• Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has topped among all Ministries and Departments in resolving Public Grievances.
• This was stated in the ranking report published by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances for the month of August 2022.
• UIDAI has been a top performer in the resolution of cases received through Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS).
• By the end of July this year, more than 134 crore Aadhaar numbers have been generated so far for the residents. During that month more than 53 lakh Aadhaars were generated, of these, a majority were of children below the age of 18 years.
• According to the Ministry that Aadhaar saturation level among adult residents is now near universal, and the overall saturation level is 93.41 percent.
• At least 26 states and UTs have now a saturation of over 90 percent.

About the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)

• The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)is a statutory authority established under the provisions of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 (“Aadhaar Act 2016”) on 12 July 2016 by the Government of India, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• The Aadhaar Act 2016 has been amended by the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019.
• Aadhaar number is a 12-digit random number issued by the UIDAI (“Authority”) to the residents of India.
• The Aadhaar number is a proof of identity, however, it does not confer any right of citizenship or domicile in respect of an Aadhaar number holder.
• Aadhaar is a strategic policy tool for social and financial inclusion, public sector delivery reforms, managing fiscal budgets, increase convenience and promote hassle-free people-centric governance.

• Himurja, the state government’s nodal agency for renewable energy programmes, has been awarded with three runners-up awards by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
• It bagged the awards for installing the second highest number of solar street lights till March 31 this year, for installing the second highest small hydro power installed capacity and the highest small hydro power capacity during 2021-22.
• The awards were received by Himurja CEO Rahul Kumar at Willingdon Island Kochi, Kerala on the occasion of the eighth foundation day of the Association of Renewable Energy Agencies of States.
• Himurja has so far installed 90 small hydroelectric projects with the installed capacity of 334.25 MW.

• Thirty-five industrial units in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) belt have been served a show-cause notice by the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) for flouting norms.
• Several violations like having non-functional air pollution control devices and a lack of record of effluent treatment plants and the storage and disposal of hazardous waste were found at these units during a recent surprise check conducted by the board.
• Praveen Gupta, Chief Environmental Engineer, SPCB, Baddi, said the show-cause notice had been issued to the 35 units engaged in manufacturing textiles, pharmaceuticals, home appliances, etc, for various violations under Sections 41,43 and 44 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act,1974, and Section 31-A of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act,1981.
• The BBN industrial units are already under the scanner of the National Green Tribunal for failing to adhere to the norms and for flagrantly discharging toxic effluent into the water bodies.
• The SPCB was directed to take strict action against such units and also monitor the working of the Common Effluent Treatment Plant in Baddi after laxities were found in its working.
• The Sirsa river stretch in Baddi is rated the most polluted and contaminated by the Central Pollution Control Board. Various water bodies of the BBN area drain into this river.
• Baddi also figures in the Central Pollution Control Board’s list of non-attainment cities as it does not meet the national ambient air quality standards.

• Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani has announced to build of India’s first and one of the world’s largest Carbon Fibre plants at Hazira, Gujarat.
• The plants will have a capacity of 20,000 MTPA based on Acrylonitrile feedstock.
• Overall, in the Oil to Chemical segment (O2C), Ambani Ambani announced an investment of Rs 75,000 croreover the next five years to expand capacities in existing and new value chains.
• These value chains are – Polyester value chain, Vinyl chain, and New Materials. The first phase of the plant will be completed in
• The company will further integrate its composites business with Carbon Fibre to produce Carbon Fibre composites.
• Apart from other applications, Carbon Fibre composites are also used to meet the rapidly growing light-weight requirements of Mobility and Renewable Energy.
• Thus, Carbon Fibre promises to be a multi-decade growth engine for O2C, Ambani highlighted.
• Reliance has commenced its journey to becoming net carbon zero by 2035 with a set of concrete actions.

• With fears of a nuclear disaster at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia power plant growing, the European Union has decided to pre-emptively supply 5.5 million anti-radiation pills to be distributed among residents in the vicinity.

Radiation emergency

• These are unplanned or accidental events that create radio-nuclear hazard to humans and the environment.
• Such situations involve radiation exposure from a radioactive source and require prompt intervention to mitigate the threat.
• Dealing with such an emergency also involves the use of anti-radiation tablets.

Anti-radiation pills

• Potassium iodide (KI) tablets, or anti-radiation pills, are known to provide some protection in cases of radiation exposure.
• They contain non-radioactive iodine and can help block absorption, and subsequent concentration, of radioactive iodine in the thyroid gland.
• The thyroid gland, which uses iodine to produce hormones to regulate the body’s metabolism, has no way of telling radioactive from non-radioactive iodine. Potassium iodide (KI) tablets rely on this to achieve ‘thyroid blocking’.

• The Sri Lankan government and International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reached a preliminary agreement for a loan of 2.9 billion dollars to support country’s economic policies with 48-month arrangement under Extended Fund Facility.
• The IMF said that Sri Lanka’s new Fund-supported programme aims to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability.
• It also safeguarding financial stability, protecting the vulnerable, and stepping up structural reforms to address corruption vulnerabilities and unlock growth potential.
• A senior IMF official Peter Breuer told that the staff level agreement is only the beginning of a long road for Sri Lanka.
• The agreement is subject to approval by IMF management and its executive board. The IMF also requires receiving financing assurances from Sri Lanka’s official creditors, besides ensuring efforts are made to reach a collaborative agreement with private creditors.
• Sri Lanka currently faces its worst economic crisis in seventy years, leading to shortages of food, medicine and fuel.
• The island nation’s worst economic crisis also led to a shortage of foreign exchange that stalled imports of essential items.

• Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh announced the scientific completion of India’s first indigenously developed quadrivalent HPV vaccine.
• It is India’s first indigenously produced affordable and cost effective qHPV vaccine for eliminating cervical cancer.
• Scientific completion implies that R&D activities pertaining to the vaccine are complete and now the next step of making them available to the public would take place.
• Despite being largely preventable, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women globally, according to the WHO.
• In 2018, an estimated 570,00 women were diagnosed with the disease and it accounted for 311,000 deaths across the world.
• India accounts for about a fifth of the global burden of cervical cancer, with 1.23 lakh cases and around 67,000 deaths per year.
• Cervavac was developed by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India in coordination with the Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
• HPV vaccines are given in two doses and data has shown that the antibodies that develop after both are administered can last up to six or seven years.
• Until now, the HPV vaccines available in India were produced by foreign manufacturers at an approximate cost of Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500 per dose.
• Cervavac is likely to be significantly cheaper, slated to cost approximately Rs 200 to 400. It has also demonstrated a robust antibody response that is nearly 1,000 times higher than the baseline against all targeted HPV types and in all dose and age groups.

• A multilateral strategic and command Exercise Vostok – 2022 has commenced in Russia.
• The exercise is aimed at interaction and coordination amongst other participating military contingents and observers.
• The Indian Army contingent comprising of troops from 7/8 Gorkha Rifles had arrived at the exercise location and over the next seven days will undertake joint manoeuvres to include joint field training exercises, combat discussions, and firepower exercises.
• The Defence Ministry said, the Indian Army contingent is looking forward to sharing practical aspects and putting into practice the validated drills, procedures, and practice amalgamation of new technology through discussions and tactical exercises.
• Russia has deployed a large number of troops to participate in the Vostok 22 military drill.
• India has decided not to be part of the maritime component as it will hurt the sensitivities of Japan.

Other participating countries

• Almost 50 troops of different militaries, 140 aircraft, 60 warships, and almost five thousand military equipment are participating in the drills. They come from countries like Laos, China, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Syria, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.
• The seven-day drills have land, air and sea components. However, India has decided to stay away from the maritime component.

• The Cabinet Committee on Security has approved Tejas Mark-2 Project.
• The Committee has sanctioned 6500 crore rupees for designing and developing Tejas Mark-2 fighter jet with prototypes, flight testing, and certification.
• The allocation comes in addition to the existing 2500 crore rupees sanctioned to HAL.
• The advanced version of Tejas LCA will feature a series of additions to its flight and fight capabilities.
• Tejas 2.0 will be equipped with more powerful GE- F414 engines in the 98 Kilonewton thrust class, which will allow it to extend its flight range and carry additional payload and weapons as compared to the existing version.
• The payload capacity of the Tejas Mark-2 jet will be four tonnes as compared to three tonnes of the existing version.
• The new jet will also be equipped with an indigenously developed Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, which will be a major upgrade from the existing ELTA’s EL/M-2032 multi-mode radar.
• Air Chief Marshal said, in the view of rapidly depleting strength of fighter squadrons of IAF and phasing out of the MiG-21 aircraft in coming years, it is essential that laid down timelines for the projects are adhered to.
• It will give a tremendous boost to the indigenous design and development of next-gen fighter aircraft.
• It would further Atmanirbhar Bharat’s initiative in the domain of aircraft manufacturing.

• Prime Minister Modi will commission the first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at the Cochin Shipyard, the largest ship ever built in the maritime history of the country.
• He will also unveil the new Naval ensign of the Indian Navy.
• The 262 meters long and 15-story high INS Vikrant, with a flight deck comparable to two football fields with an angled sky jump, is quite an engineering and ship-building marvel.
• INS Vikrant is more than five times the size of any warship ever built in the country.
• India now joins a select group of countries like the US, Russia, China, France, and the UK that can indigenously design, build and integrate an aircraft carrier.
• The INS vikrant will be fully combat-ready after the MIG-29 Supersonic fighters complete crucial flight trials from her sprawling deck, and the aircraft carrier will be equipped with all her high-tech weapons like the Barak-8 surface-to-air missile system by around mid-2023.