Education
National Seminar on Ancient Indian Education system

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the seminar + about NITTTR + about National Education Day.)

• Union Education Minister inaugurated a two-day National Seminar on Ancient Indian Education system organised by NITTTR, Kolkata
• The programme was organised on the occasion of Maulana Azad's birth anniversary, celebrated as National Education Day.
• Maulana Azad was a great scholar and first Education Minister of India
• This national seminar will provide awareness amongst the participants about the importance of the ancient Indian Education system.
• This seminar will give a boost to glorify the fundamentals of our ancient education, which never means holding on to the past, but thinking with a different vision for holistic development of our citizens.

Know! about NITTTR

• It is a resources institution established by the Government of India for quality improvement of Engineering Education in regions of the country in particular.
• It promotes excellence in Engineering Education by planning, designing, developing, implementing and evaluating quality training programmes, learning resources, research studies and extension services for technical educational institutions, industry and community.
• It establish and foster collaboration with industry, state, national and international Institutes, Universities and other agencies committed to the development of Technical Education
• It acts as a centre for offering quality training programmes for teachers as per needs of the client system, covering the entire gamut of technical education including engineering colleges, polytechnics, vocational and management education, at regional and national levels.
• It develops and disseminate learning resources like Textbooks, Laboratory Manuals, Video Programmes, Computer Assisted Instructional Multimedia Packages to technical and vocational institutions and other organisations.
• It offers programmes for technical and vocational teachers in distance learning mode using state-of-the-art technologies.
• It also offers offer courses / programmes for technical and vocational teachers to suit overseas demand especially SAARC & ASEAN countries.

National Education Day 2020

• Every year since 2008, November 11 is celebrated as education day to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
• Azad was independent India's first education minister.
• Azad, a freedom fighter, served India in the capacity of minister of education from 1947 to 1958. He is known for making several significant contributions in the field of education.
• India's HRD ministry had institutionalised this practice starting 2008 after it decided to honour the famous reformer's contribution to nation building.

Prelims Factoids
Antiquities/ Coins of Ancient and Medieval Period confiscated

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

• Union Finance Minister Smt. handed over confiscated ancient and medieval period Antiquities/ Coins to the tourism Ministry

Know! more about the confiscated coins

• The 40,282 confiscated coins belong to the Sultanate and Mughal era from the period 1206 to 1720 AD, Princely states such as Kushana, Yaudheya, Guptas, Pratihar, Cholas, Rajputs, Mughals, Marathas, Kashmir and also British India, French and certain Australian coins from the period 1800-1900 AD.
• The confiscated items also cover 18 antique seal/stamp/religious emblem to be worn by the person having authority by Ruler to execute the Royal orders and 1 Silver Kamarband (waist band) to be worn by Royal/affluent family women.
• Indian Customs requested Archaeological Survey of India to ascertain the value of these confiscated antiquities/articles and a committee was formed for valuing these items.
• The committee submitted its report in January/June 2020 and the value of 40,301 antique items was ascertained at Rs. 63.90 crore. Further, in terms of Para 17.9 of the Disposal Manual, 2019 issued by CBIC these confiscated items are being handed over to Archaeological Survey of India by the Department.

International Organisations
Report on 'Deepening Cooperation in IBSA

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about IBSA + about IBSA Visiting Fellowship Program.) + Mains ( GS II regional and global grouping)

What's the NEWS

• Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) launched the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) report on 'Deepening Cooperation in IBSA: Perspectives from Key Sectors'.
• MEA launched the IBSA Report on "Deepening Cooperation in IBSA: Perspectives from Key Sectors", prepared by the 2nd batch of Fellows under the IBSA Visiting Fellowship Program."
• The fellows undertook research on cooperation at the UN, Intellectual Property Rights, Traditional Medicine, Financial Sector Cooperation & Trade in Banking Services & Energy

Know! all about IBSA

• IBSA is a unique Forum which brings together India, Brazil and South Africa, three large democracies and major economies from three different continents, facing similar challenges.
• All three partners are developing, pluralistic, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-religious nations.
• IBSA, formalized at Foreign Ministers meeting in Brasilia in June 2003
• IBSA is a purely South-South grouping of like-minded countries, committed to inclusive sustainable development, in pursuit of the well-being for their peoples and those of the developing world.
• The principles, norms and values underpinning the IBSA Dialogue Forum are participatory democracy, respect for human rights, the Rule of Law and the strengthening of multilateralism.
• So far Five IBSA Leadership Summits have been held. The 5th IBSA Summit was held in Pretoria on 18 October 2011.
• The 6th IBSA Summit is to be hosted by India. Further, Nine IBSA Trilateral Ministerial Commission Meetings (ITMC) have been held at Foreign Ministers level. The 9th ITMC was held in New York on 27 September, 2018.
• IBSA Fund for Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger, established in 2004, is a unique Fund(with accumulated contributions of USD 37 million) through which development projects are executed with IBSA funding in fellow developing countries.
• Till date IBSA has supported 31 projects in 20 partner developing countries in the areas of safe drinking water, agriculture and livestock, solar energy, waste management, health etc., with the aim of contributing to the achievement of the SDGs (earlier MDGs).
• The IBSA Fund has been the recipient of several key recognitions including the UN South-South Partnership Award in 2006 (for projects in Haiti and Guinea-Bissau), an MDG Award for South-South Cooperation in 2010 and the South-South Champions Award in 2012 recognizing the work of the three countries in using innovative approaches to share development experiences in other parts of the world.
• The IBSA Fund project in Cambodia "Empowering Children and Adolescents with Special Needs and their Families" was honoured by the Government of Cambodia in 2013.
• Joint naval exercise IBSAMAR (IBSA Maritime Exercise) is another important part of IBSA trilateral defence cooperation.
• Six editions of IBSAMAR have been held so far, the latest one being of the coast of South Africa in October, 2018.
• India has instituted IBSA Visiting Fellowships for two researchers each from IBSA countries (through RIS) to carry out meaningful research on the IBSA Forum for better understanding of scholarly perspectives of IBSA partner countries in the formulation and harmonization of their strategies and recommendations.
• The First round of IBSA Visiting Fellowships concluded in 2018 and the second round of IBSA Visiting Fellowship programme has started February, 2019.

Know! more about IBSA Visiting Fellowship Program

• It is an academic exchange program
• It is instituted at Research and Information Systems for Developing Countries (RIS) along with the support of Ministry of External Affairs, India.
• It aims to promote exchange of young scholars in the field of economics and social sciences and strengthening research collaboration
• It promotes joint research in the field of trade and development, macro-economy, etc.

Know! about Research and Information System (RIS)

• RIS for Developing Countries is an Delhi based institute of research which specializes in issues related to international trade, investment, economic development and technology.
• The main aim of RIS is to promote South-South Cooperation and collaborate with developing countries at various forums.

Food Processing
MOFPI Provides 50% Subsidy on air Transportation from North-Eastern and Himalayan States

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Operation Greens Scheme TOP to TOTAL) + Mains ( GS III food processing)
What's the NEWS

• Under Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, Operation Greens Scheme TOP to TOTAL, 50% transportation subsidy is now made available for air transportation for 41 notified fruits and vegetables from North-Eastern and Himalayan States to any place in India.

Know! more about the transportation subsidy

• Airlines will provide the transport subsidy directly to the supplier/consignor/consignee/ agent by way of charging only 50% of the actual contracted freight charges and will claim the balance 50% from MoFPI as subsidy.
• In relaxation of other conditions for Operation Greens - TOP to TOTAL Scheme for transportation through Airlines from eligible airports, all consignment of notified fruits and vegetables irrespective of quantity and price would be eligible for 50% freight subsidy.
• The transportation subsidy was earlier extended under Operation Greens Scheme for Kisan Rail Scheme with effect from 12.10.2020.
• Railways charge only 50% of freight charges on the notified fruits and vegetables.

Operation Greens Scheme TOP to TOTAL

• Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has extended the Operation Greens Scheme from Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) to all fruits & vegetables (TOTAL) for a period of six months on pilot basis as part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
• The objective of intervention is to protect the growers of fruits and vegetables from making distress sale due to lockdown and reduce the post - harvest losses.
• Any other fruit/vegetable can be added in future on the basis of recommendation by Ministry of Agriculture or State Government

Eligible Entities

• Food Processors, FPO/FPC, Co-operative Societies, Individual farmers, Licensed Commission Agent, Exporters, State Marketing/Co- operative Federation, Retailers etc. engaged in processing/ marketing of fruits and vegetables.

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