Machilipatnam Port: It is a proposed deep sea port on the coast of Bay of Bengal.It is located at Machilipatnam, the District Headquarters of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh.The port is developed by the State Government under the landlord model.The project is being implemented by Machilipatnam Port Development Corporation Limited (MPDCL), a special purpose vehicle floated by the State government. The port is expected to have a capacity of 35 million tonnes in phase one, with four berths, including three general berths and one for coal.Â
IRIS-T Surface-Launched-Missile (SLM) system: It is the medium-range version of the IRIS-T SL air defense missile system designed and produced by the German company Diehl Defense.The system provides comprehensive 360° protection against aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and guided weapons.
It enables simultaneous engagement of multiple targets from very short to medium-range within extremely brief reaction times. It is suited for both mobile and stationary deployment. Each system comprises three vehicles: a missile launcher, a radar, and a fire-control radar, with integrated logistics and support.The missiles, which use infrared imaging to identify targets, are said to have a range of 40 kilometers and a maximum altitude of 20 kilometers.
Centre of Excellence On Sustainable Land Management: The establishment of the CoE-SLM was announced by the Prime Minister of India during the 14th Conference of the Parties (COP-14) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in September, 2019.
Aims: To set Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets,Develop drought risk and early warning systems,Mainstream gender considerations,Promote good governance of land tenure and rights, Assess the impacts of land degradation on greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.To facilitate the restoration of degraded land through technical support, capacity building, and knowledge sharing at the national and sub-national levels.
To promote South-South Cooperation and address land degradation issues through sustainable land management practices.
Objectives: The CoE-SLM has set forth specific objectives to guide its actions: Assessing land degradation,Capacity building on sustainable land management frameworks aligned with SDGs,Strengthening the assessment, monitoring, and reporting of land-based indicators outlined by the UNCCD.
Pashmina Certification Centre: Union Minister inaugurated the Pashmina Certification Centre (PCC) at the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) collaborated with WII to establish a Pashmina Certification Center (PCC) for its associated members involved in Pashmina Trade.
Purpose of setting: To streamline the Pashmina Trade,To provide a one-stop testing facility to certify genuine Pashmina Product free from any prohibited fibres to the associated manufacturers, exporters, and traders, All the tested products will be labelled with a traceable unique id tag with individual e-certificates, enabling a seamless trade of such products in national and international markets.
