• 11th edition of India - Italy Military Cooperation Group (MCG) meeting was held from 31 May 2022 to 01 June 22 at Rome, Italy.
• India - Italy Military Cooperation Group (MCG) is a forum established to boost defence cooperation between the both countries through regular talks at the strategic and operational levels between Headquarters, Integrated Defence Staff and the Joint Staff HQ of Italian Armed Forces.

Bilateral Relations
Leadership for Industry Transition (LeadIT)

What's the NEWS

• India and Sweden hosted the Industry Transition Dialogue today in Stockholm, as a part of their joint initiative i.e. Leadership for Industry Transition (LeadIT).
• The LeadIT initiative lays specific focus on hard to abate sectors that are key stakeholders in the global climate action and require specific interventions.
• Japan and South Africa, the latest members of the initiative were welcomed. This extends the total membership of LeadIT to 37 including countries and companies together.
• During the event, India chaired the roundtable dialogues on Priorities for implementation 2022-23.
• This high level of dialogue has contributed to the UN Conference ‘Stockholm+50': a healthy planet for the prosperity of all -our responsibility, our opportunity', taking place on 2 and 3 June 2022 and set the agenda for COP27.
• In the opening address the Union Minister congratulated the world for the upcoming 50th anniversary of United Nations Conference on the Human Environment that took place in 1972 and put environmental issues at the forefront of the international concerns.

• The Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) gathers countries and companies that are committed to action to achieve the Paris Agreement.
• It was launched by the governments of Sweden and India at the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019 and is supported by the World Economic Forum.
• LeadIT members subscribe to the notion that energy-intensive industry can and must progress on low-carbon pathways, aiming to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
• The Management Board is made up of representatives from Sweden, India, and the World Economic Forum.
• A Technical and Expert Committee, made up of LeadIT member representatives, advises the Board.

• The Ministry of Earth Sciences has signed an agreement with M/s ABS Marine Services Pvt Ltd, Chennai for running, manning, maintenance (including maintenance and operation of scientific equipment), catering, and housekeeping of all the six research ships
• The contract includes the maintenance of six research ships viz. Sagar Nidhi, Sagar Manjusha, Sagar Anveshika, and Sagar Tara are managed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai; Sagar Kanya which is managed by National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa and Sagar Sampada managed by the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), Kochi.

• These research ships are the backbone for technology demonstration and oceanic research and observations in the country and have contributed significantly in enhancing the knowledge about our oceans and ocean-based resources.
• The Ministry of Earth Sciences is extending research ships as a national facility to other research institutes and organizations like ISRO, PRL, NGRI, Anna University, etc.
• The company would be the single point of contact for all ship-related modalities, unlike the present agreements which MoES has with multiple agencies.

Governance
(GeM) module for Ministry of Defence

What's the NEWS

• Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has developed an IT module for Ministry of Defence, for integration of competent financial authorities and Internal Financial Advisers (IFA) for online e-concurrence and approval of procurement proposals on GeM portal.
• The module has been developed by GeM over the course of last one year, utilising Business Process Re-engineering (BPR)-based procedural inputs provided by the Ministry of Defence, Defence Accounts Department Headquarters and the Headquarters of the various defence services and other MoD organisations.
• Procurement by Ministry of Defence (MoD) through Government e-Market (GeM) portal had reached an all-time high of Rs 15,047.98 crore for the Financial Year 2021-22, which is more than 250 percent over the last financial year.

• The government announced to expand the mandate of Government e-Marketplace by allowing procurement by cooperatives.
• Presently, the registration of cooperatives as buyers was not covered within the existing mandate of Government e-Marketplace (GeM).
• The move will help over 8.54 lakh registered cooperatives, like Amul and IFFCO, and their 27 crore members, as they would get products at competitive rates from the GeM portal.
• As per the existing mandate, goods and services registered on the GeM portal are not available for use by private sector buyers.
• Suppliers (sellers) can be from across all segments - government or private.

• It is an online platform for public procurement in India.
• The initiative was launched on August 9, 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India with the objective to create an open and transparent procurement platform for government buyers.
• The purchases through GeM by Government users has been authorized and made mandatory by the Ministry of Finance
• The platform is owned by GeM SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) which is a 100 per cent Government-owned, non-profit company under the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Government of India.
• GeM is a contactless, paperless and cashless online marketplace that replaced the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D) in 2016.
• Since its inception, GeM has brought in the visibility and transparency in public procurement.
• GeM works on inclusion, transparency& efficiency.
• Artisans, weavers, SHGs, startups, women entrepreneurs & MSMEs are registered on GeM.