The Daily Brief – 15th October 2019

Dharma Guardian 2019, a joint military exercise between India and Japan, will be held from 19^th October to 2^nd November, 2019 at the Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School in Vairengte, Mizoram. It aims to increase inter-operability between the forces of the two nations and enhance coordination in dealing with various security challenges, including counter-terrorism. It is the second edition of the annual training event, which is being conducted in India since 2018.

The Union Ministry of Science and Technology organised the 25^th Technology Summit on 15^th and 16^th October, 2019 in New Delhi. This year, Netherlands has been invited to participate in the bilateral platform that provides opportunities to industries, government agencies and institutes from India and the participating country to interact with each other. The theme for this year is ‘Young entrepreneurship’. Italy had participated in the Technology Summit 2018.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting on ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ programme under which the government plans to hold people-to-people exchange between states to enhance knowledge about each other’s culture. It is a personal initiative of PM Modi that highlights India’s diversity and furthers national unity. The goal of this unique mission is to develop a holistic national perspective on important issues as well as encourage celebration of India’s vibrant regional cultures.

International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) is observed every year on 13^th October to promote global culture towards risk awareness and disaster reduction. The theme for this year is ‘Reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services’. The International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) was started in 1989 by the United Nations General Assembly.

The 2019 First Global DXB Challenge, a large gathering for creative young minds in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence, will be hosted by Dubai from 24^th to 27^th October, 2019 at the Festival Arena in Dubai, UAE. The theme of the event is ‘Ocean Opportunities’. The First Global Challenge seeks to encourage and empower youth with a passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, develop their skills and equip them with the tools necessary to contribute to shaping the future.

Environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt has been selected for the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for the years 2017 and 2018 for his services in promoting and preserving national integration in the country. It would be presented on 31^st October, the day former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was killed. This Award is being given annually since 1985 to distinguished persons/institutions for promoting national integration, understanding and fellowship amongst religious groups, communities, ethnic groups, cultures, languages and traditions of India.

Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) satellite has been launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to explore the mysterious, dynamic region where air meets space. It will study the airglow formed from gases in the ionosphere and also measure the charged environment right around the 580-kilometer-high (360-mile-high) spacecraft. The satellite has been built by Northrop Grumman, an American global aerospace and defense technology company.