Maharashtra Government launches Kaushalya Setu skill-development programme

Maharashtra government has launched ‘Kaushalya Setu’, a skill development programme for students. It was launched by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister of State Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge) Rajiv Pratap Rudy. 

Under the Kaushalya Setu initiative

 Students of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education who failed to clear Class X or SSC exam, will be accommodated in skill development courses. The main aim of the initiative to compensate loss of one year of students who have failed matriculation examination by providing skill-oriented training. It will give a big boost to Central Government’s Skill India Mission-2020 by providing skill development courses to students.

Railway ministry inks MoU for Smart Railway Stations

The Union Ministry of Railways and Union Urban Development Ministry have inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for smart railway stations. The validity of the MoU is for the five years and can be extended with the consent of both the ministries. 

Under this initiative

 Railway stations and surrounding areas will be redeveloped under the Smart City plan. 500 railway stations in the country will be ‘smarten up’ with better passenger amenities, integrated public transport hubs and easy access. Initially, 100 railway stations and an adjoining area of 300-800 acres will be redeveloped in Smart Cities and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) Schemes. Later the scope of the MoU will be extended to over 500 cities in time. Countries like Germany, Japan, France, South Korea, UK and Belgium have shown interest in the redevelopment of railway stations. To begin with, Railway stations in 10 cities will be taken up for the redevelopment with the involvement of the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC). They are Varanasi, Bhubaneswwar, Sarai Rohilla (Delhi), Varnasi, Lucknow, Jaipur, Kota, Thane, Margao (Goa), Tirupati and Puducherry.

World Bank pledges $2 billion aid to Bangladesh to tackle climate change

The World Bank has pledged 2 billion US dollars aid package to Bangladesh to tackle climate change over the next three years. The aid package is part of the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries. Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to climate change and accounts for almost 70% of all storm surges in the world. The aid package aims to further develop the resilience of the people at a time when climate change is putting their lives and livelihoods at greater risk. 

Background

This is the second large investment announcement made by the World Bank President Jim Yong Kim during his 2-day visit to Bangladesh. Earlier he had announced to provide US $1 billion aid to Bangladesh over the next three years to fight child malnutrition. 

Comment 

The World Bank has provided Bangladesh more than $24 billion in financing in the last 45 years. Bangladesh is the largest recipient of International Development Association (IDA) assistance, having received over 24 billion US dollars since Independence. 

About World Bank

The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programs. It comprises two institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and the International Development Association (IDA). Formation: July 1944. Headquarters: Washington DC, United States. Motto: Working for a World Free of Poverty. Membership: 189 countries (IBRD), 173 countries (IDA) The World Bank is one of the five components of the World Bank Group, which is part of the United Nations system.

Sir David Cox honoured with first International Prize in Statistics

Noted British statistician Sir David Cox (92) was awarded inaugural recipient of the International Prize in Statistics. The International Prize in Statistics Foundation has bestowed this award on Sir David Cox in recognition of Survival Analysis Model (or Cox Model) Applied in Medicine, Science, and Engineering.

 About Sir David Cox 

Sir David Cox is renowned statistician born on 15 July 1924 in Birmingham, England. He is known for developing the proportional hazards model i.e. Cox Model in 1992. His model is widely used in analysis of survival data which enables researchers to more easily identify risks of specific factors for mortality or other survival outcomes among groups of patients with disparate characteristics. He is a foreign associate of the US National Academy of Sciences and fellow of the Royal Society, an honorary fellow of the British Academy. He has served as President of Bernoulli Society, Royal Statistical Society and International Statistical Institute. 

Awards and Honours: Copley Medal (2010), he was knighted in 1985. 

About International Prize in Statistics 

The prestigious award given by the International Prize in Statistics Foundation. It recognizes a major achievement of an individual or team in the field of statistics. The Prize aims at promoting understanding of the growing importance and diverse ways statistics, probability and data analysis. It carries monetary award of US 75000 dollars.

India, Algeria mull fertilizer Joint Venture

India has shown keen desire to initiate a joint venture (JV) arrangement with Algeria for a multi-billion dollar fertilizer plant located in the North African country. The proposal in this regard has moved to front burner following a meeting between Algerian Minister for Industry and Mining and Indian Minister of State for Chemicals in Algiers. However no specific agreements were signed between both courtiers at the end of Vice-President Hamid Ansari’s three-day visit to Algeria. 

Why India is forming JV with Algeria? 

Phosphorus is one of three important elements in the chemical fertilizers that are most important in plant nutrition along with nitrogen and phosphorus. India, which has up to 96% phosphate dependency. Currently, India imports raw phosphate resources from a number of African countries including Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan and Syria and also from Russia, Canada and Israel among others. For India, forming JV Algeria will have major favourable food security implications and also could ease the fertilizer subsidy burden. 

India-Algeria

 India’s bilateral trade with Algeria currently stands at 1.5 billion dollars a year with the trade balance in Algeria’s favour given India’s import of oil and gas. The major item of exports from India to Algeria has been automobiles. 

India-Hungary

 Earlier, Vice-President Hamid Ansari had visited Hungary on as part of this two-nation trip (Hungary and Algeria). Both countries had signed two agreements including in the field of water management.

EC hosts first ever International Conference on Voter Education

The Election Commission of India hosted the first ever International Conference on Voter Education in New Delhi. The three day (from 19 to 21 October, 2016) conference was inaugurated by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr Nasim Zaidi.

 Key Facts 

The topic of the first of its kind conference is Voter Education for Inclusive, Informed and Ethical Participation. 27 countries and 5 international organizations are participating in it. It has been organized with an aim to share best practices, initiatives and policies of voter education by election management bodies. It aims at achieving a resolution to strengthen inclusive, ethical and informed electoral participation among member countries with the help of voter education and outreach. It will deliberate upon five topics ranging from Role of Information Communication Technology in Voter Education, Electoral Literacy to Enhanced participation by special categories of voters and Strategies for Informed and Ethical Voting. The Conference will see the launch of the ambitious VoICE.NET project, a Global Knowledge Network on voter education. Besides, an exhibition showcasing Voter Education tools and materials will be also organized on the occasion.

India, Myanmar signed 3 MoUs including Cooperation in field of Power Sector

India and Myanmar have signed three Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) to boost bilateral relations between two neighbouring nations. These MoUs were signed in New Delhi after delegation level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the visiting State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi. 

Signed MoUs are

MoU for designing an academic and professional building programme for insurance industry of Myanmar. MoU on Cooperation in the field of Power Sector. Under it India has offered to enhance power supply from Moreh in Manipur to Tamu in Myanmar. MoU on Banking Supervision. It was signed between Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Central Bank of Myanmar. Besides, India extended support to Myanmar for a better connected future. Both countries agreed to cooperate in security and strategic issues. They also agreed to enhance engagement in several areas including to develop a mutually beneficial arrangement for trade in pulses.