National
Kol Janjati Mahakumbh
⇒ Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah addressed the ‘Kol Janjati Mahakumbh’ organized on the occasion of Shabri Mata Janm Jayanti at Satna, Madhya Pradesh on 24 February 2023.
- On this occasion, the foundation stone of 70 development works worth Rs 507 crore and many other works of Rs 26 crore were inaugurated.
» In his address, Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Government of Madhya Pradesh has done many works for the welfare of Kol community and tribal brothers and sisters.
- He said that Kol community had very significant contribution in freedom movement. The government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is establishing tribal freedom fighters museum across the country at a cost of Rs 200 crore, the bravery of 1831’s Kol rebel is engraved in all the museums.
31st edition of New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF 2023)
⇒ The 31st New Delhi World Book Fair was held from 25th February to 5th March, 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
- The New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF), being held for the past 50 years, is a major calendar event in the publishing world.
Organised by:
The 9-day mega book fair was organised by National Book Trust, an autonomous organization of the Government of India under the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with India Trade Promotion Organization.
The Government of India’s premier publishing house Publications Division, exhibited its rich collection of books and journals at the 31st New Delhi World Book Fair 2023, one of the most acclaimed books fairs of the country.
Highlights:
- Publications Division showcased its ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ books collection, highlighting India’s freedom movement and remembering the freedom fighters who devoted their lives to the nation.
- The book display also included titles on topics such as history, art and culture, Gandhian literature, land and people, personalities and biographies, cinema, children literature and much more.
- Besides this, the Division also offered its premier Rashtrapati Bhavan series of books as well as speeches of Presidents, Vice Presidents and Prime Minister at the fair, published exclusively by Publications Division.
- Besides books, leading journals of the Division, Yojana, Kurukshetra and Ajkal were also available at the book stall. Popular children’s magazine Bal Bharti was also a part of the display. Employment News (Rozgar Samachar), the highly sought-after weekly employment newspaper of the Division was also available.
» New Delhi World Book Fair 2024 is scheduled to be held from 10 to 18 February 2024 in newly constructed Halls 2-6 at the centrally located Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
About Publications Division:
- Publications Division is a repository of books and journals which highlight the subjects of national importance and India’s rich cultural heritage. Established in 1941, Publications Division is a premier publishing house of Government of India offering books and journals in different languages and on diverse themes like development, Indian history, culture, literature, biographies, science, technology, environment, and employment.
- The Division’s flagship publications include popular monthly journals such Yojana, Kurukshetra and Aajkal as well as weekly employment newspapers ‘Employment News’ and ‘Rozgar Samachar’. In addition to this, Publications Division also publishes Government’s prestigious reference annual ‘India Year Book’.
Conference on “Geospatial Policy for National Development”
⇒ Experts suggested ways of pushing forward the new Geospatial Policy and harnessing it for National Development at the two-day conference on “Geospatial Policy for National Development” held from 21-22 February 2023.
Organised by:
The conference was organised by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
“All the Departments of the Government of India should explore, define and identify the schemes where Geospatial Technology and applications are needed and make strategy accordingly to push forward the Geospatial strategy,” said Shri Ajay Tirkey, Secretary, Department of Land Resources.
“India is only the 3rd Nation globally that is carrying out geo-referencing in the land parcels. Now 36 percent of the land has been geo-referenced, and the target is to achieve 100 percent by March 2024,” Shri Ajay Tirkey added.
Discussion:
Participants from the government sectors and industry players discussed geospatial infrastructure, skill development, transport networks, sustainable water management, agriculture, capacity building, and plans for high-end geospatial research and development at the two-day conference geared to develop a roadmap for successful implementation of the policy.
International
3rd RIIG Event, Dibrugarh
⇒ The third Research and Innovation Initiative Gathering (RIIG) Conference was held on March 23-24, 2023 at Dibrugarh, Assam.
Coordinated by:
The G20 RIIG Conference is coordinated by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India.
» Delegates deliberated on building a sustainable and circular bio-economy.
- Delegates from G20 members, guest countries, and International Organizations, and invited participants from the scientific community deliberated on the ways towards building a sustainable and circular bio-economy. About 100 delegates and invitees participated in the conference.
In his inaugural speech as the Chair of the G20 Research and Innovation Initiative conference, Dr. S Chandrasekhar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology said that integration of circular economy and bio-economy is necessary for sustainable economic growth.
Key Points:
- The event brought together key actors, comprising national authorities and experts from the G20 members responsible for planning, setting up new, and managing existing programs on the subject.
- The focus areas included challenges and opportunities in agriculture, de-carbonization of industry, and bio-energy and bio-resource management.
- The conference also saw deliberations on national and regional programs and country experiences, regulatory environment and public/private sector collaboration, the role of Research, Development & Innovation in creating new, resource efficient, sustainable, and more circular bio-based technologies, products and services, and cooperation between G20 members on specific thematic areas.
» On March 25, 2023, the RIIG Meeting delegates visited Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh.
- On their arrival in Itanagar, the delegates witnessed an exhibition on various tribal cultures, arts and innovations of the budding innovators of the State.
- The exhibition was formally inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Shri Pema Khandu.
RIIG Event on Eco-Innovations for Energy Transition
⇒ The RIIG Event on Eco-Innovations for Energy Transition was held on April 19 – 20, 2023 at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
» On the first day of the two-day G20 conference on the “Research Innovation and Initiatives Gathering (RIIG) on eco-innovations for energy transition” in Dharamshala on April 19, 2023, deliberations were held on sharing best practices and policy models of G20 countries for sustainable energy transition.
Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar presided over the meeting. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Chandrasekhar called for prioritizing the transition from fossil fuel consumption.
» 29 foreign delegates and 30 Indian experts and invitees from various scientific departments/organisations of the Government of India participated in the conference.
The discussions were based on topics –
- Smart energy transformation, storage, and management;
- Mission-driven research in sustainable energy transitions;
- Policy frameworks for research and innovation in carbon-neutral energy sources; and
- Green hydrogen and cooperation among G20 members on specific thematic areas.
» Meanwhile, the stalls of handicrafts and handlooms showcasing Himachali handicrafts and handloom products attracted the attention of the foreign delegates.
- Chamba Thal, Chamba Rumal, and Chamba Chappal along with various Himachali costumes were highly appreciated by the delegates.