• The Department of Science & Technology (DST) and IBM India recently announced collaborations to scale up two DST initiatives – Vigyan Jyoti and Engage with Science (Vigyan Prasar).

Vigyan Jyoti

• It is a programme to promote STEM learning among girl students and to inspire them towards STEM careers by creating a level-playing field for meritorious girls from grades 9 to 12 to pursue STEM in their higher education, especially from the top colleges in the areas where girls are hugely underrepresented.
• The Vigyan Jyoti programme was launched by DST in 2019 to inspire girl students to pursue higher education and career in STEM fields.
• The program provides a scholarship, visit to nearby scientific institutions, science camps, lecturers from eminent women scientists, and career counseling.
• The program is currently implemented by Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) in 58 districts, with the participation of about 2900 students.
• The partnership with IBM India will strengthen the current activities and expanded to include more schools in the future.
• Women tech experts working at IBM India will interact inspire girl students to plan for a career in STEM under the program.
• This will strengthen the DST’s initiative to increase the number of women in technology fields.  

• The Department of Science & Technology (DST) and IBM India recently announced collaborations to scale up two DST initiatives – Vigyan Jyoti and Engage with Science (Vigyan Prasar).

Engage with Science 

• IBM will work with Vigyan Prasar – an autonomous body under the DST to help India’s science popularization agenda through several strategic initiatives, including ‘Engage With Science’.
• This is an interactive platform that will be built on top of the India Science Over-The-Top (OTT) platform to encourage and inspire high school students to pursue Science & Technology (S&T) for a career.
• As part of the collaboration, IBM will run the day-to-day activities of the program, including student workshops, seminars, and leverage its expertise to mentor the students.
• The platform will make students interact, participate and get involved with the sampling and active consumption of S&T content, including Cloud, Big Data, etc. through the usage of gamification tools and AI/ML components.
• ‘Engage With Science’ will actively engage with schools, shoot interactive programmes in the school premises, provide windows of recognition, and glorification to select teachers of S&T subjects. 
• The partnership with IBM will make these programs of DST and Vigyan Prasar reach the students and teachers in interactive ways on a large scale.
• Scaling up of the interactive learning platform ‘Engage with Science’ will make learning relevant and foster scientific spirit among the country’s youth, it would address the school students directly who need more knowledge outside the classroom and provide insights into an interactive way of learning, thus helping sift the useful from the useless.

• Union Cabinet has recently approves the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Zoological Survey of India and the International Barcode of Life.
• Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has joined the International Barcode of Life Consortium, making India the 33rd nation to indicate its commitment to advancing knowledge of global biodiversity through DNA-based analysis.

International Barcode of Life (iBOL) Consortium

• It is a Canadian not-for-profit corporation.
• It is a research alliance with a mission to develop and apply a globally accessible, DNA-based system for the discovery and identification of all multicellular life.
• Its vision is to illuminate biodiversity for the benefit of our living planet.

• Goa has recently earned itself the unique distinction of becoming first 'Har Ghar Jal' State in the country as it successfully provides 100% Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) in the rural areas covering 2.30 lakh rural households. 

Quick Response Code (QRCode)

• It is a two-dimensional machine-readable unique pattern that contains information on a specific task.
• Codes were scanned by a QR reader which is completely different from the conventional barcode reader which uses monocoherent source for reading.
• A common example is QR codes in newspaper advertisements or billboards.
• When scanned using a smartphone, it will direct you to the advertiser's website.
• Multivariate QR codes are available based upon the clients requirements.

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issues meteorological or weather forecasts.
• It is the National Meteorological Service of the country and the principal government agency in all matters relating to meteorology and allied subjects.
• It  provide meteorological statistics required for agriculture, water resource management, industries, oil exploration and other nation-building activities.
• The Central Water Commission (CWC) issues flood forecasts at various river points.   

• Rudram Missile, developed for the Indian Air Force, was successfully flight-tested from a Sukhoi-30 MKI jet.
• It is India’s first indigenous anti-radiation, air-to-surface missile.
• It can detect, track and neutralise the adversary’s radar, communication assets and other radio frequency sources.
• It is designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• It has been developed for the IAF’s requirement to enhance its Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) capability.    

• The World Food Programme (WFP) was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace 2020.
• It was established in 1961 by the United Nations (UN), with the ultimate goal of eliminating the need for food aid itself.
• It does not have an independent source of funds, it  relies entirely on voluntary contributions for its funding.
• Its principal donors are governments, but the organization also receive donations from the private sector and individuals.   

• Street protests erupted in Kyrgyzstan, following the recent parliamentary election.
• Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordering Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
• Most of Kyrgyzstan’s borders run along mountain crests of Tien Shan mountain range.
•  The geographic terrain of Kyrgyzstan consists primarily of mountains, most of the c land is covered by Tian Shan Mountain range.

• IAF personnel create new record of highest skydive landing at Khardungla Pass in Leh, Ladakh region.
• Khardung La is known as the gateway to the Nubra and Shyok Valleys in the Ladakh region.
• It is the highest motorable pass in the world and it is strategically important to India as it is used to carry supplies to Siachen glacier.