November 2024
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NITI Aayog/Governance/GSII
NITI Aayog to Launch Second Edition of Export Preparedness Index
What's the NEWS
- NITI Aayog, in collaboration with the Institute of Competitiveness, will release the second edition of the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2021 on 25 March.
Know! about the Index
- The release of the second edition of the index-the first was launched in August 2020-demonstrates the Government's continued commitment towards promoting competitive federalism wherein each state can identify their export opportunities and challenges and subsequently establish context-specific strategies for ensuring a conducive export ecosystem.
- The Export Preparedness Index ranks all States and Union Territories (UTs) on the basis of their export readiness and performance.
- EPI 2021 is based on four main pillars: policy; business ecosystem; export ecosystem; and export performance.
- The index can be used by States and UTs to benchmark their performance against their peers and analyze the potential challenges to develop better policy mechanisms to foster export-led growth at the subnational level.
Health/GSII
Rheumatoid Arthritis
What's the NEWS
- Ministry of Ayush is conducting the world's first multicenter phase III clinical trial examining the efficacy of Ayurveda in the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis.
- The clinical trial will be conducted in accordance with stringent International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use - Good Clinical Practice (ICH- GCP) guidelines
- This project is one of the first multi-center phase III double blind double dummy clinical trials on the efficacy of Ayurveda in the management of Rheumatoid Arthritis.
- This will be conducted by AVP Research Foundation, a research institution affiliated with The Arya Vaidya Pharmacy (Coimbatore) Ltd and the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda (CCRAS), a government of India agency under the Ministry of Ayush.
Rheumatoid arthritis
- It is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected parts of the body.
- RA mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once.
Regional groupings/GS II
Thimpu Resolution
What's the NEWS
- India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), the training and capacity development arm of Election Commission of India is organizing a one-week Capacity Development Program on Voter Registration for the officials of Forum of Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA) member Election Management Bodies (EMBs).
- The program is scheduled from 21st - 25th March, 2022, and is being conducted in IIIDEM Campus at Dwarka, New Delhi.
- The program aims to enhance the capacities of election officials under the ‘Thimpu Resolution' of the 11th meeting of the FEMBoSA.
- Officials from the Bangladesh Election Commission and Election Commission of Sri Lanka are participating in this program.
- A one-week Capacity Development Program on Voter Education was also organized in February, 2022.
Know! about the programme
- The Capacity Development Program on ‘Voter Registration' is one of the flagship programs of IIIDEM for international participants.
- The programme is developed based on the learning needs of the officials on various themes including Voter Registration and International standards, Voter Education for Voter Registration - Targeted campaigns and engagement with stakeholders, Qualifications and restrictions for voter registration and Collection of VR Data.
Know! about the Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA)
- At the first meeting of the representatives of Election Management Bodies of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in the year 2010, it was decided at the conclusion that an organization representing those countries should be established.
- The forum was established at the 3rd Conference of Heads of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Countries in 2012.
- The member countries of the FEMBoSA are the Election Management Bodies of South Asia countries namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
- Since the creation of FEMBoSA, Annual Meetings were held in Pakistan (2011), in India (2012), in Bhutan (2013), in Nepal (2014), in Sri Lanka (2015), in Maldives (2016), in Afghanistan (2017) and in Bangladesh(2018).
- The 10th annual meeting of FEMBoSA was last hosted by Election Commission of India in New Delhi 24 on January 2020.
11th Annual meeting of the Forum
- The Election Commission of India inaugurated the 11th Annual meeting of the Forum of the Election Management Bodies of SouthAsia (FEMBoSA) for the year 2021
- It was hosted by the Election Commission of Bhutan.
- The Election Commission of India handed over the chairmanship of FEMBoSA role to the Election Commission of Bhutan for 2021-22.
- Thimphu Resolution was unanimously adopted by the FEMBoSA members to extend the tenure of chairmanship to two years during the current pandemic situation.
- Before this, the tenure of the chairmanship was one year.
Election Commission of India (ECI)
- It is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering Union and State election processes in India.
- ECI administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President in the country.
- It was established in accordance with the Constitution on 25th January 1950.
- Part XV of the Indian constitution deals with elections, and establishes a commission for these matters.
- Article 324 to 329 of the constitution deals with powers, function, tenure, eligibility, etc of the commission and the members.
- Originally the commission had only one election commissioner but after the Election Commissioner Amendment Act 1989, it has been made a multi-member body.
- The commission presently consists of one Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two Election Commissioners (ECs).
Defence/Indigenisation of Technology/GSIII
NAVAL TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATION COUNCIL (NTAC) MEETING
What's the NEWS
- Naval Technology Acceleration Council (NTAC) the apex body of the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) held its 2nd meeting at New Delhi on 23 March 2022.
- The NTAC reviewed the ongoing and proposed indigenisation and innovation cases.
Initiatives towards Indigenisation
- On an average more than two IPR applications have been filed by naval personnel every month since the launch of the NIIO
- Patent applications have been filed for military specific as well as dual-use innovations.
- Many dual use products have also already been transferred to the MSMEs for mass production through the National Research & Development Corporation (NRDC) and the Rashtriya Raksha University
- Indian Navy has been at the forefront of indigenisation with a fully functional and dynamic Directorate of Indigenisation.
- Additionally, a technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC) has been created under NIIO to focus on innovation.
- Major initiatives towards Indigenisation include industry outreach programmes (conducted at Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar and Coimbatore) and the proposal set up a center for Indigenisation and Self-Reliance (CISR).
- TDAC also engages with the academia and the industry in addition to channeling in-house naval innovations.
- An online monthly interaction with the industry in coordination with the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) has also been instituted.
- Deep tech startups are also being recognised as 'lnnovation Industry Partners' and are provided handholding to better understand naval requirements.
- To engage young minds in premier educational institutions the 'Indian Naval Students Technical Engagement Programme' (IN STEP) provides a five month online internship to work on naval problem statements.
- An 'open challenge' under IN STEP was announced during the NTAC meeting and will be undertaken in partnership with SIDM and BharatShakti.in. An MoU was signed between the three organisations to this effect.
Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO)
• The NIIO puts in place dedicated structures for the end users to interact with academia and industry towards fostering innovation and indigenisation for self-reliance in defence.
• The NIIO is a three-tiered organisation.
• Naval Technology Acceleration Council (N-TAC) will bring together the twin aspects of innovation and indigenisation and provide apex level directives.
• A working group under the N-TAC will implement the projects.
Government Initiatives/GSII
Sujlam 2.0 Campaign
What's the NEWS
- Union Minister of Jal Shakti launched the Sujalam 2.0 campaign for greywater management at a virtual event hosted by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti to mark the World Water Day, 2022
- The theme for this year is ‘Groundwater: making the invisible visible'.
- A Joint Advisory was also signed by 9 Ministries namely on how greywater management will be taken up at their level based on convergence model with all those who are directly associated in programme implementation.
Ministries Involved - Ministry of
- Jal Shakti
- Rural Development
- Women & Child Development
- Youth Affairs and Sports
- Tribal Affairs
- Health and Family Welfare
- Education
- Environment, Forest and Climate Change and
- Panchayati Raj
Sujlam 2.0" campaign
- Objective- to manage greywater through people's participation.
- Under the campaign, it is planned to mobilize communities, institutions like panchayats, schools, anganwadi to undertake greywater management.
- Greywater can be best managed where it is generated and turns into a major management and infrastructure challenge, if it is allowed to accumulate and stagnate.
- PRIs would work with people to ensure that greywater is managed at the most appropriate local level through construction of household and community soak pits.
- Sujlam 2.0 campaign would focus on the creation of institutional level greywater management assets in Panchayat Ghar, healthcare facilities, schools, anganwadi centres (AWCs), community centres and other government institutions.
- Creation of individual and community greywater management assets will be encouraged.
- With active participation from all States and local communities' great success was achieved under Sujlam 1.0 campaign which was started in August 2021.
- More than 1 million soak pits were built at household and community level across the country.
Grey water
- It is basically the water used for domestic purposes like kitchen, bathing & washing areas, etc.
- Grey water is free from faecal contamination and doesn't include black water from toilets.
World Water Day
- It is observed on March 22 to raise awareness about the importance of water and educate people to conserve it.
- A principal focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 6, which is to ensure safe water and sanitation for all by 2030.
- The theme of World Water Day this year is "Groundwater, making the invisible visible".
- The events and programmes, organised on this day, focus on the importance of groundwater.
- The idea of observing a water day around the world was first mooted during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
- That year, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution by which March 22 was declared World Day for Water.
- The observation began the next year, in 1993.
Science and Technology/GSIII
International Geological Congress
What's the NEWS
- The three-day International Geoscience event -36th International Geological Congress on the theme "Geoscience for the next decade: Challenges and Society" concluded recently
- The three - day event was attended virtually by nearly 7000 participants from all over the world.
- The reformatted 36th International Geological Congress (IGC) was organized jointly by the Ministry of Mines, Ministry of Earth Sciences, with technical and scientific support from Indian National Science Academy from 20-22nd March 2022.
- India has hosted the Congress after 58 years with the support of Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
- The event provided the right platform for geoscientists from across the globe to formulate more effective tools in the field of sustainable development.
International Union of Geological Sciences
- The IUGS was founded in 1961 and is a Scientific Union member of the International Science Council (ISC), formerly the International Council for Science (ICSU), which it recognizes as the co-ordinating body for the international organization of science.
- Currently geologists from 121 countries (and regions) are represented in the IUGS.
- IUGS promotes and encourages the study of geological problems, especially those of worldwide significance, and supports and facilitates international and inter-disciplinary co-operation in the earth sciences.
- The Union's Secretariat is currently located at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences in Beijing, China.
- IUGS is a joint partner with UNESCO for the International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) and also participates in the Global Geoparks Network (GGN).
International Geological Congress
- The International Union of Geological Sciences is the main scientific sponsor of the International Geological Congress(IGC), which takes place every four years.
- The first congress was in France in 1878 where a few geoscientists gathered to share new finds and the aim was to create a framework and a platform for geoscientists to meet at regular intervals.
Prelims Factoids
Biplobi Bharat Gallery
What's the NEWS
- On the occasion of 'Shaheed Diwas' or Martyrs' Day (March 23) , Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Biplobi Bharat Gallery at Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata
Know! about the Gallery
- The Gallery displays the contribution of the revolutionaries in the freedom struggle and their armed resistance to British colonial rule.
- The purpose of this new gallery is to provide a holistic view of the events that led up to 1947 and highlight the important role played by the Revolutionaries.
- Biplobi Bharat Gallery depicts the political and intellectual backdrop that triggered the Revolutionary movement.
- It showcases the birth of the revolutionary movement, formation of significant associations by revolutionary leaders, spread of the movement, formation of Indian National Army, contribution of Naval Mutiny, among others.
Bilateral Relations/GSII
2nd India Australia Virtual Summit
What's the NEWS
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison held the 2nd India-Australia Virtual Summit during which they reviewed the multi-faceted relationship between the two countries and exchanged views on regional and global developments.
Summit Highlights
- Both the leaders expressed satisfaction at the progress made under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established during the 1st Virtual Summit in June 2020.
- Prime Minister Modi expressed his satisfaction at the enhanced scope of the relationship which now covers such as trade and investments, defence and security, education and innovation, science and technology, critical minerals, water management, new and renewable energy technology, Covid-19 related research, etc.
- Prime Minister Modi thanked Scott Morrison for the special gesture in returning 29 ancient artefacts to India.
The artefacts include 12th century Chola bronzes, 11th-12th century Jain sculptures from Rajasthan, 12th-13th century sandstone Goddess Mahisasuramardini from Gujarat, 18th-19th century paintings and early gelatin silver photographs. - A Joint Statement was issued on the occasion covering various aspects of the deepening Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
- Both sides also agreed to establish annual summits between the Prime Ministers under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, thus adding a special dimension to the bilateral relationship.
Government Initiatives/GSII
GULF BUSINESS SUMMIT
What's the NEWS
- First time in the history of Jammu Kashmir foreign investors are visiting Kashmir with aim of investments.
Summit Highlights
- A 36-member business delegation from UAE is in Kashmir Valley to explore the business opportunities.
- 27 thousand crore investments are already cleared the total target of investment is 70 thousand crores says Government.
- According to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, around 70 thousand crore investment is expected to come in the next six months from foreign investors.
- The government has already cleared investments worth Rs 27 thousand crore from foreign companies.
- The delegates attended the "Gulf Business Summit" on March 22 and discussed exploring investment opportunities in J&K in different sectors.
- This is for the first time an investor from Saudi Arabia has shown interest in J&K.
- The J&K government had signed the MoUs in January with the UAE-based companies, including industrial giants like Emaar, Lulu, MATU Investments, Al Maya Group, GL Employment Brokerage LLC, Century Financial, IT giant Noon e-commerce etc.
- Around 16,000 kanals (1,999.9 acres) land bank has already been opened for investments in Kashmir.
- In February, the UAE and India signed a free trade agreement that cuts duties on almost 90 percent of goods traded between them, including metals, minerals, petrochemicals, and petroleum.
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