Rapid Fire
Rapid Fire Current Affairs
- 13 May 2023
- 5 min read
National Technology Day 2023
The Prime Minister of India recently inaugurated the National Technology Day 2023 program. The event marked the beginning of the celebration of the 25th year of National Technology Day, which would be held from May 11th to May 14th featuring dedicated multiple projects related to scientific and technological advancement in the country, with a total worth of more than Rs 5,800 crore. The theme of the event was "School to Start-ups - igniting young minds to innovate.
The projects for which the foundation stone was laid include Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory - India (LIGO-India) in Hingoli, the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Jatni, Odisha, and the Platinum Jubilee Block of Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai.
The PM also highlighted the significance of May 11th in India's history, as it commemorates the day when India's scientists achieved a remarkable feat in Pokhran Nuclear Testing.
Addressing the role of technology in defence, the PM mentioned Innovations for Defense Excellence (iDEX) and India's goal of a self-reliant defence sector. He also highlighted advancements in the space sector, such as SSLV and PSLV orbital platforms, and the need to provide opportunities for youth and start-ups in this domain.
Read more: National Technology Day, Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory - India (LIGO-India), Pokhran Nuclear Testing
Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain 2023 Campaign
Recently, the National Water Mission (NWM), Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR), Ministry of Jal Shakti organised a workshop- cum- orientation programme at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi for Central Nodal Officers (CNO) and Technical Officers (TO), who will be visiting the 150 water-stressed districts across the nation, for ensuring effective and action-oriented implementation of the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” – 2023 (JSA: CTR).
JSA: CTR- 2023 is 4th in the series of Jal Shakti Abhiyan launched in 2019 and aims to address water stress in 150 districts across India and focuses on water conservation, renovation of water bodies, bore well recharge, watershed development, and afforestation.
The 2023 campaign is being implemented from 4th March 2023 to 30th November 2023 in all the districts (rural as well as urban areas) of the country with the theme “Source Sustainability for Drinking Water”.
The workshop also discussed the use of GIS technology, data uploading, and other measures to ensure effective implementation.
Read more: National Water Mission (NWM)
ISSF World Cup, Baku
Sarabjot Singh and TS Divya emerged as champions in the mixed team 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan. They defeated Damir Mikec and Zorana Arunovic of Serbia to claim the gold medal.
The ISSF World Cup is an international shooting sport competition organised by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). The ISSF is the governing body for the Olympic shooting events and is responsible for overseeing and promoting the shooting sport on a global scale.
Read more: ISSF World Cup
National MSME Council Meet
Recently, the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) organised the inaugural meeting of the National MSME Council, in New Delhi.
The council has been established as an administrative and functional body to oversee coordination between central ministries and departments, promote collaboration between the central and state governments, and monitor the progress of reforms in the MSME sector, including the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) program.
The RAMP program launched in June 2022 aims to enhance market access, credit availability, governance, and environmental sustainability for MSMEs.
