July 2021 current affairs pdf UPSC IES IRMS

1. PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PM FME)

• Recently, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has launched the PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) scheme as a part of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’.

The Scheme is expected to generate a total investment of Rs. 35,000 crore and 9 lakh skilled and semi-skilled employment.

Key Points:

• One District One Product (ODOP) Approach: The States would identify food products for districts keeping in view the existing clusters and availability of raw material.
• Waste to wealth products, minor forest products and Aspirational Districts.
• Capacity building and research: Academic and research institutions under MoFPI along with State Level Technical Institutions would be provided support for training of units, product development, appropriate packaging and machinery for micro units.
• Existing individual micro food processing units desirous of upgrading their units can avail credit-linked capital subsidy at 35% of the eligible project cost with a maximum ceiling of Rs.10 lakh per unit.

Duration: It will be implemented over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25.

2. Fund for Industrial Research Engagement (FIRE)’ initiative

• SERB-DST partners with Intel India to launch a first-of-its-kind initiative to advance deep tech-based research in India.

• It will increase research opportunities in the space of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML), platform systems, circuits & architecture, Internet of Things (IoT), materials & devices, security, and so on from edge to cloud.

• Research initiative called ‘Fund for Industrial Research Engagement (FIRE)’ launched by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body of Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, in collaboration with Intel India.

3. NIPUN Bharat Mission

• The Ministry of Education has launched NIPUN (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) Bharat Scheme.

• It aims to cover the learning needs of children in the age group of 3 to 9 years.

• This initiative is being launched as a part of NEP (National Education Policy) 2020.

4. World Investment Report

• Recently, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released the World Investment Report 2020.

• The World Investment Report focuses on trends in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worldwide, at the regional and country levels, and emerging measures to improve its contribution to development.

Key Points:

• According to the report, global FDI flows are forecast to decrease by up to 40% in 2020, from their 2019 value of $1.54 trillion.
• India jumped from 12th position in 2018 to 9th position in 2019 among the world’s largest FDI recipients.
• In 2019, the FDI inflows into India jumped over 20% to $51 billion.
• In India the number of greenfield investment announcements declined by 4% in the first quarter of financial year 2020-21.

• In a greenfield investment, the parent company opens a subsidiary in another country. Instead of buying an existing facility in that country, the company begins a new venture by constructing new facilities in that country.

• Brownfield investments, on the other hand, occur when an entity purchases or leases an existing facility to begin new production. Companies may consider this approach a great time and money saver since there is no need to go through the motions of building a brand new building.

5. ISRO successfully conducts test of Vikas (Vikram A Sarabhai) Engine for Gaganyaan Program

• Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) has successfully conducted the third long-duration hot test of the liquid propellant Vikas engine for the Gaganyaan programme.

• Vikas is a family of liquid-fuelled rocket engines conceptualized and designed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre(LPSC) in the 1970s.

• LPSC is a research and development center functioning under the Indian Space Research Organisation.

• The engine is used in the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle(PSLV) and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle(GSLV) series of expendable launch vehicles for space launch use.

• ISRO tested the Vikas Engine this time as part of the engine qualification requirements for the Gaganyaan Mission.

• Gaganyaan is a mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Under the Gaganyaan schedule: Three flights will be sent into orbit. There will be two unmanned flights and one human spaceflight. The Gaganyaan system module, called the Orbital Module will have three Indian astronauts, including a woman.

• It will circle Earth at a low-earth-orbit at an altitude of 300-400 km from earth for 5-7 days.

6. India’s 40th World Heritage Site: Dholavira

• Recently, UNESCO has announced the Harappan city of Dholavira in Gujarat as India’s 40th world heritage site. It is the first site of Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) in India to be included on the coveted list.

About Dholavira:

• The ancient city of Dholavira is an archaeological site at Kachchh District, in the state of Gujarat. Dholavira’s location is on the Tropic of Cancer. It is located on Khadir bet island in the Kachchh Desert Wildlife Sanctuary in the Great Rann of Kachchh.
• It is one of the most remarkable and well-preserved urban settlements in South Asia. It was discovered in 1968 by archaeologist Jagat Pati Joshi.
• The site contains ruins of an ancient IVC/Harappan city. It comprises two parts: a walled city and a cemetery to the west of the city.

Ramappa Temple (Telangana) was India’s 39th World Heritage Site.

• Recently, Rudreswara Temple, (also known as the Ramappa Temple) at Mulugu district, Telangana has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

• The Rudreswara temple was constructed in 1213 AD during the reign of the Kakatiya Empire by Recherla Rudra, a general of Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva.