• Shoolini University has been awarded the Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence (PURSE) Grant from the Department of Science and Technology.
• The grant, worth Rs 9 crore, will be used to further research in the fields of cancer and water.
• Under the PURSE scheme, the grant is awarded to institutions with an exemplary research record.
• Shoolini University is one of only 12 universities and four private universities to have received the grant, along with Ashoka, Manipal, and BITS Pilani.

• Ministry of Textiles developed the E-Commerce portal for handicrafts and handloom sector.
• India handmade portal offers a wide range of products, including clothing, home decor, jewellery, accessories, and more.
• Portal will provide an opportunity to total 62 Lakh weavers and artisans become future e-entrepreneurs.
• It’ll provide products from more than 35 Lakh Handloom weavers & 27 Lakh Handicraft artisans directly to consumers while eliminating middlemen.

• It is observed on April 23^rd every year, and the year 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the event.
• English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, and it is estimated that over 1.5 billion people speak it as their first, second or foreign language.
• The theme for World English Day 2023 is “English as a global language: bridging cultures, connecting the world.”

• India has launched ‘Operation Kaveri’ to bring back its citizens stranded in war-torn Sudan.
• The estimated number of Indians in Sudan is around 4,000.
• As part of the operation, two C-130 aircraft and the navy ship INS Sumedha is on standby to safely evacuate stranded Indians.

• Recently, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals (GSK India) announced the much-awaited launch of its globally top-selling shingles vaccine Shingrix in India.

About Shingles disease:

• It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus the same virus that causes chickenpox.
• It can occur anywhere in the human body.
• It typically looks like a single stripe of blisters that wraps around the left side or the right side of the torso.
• Non contagious
• The risk of shingles increases with older age and it is most common in people over age 50.
• Symptoms: Pain, burning, tingling sensitivity to touch etc.
• A vaccine called Shingrix is available which helps in preventing shingles and its complications.

• The UP state government recently completed the distribution of 55,14,921 ‘gharaunis’ (rural house records) in Uttar Pradesh under the Svamitva scheme.

About SVAMITVA scheme:

• A Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) is a Central Sector Scheme launched in 2021.
• It seeks to give ownership of property in rural inhabited areas, by mapping land parcels using drone technology and providing a ‘Record of Rights’ to village household owners with the issuance of legal ownership cards (Property cards/Title deeds) to the property owners.
• It is implemented with the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Revenue Department, State Panchayati Raj Department and Survey of India.
• Full coverage of nearly 6.62 lakh villages in India and establishment of an extensive CORS network with 567 CORS stations.
• CORS network
  • A Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) network provides regional positioning service.
  • It plays a major role in achieving centimetre accuracy positioning in many applications, for example, cadastral mapping, land information management, large-scale mapping

• Festivities of the famous Thrissur Pooram began with Kodiyettam, ceremonial flag hoisting, at the participating temples.

About Thrissur Pooram:

• Thrissur Pooram is an annual Hindu festival celebrated in Kerala during the Malayalam month of Medom(April-May).
• It is considered to be the Mother of all Poorams, a cultural highlight that towers above all other festivals.
• It is celebrated in the grand assembly of Gods and Goddesses in and around Thrissur.
• It was the brainchild of Raja Rama Varma, famously known as Sakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of Cochin (1790–1805).
• It is centred on the Vadakkunnathan Temple, with all these temples sending their processions to pay obeisance to Shiva, the presiding deity.
• The processions and rituals of each of deities follow a very strict itinerary, scheduled in such a way that the tempo of the Pooram celebrations – 36 hours non-stop – is maintained without any loss of energy.
• A massive parade is planned on temple grounds, accompanied by Chenda Melam and Pancha Vadyam music.
• The final day of the pooram occurs on the seventh day referred as “Pakal Pooram”.

• It stands for Support for Up-gradation Preventive Repair & Maintenance of Equipment.
• It is a programme launched by Department of Science and Technology.
• It is a first-of-its-kind program to provide financial support for repair/ upgradation/ maintenance/ retrofitting or acquiring additional attachments to increase functional capabilities of existing Analytical Instrumentation Facilities (AIFs).
• Analytical Instruments are vital for pursuing research through sample analysis in many areas of modern science and technology.
• Funding pattern: 75:25 for all private and government owned institutions except for state funded institutions which will get 100% funding.
• Support under the scheme will be upto 3 years.

• The Ministry OF Rural Development recently said that ULPIN has been adopted by 26 states and union territories so far.

About Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN):

• It is part of the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP).
• ULPIN or Bhu-Aadhar is a 14-digit identification number accorded to a land parcel.
• It would uniquely identify every surveyed parcel of land and prevent land fraud, especially in rural India.
• The identification is based on the longitude and latitude coordinates of the land parcel and depends on detailed surveys and geo-referenced cadastral maps.
• ULPIN is a Single, Authoritative Source of Truth for information on any parcel of land or property to provide Integrated Land Services to the citizens as well as all stakeholders.
• Various types of data relating to the landed properties, which are currently under the possession of different ministries and departments, too will be linked with the ULPIN.

Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP)

• It is a central sector scheme being implemented by the Department of Land Resources under the Ministry of Rural Development.
• It attempts to build upon the commonalities that exist in the arena of land records in various States to develop an appropriate Integrated Land Information Management System (ILIMS) across the country.
• The ILIMS integrates all the processes and lands records databases with the banks, financial institutions, circle rates, Registration Offices and other sectors.

• ‘Trends in World Military Expenditure’ Report 2022 was recently released by SIPRI.
  • Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is a Sweden-based independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control, and disarmament.

Major findings

• Five biggest spenders in 2022 were United States, China, Russia, India and Saudi Arabia, which together accounted for 63% of world military spending.
• World military expenditure rose by 3.7% in real terms in 2022, to reach a record high of $2240 billion (2.2% of global GDP).
• With military expenditure of $81.4 billion, India was fourth largest spender in 2022.
• Personnel expenses (salaries and pensions) remained the largest expenditure category (around 50%) in Indian military budget.
• India’s expenditure on capital outlays amounted to 23% of total military spending in 2022.
• India’s defence exports have reached an all-time high of Rs 16,000 crore in FY 2022-23.
• India aims at achieving annual defence export target of ₹35,000 crore by 2025.
• India’s major platforms being exported include Dornier-228, 155 mm Advanced Towed Artillery Guns (ATAGs), Brahmos Missiles, Akash Missile System