DRDO hands over AHSP of Pinaka weapon system to DGQA

The Defence Research and Development Organisation handed over the Authority Holding Sealed Particulars (AHSP) responsibility of Pinaka weapon system to the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA). 

AHSP transfer marks successful establishment of production of Pinaka rockets, launchers, battery command posts, loader-cum-replenishment and replenishment vehicles as well as successful establishment of quality assurance processes. 

AHSP is responsible for holding of sealed particulars and patterns and supply of certified copies of drawings/specifications in respect of items.

Pinaka multi-barrel rocket system (MBRS) is a free-flight artillery rocket having a maximum range of 38 km with different types of warhead & fuzes, a multi-tube launcher vehicle, a replenishment-cum-loader vehicle, a replenishment vehicle and a command post vehicle. 

There are two pods containing six rockets each, capable of firing in salvo mode within 48 seconds, neutralising the area of 700x500m. 

The weapon system is designed and developed by Pune based DRDO lab, Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) in association with High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (VRDE) and Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (CAIR). 

Pinaka rockets and its ground systems are currently under bulk production in ordnance factories, BEML, BEL, Tata Power and L&T Defence. 

Directorate General of Quality Assurance

• The Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) is an inter-service organisation functioning under the department of defence production in the ministry of defence. 

• DGQA is responsible for Quality Assurance of all defence stores and equipment, both imported as well as indigenous for the Army, Navy (excluding Naval Armaments) and common user items for the Air Force procured from the private sector, public sector undertakings and ordnance factories.

• DGQA organisation is structured into 11 Technical Directorates, each responsible for a distinct range of equipment. The Technical Directorates are structured in two tiers for functional purposes comprising Controllerates and Field Quality Assurance Establishments. 

• In addition, there are Proof Establishments in Armament Discipline for carrying out proof of weapons and ammunition.

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Bihar polls to be held in 3 phases 

Voting for Bihar assembly elections will be held in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November 7, followed by counting of votes on November 10. 

Announcing the poll schedule for the 243-member Bihar assembly, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said voting will begin as usual at 7am but the period will be extended by one hour until 6pm, except in the Left Wing Extremism affected areas, so that COVID-19 patients can vote in the last hour of the day.

While in 2015 elections, the state had 65,367 polling stations, the number now stands at 1,06,526, an increase of 62.96 per cent.

In the outgoing assembly, the RJD has 80 members while the JD (U) has 69. The BJP has 54 seats, Congress has 25, while the remaining seats in the 243-member assembly are held by other parties.

Voting for the first phase on October 28 will cover 71 assembly constituencies, while the second-phase voting on November 3 will cover 94 seats. The third phase of voting on November 7 will cover 78 assembly seats.

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President Kovind confers NSS Awards

President Ram Nath Kovind virtually conferred the National Service Scheme (NSS) Awards for the year 2018-19 to 42 volunteers/institutions. 

The ministry of youth affairs & sports confers the NSS Award every year to recognise and reward outstanding contributions towards voluntary community service made by the universities/colleges, plus two councils, senior secondary, NSS units/programme officers and NSS volunteers. 

National Service Scheme

National Service Scheme (NSS) was launched on September 24, 1969 with the primary objective of developing the personality and character of the student youth through voluntary community service.

‘Education through Service’ is the purpose of the NSS. The ideological orientation of the NSS is inspired by the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. The motto of NSS ‘Not Me But You’, reflects the essence of democratic living and upholds the need for selfless service.

NSS attempts to establish meaningful linkages between ‘Campus and Community’, ‘College and Village’ and ‘Knowledge and Action’. 

NSS was launched in 1969 in 37 universities involving about 40,000 volunteers. As on March 2019, NSS has about 39.96 lakh volunteers enrolled in 43,174 NSS units spread over 494 universities and plus two  councils/directorates, 17,894 colleges/technical institutions and 12,072 senior secondary schools. 

Since its inception, over seven crore students have benefited from NSS.

Objectives of NSS: 

NSS aims at developing the following qualities/competencies among the volunteers:

• Understand the community in which the NSS volunteers work and to understand themselves in relation to their community.

• Identify the needs and problems of the community and involve themselves in problem-solving exercise. 

• Develop among themselves a sense of social and civic responsibility.

• Utilise their knowledge in finding practical solutions to individual and community problems.

• Gain skills in mobilising community participation.

• Acquire leadership qualities and democratic values. 

• Develop capacity to meet emergencies and natural disasters. 

• Practice national integration and social harmony. 

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Union Minister Suresh Angadi dies

Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi died of COVID-19, becoming the first Union Minister to succumb to the deadly virus. He was 65. 

Born on June 1, 1955 in Koppa village in Belagavi, Angadi did his law graduation from Raja Lakhamgouda Law College. 

He was elected MP in the Lok Sabha elections in 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019. He was made Union Minister of State for Railways last year.

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Trailblazing journalist Harold Evans dies at 92

Sir Harold Evans, the charismatic publisher, author and muckraker who was a bold-faced name for decades for exposing wrongdoing in 1960s London to publishing best-sellers in the 90s passed away in New York. He was 92.

A former editor of Britain’s Sunday Times, Evans put a unique stamp on investigative journalism.

After 14 years at the Sunday Times, Evans became editor of the Times of London shortly after media mogul Rupert Murdoch purchased the paper in 1981. Evans left a year later and then moved to the US. 

He continued his career as an author, publisher and university lecturer. He penned several books, including ‘Good Times, Bad Times’(1983), ‘The American Century’ (1998) and its sequel ‘They Made America’ (2004), ‘My Paper Chase’ (2009) as well as an ode to good writing called ‘Do I Make Myself Clear?’ (2017).

Evans received one of the highest honours of the British monarchy when he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2004 for his services to British journalism. 

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Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones dies

Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones, one of the finest batsmen of his generation, passed away in Mumbai at the age of 59. 

Jones was part of the 1987 World Cup winning team. He played 52 Tests and 164 ODIs for Australia. 

One of Jones’s most memorable innings came in the tied Test against India in Chennai in 1986, when he battled extreme heat and physical exhaustion to notch a memorable double century.

Jones ended his career with 3,631 runs in Tests at an average of 46.55 with 11 hundreds and 14 half-centuries, and over 6,000 runs in ODIs with seven centuries and 46 fifties. In his post retirement life he performed the role of a cricket analyst for various channels. He was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2019.

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