Published on: October 16, 2024
Snippets : 16 OCTBER 2024
Snippets : 16 OCTBER 2024
- India is taking a significant leap forward in artificial intelligence with the establishment of three centres of excellence (CoE) in healthcare, agriculture, and sustainable cities. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi will lead the healthcare CoE, while IIT Ropar, Punjab will spearhead agriculture and IIT-Kanpur will focus on sustainable cities. These CoEs will collaborate with industries and startups to drive innovation. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan envisions these centres as solution providers, creating a new generation of employment and wealth opportunities, with a proposed financial outlay of ₹990 crore from 2023-24 to 2027-28. An industry-led apex committee, co-chaired by Zoho founder-CEO Sridhar Vembu, will oversee implementation. This initiative aims to bolster India’s global AI credentials, promote multidisciplinary research, and foster a thriving startup ecosystem, ultimately benefiting villages, cities, and people alike
- Mount Adams, Washington’s largest volcano, has awakened from its millennia-long slumber, exhibiting a significant surge in seismic activity. Standing tall at 12,277 feet and 18 miles wide, this stratovolcano surpasses Mount Rainier in volume, dominating the 1,250 sq. km Mount Adams volcanic field, which encompasses over 120 basaltic volcanoes, spatter cones, shield volcanoes, and expansive lava flows. With over 10 active glaciers supplying water to surrounding forests, streams, and meadows, Mount Adams’ renewed activity raises attention, especially given its dormant status since its last eruption between 3,800 and 7,600 years ago, a time when humanity was still in the Stone Age.
- India’s first Demonstration Facility for Biopolymers inaugrated in Pune.
- The BWSSB is set to launch the Cauvery Stage V Project, which aims to supply water to 110 newly added villages in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) by drawing 775 million litres per day (MLD) from the Cauvery, equating to approximately 10 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) annually. Currently, Bengaluru receives around 1,450 MLD from the Cauvery, while the demand for drinking water has surged to 2,200 MLD due to population growth. To enhance infrastructure, three advanced booster pumping stations have been constructed at T.K. Halli, Harohalli, and Tataguni, capable of pumping water to an elevation of 450 metres (equivalent to a 50-storey building) using steel pipes with diameters ranging from 500 mm to 2,200 mm over a distance of 110 kilometres. This project is also expected to increase the number of water connections in Bengaluru, currently at 10.64 lakh, by an additional 5 lakh connections.
- The Indian Navy recently launched INS Samarthak, the first indigenously designed multi-purpose vessel, as part of a two-vessel project built by L&T Shipyard at Kattupalli. This launch reflects India’s commitment to the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the Make in India initiative. INS Samarthak is designed for multi-purpose roles, including towing ships, launching and recovering various targets, operating uncrewed autonomous vehicles, and serving as a trial platform for indigenous weapons and sensors. The vessel measures 106 meters in length, 16.8 meters in width, and can achieve a maximum speed of 15 knots.
- The 149th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was held in Geneva, highlighting its long-standing mission since its establishment in 1889 in Paris to promote representative democracy and world peace as the first multilateral political organization that encourages cooperation and dialogue among nations. The IPU comprises 180 member parliaments and 15 associate members, with goals aimed at strengthening parliaments and promoting younger, gender-balanced, and diverse representation. It advocates for the human rights of parliamentarians through a dedicated committee made up of MPs from around the world. The IPU moved its headquarters to Geneva in 1921 and is primarily funded by contributions from its member parliaments. Its structure includes the IPU Assembly, which serves as the principal statutory body responsible for expressing views on political issues and studying international problems; the Governing Council, composed of three representatives from each member parliament, which establishes the annual program and budget; the Executive Committees, a 17-member body that oversees the administration of the IPU and advises the Governing Council; and three Standing Committees that assist the Assembly in its work.
