Daily Current Capsules

3,4,5 and 6 November 2023

World Local Production Forum (WLPF)

The Indian delegation led by the Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers participated in the Second World Local Production Forum (WLPF) held in Hague, Netherlands
This meeting is being organized from 6 to 8 November 2023.
The World Local Production Platform is a platform created at the initiative of WHO with the aim of increasing access to medicines and other health technologies.

Pharmaceutical industry in India

The pharmaceutical industry in India is one of the largest globally, earning India the title of the ‘Pharmacy of the World.’
India provides approximately 60% of the global vaccine supply, accounts for 20-22% of generic exports and serves over 200 countries through its pharmaceutical exports.

Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Program (LLLAP)

Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Program (LLLAP) of the Department of Justice reaches more than 6 lakh people through 14 implementing agencies under the DISHA scheme.
The Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Programme aims to empower the poor and disadvantaged sections of society to seek and demand justice services.
The Programme also seeks to improve the institutional capacities of key justice service providers to enable them to effectively serve the poor and disadvantaged

Know! the genesis of LLLAP

Since 2012, Division of Department of Justice (DoJ), Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India has been implementing Access to Justice Scheme in North Eastern States including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and in UT of Jammu & Kashmir.
Major focus of these programmes are on Legal Empowerment of community, dissemination of simplified Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials in local languages and dialects and capacity development of Panchayati Raj Functionaries and Village Chiefs on formal justice delivery system.
First phase of the A2J-NEJK Scheme got completed in 2017 and second phase of the Scheme completed in March 2021.
DoJ has formulated a scheme on Access to Justice named ‘Designing Innovating Solutions and Holistic Access to Justice (DISHA)’ to be implemented during the period of 2021 to 2026.
DISHA aims to merge different Access to Justice (North East & Jammu and Kashmir) programmes being implemented by DoJ while simultaneously upscaling them to all India level.
One of the key objectives of DISHA is implementation of Pan India Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness Programme.

World Travel Market (WTM) 2023

Ministry of Tourism, along with various stakeholders including tour operators and state tourism departments is participating in WTM London from 6 – 8 November 2023.
In WTM 2023, 47 participants including tour operating companies / DMCs, State Tourism Departments and Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) are participating in the Incredible India Pavilion
WTM 2023, London platform would be used for networking, business opportunities, and the exchange of ideas and information as the event attracts a diverse range of attendees, including travel agencies, tour operators, airlines, hoteliers, cruise lines, travel technology providers, tourism boards, and other professionals in the travel and hospitality sector.

Know! about WTM

World Travel Market London is the leading global event for the travel industry to meet industry professionals and conduct business deals. Through its industry networks and unrivalled global reach, WTM London creates personal and business opportunities, providing customers with quality contacts, content, and communities.

Krishi 24/7

Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) in collaboration with Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence (Wadhwani AI) developed Krishi 24/7, the first-ever AI-powered solution for automated agricultural news monitoring and analysis, with support from Google.org.
Krishi 24/7 will aid DA&FW to identify relevant news, generate timely alerts, and take prompt action to protect farmers’ interests and promote sustainable agricultural growth through improved decision-making.
The introduction of Krishi 24/7 addresses the need for an efficient mechanism to identify and manage agricultural news articles of interest to aid timely decision-making.
The tool scans news articles in multiple languages and translates them into English.
It extracts essential information from news articles, such as headline, crop name, event type, date, location, severity, summary, and source link, ensuring that the ministry receives timely updates on relevant events published on the web.

Bharat Atta

The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Textiles and Commerce and Industry, flagged off 100 mobile vans for sale of wheat flour (Atta) under ‘Bharat’ brand
The atta will be available at an MRP not exceeding ₹27.50/Kg. This is the latest among a series of steps taken by the GoI for the welfare of ordinary consumers.
‘Bharat’ Atta will be available at all physical and mobile outlets of Kendriya Bhandar, NAFED and NCCF

BACKGROUND:

The Government of India has taken a series of steps to stabilize the prices of essential food grains while also ensuring fair price to the farmers.
Bharat Dal (Chana dal) is already being sold by these 3 agencies @ Rs.60 per kg for 1kg pack and Rs.55 per kg for 30 kg pack from their physical and/or retail outlets, along with onions @ Rs.25 per kg. Now, with the launch of sale of ‘Bharat’ Atta, consumers can get Atta, dal as well as onions from these outlets at fair and affordable prices.

National Symposium on Promotion of Organic Produce

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, address National Symposium on Promotion of Organic Produce, organised by National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL), at ICAR Convention Centre

Know! about NCOL

NCOL has been established as a national-level multi-state cooperative society to make India global leader in organic products.

NCOL aims at increasing the return on produce while giving organic farmer and producer organisations direct access to the market.
By having access to national and international market under a strong brand, the members will get better return for their organic produce.
NCOL will act as an umbrella organisation by managing the entire supply chain of organic products produced by various cooperative societies and related institutions across the country in collaboration with the concerned Ministries of the Government of India, following the ‘Whole of Government Approach’.
It will undertake and promote the aggregation, branding and marketing of organic products produced by cooperatives.
Any Cooperative Society or an association of persons (as may be permitted by the Central Registrar) can become a member of NCOL.
NCOL will also provide support to the cooperative sector and associated companies involved in the production of organic products.
This will include financing, capacity building, technical guidance, establishment and maintenance of market intelligence systems, among others.
NCOL was registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002 on 25 January, 2023.
Three major cooperative societies of the country- National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd (NCCF), Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and two major statutory bodies of Government of India National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) have jointly promoted NCOL.

Guided-missile destroyer Surat

The crest of Indian Navy’s latest, under-construction, guided missile destroyer ‘Surat’, was unveiled in the city of Surat
The crest of Surat depicts the famous lighthouse at Hazira (Surat), located at southern entrance of the Gulf of Khambhat.
Built in 1836, this lighthouse was one of the first lighthouses in India.
The Asiatic lion on the crest, which is also the state animal of Gujarat, symbolises the ship’s majesty and strength.
Equipped with the latest advancements in naval warfare technology and combat capabilities, the warship Surat stands as a powerful embodiment of the navy’s commitment to maritime security and national defence.
The fourth ship of the indigenously designed and constructed Project 15B (Vishakhapatnam Class) destroyers, Surat represents a remarkable leap in naval technology and capabilities.
The ship has been constructed using innovative block construction methodology, wherein the ship’s hull has been assiduously assembled at distinct geographical locations before being integrated at the Mazagaon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.
Project 15B follows the success of the Project 15A (Kolkata Class) and serves as a testament to India’s steadily growing naval prowess.

1st Australia India Education and Skill Council meeting (AIESC)

Union Minister for Education Shri Pradhan co-chaired the 1^st Australia India Education and Skill Council meeting with Australian Ministers HE Jason Clare, MP, Education Minister

AIESC – Highlights

The AIESC, earlier the Australian India Education Council (AIEC), is a bi-national body established in 2011 to guide the strategic direction of the education, training and research partnerships between the two countries.
The scope of this forum was enhanced in alignment with the national priorities of both countries to bring focus on promoting internationalisation, two-way mobility and collaboration in the domains of education as well as the skill ecosystem.
This is for the first time that education and skilling is being brought under the same institutional forum.
5 MoUs between Australian and Indian HEIs have been exchanged to facilitate greater research collaborations in areas like, agriculture, water management, critical minerals, healthcare, AI, renewable energy and climate change.
The Ministers welcomed the imminent opening of the campuses of University of Wollongong and Deakin University at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City).

Details of the MoUs exchanged are as follows:

Innovative Research Universities consortium campus:

The Innovative Research Universities (IRU) is a coalition of 7 public universities across Australia: Flinders University, James Cook University, La Trobe University, Murdoch University, Griffith University, University of Canberra, and Western Sydney University. The objective of the IRU’S MOU is to provide a framework for closer cooperation between parties in strengthening the Australia-India education partnership.

Deakin University and National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC):

In partnership with India’s National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC), Deakin University has developed the ‘Global Job Readiness Program’ (GJRP) to address skills shortages in India. This 30-hour program will be delivered online and aims to upskill 15 million Indians over three years.

Deakin University and IIT Gandhinagar:

With the establishment of Deakin University’s campus at GIFT City, the key objective through the alliance with IIT Gandhinagar is to provide support for a quality higher education and research ecosystem in the local region.

Monash University and Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad:

This MoU is for collaboration on academic and research activities in the area of critical minerals and other areas of mutual interest.

Monash University and International Center of Excellence in Mining (ICEM):

This MoU aims to foster research and innovation collaboration between Monash and iCEM to in support of the mining and mineral development sector in India.

LEAP AHEAD initiative

In the bid to support and accelerate the success of tech startups across India, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) launched the LEAP AHEAD initiative, a joint collaboration of Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Delhi-NCR,at the LEAP AHEAD summit.
This initiative will be a game-changer for tech Startups that are in the scaling stage, growth stage, product diversification or planning expansion into new geographical locations.
They can benefit through funding support of up to ₹ 1 Crore and a comprehensive three-month mentorship program that combines virtual and in-person sessions for a well-rounded learning experience.
Furthermore, the initiative will provide start-ups with access to an extensive network and personalized guidance through one-on-one mentorship sessions with seasoned investors and industry experts.
This initiative will enable the startups to establish a product market fit, identify customer segments, grow hacking strategies, business compliance, leadership recruitment and fundraising.

Know! about STPI

STPI is an organization under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology engaged in promoting software exports, nurturing tech startup ecosystem and working for the dispersal of the IT/ITES Industry.
STPI has been actively involved in strengthening the startup ecosystem in India through its Next Generation Incubation Scheme (NGIS) and 22 domain-specific Centers of Entrepreneurship innovation by providing requisite support and resources to the startups.

World Food India 2023

The ‘World Food India 2023’ event, organized by the Ministry of Food Processing Industry, concluded on 5^th November at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi,
The event was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 3^rd November disbursing Seed Capital Assistance for over one lakh SHG members.
Event Highlights – The Netherlands as the Partner Country and Japan as the Focus Country.
The Mega Food Event, held with the support of ten Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, six commodity boards, and 25 states, attracted significant attention from international and domestic stakeholders.
The event featured a remarkable turnout of 1208 exhibitors, 14 country pavilions, and notable participation from 715 international buyers, 218 domestic buyers, and 97 corporate leaders.
The event provided a comprehensive platform for showcasing the latest advancements in the food processing industry.

World Food India – Genesis

With the objective of introducing the world to rich Indian food culture as well as promoting investments in the diverse food processing sector of the country, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries launched the first edition of World Food India in 2017.
In view of celebrating 2023 as the International Year of Millets and to bring global food processing industry together, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries is organising the second edition ‘World Food India 2023’ from 3rd-5th November, 2023 at New Delhi.

World’s Largest Film Restoration Project

The National Film Heritage Mission, launched in 2015, is a government initiative under the aegis of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Its primary objective is to preserve, conserve, and digitize India’s vast cinematic heritage.
The NFHM is a massive undertaking that encompasses various aspects of film preservation, including the restoration of deteriorating films, digitization of film prints, documentation, and preventive conservation, all of which is carried out at the state-of-the-art restoration and digitization facilities at NFDC-NFAI’s Pune campus.

Know! about NFDC-NFAI

The National Film Archive of India (NFAI) was established as a media unit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in February 1964.
It was a member of the International Federation of Film Archives.
In March 2022, it was merged with the National Film Development Corporation.
The NFDC-NFAI, headquartered in Pune, is responsible for collecting, cataloging, and preserving films from India and around the world.
With a vast collection of over 30,000 film titles, including silent classics, documentaries, feature films, and short films, NFAI serves as the custodian of India’s cinematic history.
Under the NFHM, NFDC-NFAI has been actively working on film restoration, with the goal of bringing deteriorating films back to their original glory.
The NFDC-NFAI also acts as a hub for research and education in the field of cinema.

PM Vishwakarma scheme

As a strategic step towards implementation of the PM Vishwakarma scheme, the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) announced the commencement of the Training of Master Trainers & Assessors Program under PM Vishwakarma scheme, to empower artisans and craftsmen community in identified trades.
This five-day residential training program, being held at the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) from November 6th to 10th, 2023, is set to train 41 master trainers from 10 different states
The first batch of master trainers will cater to the following trades: barber (Naai), tailor (Darzi), mason (Rajmistri), carpenter (Suthar/Badhai), doll & toy maker (Traditional), and blacksmith (Lohar).
The Master Trainers Training Programme aims to equip these master trainers with modern technology skills and entrepreneurial knowledge.
Participants will receive training on entrepreneurial competencies, business plan preparation, the government support ecosystem, financial literacy, digital and social media marketing, branding, and marketing.
Additionally, the master trainers will be provided with a modern tool kit to enhance their skills and adapt to contemporary practices.
PM Vishwakarma scheme ensures recognition through PM Vishwakarma certificates and ID cards, skill upgrading through skill verification, basic skilling, advanced skill training, entrepreneurial knowledge, toolkit incentives up to Rs. 15,000, credit support up to Rs. 3,00,000, and incentives for digital transactions.
The program will also provide marketing and branding support by the National Committee of Marketing (NCM).

Master trainers

Master trainers will be trained to deliver the PM Vishwakarma scheme with a focus on enhancing the quality and expanding the reach of products and services crafted by artisans and skilled craftspeople.
Their primary objective will be to ensure the seamless integration of Vishwakarmas into both the domestic and global value chains.
The overarching goal of this initiative is to provide comprehensive support to artisans and craftspeople, facilitating their progression up the value chain in their respective trades.
The Master Trainer would be oriented on how to use the Trainee and Trainer Handbooks created for every Trade.
Master tainers will be trained to undertake Skill Assessments for all registered beneficiaries would be done to assess their existing skill levels.

PM Vishwakarma

It is a Central Sector Scheme, was launched on September 17th, 2023, by the Prime Minister of India to provide end-to-end support to artisans and craftspeople who work with their hands and tools.

Tribal Youth Exchange Programme (TYEP)

A youth delegation from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh called on the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan
The youth are in Delhi under the Tribal Youth Exchange Programme (TYEP), being organised by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for the youth of most affected areas by Left Wing Extremism.

Know! about TYEP

The Ministry of Home Affairs has been running the Tribal Youth Exchange Programme (TYEP) for the last 15 years.
The programme is being run through Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Under this programme, young men and women of the tribal communities from the interior areas most affected by Left Wing Extremism are taken to major cities and metropolitans across the country.
Apart from this, Youth Parliament, visit to Tribal Research Institute, guidance by senior officers at CRPF Camp and counseling for police recruitment, guidance and encouragement by young administrative officers, tour to important places of Delhi, cultural program and speech competition etc. will be organized.

DSIR-CRTDH Conclave-2023

Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) has been implementing a program known as “Common Research and Technology Development Hubs (CRTDHs)” which aims to encourage Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) for conducting industrial R&D/innovation activities and strengthening R&D infrastructure in Public Funded Research Institutions (PFRIs).
This program recognizes the importance of MSMEs in the overall economy of India and therefore focuses on the creation of R&D infrastructure in driving scientific advancements, technological innovations and socio-economic development.
CRTDH program, initiated in the year 2014-15, has now entered the 10th year of successful implementation with 18 CRTDHs across the country.
These CRTDHs have notable achievements along with success stories of some of the stakeholders associated with them which are truly forwarding the vision of “Atma Nirbhar Bharat” and strengthening the momentum for “Vocal for Local”.

Mount Celia Gold Operation

Ministry of Steel unveiled a groundbreaking ceremony for the Mining operations at Mount Celia Gold Project located in Western Australia.
This initiative, undertaken by Legacy Iron Ore Limited, a subsidiary of the State-owned Steel CPSE, NMDC Ltd( NMDC, a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Steel)has been met with great anticipation and stands as a testament to the relentless dedication and commitment of NMDC in diversifying its mineral assets.

International Mining and Resource Conference (IMARC) 2023

An Indian Delegation participated in the International Mining and Resource Conference (IMARC) 2023 held in Sydney, Australia, from October 31 to November 2, 2023.
The Indian pavilion at IMARC was inaugurated by the Minister on October 31, 2023, in the presence of Directors and delegates representing various Indian Companies.
The Indian Delegation held meetings with various companies on various areas of potential cooperation. Indian Companies like NMDC, COAL INDIA, SAIL, HCL, MECL, NALCO & OMC are actively participating in this endeavor.

Know! about IMARC

The International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) is where global mining leaders collaborate on trends in mining, investment, and innovation towards a sustainable future.
As Australia’s largest and most influential mining event, IMARC creates a global conversation, mobilises the industry for collaboration, and attracts some of the greatest leaders in the mining, investment, and technology industries for three days of learning, deal-making and unparalleled networking.

Dayapar in Kachch, Gujarat

NTPC Renewable Energy Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC, has declared the commercial operation of its first project, the 50 MW wind project at Dayapar in Kachch, Gujarat
With this, the total installed capacity of NTPC Group has become 73,874 MW, and the total RE operational capacity of NTPC Group now stands at 3,364 MW.
Dayapar Wind is the first project of NTPC REL and the first capacity in India to be declared commercial under new Indian Electricity Grid Code and General Network Access Regime.
In addition to solar and wind capacity, NTPC REL is also investing in Green Hydrogen technologies. Based on green hydrogen storage and microgrid principle, it is setting up a large capacity in Ladakh.
NTPC Green Energy Ltd. (NGEL), another wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC, has commissioned RE capacity of 2,711 MW and is setting up two solar projects, namely a 40 MW Solar project at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and a Hydrogen Hub at Pudimadaka in Andhra Pradesh.
NTPC REL was incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC on 7^th October, 2020, to accelerate RE capacity addition of NTPC.

Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2023

The Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2023, a two-day groundbreaking event steered by the Indian Army in collaboration with the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), concluded on 4^th November with takeaways on Security Challenges in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
The event organised in Manekshaw Centre on 3^rd and 4^th November, in six different sessions, was centred around the theme, ‘Serving India and Indo Pacific Region- Collaborating for Comprehensive Security’.
The Dialogue, inspired by the sagacity of the ancient strategist Chanakya, unfolded crucial discussions on global and regional security issues with a distinctive emphasis on South Asian and Indo-Pacific security dynamics,

Know! about CLAWS

The Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi, is an independent think tank on strategic studies and land warfare in the Indian context.
CLAWS is registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and is a membership-based organisation.
It is governed by a Board of Governors and an Executive Council.
The mandate of CLAWS covers national security issues, conventional military operations and sub-conventional warfare.
The Centre also focuses on conflicts in the region and military developments in countries within India’s strategic frontiers, particularly those in the Southern Asian region.

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Current Affairs 03,04,05 & 06 Nov 2023