Why is it in the News?

Describing various initiatives of his government as “a way of its dedication towards Mahatma Gandhi”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a master plan for the Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram redevelopment project in Ahmedabad recently, on the anniversary of the historic Dandi March.

About Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram redevelopment project:

• On the anniversary of the historic Dandi March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a master plan for the Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram redevelopment project in Ahmedabad.
  • This joint initiative by the central government and the Gujarat government, known as the Gandhi Ashram Memorial and Precinct Development Project, is set to cost around Rs 1,200 crore.
• During the inauguration, PM Modi emphasized the importance of conserving heritage sites, stating that "a country which cannot conserve its heritage also loses its future."
  • He highlighted the collective responsibility of all Indians to preserve this globally renowned site, which holds immense historical and cultural significance.
• The government's commitment to restoring old buildings to their original form, with the aim of eliminating the need for new constructions, was outlined by PM Modi.
  • This approach aligns with the principle of preserving the authenticity and integrity of heritage sites, ensuring that future generations can experience and appreciate their true essence.
• The Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram, established by Mahatma Gandhi in 1917, played a pivotal role in India's struggle for independence.
  • By undertaking this redevelopment project, the government seeks to honor the legacy of the father of the nation and create a space that inspires future generations to learn from his life and teachings.

About Dandi March:

• The Dandi March, also known as the Salt March or Salt Satyagraha, was a significant non-violent protest action led by Mahatma Gandhi in March-April 1930.
  • This landmark event marked the beginning of a larger civil disobedience campaign that Gandhi waged against British rule in India, which extended into early 1931.
  • The Dandi March garnered widespread support for Gandhi among the Indian populace and drew considerable international attention.
• The motivations behind the Dandi March were rooted in the British monopoly over salt production and distribution in India.
  • A series of laws prohibited Indians from producing or selling salt independently, forcing them to purchase heavily taxed salt that was often imported.
  • This affected the majority of Indians, who were poor and could not afford the high cost of salt. Indian protests against the salt tax had begun in the 19th century and remained a major point of contention throughout British rule.
• By undertaking the Dandi March and defying the salt laws, Gandhi sought to mobilize the Indian populace against British oppression and galvanize support for the Indian independence movement.
  • The march, which covered over 240 miles from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, symbolized the spirit of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience that would come to characterize India's struggle for freedom.

Impact of Dandi March:

• The Dandi March had a profound impact on the Indian independence movement and left an indelible mark on the country's history.
  • The mass civil disobedience that ensued after Gandhi's iconic march led to millions of Indians breaking the salt laws by making or buying illegal salt.
• Gandhi's unwavering commitment to satyagraha against the salt tax inspired countless others to join the movement, including prominent leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru.
  • Thousands were arrested and imprisoned, including Gandhi himself, but the spirit of resistance only grew stronger.
• News of Gandhi's detention galvanized tens of thousands more to join the satyagraha, and the march on the Dharasana salt works went ahead as planned in May 1931.
  • Despite facing violent opposition from the police, the peaceful marchers, led by the poet Sarojini Naidu, persisted in their nonviolent resistance.
• Gandhi's release from custody in January 1931 marked a turning point, as he began negotiations with Lord Irwin aimed at ending the satyagraha campaign.
  • These efforts culminated in the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, signed on March 5, 1931, which formalized a truce between the Indian independence movement and the British government.
• The Dandi March, therefore, served as a catalyst for change, uniting Indians from all walks of life in a shared struggle for freedom and justice.
  • The events of the Salt Satyagraha remain an enduring symbol of the power of nonviolent resistance and the indomitable spirit of the Indian people in their quest for self-determination.

Why is it in the News?

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated the unique Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) programme amidst much enthusiasm at the Sector 7 sports complex, in Chandigarh recently.

About the KIRTI Programme:

• The KIRTI Programme is an ambitious nationwide initiative aimed at school children between the ages of nine and 18.
  • With a dual focus, the scheme strives to uncover hidden talent from every corner of the country while simultaneously utilizing sports as a powerful tool to combat addiction to drugs and digital distractions.

Primary Objectives of KIRTI's Programme:

• Identifying and nurturing talented young athletes from across India, ensuring that no potential goes unnoticed.
• Leveraging sports as a means to steer youth away from harmful addictions and encourage a healthier, more active lifestyle.
• To achieve these goals, KIRTI plans to conduct 20 lakh assessments throughout the year at designated Talent Assessment Centres across the nation.
  • The programme launched with a strong start at 50 centers in India, assessing 50,000 applicants in the first phase across 10 sports such as athletics, boxing, wrestling, hockey, and football.
• KIRTI's athlete-centric approach is characterized by its transparent selection methodology, which is grounded in Information Technology.
  • The programme employs data analytics based on Artificial Intelligence to predict sporting potential in aspiring athletes, ensuring that talent identification is both objective and data-driven.
  • By channeling India's youth towards sports and providing them with the necessary support, KIRTI aims to foster a new generation of athletes and promote a healthier, more active society.

About Khelo India Scheme:

• The Khelo India Scheme is the flagship initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India.
  • This Central Sector Scheme is designed to instill a sports culture and achieve sporting excellence in the country by leveraging the transformative power of sports and its cross-cutting influence.
• The Khelo India Scheme encompasses multiple verticals, with "Sports Competitions and Talent Development" being a key focus area.
  • Within this vertical, the "Talent Identification and Development" component plays a crucial role in identifying and nurturing athletes at both the grassroots and elite levels.
  • The primary objective is to strengthen the sports ecosystem in India by cultivating talent and providing athletes with the necessary resources and support to excel in their respective disciplines.
• Through the Khelo India Scheme, the government aims to promote sports as a way of life, encouraging greater participation and creating a robust platform for athletes to showcase their skills.
  • By investing in sports infrastructure, training, and competition opportunities, the scheme seeks to establish India as a global sporting powerhouse and inspire future generations to embrace the spirit of sportsmanship and athletic achievement.

Why is it in the News?

The government has notified a new legal code to curb the unethical marketing of drugs and banning medical representatives from using “inducement” to access healthcare professionals

About the Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) 2024:

• The UCPMP 2024 has been implemented to regulate unethical practices within the pharmaceutical industry, with a focus on promoting transparency and ethical conduct.
  • The updated guidelines encompass various aspects, including drug endorsement, promotion, ethical behavior for medical representatives, and the maintenance of professional relationships with healthcare professionals.

Key provisions of the UCPMP 2024 include:

• Prohibiting the offering of gifts and travel facilities to healthcare professionals or their family members by pharmaceutical companies.
• Mandating that medical representatives should not use any form of inducement or subterfuge to gain interviews with healthcare professionals, nor should they provide payment for access under any guise.
• Holding pharmaceutical companies responsible for the actions of their medical representatives.
• Banning the supply of free drug samples to individuals who are not qualified to prescribe such products.
• Requiring each pharmaceutical company to maintain detailed records of free samples provided to healthcare practitioners, with the total value of distributed samples not exceeding two percent of the company's domestic sales per year.
• Compulsory constitution of an Ethics Committee for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (ECPMP) by all pharmaceutical associations, along with the establishment of a dedicated UCPMP portal on their websites for implementation and monitoring purposes.
• Detailed guidelines on how drugs should be promoted in textual and audio-visual marketing materials, ensuring that information is balanced, up-to-date, verifiable, and non-misleading.
• Restrictions on making unverified claims and comparisons about a drug's usefulness, as well as using terms like "safe" and "new" without proper qualification.
• Assigning responsibility for adherence to the UCPMP 2024 to the Chief Executive Officers of pharmaceutical companies.
• Outlining penalties for violating the code and establishing a clear process for handling complaints, ensuring accountability and effective oversight.
• The UCPMP 2024 serves as a comprehensive framework for promoting ethical practices within the pharmaceutical industry, aiming to protect the interests of patients, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders while fostering an environment of transparency and integrity.

Why is it in the News?

India was the world’s top arms importer for the period 2019-23 with imports having gone up by 4.7% compared to the period 2014-18, according to the SIPRI.

Highlights from the SIPRI Report 2023:

• The report highlights that India continues as the world’s largest arms importer, maintaining this position despite ongoing efforts to enhance its defense-industrial base, accounting for a significant 9.8% of global arms imports between 2019 and 2023.
  • There has been a steady increase in India's arms imports, with a 4.7% rise observed between 2014-18 and 2019-23, attributed in part to emergency procurements prompted by the prolonged military standoff with China.
• The dynamics of arms suppliers are changing, with Russia historically serving as India's primary weapons supplier, still accounting for 36% of its arms imports, although there is a shift towards diversification, with India increasingly turning to Western countries and domestic manufacturers.
  • Notably, between 2019-23, Russian deliveries constituted less than half of India's arms imports for the first time since 1960-64.
• Western suppliers like France and the United States are emerging as key players, collectively accounting for 46% of India's arms imports, with significant contracts in progress, such as India's procurement of 31 armed MQ-9B Sky Guardian drones from the US and 26 Rafale-M fighters from France.
• In the global arms trade landscape, India ranks as the top importer, followed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Ukraine, Pakistan, Japan, Egypt, Australia, South Korea, and China, while the United States leads among exporters with a 42% share, followed by France and Russia.
• India's role as a major arms customer is underscored by its position as the largest arms customer for France, Russia, and Israel, highlighting its significance in global arms procurement.
  • Meanwhile, China remains a dominant supplier to Pakistan, accounting for 61% of its exports, and also exports 11% of its arms to Bangladesh, consolidating its influence in the region.

Challenges Encountered by India in Indigenous Production of Defense Equipment:

• Efforts to promote indigenous defense production, exemplified by initiatives like 'Make in India', have encountered persistent challenges, notably the failure to materialize any projects under the Strategic Partnership (SP) model, which was introduced to foster collaboration between the public and private sectors within the defense industry.
• The SP model, designed to facilitate joint endeavors between government-owned defense entities and private companies, has yet to yield tangible results, necessitating a thorough review of the policy framework.
  • Key areas for improvement include a reevaluation of pricing methodologies, ensuring long-term orders to sustain production, and addressing bottlenecks that impede project implementation.
• Furthermore, India's defense sector has seen minimal Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), amounting to only Rs 5,077 crore since the sector was opened to private companies in 2001.
  • Despite efforts to liberalize FDI regulations, such as allowing up to 74% through the automatic route and up to 100% through the government route in 2020, investment inflows remain disproportionately low.

About Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI):

• The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is a renowned independent international institute committed to investigating various aspects of conflict, armaments, arms control, and disarmament.
• Founded in 1966 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, SIPRI consistently ranks among the world's most respected think tanks.

SIPRI's mission is multi-faceted and encompasses the following key objectives:

• Conducting in-depth research and activities related to security, conflict, and peace, with the aim of developing a deeper understanding of the complex factors that influence global stability.
• Providing insightful policy analysis and recommendations to policymakers, international organizations, and civil society actors, helping them make informed decisions and develop strategies to address security challenges.
• Facilitating dialogue and building capacities among various stakeholders, including governments, academia, and non-governmental organizations, to foster cooperation and promote mutual understanding on peace and security issues.
• Promoting transparency and accountability in the field of international security by maintaining comprehensive databases on arms transfers, military expenditure, and other relevant data, which contribute to a more accurate assessment of global security trends.
• By adhering to these core principles and objectives, SIPRI plays a vital role in advancing the global discourse on peace and security, while supporting efforts to mitigate conflict and promote stability worldwide.

Why is it in the News?

As the global demand for the latest AI technologies surges, one unexpected item has emerged as a highly sought-after commodity: the graphics processing unit (GPU).

What is a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)?

• A Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is a specialized computer chip designed to efficiently render graphics and images by performing rapid mathematical calculations.
  • Widely used in both professional and personal computing, GPUs were initially developed to handle the rendering of 2D and 3D images, animations, and video content.
• Similar to a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a GPU is an integral component of computing devices.
  • However, the primary distinction lies in the GPU's specialized design to handle and accelerate graphics workloads and display graphics content on devices like PCs or smartphones.
• While a typical modern CPU consists of between 8 and 16 "cores" that process complex tasks sequentially, GPUs contain thousands of smaller cores.
  • These cores are engineered to work simultaneously ("in parallel") to achieve fast overall processing, making GPUs ideal for tasks involving numerous simple operations that can be executed concurrently.
• GPUs operate using a technique called parallel processing, where multiple processors manage separate parts of a single task.
  • They also possess their own dedicated RAM to store and process large amounts of data for graphics-intensive applications.
    • In graphics applications, the CPU sends instructions to the GPU for drawing graphics content on the screen.
    • The GPU then executes these instructions in parallel at high speeds, displaying the content on the device—a process known as the graphics or rendering pipeline.
• Modern GPUs have expanded beyond their traditional role in graphics rendering and are now employed in various applications such as creative content production, video editing, high-performance computing (HPC), and artificial intelligence (AI).
  • By offloading graphics-related tasks from the CPU, GPUs enable fast and smooth rendering of content on computer screens.
  • As technology continues to advance, the applications of GPUs will likely expand even further, solidifying their position as an essential component in the computing landscape.