- Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme: It has been notified for domestic companies and institutions involved in the technology design, development, and commercialization of telecommunication products and solutions to enable affordable broadband and mobile services in rural and remote areas. It was launched by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), a body under the Department of Telecommunications.
Aims:
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- To fund R&D in rural-specific communication technology applications and form synergies among academia, start-ups, research institutes, and the industry to build and develop the telecom ecosystem.
- To promote technology ownership and indigenous manufacturing, create a culture of technology co-innovation, reduce imports, boost export opportunities and creation of Intellectual Property.
Under the scheme, USOF is also targeting to develop standards to meet countrywide requirements and create the ecosystem for research, design, prototyping, use cases, pilots, and proof of concept testing, among others. Project timelines are generally up to two years. Extension of six months each at a time may be granted at the sole discretion of USOF/DoT.
- SWATI Portal: Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India launched “Science for Women-A Technology & Innovation (SWATI)” Portal. It is aimed at creating a single online portal representing Indian Women and Girls in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine).The database of the SWATI Portal will serve in policy-making to address the challenges of Gender-gap. The Portal is a complete interactive database; and the first of its kind in India which is developed, hosted and maintained by the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi. The objective is to scale up the effort exponentially to include each and every Indian woman in science (WiS), across all career stages.
- National Creators Award: It is the first-of-its-kind award that will be targeted at “Gen Z”, a reference to the young generation hooked to the internet and social media.
The award aims to achieve: Spotlight on Changemakers, Amplify Diverse Voices. It brings a community of creators, leaders & government on one platform to spur a social revolution, a national movement during ‘Amrit Kaal’. It’s a launchpad for using creativity to drive positive change. Participants must be 18 years of age or above at the time of nomination.19 categories are open exclusively to individuals of Indian nationality. One category is dedicated to international digital creators. Content must be published on one or more of the following digital platforms: Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook. Content submission can be in English or any other Indian language. Creators can self-nominate in a maximum of three categories. Those nominating others can nominate in all 20 categories.
- Alaskapox: It is an orthopox virus that was first discovered in Alaska, USA, in 2015. It is a double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the same genus (Orthopoxvirus) as smallpox, monkeypox, and cowpox. Orthopoxviruses are zoonotic viruses that can infect various mammals, including humans. Current evidence indicates that the Alaskapox virus primarily occurs in small mammals. Symptoms of Alaskapox include one or more skin lesions (bumps or pustules) and other symptoms like swollen lymph nodes and joint and/or muscle pain. Immunocompromised people might be at increased risk for more severe illness.
While human-to-human transmission of Alaskapox has not yet been observed, some orthopoxviruses can spread by direct contact with lesions (particularly broken skin contact with lesion secretions).
