26 Jul PRELIMS BITs- July 2024.

Posted at 26 Jul 2024 in Current Affairs by Munde Dhananjay Navnath 0 Comments

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“Prelims Bits- July 2024”

Eco-Sensitive Zones: ESZ is mentioned as a shock absorber under the Environment Protection Act 1986. Eco-sensitive Zones around 10km of Protected Areas i.e. National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries are declared based on the proposals submitted by the State Governments and in conformity with the ‘Guidelines for declaration of Eco-sensitive Zone (ESZ) issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in February 2011.

Propose: The purpose of declaring ESZ is to create some kind of “Shock Absorber” for the specialized Ecosystem, such as Protected Areas or other natural sites, and is meant to act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection. ESZs are regulatory rather than prohibitive in nature, unless or otherwise so specified in the notification as may be required. Declaration of Eco-sensitive Zones does not entail any prohibition to the vocation of the local community residing within the ESZs, including agricultural activities, house constructions, etc.

Moidams – The Mound-Burial system of the Ahom Dynasty:

The 46th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2024 will examine 27 nominations from around the world, including 19 Cultural, 4 Natural, 2 Mixed sites, and 2 Significant modifications to the boundaries. Out of which, India’s Moidams – The Mound – Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty is set to be examined under the category of Cultural Property.

National Communications Academy: Three training institutes of DoT- National Telecommunications Institute for Policy Research, Innovation and Training (NTIPRIT), the National Institute of Communication Finance (NICF), and the Wireless Monitoring Training & Development Centre (WMTDC) have been merged into a single administrative entity, named ‘National Communications Academy’ (NCA).

Chairman: The Secretary will head the National Communication Academy as its ex-officio Chairperson with Additional Secretary (T) as its Vice-Chairperson.

Functions: The newly created National Communications Academy is designed to create better integration and efficiency by streamlining training, and resource optimization, and will offer a more holistic approach to skill-building, addressing various aspects of the communications sector.

The European Commission: Ursula von der Leyen has been re-elected as European Commission President. The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union.

Its main roles include:

Proposing new laws and policies
Monitoring their implementation
Managing the EU budget

The Commission also ensures that EU policies and laws are correctly applied across Member States, negotiates international agreements on behalf of the EU, and allocates funding. Additionally, it represents the interests of the EU on the global stage, ensuring a coordinated approach among EU countries.

KIRTI Programme: Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) Program:

KIRTI (Khelo India Rising Talent Identification) has been envisioned to develop an integrated talent identification architecture based on modern ICT tools and global best practices. It aims to streamline the whole process of grassroots talent identification on a single platform.

The roots of the project KIRTI are based on an athlete-centric approach wherein at every step the process of Talent Identification has been made more broad-based and accessible.

Project KIRTI with its decentralized and pocket-based talent identification approach will help in achieving the twin objectives of the Khelo India Scheme i.e. excellence in sports, and mass participation in sports.

The OJ 287: An international study observes smaller objects in a black hole pair directly for the first time:

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is designed to discover thousands of exoplanets orbit around the brightest dwarf stars in the sky. TESS is finding planets ranging from small, rocky worlds to giant planets, showcasing the diversity of planets in our galaxy. It has so far found 410 confirmed exoplanets or “new worlds” circling stars other than the Sun.

“MANAS” App: To promote wellbeing across age groups. MANAS which stands for Mental Health and Normalcy Augmentation System was endorsed as a national program by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).

MANAS is a comprehensive, scalable, and national digital well-being platform and an app developed to augment the mental well-being of Indian citizens. MANAS App integrates the health and wellness efforts of various government ministries, and scientifically validated indigenous tools with gamified interfaces developed/researched by various national bodies and research institutions.

Two of the World’s Five Largest Coal Mines Now in India: SECL’s Gevra and Kusmunda Megaprojects in Chhattisgarh Secure 2nd and 4th Spot in the List of World’s 10 Largest Coal Mines.

Chhattisgarh-based Coal India subsidiary South Eastern Coalfields Limited’s (SECL) Gevra and Kusmunda coal mines have secured the 2nd and 4th spot in the list of the world’s 10 largest coal mines released by WorldAtlas.com.

Located in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh state, these two mines produce more than 100 million tons of coal annually accounting for about 10% of India’s total coal production.

The Gevra opencast mine has an annual production capacity of 70 million tons and produced 59 million tons of coal in FY 23-24. The mine started operations in the year 1981 and it has enough coal reserves to meet the country’s energy requirements for the next 10 years.

Kusmunda OC mine produced more than 50 million tons of coal in FY 23-24, only the second mine in India after Gevra to achieve this feat. These mines have deployed some of the world’s largest and most advanced mining machines such as the “Surface Miner” that extracts and cuts coal without blasting for eco-friendly mining operations.

Operation Nanhe Farishtey(2018): This operation was launched by the Railway Protection Force, Aim: A mission dedicated to rescuing children in need of care and protection across various Indian Railway Zones.

Bimetallic NiFe systems: This system refers to materials or catalysts composed of two metals: nickel (Ni) and iron (Fe). These systems are of interest in various fields, especially in catalysis and energy storage, due to their unique properties and potential advantages over single-metal systems. These systems are better than doped ones for water splitting claims a study conducted by the Institute of Advanced Studies in Science and Technology (IASST) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Applications: A bimetallic Nickel Iron layered double hydroxide system is used for efficient O2 production through water splitting.

Tizu Zunki River waterway in Nagaland: Tizu Zunki River is to be harnessed for the Economic Development of Nagaland, to enable Cargo & Passenger Transports. Indian Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Dept of Transportation, Govt of Nagaland to conduct a detailed feasibility study for the development of the Tizu Zunki River (NW 101).

Tizu River forms an important drainage system in the eastern part of Nagaland. It runs in a northeast direction flows through Zunheboto, Phek district, and empties itself in the Chindwin River of Myanmar

Zungki River is the biggest tributary of (flows into) Tizu River. Zunki River originates from the north-eastern part of Changdong forest in the south of Teku and flows in south towards Noklak, Shamator, and Kiphire and finally joins Tizu below Kiphire.

‘Vibrant Villages Programme’: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation review the implementation of the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ at a high-level meeting in New Delhi.

Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP): VVP is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched in 2023 for the comprehensive development of the select villages in 46 blocks in 19 districts abutting the northern border in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and UT of Ladakh.

Aim and Objectives: The creation of opportunities for livelihood generation through the promotion of tourism & cultural heritage, skill development & entrepreneurship, and the development of cooperative societies including agriculture/horticulture, cultivation of medicinal plants/herbs, etc. The interventions also include providing road connectivity to unconnected villages, housing & village infrastructures, energy including renewable energy, television & telecom connectivity.

In all the census villages/towns, semi-urban and urban areas are located within 0-10 km. distance (aerial distance) from the first habitation at International Boundary (IB) in 16 States & 2 UTs abutting land borders, works/projects for identified gaps in essential infrastructure about roads & bridges, health, Education, agriculture, sports, drinking water & sanitation, Anganwadi, community centre, small scale industries, etc. have been approved under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP).

NITI Aayog: SDG India Index 2023-24.

SDG India Index 2023-24, the fourth edition of the country’s principal tool for measuring national and subnational progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) was released today by NITI Aayog.

KEY HIGHTS:

Significant progress in goals on eliminating poverty, providing decent work, economic growth, climate action, and life on land.
Targeted interventions by the Government such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ujjwala, Swachh Bharat, Jan Dhan, Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY, Ayushman Arogya Mandir, PM-Mudra Yojana, Saubhgaya, Start-up India, etc. had an impact and led to rapid improvement.
All States have shown an improvement in the overall score
The overall SDG score for the country is 71 for 2023-24, a significant improvement from 66 in 2020-21 and 57 in 2018 (Baseline report).
Scores for States range from 57 to 79 in 2023-24, marking a substantial improvement from the year 2018 range of 42 to 69.
Significant progress in Goals 1 (No Poverty), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 13 (Climate Action) and 15 (Life on Land)
Goal 13 (Climate Action) records the highest increase in score from 54 in 2020-21 to 67 in 2023-24 followed by Goal 1 (No Poverty) from 60 to 72
32 States and UTs in the front-runner category with 10 new entrants -Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

Between 2018 and 2023-24, the fastest moving States are Uttar Pradesh (increase in score by 25), followed by J&K (21), Uttarakhand (19), Sikkim (18), Haryana (17), Assam, Tripura and Punjab (16 each), Madhya Pradesh and Odisha (15 each)

Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas (Constitutional Murder Day): The Government of India has decided to observe 25th June every year as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas.’

On 25 June 1975, the spirit of Indian democracy was strangulated to death by imposing an Emergency.

OBJECTIVE: This day will commemorate the massive contributions of all those who endured the inhuman pains of the 1975 Emergency.

Timeline of the 1975 Emergency:

January 1966: Indira Gandhi is elected as Prime Minister of India.
November 1969: The Indian National Congress splits after Indira Gandhi is expelled for violating party discipline.
1971: Raj Narain files a complaint against Indira Gandhi alleging electoral fraud in the 1971 general elections.
June 12, 1975: Allahabad High Court finds Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractice, citing discrepancies in her campaign.
June 24, 1975: The Supreme Court ruled that parliamentary privileges do not protect Indira Gandhi from disqualification; she was barred from voting but remained Prime Minister.
June 25, 1975: President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, on the advice of Indira Gandhi, declares a state of Emergency.
June 26, 1975: Indira Gandhi addresses the nation on All India Radio, justifying the Emergency declaration.
September 1976: Sanjay Gandhi initiates controversial sterilization and slum clearance programs during the Emergency.
January 18, 1977: Indira Gandhi announces fresh elections and releases all political prisoners.
March 23, 1977: The Emergency officially ends.

Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS): 25th Prime Minister’s Science, Technology & Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) Meeting Discusses Carbon Capture Utilisation & Storage (CCUS) and Carbon Credit in India.

India has set a target to achieve a 45% reduction in emission intensity by 2030 and is aiming for Net Zero by 2070. This makes CCUS one of the important measures to achieve decarbonization from the hard-to-abate sectors.

Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS): CCUS refers to a suite of technologies and processes aimed at reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from industrial sources and power generation. CCUS is crucial in efforts to combat climate change by capturing CO₂ emissions before they enter the atmosphere and either reusing them or storing them underground.

Benefits of CCUS

Mitigates Climate Change: Reduces greenhouse gas emissions, helping to meet global climate targets and reduce the impacts of climate change.
Supports Energy Transition: Allows for continued use of fossil fuels in a more sustainable manner while transitioning to renewable energy sources.
Economic Opportunities: Creates jobs and economic opportunities in technology development, deployment, and maintenance.
Enhances Oil Recovery: Improves the efficiency of oil extraction through enhanced oil recovery techniques.

Fly Ash: Coal Ministry Takes Proactive Measures for Disposal and Repurposing of Fly Ash.

Definition: As per the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notification dated 3rd November 2009, the term “fly ash” means and includes, all ash generated such as Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) ash, dry fly ash, bottom ash, pond ash, and mound ash.

Composition: Rich in silicon dioxide (SiO2), calcium oxide (CaO), and aluminum oxide (Al2O3).

Applications: transforming potential waste into useful material. Effective management promotes its use in construction activities, thereby minimizing waste, conserving natural resources, and reducing the carbon footprint.

Prime Minister receives Russia’s highest State Award:

In a special ceremony in St. Andrew Hall in the Kremlin, President of the Russian Federation, H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin conferred Russia’s highest national award “The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle” on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for his contribution to fostering India-Russia ties. The award was announced in 2019.

This award was instituted over 300 years ago. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is the first Indian leader to be conferred with this award.

Anand Marriage Act, 1909: National Commission of Minorities Holds Meeting with States/UTs to Discuss Implementation of Anand Marriage Act:

Anand Marriage Act, 1909: Provides a legal framework for the marriage of Sikhs, which aligns with their religious and cultural practices. It aims to give Sikh marriages legal recognition and status in India.

Application: This specifically applies to individuals who are Sikhs or profess Sikhism.

Marriage Ceremony: Marriage under the Anand Marriage Act must be conducted according to Sikh customs and practices, often involving the recitation of hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib.

Registration: The marriage is required to be registered with the prescribed authorities to ensure its legal validity.

National Commission for Minorities (NCM) –The NCM is a statutory body and is not directly mentioned in the Indian Constitution but operates under the framework provided by the Act of 1992. The NCM advises the Central and State Governments on policies and programs affecting minorities. Make recommendations to the government for measures to improve the conditions of minorities and ensure their integration into mainstream society.

Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement:

BBNJ Agreement (High Seas Treaty): Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). It is an international treaty under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Purpose: Protect marine biodiversity in the high seas and promote sustainable use of marine resources.

Key Features:

Sovereignty: No sovereign rights over marine resources from the high seas; benefits must be shared equitably.
Approach: Ecosystem-centric, precautionary principle; integrates traditional and scientific knowledge.
Management Tools: Uses area-based management tools and requires environmental impact assessments.
SDGs: Contributes to SDG 14 (Life Below Water).

Benefits for India:

Strategic Presence: Enhances presence beyond India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Conservation: Strengthens marine conservation and collaboration efforts.
Research & Development: Opens avenues for scientific research, access to samples, and technology transfer.
Capacity Building: Supports capacity building and global benefit.

BBNJ and UNCLOS: UNCLOS was adopted on December 10, 1982; and entered into force on November 16, 1994. Implementation Agreements:1994 Part XI Agreement: Regulates deep-sea mining in the international seabed area. 1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement: Focuses on the management of migratory and straddling fish stocks.

Project PARI:

The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, on the occasion of the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee Meeting, which is being held in New Delhi from 21st-31st July 2024, has initiated Project PARI (Public Art of India).follwing art and sculptures showcased under this project.

SIGHT Scheme: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy issues scheme guidelines for the implementation of Green Hydrogen under the SIGHT Scheme.

The Scheme Guidelines for implementation of “Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Programme – Component II: Incentive Scheme for Green Hydrogen Production (under Mode 1)- Tranche-II” have been notified by MNRE.

The capacity of Tranche-II will be 450,000 TPA of Green Hydrogen, with 40,000 TPA capacity reserved for biomass-based pathways (bucket II) and the rest for technology-agnostic pathways (bucket I). Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is the implementing agency for this tranche as well. The Request for Selection (RfS) shall be issued by SECI shortly.

Sampoornata Abhiyan: NITI Aayog to launch ‘Sampoornata Abhiyan’

Aim: To achieve saturation in 6 identified indicators in ADP/ABP Districts and Blocks

Aspirational Districts Programme

The Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) covering 112 Districts was launched in the year 2018 to ensure the speedy development of the relatively backward and remote areas of the country. Focus Areas: Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion & Skill Development and Infrastructure.

The Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP) was launched by the Hon’ble PM in 2023 and aims for the saturation of essential government services in 500 Blocks across the country in multiple domains such as health, nutrition, education, drinking water and sanitation, agriculture, water resources, financial inclusion, and basic infrastructure.

Military Exercise in the news:

RIM OF THE PACIFIC EXERCISE (RIMPAC) 24:

Indian multi-role stealth frigate INS Shivalik, mission deployed in the South China Sea and North Pacific Ocean, has reached Pearl Harbour in Hawaii to take part in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, which is the world’s largest naval exercise.

RIMPAC-24, spanning over six weeks of intense operations and training is aimed at enhancing interoperability and building trust among the navies of friendly foreign countries. Led by the US Navy, approx 29 countries are participating in the current edition of the multi-dimensional exercise. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC-24 provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants, critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and the security of the world’s oceans.

Exercise MAITREE: INDIAN ARMY CONTINGENT DEPARTS FOR INDIA- THAILAND JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE MAITREE:

The Indian Army contingent held the 13th edition of India- Thailand joint military Exercise MAITREE. The exercise was conducted at Fort Vachiraprakan in Tak Province of Thailand. The Indian Army contingent comprising 76 personnel is being represented mainly by a Battalion of the LADAKH SCOUTS along with personnel from other arms and services.

Exercise NOMADIC ELEPHANT: India-Mongolia Joint Military Exercise

The 16th edition of Exercise NOMADIC ELEPHANT was recently held at the Foreign Training Node, Umroi, Meghalaya. Indian Army’s Indian SIKKIM SCOUTS and Mongolian 150 Quick Reaction Force Battalion.

Exercise Pitch Black 2024: Indian Air Force Contingent in Australia for Exercise Pitch Black 2024. Exercise Pitch Black 2024. Indian Contingent: 150 IAF personnel with Su-30 MKI, C-17 Globemaster, IL-78 Air-to-Air Refuelling aircraft.

Maiden Coal Gasification Project: Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL) conducted its first pre-bid meeting for its first Coal Gasification project.

Coal gasification is a chemical process that converts coal into synthetic gas (syngas) by reacting it with a controlled amount of oxygen and/or steam under high pressure and temperature. The syngas primarily comprises hydrogen (H₂), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO₂), and can be further processed to produce various chemicals, fuels, and energy.

Applications:

Power Generation: Used to produce electricity in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants.
Chemical Production: Provides feedstock for the production of fertilizers, plastics, and other chemicals.
Liquid Fuels: Converts coal into liquid fuels like synthetic diesel and gasoline.

Steel Slag: International Conference on Steel Slag Road: Member (Science) Niti Aayog, releases the Guidelines for Utilization of Steel Slag in Road Construction.

Steel Slag: BOF Slag: Commonly known as steel slag, it is a by-product of the Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) steel-making process. This slag is Produced during the steel manufacturing process, where excess silicon and carbon are removed from iron through oxidation. This involves adding limestone and coke, which results in the formation of slag. A higher amount of iron compared to other slags.

Applications: Cement Production, Construction, Soil Improvement and Land Reclamation,

The New CHIEF OF THE ARMY STAFF:

General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM, takes over as the 30th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) from General Manoj Pande, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC, who superannuated after more than four decades of service to the nation on 30 Jun 2024.

General Upendra Dwivedi is an accomplished military leader, with 40 years of service in the Armed Forces. An alumnus of Sainik School, Rewa (MP), he was commissioned into the Regiment of Jammu & Kashmir Rifles in 1984. The General officer has a unique distinction of balanced command as well as staff exposure across Northern, Eastern, and Western theatres, in varied operational environments.

Hul Diwas: The Prime Minister pays tributes to tribal heroes on the occasion of Hul Diwas.

Hul Diwas is celebrated in Jharkhand People across the state remember the martyr Sido Kanhu. Before the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, on 30 June 1855, there was a Santhal Hul under the leadership of Sido Kanhu against British rule and exploitation. In which thousands of heroes were martyred.

Santhal Hul (1855): Began on June 30, 1855. Santhal hul was One of the first peasant uprisings against British colonial rule in India. Leaders: Sidho, Kanho, Chand, and Bhairav Murmu and Phulo and Jhano.

Reason: Forest land laws. The Murmu brothers, who saw themselves as acting on the Santhal God Thakur Bonga’s divination, led around 60,000 Santhals against the East India Company and engaged in guerrilla warfare that continued for almost six months before being finally crushed on January 3, 1856. More than 15,000 Santhals were killed, and 10,000 villages were laid to waste.

FATF: India achieved an outstanding outcome in the Mutual Evaluation conducted during 2023-24 by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). FATF lauds India’s efforts to combat Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing. India’s performance on the FATF Mutual Evaluation holds significant advantages for India’s growing economy. FATF Places India in the ‘regular follow-up’ category

FARF: The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an intergovernmental organization established in 1989 as the international watchdog to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. India became a member of FATF in 2010.

ABHYAS: High-Speed Expendable Aerial Target ‘ABHYAS’ successfully completes developmental trials with improved booster configuration.

ABHYAS has been designed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment, Bengaluru. It offers a realistic threat scenario for weapon systems practice. This Indigenous system is designed for autonomous flying with the help of an autopilot, a laptop-based Ground Control System for aircraft integration, pre-flight checks, and autonomous flight. It also has a feature to record data during flight for post-flight analysis. Advanced Systems Laboratory and the navigation system by Research Centre Imarat have designed the booster. With identified production agencies, ABHYAS is now ready for production.

New India Literacy Programme (NILP) 2022-2027: Ladakh Achieves Full Functional Literacy.

NILP is a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at adult education, aligning with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Target Group: Adults aged 15 years and above who did not receive adequate schooling, from diverse backgrounds.

Objectives:

Empower adults through foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
Provide critical life skills necessary for personal and community development.
Offer basic education to bridge educational gaps.
Introduce vocational skills to enhance employability.
Support continuing education for ongoing learning and skill development.

Implementation Components:

Foundational Literacy and Numeracy: Focus on basic reading, writing, and arithmetic skills.
Critical Life Skills: Essential skills for personal development and community engagement.
Basic Education: Remedial education to cover missed educational opportunities.
Vocational Skills: Training in job-specific skills to improve employment prospects.
Continuing Education: Opportunities for ongoing learning and skill enhancement.

The Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR): The BSMR is a project by the Indian government aimed at developing small modular reactors (SMRs) for nuclear power generation. SMRs are designed to be smaller and more flexible than traditional nuclear reactors, offering potential advantages such as enhanced safety, reduced costs, and easier deployment in diverse locations.

Objective: The BSMR project aims to develop indigenous SMR technology that can be deployed across India to meet the growing energy demand while minimizing environmental impact.

Technology: The BSMR design focuses on small modular reactors, which are typically defined as reactors with an electrical output of less than 300 megawatts (MW). These reactors are designed to be more compact and potentially more cost-effective than larger nuclear reactors.

Development: The development of BSMR involves significant research and development efforts in nuclear engineering and technology. It includes designing reactors that are efficient, safe, and capable of being mass-produced in factories before being assembled on-site.

Deployment: SMRs like BSMR are seen as suitable for various applications, including remote locations, small electricity grids, or as part of a larger nuclear power generation strategy.

IDEX (Innovation for Defence Excellence): IDEX, or the Innovation for Defence Excellence, is a significant initiative within India’s defense ecosystem aimed at fostering innovation and collaboration with startups and MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises). IDEX was established by the Defence Innovation Organization (DIO) under the Department of Defence Production.

Major Initiatives:

Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC): iDEX has launched 11 editions of DISC, which are competitive challenges aimed at identifying and nurturing innovative solutions from startups.
ADITI Scheme: Recently introduced, ADITI (Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX) aims to further promote the development of innovative technologies in the defence sector.