Move Hack
- Move Hack is a global level hackathon launched by NITI Aayog, to crowd source solutions aimed at the future of mobility in India.
- It aims to bring about innovative, dynamic and scalable solutions to problems pertaining to mobility.
- It is open to individuals from all nationalities, making it a truly global hackathon.
- Move Summit 2018, which is going to be organised by NITI Aayog in New Delhi, will announce the winners of this hackathon.
- It is expected that it will provide solutions to mobility-related challenges and pave the way for developing interconnected global community.
Integrate to Innovate Programme
- The programme aims to provide opportunity for Indian energy startups to pilot their products with corporates.
- It will provide startups, a unique lab-to-market opportunity housed at the corporate premises.
- The corporates would offer startups access to technology, technical and commercial mentorship and access to potential customers through the corporate network of partners.
- The duration of the programme would be three months.
- It is developed by Invest India and energy sector companies.
- The selected startups will receive a cash prize grant of upto Rs. 5 Lakh per startup.
- Innovators from across various stages of the energy life-cycle - generation, transmission and distribution, storage and consumption and in multiple sectors such as households, farm, industry, infrastructure, building, utility and transport are included.
SAATHI Initiative
- Sustainable and Accelerated Adoption of efficient Textile technologies to Help Small Industries (SAATHI) is a joint initiative by Ministries of Power and Textiles.
- It aims to accelerate the adoption of energy efficient textile technologies in the powerloom sector and promote cost savings.
- Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a public sector unit under Ministry of power will help in implementing the inititative.
- EESL will replace old inefficient electric motors with energy efficient motors.
- It would procure energy efficient powerlooms and other kits in bulk and provide them to the small and medium powerloom units at no upfront cost.
Advanced Area Defence (AAD)
- DRDO has recently conducted the successful test of Ballistic missile interceptor - AAD from Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha.
- Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) is a two tired defence shield which aims to destroy enemy ballistic missiles.
- The BMD consists of two interceptor missiles, the Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) and the Advanced Area Defence (AAD) missile.
- PDV/Pradyumna Ballistic Missile Interceptor is capable of destroying missiles at exo-atmospheric (high) altitudes of 50–80 km.
- PDV is a two stage supersonic missile fuelled by solid motor in 1st stage and liquid fuelled in 2nd stage.
- AAD/Ashvin Advanced Defense interceptor is capable of destroying missiles at endo-atmosphere (low) altitudes of 15-30 kilometers.
- AAD is a single-stage supersonic solid fuelled interceptor missile.
- BMD shield is expected to be achieved by 2022.
Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)
- It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched by Ministry of Human Resource and Development, in 2013.
- Its aim was to increase enrolment in higher education by 30% by 2020.
- It also seeks to increase the spending on higher education by the State Governments by providing strategic funding to eligible State higher educational institutions.
- The funding would flow from the central ministry through the State/UT to the State Higher Education Councils before reaching the identified institutions.
- During its 1st phase, central assistance to States has been provided for creation of one Model Degree College each in 60 Educationally Backward Districts.
- Educationally Backward Districts are those districts where Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education was less than the national average of 12.4% based on 2001 census data.
- During its 2nd phase, RUSA focuses on opening new Model Degree Colleges in ‘Aspirational Districts’, in unserved & underserved districts in North Eastern and Himalayan States.
- Aspirational Districts are identified by NITI Aayog on the basis of composite index.
- The parameters under the index includes,
- Deprivation enumerated under Socio-Economic Caste Census,
- Health & Nutrition, Education performance indicators
- Basic Infrastructure.
Atal Bhujal Yojana
- It is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
- It aims to improve ground water management in priority areas in the country through community participation.
- The emphasis will be on recharge of ground water sources and efficient use of water by involving people at the local level.
- The priority areas identified under the scheme represents 25% of the total number of over-exploited, critical ground water blocks.
- Those states are Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
- It is to be implemented over a period of five years from 2018-19 to 2022-23, with World Bank assistance.
- The funding pattern is 50:50 between Government of India and the World Bank.
Source: PIB, The Hindu
