GS PAPER II NEWS
“Aadhaar Hackathon 2021”
Why in News
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- UIDAI is going to organize a hackathon named “Aadhaar Hackathon 2021” targeted at young innovators who are currently in various engineering institutes and eager to step into the real world.
Key point
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- The Hackathon will start at 00:00 on 28 October 2021 and will continue till 23:00 on 31 October 2021.
- Aadhaar Hackathon 2021 is based on two themes. The first topic pertains to “Enrollment and Updates”, which actually covers some of the real challenges residents face while updating their address.
- The second theme of the hackathon pertains to the “Identity and Authentication” solution presented by UIDAI. Under this theme, UIDAI is devising innovative solutions to prove identity without sharing Aadhaar number or any demographic information.
- In addition, it is exploring innovative applications involving face authentication APIs. API is the new authentication method introduced by UIDAI.
- It aims to popularize some existing and new APIs to address the needs of the citizens.
- To solve these challenges through innovative technological solutions, UIDAI is reaching out to the youth of all engineering colleges.
- The winners of each subject will be rewarded by UIDAI through prize money and other attractive benefits. All the youth are being encouraged to form a team and participate in this first ever event being organized by Aadhar Team.
GS PAPER II
Jammu Government signed agreement for industrial park and real estate development
Why in News
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- The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has recently entered into an agreement for industrialization with the Government of Dubai, which will help the Union Territory to scale new heights in the sustainable development of industrialization.
Key point
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- After the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the avenues of development have been opened. The government of Dubai has come forward to invest in Jammu and Kashmir.
- A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been agreed with the Dubai government for all developmental projects like real estate, industrial parks, IT towers, private hospitals. With this MoU, investors of the world will be encouraged to invest in Jammu and Kashmir.
- MoU was signed between the Jammu and Kashmir Administration and the Government of Dubai at a function in Srinagar for investment in the industrial sector and development of various business undertakings and enterprises in the state.
Big signal to the whole world
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- The Government of Dubai has given a big signal to the whole world by signing MoU with Jammu and Kashmir that as India is rapidly becoming a world power, Jammu and Kashmir will play a very important role in it.
- He said that the whole world is confident that India will play an important role in global trade in future. All countries want to improve their trade relations with India.
- This agreement confirms that today the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is better and the environment here is safe for investment.
- Terming it as an important opportunity for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha said that this journey of development will help the Union Territory to scale new heights in industrialization and sustainable development.
GS PAPER II
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PFMBY) Working Group
Why in News
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- Government of India has constituted a working group with the objective of launching the overhauled Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PFMBY) from Kharif season, 2022.
- The main objectives of the formation of the working group
- This working group has been constituted consisting of officials of the Centre, top officials of public sector insurance companies and major crop producing states.
- This working group will make useful suggestions about “sustainable, financial and operational models”.
- This working group was formed after several states of India abandoned this scheme, otherwise the objective of protecting farmers’ income could have been defeated.
Work group work
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- The Working Group is expected to address the demand for an alternative model to reduce the subsidy burden on the Government of India, to achieve sustainable capacity of insurers as well as to achieve reasonable premium prices. This working group will submit its report in the next six months.
- The main reasons for the formation of the working group
- The setting up of this working group, the tightness of the premium market, inadequate underwriting capacity of the insurers and lack of adequate participation in tenders, would be taken up as the major issues affecting PFMBY during the implementation of the said scheme.
- Under this scheme, farmers are required to fix a premium of 1.5% of the sum insured for Rabi crops while 2% for Kharif crops.
- It is 5% for cash crops under PFMBY. The remaining premium is split between the Center and the states.
- Demand for premium subsidy of different states of India
- Some states have sought to limit their share of premium subsidy to 30%, while some states are demanding the Center to bear the entire subsidy.
GS PAPER III
P-8I
Why in News
- The Indian Navy has received the 11th anti-submarine fighter aircraft P-8I from US-based aeronautical company Boeing.
- The Defense Ministry had signed an agreement in 2009 for eight P-8I aircraft.
Key point
- In 2016, it signed a deal for four additional P-8I aircraft.
- This is the third aircraft to be received by the Defense Ministry as part of a 2016 deal for four additional aircraft, a statement issued on October 18 said.
- Officials said that these patrol aircraft are an integral part of the Indian Navy’s fleet. The Navy will soon get the last aircraft in the coming time.
10th P-8I aircraft
- The reconnaissance aircraft is an integral part of the Indian Navy’s fleet and has flown over 30,000 hours since its induction in 2013.
- The Indian Navy received the ninth P-8I aircraft in November last year and the 10th P-8I aircraft in July this year.
- Equipped with maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine combat capabilities, the aircraft is also deployed to assist in disaster relief and humanitarian operations.
- Boeing supports India’s growing P-8I fleet by training the Indian Navy’s flight crew, spare parts, ground support equipment and field service representative support.
P-8I Aircraft
- America’s P-8I aircraft are famous as Hunter.
- India in 2012 signed a deal with the US for 12 P-8I maritime surveillance and anti-submarine aircraft for US$2.2 billion to monitor all critical choke points in the Indian Ocean region.
- 8 of these reconnaissance aircraft were delivered in 2013.
- American company Boeing has equipped these aircraft with Mark-54 torpedoes, Mark-84 depth charges and lethal bombs to hunt submarines.
- Apart from this, AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles have also been installed in this aircraft. The P-8I can also be deployed to protect the Carrier Battle Group.
- The P-8I is fitted with Magnetic Anomaly Detection System (MAD) which detects submarines hidden under water. Apart from this, it has many such radars which are capable of long distance surveillance and spying.
GS PAPER III
Geospatial Energy Map
Why in News
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- NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has developed a Comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) energy map of India along with the Ministries of Power, Government of India.
Key point
This GIS map provides a holistic picture of all energy resources of the country depicting energy installations like conventional power plants, oil and gas wells, petroleum refineries, coal fields and coal blocks and renewable through 27 thematic categories. Presents district-wise data on Energy Power Plants and Renewable Energy Resource Capacity etc.
- This map seeks to identify and locate all primary and secondary sources of energy and their transport/dispatch networks to provide a comprehensive view of energy production and distribution in the country.
- It is a unique effort aimed at integrating energy data scattered across multiple organizations and presenting it in an integrated, attractive graphical manner.
- It leverages the latest advances in Web-GIS technology and open-source software to make it efficient and user-friendly.
- Geospatial Energy Map of India will be useful in planning and investment decision making. It will also assist in disaster management by utilizing available energy assets.
Importance
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- GIS-mapping of energy assets will be useful for ensuring real time and integrated planning of India’s energy sector.
- Given its large geographical spread and interdependence, energy markets have great potential for efficiency gains.
- Going forward, GIS-based mapping of energy assets will be beneficial to all concerned stakeholders and will help in speeding up the policy-making process.
- The scattered data has been brought together; it will be a huge research tool.