The Goa government, on Tuesday, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Google India to promote digital literacy and drive digital transformation across the state.
•    As a first step, the state will launch internet safety education as part of the curriculum for students of classes 9 to 12 in government schools in association with Google India.
•    The special program, meant to teach people how to stay safe online, has been designed by Google in consultation with experts, and teacher training for it will take place shortly in 460 schools with over 80,000 enrolled students.
•    Google's free high speed wireless internet service available at a number of railway stations in India will be extended to Goa as well, said vice-president of Google south-east Asia and India, Rajan Anandan.
•    Chief Minister Laxmi kant Parsekar said that signing the MoU was a milestone for Goa, adding that it would benefit the state in the fields of tourism, culture and education.
 

The Newly constructed office complex of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) was inaugurated today by Sh. Upendra Kushwaha, Union Minister of State (HRD). 
•    Speaking on the occasion, the Minister of State stressed the importance of AICTE in cultivating technology for the transformation of India, especially the rural India. 
•    He wished that the AICTE in its best capacity fulfill the vision of our Prime Minister for transforming India through facilitating quality technical education for our youth. 
•    The statutory All India Council for Technical Education was established on May 12, 1988 following the passing of AICTE bill in 1987. 
•    First full time chairman was appointed in 1993 and council re-constituted next year in accordance with the provisions of the Act. 
•    The AICTE, was moved out of the Ministry of HRD Govt. of India into Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium complex at ITO New Delhi in 1994. 
•    Thereafter the office premises were shifted to Chanderlok Building Janpath New Delhi and partly to NBCC Building at Lodhi Road New Delhi and partly at Mayur Bhavan Income Tax Building Shankar Market Connaught Circle New Delhi. 
•    Now onwards, AICTE will work from the new Headquarters with increased efficiency to transform the technical educational sector of India.
 

Union HRD Minister, Shri Prakas Javedkar on 7th August 2016 inaugurated IIT Raipur in Chhattisgarh at the campus of Government Engineering College, Raipur. Inaugurating the IIT, Shri Javedkar said that the institute will have its own campus by the time first batch of students obtains degree. He said that to crack IIT entrance test is difficult task, hence all the students who got admissions in IIT deserve congratulations. 
•    Appreciating the ‘Prayas Avasiya Vidhyalaya’ initiative of Chhattisgarh Government, led by Dr. Raman Prasad Singh, Union HRD Minister said that it is a successful and meaningful example of imparting quality education to all specially those who come from disadvantage sections of society. He said Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has emphasized on quality education for all to ensure all round development of the country. 
•    The Minister had interaction with students of Prayas Vidyalaya. He said that it is remarkable that the talented students of Naxal affected districts are being given free coaching in 11th and 12th standards for appearing in PMT, JEE and other competitive exams.
 

“The government has given high priority for improving the Nursing and Midwifery cadre through skill development and continued professional development, stated Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare.” He was speaking at the 1st convocation ceremony of National Institute of Nursing Education’, PGIMER, Chandigarh. 
•    While addressing the gathering, Shri Nadda mentioned that some of the initiatives undertaken for strengthening of nursing cadre are; establishment of ANM/GNM Schools, Upgradation of institutions from School of Nursing to College of Nursing, Training of Nurses, Development of eleven one year specialisation courses, Revision of curriculum for all nursing programs, New ‘Nurse Practitioner courses, Nurse Practitioner in Critical Care Program, Nurse Practitioner in Primary Healthcare Program, Nurses registration Tracking System (Live Register), and establishment of national PhD consortium for Nursing Research. The proposed ‘Nursing Practice Act’ will empower nurses and more reforms can be done in Nursing regulation, the Health Minister elaborated.
•    His visit is marked by addition of very important and valuable facilities in the premium Medical Institute of North India today. In the morning, he dedicated two more AMRIT (Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants) outlets at PGI. One in Nehru Hospital for providing generic medicines and orthopedic surgical implants and another in the Advanced Cardiac Centre  (ACC) for providing affordable cardio vascular medicines and implants making total number of such outlet three at PGI. The first shop which was established in April, 2016 has already crossed Rs.5 lakhs per day mark of value of drugs dispensed.
•    Health Minister also inaugurated SLEEP LAB in the Department of ENT for the diagnosis and surgical treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). This Lab is the first   to be started in ENT Department of North India. This Lab is designed to evaluate, diagnose, treat and help patients to manage OSA. The sleep study is a painless process conducted on the patient at night. In the next day he will received a complete sleep report with diagnoses of sleep related problems. Advanced Eye Center of PGI has been equipped with the femtosecond laser technology today which would ensure fast, accurate and predictable cataract surgery. This procedure commonly called as “Blade-less Cataract Procedure”/”Robotic Cataract Procedure”. Femtosecond Cataract Surgery helps to reduce the surgical complications and enhance the post-operative outcome in the complicated and challenging cataract cases. He specifically told that this facility is first of its kind in India which has been installed at the cost of Rs.7 crores. Health Minister also dedicated Kitten MRI/Mock MRI Scanner at PGI which is specifically designed to make MRI scanning safer and more child friendly. In this facility children will be exposed to the environment of MRI scanning before they are actually taking first scanning. This facility has been acquired at approximate cost of Rs.13 crores.

Shri Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Government of India inaugurated the Indian Institute of Technology at Jammu today on 6th August 2016. 
•    The institution is the first IIT for the state set up to create a learning environment and will be built over 500 Acres of land near Jammu city. 
•    Jammu is among the six cities across the country which was set to get IITs. Meanwhile, in the first year, the institute will function from a well-equipped temporary campus in Paloura, Jammu that will have all the facilities to meet the standards. 
•    Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State with PMO and Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Government of India, Shri Jugal Kishore, Member Parliament, Shri Shamsher Singh Manhas, Member Parliament, Dr. Nirmal Kumar Singh, Dy. Chief Minister, Government of Jammu & Kashmir, Smt. Priya Sethi, MoS for Education, Government of Jammu and Kashmir and other dignitaries were present during the ceremony which was held at KCS College of Education, Paloura. 
•    On the occasion, Shri Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Government of India expressed his delight to inaugurate the campus in the city of temples bestowed with rich culture and heritage. The institution will go a long way in building and harnessing the immense talent of the entire State, he added. 
•    Every possible step will be taken with a special attention to bring in all the facilities and trainers ensuring quality generation out of the talent pool in order to fulfil the dream of Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Javadekar further added. 
•    Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State with PMO and Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Government of India, in his address appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Human Resource and Development in making such a prestigious institution possible for imparting quality education keeping in mind the aspirations of the people of the State. 
•    The institution will offer a set of programmes across various academic streams that will follow a credit system and the performance in a course will be continuously evaluated.
 

Union Minister of Human Resource Development Shri Prakash Javdekar inaugurated Indian Institute of Technology, Goa on Saturday, July 30th. He also laid the foundation stone for IIT Goa Students’ Hostel. The newly set up IIT Goa shall function from temporary campus at Goa Engineering College, Farmagudi and will be mentored by IIT Mumbai. 
•    IITs are recognised world over as premier institutes of academic excellence. He also stated that the Ministry is working towards increasing the perception of IITs so that IITs are ranked top in world rankings. 
•    He also congratulated the students who made into the IITs and described them as the cream of the country. The Minister also mentioned how the IITs can use Government of India’s Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY) in which industries can give specific research request to IITs and co-partner in technological development. The Minister also commented on Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) in which the best practices of foreign countries can be implemented in India through idea exchange. 
•    The summer internship programme of IIT students can be conducted at various defence research establishments and will add value to their curriculum. 
•    He also mentioned about a programme in which scientists from DRDO will act as visiting faculty members to various IITs. The proposed campus for NIT Goa will be established at Cuncolim removing all the bottlenecks. 

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare signed MoU between Government of Himachal Pradesh, and NTPC & NHPC for setting up a Hydro Engineering College at Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh. 
•    Shri Nadda was the Guest of Honour at the signing ceremony in the presence of Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines in the Government of India, Shri Prem Kumar Dhumal, former CM, Himachal Pradesh, and Shri G S Bali, Minister, HP. Also present at the function were Members of Parliament Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, Shri Virendra Kashyap, and Ms. Viplav Thakur. 
•    Hydro power generation particularly in Himalayan region requires a combination of technical skills spanning different fields of engineering – civil, hydrology, mechanical, electrical engineering etc. 
•    The State of Himachal Pradesh possesses more than 20,000 MW Hydropower potential and NTPC and NHPC are engaged in operation and construction of many projects in the State.

The 2016 report of the prestigious Scimago Institutions Rankings in the fourth week of July 2016 ranked the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) as the 12th Best Government Institutions in the world.
•    CSIR is the only Indian organization to have found a place among the top 100 global institutions.
•    The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was established in 1942.
•    It is an autonomous body and the largest research and development organisation in India.
•    It runs 37 laboratories and 39 field stations or extension centres spread across the nation.
•    It is mainly funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology.
•    It operates as an autonomous body registered under the Registration of Societies Act of 1860.

Ranked at number six, the Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc), Bengaluru has been listed as the top Indian university in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) University Rankings 2016 for BRICS nations. 

•    While eight Indian universities ranked in the top 50, most of them, including IISc, lost ranks compared to their positions last year. 
•    China's Tsinghua University maintained its top spot.
•    It has been a mixed bag for Indian education institutions in the 2016 edition of the QS World University Rankings for BRICS nations — Brazil, China, India, Russia, and South Africa — released on Wednesday.
•    While India expanded its base in the rankings with 17.6 per cent of the 250 universities from the country, its highest ranked university, the Indian Institute of Sciences, Bengaluru, fell one place from last year's rankings. 
•    Apart from that, six of the top 10 Indian universities in the rankings also lost positions. Also, India has one fewer university in the top 20 when compared to the 2015 rankings.

India’s first Centre of Excellence on Internet of Things (CoE– IoT) was launched in Bengaluru, Karnataka by the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM). 
•    The centre was launched at NASSCOM’s Startup Warehouse in Bengaluru to encourage start-ups to come up with tech solutions centred on Internet of Things (IoT). 
•    The CoE– IoT has been jointly set up NASSCOM, Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITY) and Education and Research Network (ERNET). 
•    It is also supported by Cisco, Accenture, HCL Technologies, Intel, TCS, Qualcomm and L&T Technology Services, among others. 
•    It has been created as a catalyst for developing the IoT SME/Startup ecosystem of the country to scale for industrial and societal needs. 
•    The centre has capacity to incubate 40 startups and allows them to build a prototype and test them. 
•    The will also function as an enabler of Accelerating, Funding, Mentoring & Enterprise for the key emerging IoT startups who have been selected for incubation. 
•    The centre will focus on building solutions for applications such as agriculture, automobile, telecom, healthcare and consumer goods.