Prelims Focus 30th August 2024

Axis of Resistance

In News: 

The Axis of Resistance was within the information after the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.

• • It is a coalition of Iranian-backed companies describing  themselves as the “Axis of Resistance” to Israel and the U.S. impact within the Middle East.
  • The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis are some of the major groups in the alliance.

• How was the coalition formed?

• • The roots of the ‘axis of resistance’ cross again to the Iranian Revolution of 1979, which paved the way for radical Shia Muslim clerics to come to electricity. 
  • To make its political and army impact in a region wherein most powers (along with US-ally Saudi Arabia) are Sunni-majority countries, Iran’s new regime started to help non-state actors. 
  • Another reason for this was to deter threats from Israel and the US as Iran has seen Israel’s creation in 1948 as a means for the US (and the West) to influence the region for its strategic interests.

44th PRAGATI Interaction

In News: Prime Minister Modi chaired the 44th PRAGATI meeting, focusing on project reviews and governance.

• Projects Reviewed: 

• • • 7 significant projects had been discussed, including street, rail, coal, power, and water resources, totaling over Rs. 76,500 crore.
      • Projects affect 11 States and UTs: Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha, Goa, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, and Delhi.

• PRAGATI

• • It is the ICT-based multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation.
  • It is  a multi-motive platform for addressing grievances and monitoring government initiatives.
  • It is a three-tier system (PMO, Union Government Secretaries, and Chief Secretaries of the States);
  • Purpose: Aims to enhance governance performance and responsiveness, integrating Digital records management, video-conferencing, and geo-spatial technology.

SIG 716 Rifle

In News: In recent months, the Indian Ministry of Defence ordered additional stock of 73,000 SIG 716 rifles, the supply of which is expected to be finished in 2025.

• The SIG 716 is an automatic assault rifle produced by Sig Sauer which is an American based firearms manufacturing company.
• This rifle has been a center of focus in any environment that involves the use of force because of the features and the performance delivered by this rifle.
• The rifle is lethal and covers a large range as compared to available rifles like INSAS and AK-47 which are already in use in Indian armed forces.
• Now, coming to the fourth last point, it can be stated that the SIG 716 is modular in design which makes it suitable for different roles.

National Teachers Awards 2024

In News: The President of India, Droupadi Murmu will give out the National Teachers Award to 50 teachers on September 5, 2024 at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi for their contributions to education.

Highlights of the Event:

• Recognition of Excellence: These awards will give out 50 great awards to great educators who have been dedicating themselves to the teaching profession. Applicants to this program are the teachers who have applied special ways and means to instill new values in their students and have devoted their efforts towards making substantial impacts in the areas of education.
• Significance: It is clear that the National Teachers Awards are to pin the role of teachers as the custodians of the destiny of the nation. They are meant to not only compensate worthy educators for the effort and commitment they make to shape their student’s lives and the system of education.
• Objective: The event focuses on the fact of how valuable teachers are in society and it is a goal of the event to encourage all the teachers in the country to go on and work hard towards the enhancement of the quality of education.

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