What's the NEWS

• The Vice-President of India Inaugurated the 150th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of Vaidyaratnam, Shri P.S. Varier, at Kottakkal in Kerala

• Vaidyaratnam P.S. Varier, a great visionary who brought about a renaissance of Ayurveda, over the course of the last century.
• Vaidyaratnam P. S. Varier (1869-1944) was an Ayurvedic physician from Kerala, India. He is well-regarded as the founder of Kottakkal Arya Vaidyasala, a major Ayurvedic treatment centre in Kerala.
• In 1902, Varier founded Kottakal Arya Vaidya Sala for the manufacture and sale of ayurvedic medicines which later became synonymous with ayurvedic treatment in India.
• The Patasala established in 1917 has now become an Ayurveda College affiliated to Calicut University.
• Varier is credited with pioneering the practice of manufacturing ayurvedic medicines.
• He also wrote text books for students of Ayurveda. One of them, Ashtangasariram, won a certificate in 1932 from the National Organisation of Physicians
• His karma mandala, as all of us know, was primarily the organising, updating and contemporising of the traditional Indian health care science of Ayurveda.
• He was also a successful Institution builder. The 117 year-old Arya Vaidya Sala, 100 year-old Ayurveda College , 87 year-old Vishwambhara Temple, 85 year-old Herb Garden of AVS and the 80 year-old Kathakali academy here are living monuments of his institution-building efforts.
• P.S. Varier was an exceptional person, an effective clinician with a unique healing touch, an academician-cum-educator par-excellence, a benevolent entrepreneur, a philanthropist, a man of letters, a promoter of fine arts and above all a representative of Indian renaissance.

• Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Road Transport & Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari has said that reducing the cost of capital, logistics and power are crucial for making the Indian MSME sector globally competitive during the inauguration of the 16th Global SME Business Summit 2019 in New Delhi.

• The Summit is organized every year by Ministry of MSME and Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). The theme this year is Making Indian MSMEs Globally Competitive.
• The Government's target is to increase MSME's present share of 29 percent of GDP to 50 percent in next five years and raise its export contribution from 49 percent to 60 percent . To achieve these targets logistics, power and capital cost will need to be reduced.

• For cheaper capital, the Ministry is in talks with ADB, KfW and World Bank for their credit line. 200 SMEs are registered on the stock exchange, and the Minister is urging more companies to register.
• The problem of delayed payments to MSMEs is also being looked into as the UK Sinha Committee Report will soon be implemented.
• For lowering cost of power and logistics there is necessity of energy audits and energy efficient technologies and to achieve that roof top solar plants will be provided to MSMEs with KfW support.
• The use of water transport can reduce logistic cost.
• The Ministry will soon launch a new E-Commerce website ‘Bharat Mart' to enable MSMEs to sell their products in local as well as international markets.

• The Ministry is in the process of developing a digital MSME portal which will work as a virtual meeting place for all stakeholders of the sector.
• For the over 75 lakh MSMEs currently registered with the Ministry, this will provide a platform where they can interact globally to fulfil their requirements for funding, knowledge, technology, skilling and marketing, making them more competitive and integrated with the global value chain.
• To enhance manufacturing competitiveness of entrepreneurs, the Ministry is in the process of opening new 135 new Tool Rooms & Technology centres to develop the skill of the entrepreneurs.

• The KfW, formerly KfW Bankengruppe (banking group), is a German state-owned development bank, based in Frankfurt.
• Its name originally comes from Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau ("Credit Institute for Reconstruction").
• It was formed in 1948 after World War II as part of the Marshall Plan. As of 2018, it is Germany's third largest bank by balance sheet.

Know! about the Jal Shakti Abhiyaan

• In the face of geographical diversity of India and the problems related to waters, Ministry has come up with Jal Shakti Abhiyan, which is a collaborative effort of the Central and State Governments to accelerate progress on water conservation activities in the most water stressed blocks and districts of India.
• Under this campaign, the entire Government of India machinery of over 1000 senior Central Government officers have joined the States to promote focused interventions for water collection and conservation, including restoration and renovation of traditional water bodies.
• The theme of this year's India Water week inaugurated by the President Shri Ram Nath Kovind is "Water cooperation: Coping with 21st Century Challenges". Japan and European Union have been associated as partner countries for this mega event.
• Cooperation is a must for a sustainable tomorrow and Jal Shakti Ministry is an example in itself of such cooperation.
• For better water governance, Indian government has merged several departments related to water and sanitation into a new integrated Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Know! about India Water Week

• Ministry of Jal Shakti has been organizing India Water Week since 2012 as an international event to focus on water related issues.
• Five editions of India Water Week have been organized so far. Water Resources Ministers of various States have attended the Inaugural Function.
• About 1500 delegates from India and abroad are participating in this event, which includes about 63 delegates from 28 countries.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change
New leadership group announced at Climate Action Summit to drive industry transition to low-carbon economy
Relevance IN - Prelims (about the new initiative and its objective ) + Mains ( GS III environment conservation)

What's the NEWS

• A new initiative was launched on 23rd September at the UN Climate Action Summit to help guide the world's heaviest greenhouse gas emitting industries toward the low-carbon economy.

Know! about the new Initiative and the role of India

• India and Sweden together with Argentina, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea and the UK, as well as a group of companies announced a new Leadership Group for Industry Transition that will drive transformation in hard-to-decarbonize and energy-intensive sectors.
• This global initiative will be supported by the World Economic Forum, the Energy Transitions Commission, Mission Innovation, Stockholm Environment Institute, and the European Climate Foundation among many others in an ambitious, public-private effort, to ensure heavy industries and mobility companies can find a workable pathway to deliver on the Paris Agreement
• Industry sector emissions, including those from hard-to-abate and energy-intensive sectors like steel, cement, aluminum, aviation and shipping are expected to be responsible for 15.7Gt by 2050.
• The international collaboration between countries and industry groups is critical to establish workable policy frameworks and incentives, and to enable joint investment into low carbon infrastructure.

Know! about The Climate Action Summit

• The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres hosted the Climate Action Summit in New York ahead of the UN General Assembly.
• The Secretary-General called on all leaders - governments, the private sector, civil society, local authorities and other international organizations - to come with concrete, realistic plans that will boost ambition and rapidly accelerate action to implement the Paris Agreement.
• Having the key focus on raising ambition and accelerate action to implement the Paris Agreement, the Climate Action Summit focuses on nine interdependent tracks, which are led by 19 countries in total and are supported by international organizations.
• It is noteworthy to point that India along with Sweden, supported by World Economic Forum is leading the ‘Industry Transition' track meeting.

Defence
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh commissions Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Varaha'
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Indian coast guard ship Varaha) + Mains ( GS III Security challenges in border areas and their management

What's the NEWS

• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh participated in the Commissioning Ceremony of Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) ‘Varaha' in Chennai

ICGS Varaha

• ICGS ‘Varaha' will further strengthen the Coast Guard fleet in responding to the threats of maritime terrorism, smuggling and challenges of maritime law enforcement.
• ICGS 'Varaha' will enhance the surveillance and patrolling capabilities of Indian Coast Guard and reinforce their role as ‘Sentinels of our Seas'.
• ICGS 'Varaha' is a fine example of collaboration with industry and ‘Make in India' where Larsen & Toubro (L&T) shipbuilding has played a very important role in production and maintenance of our sea-based assets.
• The name ‘Varaha' is taken from Puranas, who was the third incarnation of Lord Vishnu which took the form of Boar to protect mother earth by carrying her out of the sea on his tusks. It reminds us of the principle of sacrifice and rescue in the duty of saving mother earth".
• ICGS ‘Varaha', the state-of-the-art offshore patrol vessel, was commissioned into the Coast Guard fleet. It is the fourth among the series of seven ships to be delivered by L&T with features like ultra-advanced navigation, communication sensors and machinery. It will operate from the port of New Mangalore on the West Coast covering Exclusive Economic Zone up to Kanyakumari.
• ICGS ‘Varaha' is capable of operating the indigenously-developed Advanced Light Helicopter by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The ship is well equipped with high speed boats, medical facilities and modern surveillance systems.

Indian Naval Indigenisation Plan from 2015-2030

• An Indian Naval Indigenisation Plan from 2015-2030, as a guideline document, has been formulated in pursuance to the Government's vision of ‘Make in India'.
• The document is aimed to enable indigenous development of equipment and systems over the next 15 years.

Exercise MALABAR 2019
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Exercise Malabar) + Mains ( GS II Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests

What's the NEWS

• The 23rd edition of the Trilateral Maritime Exercise MALABAR, is scheduled between the navies of India, Japan and USA from 26 Sep to 04 Oct 19 off the coast of Japan.

Know! more about it

• Two frontline indigenously designed and built Indian Naval Ships, the Multipurpose Guided Missile Frigate Sahyadri and ASW Corvette Kiltan reached Japan ,to participate in the Exercise.
• In addition to the ships, a 'P8I' Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft, also arrived in Japan for the Exercise.
• The US Navy is being represented by a Los Angeles-Class Attack Submarine and a 'P8A' Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
• The JMSDF would be participating with its Izumo Class Helicopter Destroyer JS Kaga, Guided Missile Destroyers JS Samidare and Choukai and a 'P1' Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

Know! about the objective of MALABAR Exercise

• MALABAR 2019 would endeavour to further strengthen India - Japan - US Naval cooperation and enhance interoperability, based on shared values and principles.
• The Exercise would encompass conduct of complex maritime operations in the surface, sub-surface and air domains, and focus on Anti-Submarine Warfare, Anti-Air and Anti-Surface Firings, Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO) including Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) and tactical scenario based Exercise at Sea.
• In addition, the partner navies would conduct official protocol visits, professional interactions including Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE), reciprocal ship visits, sports fixtures and social events during the harbour phase.
• Participation of IN ships and aircraft in the Exercise would significantly bolster the strong maritime bonds of friendship between the three countries and contribute to security and stability in the region.

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