IAS Prelims tit-bits- Current Affairs part 1

1. Four Export Control Regimes

  • Wassenaar Arrangement – on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual Use Goods and Technologies
  • Australia Group (AG) for control of chemical and biological technology that could be weaponized
  • Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) for the control of rockets and other aerial vehicles capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction
  • Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), for the control of nuclear related technology

Discuss – India’s membership to these regimes

Discuss – Brahmos missile and MTCR relationship

2. Nuclear Suppliers Group 

  • founded in response to the Indian Nuclear Test in May 1974 <what was the name of that operation? What was the name of 1998 test operation?>
  • 48 member body prevents civilian nuclear trade being used for military purposes
  • Though signing of NPT is not a strict requirement for joining NSG, it has opened it’s doors to only those who have signed NPT or CTBT <notably France joined without being a signatory to NPT>

Discuss- Difference b/w NPT and CTBT

Discuss- India’s stand on NPT and CTBT

3. Scheme for women Scientists 

  • KIRAN – Department of science and technology (DST) has restructured all the women specific programmes under one umbrella known as KIRAN (Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing)
  • KIRAN is addressing issues related with women scientists (e.g. unemployment, relocation etc.) and provide opportunities in research, technology development/demonstration, and self-employment
  • CURIE – Under this name CURIE (Consolidation of University Research for Innovation and Excellence in Women Universities) KIRAN plans to develop state-of-the-art infrastructure in women universities in order to attract, train and retain promising girls students in S&T domain
  • Mobility Scheme – landmark programme under KIRAN will address relocation issue of women scientists working in regular position in Government Organizations

Discuss – Similar initiatives for girl education like Digital Gender Atlas

4. Tale of two Udaans

  • Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) launched the UDAAN scheme
  • aimed at promoting girl education and addressing the lowering of girl enrollment rates in engineering colleges in the nation.
  • It will assist the girls to prepare for IIT-JEE examinations to crack through to the best technological institutes in the country from 11th and 12th standard
  • Udaan, the Special Industry Initiative (SII) for J&K is funded by Ministry of Home Affairs and implemented by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).
  • special initiative to address the needs of the educated unemployed in J&K.
  • Udaan program is focused on youth of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) who are graduate, post graduate and three year diploma engineer

Discuss – STAR scheme, scheme for youth in Maoist areas

5. AMRIT and AMRUT

  • Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT)
  • Launched by Ministry of Health and family welfare
  • aims to provide drugs for cardiovascular and cancer diseases at highly affordable prices
  • 1st AMRIT outlet opened at AIIMS, New Delhi
  • AMRUT – Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation

Discuss -Compare and Contrast Smart City Mission and AMRUT

Discuss – Jan Aushadhi Store scheme and this year’s budget

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By Dr V

Doctor by Training | AIIMSONIAN | Factually correct, Politically not so much | Opinionated? Yes!

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