Facts in News
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INS Viraat
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- The second Centaur-Class aircraft carrier initially served the Royal British Navy as HMS Hermes in 1959 and was later sold to India in the 1980s.
- It holds the world record for being the longest-serving warship of the world.
- Housed: Fighters Sea Harriers of INAS 300 (White Tigers), Anti Submarine aircraft Sea king Mk 42B (Harpoons), Sea King Mk 42 C and the SAR helicopter Chetak, indigenous Advance Light Helicopters ‘Dhruv’ and the Russian twin rotor Kamov-31, etc.
- Operations: Operation Mercy (1974), Operation Jupiter (1989), Operation Parakram (2001-02), etc.
- Exercises: Malabar (USA), Varuna (French), Naseem-Al-Bahar (Oman Navy), TROPEX (annual theatre-level exercises), etc.
- It was decommissioned in 2017.
- India acceded to the Hong Kong International Convention for Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009 in November 2019 and passed the Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019.
- The multilateral convention emphasises on safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships.
(Image Courtesy: Frontline)
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Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)
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- It is an indicator of business activity, both in the manufacturing and services sectors.
- It is a survey-based measure that asks the respondents about changes in their perception of some key business variables from the month before.
- It is calculated separately for the manufacturing and services sectors and then a composite index is constructed.
- It is derived from a series of qualitative questions.
- A figure above 50 denotes expansion in business activity. Anything below 50 denotes contraction.
- Higher the difference from this mid-point, the greater the expansion or contraction.
- The rate of expansion can also be judged by comparing the PMI with that of the previous month data.
- If the figure is higher than the previous month’s then the economy is expanding at a faster rate.
- If it is lower than the previous month then it is growing at a lower rate.
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Spices Board India
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- It was constituted in February 1987 under the Spices Board Act 1986 with the merger of the erstwhile Cardamom Board (1968) and Spices Export Promotion Council (1960).
- It is one of the five Commodity Boards functioning under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- The autonomous body is responsible for the export promotion of the 52 scheduled spices and the development of Cardamom (small and large).
- It is an international link between the Indian exporters and the importers abroad and has been spearheading activities for excellence of Indian spices, involving every segment of the industry.
- It has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India’s Accelerator Lab to build a blockchain-based traceability interface for Indian spices to enhance transparency in trading.
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Exercice La Pérouse
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- The three-day multilateral maritime exercise ‘La Pérouse’ started in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region.
- It involves the French Navy, Indian Navy, Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) and the United States Navy (USN)
- The naval exercise is being led by the French Navy.
- Exercise La Pérouse will witness advanced naval operations including surface warfare, anti-air warfare and air defence exercises, weapon firing exercises, cross deck flying operations, tactical manoeuvres and seamanship evolutions such as replenishment at sea.
- The exercise will showcase high levels of synergy, coordination and interoperability between the friendly navies.
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Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP)
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- The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare virtually launched the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP).
- India is the first country in the world to adopt such an advanced disease surveillance system.
- The new version of IHIP will house the data entry and management for India’s disease surveillance program.
- It will provide analyzed reports on mobile or other electronic devices.
- It can easily be integrated with another ongoing surveillance program while having the feature of the addition of special surveillance modules.
- It is in sync with the National Digital Health Mission and fully compatible with the other digital information systems presently being used in India.
- It shall ensure near-real-time data in digital mode, having done away with the paper mode of working.
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Chenab Bridge
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- Chenab Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge, is 1315 m long and will be 35 meters higher than Eiffel Tower in Paris.
- The Chenab bridge is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project (USBRL) and completion of the steel arch is an important construction milestone.
- The bridge is being built at a cost of ?1,486 crores and can withstand high wind speed up to 266 km per hour.
- The bridge will provide the much-needed all-weather connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of the county.
- The bridge will be able to withstand earthquakes with a magnitude of up to eight and high-intensity blasts.
Image Courtesy: PIB
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