ODISHA
Puri International Airport likely to be commissioned in 2022-23: Odisha govt
Though the land for the proposed international airport in Puri has not been finalised yet, the state government on Sunday said the ambitious project is likely to be commissioned in the next two years.
“If everything goes as planned, the flight operations to and from Puri may commence in 2022 or 2023. The land will be finalised soon as the process of identification has already begun. The government will leave no stone unturned to fast-track the project.
The proposed land, owned and acquired by the state government, near the Girala and Mangala rivers under the Sipasarubali mouza, does not have any encroachment nor is it entangled in legal disputes. The Puri district administration said the proposed site will not violate the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms as the land is located more than 500 metres from the beach.
Puri is one of the four holy dhams in the country. Its famous Rath Yatra attracts lakhs of pilgrims and visitors from across the globe every year. Rath Yatra is celebrated in 192 countries. The proposed international airport will help bring devotees from across the world to Puri and promote the Jagannath culture globally.
INTERNATIONAL
International Financial Services Centres Authority – IFSCA
Establish and operate the International Trade Financial Service Platform (ITFS) to provide a framework for trade financial services in the International Financial Service Center.
Highlights:
♦ The IFSCA has issued a framework for establishing and operating an International Trade Finance Services Platform in order to provide Trade Finance Services at International Financial Services Centres.
♦ This framework will allow importers and exporters to use different types of trade financing facilities under competitive conditions to conduct international trade transactions through the dedicated electronic platform ITFS.
♦ This will assist them in converting their trade receivables into liquid funds and obtaining short-term funding.
NATIONAL
Five Portals on the AYUSH Sector Launched
The Union Minister of Ayush launched five important portals and issued four publications.
Highlights:
♦ Ayurveda Dataset on Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI): The CTRI is a primary Clinical Trials Registry under the WHO’s International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. The creation of an Ayurveda Dataset in CTRI makes it easier to use Ayurvedic terminologies to record clinical studies based on Ayurvedic interventions. This will increase the global visibility of Ayurveda-based clinical trials.
♦ CCRAS-RMIS: Research Management Information System is a one-stop solution for Ayurveda-based research and development. The portal provides free reference material, research tools, and clinical and scientific advice. It was created in collaboration with the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
♦ E-Medha (electronic Medical Heritage Accession) Portal: NIC’s e-granthalaya platform provides online public access to a catalogue of over 12000 Indian medical heritage books.
♦ AMAR (Ayush Manuscripts Advanced Repository) Portal: It has digitised information on rare and difficult-to-find manuscripts and catalogues of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Sowa Rigpa in libraries or individual collections in India or otherparts in the world
♦ SHAI (Showcase of Ayurveda Historical Imprints) Portal: It displays inscriptions, archaeobotanical data, sculptures, philological sources, and advanced archaeo-genetic research.
Purchasing Managers Index – PMI
The survey-based service industry’s June PMI showed that it shrank to 41.2 for the second time in a row
About PMI:
♦ It is a survey-based metric that asks respondents about changes in their perception of key business variables compared to the previous month.
♦ Calculate the manufacturing and service industries separately, and then construct a comprehensive index.
♦ The PMI is a number ranging from 0 to 100.
♦ A PMI reading above 50 indicates expansion when compared to the previous month.
♦ A PMI of less than 50 indicates a contraction, and
♦ A reading of 50 indicates that there has been no change.
♦ If the previous month’s PMI is higher than the current month’s PMI (as in the example above), it indicates that the economy is contracting.
♦ The PMI is usually released at the beginning of each month. As a result, it is regarded as a reliable leading indicator of economic activity.
UDISE+ 2019-20 Report – Education Report
The report on the United Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2019-20 for School Education in India has been released by the Union Education Minister.
Highlights:
♦ When comparing 2019-20 to 2018-19, the Gross Enrollment Ratio at all levels of schooling increased.
♦ For students in Classes 1-8, the GER is 98 percent. The GER for secondary and senior secondary students was 78 percent and 51 percent, respectively.
♦ The pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) has also improved across the board in all levels of schooling.
♦ Girls’ enrollment increased at all levels of schooling in 2019-20 compared to 2018-19. The pre-primary level saw the greatest increase.
♦ The Gender Parity Index (GPI) at both the Secondary and Higher Secondary levels improved between 2012-13 and 2019-20.
About UDISE:
♦ UDISE is one of the largest school education management information systems.
♦ The Ministry of Education established UDISE in 2012-13 by combining DISE for elementary education and SEMIS for secondary education.
♦ Purpose: It aids in the measurement of educational parameters from classes 1 to 12 in government and private schools throughout India.
♦ UDISE+ is an enhanced version of UDISE. It was created in 2018-19 to speed up data entry, reduce errors, improve data quality, and simplify data verification.
♦ The data for the reference year 2019-20 are covered in this publication.
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