KERALA

• Kerala gets ₹329 cr under RUSA Phase II

• The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has sanctioned ₹329 crore for Kerala under the second phase of funding under the Rashtriya Uchathar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA).
• The RUSA project approval board, which met in New Delhi on May 25, sanctioned ₹50 crore each for the Cochin University of Science and Technology and Mahatma Gandhi University as research grant. A sum of ₹2 crore each was sanctioned to 102 colleges for infrastructure development.
• Five autonomous colleges — Rajagiri College of Social Sciences; Farook College, Kozhikode; St. Joseph’s College, Devagiri, Kozhikode; Mar Athanesius College, Kothamangalam; and Marian College, Idukki — were sanctioned ₹5 crore each.
• Since Kerala had no university with a NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) grading of 3.51 or above, it could not get the ₹100 crore earmarked for ‘enhancing excellence in State universities’. Even though Kerala had applied for funds under the ‘equity initiatives’ for constructing women’s hostels, the board did not sanction funds for the same.

• Kerala also lost out to States such as Jharkhand in cornering funds for setting up model degree colleges in “aspirational districts” (as designated by the NITI Aayog) such as Wayanad. 

  INTERNATIONAL

   

  • India Signs Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) in Nursing with Singapore

   

  • India has signed the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) in Nursing with Singapore. This is the first MRA being signed by India with any of our FTA partners.

   

  • In a major gain for India, Singapore agreed to expand coverage of Indian nursing institutions by recognising seven nursing institutions in the MRA.

   

  • This has paved way for our healthcare service providers to institutionally access markets abroad.

   

  • It will further open up doors for India to enter into similar mutual recognition arrangements with other countries.

   

  • India and Singapore concluded the 2^ndReview of India Singapore CECA which was officially announced by both sides today during Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s State visit to Singapore.

   

   

  • Committee constituted under to celebrate 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

   

  • The Government of India has decided to commemorate 150^thBirth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

   

  • A National Committee (NC) under the Chairmanship of the  President of India has been constituted for this purpose and the first meeting of the National Committee was held on 2^ndMay 2018 in New Delhi.

   

  • As decided in the meeting, an Executive Committee (EC) under the Chairpersonship of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has been constituted comprising of Senior Ministers in the Cabinet, Leader of opposition (Rajya Sabha), Renowned Gandhians, Social Activists and noted public figures.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  NATIONAL

  ·        Ganga Survey By Geographic information system (GIS)

  ð   In 15 months time, Survey of India, the country’s principal mapping agency, will map the entire stretch of the Ganga using geographic information system (GIS) technology and provide high-resolution maps to the government.
  ð  It will help river cleaning authorities in getting minute details of sewage and effluent discharge outlets and identify pollution hot-spots up to 10 km on both sides of the river.

  ð  Since the project will map sewage outlets and other discharges from all units (industrial, commercial and others) from the source to the public drainage network, it will help in monitoring of polluting sources and quicken the process of taking appropriate action.

   

  ·        HRD Ministry notifies 75 National Resource Centres

  ð  The Ministry of Human Resource Development has launched a major and unique initiative of online professional development of 1.5 million higher education faculty using the MOOCs (Massive online open course) platform SWAYAM.

   

  ð  In the first phase, 75 discipline-specific National Resource Centres have been identified which are tasked to prepare online training material with focus on latest developments in the discipline, new & emerging trends, pedagogical improvements and methodologies for transacting revised curriculum.

   

  ð  Under this initiative, all in-service teachers, irrespective of their subject and seniority will have an enabling opportunity to keep abreast of the latest developments in their disciplines through the technology based online refresher course.

   

  ð  HRD Ministry Launches Initiatives for Online Professional Development Using SWAYAM

   

  ð  Human Resource Development Ministry launched a major and unique initiative of online professional development of 1.5 million higher education faculty using the Massive Open Online Courses platform SWAYAM.
  ð  In the first phase, 75 discipline-specific National Resource Centres (NRCs) have been identified.
  ð  National Resource Centres are tasked to prepare online training material with focus on new and emerging trends, pedagogical improvements and methodologies for transacting revised curriculum.