National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Ministry of Earth Sciences, signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Navy, Ministry of Defence for ‘Cooperation on Numerical Model Based Applications in Meteorology and Oceanology’. MoU was signed by Dr. Ashis K. Mitra, Head NCMRWF and Commodore G Rambabu, Head of Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Oceanology and Meteorology (DNOM), Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy) during the ceremony held at NCMRWF, Noida.
The purpose of this collaboration would be to share the expertise with the aim of keeping both organisations in step with rapid development in the field of weather/ ocean modelling, coupled modelling, data assimilation, ensemble forecasting and satellite data use. In addition, this would also facilitate meaningful interactions that is drawn on the professional strengths of two organisations.
NCMRWF with highly skilled scientists and state of the Art infrastructure would provide support to two of the premier establishments of Indian Navy located at Kochi, i.e., Naval Operations Data Processing and Analysis Centre (NODPAC) and Indian Naval Meteorological Analysis Centre (INMAC) in developing advanced numerical weather prediction systems including coupled models, with increased reliability and accuracy over the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and global regions.
The MoU would benefit both NCMRWF and Indian Navy in furthering meaningful interactions and professional exchanges in future.
Signing of MoU by Dr. Ashis K. Mitra, Head NCMRWF and Commodore G. Rambabu, Head (DNOM), Indian Navy
A MoU was signed today between MD, NHIDCL and Director, IIT, Roorkeefor sharing knowledge on innovative ideas and technologies in the field of highway engineering. The purpose of this MoU is to establish the basis of collaboration between both the parties such that the NHIDCL and IIT, Roorkee can take up various activities of common interest such as sharing knowledge on innovative ideas and technologies in the field of highway engineering and other infrastructure works as per mutually agreed terms and conditions. The MoU provides a formal basis for initiating interaction between NHIDCL and IIT, Roorkee and will play a significant role in realising the aims and objectives of Prime Minister’s GatiShakti, National Master Plan launched recently.
National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) promotes surveys, establishes, designs, builds, operates, maintains and upgrades National Highways and Strategic Roads including interconnecting roads in parts of the country which share international boundaries with neighbouring countries including the UTs of J&K, Ladakh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal and the seven northeastern states.
IIT, Roorkee is a premier institute in the country with a vision to be a centre of excellence in education and research, producing global leaders in science, technology and management; to be a hub of knowledge creation and technology development that prioritizes the frontier areas of national and global importance to improve the life of every citizen of the country.
Both NHIDCL and IIT, Roorkee are leading premier national organisations in their respective fields and are desirous of working together to work as a team to achieve national objectives, undertaken with their best abilities and maximum mutual cooperation with the intent of helping each other.
The Development Bureau announced today (February 24) that the Architectural Services Department had signed a co-operation agreement with the China State Construction International Holdings Limited in respect of eight projects for the construction of community isolation and treatment facilities. The eight projects, to be funded by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, are distributed across the following locations:
Penny’s Bay
Former runway area of Kai Tak
Tam Mei, Yuen Long (private land lent by Sun Hung Kai Properties)
Former site of The Boxes, San Tin (private land lent by Sun Hung Kai Properties and Henderson Land Development)
Hung Shui Kiu, near Kai Pak Ling Road
Tsing Yi Town Lot No. 200
A site located in Fanling North New Development Area, next to Ma Sik Road, Fanling (private land lent by New World Development)
A site on the south-eastern part of the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities Island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, north of Tuen Mun Chek Lap Kok Tunnel Road
The two sites in Fanling and the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities Island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge are newly identified.
The HKSAR Government expresses gratitude to the developers for lending private land for free, including New World Development for lending the new site in Ma Sik Road, Fanling, as well as Sun Hung Kai Properties and Henderson Land Development for lending two sites announced earlier. The sites have been swiftly handed over to the construction teams so that construction works can be kick-started as early as possible.
The HKSAR Government expresses once again its gratitude to the Central Government for the tremendous support, the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR for the intensive co-ordinating efforts, as well as the construction teams which have been working in full steam on the projects. The HKSAR Government and the construction teams are taking forward the construction projects in full speed and communicating closely on the detailed design and scale of the projects. The target is to maximise the site utilisation and complete the relevant works as soon as possible, equipping Hong Kong for the fight against the epidemic.
Directorate of Indian Army Veterans (DIAV) and Mrs Veena Nayyar, wife of Late Vice Admiral KK Nayyar, former Vice Chief of Naval Staff signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to pledge Rs Two Crores for welfare schemes run by the Army, Navy and Air Force. Mrs Veena Nayyar presented a Cheque of Rs 2 Crores to three Services which was received by Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff, Gen MM Naravane, Chief of the Army Staff and Air Marshall VPS Rana, Air Officer In Charge of Administration at Army Headquarters, New Delhi.
The main objective of the MoU is to facilitate various welfare schemes instituted for Next of Kins of service personnel died in harness. The welfare schemes include Education Scholarships and Computer Grant for wards and widows of deceased service personnel, Grant for Higher Education of widows and Marriage grant for widows and daughters.
The Chief of the Naval Staff and the Chief of the Army Staff conveyed their gratitude to Mrs Veena Nayyar for her benevolent contribution to the three Services and said that her noble gesture would support more than one lakh widows and wards in leading a respectful life.
DIAV is one of the primary organisations of Indian Army which looks after the Rehabilitation and Welfare of the families of Service personnel who have died in harness. DIAV has disbursed approximately Rs 86 Crores to about 76,000 beneficiaries over the past 20 years towards various welfare schemes.
Lt Gen Harsha Gupta, Adjutant General and Mrs Veena Naravane, President Army Wives Welfare Association and Mrs Sudha Gupta, General Secretary, Army Wives Welfare Association were also present on the occasion.
An MoU was signed today between the Kerala State Eklavya Model Residential School Society and the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) for effective management of the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) in Kerala. The MoU was signed by Shri Puneet Kumar, Principal Secretary, Scheduled Tribes Development Department, Government of Kerala and Shri. Asit Gopal, Commissioner, NESTS in the presence of Dr. Naval Jit Kapoor, Joint Secretary (EMRS), Ministry of Tribal Affairs in New Delhi today.
Out of 28 States, where EMRSs are being established, the NESTS has executed MoUs with 21 State/UT Governments as on date including Government of Kerala. The signing of the MoU is the first step towards positioning of EMRSs as harbinger of tribal education in the remote tribal hinterlands and it would bring all States on a uniform and mutually agreed platform.
In his message, Sh. Arjun Munda, Minister of Tribal Affairs said that with the overarching vision of the Prime Minister to usher all round development in tribal areas, the scheme of EMRSs was revamped in 2018-19 to improve the geographical outreach of the programme and introduce several qualitative changes to improve learning outcomes in the schools. By the year 2022, there is a target of establishing 740 EMRSs across the country covering every block with 50% or more ST population and 20,000 or more tribal persons, benefitting around 3.5 lakh tribal students.
In her message, Smt Renuka Singh Saruta, Minister of State said that with this strategic partnership with State Governments, efforts are being taken to ensure holistic development of the students in both academic and extracurricular sphere will bear fruits. The EMRSs have become beacon of success in the tribal areas and emerging as a premier institution of Nation Building.
Sh. R. Subrahmanyam, Secretary Ministry of Tribal Affairs in his message conveyed that as part of revamping of the programme, several systemic changes have been introduced including construction of schools by central agencies, CBSE affiliation of the schools, recruitment of regular teaching and non-teaching staff, designing of school uniforms, capacity building of teachers, leadership development of principals, introduction of online/digital technologies in the schools.
Sh. Puneet Kumar, Principal Secretary ST development department, speaking on the occasion thanked the Ministry of Tribal affairs, Government of India for the overwhelming support through EMRS Scheme on behalf of the Government of Kerala and said that he looked forward to continued cooperation and support for the benefit of the tribal students by improving standards of teaching and improvements in Infrastructure of EMRSs.
EMRSs are a flagship intervention of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to provide quality education to tribal students in remote tribal areas. The programme being implemented since 1998 have created a niche in the tribal education landscape of the country. However, the scheme was revamped in 2018 to improve the geographical outreach of the programme and introduce several qualitative changes to improve learning outcomes in the schools.
Currently there are 588 schools sanctioned across the country in 28 States/UT with around 73391 students enrolled in the Schools. Another 152 schools shall be sanctioned by the year 2022. Details of the schools can be seen on the dashboard of the Ministry available at www.dashboard.tribal.gov.in.
NESTS was established in April, 2019 as an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to run and manage the schools. Ever since then, In order to ensure adequate availability of financial resources in the schools, the recurring cost per annum per student was enhanced to Rs. 1,09,000.00 in 2018-19 from the existing unit cost of Rs. 61,500.00 in 2017-18.With the increase in recurring cost and the construction grant it was imperative that the qualitative improvements in the running and management of the schools are initiated simultaneously. With the execution of MoU, the schools shall be eligible for higher recurring costs so as to ensure qualitative improvements in the schools.
