TALASH (Tribal Aptitude, Life Skills and Self-Esteem Hub)
Prelims: Current events of national and international Importance
Why in News?
- It is a national- program to support the all-round development of students in Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs).
- Launched by - The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in partnership with UNICEF.
- Aim - To improve both the education and personal growth of tribal students across India.
- The name TALASH, reflects a focused search for self-awareness, life skills, and career clarity among tribal youth.
- The first initiative of its kind in India is aimed specifically at tribal students.
- Coverage - It is expected to benefit the students enrolled in EMRSs across 28 States and 8 Union Territories.
- Features - TALASH is an innovative digital platform designed to equip EMRS students with essential tools for self-discovery and career planning.
- It promotes self-awareness, helps students make informed career choices, and builds essential life skills.
- By focusing on both academic and personal development, TALASH prepares students to face the challenges of a competitive world and aims to create a strong foundation for their future success.
- The initiative offers - Psychometric Assessments - Inspired by NCERT’s ‘Tamanna’ initiative, TALASH offers a common aptitude test to help understand each student’s strengths and interests.
- Based on the test results, students receive Career Cards that suggest the best career options suited to their skills and abilities.
- Career Counselling - The platform guides students toward informed career decisions, helping them align their aspirations with their aptitudes.
- Life Skills & Self-Esteem Modules - TALASH has special sections that help students learn important life skills like solving problems, communication skills, and handling emotions. These build confidence and self- value of students.
- E-Learning for Teachers - A specialized portal equips educators with resources and training to effectively mentor and support students in their academic and personal journeys.
Reference
PIB | TALASH Initiative
First indigenous diving support vessel – ‘NISTAR’
Prelims: Current events of national and international Importance
Why in News?
Recently, the Indian Navy decided to commission the first of the class Diving Support Vessel (DSV).
- It is the first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel.
- Designed and constructed - By M/s Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam.
- A total of 120 MSMEs have participated in the construction of this ambitious, unique, and state-of-the-art vessel, achieving more than 80% indigenous content.
- Naval command - The ship will join the Eastern Naval Command.
- Specifications
- Length -120 meters and
- Weight - More than 10,000 tons.
- Motto - 'Surakshita Yatharthta Shauryam', which means 'Deliverance with Precision and Bravery'.
- Previous version – ‘ex-NISTAR’, a submarine rescue vessel which was acquired by the Indian Navy from the erstwhile USSR in 1969 and commissioned in 1971.
- Features - The ship is outfitted with an Operation Theatre, Intensive Care Unit, Eight Bedded Hospital, and Hyperbaric Medical Facilities.
- Dynamic Positioning System - It has the capacity to maintain its position with extreme accuracy, using Dynamic Positioning System.
- It has the Capacity to undertake stages through helicopter operations and a 15-ton subsea crane makes the ship a very versatile platform.
- The expansive diving complex – It consists of both Air and Saturation Diving Systems, along with underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs.
- It has inbuilt Side Scan SONAR, substantially enhances the operational envelope of the vessel
- Mother of ships – It is known as the ‘Mother Ship’ for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DRV),
- Endurance - Over 60 days at sea.
- It will enhance India's operational preparedness in the underwater domain.
- It will also reinforce its strategic maritime posture across the Indian Ocean Region.
Reference
PIB| First indigenous diving support vessel – ‘NISTAR’
Bharat 6G alliance
Prelims: Science and technology| Current events of national and international importance
Why in news?
Recently, The Union Minister of Communications, reviewed the progress of Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) along with various stakeholders
- The B6GA is a collaborative platform established to drive India’s leadership in 6G technology.
- Stakeholders - It is an alliance of public and private enterprises, academic institutions, research organizations, and standardization bodies.
- Launched in - July 2023.
- Launched by- Ministry of Communications.
- Objectives - To enable India to become a leading global supplier of IP, products, and solutions of affordable 5G and 6G and other future telecom solutions
- To deploy 6G technologies to act as a powerful force multiplier for India by 2030.
- To support and energise Indian participation in standard development organizations.
- To build coalitions with similar 6G Global Alliances and other global technology alliances and associations.
- To address India’s priorities for contribution to 6G and other future technology-related global standards, products, operations, and services.
- To promote the ecosystem for research, design, prototyping, development.
- To study and recommend national requirements and enable their inclusion in Indian and international standardization bodies.
- To develop recommendations for Bharat 6G Vision implementation readiness in India.
- Operational phases
- Phase 1 (2023-2025) - Exploratory research, Proof-of-concept testing, and Risky and innovative pathways
- Phase 2 (2025-2030) - Intellectual property (IP) creation and Deployment of testbeds.
- Reports
- Bharat 6G Vision Document
- Bharat 6G Mission Task Force Reports
- Working Group Report
- Whitepapers
- Working groups
- Spectrum
- Devices, Components, Sensors, and Manufacturing ecosystem
- Technology
- Applications
- Outreach
- Green and Sustainability
- 6G Use cases and Revenue Stream
- Advantages - Development of Indigenous RAN technology, Intelligent and inclusive networks for rural connectivity, Cross-sectoral 6G applications in domains like agriculture, healthcare, smart and sustainable deployment.
- The Alliance has now expanded to a robust network of 80 member organizations, including over 30 startups, reflecting the growing national momentum for indigenous 6G innovation.
Reference
PIB| Bharat 6G alliance
e-Truck Incentive Scheme
Prelims: Current Events of National and International Importance
Why in the news?
Recently Ministry of Heavy Industries rolled out the first-ever e-Truck incentive scheme under the green mobility vision.
- Launched by - Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI).
- Vision - Sustainable freight mobility, a cleaner future, and the realization of Viksit Bharat by 2047, in alignment with our net-zero emissions goal by 2070
- Objective - To accelerate the country’s transition to clean, efficient, and sustainable freight mobility.
- Under - PM E-DRIVE initiative.
- Features - Under the scheme, demand incentives will be extended to N2 and N3 category electric trucks as defined under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR).
- N2 category - trucks with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) above 3.5 tonnes and up to 12 tonnes.
- The N3 category - trucks with GVW exceeding 12 tonnes and up to 55 tonnes.
- In the case of articulated vehicles, incentives will apply only to the puller tractor of the N3 category.
- Manufacturer-backed warranties – to ensure reliability and performance, the scheme mandates
- battery must be having warranty for five years or 5 lakh kilometres, whichever is earlier.
- The vehicle and motor must have a warranty of five years or 2.5 lakh kilometers, whichever is earlier.
- Incentives - Incentive amount will depend on the GVW of the electric truck, maximum incentive set at Rs 9.6 lakh per vehicle.
- Incentives offered as reduction in the purchase price and reimbursed to OEMs via the PM E-DRIVE portal on a first-come, first-served basis.
- An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is a company whose goods are used as components in the products of another company
- Benefits – Other key sectors include the cement industry, ports, steel, and the logistics sector get benefitted.
- Participation – Sign of Public Sector Enterprise (PSE) leadership, the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has committed to procure 150 e-trucks over the next two years for deployment across multiple locations.
- Significance - India’s first dedicated support for electric trucks, though trucks contribute 3% vehicle population, contributing 42% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Reference
PIB |e-Truck Incentive Scheme
