UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 13-08-2024

Amrit Gyan Kosh Portal & Faculty Development portal

The Union government recently launched the ‘Amrit Gyan Kosh’ Portal & Faculty Development portal.

Amrit Gyan Kosh Portal

• The portal is described as a shared learning resources knowledge bank, providing access to India-centric case studies and reducing dependence on Western materials.
• Launched by- Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions.
• The portal is launched under the Mission Karmayogi.

Mission Karmayogi is an initiative aimed at transforming civil servants from 'Karmachari' (employee) to 'Karmayogi' (dedicated worker) through competency-driven capacity building.

• Amrit Gyan Kosh will also give civil servants access to a wealth of learning materials, including policy simulations, and immersive and interactive content, crucial for preparedness and future readiness.

Faculty Development Portal

• The Faculty Development Programme aims to enhance the teaching abilities of practitioners and faculties, ensuring they can effectively deliver knowledge to civil servants.
• It aims to provide resources and support for educators to improve their skills and effectiveness in training civil service officials.

Reference

PIB | Amrit Gyan Kosh

Porous composite xerogel

Researchers have developed a porous composite xerogel dressing that provides a crucial solution for uncontrolled haemorrhage.

• Uncontrolled haemorrhage- It refers to severe bleeding that cannot be stopped or managed effectively with standard medical interventions.
• This condition can result from various causes, such as traumatic injuries, surgical complications, deaths in accidents, military operations, and surgeries or certain medical conditions.

Uncontrolled haemorrhage,  accounts for over 40% of trauma-related deaths, is often inadequately managed by traditional methods.

• Xerogel – The recently discovered porous composite xerogel dressing can help blood clot rapidly and provide relief for uncontrolled hemorrhage.
• Developed by- Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) Pune, under the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• Composition- The dressing incorporates silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) and calcium, which aid in blood clotting.
• Enhanced Clotting Ability- The xerogel dressing increases the blood clotting index by 13 times compared to conventional dressings.
• Porous Structure- The dressing features multiple pores around 30 µm, contributing to its high absorbance capacity.
• Platelet Aggregation- The xerogel dressing enhances platelet aggregation by inducing the formation of pseudopodia, crucial for clot formation.
• Calcium Release and PAR1 Gene Upregulation- The dressing stimulates calcium release from platelets and upregulates the protease-activated receptor gene (PAR1) on platelet surfaces.
• Applications- The xerogel haemostatic dressing can potentially reduce blood loss, disability, and mortality during surgery, trauma care, and military or surgical operations.

Reference

PIB | Porous composite xerogel

National Centre for Good Governance

Recently, India and Maldives renewed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to train 1,000 Maldivian civil service officers from 2024 to 2029.

• NCGC- It serves as a think tank for governance and policy reforms.
• Nodal agency- It is an apex–level autonomous institution under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
• Establishment- 2014.
• Origin- The Centre originated from the National Institute of Administrative Research (NIAR), established in 1995 by LBSNAA, India's premier civil services training institute.  
• NIAR was later renamed and integrated into NCGG.
• Principles - Good governance, emphasizing the rule of law, transparency, and citizen centric governance.
• Mandate and functions- Addresses governance issues at local, state, and national levels across various sectors.
• Major objectives-  
  • Serve as a think tank for governance and policy reforms.
  • Act as a national repository of best practices and methodologies.
  • Conduct action research and capacity-building.
  • Provide consultancy services and governance advice.
  • Promote innovative idea sharing.
  • Engage with national and international bodies.
  • Raise resources for activities.
  • Undertake additional tasks as assigned by the Government.
• Core areas- Focuses on governance, policy reforms, capacity building, and training for civil servants and technocrats in India and other developing countries.
• Governing body- The NCGG is overseen by a Governing Body led by the Cabinet Secretary.
• Members- The Governing Body consists of
  • Secretaries from 9 ministries/departments,
  • 5 distinguished members (academicians, administrators, specialists, and innovators),
  • The Director General of NCGG, who acts as the Member–Secretary. 
• Management committee- The NCGG's Management Committee, chaired by
  • The Secretary of DARPG and including 12 ex-officio members from various ministries and
  • The Cabinet Secretariat, oversees the administration, management, and implementation of the society's programs and funds.

References

1. PIB | India-Maldives MoU to train 1,000 Civil Service Officers
2. NCGG | National Centre for Good Governance

National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Ranking

The Education Ministry recently released the Indian Ranking Report for 2024.

Key Highlights of the report

• IIT Madras- Best educational institution in India for the 6^th consecutive year since 2019.
• Retained 1^st place in the engineering category for the 9^th year since 2016.
• IISc Bengaluru- Ranked 1^st in both universities and research categories, maintaining this position since 2016 and 2021, respectively.
• Management- IIM Ahmedabad is the best management institute for the 5^th consecutive year since 2020.
• Medical sciences- AIIMS, New Delhi is the best medical institution for the 7^th consecutive year.
• Innovational institutions- IIT Bombay ranks 1^st, followed by IIT Madras and IIT Delhi.
• Pharmacy - Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi is the Top college for pharmacy.
• Dental sciences- Saveetha Institute, Chennai is the best dental science college.
• Architecture and planning- IIT Roorkee retained 1^st place for the 4th consecutive year.
• Hindu college & Miranda House, New Delhi: Top two in the colleges category.
• Law- National Law School of India University, Bengaluru is the best law school for the 7^th consecutive year.
• Agriculture- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi is the top for agriculture and allied sectors.
• State public universities- Anna University, Chennai topped the category.
• Open university- IGNOU, New Delhi is the best in its category.
• Skill university- Symbiosis Skill and Professional University, Pune is the best in the new skill universities category.
• 3 new categories- Open Universities, Skill Universities, and State Public Universities were added to the rankings.

National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)

• NIRF- It is the first ever methodology by the government to assess and rank institutions of higher education in the country.
• Nodal agency- Ministry of Education.
• Launch- 2015.
• Aim- It aims to provide a transparent and reliable ranking system based on various parameters that reflect the quality of education and research.
• Historical Context- The first NIRF rankings were published in 2016.
• Function- This framework ranks institutions nationwide based on recommendations from an MHRD Core Committee.
• Parameters- It uses 5 key parameters

References

1. The Hindu | NIRF ranking 2024
2. Ministry of education | National Institutional Ranking Framework

PM-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana

Recently, the Government of India has issued  Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of 'Model Solar Village’ under PM-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.

• It is a Scheme for installing rooftop solar and providing free electricity up to 300 units every month for One Crore households.
• Launched in -  February, 2024.
• Nodal Ministry - Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
• Aim - To increase the share of solar rooftop capacity in the country.
• Empower residential households to generate their electricity.
• Implementation period - Till FY 2026-27.
• Features – Central Financial Assistance Subsidy of up to Rs.78,000.
• Collateral-free low-interest loan products of around 7% for installation of residential RTS systems up to 3 kW.
• Model Solar Village – Under the scheme, one Model Solar Village will be created in each district .
• Objective of Model Village - To act as a role model for adoption of rooftop solar in rural areas.
• Promote green and clean energy access to electricity in the villages.
• Empower village communities to become more self-reliant in meeting their energy needs.
• Develop 24x7 solar-powered village covering all the households and public areas that acts as a model for other villages to follow.
• Promote technologies like solar-based home lighting systems in all households, solar based water system in the village, solar pumps for agricultural purposes.
• Eligibility criteria of Model Village - It must be a revenue village with population size of more than 5,000.
• Selection Process - Villages are assessed competitively on their overall distributed renewable energy (RE) capacity installed in  6 months.
• Implementation Agency - State/UT Renewable Energy Development Agency under the supervision of District Level Committee (DLC).
• Under the scheme, DISCOMs are designated as State Implementation Agencies (SIAs) responsible for facilitating various measures.
• Benefits - Each Model Solar Village shall be eligible for a grant of Rs 1 crore as Central Financial Assistance.

References

1. PIB | PM Surya Ghar  Model Solar Village
2. MNRE | Model Village Guidelines