NMC of India has been recently awarded World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) Recognition status for a tenure of 10 years.

World Federation for Medical Education (WFME)

• WFME is a global organisation concerned with the education and training of medical doctors.
• WFME’s mission is to strive for better health care for all mankind.
• WFME’s primary objective is to enhance the quality of medical education worldwide, with the promotion of the highest scientific and ethical standards in medical education.
• This objective is met through
  • The development of standards in medical education;
  • The promotion of accreditation of medical schools;
  • The development of databases on medical education;
  • Projects on the future of medicine and medical education;
  • Publications and partnerships
• It was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Ferney-Voltaire, France.
• It is the organisation that officially and globally represents medical teachers and medical teaching institutions before the World Health Organization(WHO).
• WFME''s accreditation program plays a pivotal role in ensuring that medical institutes meet and uphold the highest international standards of education and training
• Importance of WFME Recognition Status to NMC:
  • It will enable Indian medical graduates to practice or pursue post-graduation in countries including the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, where WFME recognition is a prerequisite.
  • All 706 existing medical colleges in India have received WFME accreditation. Any new medical colleges established in the next 10 years will also automatically gain WFME accreditation status.
  • It will enable the commission to enhance the quality and standards of medical education in India by aligning it with global best practises and benchmarks.
  • It will also augment the international recognition and reputation of Indian medical institutions and professionals, foster academic collaborations and exchanges, and promote ongoing improvements and innovation in medical education.

National Medical Commission (NMC)

• NMC is a statutory body established under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.
• The NMC replaced the erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI), which was established in 1934.
• Functions:
  • NMC regulates medical education and medical professionals.
  • The Commission grants recognition of medical qualifications, gives accreditation to medical schools, grants registration to medical practitioners, monitors medical practice and assesses the medical infrastructure in India.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Organisational structure of NMC:
  • It consists of 33 members, including Chairman (medical professionals only), 10 ex-officio members and 22 part-ime members.
  • Medical Advisory Council: It provides the platform through which the states or UTs can put forth their views and concerns before the NMC and advises the NMC on measures to determine and maintain minimum standards of medical education.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan Unveils Adi Shankaracharya Statue In Madhya Pradesh

Adi Shankaracharya

• Adi Shankaracharya, or Shankara, as he was known, was an ancient Indian philosopher and theologian who lived in the early 8th century CE.
• Birth: He was born in Kalady, a village in present-day Kerala.
• Philosophical Contributions:
  • He is best known for his role in the development and propagation of Advaita Vedanta, a non-dualistic school of Hindu philosophy.
  • He amalgamated the ideologies of ‘Advaita Vedanta’ and also explained the basic ideas of Upanishads.
  • His most important work is his efforts to synthesize the six sub-sects, known as ‘Shanmata.’ ‘Shanmata’, which literally translates to ‘six religions,’ is the worship of six supreme deities.
  • Shankaracharya explained the existence of one Supreme Being (Brahman) and that the six supreme deities are part of one divine power.
  • He also founded ‘Dashanami Sampradaya,’ which talks about leading a monastic life.
  • While Shankaracharya was a firm believer in ancient Hinduism, he condemned the ‘Mimamsa school of Hinduism’, which was purely based on ritual practices.
  • Four Mathas: He established four prominent monastic centers in India, each associated with one of the cardinal directions: Sringeri in the south, Dwarka in the west, Puri in the east, and Badrinath in the north.
• Commentaries and Writings:
  • He wrote 18 commentaries on major religious scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, Brahmasutras, and 12 major Upanishads.
  • His review of ‘Brahma Sutra’ is known as ‘Brahmasutrabhasya’, and it is the oldest surviving commentary on ‘Brahma Sutra’.
  • He wrote 23 books on the principles contained in the Advaita Vedanta philosophy, including Viveka Chudamani, AtmaBodha, Vakya Vritti, Upadesa Sahasri, etc.
  • 72 devotional hymns and meditational hymns like Soundarya Lahari, Nirvana Shatakam, Maneesha Panchakam.
• Death: Adi Shankaracharya is believed to have attained Samadhi (a state of deep meditation or realization) at the young age of 32 in Kedarnath in the Himalayas.

Advaita Vedanta

• It refers to the non-dualistic school of Hindu philosophy. It is a subschool of Vedanta, which itself is one of six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy.
• It is derived mostly from the Upanishads and elaborated in detail by eminent scholars like Sri Adi Shankaracharya and Gaudapada.
• Dvaita means duality, and Advaita means nonduality. It emphasizes the fundamental oneness or non-duality of all existence.
• It posits that the ultimate reality, known as Brahman, is the only true, unchanging, and absolute reality.
• Everything else, including the individual self (Atman), the material world (Prakriti), and the gods, is ultimately an illusion (maya) or a temporary manifestation of Brahman.
• In other words, there is no fundamental distinction or separation between the individual self and the ultimate reality.
• Jiva (Individual Soul): In Advaita Vedanta, the individual soul or jiva is seen as an expression of Brahman temporarily bound by the limitations of the physical body and mind.
• Moksha (Liberation):
  • Liberation (moksha) is achieved when the jiva realizes its essential identity with Brahman.
  • Moksha is the ultimate goal of Advaita Vedanta.
  • It is the liberation from the cycle of birth and death and the realization of one''s true nature as Brahman.
  • Moksha is attained through self-realization (atma-jnana) and the removal of ignorance (avidya).
  • Advaita Vedanta offers various paths to realization, including Jnana Yoga (the path of knowledge), Bhakti Yoga (the path of devotion), and Karma Yoga (the path of selfless action).
• While Advaita Vedanta teaches that the world is ultimately an illusion, it acknowledges the relative reality of the empirical world and encourages individuals to fulfill their worldly duties (dharma) while seeking spiritual realization.

Rare bird spotted along Ghaghra River in Uttar Pradesh

Indian Skimmer

• It is an odd bird which belongs to the family of skimmers, Rynchopidae.
• Scientific Name: Rynchops albicollis
• It gets its name from the way it feeds, flying low over the water surface and ‘skimming’ for fish.
• Other names: Indian scissors-bill
• Habitat: It occurs primarily on larger, sandy, lowland rivers, around lakes and adjacent marshes and, in the non-breeding season, in estuaries and coasts.
• Distribution:
  • These skimmer species were distributed in north Indian rivers, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
  • Now, much of the population is confined to north Indian River systems and Pakistan.
  • About 20% of the total population nest along river Chambal.
• Features:
  • It measures 40 to 43 cm in length and has a wingspan of 110 cm.
  • The overall plumage is white on the underside and black on the upper side.
  • The forehead and the collar are white, and the crown is black.
  • The tail is short and forked. The central tail feathers are black.
  • The bill is long and thick. It is colored bright orange with a yellow tip.
  • Diet: Small fish, crustaceans, aquatic insects and insect larvae.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered

Dudhwa Tiger Reserve:

• Location: It is located on the Indo-Nepal borderin the district of Lakhimpur-Kheri in Uttar Pradesh.
• It includes the Dudhwa National Park andtwo nearby Sanctuaries, viz. Kishanpur and Katerniaghat, besides forest areas of North Kheri, South Kheri and Shahjahanpur forest divisions in its buffer.
• Rivers: The Sharda River flows by the Kishanpur WL Sanctuary, the Geruwa River flows through the Katerniaghat WL Sanctuary, and the Suheli and Mohana streams flow in the Dudhwa National Park, all of which are tributaries of the mighty Ghagra River.
• Vegetation: The vegetation is of the North Indian Moist Deciduous type, containing some of the finest examples of Sal forests (Shorea robusta) in India.
• Flora: The flora is predominantly Sal forest along with its associate tree species like Terminalia alata (Asna), Lagerstroemia parviflora (Asidha), Adina cordifolia (Haldu), Mitragyna parviflora (Faldu), Gmelina arborea (Gahmhar), Holoptelea intgrifolia (Kanju) etc.
• Fauna:
  • The major mammals include Tiger, Fishing cat, Monkey, Langur, Mongoose, Small Indian Mongoose, small Indian civet, Jackal etc.
  • Birds include a wide variety of species, which include migratory and resident ones like Dabchick, spotbilled pelican, Large cornorant, Little cormorant, Grey Heron, White stork, Black storck, White Ibis etc.
  • Reptiles include Mugger, Ghariyal, Python, Sandboa, Banded krait, Russel’s viper, Rat snake etc.

Army likely to complete inducting 114 Dhanush guns by 2026

Dhanush Artillery Guns

• It is the first long-range artillery gun to be produced in India.
• The 155 mm/45-calibre gun system is a towed howitzer designed indigenously by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).
• It is an upgrade of the existing 155 mm, 39-calibre Bofors FH 77 gun. It is based on schematics supplied by Bofors/BAE Systems under a technology transfer agreement concluded in the late 1980s.
• Features:
  • It has demonstrated a range of 38 km with specialised ammunition.
  • It is capable of firing eight rounds per minute and needs a crew of six to eight artillerymen.
  • It is equipped with an inertial navigation-based sighting system, auto-laying facility, onboard ballistic computation, and an advanced day and night direct firing system.
  • The self-propulsion unit allows the gun to negotiate and deploy itself in mountainous terrains with ease.

Solar panel breakthrough could supercharge ‘miracle material’ production

Perovskite

• Perovskites are a class of materials that share a similar structure and display a myriad of exciting properties like superconductivity, magnetoresistance, etc.
• Crystal Structure:
  • It is a material that has the same crystal structure as the mineral calcium titanium oxide (CaTiO3), the first-discovered perovskite crystal.
  • It is characterised by a three-dimensional arrangement of atoms.
  • It has the general formula ABX3, where "A" and "B" represent cations (positively charged ions) and "X" represents anions (negatively charged ions).
• Discovery: The mineral was discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia by Gustav Rose in 1839 and is named after Russian mineralogist Lev Perovski.
• Due to its compositional flexibility, scientists can design perovskite crystals to have a wide variety of physical, optical, and electrical characteristics from insulating, semiconducting, metallic, and superconducting characteristics.
• Optical Properties:
  • They are known for their exceptional optical properties. They can efficiently absorb and emit light across a wide range of wavelengths, from visible to near-infrared.
  • This property has made them a promising candidate for solar cells and light-emitting devices.
• Applications:
  • It includes uses in sensors and catalyst electrodes, certain types of fuel cells, solar cells, lasers, memory devices and spintronics applications.
  • Solar cells are currently the most prominent perovskite application, as synthetic perovskites are recognized as potential inexpensive base materials for high-efficiency commercial photovoltaics.

New fish species discovered in Bengal’s Digha harbour

Pterygotrigla intermedica

• It is commonly known as gurnards or sea-robins and belongs to the family Triglidae.
• It is the fourth species of Pterygotrigla genus reported in India so far, and there are a total of 178 species of the Triglidae family worldwide.
• The specimens of this fish were found to be very distinct from other gurnad species in various aspects,such as snout length, shape of the internuchal space, and size of the cleithral spine.
• Features
  • The scientists found a distinct pectoral-fin with black membranes on the inner surface, white posterior margin and three small white spots basally in fin, each ray creamy white on the new species
  • It had a combination of characters like a long opercular spine and a very short cleithral spine.
  • The lateral line,gill rakers on upper limb and 12–13 on lower limb of first gill arch, and a large black blotch between the 4th and 6th spines of the first dorsal fin.

Zoological Survey of India

• It was established in 1916 as the premier Indian organisation in zoological research and studies.
• Nodal Ministry: the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Objectives
  • Exploration, survey, and monitoring of faunal (animal) diversity in various states, ecosystems and protected areas of India.
  • Periodic review of the status of threatened and endemic species.
  • Preparation of databases for the recorded species of the country.

PRESIDENT OF INDIA INAUGURATES ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND BIENNIAL CONFERENCE OF THE ASIA PACIFIC FORUM ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Asia Pacific Forum

• It was founded in 1996.
• It has created a strong and united platform that brings together National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) from all corners of the Asia Pacific.
• It addresses some of the most serious human rights challenges in Asia Pacific region.
• It has 17 full members and eight associate members.
• India has been a full time member since 1996.
• To be admitted as a full member, a National Human Rights Institution must fully comply with the minimum international standards set out in the Paris Principles.
• National Human Rights Institutions that partially comply with the Paris Principles are granted associate membership.
• Decisions about the admission of new members to the APF are made by the Forum Council.
• A fundamental goal of the APF is to promote the establishment of independent NHRIsin the Asia Pacific region and to support our members to do their work as effectively as possible.

General Crop Estimation Survey GCES App Portal

General Crop Estimation Survey Portal

• This revolutionary portal and mobile application have been designed to transform agricultural practices across the nation.
• It has been developed by Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
• It has been developed for leveraging technology to enhance the reach, scope, and outcome of government actions in the course of development.
• The automation of the GCES process will ensure on time reporting of crop statistics and accuracy of the data.
• Key Features
  • Comprehensive Information: The portal and the app provide a comprehensive repository of yield estimation including village wise GCES plan and plot details where the crop cutting experiments are conducted, post harvesting crop weight and driage weight of the crop.
  • Geo-referencing: It is one of the key features of the mobile application, which enables the primary worker to draw the boundary of the experimental plot and upload photos of the plot as well as of the crops through it. This feature will ensure transparency and accuracy of the data as well.

Promotion of Tribal Products for North East Region (PTP-NER 2.0)

Promotion of Tribal Products for North East Region’ (PTP-NER 2.0) scheme:

• It is a Central Sector schemewhich was launched by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• Vision: To strengthen livelihood opportunities for tribal artisans through increased efficiency in procurement, logistics and marketing of tribal products.
• It will be implemented in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.
• It is being implemented in two phases:
  • In the First Phaseof the scheme, 8 states and 38 districts were covered. Organisation of 64 Tribal Artisans Empanelment Melas (TAeM) were done by the teams of TRIFED and North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation (NEHHDC).
  • In the Second Phase of the scheme, 29 districts will be covered by the teams of TRIFED and NEHHDC to reach out to tribal artisans and showcase their cultural heritage.
• Implementing Partners:North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation (NEHHDC), India Post under the Department of Posts, and other North Eastern State Government Departments/ Agencies.
• India Post will provide logistics support in order to meet the scheme''s goals.

Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar: Govt Introduced New Set of National Awards in the Field of Science, Tech & Innovation

Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar

• The objective of the award is to recognize the notable and inspiring contribution made by the scientists, technologists, and innovators individually or in teams in various fields of science, technology and technology led innovation.
• It shall be one of the highest recognitions in the field of science, technology, and innovation in India.
• Scientists/ technologists/innovators working in government, private sector organizations or any individual working outside any organization, who have made distinguished contributions in terms of path-breaking research or innovation or discovery in any field of science, technology, or technology- led innovation shall be eligible for the awards.
• People of Indian Origin staying abroad with exceptional contributions benefiting the Indian communities or society shall also be eligible for the awards.
• The awards shall be given in following four categories:-
  • Vigyan Ratna (VR) award will recognize lifetime achievements & contributions made in any field of science and technology.
  • Vigyan Shri (VS) award will recognize distinguished contributions in any field of science and technology.
  • Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (VY-SSB) award will recognize & encourage young scientists up to the age of 45 years who made an exceptional contribution in any field of science and technology.
  • Vigyan Team (VT) award to be given to a team comprising of three or more scientists/researchers/innovators who have made an exceptional contribution working in a team in any field of science and technology.
• It shall be given in the 13 domains, namely Physics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Mathematics & Computer Science, Earth Science, Medicine, Engineering Sciences, Agricultural Science, Environmental Science, Technology & Innovation, Atomic Energy, Space Science and Technology, and Others.
• Selection procedure:
  • All nominations received for the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar awards shall be placed before the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar Committee (RVPC) to be headed by the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to Government of India and comprising Secretaries of Science Departments, members of Science and Engineering Academies and some distinguished scientists and technologists from different fields of science and technology.
  • The nominations for this awards will be invited every year on 14th January which would remain open till 28th February (National Science Day) every year.
  • These awards shall be announced on 11th May (National Technology Day) every year.
  • The Award Ceremony for all categories of awards will be held on 23rd August (National Space Day).
• All Awards will have a Sanad & a medal.
• It will be awarded providing at par status with other National Awards.