National
Managing Director & CEO of Invest India
⇒ Ms. Nivruti Rai joined as the Managing Director & CEO of Invest India on July 12, 2023.
She has taken over the charge from Ms. Manmeet K Nanda, Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) who had assumed this additional charge of MD & CEO ad-interim in March 2023.
About Ms. Rai:
Ms. Rai is the recipient of the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar for her remarkable contributions in the field of technology. Ms. Nivruti Rai joins Invest India after an illustrious 29 years at Intel as a global business and technology leader. She led Intel India as Country Head for the past seven years driving growth and investment of Intel in India.
About Invest India:
- Created under the vision of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for a New India, Invest India today is well acknowledged by stakeholders for its tangible contributions and instrumental role in executing the Government’s flagship initiatives.
- Government’s flagship initiatives include Make in India, Startup India, National Single Window System, Project Monitoring Group, and Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council.
- The Board of Invest India is chaired by Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade).
International
Festival of India in Kuwait
⇒ Festival of India was organized in the State of Kuwait from 17-18 March 2023 by the Embassy of India, Kuwait under the aegis of Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
- This was the first Festival of India abroad held by the Ministry of Culture following the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Supported by:
The festival was supported by the Ministry of Information and Culture, Government of State of Kuwait and National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL), the Government of State of Kuwait.
» The inaugural event of “Festival of India” in the State of Kuwait was virtually inaugurated by Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture, Smt Meenakashi Lekhi on 17 March 2023.
- Addressing the gathering, she highlighted the strong historical relationship between India and Kuwait and also appreciated the ongoing cultural exchange between India and Kuwait.
» The highlight of the Festival was the performance by renowned Indian cultural troupes sent by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
The three troupes who performed at the Festival were:
- Qutbi Brothers – Qawwali performance,
- Hasan Khan and Group – Rajasthani Folk, and
- The Anirudh Varma Collective – Fusion of Indian classical and contemporary music.
The troupes presented a picture of India’s syncretic civilization with their performances drawn from diverse regions, cultures and religions of India.
» Alongside the cultural performances, the Embassy of India, Kuwait organized ‘Incredible India – Tourism Exhibition’ and the Indian Coffee tasting event for the Kuwaiti friends and diplomatic community on 18 March 2023.
» The Finale event was organized at the Dar Al Athar Islamiya (DAI), Yarmouk Cultural Centre on 18 March 2023.
Civil-20 (C-20) India 2023 Inception Meeting
⇒ Civil-20 (C-20) India 2023 Inception Meeting was held on March 20-21, 2023, in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
Participation:
357 delegates attended the Inception Meeting. There were representatives of 26 countries and 130 international delegates who arrived in Nagpur for the Civil-20 Inception Meeting, including Steering Committee Members, the International Advisory Committee (IAC) members, and the Working Group Coordinators of Civil-20 India 2023.
Chief Guest:
Mata Amritanandamayi was the Chair at the Civil 20 Inception meet and Nobel Laureate and Founder of Satyarthi Foundation, Kailash Satyarthi was the Chief Guest at the event. The Guest of Honour, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, highlighted that under India’s Presidency, the G20 has been democratized and transformed into a people’s movement.
Day-1
» The First Plenary Session of the Civil 20 Inception Meeting was held in Nagpur on March 20, 2023. Former Chief Information Commissioner, Shri Satyananda Mishra chaired the session.
- The theme of the session was ‘Balancing Development with Environment’.
The session covered the following Working Groups of Civil-20 India 2023:
- Integrated Holistic Health: Mind, Body and Environment
- Sustainable and Resilient Communities: Climate, Environment and Net Zero Targets
- Lifestyle For Environment (LiFE)
- Revival of Rivers and Water Management
Day-2
» The Second Plenary Session on the second day of the Inception Meet was on the theme ‘Civil Society Organisations and Promotion of Human Values’. The session was chaired by Shri Shyam Parande, Global Coordinator, Sewa International.
The session covered the following Working Groups of Civil-20 India 2023:
- Sewa – Sense of Service, Philanthropy, and Volunteerism
- Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – World is One Family
- Diversity, Inclusion, Mutual Respect, and Human Rights as Human Value
The Third Plenary Session of the Civil-20 India 2023 was held on the theme ‘Role of Civil Society in Promoting Human Development’. The session was chaired by Ms Nivedita Bhide, All-India Vice President of Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari.
The session covered the following Working Groups of Civil-20 India 2023:
- Gender Equality and Disability (GED)
- SDG 16+ and Promoting Civic Space
- Delivering Democracy – Retrospect and Prospect
» The Fourth Plenary Session dealt with ‘Civil Society Organisations as Drivers of Innovation and Technology’. The session was chaired by Ambassador Vijay Nambiar, Sherpa, Civil-20 India, 2023.
The session covered the following Working Groups of Civil-20 India 2023:
- Technology, Security, and Transparency
- Preservation and Conservation of Traditional Arts, Crafts and Culture
- Traditional and Innovative Ways of Livelihood and Employment
- Education and Digital Transformation
» The Valedictory function was held on March 21, 2023. The session was chaired by Sherpa, Civil-20 India 2023, and former ambassador Vijay Nambiar.
About Civil 20:
- Civil 20 (C20) India 2023 is one of the official Engagement Groups of the G20 that provides a platform for Civil Society Organizations (CSO) around the world to voice people’s aspirations to the world leaders in the G20 forum.
- It gives CSOs a platform to protect the agency of this sector, reflects the primary and common concerns affecting the people of the world, and promotes social and economic development with the vision of leaving no one behind.
Summit of Ministers of Physical Education and Sports of SCO nations
⇒ The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India on March 15th, 2023 concluded the three-day Summit on the topic of ‘Collaboration In Sports and Physical Fitness’ with delegates from Eight Shanghai Corporation Organization (SCO) nations.
The three-day discussion was held in the national capital New Delhi, where the first two days were dedicated to discussions by the Expert Working Group of the SCO nations.
» On the final day, a Ministers’ meeting was held chaired by the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) Shri Anurag Singh Thakur.
Key Points:
- During the meeting, the Minister said that it is a matter of great pride for the MYAS to be hosting members of SCO countries, especially in the first year of Azadi Ki Amrit Kaal, and the year where India has G20 presidency.
- The representatives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan (represented by the Charge d’ Affaires, High Commission, New Delhi) attended the discussion in person, and the representatives from China and Tajikistan connected virtually.
- All the sides reaffirmed their commitment to proper implementation of international obligations on clean sport, the need for increased cooperation and organization of conferences/seminars/ training programs in the field of sports education, clean sport and sports science.
- They also appreciated the importance of SCO traditional physical activity such as Yoga, Wushu, etc. as a lifestyle as well as sport and acknowledged its role in improving physical fitness; the role of traditional medicine of SCO countries as an aid to sports medicine, healing and achievement of excellence in sports was also noted.
Important Day
World Sparrow Day 2023
⇒ World Sparrow Day is celebrated every year on 20 March.
Theme:
The theme for World Sparrow Day 2023 was “I love Sparrows”, emphasizes the role of individuals and communities in sparrow conservation.
This day is celebrated to increase public knowledge about sparrow’s declining population and the need for its conservation. This occasion offers people a chance to unite and take action to protect and conserve sparrows.
History:
- The first World Sparrow Day was held on March 20, 2010, and has been celebrated annually since then.
- The idea for World Sparrow Day came from a casual conversation over tea at the Nature Forever Society’s office.
- Mohammed Dilawar founded The Nature Forever Society to raise awareness about sparrows. In 2008, TIME Magazine named him a conservation hero for his efforts.
- The Nature Forever Society (NFS) in India started an international initiative to celebrate World Sparrow Day. This society works in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation from France.