Why in news?             

• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has launched the Unified Logistics Interface Platform’s (ULIP) hackathon – ‘LogiXtics’ to crowdsource more ideas which will benefit the logistics industry.

About Unified Logistics Interface Platform’s (ULIP) hackathon – ‘LogiXtics’

• ULIP is designed to enhance efficiency and reduce logistics cost in India by creating a transparent platform that can provide real time information to all stakeholders and remove all asymmetry information.
• The ULIP Hackathon – LogiXtics was organised by NITI Aayog and Atal Innovation Mission and supported by National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) and NICDC Logistics Data Bank Services Limited (NLDSL).

Significance

• The cost of logistics in the India is about 14% which is higher than other countries in the world.
• ULIP’s objective has been to work with top Indian technology organizations from the private sector and identify solutions to reduce logistics cost.

Why in news?

• Recently, a programme to support India-US S&T-based entrepreneurial initiatives that address the development and implementation of next-generation clean and renewable energy, energy storage, and carbon sequestration was announced to tackle climate and clean energy challenges.

About the India and the US programme

• The programme titled ‘Technology-based Energy Solutions: Innovations for Net Zero’ constitutes a call for Ignition Grants by the United States-India Science & Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF), in partnership with Social Alpha, a non-profit organisation promoting S&T entrepreneurship.
• It will identify and support technology showstoppers or promising joint India-US S&T-based entrepreneurial initiatives in this area.
• Climate Change is one of the biggest challenges facing our world today, spurring the call for global collaborations to tackle this crisis. The launch of the U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 partnership in April 2021 reiterated the commitment of both nations to work together to achieve their ambitious climate and clean energy targets and to strengthen bilateral collaborations. The new program aligns with the goals of the U.S.-India strategic Clean Energy Partnership and will be administered by the bi-national Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF). The IUSSTF is a bilateral organization under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, and U.S. Department of State.

Why in news?

• Recently, a new generation nuclear-capable ballistic missile, Agni-P (Prime), was successfully flight tested from the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam island off the coast of Odisha.

About Agni-P missile

• Agni-P is a new generation advanced variant of the Agni class of missiles. It is a two-stage canisterised solid propellant ballistic missile with dual redundant navigation and guidance system that can be launched from rail and road and stored for a longer period. It can be transported across the length and breadth of the country, as per requirements.
• Canisterisation of missiles reduces the time required to launch the missile while improving its storage and mobility.
• The new ballistic missile, which has a range capability between 1,000 and 2,000 kilometres, weighs half of Agni III and has new kinds of propulsion and new guidance.
• It also comes with the technologies found in the 4000-kilometre range Agni-IV and 5000-kilometre range Agni-V. The new Agni P can be used to target enemy warships in the Indo-Pacific.
• Agni class of missiles are the mainstay of India’s nuclear launch capability which also includes the Prithvi short range ballistic missiles, submarine launched ballistic missiles and fighter aircraft. The longest of the Agni series, Agni-V, an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of over 5,000 km, has already been tested several times and validated for induction.

Why in news?

• Thousands of people in the Philippines fled their homes and beachfront resorts as Super Typhoon Rai pummelled the country.

About Super Typhoon Rai

• Rai is the strongest storm to hit the disaster-prone archipelago this year.
• It was packing maximum sustained winds of 195 km an hour as it made landfall on the southern island of Siargao.
• This storm is frightening and threatens to hit coastal communities like a freight train.

Why in news?

• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently said that it will soon install new surveillance cameras at Iran’s Karaj centrifuge component manufacturing workshop under an agreement reached by Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and the Head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, Mohammad Eslami.

About replacing cameras at Karaj Facility

• The cameras, to be installed in coming days, will replace those that were removed from the Karaj facility earlier this year. In addition, the Agency and Iran will continue to work on remaining outstanding safeguards issues with the aim of resolving them
• The agreement includes the following elements:
• The Agency and Iran will continue to work on remaining outstanding safeguards issues with the aim of resolving them. To this end, Iran and the Agency will conduct a series of exchanges of information and assessments including through meetings of experts.
• The Agency will make available a sample camera and related technical information to Iran for analysis by its relevant security and judiciary officials, in the presence of the Agency inspectors, on 19 December 2021.
• The Agency will reinstall cameras to replace those removed from the workshop at Karaj and perform other related technical activities before the end of December 2021 on a date agreed between the Agency and Iran.

Why in news?

• Aditya Birla Group’s chairman, Kumar Mangalam Birla received the Global Entrepreneur of the Year Award- Business Transformation from The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) based out of Silicon Valley.

About the awards

• Birla is the first Indian Industrialist to receive the award for global entrepreneurship along with top global business leaders Satya Nadella, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos.
• In addition, awards were given out to Techstars for Best Global Accelerator for Startups, MIT for Global University Promoting Student Entrepreneurship and Accel as Best Global VC Fund.
• The awards ceremony was attended by policymakers, business tycoons and entrepreneurs, that travelled from over 30 countries to Dubai for the two-day TiE Global Summit.
• These awards are meant to acknowledge the enablers of the global ecosystem. These are the people who are providing opportunities for wealth creation, job creation and the inspiration to our next generation of enablers.

Why in news?

• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh gave away Raksha Mantri Awards for Excellence 2021 on the occasion of 96th Raising Day of Directorate General Defense Estates in New Delhi on December 16, 2021.

About Raksha Mantri Awards for Excellence

• The recipients were awarded for innovation and digital achievements in the fields of health, education and sanitation along with public service and land management.
• This year, a new award has been instituted by the Raksha Mantri for achievement in implementation of ‘e-Chhawani’ project.
• These categories are:
• Swachh Chhawani Swasth Chhawani
• Digital Accomplishments
• Innovation in Public Services
• Land and Record management
• Improvement in Cantonment General Hospital
• Implementation of ‘e-Chhawani’ Project

About e- Chhawani

• It is a unified portal for 62 Cantonment Boards using which citizens have ready access to information regarding their cantonment board.

Why in news?

• The ‘Index on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy’, an indicator of literacy among children below 10 years, was recently released by Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) chairman Bibek Debroy.

About the Literacy and Numeracy Index

• The Index has been prepared by ‘Institute for Competitiveness’
• 5 pillars of Foundational Literacy Index
• The Foundational Literacy Index 2021 includes 5 pillars comprising 41 indictors on the basis of which the states have been ranked for literacy among children. The 5 pillars are-

1. Access to Education
2. Educational Infrastructure
3. Basic Health
4. Governance
5. Learning Outcomes

• There are four categories: large states, small states, Union Territories and North East.
• West Bengal (58.95) topped the chart and Bihar languished at the bottom in the ‘large states’ category.
• In the ‘small states’ category, Kerala (67.95) grabbed the top spot and Jharkhand was adjudged the worst performer on the index.
• Lakshadweep (52.69) and Mizoram (51.64) are top-scoring regions in the Union Territory and Northeast state category, respectively.

Why in news?

• PM Modi has been conferred with the highest civilian decoration of Bhutan, Ngadag Pel gi Khorlo.

About PM Modi being conferred the Ngadag Pel gi Khorlo

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred with the highest civilian award of Bhutan, Ngadag Pel gi Khorlo, on the occasion of the country’s National Day.
• Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering shared on social media that he was overjoyed to hear His Majesty pronounce Prime Minister Modi’s name for the highest civilian decoration of the Kingdom of Bhutan.
• His Majesty highlighted all the unconditional friendship and support Modiji extended over the years and particularly during the pandemic.

Why in news?

• China successfully launched a new group of satellites Shijian-6 05 into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China for space exploration and new technology tests.

About Shijian-6 05” satellites

• The satellites, Shijian-6 05, were launched by a Long March-4B rocket and have entered their planned orbit.
• China stated the satellites will be used for ‘space exploration and new technology tests.’
• The launch marked the 400th mission of Long March series carrier rocket.
• The information about the number of satellites has not been specified. As the message reads, they will be used for space exploration and new technology tests.