UTPRERAK: Union Minister of State for Power inaugurated UTPRERAK, a dedicated Centre of Excellence, to accelerate industry adoption of clean technologies in New Delhi. The Unnat Takniki Pradarshan Kendra (UTPRERAK) is the Centre of Excellence to Accelerate Adoption of Energy Efficient Technologies and seeks to play a catalytic role in improving the energy efficiency of the Indian industry. It is also named as Advanced Industrial Technology Demonstration Centre (AITDC)It has been set up by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power. The Centre is mandated to become the key reference and resource institution on industrial energy-efficient technologies. It will be a knowledge exchange platform where best practices from across various key sectors can be diffused among industry professionals through workshops and seminars.
Scientist John B Goodenough: Goodenough, whose contribution to lithium-ion battery technology in 1980 helped him win the 2019 Nobel Prize in chemistry, died on June 25 at the age of 100. He became the oldest person to receive the Nobel Prize.
He had shared his Nobel with two other researchers: Michael Stanley Whittingham, a British-American chemist, and Akira Yoshino, a Japanese chemist – Yoshino invented the first commercially viable lithium-ion battery, which began to be sold in 1991. His work transformed the tech world, sparking the wireless revolution that made portable electronics ubiquitous.
World Competitiveness Index: The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) published the World Competitiveness Index. The IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY), was first published in 1989. It is a comprehensive annual report and worldwide reference point on the competitiveness of countries. It analyses and ranks countries according to how they manage their competencies to achieve long-term value creation. It is based on 336 competitiveness criteria and four factors, namely Economic performance, Government efficiency, Business efficiency, and Infrastructure. Denmark, Ireland, and Switzerland have been named the top three among 64 economies measured for their global competitiveness.
India fell three rungs to finish 40th but is still in a better position than it was between 2019-2021 when it was placed 43rd three years in a row. India improved in government efficiency but fared slightly poorer than other countries in business efficiency, infrastructure, and economic performance. Specifically, the top three measures that helped India in its score are exchange rate stability, compensation levels, and improvements in pollution control.
NANDI Portal: It is developed by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) in collaboration with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) through the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC). It will streamline the regulatory approval process for veterinary products. It will enhance transparency and efficiency in assessing and examining proposals for veterinary drugs and vaccines.
It will be more streamlined through seamless integration with the SUGAM portal of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization.
It will promote the well-being of livestock and the livestock industry. It will bring about growth and innovation by enabling quick and easy coordination between various Government departments and institutes.