National
India Infrastructure Report (IIR) 2023 on Urban Planning and Development
⇒ The India Infrastructure Report 2023 on Urban Planning and Development was released on 4 December 2023 by Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, former Vice-President of India.
» The India Infrastructure Report 2023 has been a collaborative effort of the IDFC Foundation, Infrastructure Development Corporation (Karnataka) Ltd. (iDeCK) and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
- The report is a significant milestone in the acclaimed India Infrastructure Report (IIR) series, initiated by the IDFC Foundation in 2001.
About IIR 2023:
» The India Infrastructure Report (IIR) 2023 contains 25 chapters by prominent names in the urban development and policy ecosystem on the current state of urban development in India.
- This annual publication has been instrumental in identifying and analyzing legal, fiscal, regulatory, technological, social, and conceptual aspects related to contemporary themes relevant to infrastructure development.
- This makes it an invaluable resource for those involved in formulating urban policy, as well as for those interested in the development of India’s infrastructure and urbanization, such as policy makers, investors, academics, financiers, and multilateral agencies.
Key Points of the India Infrastructure Report 2023:
- Spotlight on the transformative potential of digital technology in shaping the urban landscape of India. Focus areas include the concept of ‘smart cities’ and the significance of performance ranking criteria.
- Examination of financial dimensions of urban development, with a special emphasis on public-private partnerships (PPPs), the financial sustainability of urban local bodies, and the efficacy of municipal bonds as potent financing instruments.
- Urban transportation planning and urban redevelopment as pivotal components of effective urban governance through transit-oriented development, efficient urban goods movement, and floor space and land price regulation in India.
About IDFC:
- IDFC Foundation is a not-for-profit institution, working on philanthropic initiatives in social infrastructure.
About iDeCK:
- IDeCK, established in 2000 as a joint venture of the Government of Karnataka, IDFC Foundation and HDFC.
- iDeCK focusses on catalysing well-planned, sustainable infrastructure projects, especially through public-private participation.
About NIUA:
- Established in 1976, the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India.
Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit 2023
⇒ Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit 2023’ held at Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, Uttarakhand on 08 December 2023.
- Shri Modi also took a walkthrough of the exhibition and unveiled the Ground Breaking Wall.
- Prime Minister Modi also launched a book Sashakt Uttarakhand and the brand House of Himalayas.
About Summit:
» ‘Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit 2023’ was a step towards establishing Uttarakhand as a new investment destination.
- The two-day summit was held on 8th and 9th December, 2023.
- The summit was attended by thousands of investors and delegates from across the world.
Theme:
The theme of Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit 2023 was ‘Peace to Prosperity’.
Investment Opportunities:
» Uttarakhand has emerged as one of the major investment destinations for the manufacturing and service industry in the country, particularly in Tourism, Education, Wellness, Automobiles, Pharmaceuticals and Food Processing, due to its business-friendly environment, conducive investment policies and simplified regulations.
Focus Sectors:
- Industry
- Health and Education
- IT, Data Centre and Start Up
- Tourism and Wellness
- Agriculture and Horticulture
Concluding session:
» Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah addressed the concluding session of Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit – 2023 in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
- Union Home Minister said that Investment proposals worth more than Rs 3.5 lakh crore have been received at the two-day Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit against a target of Rs 2 lakh crore. The MoUs worth Rs 3.5 lakh crore is the beginning of exploring the infinite possibilities for the new Uttarakhand.
2nd Edition of the flagship Financial Technology event - Infinity Forum 2.0
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the second edition of Infinity Forum, a global thought leadership platform on FinTech via video conferencing on 09 December 2023.
Organized by:
» The 2nd Edition of Infinity Forum was jointly organized by the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), and GIFT City, under the aegis of the Government of India.
- It was organised as a precursor event to Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024.
Supported by:
» Infinity Forum 2.0 was supported by Bloomberg as the International Partner; FICCI and Invest India as the Domestic Partners; and Boston Consulting Group as the Knowledge Partner.
The 1st edition of the Forum was organised in December 2021 and witnessed 95000+ registrations across 80+ countries and a ‘FinTech Showcase’ with 100+ virtual exhibitors hosted alongside the main event.
Theme:
The 2nd edition of the Infinity Forum was centered on the theme ‘GIFT-IFSC: Nerve Centre for New Age Global Financial Services’.
The theme was dovetailed through the following three tracks:
- Plenary Track: Making of a New Age International Financial Centre
- Green Track: Making a case for a “Green Stack”
- Silver Track: Longevity Finance Hub at GIFT IFSC
Each track comprised an Infinity Talk by a senior industry leader and a discussion by a panel of industry experts and practitioners from the financial sector in India and across the globe, providing practical insights and implementable solutions.
Key Points:
- The Forum was hosted by IFSCA as a global thought leadership platform on financial services, where progressive ideas, pressing problems, innovative technologies from across the world were Discovered, Discussed and Developed into solutions and opportunities.
- The Forum witnessed the participation of 300+ CXOs with strong online participation from India and a global audience across 20+ countries including the USA, UK, Singapore, South Africa, UAE, Australia and Germany.
- The event also attended by Vice-Chancellors from foreign universities and representatives of foreign embassies.
International
‘Garba of Gujarat’ declared as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO
⇒ ‘Garba of Gujarat’ has been inscribed in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity by UNESCO, under the provisions of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
- The decision was taken during the 18th meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Kasane, Botswana from 5 to 9 December, 2023.
Key Points:
- Garba of Gujarat is the 15th Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) element from India to join this list.
- This inscription underscores Garba’s pivotal role as a unifying force that fosters social and gender inclusivity.
- Garba as a dance form is entrenched deeply in ritualistic and devotional roots, involving people from all walks of life and it continues to thrive as a vibrant living tradition bringing communities together.
- The inscription further highlights the commitment and efforts of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India towards the safeguarding, promotion and preservation of our intangible cultural heritage.
Other Points:
- The Listing mechanism under the UNESCO 2003 Convention aims to enhance the visibility of intangible cultural heritage, fostering awareness of its significance and promoting dialogue that respects cultural diversity.
- India was elected to be part of the 24 Member Inter-governmental Committee (IGC) of the ICH 2003 Convention in 2022 for a tenure of 4 years.
- Alongside India, this year’s Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) comprised of Angola, Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Czechia, Ethiopia, Germany, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.