NADA India to host Inclusion Conclave for the first time to focus on athletes with disabilities
National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA India) is hosts an Inclusion Conclave for the first time to sharpen the focus on anti-doping education and processes for athletes with disabilities. Secretary Department Sports Smt. Sujata Chaturvedi, UN Resident Coordinator Shombi Sharp and WADA Asia-Oceania Regional Office Manager, Kenny Lee will address the conclave. The Conclave will be followed by a two-hour long inclusive anti-doping education workshop for Athletes with Disabilities with focus on Therapeutic Use Exemption, Doping Control Process, Anti-Doping Rule Violations as well rights and responsibilities of athletes with disabilities and support personnel.
NADA India has already developed comprehensive modules on anti-doping education & awareness in Universal Design of Learning (UDL) for athletes with disabilities. UDL is a multi-modal framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all persons using sign language visual representation, transcribed subtitles and content audio. Some material, usually available in print only, has now been produced in Braille and audio formats as well. Besides, NADA India has conducted sensitisation workshops for Dope Control Officers (DCO) who collect samples from athletes with disabilities and has upgraded the DCO kit for such athletes.
Reserve Bank of India implements 4 tiered regulatory norms for UCB
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a four-tiered regulatory framework for categorisation of Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs). Besides, the central bank has come out with norms pertaining to the net worth and capital adequacy of these banks.
The Reserve Bank of India had constituted the Expert Committee on Urban Co-operative Banks, under the Chairmanship of Shri N. S. Vishwanathan, former Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank to examine the issues in urban cooperative banking sector and to review regulatory/ supervisory approach for strengthening the sector. Based on the recommendations of the Expert Committee, RBI had released the Revised Regulatory Framework for Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) on July 19, 2022. The four-tiered regulatory framework, based on size of deposits of the UCBs, will come into force with immediate effect.
RBI has now categorized Urban Co-Operative Banks in India into four tier depending upon the deposit with the bank:
Tier 1: UCB are those banks having deposits up to Rs 100 crore operating in a single district or having branches in contiguous districts.
Tier 2: UCBs with deposits more than Rs.100 crore and up to Rs.1000 crore.
Tier 3 – UCBs with deposits more than Rs.1000 crore and up to Rs.10, 000 crore.
Tier 4 – UCBs with deposits more than Rs.10, 000 crore.
Minimum Net worth Requirement of the banks
The minimum net worth (have a minimum capital and reserves) requirement for the Tier 1 UCBs operating in single districts shall be Rs 2 crore.
For other UCB it shall be Rs 5 crore.
Those UCBs which do not meet the requirement, have to achieve the minimum net worth of ₹2 crore or ₹5 crore in a phased manner in five years. The banks will have to achieve the 50% minimum net worth requirement in three years and the remaining 50% in next two years.
What is Urban Cooperative Banks?
Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) are registered as cooperative societies under the provisions of, either the State Cooperative Societies Act of the State concerned under the provisions of the or the Multi State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002. There is a duality of control over the UCB. It is regulated by the Registrar of Cooperatives and also by the RBI. UCB registered under the State Cooperative Societies Act are regulated and supervised by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS) of the State concerned. UCB which are set up under the Multi State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002 are regulated by the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS).
Regulation of banking function
The Banking Regulation Act 1949 was made applicable on these banks from 1 March 1966. The Reserve Bank regulates and supervises the banking functions of UCBs under the provisions of Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
3 Indian-origin women scientists among Australia’s “Superstars Of STEM”
Three Indian-origin women are among 60 scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians who have been selected as Australia’s Superstars of STEM. This initiative aims to smash society’s gender assumptions about scientists and increase the public visibility of females and non-binary people. This year among those recognised as Superstars of STEM include three Indian-origin women: Neelima Kadiyala, Dr Ana Baburamani, and Dr Indrani Mukherjee. Female scientists of Sri Lankan descent have also been chosen for distinction, in addition to Indians.
Every year Science and Technology Australia (STA), which is the country’s peak body in the sector and represents more than 105,000 scientists and technologists, supports 60 Australian experts employed in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to become highly visible media and public role models. The government intends to scale up the program, according to Australia’s Minister of Industry and Science Ed Husic, who spoke at the event. The national STEM Program is currently being reviewed by the government, and it is intended to be scaled up even more
About Indian origin Superstars of Stem:
Neelima Kadiyala
Ms Kadiyala is an IT Program Manager at Challenger Limited and has over 15 years of experience delivering extensive transformation programmes across multiple industries, including Financial Services, Government, Telco, and FMCG. She moved to Australia in 2003 as an international student to pursue a Master of Business in Information Systems.
Dr Ana Baburamani
Ms Baburamani is a scientific advisor in the Department of Defence – Science and Technology Group and has always been fascinated by how the brain grows and works. “As a biomedical researcher, she seeks to piece together the complex process of brain development and the mechanisms contributing to brain injury,”. In addition to her research, Ms Baburamani, who completed her PhD at Monash University and has spent 10 years as a post-doctoral researcher in Europe, is dedicated to supporting and enabling early career researchers, making science accessible and promoting wider participation in and uptake of STEM careers.
Dr Indrani Mukherjee
Ms Mukherjee is a deep-time geologist at the University of Tasmania and focuses on what drove that biological transition. She has been working as a postdoctoral researcher in Tasmania alongside branching out into fields of public outreach, geoscience communication, and diversity initiatives.
A book on Chipko Movement by Shekhar Pathak bags Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Prize 2022
A book on the popular forest conservation campaign Chipko Movement, written by historian-activist Shekhar Pathak, was named the winner of the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize 2022. Translated from Hindi by Manisha Chaudhry, “The Chipko Movement: A People’s History” was selected from a diverse shortlist of five books covering a wide expanse of modern Indian history and encompassing distinct topics and perspectives.
The winner was selected by a six-member jury panel chaired by political scientist Niraja Gopal Jayal. The other jury members were entrepreneur Manish Sabharwal; historians Srinath Raghavan and Nayanjot Lahiri; former diplomat Navtej Sarna; and attorney Rahul Matthan.
The other shortlisted books were “Accidental Feminism: Gender Parity and Selective Mobility Among India’s Professional Elite” by Swethaa S Ballakrishnen; “Whole Numbers and Half Truths: What Data Can and Cannot Tell Us About Modern India” by Rukmini S; “Midnight’s Borders: A People’s History of Modern India” by Suchitra Vijayan; and “Born a Muslim: Some Truths about Islam in India” by Ghazala Wahab.
About the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize:
The Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize recognises and celebrates excellence in non-fiction writings on modern or contemporary India by writers from all nationalities. It carries a cash award of Rs 15 lakh, a trophy and a citation.
Established in 2018, the Kamaladevi NIF Book Prize builds on the New India Foundation’s mission of sponsoring high-quality research and writing on all aspects of Independent India. The Book Prize celebrates high-quality, non-fiction literature by emerging writers from all nationalities, published in the previous calendar year.
The prize is named after Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, the institution-builder who had contributed significantly to the freedom struggle, to the women’s movement, to refugee rehabilitation and to the renewal of handicrafts. Previous winners of the prize are Milan Vaishnav (2018), Ornit Shani (2019), Amit Ahuja and Jairam Ramesh (jointly, 2020), and Dinyar Patel (2021).
Election commission set up a polling booth for a single voter in Gujarat
A polling booth located in a remote forest area of Gir Somnath district in Gujarat recorded 100 per cent voting after its lone voter cast his vote in the first phase of the state Assembly elections. The area is part of Una Assembly constituency, which went to polls along with 88 other seats in the state. The Election Commission (EC) had set up a polling booth at Banej village located inside Gir forest so that the only voter there can exercise his franchise.
Mahant Haridasji Udasin, who is the only voter there, reached the polling station in the initial hours of voting. The EC sets up a polling booth during every Assembly or general election. Even in the past, polling booths used to be set up during every Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, and Bharatdas Bapu, who was the priest prior to him, used to vote. He was the only voter till 2002. Udasin, who succeeded Bharatdas Bapu, said he makes it a point to never miss voting.
Notably: The election to elect the 15th Legislative Assembly of Gujarat is being held on 1st and 5th of December 2022 and the counting will be done on 8 December 2022.The term of the current and 14th Legislative Assembly will end on 18 February 2023.
Exercise Sudarshan Prahar conducted by Indian Army’s Sudarshan Chakra Corps
Indian Army’s Sudarshan Chakra Corps carried out Exercise Sudarshan Prahar in the deserts of Rajasthan. The exercise focussed on the synergised application of combat power through the integration of force multipliers & practising new battle techniques in an integrated all arms environment showcasing high level of professionalism and offensive spirit. Lieutenant General AK Singh, Goc-in-C, Southern Command witnessed Exercise Sudarshan Prahar and complimented the troops for the high standard of training and operational preparedness.
AOC-in-C, South Western Air Command (SWAC), Air Marshall Vikram Singh and Desert Corps Commander, Lt Gn Rakesh Kapoor were also present at this exercise, which was conducted by Shahbaaz Division of Sudarshan Chakra Corps. Lt Gen AK Singh and Air Marshall Vikram Singh also jointly visited the troops in forward areas along the western borders and reviewed the jointness and interoperability of Indian Army, IAF and BSF during various operational scenarios.
India assumes the Presidency of the UNSC for December month 2022
India has assumed the Presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of December. It is the second time in its two-year tenure as an elected member of the UN Security Council that India has assumed the Presidency of the Council. India had earlier assumed the Presidency of the UNSC in August 2021.
Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj said, during India’s December Presidency of the UN Security Council, two high-level signature events will take place on 14th and 15th December on ‘Reformed Multilateralism and Counter-Terrorism and it will be chaired by External Affairs Minister. She said, a bust of Mahatma Gandhi will be inaugurated at the United Nations during India’s Presidency of the UN Security Council and it will be unveiled by External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres.
About the United Nations Security Council:
The United Nations Security Council is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, and approving any changes to the UN Charter.
The Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It has 15 Members, and each Member has one vote. Under the Charter of the United Nations, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.
The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.