DHRUVA (Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address)
Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Governance
Why in News?
Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications has recently has recently released a comprehensive policy document titled DHRUVA.
- DHRUVA policy lays out the framework for a national Digital Address Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
- Aim - It envisions a standardized, interoperable, and geocoded digital addressing system that supports secure, consent-based, and seamless sharing of address information.
- Core Concept - Address-as-a-Service (AaaS), the array of services associated with address data management to support secure and efficient interactions between users, government entities, and private sector organizations.
- Key Interfaces of DHRUVA
- DHRUVA is not conceptualized as a centralized platform, but a modular DPI that provides a diverse set of interfaces for streamlined address management and data exchange.
- Objectives of DHRUVA
- Establish a Unified Interface for Geo-coded Addressing
- Enabling Privacy, including by Design
- Enhance Efficiency in Public and Private Service Delivery
- Strengthen Decision-Making Through Address Intelligence
- Enable Ecosystem-wide Interoperability and Innovation
- Support Inclusive and Equitable Development
- Facilitate Trust and Consistency in Digital Addresses
- Promote Scalability, Public-Private Collaboration and Future-Readiness
- By giving users meaningful control over their address data, the policy promotes user autonomy, drives innovation, and supports ease of living.
- Furthermore, DHRUVA seeks to foster a collaborative ecosystem in which public and private stakeholders co-create user-centric solutions built on a secure and trusted digital foundation.
- It aims to catalyze innovation across key sectors, such as governance, e-commerce, logistics, and financial inclusion through broad-based adoption by ministries, state governments, and other stakeholders.
- To deliver this service, DHRUVA is being developed as a technological ecosystem consisting of two key ‘layers’
- The Digital Postal Index Number (‘DIGIPIN’) Layer and
- The Digital Address Layer (‘Digital Address’).
Reference
PIB | DHRUVA
Indigenous Thrombectomy Device for Stroke
Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Health
Why in News?
Centre’s Department of Science and Technology (DST), recently announced financial support for the development of India’s first indigenous thrombectomy device for stroke care.
- A thrombectomy device is a specialized medical tool used to remove blood clots also called thrombi from blood vessels, particularly in the brain, to treat ischaemic strokes.
- Financial assistance given to - Mysuru-based S3V Vascular Technologies.
- The company aims to integrate these devices into government reimbursement programs such as Ayushman Bharat, thereby unlocking a domestic market estimated at $2 billion.
- S3V also plans to collaborate with leading hospitals to offer simulator-based training for young interventionalists, especially in Tier-II cities, where the stroke burden is high.
- S3V has initiated the CE (Conformite Europeenne) and USFDA (US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)) approval process for these devices to expand access to across India, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the United States.
- The company also intends to file patents for critical innovations such as the clot retriever head design, braid-over-coil aspiration catheter structures, and several advanced process technologies.
India registered over 1.25 million new stroke cases in 2021, a 51% increase compared to 650,000 cases in 1990.
Reference
Business Standard | Indigenous thrombectomy device
National Florence Nightingale Award
Prelims: Current events of national and international importance
Why in News?
President Droupadi Murmu confers 15 nurses with the National Florence Nightingale Award recently.
- It is given to outstanding nursing personnel in central, state/Union Territories and voluntary organizations.
- Instituted by - Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 1973.
- Eligibility – Registered Auxiliary Nurses & Midwife, Registered Nurses and Midwife and Registered Lady Visitor.
- The nominations should be called from State Government , Central Government , Private institutions/ Missionaries and Prominent Voluntary organizations of the concerned state.
- Award components
- Each award includes a certificate of merit,
- A cash prize of Rs. 1,00,000, and
- A medal symbolizing the nation’s gratitude for the invaluable service rendered by the health warriors.
- Awardees 2025 - One nurse each from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Maharashtra, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, and West Bengal was selected for the award.
Reference
New Indian Express | National Florence Nightingale Award
National geospatial Knowledge-based land Survey of urban Habitations (NAKSHA) Program
Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Governance
Why in News?
Department of Land Resources (DoLR) is going to conduct the 2nd phase of capacity-building under the NAKSHA program across 5 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in India.
- Aim - To create and update land records in urban areas to ensure accurate and reliable documentation of land ownership.
- Covered areas - Across 157 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in 27 States and 3 Union Territories.
- Nodal Ministry - Ministry of Rural Development.
- Technical Partner - The Survey of India, responsible for conducting aerial surveys and providing orthorectified imagery, through third party vendors, to state and UT governments.
- The end-to-end web-GIS platform will be developed by the Madhya Pradesh State Electronic Development Corporation (MPSEDC) and storage facilities will be provided by the National Informatics Centre Services Inc. (NICSI).
- States and Union Territory governments are scheduled to conduct field surveys and ground truthing using the orthorectified imagery, ultimately leading to the final publication of urban and semi-urban land records.
- Funding – It is a 100% centrally funded program.
- Geospatial Technology - It utilizes advanced geospatial technologies, including aerial photography, LiDAR sensors, and GIS (Geographic Information System) integration.
- Survey Methodology - The survey involves aerial photography using drones equipped with cameras, including oblique angle cameras with LiDAR sensors, capturing high-resolution images.
- Field Surveys - Field surveys are conducted to verify the ground conditions and collect data on property ownership, tax information, and registration details.
- Benefits - This initiative will empower citizens, improve ease of living, enhance urban planning, and reduce land-related disputes.
- The IT-based system for property record administration will foster transparency, efficiency and support sustainable development.
Reference
PIB | NAKSHA Capacity Building Programme
Goa Attains Full Literacy
Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Education
Why in News?
On Goa’s 39th statehood day recently, Union govt declared Goa as a fully literate state under the Ullas-new India literacy programme.
- Goa achieved a literacy rate of 99.7%, which far exceeds the benchmark of 95% required for declaring a state as fully literate, as stipulated under the new India literacy programme.
- To maximise outreach, the Government of Goa in this endeavour used the Whole-of-Government approach.
- The state government actively collaborated with multiple departments and played a pivotal role in identifying non-literates within their respective jurisdictions
- In addition, Swayampurna Mitras were engaged in awareness campaigns, assisting learners in receiving literacy certification and facilitating their integration into learning modules.
- Field workers from the Social Welfare Department were also instrumental in the identification process.
- New India Literacy Programme - It is also known as Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram.
- Funding - It is a centrally sponsored scheme.
- Implemented from - 2022-2027.
- The scheme, aligned with NEP 2020, targets adults (aged 15 years and above) who cannot go to school.
- Components - Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, Critical Life Skills, Basic Education, Vocational Skills and Continuing Education.
- Vision - To make India Jan Jan Saakshar and is based on the spirit of Kartavya Bodh and is being implemented on volunteerism.
Other states that attained full literacy are Mizoram, Kerala, and Tripura.
Reference
Times of India | Goa becomes 100% literate
