Published on: November 7, 2024
Snippets : 7 NOVEMBER 2024
Snippets : 7 NOVEMBER 2024
- The Karnataka Sahitya Academy announced its 2022 literary awards, honoring outstanding contributions to Kannada literature. Five distinguished writers – R K Hudagi, Agrahara Krishnamurthy, Indira Hegde, Ramzan Dargah, and Tumbadi Ramaiah – received honorary awards, each consisting of Rs 50,000, a certificate, plaque, and shawl. Ten individuals received the Sahityashree award, including Banjagere Jayaprakash, Rumi Harish, and Dr. M G Manjunath, with a Rs 25,000 cash prize. Notable winners of the 2021 Book Prizes included Dadapeer Jyman for Kannada translation of “Purdah and Polygamy” and Cheemanahalli Rameshbabu for poetry collection “Ragi Kaalu.” Eight writers won the 2021 endowment awards, and the academy plans to publish a book showcasing 50 women’s achievements and organize a young writers’ workshop.
- The State government has introduced a ₹50,000 reward for gram panchayats that either fully eliminate or significantly reduce child marriage cases. This initiative aims to encourage local governments to take action against child marriage at the grassroots level. The scheme, launched in the current financial year, involves coordination among seven government departments, including the Home Department, Health Department, School Education and Literacy, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, and the Women and Child Development Department. In addition, 59,000 Child Marriage Prohibition Officers have been appointed to collaborate with NGOs and other departments to address the issue. Despite these efforts, child marriage persists due to factors such as poverty, cultural practices, migration, and poor legal awareness. The lack of coordination between government agencies has also been a significant challenge in tackling this problem effectively.
- The PM Vidyalaxmi scheme, a new initiative launched by the Union Cabinet under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to provide financial support to meritorious students pursuing higher education. The scheme targets students who secure admission in any of the 860 designated Quality Higher Education Institutions (QHEIs), including both government and private institutions. It is expected to benefit around 22 lakh students. The scheme offers collateral-free and guarantor-free loans to cover full tuition fees and other related expenses. For loans up to ₹7.5 lakh, a 75% credit guarantee is provided, which encourages banks to offer loans without requiring collateral. With a budget allocation of ₹3,600 crore, the scheme will be implemented from 2024-25 to 2030-31, and it is expected that 7 lakh new students will benefit within this period.
- Anil Pradhan has been awarded the prestigious Rohini Nayyar Prize for his significant contributions to STEM education, particularly in rural areas. He founded the Young Tinker Foundation in Bhubaneswar with the goal of enhancing STEM skills and promoting innovation among school students. His initiative has impacted over 2.5 lakh students across Odisha, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, and he aims to expand to Delhi by 2026, with a target of reaching 10 lakh students. Pradhan’s leadership in guiding a team of rural students to achieve a world rank of 3 at the NASA Rover Challenge in 2021 further solidified his commitment to empowering underserved communities through education. The Rohini Nayyar Prize, established in 2022 to honor the legacy of Dr. Rohini Nayyar, an economist and bureaucrat who played a key role in the development of MGNREGA, recognizes outstanding contributions to rural development, with a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, a citation, and a trophy.
- The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) got the ‘Charge India 2024 Excellence’award for its contribution to establishment of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and promotion of eco-friendly mobility in Karnataka, at a recent ceremony organised by Emobility community. Karnataka has a total of 5,765 EV charging stations, the highest in India, with 85% of those stations (4,462) situated in Bengaluru.
- An autonomous surface vessel built by Sagar Defence Engineering has successfully completed a 1,500-km journey from Mumbai to Thoothukudi without human intervention, marking a significant milestone in India’s development of autonomous maritime technology . This feat was achieved with the support of the Indian Navy and its affiliated organizations, including the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO), Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC), and Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) . Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually flagged off the Sagarmala Parikrama journey on October 29, highlighting India’s growing expertise in unmanned systems for national security . According to Captain Nikunj Parashar, CEO of Sagar Defence Engineering, this achievement demonstrates India’s ability to build autonomous maritime systems indigenously, critical for national security, and paves the way for future deployment in critical sea lanes, coastal surveillance, and anti-piracy operations
- Scientists at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) in Guwahati, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, have discovered a specific protein IL-35 that can aid in new treatments for type I and autoimmune diabetes mellitus.
- The Exercise “VINBAX 2024” is scheduled to be conducted from 04 to 23 November 2024 at Ambala and Chandimandir. It is a bilateral army exercise conducted between India and Vietnam.
