New Science And Technology Council Formed To Advise PM Narendra Modi

Secretaries of at least 10 central ministries, related to science, technology, energy and education, are special invitees to the panel.

A 21-member committee has been set up to advise Prime Minister Narendra Modi on science, technology and innovations

The Prime Minister's Science Technology and Innovation Council (PM-STIAC) includes noted mathematician and Princeton University professor Manjul Bharghava; and Major General Madhuri Kanitkar, the first woman dean of Army Forces Medical College, Pune; said K Vijay Raghavan, the principal scientific adviser to the Government of India.

Headed by Mr Raghvan, the committee also comprises former ISRO chief AS Kiran Kumar; Ajay Sood, professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru; Subhash Kak, professor at the Oklahoma State University, United States; and industrialist Baba Kalyani.

Secretaries of at least 10 central ministries, related to science, technology, energy and education, are special invitees to the panel. The panel also has provision to include an additional member, decision of which has to be taken by the chairman of the committee.

Among the key 9 permanent members are VK Saraswat, Member NITI Aayog and former DG of DRDO; A S Kiran Kumar, ex Chairman, ISRO; Baba Kalyani, MD of Bharat Forge, Sangamitra Bandopadhyay, Director, Indian Statistical Institute, Manjul Bhargava, Princeton University, US & Field Medal winner in Mathematics; Madhuri Kanitkar of Armed Forces Medical College; Ajay Sood, IISc; and Subhash Kak, Oklahoma University, US.

According to an official notification, secretaries of all science & technology related ministries are part of the special invitees. These include atomic energy, space, biotechnology, new & renewable energy, environment & forests, agriculture, health & higher education.

The committee will advise the Prime Minister on all matters related to S&T, innovation and monitor the implementation of PM’s vision on the same.

It will facilitate the formulation and implementation of policies and decisions, provide action-oriented and future preparedness advise and assist in directing S&T to solve the socio economic problems in the country. It will also have a large focus on driving innovation in education, research, industry etc.

PM-STIAC will effectively supersede the SAC-Cabinet and SAC-PM (which were in limbo ever since the Modi Government came to power in 2014), which will now stand dissolved, the notification dated today said.


 

INDIA-BHUTAN:BHUTAN MORE WORRIED ABOUT INDIA THAN CHINA

Last week, an Indian parliamentary panel fluttered the dovecotes in Thimphu – Bhutan’s capital – by recommending New Delhi encourage Bhutan to deploy more soldiers in the disputed Doklam area, where a year ago several hundred Indian and Chinese soldiers stood eyeball-to-eyeball, raising real fears of bloodshed.

Non-violent patrol confrontations are common along the undefined, 4,588km Sino-Indian border, but the face-off at Doklam was unique. Indian soldiers were not defending Indian soil; they had crossed into Bhutan and claimed to be acting on Thimphu’s behalf, in accordance with a security treaty between India and Bhutan. For the 73 days that Doklam smouldered, Thimphu walked on eggshells, balancing between India’s stifling embrace and the potential consequences from China.
The Doklam crisis ended with mixed results for India. As the Indian Army chief himself admitted in January, Chinese troops continue to occupy North Doklam, while Indian soldiers have pulled out of Doklam and returned to their outposts in Sikkim. On the positive side, India managed to force China to halt building a road in Doklam, which it was extending southwards, across the Torsa Nala, to its claim line at the Zompelri Ridge, which runs southeast from Mount Gipmochi. Indian military planners believe it essential to enforce Bhutan’s claim line along the Batang La – Sinche La ridge line, about 12-14km north of Zompelri Ridge. They worry that Chinese possession of Zompelri would give the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) a launching pad to capture the vulnerable Siliguri Corridor, a narrow, 29km-wide sliver of land, with Nepal on one side and Bangladesh on the other. It connects mainland India with its eight north-eastern states.

How India and China go to war every day – without firing a single shot

Thus, in confronting China in Doklam, the Indian Army was protecting vital Indian interests more than enforcing the India-Bhutan security pact.

Some Sikkim veterans, like retired lieutenant general SL Narasimhan, who is on India’s National Security Advisory Board, believe concerns about Siliguri are overblown. Breaking through India’s strong border defences in Sikkim would require the PLA to mobilise large bodies of troops, giving India time to reinforce. Chinese troops would have to enter Doklam through the Chumbi Valley which is overlooked by dominating Indian positions that would pound the PLA with artillery, air and ground fire. Were the Chinese attackers to miraculously reach Gipmochi, they would then face the daunting task of advancing to Siliguri through 80km of forested mountains, without artillery or logistic support. Once in Siliguri, the isolated Chinese spearheads would face massive Indian counter-attacks.

Whatever the logic for Doklam, that confrontation has exacerbated Thimphu’s concerns about getting sucked into a Sino-Indian conflict. Bhutanese elites, and increasingly the public, believe they should settle their border with China, not tack a settlement onto India’s more intractable dispute. Beijing has offered Thimphu a strategic swap, in which China would concede to Bhutan disputed territory in the north, in exchange for Doklam. New Delhi, however, firmly discourages conceding Doklam to China.

USA ANNOUNCES $39 MN IN MILITARY AID TO SRILANKA

The US Department of State has announced it will provide approximately $39 million in foreign military financing for Sri Lanka, pending Congressional approval.

 “The Secretary travelled to Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia last week for bilateral and multilateral meetings to advance the security of the United States and the region, and to underscore our support for a rules-based order, reaffirm our commitment to friends and allies, and demonstrate the robust engagement in the Indo-Pacific.

  In Singapore, the Secretary outlined the security pillar of the administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy and announced nearly $300 million in additional funding intended for South and Southeast Asia.

 We’ve gotten a lot of questions about this, so I just wanted to highlight some of what is involved in that program.  There’s been a lot of interest in this.

“The funding represents a significant investment in our security relationships with Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, the Pacific islands, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and others.  The investment focuses on four key areas that are critical to ensuring a free, open, and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.  This includes maritime security, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response, also peacekeeping capabilities and countering transnational crime.  As part of the maritime security theme, we launched the Bay of Bengal Initiative to help enhance the capacity of civilian and military maritime actors in this vital region, which is home to important sea lanes linking the Indian Ocean to East Asia. We look forward to discussing with the Government of Sri Lanka how this contribution can support our Bay of Bengal initiative, and Sri Lanka’s humanitarian assistance and disaster response priorities.”

TURKEY ECONOMIC CRISIS

TURKEY is the only country which some part is attached with Europe,which is Istanbul.Though TURKEY has a border of 16 km with Azerbaijan though it's look like there is boundary between TURKEY and Azerbaijan.
Current of turkey-lira
Capital of turkey-ankara.
NOW what is happening in TURKEY??
👉over the last week the value of the Turkish lira collapsed by more than 20%.
According to the eastern time a single turkish lira was worth less than 15 cents which means $1 dollar=7 lira(approx.)

Why does this matter to this world??
👉TURKEY currency is 16th most tradable currency now which 2 spot ahead of Indian rupee.but,Turkey's economy is not so large so even if it were to collapse,thoat would not  necessarily a huge impact on the global economy.

WORLD'S FIRST THERMAL BATTERY PLANT IN INDIA

BASIC:

• place-andra Pradesh,amravati
• It works on the principle of using store to heat energy.

INDIA BECOME HOME TO THE WORLD'S FIRST EVER THERMAL BATTERY PLANT THAT WAS INAUGURATED IN ANDRA PRADESH ON MONDAY.THIS PLANT USED TO CREATE A NEW ENERGY STORAGE FORM THAT IS EXPECTED TO HAVE COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS,WHILE ALSO MAINTAINING A LOW CARBON FOOTPRINT AND BEING LESS DEPENDENT ON EXTERNAL FACTORS LIKE WEATHER. 

THE THERMAL BATTERY FACILITY OWNED BY BHARAT ENERGY STORAGE TECHNOLOGY PRIVATE LIMITED(BEST).

IT COULD PROVIDE ENERGY SOLUTION FOR ELECTRICAL GRIDS,TRNASPORT AND TELECOM SERVICES.