KERALA
Amend NCC Act Kerala HC
The Kerala High Court ordered the central government to amend the 1948 National Youth Corps Act (NCC Act), which prohibits transgender people from joining the National Youth Corps. Highlights:
A student submitted a written petition in 2020 against her being excluded from the university’s NCC department on grounds of gender.
The petition challenged Article 6 of the National Communications Commission Act of 1948, which allowed only “male” or “female” students.
The central government argued that since there are no regulations on transgender people, they are not allowed to enter the NCC.
The court disagreed with this position and emphasized that it runs counter to Kerala’s Transgender Policy and other applicable regulations.
Kerala is one of the first states in the country to formulate and implement welfare policies for transgender people in 2015.
The NCC was established in 1948 (on the recommendation of the H. N. Kunzru Committee in 1946), and roots of NCC are the uniformed youth entities of the British era, such as the University Corps or the University Officer Training Corps.
Currently, it has approximately 1.4 million cadets from the Army, Navy and Air Force wings.
INTERNATIONAL
AI Model Predicting Tsunamis Japan
Japan’s Fujitsu Laboratory has developed an AI model that can predict the flooding of tsunamis in coastal areas in real time. Highlights:
The AI model designed and developed by Fujitsu Laboratories of Japan can predict flood forecasts in specific areas, making it easier to evacuate people and provide insights about potential damage to surrounding infrastructure
The technology company uses Fugaku, the world’s fastest supercomputer, to develop models.
A group of researchers used supercomputers to generate training data for 20,000 possible tsunami scenarios based on high-resolution tsunami simulations. They used these data sets to create AI models.
In the event of an earthquake, inputting the tsunami waveform data observed at sea into the model can help predict flooding in coastal areas before the waves make landfall.
The company said it will make it possible to obtain accurate and rapid flood forecasts for specific areas and also provide important insights about the impact of local waves on surrounding infrastructure such as buildings and roads.
It is said that the system can also make evacuation measures more effective.
The model can also be run on an ordinary PC within a few seconds, making it easier to build a practical real-time system that previously required a supercomputer.
Switzerlands Policy of Neutrality
The Switzerland’s Ambassador recently said that due to changes in world political realities, its traditional foreign Policy of Neutrality (Swiss Neutrality) has once again become attractive. About Policy of Neutrality:
This is a foreign policy position in which the country intends to remain neutral in future wars. Sovereignty is preserved, and the right to war is in a state of armed neutrality in the event of an attack by one of the parties.
A state that is permanently neutral is a sovereign state, bound by an international treaty or its own declaration, and remains neutral to all warring parties in future wars. Switzerland is an example of a permanently neutral country. Other countries are Ireland, Austria and so on.
The concept of neutrality in war is narrowly defined and imposes specific restrictions on neutral parties in exchange for the internationally recognized right to maintain neutrality.
NATIONAL
Principal Scientific Adviser to GOI launches Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship
The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India under its Waste to Wealth Mission has launched the Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship.
It has been launched to recognize students, community workers or Self-Help Groups, SHGs and municipal or sanitary workers who are engaged in tackling the enormous challenge of waste management, scientifically and sustainably.
Targeted to encourage community participation, the Swachhta Saarthi Fellowships invites applications from students and community workers who have done previous work or are currently engaged in waste management activities, including awareness campaigns, surveys and studies.
IAF to participate for 1st time in Exercise Desert Flag beginning in UAE
Indian Air Force (IAF) will participate for the first time in Exercise Desert Flag which is beginning in Al-Dhafra airbase in UAE from.
Exercise Desert Flag is an annual multinational large force employment warfare exercise hosted by the United Arab Emirates Air Force.
The Indian Air Force is participating in the Exercise along with air forces of United Arab Emirates, United States of America, France, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Bahrain.
The Indian Air Force is participating with six Sukhoi Su-30 MKI, two C-17 and one IL-78 tanker aircraft.
Morarji Desai 125th Anniverasary
The 125th birth anniversary of the former Prime Minister Morarji Desai was celebrated. He was the fourth prime minister of India (1977-79) and the first non- Congress Prime Minister of India. Key Facts: Early Life: Shri Morarji Desai was born on February 29, 1896 in the village of Bhadeli in Bulsar districts of Gujarat. After graduating from the Wilson Civil Service College in Mumbai in 1918, he served as an Deputy Collector for twelve years. Contribution in Freedom Struggle: In 1930, when India participated in the “civil disobedience movement” initiated by Mahatma Gandhi, Shri Desai lost confidence in Britain’s sense of justice and decided to resign from the government and join the struggle.
Vinesh Phogat Won Gold in Ukraine Wrestling Event
Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat won the women’s 53kg gold medal. She won a medal at the 24th Ukrainian Outstanding Wrestler and Coach Memorial in Kiev, Ukraine. Highlights:
As a result, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat defeated Vanesa Kaladzinskaya, ranked seventh in the world from Belarus, in the final. This is a fight for the gold medal.
The 2020 Summer Olympics are also called the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This is an upcoming international multisport event, which is expected to be held in Tokyo, Japan from July 23 to August 8, 2021. The plan was originally scheduled for July 24 to August 9, 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the plan was postponed in March 2020.