1) Khader Committee: The M.A. Khader committee on school education was set up by the government against the backdrop of the Right to Education Act to study various aspects of school education from preschool to higher secondary.
- The committee has recommended a change in school timings from 8 am to 1 pm.
- It recommends a comprehensive change in teacher training to address the second generation challenges of education.
- The main recommendation was to unify the classes from first through tenth, higher secondary and vocational higher secondary departments under one directorate.
2) PM-CARES Fund: PM CARES ( PM Citizens’ Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situation Fund) was launched in 2020, following COVID-19 to combat, and containment and relief efforts against the coronavirus outbreak and similar pandemic-like situations in the future.
- Contribution is voluntary ( no budget support). PM is ex-officio Chairman
- Contribution to it qualifies under tax benefits
- It has been created not by law, not by notification. Minimum donation accepted is Rs 10
3) Maharatna Company Status: Power sector-focussed non-banking finance company (NBFC) REC Ltd. has been accorded the status of a ‘Maharatna’ Central Public Sector Enterprise.
- Incorporated in 1969, REC focuses on power sector financing and development across India.
- It provides financial assistance to state electricity boards, state governments, central/state power utilities, independent power producers, rural electric cooperatives and private sector utilities.
- REC has played a key role in the success of the flagship schemes such as DDUGJY, SAUBHAGYA and is currently the nodal agency for Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
4) DART Mission: NASA will launch its first planetary defense test mission named the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART).
- The DART spacecraft will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
- The aim is to test the newly developed technology that would allow a spacecraft to crash into an asteroid and change its course.
- DART will be the first demonstration of the kinetic impactor technique to change the motion of an asteroid in space.
- The target of the spacecraft is a small moonlet called Dimorphos (Greek for “two forms”).
- Dimorphos orbits a larger asteroid named Didymos (Greek for “twin”).
- DART will also carry a small satellite or CubeSat named LICIACube (Light Italian CubeSat for Imaging of Asteroids).
- LICIACube is expected to capture images of the impact and the impact crater formed as a result of the collision.
5) 1st annual Breakthrough Agenda Report 2022: A report on the progress of how countries have aligned their action plan and investment for clean technology commitment to mitigate climate change.
- The Breakthrough Agenda is an unprecedented international clean technology plan to help keep 1.5°C in reach. It provides a framework for countries and businesses to join up and strengthen their actions every year.
- It has been released by the International Energy Agency, the International Renewable Energy Agency and the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions.
- 1st set of agendas came up in COP26 last year (also known as Glasgow Breakthroughs) on sectors such as-
- Power, Road (Zero emission vehicles by 2030), steel (Near-zero emission), Hydrogen ( Affordable renewable and low carbon hydrogen globally available by 2030.), Agriculture (Climate-smart, sustainable agriculture by 2030)
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