PIB Summary- 1st February, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Advanced Indigenous Mob Control Vehicle Prototype

Context: CSIR-CMERI demonstrates three variants of advanced indigenous design and featured Mob Control Vehicle prototypes.

Details

• CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI – Durgapur) has demonstrated three innovative variants ‘Compact, Medium, Heavy’ category of Mob Control Vehicles (MCVs) to a team of the Home Affairs Ministry headed by the IG (RAF), CRPF.
• The aim was to elevate modern technical support to paramilitary forces engaged in maintaining law and order situation; train and equip them with advanced options.
• This is the first of its kind advanced indigenous design and featured development in the country.
• The Heavy category of these MCV prototypes has a 7.5-ton payload capacity. While the Medium category is of 2.5-ton payload capacity, the compact one is a tractor-based vehicle for easy manoeuvring.
• The prototypes are fitted with many features such as height adjustable front shovel, retractable protective front shield, all round irritant spray system, foam spray system and tear smoke munitions system.
• The other capabilities are cabin pressurization system, retractable multi barrel tear gas launcher with appropriate electronic vision systems, wide angle surveillance, multi-channel video transmission system, GPS tracker and GPS navigator.

Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA) Scheme

Context: Govt. announces launch of Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA) scheme in the Union Budget 2021-22 to make Indian textile industry globally competitive.

About MITRA Scheme

• The objectives behind the scheme are to enable the textile industry to become globally competitive, attract large investments, boost employment generation and exports.
• This scheme will be in addition to the PLI scheme.
• The FM announced that seven textile parks will be established over three years.

Significance

• Such parks have already been present in nations like China and Vietnam which help give a thrust to the textile sector.
• India has been losing its competitive edge to Bangladesh and Vietnam owing to their low labour costs, wider scale of operations and the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) advantage enjoyed by them.
• With the textile sector being the second largest employment generator in the country after agriculture, the Budget announcements mean a significant step forward for the industry.
• This comes after a tumultuous year for the textile and clothing industry in 2020 which saw a spate of job losses, cancelled orders and an acute crunch of financial resources.
• Exports in the textiles and apparel industry are expected to reach $300 billion by 2024-25 resulting in a tripling of Indian market share from 5% to 15%, as per national investment promotion and facilitation agency Invest India.
• The industry size is expected to double to $300 bn by 2025-26, for which the 7 mega textile parks have been planned.
  

Army Dental Corps

Context: Army Dental Corps celebrates 80th Raising Day.

Details

• The Army Dental Corps is celebrating its 80th Raising Day on February 01, 2021. The Corps was raised on this day in 1941.
• The Indian Army Dental Corps (IADC) is a specialist corps in the Indian Army which primarily provides medical services to all Army personnel, serving and veterans, along with their families.

ASEAN India Hackathon

Context: ASEAN India Hackathon inaugurated.

ASEAN India Hackathon

• The ASEAN-INDIA Hackathon is an initiative taken by the Ministry of Education.
• It offers opportunities for all the 10 ASEAN countries and India to forward their economic and cultural ties through collaboration in education, science and technology.
• It is proposed to be a 36-hour hackathon in which participants will work on various problems in the fields of blue economy, agriculture, tourism, health care and medical devices, environment, education, water and smart cities and campuses (involving energy, transportation, security).