Education will implement the One Nations One Subscription Scheme.

It will launch a unified portal, “One Nation One Subscription”, through which the institutions can access the journals digitally.

The portal is expected to go live on 1 January 2025.

The duration of the One Nation One Subscription Scheme is three years. It will start on 1 January 2025 and end on 31st December 2027.

The total allocated amount for the scheme over three years is Rs.6,000 crore. It will cover the cost of journal subscriptions.

IIT Guwahati to host 2024 India International Science Festival

For the first time, the prestigious India International Science Festival will be held in the country's Northeastern region.

The Indian Institute of Technology - Guwahati will host the 10th India International Science Festival 2024 from 30 November to 3 December 2024.

The India International Science Festival is the largest science event in the country, engaging the general public and the scientific community

The 9th edition of the India International Science Festival 2023 was held in Faridabad, Haryana, from 17-20 January 2024.

A large number of students, the Indian and foreign scientific community and the general public are expected to participate in the India International Science Festival 2024.

The 10th India International Science Festival theme is “Transforming India into an S&T-driven Global Manufacturing Hub".

The theme focuses on the government's mission to make India the global manufacturing hub and the crucial contribution of science and technology to industrial growth.

The India International Science Festival is organised by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology and the Union Ministry of Earth Science in association with Vijnana Bharati.

India Launches 'Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat' Campaign Against Child Marriage

The government of India launched the ‘Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat’ campaign to eradicate the social evil of child marriage.

The government also unveiled the Child Marriage Free Bharat portal to support the campaign.

The Campaign will be supervised by the Union Ministry of Child and Women Development.

According to the government, it will continue until the social evil of child marriage is eradicated from the country.

The portal will support the campaign's mission by raising public awareness against child marriage, preventing child marriage, and reporting incidents of child marriage.

The campaign will focus on 130 districts of the country where the incidence of child marriage is very high.

It will involve the concerned central and state government departments, district Child Marriage Prohibition Officers, civil society members and organisations and the media.

12th International Tourism Mart 2024

The 12th International Tourism Mart is being held in the UNESCO World Heritage site Kaziranga National Park, Assam, from 26- 29 November 2024.

The International Tourism Mart will highlight the vast potential of tourism in the North-Eastern Region to domestic and international audiences and bring together the Tourism and hospitality industry stakeholders to promote tourism in the region.

Kaziranga National Park is celebrating its 50th anniversary of being declared a national park.

The International Tourism Mart has been organised by the Union Ministry of Tourism every year since 2013.

The International Tourism Mart is held on a rotational basis in one of the eight North Eastern States: Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, or Sikkim.

At the 12th International Tourism Mart, senior officials of the central government, state government and Tourism sector representatives are participating.

Representatives of 30 foreign countries are also participating in the Tourism Mart.

 

RANKS, INDICES & REPORTS

2024 Network Readiness Index

India was ranked 49th in the Network Readiness Index 2024, published by the Portulans Institute and the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.

The United States of America led the Network Readiness Index for the third consecutive year, followed by Singapore.

The Network Readiness Index ranks 133 economies (countries) based on their citizens' access to and use of information and communications technology (ICT).

The Network Readiness Index is considered one of the leading global indices of ICT application and impact in economies worldwide.

The Network Readiness Index 2024 ranks India at 49th place amongst 133 economies of the world, with a score of 53.63

India has been ranked second among the low-middle-income countries after Vietnam.

India secured the first rank in ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) scientific publications’, ‘AI talent concentration’ and ‘ICT services exports’,

2nd rank in ‘FTTH (Fiber to the Home)/Building Internet subscriptions’, ‘Mobile broadband internet traffic within the country’ and ‘International Internet bandwidth’,

3rd rank in ‘Domestic market scale’ and

4th rank in ‘annual investment in telecommunication services.

The Network Readiness Index 2024 ranks India at 49th place amongst 133 economies of the world, with a score of 53.63

India has been ranked second among the low-middle-income countries after Vietnam.

India secured the first rank in ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) scientific publications’, ‘AI talent concentration’ and ‘ICT services exports’,

2nd rank in ‘FTTH (Fiber to the Home)/Building Internet subscriptions’, ‘Mobile broadband internet traffic within the country’ and ‘International Internet bandwidth’,

3rd rank in ‘Domestic market scale’ and

4th rank in ‘annual investment in telecommunication services.

 

AWARDS & PRIZES

Indian Chemical Council Conferred with 2024 OPCW The Hague Award

The Indian Chemical Council, an apex body representing the Indian chemical Industry, was conferred with the 2024 OPCW The Hague Award in a ceremony in the Hague, Netherlands.

The Director General of the Indian Chemical Council, D. Sothi Selvam, received the award.

The award was conferred on the Indian Chemical Council during the 29th Session of the Conference of the States Parties (CSP) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The 29th session of the CSP is being held from 25-29 November 2024 at the Hague, Netherlands.

The Conference of the States Parties (CSP) meets annually at the Hague to oversee the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, promote the Convention’s objectives, and review compliance with the treaty.

The CSP includes all 193 countries that are members of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

 

SPORTS

Under-8 World Cadets Chess Champion 2024

Eight-year-old Divith Reddy of Hyderabad, Telangana, has won the Under-8 World Cadets Chess Championship in Montesilvano, Italy.

Divith secured 9 out of the possible 11 points in the Under-8 World Cadets Chess Championship and was tied with fellow Indian Sattwik Swain and the Chinese Ziming Guo.

However, due to a better tie-break score, Divith Reddy was awarded the gold medal, Sattwik Swain the silver medal, and the Chinese Ziming Guo got the bronze medal.

Divith, with a FIDE rating of 1784, started the Championships brilliantly by winning the first four of his matches. However, he lost his next two matches but bounced back to win his last five matches and the title.

The world chess governing body FIDE organised the FIDE World Cadet Championships 2024 at Montesilvano, Italy

 

DEFENCE

Indian Coast Guard Commences 2-day SAREX-24 Exercise

The Indian Coast Guard, responsible for executing /coordinating Search and Rescue (SAR) missions in the Indian Maritime Search and Rescue Region, commenced its two-day National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise and Workshop (SAREX-24) in Kochi, Kerala

The 11th edition of SAREX, which will be held on 27 and 28 November 2024, will test the efficiency of the various stakeholders in conducting Mass Rescue Operations in the sea in case of emergency.

The 22nd National Maritime Search and Rescue Board meeting is also being held alongside the SAREX-24 in Kochi.

The SAREX-24 exercise was inaugurated by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.

The Indian Coast Guard comes under the Union Ministry for Defence.

The SAREX exercise is being held under the aegis of the National Maritime Search and Rescue Board.

The theme of the SAREX-24 is “Enhancing Search and Rescue capabilities through Regional Collaboration”.

Indian Navy Successfully Test fires K-4 Missile from INS Arighaat

In a significant development for India's second-strike nuclear capability, the Indian Navy has successfully tested a nuclear-capable K-4 missile from its nuclear-powered submarine INS Arighaat.

The successful user trial test will strengthen the country’s nuclear triad.

The INS Arighaat submarine can carry four K-4 missiles.

The Indian Navy commissioned its second nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arighat, on 29 August 2024. The first nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arihant, was inducted in November 2017.

INS Arihant can carry only one K-4 missiles.

K-4 is a nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

SLBM are crucial for India’s second strike capability and nuclear triad.

The nuclear triad refers to the ability of the country to launch nuclear weapons from Land (Army), Air (Air Force) or Sea (Navy).

The second strike refers to the ability of a country to launch a nuclear weapon on an enemy’s strategic assets after being first hit by the enemy’s nuclear weapon.