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IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-02

Indo-French Exercise Desert Knight-21

Source: PIB INDIA

News

• Indian Air Force and French Air and Space Force (Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace) will conduct a bilateral Air exercise, Ex Desert Knight-21 at Air Force Station Jodhpur from 20 to 24 Jan 21.

Ex Desert Knight-21

• French side will participate with Rafale, Airbus A-330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), A-400M Tactical Transport aircraft and approximately 175 personnel.
• The Indian Air Force aircraft participating in the exercise will include Mirage 2000, Su-30 MKI, Rafale, IL-78 Flight Refuelling Aircraft, AWACS and AEW&C aircraft.
• The exercise marks an important milestone in the series of engagements between the two Air forces.
• As part of Indo-French defence cooperation, Indian Air Force and French Air and Space Force have held six editions of Air Exercises named ‘Garuda’, the latest being in 2019 at Air Force Base Mont-de-Marsan, France.
• As measures to further the existing cooperation, the two forces have been gainfully utilising available opportunities to conduct ‘hop-exercises’.

The exercise is unique as it includes fielding of Rafale aircraft by both sides and is indicative of the growing interaction between the two premier Air Forces.

 As the two detachments commence their air exchange, they will put into practice operational experience gained across terrains and spectrums and endeavour to exchange ideas and best practices to enhance interoperability.

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways notifies rules for facilitating MOUs with neighbouring countries on movement of passenger and goods vehicles.

Source: PIB INDIA

News

• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had been receiving requests from various quarters to notify rules under provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, to facilitate movement of vehicles carrying goods and passengers between India and neighbouring countries .

Standard rules

• The Ministry had earlier notified rules for the facilitation of bus services between Amritsar and Lahore(2006), New Delhi and Lahore (2000), Calcutta and Dhaka(2000) ,and Amritsar and Nankana Sahib (2006).
• These regulations were issued to facilitate operations under MOUs, which were signed between India and neighbouring countries.
• In order to facilitate the operation of all MOUs, involving movement of goods and passengers between India and neighbouring countries, it has been decided to issue standard rules for the facilitation of such movements. A notification dated 15th January 2021 has been published in this regard and is placed on the Ministry’s website.

PM to release financial assistance to over 6 lakh beneficiaries in UP under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin.

Source: PIB INDIA

News

• Prime Minister will release financial assistance of around Rs. 2691 crores to 6.1 lakh beneficiaries in Uttar Pradesh under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G).
• The assistance would include release of first installment to 5.30 lakh beneficiaries and second installment to 80 thousand beneficiaries who have already availed first installment of assistance under PMAY-G.

Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin

• Prime Minister gave the clarion call of “Housing for All by 2022”, for which a flagship programme of PMAY-G was launched on 20th November, 2016.
• So far 1.26 crore houses have already been built across the country under the scheme.
• Under PMAY-G, each beneficiary is given 100% grant of Rs.1.20 lakh (in plain areas) and Rs. 1.30 lakh (in Hilly States/North Eastern States/Difficult areas/UT of J&K and Ladakh/IAP/LWE districts).
• The beneficiaries of PMAY-G, in addition to the unit assistance, are also provided support of unskilled labour wages under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and assistance of Rs. 12,000 for construction of toilets through Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G), MGNREGS or any other dedicated source of funding.
• The scheme has provisions for convergence with other schemes of Government of India and State/UTs for providing LPG connection under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Scheme, electricity connection, access to safe drinking water under Jal Jeevan Mission , etc.

Government announces 23rd January to be celebrated as “PARAKRAM DIWAS’ every year.

Source: PIB INDIA

News

• Government of India has decided to celebrate the 125th Birth Anniversary year of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in a befitting manner at national and international level, beginning from 23rd January 2021.
• In order to honour and remember Netaji’s indomitable spirit and selfless service to the nation, Government of India has decided to celebrate his birthday on the 23rd day of January every year as “PARAKRAM DIWAS” to inspire people of the country, especially the youth, to act with fortitude in the face of adversity as Netaji did, and to infuse in them a spirit of patriotic fervor.

India to supply Covid-19 vaccines to six key partner nations

Source: Indian Express

News

• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that India will be supplying Covid-19 vaccines to its neighbouring and key partner countries.

Supply of Covid-19 vaccines

• Countries including Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles will be the first recipient countries to get the vaccines in a phased manner keeping in view the domestic requirements.
• India is also waiting for required regulatory clearances from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Mauritius.
• India has received several requests for the supply of Indian-manufactured vaccines from neighbouring and key partner countries.

The announcement comes hours after it was reported that the Maldives will become the first country to receive the Covid-19 vaccine (Covishield) from India.

IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-03

First India-EU IPR dialogue held to strengthen relation and facilitate enhanced cooperation in the field of Intellectual Property Rights

Source: PIB INDIA

News

• The 1st India-EU IPR dialogue was held between the EU Commission and Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)through a virtual platform.

Aim: The aim of the dialogue was to further strengthen the India-EU relation & facilitate enhanced cooperation in the field of Intellectual Property Rights.

India-EU IPR dialogue

• The India Co-Chair provided an overview of various IPR developments, with an aim to meet the objectives set forth in the National IPR policy 2016.
• Various initiatives taken up by the Indian government in this context were appreciated by EU representatives.
• The EU Co-Chair provided brief overview of DG trade and the various activities being undertaken by them including IPRs in relation to Free Trade Agreements as well as effective enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights.
• After the opening remarks, exchange of information concerning specific areas of IP regimes took place. Representative from EU provided an update on a recent directive on Copyright in the digital market keeping in pace with changing demands of industry.
• On Trademark, they presented the details about the dual system available in the region which provides flexibility to the owners.
• Indian counterparts updated the functionaries on reduced pendency on trademarks and department’s continuous efforts to further improve the process.
• Further, there were discussions on plant protection and farmer’s right and their importance for Indian economy.
• Representative from India also briefed on the various enforcement initiatives being taken by the government so as to ensure the right of the owners are respected.

NASA’s TESS Mission discovers exoplanet in our galaxy older than Sun.

Source: Indian Express

News

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered an exoplanet in the Milky Way galaxy.

Exoplanet

• Researchers believe it is 10 billion years old, more than twice as old as our Sun.
• The planet named TOI-561b orbiting outside our solar system is 1.5 times the size of the Earth, has more mass than Earth, but almost the same density.
• The planet orbits around its sun, which is located in the galactic thick disk, very quickly and completes it in about 12 hours.
• The study also mentions that the temperature on the planet’s surface reaches 1,726 degrees Celsius which makes it not suited for habitation.
• The rocky planet’s mass, radius and density were calculated with the help of data collected at the WM Keck Observatory in Hawaii.
• What makes this ‘Super-Earth’ more intriguing is its density, considering the size in comparison to Earth.
• Older planets are less dense owing to the less quantity of heavy metals found on them. These elements are found on our planet because it was formed after the Sun exploded in Supernova and distributed these elements into space.