National Science Day

1st March, 2016

National Science Day

Raman Effect

Celebrated on 28th Feb every year.

To commemorate 

The invention of the Raman Effect in India by the Indian physicist, Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman on the same day in the year 1928.

As a science festivals

Every year during which students of the schools and colleges demonstrates various science projects as well as national and state science institutions demonstrates their latest researches. 

Themes

2015 was “Science for Nation Building”.

2016 was "To raise public appreciation on scientific issues for the development of nation".

Banks Board Bureau (BBB)

1st March, 2016

Banks Board Bureau (BBB)

To improve the Governance of Public Sector Banks, decision took in the first "Gyan Sangam" at 2015.

It will be an autonomous board.

It will recommend for 

1) Selection of heads - Public Sector Banks and Financial Institutions 
2) Help Banks in developing strategies
3) Capital raising plans.

The constitution of the board would be 

Sl No.	Name/Designation	Designation
1	Shri Vinod Rai, Former CAG of India	Chairman
2	Secretary, Department Financial Services	Ex-officio member
3	Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises	Ex-officio member
4	Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India	Ex-officio member
5	Shri Anil K. Khandelwal, Former CMD of Bank of Baroda	Member
6	Shri H.N. Sinor, Former Joint MD, ICICI Bank	Member
7	Ms. Rupa Kudwa, Former MD&CEO, CRISIL	Member

To be effective from 1st April, 2016.

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)

26th Feb, 2016

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)

Shri. N.K. Vyas appointed as chairman of BARC and the secretary of Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India.

Atomic Energy Regulatory Board

26th Feb, 2016

Atomic Energy Regulatory Board

Constituted in the year 1983 under the section 27 of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962. Headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra.

It carries out regulatory and safety actions under the Atomic Energy act. 

Mission:

To ensure that the use of ionizing radiation and nuclear energy in India does not cause undue risk to health and the environment.

The institution is supported by 

1) Safety Review Committee for Operating Plants, 

It carries out safety surveillance and prescribe safety prescriptions

2) Safety Review Committee for Applications of Radiation

It recommends to enforce safety prescriptions in the industries 

Advisory Committees for Project Safety Review

It provides the safety codes, guides and manuals.

Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)

26th Feb, 2016

Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)

Headquartered at New Delhi. Founded in the year 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. 

Objectives:

In establishing, reviving and strengthening cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries

Functions:

1) Grant of scholarships to foreign students to learn Indian dance and music

2) Organizing international conferences and seminars,

3) Organizing events like 'Festivals of India' abroad;

4) Establish and maintain Chairs for Indian Studies in Universities abroad;

5) Maintenance of a well-stocked library and the old Manuscripts; 

6) Presentation of books, audio-visual material, art objects and musical instruments to institutions abroad, 

7) Execute MEA’s projects and Ministry of Ayush

ICCR has its Culture Centres in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Chabahar Port Development

26th Feburaray, 2016

Chabahar Port Development 

The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the proposal of the Ministry of Shipping for provision and for operationalization of credit of 150 million USD from EXIM Bank for development of Chabahar Port in Iran. 

Chabahar Port lies outside the Persian Gulf in Iran and will help in expanding maritime commerce in the region. 

It provides opportunities to Indian companies to penetrate and enhance their footprint in the region. 

It will be operated by the 

1) India Ports Global Private Limited and 
2) Kandla Port Trust 

A company will be formed in Iran for implementing the Chabahar Port Development Project and related activities. 

International Centre for Automotive Technology

23rd Feb, 2016

International Centre for Automotive Technology

It was set up in 2006, established under the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRiP). Located at Manesar, Haryana.

The Government of India has recognised ICAT as one of the accredited 'Type Approval and Homologation' agencies in India under Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) 126 

It was also been recognized by Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) 



Scientific and Industrial Research Organization

It is governed by the Ministry of Science and Technology. It also carries out the activities relating to indigenous technology promotion, development, utilization and transfer. 

It is the nodal department for granting recognition to in-house R&D units in Industry, Scientific and Industrial Research Organizations and registration to public funded research institutions, universities

It also oversees the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

Seismic Microzonation reports

23rd Feb, 2016

Seismic Microzonation reports

It help us to minimize the impact of earthquakes by 

(a) Proper assessment of Seismic Hazard 
(b) Implementation of safe building construction codes, and 
(c) adopting appropriate land-use planning.

Development of Concepts:

It was seen that due to an earthquake in 1985 there was severe damage in Mexico city, though the earthquake source was located about 350 km away from the city. 

It was realized that putting a large region into a single seismic hazard zone is not a good idea. This and several other examples led to a new concept, called Microzonation. 

Seismic microzonation is a process of identifying such related geological, seismological, hydrological and geotechnical site characteristics in a specific region.

Under the microzonation process various investigations viz, ambient noise survey, Multi-Channel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) survey, in-situ geotechnical testing, in-situ seismic measurements etc. were carried out and after analysis of data sets different maps viz., 

Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA), spectral accelerations for different periods, liquefaction potential, predominant frequency, amplification factor, average shear wave velocity at 30 meters depth, geology & geomorphology and projected Hazard Scenarios at GIS platform etc. have now been prepared.

Presently, New Delhi & Kolkata have been conducted tests.

Research conducted by National Centre for Seismology, Ministry of Earth Sciences. Based at Noida.

Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire

23rd Feb, 2016

Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire

It is a European research organization that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. Established in 1954, the organization is based in a northwest suburb of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border and has 21 member states.

Israel is the first (and currently only) non-European country granted full membership.

CERN is the birthplace of “www” (World Wide Web) which is regularly used to browse the internet. 

The touch screen widely used in smartphones was also first developed by CERN.


Agreements:-


Indian Scientists from the Departments of Atomic Energy and Science & Technology to become associated member of the body was mooted by the Government in August 2015. 

The major advantage of this will entitle India to become a part of huge scientific and technological endeavour. 

This will also offer an opportunity to Indian industry to bid for CERN contracts for industrial collaboration in advanced technologies.

Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)

21st Feb, 2016

Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) 

Cabinet approved the Proposal for Notification of Commitments under the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of World Trade Organization (WTO) and constitution of the National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF). 

The Trade Facilitation Agreement contains provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit.

It also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues.

National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF). 

Would be set up under the Joint Chair of Secretary, Department of Revenue and Secretary, Department of Commerce. 

Indian Treaties Database

21st Feb, 2016

Treaties

It is an agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. 

It is also known as an (international) agreement, protocol, covenant, convention, pact, or exchange of letters, among other terms.

The party that fails to live up to their obligations can be held liable under international law.

Memorandum of Understanding

It is a formal agreement between two or more parties. 

MoU's are not legally binding but they carry a degree of seriousness and mutual respect, stronger than a gentlemen's agreement.

Indian Treaties Database

Legal and Treaties Division acts as a nodal point to deal with all aspects of International law advise to the Government of India. It was established in 1957.

Under Transaction of Business Rules, 1961, cases involving negotiations with foreign countries on treaties, agreements and other important matters need to be brought before the Cabinet for approval. 

BRICS MoU on cooperation in the fields of Science, Technology and Innovation

21st Feb, 2016

BRICS: Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the fields of Science, Technology and Innovation 

The MoU envisages promotion of cooperation in the field of science, technology and innovation among BRIGS countries by means of mutually agreed S&T events and activities. 

Objectives: To establish a strategic framework of cooperation in Science, Technology, Innovation to address the common global, and regional socio-economic challenges

Nodal Departments: The Ministry of Science and Technology from Indian side and the counterpart Ministries from other BRICS countries

Funding: As per national norms of respective BRICS member countries. 

Memorandum of Understanding

It is a formal agreement between two or more parties. 

MoU's are not legally binding but they carry a degree of seriousness and mutual respect, stronger than a gentlemen's agreement.

Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST)

17th Feb, 2016

Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST)

It is a radio telescope under construction located in a natural basin, in Pingtang County, Guizhou Province, Southwest China.

Construction on the FAST project began in 2011 and is scheduled for completion by September 2016.

The telescope will be able to observe sources within 40 degrees.

FAST is expected to map the neutral hydrogen gas in the Milky Way Galaxy at a very high resolution and to increase the number of known pulsars from almost 2,000 to about 6,000. 

It may be able to detect radio emissions from extra solar planets that are similar to Jupiter, and it also should be able to search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence around many more stars than in previous surveys.

It will be operated by the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.