National
Republic Summit 2023
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the Republic Summit 2023 at Hotel at Taj Palace in New Delhi on 26 April 2023.
Theme:
The 3rd Edition of the Republic Summit was held in New Delhi on the theme of “Time of Transformation”.
The stage brought together the architects of India’s transformation and the scripters of India’s future to host a thought series and elevated dialogue that triggers the conversations to take India ahead.
IFFCO Nano DAP (Liquid) in New Delhi
⇒ Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah launched IFFCO Nano DAP (Liquid) at New Delhi on 26 April 2023.
» In his address, Shri Amit Shah said that the launch of IFFCO Nano DAP (Liquid) product is an important beginning to make India self-reliant in the field of fertilizers.
- Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the launch of IFFCO Nano DAP (Liquid) product will bring a paradigm shift in the agriculture sector of India, it will make the farmers prosperous. India will become self-reliant in the field of fertilizer production.
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had given approval to Nano Urea in February, 2021, and in 2023 the infrastructure to make about 17 crore Nano Urea bottles has been built up in the country.
- Marketing of Nano Urea started in August, 2021 and about 6.3 crore bottles have been produced till March, 2023, the effect of one bottle of 500 ml on the crop is equivalent to that of 45 kg bag of granular urea.
Ispat Rajbhasha Samman 2021-22
⇒ RINL bagged Steel Ministry’s “Ispat Rajbhasha Samman” First Prize for the year 2021-22.
CMD, RINL Shri Atul Bhatt received this prestigious award from the Minister of State for Steel and Rural Development Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste in the meeting of Hindi Salahkar Samiti held at Srinagar on 24 April 2023.
Other Points:
- Shri Kulaste also released RINL’s March issue of Hindi In-house Magazine “Rashtriya Ispat Sugandh”.
- Shri Lalan Kumar, GM (Rajbhasha) and Admin Incharge, RINL-Visakhapatnam steel plant was also awarded First Prize for his special efforts in ensuring effective implementation of Hindi in the organisation.
Report - Promoting Millets in Diets: Best Practices across States/UTs of India
⇒ NITI Aayog released a report titled Promoting Millets in Diets: Best Practices across States/UTs of India. The report was released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman K. Bery.
» The report presents a set of good and innovative practices adopted by states governments and organizations in various aspects of millet value- chain especially production, processing and consumption.
The report is on three themes i.e.
- State Missions and initiatives to promote millets;
- Inclusion of millets in ICDS;
- Research and development and use of technology for innovative practices.
» The report will serve as a guiding repository to revive and mainstream millets in our diets.
International
XIX SCO IBC Council Meeting
⇒ Under the chairmanship of India, the XIX Council Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Interbank Consortium (SCO IBC) was held on 26 April 2023 in Goa.
Participation:
The meeting saw participation from representatives of member banks including Development Bank of Kazakhstan, China Development Bank, RSK Bank (Kyrgyzstan), Habib Bank Limited (Pakistan), VEB.RF (Russia), Savings bank of the Republic of Tajikistan Amonatbonk, and National Bank for Foreign Economic Activities of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
In his address as the Chair of the Meeting, Shri P.R. Jaishankar, Managing Director of India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL), highlighted India’s achievements as the fifth largest economy in the world and its continued rise as a strong and vibrant democracy. He mentioned that India’s GDP growth in 2022 stood at 6.8%, outperforming major economies like the US, United Kingdom, and Europe.
Shri Jaishankar proposed four areas of cooperation for SCO IBC Members:
- Expansion of cooperation: Efforts to be made towards taking initiatives to further expand cooperation among member banks.
- Exchange of experience and skills: Emphasis on exchange of experience, skills, and personnel training among SCO IBC Member Banks, building on positive strides already made in this direction.
- Electronic Collection of signed documents: Support for the initiative to form an Electronic Collection of the SCO IBC signed documents for the 20th anniversary of the Consortium.
- Strengthening partnerships: Encouragement for member banks to strengthen partnerships within the framework of SCO IBC.
Other Important Points:
- The SCO IBC Council meeting also focused on the increased sensitivity towards climate change and the need for sustainable development. India’s commitment to combat climate change was highlighted, including the pledge by the Prime Minister of India to reduce carbon emissions, achieve net-zero carbon emissions target by 2070, and become a leading producer and supplier of Green Hydrogen in the world.
- The XIX Council Meeting of the SCO IBC concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthen cooperation among member banks, exchange of experience and skills, and support for sustainable development initiatives.
- The proposed SCO-IBC Chair for the year 2023-24 is the ‘Development Bank of Kazakhstan’.
Important Day
37th Raising Day of BCAS
⇒ The Bureau of Civil Aviation (BCAS), the National Regulator for Civil Aviation Security, commemorated its 37th raising day on 27 April 2023 in New Delhi.
About BCAS:
- The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security was initially set up as a Cell in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in January 1978 on the recommendation of the Pande Committee constituted in the wake of the hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight on 10th September, 1976.
- The role of the Cell was to coordinate, monitor, inspect and train personnel in Civil Aviation Security matters. The BCAS was reorganized into an independent department on 1st April, 1987 under the Ministry of Civil Aviation as a sequel to the Kanishka Tragedy in June 1985.
- The aim of BCAS is to safeguard civil aviation operations against acts of unlawful interference. The Bureau is responsible for laying down the standards for security in respect of civil flights operating to / from India and ensuring their compliance through regular inspections and security audits.