NITI Aayog
India scores 46^th rank in the Global Innovation Index 2021

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Global Innovation Index 2021 rankings) + Mains ( GS II Government policies and interventions - steps taken + governance)
What's the NEWS

• India has climbed 2 spots and has been ranked 46^th by the World Intellectual Property Organization in the Global Innovation Index 2021 rankings.
• India has been on a rising trajectory, over the past several years in the Global Innovation Index (GII), from a rank of 81 in 2015 to46in 2021.
• This year, the NITI Aayog in partnership with the CII and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), is hosting, virtually, the India Launch of the GII and the Global Innovation Conclave during September 21-22,2021.

Know! the Index Highlights

• India has been portrayed as successful in developing sophisticated services that are technologically dynamic and can be traded internationally.
• It continues to lead the world in the information and communication technology services exports indicator (1) and holds top ranks in other indicators, such as domestic industry diversification (12) and graduates in science and engineering (12).
• Scientific wings like the Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, and the Department of Space have played a pivotal role in enriching the national innovation ecosystem
• The consistent improvement in the GII ranking is owing to the immense knowledge capital, the vibrant startup ecosystem and the amazing work done by the public and the private research organisations.
• The NITI Aayog has been working tirelessly to ensure the optimization of the national efforts for bringing policy led innovation in different areas such as electric vehicles, biotechnology, nano technology, space, alternative energy sources, etc.
• The India Innovation Index, the latest edition of which was released last year by the NITI Aayog, has been widely accepted as a major step in the direction of decentralization of innovation across all the states of India.
• A constant thrust in monitoring and evaluating India's position in the global rankings has been provided by the NITI Aayog, including in the GII.
• The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has also been leading from the front as a torchbearer of lndia's journey towards an innovation driven economy.
  
  

Know! about GII report

• The GII report is published by WIPO in partnership with the Portulans Institute, with support of corporate network partners, such as the Confederation of Indian Industry, Brazilian National Confederation of Industry, Ecopetrol Group (Colombia), and the Turkish Exporters Assembly.
• Meanwhile, lauding India's efforts, the GII report said that selected middle-income economies are changing the innovation landscape, starting with China; Turkey, Vietnam, India, and the Philippines now pulling their weight.
• Beyond China, these four particularly large economies together have the potential to change the global innovation landscape for good

Prelims Factoids
3^rd State Food Safety Index

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about 3rd State Food Safety Index (SFSI) highlights
What's the NEWS

• Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare released Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)'s 3^rd State Food Safety Index (SFSI) to measure the performance of States across five parameters of food safety.

3^rd State Food Safety Index (SFSI) highlights

• The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare felicitated nine leading States/UTs based on the ranking for the year 2020-21 for their impressive performance.
• This year, among the larger states, Gujarat was the top ranking state, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• Among the smaller states, Goa stood first followed by Meghalaya and Manipur.
• Among UTs, Jammu & Kashmir, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and New Delhi secured top ranks.
• The Union Minister also flagged off 19 Mobile Food Testing Vans (Food Safety on Wheels) to supplement the food safety ecosystem across the country taking the total number of such mobile testing vans to 109.
• The Union Minister released the results of PAN-India survey for identifying the presence of industrially produced trans fatty acid content in the selected foods.

State Food Safety Index

• FSSAI has developed State Food Safety Index to measure the performance of states on various parameters of Food Safety.
• This index is based on performance of State/ UT on five significant parameters, namely, Human Resources and Institutional Data, Compliance, Food Testing - Infrastructure and Surveillance, Training & Capacity Building and Consumer Empowerment.
• The Index is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model that provides an objective framework for evaluating food safety across all States/UTs.

Prelims Factoids
Indian Navy and Indonesian Navy Participate In Exercise Samudra Shakti

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the Exercise)
What's the NEWS

• Indian Naval Ships Shivalik and Kadmatt arrived at Jakarta, Indonesia on 18 Sep 21 to participate in the 3^rd edition of Bilateral Exercise ‘Samudra Shakti' with the Indonesian Navy scheduled off the approaches to Sunda Strait from 20 Sep to 22 Sep 21.

Know! more about the Exercise

• The exercise aims to strengthen the bilateral relationship, enhance mutual understanding and interoperability in maritime operations between the two navies.
• The exercise will also provide an appropriate platform to share best practices and develop a common understanding of Maritime Security Operations.
• In pursuance of India's Act East Policy, Exercise ‘Samudra Shakti' was conceived in 2018 as a bilateral IN-IDN exercise.
• The exercise has matured in complexity over the last two editions and will involve conduct of complex maritime operations including Military Interdiction Operations (MIO), Cross Deck Landings, Air Defence serials, Practice Weapon Firings, Replenishment Approaches and Tactical Manoeuvres.

Sunda Strait

• The Sunda Strait is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra.
• It connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean.

Economy
Sufficient Economy Philosophy (SEP)
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the concept of SEP) + Mains ( GS III Economic development + financial inclusion)
What's the NEWS

• Like the 'Self-reliant India' movement proposed by India, its domestic development approach of 'Sufficient Economy Philosophy' (SEP) proposed by Thailand is in discussion.
• Adequate economy philosophy can also be an alternative approach to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, according to Thailand.
•  In India's philosophy of self-reliance, the emphasis is not on the 'self-centred' system, but on the happiness, cooperation and peace of the whole world.

Sufficient Economy Philosophy (SEP)

• It was first introduced by Thailand in 1997 after the Asian financial crisis.
• The substantial economy philosophy, part of Thailand's 'Fundamental Governance Policy', is designed as a practical solution to a variety of problems and situations.
• It is a philosophical principle, which gives inner guidance to defend oneself from external challenges.

It also has a problem-level solution system such as:

• To lead a normal life in limited level of available resources at individual and family level and avoid taking undue advantage of other people.
• To participate in decision making at the community level is to get involved together and develop mutually beneficial knowledge and apply technology in an appropriate manner.
• Takes a holistic approach with greater emphasis on national level suitability, competitive advantage, low risk and hedging from over-investment.
•  This includes harmonizing with existing systems around the world, hedging investments and reducing imports, and reducing dependence on other countries.
• This philosophical principle is based on the pillars of knowledge, morality and values and principles like moderation/balance, rationality and intelligence.

Prelims Factoids
6^th Edition of SCO Exercise "Peaceful Mission - 2021

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about SCO Exercise Peaceful Mission : 2021)
What's the NEWS

• The 6^th Edition of SCO Exercise Peaceful Mission : 2021 hosted by Russia started at Orenburg Region of South West Russia
• The aim of the exercise is to foster close relations between SCO Member States and to enhance abilities of the military leaders to command multinational military contingents.
• An Indian military contingent comprising of an all arms combined force of 200 personnel from Indian Army and Indian Air force is participating in the exercise.
• The Exercise Peaceful Mission: 2021 is based on joint counter terrorism operations at operational and tactical level in an urban environment in which Armies and Air Forces of all SCO member states are participating.
• Over the next few days, troops will train, share and rehearse tactical drills which will culminate in a final validation exercise, where-in troops from all Armies and Air Forces will jointly undertake operations in a controlled and simulated environment.

Prelims Factoids
Mt Kun by NIMAS team

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Mount Kun - location + about NIMAS)
What's the NEWS

• Raksha Mantri flagged-in, in New Delhi on September 20, 2021, a team of National Institute of Mountaineering & Allied Sports (NIMAS) Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh, which completed a mountaineering expedition to Mount Kun (7,077 metres).
• The team, led by Institute Director Colonel Sarfraz Singh, conducted the expedition to the Nun-Kun Mountain Massif which is the highest feature of Zanskar ranges located in Kargil.
• During the expedition, a record number of 16 mountaineers - nine Army personnel and seven local youth of Arunachal Pradesh - scaled the mountain.
• The summiting, which coincided with ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas' (26th July) was part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' being celebrated across the country to commemorate 75th year of Independence.
• NIMAS is a premier mountaineering institute functioning under the aegis of Ministry of Defence. Raksha Mantri is its President and Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh is the Vice President.

Know! more about Kun Peak

• The Kun Peak is a part of Nun Kun mountain massif.
• It is the second highest summit of the massif with elevation of 7,077 metres in the eastern Himalayan Range, located near the Suru valley, on Kargil Zanskar road
• The Kun Peak is located north of Nun Peak 7,135 metres which is the highest summit of the massif and is separated from it by a snowy plateau of 4 km in length, in the northeast just at the 2 km of distance rises another peak of the massif known as Pinnacle Peak, 6930 metres.

Governance
Dashboard 2.0

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Dashboard 2.0 of the Ministry of Steel) + Mains ( GS II Governance)
What's the NEWS

• The Union Steel Minister launched the Dashboard 2.0 of the Ministry of Steel developed by the NICSI.
• The Dashboard is an interactive and dynamic online platform that captures the performance on various parameters related to steel sector such as steel capacity utilisation, production and consumption, prices, raw material production, trade, stocks and rail production etc.
• The Dashboard will help to monitor and analyse the performance of steel Companies on real time basis for different KPIs of Steel sector.
• The Dashboard enables Ministry of Steel to get better insights to assist data driven decision making by way of extraction of Trends, Patterns and useful information.
• Visualisation of Trends and Patterns assist decision makers in finding anomalies and forecasting based on patterns.
• The portal has been designed by NIC Steel Informatics Division in association with NICSI-CEDA team. Hosting Infrastructure is provided by NIC on Meghraj Cloud.

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