Current Affairs 23rd Ferbruary

National Affairs

1. Jaadui Pitara: Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Education Minister, Introduces Foundational Years Learning Materials

Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Education Minister, unveiled “Jaadui Pitara,” a play-based learning and teaching resource envisioned by the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) for children in the foundational stage, ages 3 to 8.

 

The magic collection known as “Jaadui Pitara” is available in 13 Indian languages and was developed in accordance with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF).

According to the NEP 2020, a learning and teaching environment that is more child-centred, lively, and joyful will greatly benefit the Amrit Generation.

 

What exactly is “Jaadui Pitara”?

 

The educational and play-based material known as “Jaadui Pitara” is intended for children ages 3 to 8 years old.

 

Its purpose is to pique students’ interest and adapt to their changing needs in the foundational stage.

 

It includes cultural, social, and linguistic materials in addition to playbooks, toys, puzzles, posters, flashcards, storybooks, and worksheets.

 

Beginning with the upcoming academic year, at least 1,200 union-run schools will require it.

 

Background 

 

A 5+3+3+4 curriculum pedagogical structure is envisioned by the NEP 2020.

 

The Ministry of Education (MoE)’s Department of School Education and Literacy has established a National Steering Committee, led by Professor K. Kasturirangan, to develop the NCF for each stage.

 

In October 2022, the MoE launched the NCF for Foundational Stage (FS) or early childhood care.

 

The NCF will have four stages: education for the preparatory, middle, and secondary levels, also known as early childhood care. The committee has not yet released the frameworks for the three additional stages, despite the fact that the framework for foundational learning has already been released.

 

In accordance with the NCF, the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has produced and gathered learning teaching material (LTM).

Consequently, LTM at the foundational level was introduced for children enrolled in Balvatika, which includes classes in the nursery, lower kindergarten (LKG), and upper kindergarten (UKG), based on the concept of “Jaadui Pitara.”

 

Important characteristics of “Jaadui Pitara” The CORE transformative feature of NCF-FS is to “learn through play.”

 

Play is the most effective way for children to learn during the foundational stage (ages 3 to 8).

 

Research from a variety of fields, including education and neuroscience This also applies to Classes 1 and 2, which are for children ages 6 to 8; as a result, a significant shift has occurred in the manner in which FLN will be addressed and children will learn through play and enjoyment.

 

It underlines the Learning and Advancement of youngsters in 5 spaces – Physical

Advancement, Socio-close to home and Moral Turn of events, Mental Turn of events,

Language and Education Advancement, Stylish and Social Turn of events, Positive

Learning Propensities.

2. Cisco and the Aeronautical Development Agency sign MoUs with BEL.

ADA Agreement:

 

For the AMCA program, the ADA signed the first MoU. The AMCA is a fifth-generation, multi-role, all-weather fighter aircraft designed with high survivability and stealth capability. The ADA is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Defense.

 

BEL and ADA will collaborate on the design, development, qualification, production, supply, and lifetime product support of Internal Weapon Bay Computers and other Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) for AMCA under this MoU.

 

Accord with CISCO:

 

The second is a long-term strategic partnership with Cisco for networking, collaboration, security, and other related services. BEL will have access to Cisco technology through this, which includes enterprise networks, advanced wireless technology, security, the data centre network, and other technologies.

 

As a piece of the MoU, Cisco will investigate laying out a Cisco Organization Preparing

Foundation at the BEL Institute for Greatness (Nalanda), Bengaluru.

 

For BEL’s various projects, this MoU will make joint customization and product lifecycle management easier.

 

BEL will be able to elevate its status as a “Strategic Partner” with Cisco as a result of this MoU.

 

The aforementioned partnerships with Cisco and ADA are anticipated to further enhance BEL’s capabilities and support the government’s goal of making India’s defence technology self-sufficient.

3. Dholera SIR is chosen by Vedanta-Foxconn as India’s first semiconductor facility.

For their semiconductor and display manufacturing facility, the joint venture (JV) of Indian conglomerate Vedanta and electronics manufacturing powerhouse Foxconn has selected the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) near Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

It is the first semiconductor production facility in India.

 

The Government of India (GoI) is currently conducting an extensive evaluation of the project.

 

Background: 

 

In September 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Gujarat government and the Vedanta-Foxconn Joint Venture, allowing the JV to invest Rs. 1,54,000 crore for the construction of a manufacturing facility for semiconductors and displays.

 

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology, witnessed the signing of the MoU in Gandhinagar.

 

Key Points:

 

In July 2022, the Gujarat government made the “Gujarat Semiconductor Policy 2022-27” public.

 

Under the policy, the project is going to get a lot of subsidies and incentives, like free water and electricity and no stamp duty on land purchases.

 

The first state in India to establish a specific policy for the semiconductor and display fabrication industries in Gujarat.

 

The first 200 acres of land that are purchased by eligible projects to develop manufacturing facilities receive a 75 per cent subsidy under this policy.

At a cost of Rs, eligible projects would receive high-quality water for the first five years. 12 for every cubic meter.

 

In addition, the Gujarat government has stated that it will reimburse investors for the entire stamp duty that they would have paid when leasing, selling, or transferring land for the first time.

4. MoRD and Meesho sign a memorandum of understanding to enable rural women to become online sellers.

To promote digital inclusion and enable all women registered under State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs) to sell online, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Meesho, an e-commerce platform owned by Bengaluru-based Fashnear Technologies Private Limited.

 

Union Minister of Rural Development Giriraj Singh witnessed the signing of the MoU.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed and exchanged between Sanjeev Barnwal, CoFounder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Meesho, and Charanjit Singh, Additional Secretary (RL-I) of MoRD.

 

Meesho’s efforts to help rural women entrepreneurs in various states start and grow their businesses online would be aided by the partnership.

 

Prior to 2014, Self-Help Group (SHG) loans totalled approximately Rs 80.000 crore. In the last nine years, the bank linkage has increased to over 6.25 lakh crore, with an NPA of just 2.08%.

 

97% of Blocks are populated by SHGs, and 85% of them are directly connected to the Ministry’s network.

 

Meesho will provide training on cataloguing, order management, pricing, and business expansion in addition to providing individual sellers with free support for 100 products and aggregators with free support for 300 products.

 

Currently, Rural Livelihood Mission affiliate sellers can take advantage of v. Meesho’s zero-per cent commission policy on all products.

Banking and Finance

1. The first Indore Municipal Corporation-issued green bonds are listed on the NSE.

The Indore Municipal Corporation’s (IMC) Green Bonds were the first green bonds issued by a municipal corporation in India to be listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

5.91 times the issue size was subscribed for the public issue of IMC green bonds.

 

This issue will help India achieve its goal of switching to clean and long-lasting energy and will give green financing new life.

 

Green bonds are debt securities intended to finance projects that are good for the environment.

 

Key Points:

 

Urban local bodies (ULBs) can reduce their reliance on grants from the federal and state governments by using municipal bonds as an alternative source of funding.

 

The proceeds from the majority of urban infra bonds can be used for energy, transportation, water management, sewage treatment, and energy conservation, making them green bonds.

 

Specialized foreign investors with prior experience in environmentally, socially, and governance-based sustainable financing are attracted to green municipal bonds.

 

The global market for green bonds is expanding at an exponential rate, with cumulative green bond issuance now exceeding $2 trillion.

Green bonds worth approximately $10.8 billion have been issued by Indian businesses, public sector undertakings (PSUs), and financial institutions between 2019 and 2022.

Economy and Business

1. Gopalan Aerospace and Slovakian companies form a joint venture to develop precision drones.

Gopalan Aerospace India Pvt Ltd., Magic Trading Corporation, Inc. (MTC), a self-regulatory organization (S.R.O.), and DEFSYSTECH S.R.O., signed a joint venture agreement to develop precision drones in India.

 

At Aero India 2023 in Bengaluru, Karnataka, C Prabhakar, Director of Gopalan Aerospace, and Peter Ostromecky, President of DEFSYSTECH S.R.O., signed the joint venture.

Gopalan Aerospace Signs a Joint Venture to Integrate Passive Radars for the Indian Defense Industry in Border Regions With Omnipol Group, a Czech government institution and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) partner in the field of defence and security, Gopalan Aerospace has signed a joint venture to integrate passive radars for the Indian Defense Industry in border regions.

 

C Prabhakar and Omnipol Group President Podpera Jiri signed the agreement.

Science and Technology

1. The DGCA grants HAL ITSO approval for indigenously developed “Black Boxes.”

The Indian Technical Standard Order (ITSO) has been granted to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for its indigenously developed Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR), which are commonly referred to as “Black Boxes.”

 

The ITSO is a minimum performance standard for specific civil aircraft appliances, processes, materials, and parts.

 

CVR and FDR are used to record important flight characteristics and the audio environment, which are then used in the investigation of an aircraft incident or accident.