• Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan has said that country’s telecommunications network is the second largest in the world with the most cost-effective rates.
• Chauhan addressed the inaugural event of International Telecommunication Union’s Regional Standardization Forum for Asia and Oceania region in New Delhi.
• Chauhan stressed that India’s policy in the field of telecommunications formulated is based on three pillars of Ease of Doing Business, Ease of Living and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• He said, Government has laid down a clear roadmap to address the digital divide. It includes taking optical fibers to all six lakh villages of the country and also covers all these villages with 4G mobile communications.
• Chauhan highlighted that around one lakh seventy-five thousand villages are already provided with the optical fibre while around five lakh sixty thousand villages have 4G mobile facilities.
• He said, a multi-billion-dollar comprehensive plan has been made, which will ensure optical fibre and mobile communications in all six hundred thousand villages by 2025.
• More than 250 delegates from 20 countries are taking part in the forum.

• A bill seeking to mandate the use of non-fossil energy sources such as biomass, ethanol and green hydrogen was passed by the Lok Sabha.
• Piloting the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, Power Minister R K Singh said “this is the bill for the future”.
• The bill was later passed by the House after rejecting amendments moved by some Opposition members. The Minister said the renewable energy capacity addition in India was fastest in the world.
• The Bill provides for penalties for violations by industrial units or vessels, and on manufacturers if a vehicle fails to comply with fuel consumption norms.
• With the energy transition towards renewable energy and National Green Hydrogen Mission, a need has arisen to further amend the said Act to facilitate the achievement of ‘Panchamrit’ -as five nectar elements presented by India in Conference of Parties -26 in Glasgow last year.
• The amendments also seek to promote renewable energy and the development of a domestic carbon market to battle climate change.
• It aims to introduce new concepts such as carbon trading and mandate the use of non-fossil sources to ensure faster decarbonisation of the Indian economy and help achieve sustainable development goals in line with the Paris Agreement.

• An area of 10 hectares of the Yamuna River floodplain, South of NH-24 on the western banks is being developed as a theme-based multipurpose area using bamboo as a material in biotic and abiotic form.
• Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena laid the foundation of ‘Baansera’, the city’s first Bamboo-themed Park, and dedicated it to the people of the national Capital.
• A bamboo café is also proposed along with seating under bamboo trees. Large spaces for congregation have been designed with live bamboo plants forming a curtained enclosure.
• The city’s first-of-its-kind initiative has been named Baansera as derived from the Hindi word “basera” meaning “abode”.
• The park will have more than 25,000 special variety of Bamboo saplings, brought from Assam. These will be planted to achieve the purpose of augmenting the much-needed public spaces in the Capital and also ensure that the rich biodiversity of the floodplain is preserved and maintained.
• The plantation of Bamboo on a large scale will help address the Capital’s problem of air pollution significantly as the Bamboo plant produces about 30 per cent more Oxygen even as it consumes far less water and enriches the soil.
• The entire area has been categorised into two parts: Bamboo recreation primarily in the greenway zone and Bamboo plantation along with other riverine plantations.
• “Baansera” will have a unique experience in terms of plantation of different varieties of bamboo plants especially procured for this area. Apart from plantations, the park will have amenities designed in Bamboo including kiosks, huts, watchtowers and seats for public use in greenway area along kachaa paths.
• The Bamboo recreation area in the greenway zone comprises of an Arrival zone- A transitional area that acts as a journey from the city’s busy life into the pristine river floodplains with an experiential walk amongst plantations that takes you into gathering spaces.

• Ministry of Education held a meeting with senior officials and representatives of all Ministries and Departments of Government of India and important bodies including NCERT, Election Commission of India, ICAR, DRDO, etc, to take forward the process of widespread consultation for the development of the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF) based on the National Education Policy, 2020.
• The meeting was chaired by Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy in Ministry of Education Anita Karwal and focused on how ministries and organisations can contribute in developing a curriculum framework that is responsive and relevant to the developmental needs and interests of learners at different stages of their development.
• In the meeting, the key deliverables of NCF were discussed in detail. It includes, Early Childhood Care and Education, Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, Competency Based Education, Flexibility in Choice of Subjects in Secondary Classes, Reduction of Curriculum to Core Essentials, Reimagining Vocational education, Identification of Core Skills and Content, Inclusive Education, Multilingualism, Integrating Knowledge of India, citizenship, values like-appreciation of national heritage, respect for public property, taking care of elders, spirit of service, needs of Gifted Children,  Experiential learning, Integration of arts and craft, toys, health and well-being, sports and physical education Guidance and Counselling, Community involvement etc.

About:

• The Ministry of Human Resource Development formed a committee chaired by Dr K. Kasturirangan for preparing the National Education Policy. The Committee was constituted in June 2017.  The Committee submitted its report on May 31, 2019.

Curriculum Framework

• Reforms in the framework of the current curriculum of school education are based on the development needs of the students.
• The NEP recommends the 5-3-3-4 pattern explained in the table below:

• The elite Special Forces of India and the US commenced their joint exercise ‘Vajra Prahar’ at the Special Forces Training School (SFTS) in Bakloh, Chamba Himachal Pradesh.
• It is the 13th edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise and will last for 21 days.
• The US contingent is represented by personnel from the 1st Special Forces Group (SFG) and Special Tactics Squadron (STS) of US Special Forces and the Indian Army contingent is formed by drawing Special Forces personnel under the aegis of SFTS.
• The ‘Vajra Prahar’ series of joint exercise aims to share best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics as also to improve interoperability between the Special Forces of both the nations.
• This annual exercise is hosted alternatively between India and the United States. The 12th edition was conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mcchord, Washington (USA) in October 2021.
• During the course of next 21 days, teams of both armies will jointly train, plan and execute a series of special operations, counter terrorist operations, air borne operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain.
• This joint exercise is a significant step in strengthening the traditional bond of friendship between the special forces of both nations. It also improves bilateral defence cooperation between India and the USA.

• Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar launched the ‘Ayush Pathshala Vatika’ campaign at Government Senior Secondary School, Baldeyan, near Shimla.
• Under the campaign, medicinal gardens will be set up in 200 schools and medicinal plants will be distributed to the students.

• Australia leads table on final day while England and Canada placed at Second and Third positions respectively.
• India finishes fourth in standings with 22 golds and 61 medals

• With increasing role of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)in modern day warfare, the Army Design Bureau has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Drone Federation of India to collaboratively work towards promoting research, development, testing and manufacturing of drones, counter-drone and associated technologies.
• This MoU also signifies unwavering commitment of Indian Army in supporting Indian industry and complete eco system to develop indigenous equipment and weapon systems in line with Atmanirbharta in defence manufacturing.
• The Army Design Bureau is nodal agency of Indian Army to be facilitator for research and development efforts with industry, academia, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and defence public sector undertakings to enable them to understand and appreciate user requirements in depth.
• The Drone Federation of India promotes drone industry by bringing about policy change, creating business opportunities, developing a robust skilling infrastructure, facilitating tech and knowledge transfers, developing standards, and promoting research and development efforts with industry-academia collaboration.

• Singapore’s iconic green site Padang from where Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose gave the slogan of ‘Delhi Chalo’ in July 1943, will be declared a National Monument of Singapore on the city state’s National Day.
• The iconic site will be the first green, open space to join a list of 74 other national monuments of Singapore.
• According to the National Heritage Board (NHB), the monument will be preserved and accorded the highest level of protection in Singapore under the Preservation of Monuments Act in view of its strong national, historical and social significance.
• The historic site is associated with key milestones in Singapore’s history, including the victory parade celebrating the formal surrender of the Japanese in Singapore on September 12, 1945; the victory rally of the first fully elected Legislative Assembly on June 3, 1959; the installation of Yusof Ishak as the first Malayan-born Yang di-Pertuan Negara (head of state) and the unveiling of National Symbols on December 3, 1959 as well as the inaugural National Day Parade on August 9, 1966.
• The Padang is also one of Singapore’s oldest spaces for public recreation and celebrations, and has been hosting sporting events from the early colonial period. Professor Rajesh Rai, Head, South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore, elaborated on the Padang’s link to Indian National Army (INA).

• The Center of Food Technology, Allahabad University, has received patent for its ‘potato flakes energy bar’ which can meet the immediate energy needs of runners, growing children and patients with severe energy deficit.
• The patent has been granted by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trademarks under the Union commerce and industry ministry.
• According to Professor Neelam Yadav, head of the Center of Food Technology, the project to make potato flakes energy bars had been going on since long and patent was applied for in April, 2017, which has now been received.
• A 100-gram flakes energy bar has 365 kilo calories, 11-12 per cent protein and 4-5 per cent mineral content. This energy bar has a mix of dry fruits and is prepared in a drum dryer.
• Yadav said that the main ingredient of this bar is potato flakes prepared from the Kufri Frysona variety of potato. This variety of potato is grown in Meerut and Saharanpur region and is stored in the cold storages there.
• Yadav said that after getting the patent, the Center of Food Technology is in talks with several companies to share the patent for the commercial production of the energy bar.