Current Affair 1:

1st India-made IQ test

 

News:

Developed by National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, the test is meant to assess and certify intellectual disability in children.

The test will replace the currently used western tests that have been standardised to a large extent in line with the Indian experience, but are still considered not entirely suitable.

The NEIPID Test of Intelligence is designed according to the socioeconomic and cultural conditions of the Indian population after an extensive survey across the country.

For instance, the latest edition of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) or Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-4) India was standardised in 2008 but on a very limited sample, which cannot be generalised to our very wide and varied Indian population. There are questions in these tests that are not related to our social, cultural conditions.

The test is crucial for certification of persons with intellectual disability, one of the 21 disabilities recognised in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act of 2016, and can be used to assess autism-spectrum disorders, specific learning disorders etc. The disability certification, based on which a Unique Disability ID (UDID) is issued, helps persons with disabilities avail of benefits under various government schemes. 

What are 21 mentioned in the Act:

About National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NEIPID):

National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (Formerly National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped) established in the year 1984 at Manovikasnagar, Secunderabad (TS) is an Autonomous Body under the administrative control of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India.

NIEPID (Formerly NIMH) is dedicated to provide quality services to Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (Divyangjan) in the National interest.

Current Affair 2:

PM Vishwakarma Scheme

 

Red introduction:

The Scheme covers artisans and craftspeople engaged in 18 trades, viz.(i) Carpenter (Suthar/Badhai); (ii) Boat Maker; (iii) Armourer; (iv) Blacksmith (Lohar); (v) Hammer and Tool Kit Maker; (vi) Locksmith; (vii) Goldsmith (Sonar); (viii) Potter (Kumhaar); (ix) Sculptor (Moortikar, stone carver), Stone breaker; (x) Cobbler (Charmkar)/ Shoesmith/Footwear artisan; (xi) Mason (Rajmistri); (xii) Basket/Mat/Broom Maker/Coir Weaver; (xiii) Doll & Toy Maker (Traditional); (xiv) Barber (Naai); (xv) Garland maker (Malakaar); (xvi) Washerman (Dhobi); (xvii) Tailor (Darzi); and (xviii) Fishing Net Maker

Enrolment of beneficiaries shall be done through Common Service Centres with Aadhaar-based biometric authentication on PM Vishwakarma portal. The enrolment of beneficiaries will be followed by a three-step verification which will include (i) Verification at Gram Panchayat/ ULB level, (ii) Vetting and Recommendation by the District Implementation Committee (iii) Approval by the Screening Committee.

 

Current Affair 3:

National Medical Commission Achieves Prestigious WFME Recognition Status

 

News:

The National Medical Commission (NMC), India has achieved the remarkable feat of being granted the coveted World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) Recognition Status for a remarkable tenure of 10 years.

What are the advantages of this recognition?

1. As part of this recognition, all the 706 existing medical colleges in India will become WFME accredited and the new medical colleges that will be set up in the coming 10 years will automatically become WFME accredited.
2. The recognition will further enhance the quality and standards of medical education in India by aligning them with the global best practices and benchmarks.
3. It will also enable Indian medical graduates to pursue postgraduate training and practice in other countries that require WFME recognition, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
4. It will increase the international recognition and reputation of Indian medical schools and professionals, facilitate academic collaborations and exchanges and promote continuous improvement and innovation in medical education.
5. With NMC being WFME accredited all the Indian students become eligible to apply for Education Commission on Foreign Medical Education and United States Medical Licensing Examination.

About World Federation for Medical Education (WFME):

The World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) is a global organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of medical education worldwide. WFME's accreditation program plays a pivotal role in ensuring that medical institutes meet and uphold the highest international standards of education and training.

The Recognition Programme was established in response to two primary concerns:

1. The existence of an accreditation system alone does not guarantee that the system will result in trustworthy decisions on the quality of programmes in medical education; this requires the accreditation system itself to operate in a robust, transparent and norm-referenced way.
2. The rapid expansion in the number of medical schools worldwide has created a growing market for accreditation, and some private firms and individual consultants now offer an accreditation service of little worth.

Current Affair 4:

GCES (General Crop Estimation Survey)

 

New:

GCES is a large-scale survey conducted by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, to estimate the production of major crops in the country. It occurs biannually during the Kharif and Rabi season.

GCES is based on the crop cutting experiment (CCE) method, in which randomly selected crop plots are harvested and the yield is measured. The GCES has been revolutionized with the launch of a mobile application and web portal that provide a comprehensive repository of yield estimation, including village-wise GCES plan.

It covers around 68 crops (52 food and 16 non-food) in 22 States and 4 Union Territories.

About new application:

A mobile application and a web portal for GCES (General Crop Estimation Survey) were launched by Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) to maximize digital technology for social benefit.

It aims to transform agricultural practices across the nation by providing the real time estimates and technology in agriculture.

The portal and the app provide a comprehensive repository of yield estimation including village wise GCES plan and plot details where the crop cutting experiments are conducted, post harvesting crop weight and dried weight of the crop.

Key Features of the GCES Web Portal and Mobile Application:

1. Comprehensive Information: The portal and the app provide a comprehensive repository of yield estimation including village-wise GCES plan and plot details where the crop cutting experiments are conducted, post-harvesting crop weight, and driage weight of the crop.
2. Geo-referencing: Geo-referencing is one of the key features of the mobile application, which enables the primary worker to draw the boundary of the experimental plot and upload photos of the plot as well as of the crops through it. This feature will ensure transparency and accuracy of the data as well.

Key Challenges Addressed by GCES Web Portal and Mobile Application:

1. Delay in Reporting- Till date, data collection, compilation, and yield estimation is a completely manual process that causes a delay in reporting by states. In the new process, the field data will be collected using GPS GPS-enabled mobile application and will be stored in the server which ensures on-time reporting of crop statistics.
2. Transparency- GPS-enabled devices provide precise latitude and longitude coordinates for data collection points. This information ensures that data is linked to specific geographic locations, leaving no room for ambiguity or manipulation of data regarding where it was collected.

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