GOAL (GOING ONLINE AS LEADERS)
Context :
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs launched the “GOAL (Going Online As Leaders)” programme of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) in partnership with Facebook.
About GOAL (GOING ONLINE AS LEADERS) :
- GOAL (Going Online As Leaders) is a Joint initiative of Facebook India with Ministry of Tribal affairs to provide mentorship to tribal youth through digital mode.
- Target: Under this, 5,000 young tribal entrepreneurs, professionals, artisans and artists (to be called as ‘Mentees’) will be trained by experts (to be called as ‘Mentors’) from different disciplines on digital skills under digital entrepreneurship program.
- Significance: It will develop Tribal Entrepreneurship and connect Tribal Youth to Domestic and International Markets through Digital Platforms.
- Deadline: Aspiring candidates are invited to apply at online portal “goal.tribal.gov.in.” Application will be open from May 4, 2020 till midnight of July 3, 2020. Leaders from the industry and academia are invited to register as mentors on “goal.tribal.gov.in”
- Background: The Facebook had on its own run the project on pilot basis from February 2019 to October 2019 in 5 states with 100 mentees and 25 mentors; which received enthusiastic response. Based on its success, Facebook approached MoTA for a joint initiative.
DEFENCE TESTING INFRASTRUCTURE SCHEME (DTIS)
Context :
To give a boost to domestic defence and aerospace manufacturing, Defence minister of India has approved the launch of Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS) with an outlay of Rs 400 crore for creating state of the art testing infrastructure for this sector.
About :
- It envisages to setup six to eight new test facilities in partnership with private industry. This will facilitate indigenous defence production, consequently reduce imports of military equipment and help make the country self-reliant.
- The projects under the Scheme will be provided with up to 75% government funding in the form of ‘Grant-in-Aid’.
- The remaining 25% of the project cost will have to be borne by the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) whose constituents will be Indian private entities and State Governments. The SPVs under the Scheme will be registered under Companies Act 2013 and shall also operate and maintain all assets under the Scheme, in a self-sustainable manner by collecting user charges.
- While majority of test facilities are expected to come up in the two Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs), the Scheme is not limited to setting up Test Facilities in the DICs only.
DIAMER-BHASHA DAM
Context :
The Ministry of External Affairs of India reminded China about India’s claims over Gilgit-Baltistan where China has teamed up with Pakistan to build the Diamer-Bhasha dam.
Key Findings :
- The Diamer-Bhasha Dam is located on the Indus River in northern Pakistan between Kohistan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Diamer district in Gilgit Baltistan.
- The dam will have a gross storage capacity of 8.1 Million Acre Feet (MAF) and power generation capacity of 4500 MW.
- With the height of 272 meters, it will be the tallest Roller Compact Concrete (RCC) dam in the world.
- The dam project with a total financial outlay of about 1,406.5 billion Pakistani rupees would be completed in 2028.
Purpose :
- Fulfil the increasing water and electricity requirements of the country.
- Serve as the main storage dam of the country, besides Mangla and Tarbela dams.
- Help alleviate acute irrigation shortage in the Indus basin irrigation system.
- Reduce intensity, quantum and duration of floods and reduce magnitude and frequency of floods in the River Indus downstream.
- Accelerate development and create job opportunities, besides improving availability of water and clean energy.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF LIVING TOGETHER IN PEACE
Context :
The International Day of Living Together in Peace is being observed on 16 May. The International Day of Living Together in Peace was officially recognised by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 2017 and was celebrated for the first time on 16 May, 2018.
Aim :
The Day aims to uphold the desire to live and act together, united in differences and diversity, in order to build a sustainable world of peace, solidarity and harmony. The Day invites countries to further promote reconciliation to help to ensure peace and sustainable development.
Background :
Following the devastation of the Second World War, the United Nations was established to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. One of its purposes is to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems, including by promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.
The declaration came about as a result of the long-held and cherished concept — contained within the Constitution of UNESCO — that “since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.” The Declaration embraces the principle that peace is not merely the absence of conflict, but also requires a positive, dynamic participatory process, in which dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are resolved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation.
ANAKKAMPOYIL-KALLADI-MEPPADI ROAD TUNNEL
Context :
The government has cleared the construction of a ₹658 crore two-lane tunnel road in the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi corridor that would run parallel to the landslip-prone Thamarassery pass that links Kozhikode to Wayanad.
About Tunnel :
- The proposed tunnel road would be shorter only to the two tunnels in Jammu & Kashmir. The Chenani-Nashri tunnel road on National Highway 44 is 9.2 km long, while the Banihal-Qazigund tunnel in the Pir Panjal range is 8.5 km long.
- Kerala’s longest road tunnel is at Kuthiran between Thrissur and Palakkad at 962 metres.
- The Konkan Railway Corporation will execute the project on a turnkey basis.