Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN)

• It is an innovative technological solution aimed at strengthening immunization supply chain systems across the country.
• This is being implemented under National Health Mission (NHM) by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• eVIN combines state-of-the-art technology, a strong IT infrastructure and trained human resource to enable real time monitoring of stock and storage temperature of the vaccines kept in multiple locations across the country.
• This robust system has been used with the requisite customization during the COVID pandemic for ensuring continuation of the essential immunization services and protecting our children and pregnant mothers against vaccine preventable diseases.
• eVIN has reached 32 States and Union Territories (UTs) and will soon be rolled-out in the remaining States and UTs of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Ladakh and Sikkim.
• The Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network has helped create a big data architecture that generates actionable analytics encouraging data-driven decision-making and consumption based planning that helps in maintaining optimum stocks of vaccines leading to cost savings.
• Vaccine availability at all times has increased to 99% in most health centers.
• This strong platform has the potential to be leveraged for any new vaccine including COVID-19 vaccine, as and when available.
• To support the Government of India’s efforts to combat COVID-19, eVIN India is helping the State/UT governments monitor the supply chain of COVID response material.

• In order to provide impetus to self-reliance in defence manufacturing, multiple announcements were made under ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Package’.

• In implementing such framework and to position India amongst the leading countries of the world in defence and aerospace sectors, Ministry of Defence (MoD) has formulated a draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 (DPEPP 2020) recently.

Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 (DPEPP 2020) Draft

• It is envisaged as overarching guiding document of MoD to provide a focused, structured and significant thrust to defence production capabilities of the country for self-reliance and exports.

The policy has laid out following goals and objectives:

1. To achieve a turnover of Rs 1,75,000 Crores including export of Rs 35,000 Crore in Aerospace and Defence goods and services by 2025.
2. To develop a dynamic, robust and competitive Defence industry, including Aerospace and Naval Shipbuilding industry to cater to the needs of Armed forces with quality products.
3. To reduce dependence on imports and take forward "Make in India" initiatives through domestic design and development.
4. To promote export of defence products and become part of the global defence value chains.
5. To create an environment that encourages R&D, rewards innovation, creates Indian IP ownership and promotes a robust and self-reliant defence industry.

• The Barakah Nuclear Plant's 1st Unit got operational (achieved its criticality) recently.
• Through this, UAE became the first country in the Arab World to produce nuclear energy.

Barakah Nuclear Power Plant

• Barakah is the Arab world’s first nuclear reactor started by UAE.
• Barakah, means “blessing” in Arabic, it was built by a consortium led by the Korea Electric Power Corporation.

Criticality of a nuclear power plant

• A nuclear reactor is said to be critical when the nuclear fuel inside a reactor sustains a fission chain reaction.
• Each fission reaction releases a sufficient number of neutrons to sustain a series of reactions.
• Heat is produced in the event, which is used to generate steam that spins a turbine to create electricity.

• Ministry of Tourism’s DekhoApna Desh Webinar Series titled, “Heritage tourism in Gujarat” was presented recently.
• The state encompasses some sites of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation, such as Lothal, Dholavira and GolaDhoro.
• Lothal is believed to be one of the world's first seaports.
• Gujarat's coastal cities, chiefly Bharuch and Khambhat, served as ports and trading centres in the Maurya and Gupta empires, and during the succession of royal Saka dynasties from the Western Satraps era. 
• In the 1600s, the Dutch, French, English and Portuguese all established bases along the western coast of the region.
• Portugal was the first European power to arrive in Gujarat, and after the Battle of Diu, acquired several enclaves along the Gujarati coast, including Daman and Diu as well as Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
• These enclaves were administered by Portuguese India under a single union territory for over 450 years, only to be later incorporated into the Republic of India on 19 December 1961 by military conquest.
• The webinar gave a virtual view of different aspects of Gujarat starting with the architectural trail in North Gujarat bordering the state of Rajasthan, showcasing the beautiful stepwells, lakes, Harvesting structure, Rani ki vav, Pathan, Kumbariya Jain temple etc. 
• Raniki Vav is an 11th century stepwell and has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.  
• With regards to architecture, Gujarat entered a golden phase with the Solanki dynasty during the 11th & 12th century. 
• The rulers of this dynasty had commissioned imposing forts and palaces at Jhinjwadaand Dadbhoi, having exquisite carved gateways.
• Also, here are located few of the best Hindu temples of the country like Rudramalaya at Sidhapur, Sun Temple at Modhera, Jain Temples at Palitana, Taranga, Girnar, Mt. Abu and Kumbhhariyaji.
• The walled city of Ahmedabad was founded by Sultan Ahmad Shah in 1411 AD on the eastern bank of the Sabarmati River is now UNESCO World heritage site. 

• The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia.
• Headquartered in Beijing, China.
• It began operations in January 2016 and have now grown to 103 approved members worldwide.
• By investing in sustainable infrastructure and other productive sectors in Asia and beyond, we will better connect people, services and markets that over time will impact the lives of billions and build a better future.
• AIIB is an open and inclusive multilateral financial institution. Our doors are always open to countries and regions dedicated to promoting economic and social development in Asia.
• Membership in AIIB shall be open to members of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development or the Asian Development Bank.

• The Groundnut sowing in this season has hit all-time high levels.
• Gujarat covers 20.4 lakh hectares as farmers shift from cotton, soyabean.
• India is the second largest producer of groundnuts in the world.
• It is one of the main kharif crop.
• It is an important protein crops grown mostly under rain-fed conditions.
• Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, and Uttar Pradesh are the major Groundnut growing states in India. 

• Recently, the Health and Family Welfare Minister launched Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan, 2020-21.
• This initiative is a national programme for popularizing science among school students of Class 6th to 11th.
• It was designed to identify the bright minds with a scientific aptitude among the student community.
• It is an initiative of Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA), in collaboration with Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous organization under the Department of Science and Technology, and National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

• World Breastfeeding Week is an annual celebration which is being held every year from 1st August to 7th August.
• The theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2020 is “Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet”.
• The Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles And Infant Foods (Regulation Of Production, Supply & Distribution) Act, 1992  provides for the regulation of production, supply and distribution of infant milk substitutes, feeding bottles and infant foods.
• According to section 3 of the act, no person shall advertise, take part in promotion of use or sale, supply of or donate or distribute infant milk substitutes or feeding bottles, or give an impression or create a belief in any manner that feeding of infant milk substitutes is equivalent to or better than mother's milk.
• The act prohibits depicting images of a mother or a baby on labels of baby food containers.
• Any person who contravenes the provisions of various sections shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine which may extend to fine thousand rupees, or with both.

• Turkey and Greece have locked horns recently after Turkey converted the 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque.
• The right to explore hydrocarbons in the Eastern Mediterranean is also created tensions between Turkey and Greece.
• Both countries are a part of the 30-member NATO alliance.
• Turkey is officially a candidate for full membership of the European Union, of which Greece is a member.   

• Thousands of trees lay dead and strewn around the western parts of the Nilgiri Plateau in southern India.
• The extreme weather becomes a danger for the Nilgiri Biosphere ecosystem.
• Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere hit a record-breaking 417 ppm in May 2020, highest in three million years.
• The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve falls under the biogeographic region of  the Malabar rain forest.
• The cloud forest ecology, known as sholas, grows along the folds and valleys of these mountains.