Relevance IN - Prelims (about the objective of Nagpur resolution) + Mains (GS II governance - Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.

What's the NEWS

• The ‘Nagpur Resolution- A holistic approach for empowering citizens' was adopted during the Valedictory session of the two-day Regional Conference on ‘Improving Public Service Delivery - Role of Governments', in Nagpur

Know! more about the conference

• The conference was organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India, in collaboration with the Government of Maharashtra and the Maharashtra State Commission for Right to Public Services.

Good Governance (government's effort in promoting it)

• Positive approach, transparency, corruption-free system, fast track decision making and social sensitivity are essential to good governance.
• Collective team spirit and humane approach towards the subordinates is the most important quality of the successful leaders.
• On earlier occasions also, Shillong Declaration and Jammu Resolution have been adopted for good governance.
• After the formation of J&K and Ladakh as UTs, DARPG organised the conference in Jammu, which was the first major event organised by Centre Government in the UT.

Minimum Government, Maximum Governance

• Various initiatives taken by the Government: discontinuation of interviews for junior level posts, launching of portals, self-attestation and en-masse promotions
• The Grievance redressal system has been made more responsive and prompt.
• The grievances lodged with the Government have gone up from about 1.5 lakh in the beginning to about 16 lakh now.
• This has been due to the prompt and time-bound response by the Government
• The emphasis has been given on transparency, citizen centricity and participation.

Know! more about the conference and about Nagpur Resolution

• The Government has started organising these conferences out of Delhi.
• Such conferences have been organised in Shillong, Jammu, Chandigarh and other places across the country.

Nagpur Resolution

• To empower the citizens by policy interventions for better service delivery through timely updation of citizens charters, implementation of enactments and benchmarking standards for continuous improvement;
• To empower citizens by adopting a bottom-up approach to bring massive improvements in quality of grievance redressal and reduction in timelines of grievance redressal;
• To adopt a holistic approach of systemic public grievance reforms through improved mapping, formulation of monitoring matrix, data collection and evaluation in quality of grievance redressal;
• Creating web portals and to adopt a holistic approach for improved service delivery through digital platforms;
• To focus on dynamic policy making and strategic decisions, monitoring of implementation, appointment of key personnel, coordination and evaluation;
• To work towards long-term engagements in the areas of Improved Service Delivery for Empowering Citizens through greater cooperation between the DARPG and the participating States and
• To ensure timely publication of Good Governance Index to identify the quality of governance in 10 sectors

Bilateral Relations/Health Sector
Afghanistan first country to recognize Indian Pharmacopoeia
Relevance IN - Prelims (about India Pharmacopoeia) + Mains (GS II bilateral relations + Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.)
What's the NEWS

• The Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) has been recognised formally by the National Department of Regulation of Medicines and Health Products of the Ministry of Public Health of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
• It will also be used based on the requirement as reputable pharmacopoeia in the laboratory of medicines and health products quality.
• With this, a new beginning has been made and Afghanistan has become the first country to recognize IP pursuant to the efforts of Department of Commerce and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Know! about IP

• IP is an officially recognized book of standards as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules 1945 thereunder.
• The IP specifies the standards of drugs manufactured and marketed in India in terms of their identity, purity and strength.
• The quality, efficacy and safety of the medicines are important from healthcare perspective. In order to ensure the quality of medicinal products, the legal and scientific standards are provided by Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) in the form of Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP).
• As per, the Second Schedule of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, IP is designated as the official book of standards for drugs imported and/or manufactured for sale, stock or exhibition for sale or distribution in India.
• The IP Commission's mission is to promote public and animal health in India by bringing out authoritative and officially accepted standards for quality of drugs including active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients and dosage forms, used by health professionals, patients and consumers.

Defence
Successful flight test of two Pinaka missiles in salvo mode

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

• As part of the series of flight trials of Pinaka missile system, two test firings have been conducted by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The mission objective was to test low range, functioning of live warhead along with its proximity initiation and salvo launch.
• Two Pinaka missiles were launched in salvo mode with 60 seconds interval between two firings.
• Both the missiles were fired to engage a target located at 20 kilometre range and high accuracy was achieved.
• The missile was integrated with live warhead with proximity fuse and was tracked by multiple range systems viz. telemetry, radars, Electro-Optical Tracking System (EOTS), which confirmed the text book flight performance.

Know! more about Pinaka Missile

• Pinaka Missile System, developed by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), was recently successfully tested in Chandipur, Odisha.
• The Pinaka Mark-2 is capable of firing 12 rockets in just 44 seconds. It has successfully hit all targets.
• The upgraded version of the Pinaka weapon system includes a specific guidance kit, which is equipped with advanced navigation and control systems.
• Its navigation is channelized through the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), also known as 'NAVIC'.

Prelims Factoids
EChO Network
Relevance IN - Prelims (about EChO network)
What's the NEWS

• EChO Network launched to catalyze cross-disciplinary leadership in India; will train educators and students in interdisciplinary manner

Know! about EChO Network (objective + need )

• EChO Network, a national program to provide a template for cross-disciplinary leadership in India with the specific focus of increasing research, knowledge, and awareness of Indian ecology and the environment was launched recently
• The objective is to train a new generation of educators and students who can identify and solve problems in an interdisciplinary manner and who can listen to our natural world and tackle real-world problems in medicine, agriculture, ecology, and technology
• EChO Network would develop a national network to catalyse a new generation of Indians who can synthesize interdisciplinary concepts and tackle real-world problems in medicine, agriculture, ecology, and technology.

How to achieve the network

• Through interactive sessions with citizens, industry, academia, and the government, the Network will identify gaps in knowledge regarding selected topics in human and environmental ecosystems.
• The program will then train postdoctoral leaders in research and outreach on these topics, while also incorporating current public and private efforts into a national network.
• It would then go on to establishing nation-wide awareness in these issues through public discourse and education for citizens, industry, and government with information exchange at all educational levels.
• Over time EChO Network intends to create an international distributed institute comprising individuals housed within industry, government, private, and academic sectors, combining their expertise and resources collectively to tackle large scale problems.

International Organisations
Global Refugee Forum

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about global refugee forum + global compact on refugees + New York declaration) + Mains ( GS II international relations)
What's the NEWS

• The first Global Refugee Forum (GRF), a two-day gathering of United Nations member states, recently concluded in Geneva, Switzerland.

Know! more about the first GRF meet

• The Forum, jointly hosted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, and the government of Switzerland, aims to debate and discuss the response of the world's countries to the global refugee situation.
• The first-ever Global Refugee Forum concluded in Geneva with more than 770 pledges of support, covering areas such as protection, employment, and education, for refugees and the communities which have taken them in.
• The Forum is a key element of the Global Compact on Refugees, which the international community signed last December. It calls for Global Refugee Forums to be held every four years.
• More than 3,000 participants attended this first gathering, ranging from representatives of governments, international financial organizations, business, civil society, and humanitarian and development organizations, as well as refugees themselves.
• A stock-taking meeting will take place in two years, and the second Global Refugee Forum is scheduled for late 2023.

Global Compact on Refugees

• In 2016's historic New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, all 193 Member States of the United Nations agreed that protecting those who are forced to flee and supporting the countries that shelter them are shared international responsibilities that must be borne more equitably and predictably.
• The Declaration gave UNHCR the task of building upon the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), contained in Annex I of the New York Declaration, to develop a ‘global compact on refugees'.
• The Philippines is among the nations that endorsed the compact, a blueprint that calls for greater support for refugees and the countries that welcome them. It also aims to help refugees become more self-reliant so that they can contribute more to their own future and to that of their host communities.

Global Refugee Forum (GRF)

• Guided by the Global Compact on Refugees, the Global Refugee Forum is an opportunity to translate the principle of international responsibility-sharing into concrete action.
• The Forum will showcase impactful pledges and contributions and the exchange of good practices
• This Forum is an opportunity to attest our collective commitment to the Global Compact on Refugees and rally behind the aspirations of the Sustainable Development Goals of leaving no one behind.
• The GRF will be held every four years at the Ministerial level. It is intended to present an opportunity for UN member states and other stakeholders to announce action plans and pledges towards meeting objectives such as easing the burden on the host country, enhancing refugee self-reliance, expanding access to third-country solutions, and supporting conditions in countries of origin for return in safety and dignity.

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