BRICS Industry Ministers discussed virtually on boosting cooperation in 5G, AI

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

BRICS Industry Ministers discussed virtually on boosting cooperation in 5G, AI

• Industry Ministers of BRICS countries attended a video meeting to discuss on the plans to boost cooperation in fields like 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• The meeting also adopted a joint statement on cooperation in fields like industrial internet, 5G and AI.
• The cooperation plans objective is to promote the digital transformation of enterprises and their innovation capabilities, and to promote sustainable economic and social development.
• The Chinese Minister of Industry and Information Technology Xiao Yaqing said that Beijing is actively considering the establishment of a BRICS innovation base in China, in order to strengthen practical cooperation with the BRICS.

Fact: BRICS countries - five member’s bloc that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Ericsson & UNICEF Collaborated to Map School Internet Connectivity in 35 Countries

• Ericsson, Swedish Telecom Company, has collaborated with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to map internet connectivity landscape for schools in 35 countries.
• This collaboration’s objective is to provide digital learning access to the children by the end of 2023.
• This joint initiative is a part of the Giga initiative launched by UNICEF and International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in September 2019 to provide internet connection to every school and their surrounding communities.
• Ericsson is the first private sector partner to make a million-dollar commitment to the Giga initiative and global UNICEF partner.

Fact: Headquarters of Ericsson – Stockholm, Sweden

         Headquarter of UNICEF – New York, US

A Third of World’s School Children are Unable to Access Remote Learning Due to COVID-19 Shutdown: UNICEF Report

• United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has released Report on “COVID-19: Are Children Able to Continue Learning during School Closures?”
• The report says that at least a third of the world’s schoolchildren, which is around 463 million children, could not access remote learning amid the closure of schools due to COVID-19.
• More than 90% Ministries of Education opted to some form of policies to provide digital and broadcast remote learning.
• The highest number of children affection by region were in South Asia, at least 147 million.
• This report is a global analysis of potential reach of remote learning policies on the availability of home based technologies and tools among various level school children, with the data from around 100 countries.

Fact: Director of UNICEF – Henrietta Holsman Fore

NATIONAL NEWS

Rajnath Singh launches mobile App for NCC Training

• Union Minister for Defence Rajnath Singh launched the Directorate General National Cadet Corps (DGNCC) Mobile Training App.
• The App will assist in conducting countrywide online training of NCC cadets.
• The app will be useful to the NCC cadets in digital learning and overcoming the difficulties posed by COVID-19 due to restrictions on direct physical interactions.
• The DGNCC Mobile Training App aims at providing NCC cadets entire training material (syllabus, precis, training videos and frequently asked questions) on one platform.

Fact: Director General NCC - Lt General Rajeev Chopra

NeGD and CSC E-Governance Services India Ltd signed MoU to Facilitate UMANG app services at CSCs

• The National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) has signed a MOU with CSC (Common Service Center) e-Governance Services India Limited to facilitate delivery of UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-Age Governance) app services to citizens.
• This will benefit those citizens who either do not have access to smartphones or are not comfortable accessing app based e services on their own.
• All the UMANG services at CSCs are available at zero cost and will be provided by CSC operators Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs).
• NeGD developed UMANG; it was dedicated to the Nation on November 23, 2017.
• This app was conferred with four illustrious awards including ‘Best m-Government service’ award at the 6th World Government Summit held at Dubai, UAE.

Fact: Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology - Ravi Shankar Prasad

Union Minister Piyush Goyal launches National GIS-enabled Land Bank system

• Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal e-launched the National GIS (Geographic Information System) enabled Land Bank system for six states.
• The system is developed by the integration of the Industrial Information System (IIS) with State GIS systems.
• The platform will provide a database of industrial areas across the country and will serve as a one-stop solution to the casual accessibility of all industrial information.
• The platform will serve as a prototype and will be developed based on inputs from states to make it as a platform for effective, transparent mechanism of land identification and procurement.

Government approves 78 new routes under Regional Connectivity Scheme- UDAN

• The Government has approved 78 new routes under the 4th round of Regional Connectivity Scheme - Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik, (UDAN).
• These new routes will further enhance the connectivity to remote and regional areas of the country.
• The Civil Aviation Ministry said that about 29 served, 8 unserved and 2 underserved airports have been included in the list for approved routes.
• Under UDAN 4, the operation of helicopter and seaplanes is also been incorporated.
• The ministry added that overall 766 routes have been sanctioned so far under the UDAN scheme.

Fact: Minister of state of Civil Aviation - Hardeep Singh Puri

Assam Cabinet approves ‘Assam Skill Development University Bill’

• The Assam Cabinet has approved the Assam Skill Development University Bill which provides for setting up of Skill University at Mangaldoi at the cost of 900 crore rupees.
• The meeting held under the Chairmanship of Assam Chief Minister in Guwahati also  decided to increase the upper age limit for State government jobs for Group III and Group IV for two years so that unemployed youth can apply for jobs up to 40 years.
• The Orunodoi Scheme was also given approval to provide financial assistance of 830 rupees per month to families with annual income of less than 2 lakh rupees.

Fact: Chief Minister of Assam - Sarbananda Sonowal

         Capital of Assam – Guwahati

ECONOMIC NEWS

HDFC Bank to associate with Adobe to Enhance Digital Customer Experiences

• HDFC Bank announced a strategic partnership with Adobe to enhance the Digital Experiences of its Customers.
• The partnership is sponsored by Adobe Experience Cloud Solutions and will help HDFC Bank to deliver personalised digital experiences to existing as well as new customers.
• Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) forms will enable HDFC Bank to provide personalised online experience to its customers.
• The Bank will use platforms like Data Management Platform in Adobe Audience Manager to develop deep understanding about the customers.

Fact: MD & CEO of HDFC bank - Sashidhar Jagdishan

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Marieke Lucas Rijneveld becomes Youngest Author to Win 2020 International Booker Prize

• Dutch Author Marieke Lucas Rijneveld won the 2020 International Booker Prize for the literary fiction book ‘The Discomfort of Evening’.
•  Rijneveld became the youngest author to win the prize at the age of 29.
• The Booker Prize Foundation is a registered charity; it is responsible for the award of The Booker Prize for Fiction and for The International Booker Prize.
• The author Marieke Lucas Rijneveld was born in April, 1991 at Nieuwendijk, Netherlands.
• The Book was first published in Dutch in 2018 and eventually translated into English by Michele Hutchison.