HIMACHAL PRADESH
- Himachal Pradesh govt in a fix over RUSA
- Before the elections, BJP promised to scrap the credit system and semester system under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan(RUSA) in colleges of Himachal Pradesh. As the BJP is yet to take a decision to fulfill its poll promise, ABVP, the party’s student outfit, is pressing the demand to do away with the semester system. During the assembly elections, BJP accused the then Congress government of implementing RUSA hastily.
- RUSA, a Centrally sponsored scheme, was launched in 2013 to provide strategic funding to eligible institutions of higher education. The idea was to improve the quality of state institutions by ensuring conformity to prescribed norms and standards and adopting accreditation as a mandatory quality assurance framework.
- In Himachal Pradesh however, RUSA has remained controversial since its introduction. Sensing resentment among students and teachers, BJP promised its roll-back. Now that the party is in power, the BJP government realises that a roll-back is not that easy.
- In a recent ABVP meeting held in Solan, participants opposed the semester system under RUSA and demanded that the government scrap it. In this, the CPM is also towing the line.
INTERNATIONAL
· Intel sets a Guinness world record with 1,218 drones at 2018 Winter Olympic Games
- The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games 2018 saw a record-setting performance of 1,218 drones (unmanned aerial vehicles), flying in sync to create huge formations of various Olympic sports and the iconic Olympic rings. This record was set by Intel.
- The drones set a world record for the ‘most unmanned aerial vehicles airborne simultaneously,’ which was previously held by 500 drones during a 2016 performance in Germany.
· Sister of North Korean leader meets the president of South Korea 1st time in the 2018 Winter Olympics
- Kim Yo Jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister and close adviser, just sat down for a historic meeting with the president of South Korea in the latest surprising development to come out of the North’s decision to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
- North and South Korea marched together under one flag at the Olympics.
NATIONAL
- Swachh Bharat Sanitation Park” inaugurated in Delhi
- The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, in collaboration with the Environmental Sanitation Institute and Tata Trusts, has developed a Sanitation Park which was inaugurated in the Capital by Union Minister, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Sushri Uma Bharti, and Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri ParameswaranIyer.
- The Sanitation Park was developed at CGO Complex in New Delhi with an objective to create awareness on various safe technological options.
- The Park demonstrates various options pertaining to toilet technologies and solid and liquid waste management technologies, with a brief description of these technologies.
- Shri RK Singh launches ASH TRACK Mobile App
- Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri R.K Singh, launched a Web based monitoring System and a Fly Ash mobile application named ASH TRACK.
- These platforms will enable better management of the ash produced by thermal power plants by providing an interface between fly ash producers (Thermal Power Plants) and potential ash users such as – road contractors, cement plants etc.
- WCD Ministry to set up National Women Entrepreneurship Council
- The Ministry of Women and Child Development is considering to establish National Women Entrepreneurship Council (NWEC).
- NWEC will promote entrepreneurship as it would be the umbrella organization for socio-economic gender parity, financial inclusion and economic empowerment of women in India.
- This information was given by Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Dr. Virendra Kumar in reply to a question in Lok Sabha.
- Reliance Industries wins Golden Peacock Award 2017 for CSR
- Reliance Industries (RIL) said it has been awarded the Golden Peacock Award 2017 for corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
- The award was a recognition of the work done by its CSR arm Reliance Foundation under Founder and Chairman Nita Ambani.
- Golden Peacock Awards, instituted by the Institute Of Directors (IOD) in 1991 in India, are regarded as a benchmark of Corporate Excellence.
- Bengaluru to get electric vehicle charging points across the city
- Bengaluru city has the highest number of electric car owners in India, with over 6,000 electric vehicles.
- Now, the government is planning to install 11public charging points for e-vehicles.
- The first charging point will be opened for public from February 15th. It is located at the KR Circle at Bescom’s corporate office.
- Currently, Mahindra is the only manufacturer that commercially sells electric vehicles in India. In the future, manufacturers like Tata, Maruti Suzuki, Toyota and Hyundai have plans to launch electric vehicles in the Indian market too.
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