Published on: September 11, 2024

Snippets : 11 SEPTEMBER 2024

Snippets : 11 SEPTEMBER 2024

  • The Pahadi Korwa tribe, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Chhattisgarh, will benefit from the Prime Minister JANMAN scheme, which aims to improve their socio-economic status through 11 critical interventions, including road connectivity, healthcare, education, and livelihoods, with a total outlay of Rs 24,104 crore, and also preserves their unique cultural practices, language, and traditions, such as their Korwa language, subsistence agriculture, ancestral worship, and migratory housing practices.
  • Recently, Mumbai-based Entod Pharmaceuticals has announced that the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved its new eye drop PresVu, which has been developed to reduce dependency on reading glasses for individuals affected by presbyopia. Presbyopia: It is an age-related condition in which the eyes gradually lose the ability to focus on nearby objects.
  • The Karnataka State Government has partnered with the British Council to enhance the skillsets of students, focusing on employability and improving the quality of higher education in the state. Several key programs have been launched under this partnership. The “Scholars for Outstanding Undergraduate Talent” (SCOUT) program aims to improve the skills of selected students and faculty members. Thirty individuals from six universities—Bangalore University, Bengaluru City University, Gulbarga University, Raichur University, Tumkur University, and Rani Channamma University—will participate in a two-week learning camp at the University of East London from November 9 to 22. The “Skills for Youth in Students” program, in collaboration with the British Council and Microsoft India, is designed to enhance English language proficiency, targeting 5,795 students from 16 government engineering colleges. Additionally, a “Capacity Building Training for International Officers” workshop has been organized to support the internationalization of Indian universities, involving 56 participants from 28 state universities. Lastly, a “Freemium Digital Library Wall” has been set up at Bengaluru Central University, offering free access to digital content for students and teachers.
  • The Central Government of India has launched several initiatives to tackle cybercrime. The Central Suspect Registry is a centralized database of cybercrime suspects managed by the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) to aid law enforcement by sharing data on repeat offenders. The Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC) combats online financial fraud by fostering cooperation among banks, telecoms, ISPs, and police. The Samanvaya Platform provides a unified data repository for cybercrime mapping and coordination. The Cyber Commandos Program aims to train and deploy 5,000 cyber security experts in Central Police Organizations. Additional measures include the Pratibimb App, which maps cybercrime hotspots, and the Helpline 1930, which received over 31 lakh complaints in 2023.
  • The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is a new satellite-based road toll collection system designed to eventually replace the FASTag system. Under this system, vehicles equipped with GNSS will be allowed to travel up to 20 km in each direction daily on national highways and expressways without incurring toll charges. GNSS charges tolls based on the distance traveled, unlike FASTag, which uses fixed toll amounts. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has amended the National Highways Fee Rules, 2008, to include GNSS-based toll collection provisions, and specific lanes will be designated for this system.