Published on: September 12, 2024

Snippets :12 SEPTEMBER 2024

Snippets :12 SEPTEMBER 2024

  • Bengaluru-based startup SpaceFields successfully hot-fires India’s first aerospike rocket engine, a groundbreaking technology that enhances efficiency and reduces fuel consumption, paving the way for single-stage to orbit rockets and next-generation space exploration.
  • Jayantian Extension Services of Kristu Jayanti College and the Department of Social Work of Karnataka inaugurated Yuva Avishkar, a Lab-on-Wheels initiative empowering the next generation to drive innovation, on September 10. A flagship programme of Jayantian Extension Services, it strives to establish a conducive environment for experiential learning for school pupils.
  • The Union Cabinet has approved the “PM-eBus Sewa-Payment Security Mechanism” scheme, a Rs. 3,435 crore initiative to deploy over 38,000 Made-in-India electric buses across India by 2029, promoting eco-friendly transportation, reducing pollution, and supporting the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
  • Paralympic archery champions Ms. Sheetal Devi and Shri Rakesh Kumar team up to inspire voters nationwide as ECI’s national icons for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs)
  • National Health Authority and IIT Kanpur sign MoU for development of digital public goods for AI in Healthcare
  • NASA recently captivated space enthusiasts with a breathtaking image of the Red Spider Nebula. It is a planetary nebula located 3,000 light-years from Earth and can be found in the constellation of Sagittarius.
  • The weed, Mikania micrantha, is spreading quite fast in the Bhadra Tiger Reserve and threatening its biodiversity.
  • The Union Home Minister was recently re-elected as the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language. This committee, formed under Section 4 of the Official Languages Act, 1963, was established in 1976 to monitor and promote the use of Hindi in official communications. It consists of 30 members of Parliament (20 from Lok Sabha, 10 from Rajya Sabha) and submits its report to the President, who then presents it to Parliament and state governments. The committee’s primary role is to review the progress of Hindi usage in official work and recommend ways to enhance it.
  • The Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT), under the aegis of the Union Education Ministry, has launched a unique website which provides technical terms in all 22 official Indian languages. The web portal ‘shabd.education.gov.in’ aims to be a central repository for all the terminologies prepared for Indian languages. Besides all the glossaries of CSTT, other institutions or agencies having such dictionaries are also able to host their work in digital form on this platform
  • Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology: It was set up in December 1960, to evolve and define scientific and technical terms in Hindi and all Indian languages. It was established under clause (4) of Article 344of the Constitution of India. It is functioning under the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India with its headquarters in New Delhi.
  • The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) has launched the Air Quality Management Exchange Platform (AQMx), a comprehensive online platform providing guidance, tools, and knowledge sharing to enhance global air quality management, build capacity, inform policy development, and ultimately improve air quality and public health.
  • The Union Cabinet has extended the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to include all senior citizens above 70 years of age. Over 6 crore senior citizens will benefit from this extension, which comes at an estimated first-year cost of Rs 3,437 crore. The scheme will cover 4.5 crore families, offering an additional top-up of Rs 5 lakh exclusively for senior citizens. Existing beneficiaries of other government or private health schemes can opt to switch or add AB PM-JAY coverage. However, West Bengal and Delhi are currently excluded. AB PM-JAY, launched in September 2018, aims to provide up to Rs 5 lakh per year in hospitalisation costs for vulnerable families. The National Health Authority (NHA) oversees its implementation and technology infrastructure.
  • PM E-DRIVE Scheme Approved: The Union Cabinet approved the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme with a Rs. 10,900 crore budget over two years. The scheme aims to boost electric mobility and reduce carbon emissions through various measures
  • Mission Mausam: The Union Cabinet approved this Rs. 2,000 crore initiative, led by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, to create a climate-smart and weather-ready India. It focuses on enhancing weather and climate science, utilizing advanced observation systems, AI, and high-performance computing. Key features include improved monsoon forecasts, cyclone alerts, and air quality monitoring. Benefiting sectors include agriculture, disaster management, and health. The mission involves lead institutions like IMD, IITM, and NCMRWF, with support from national and international agencies.
  • Scientists from IISc Bengaluru have reported a significant breakthrough in neuromorphic computing using Memristor technology. This innovation, led by Prof. Sreetosh Goswami, replaces conventional silicon-based technology with a metal-organic film to mimic brain neural networks, which processes information more efficiently than traditional binary systems. The Memristor achieves energy efficiency of 4.1 tera-operations per second per Watt (TOPS/W), which is 220 times more efficient than the NVIDIA K80 GPU. This technology could revolutionize AI computing by enhancing performance and energy efficiency. Neuromorphic computing offers advantages over traditional Von Neumann architecture by processing data more quickly and with fewer steps. Demonstrations include processing complex space images from NASA and handling multiple states simultaneously. Future plans involve scaling up the technology and developing a commercial solution with funding from MEITY.
  • SpaceFields, a Bengaluru-based startup, successfully conducted the hot-firing of India’s first aerospike rocket engine at IISc’s Challakere campus. Aerospike engines are more efficient than traditional bell-nozzle engines at various altitudes due to their altitude-compensating nozzle design.
  • Saragarhi Day (September 12): Commemorates the Battle of Saragarhi, where 21 soldiers of the 36th Sikh Regiment, led by Havildar Ishar Singh, defended the communication tower Saragarhi against 8,000 tribal militants. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the soldiers fought valiantly, killing 200 militants and injuring 600 before being overrun. The battle is celebrated for its heroism and sacrifice, with memorials and observances, including a holiday in Punjab.