National
Launch of ‘ANDROTH’, 2nd Ship of ASW SWC (GRSE) Project
⇒ ‘Androth’, the second of 08 x ASW Shallow Water Craft (SWC) Project, being built by M/s GRSE for Indian Navy was launched on 21 March 2023 at M/s GRSE, Kolkata.
The ship made her first contact with water of Hooghly River at the Launch Ceremony presided over by VAdm Dinesh K Tripathi, FOC-IN-C (West). In keeping with the Naval traditions, Smt Shashi Tripathi launched the ship to the chanting of invocation from Atharva Veda.
» The ship has been named Androth to signify the strategic maritime importance accorded to the island of Androth, located about 170 Nm north-west of Kochi, in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.
About Ship:
- Contract for building eight ASW SWC ships was signed between MoD and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata on 29 April 2019.
- Arnala class of ships will replace the in-service Abhay class ASW Corvettes of Indian Navy and are designed to undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal waters, Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO) and Mine Laying operations including subsurface surveillance in littoral waters.
- The ASW SWC ships are 77.6 m long, have a displacement of 900 tons with a maximum speed of 25 knots.
- The first ship of the project is planned to be delivered to Indian Navy by December 2023. The ASW SWC ships will have over 80% indigenous content.
International
First G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG) meeting
⇒ The 1st Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG) meeting under the presidency of India was held on February 02-03, 2023 in Guwahati, Assam.
The meeting was attended in person by 95 delegates from G20 member countries, 10 invitee countries and 14 international organisations like the IMF, NGFS, World Bank, UNDP, UNEP Fi, ADB, NDB, FSB among others. Many other international organisations joined the meeting virtually.
» SFWG will develop a G20 Sustainable Finance Technical Assistance Action Plan.
The meeting discussed three priority areas:
- Mobilisation of timely and adequate resources for climate finance
- Enabling finance for the Sustainable Development Goals
- Capacity building of the ecosystem for financing toward sustainable development
» SFWG aims to mobilise sustainable finance to help ensure global growth and stability and promote the transition towards greener, more resilient, and inclusive societies and economies.
Day 1:
1st G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group meeting began in Guwahati with an inaugural address by Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of AYUSH and Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
Followed by the inaugural session, deliberations on the following topics at the plenary sessions commenced:
- Session 1: Mechanisms for mobilisation of financial resources for climate finance
- Session 2: Enabling finance for the Sustainable Development Goals
- Session 3: Short introduction by the Secretariat on monitoring and assessing roadmap progress
Day 2:
Sessions on the following topics were lined up on Day 2 of the meeting to form a consensus on key actions to be taken by G20 nations:
- Session 1: Identifying areas in which sustainable finance capacity building is most needed: Demand, provision and gap in capacity building.
- Session 2: How to improve, supplement and scale up sustainable finance related capacity building services
- Session 3: Designing & implementing relevant TA to overcome data-related barriers to sustainability-aligned investments
- Session 4: Capacity building of the ecosystem for financing towards sustainable development
About SFWG:
- Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG) is a newly established group under the 2021 G20 Italian Presidency co-chaired by the US and China.
- The working group deliberates on how to help focus the attention of the G20, international organizations, and other stakeholders on key priorities of the sustainable finance agenda and form a consensus on key actions to be taken.
2nd G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG) Meeting
⇒ The 2nd G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG) meeting under India’s G20 Presidency took place in Udaipur, Rajasthan from March 21 – 23, 2023.
During the 3-day meeting, over 90 delegates from various countries who are members of the G20 as well as those who have been invited by the Indian Presidency along with International Organisations engaged in detailed deliberations on the agreed upon work plan and priority areas for 2023.
The 2nd SFWG Meeting took forward the discussions from previous meetings on the three identified priority areas, that are:
- Mechanism for mobilisation of timely and adequate resources for climate finance;
- Enabling finance for Sustainable Development Goals; and
- Capacity building of the ecosystem for financing toward sustainable development
Day 1:
Udaipur hosted the 2nd Sustainable Finance Working Group Meeting, where G20 nations engaged in insightful dialogues on strengthening climate finance and discussed policy levers to support sustainable investment.
» A session was organized on Mechanism for Mobilisation of Financial Resources for Climate Finance.
- In this session, delegates discussed the importance of climate finance and establishing adequate mechanisms which can help mobilise funds more effectively.
» On the sidelines of the meeting, a Workshop on Non-Pricing Policy Levers to support Sustainable Investment, their challenges, and opportunities was also organised.
- The workshop focused on better understanding the effectiveness of non-pricing policy levers in enabling low-carbon development with due consideration for national circumstances and nationally defined development priorities.
Day 2:
The second day of the 2nd Sustainable Finance Working Group Meeting focused on improving coordination between G20 nations and enhancing policies and recommendations for financing Sustainable Development Goals.
» A Workshop was organized on Enabling finance for Sustainable Development Goals.
- The workshop aimed to build a better understanding among G20 members and strengthen policy and other recommendations towards enhanced financing for SDGs.
- This is the first time for the SFWG to go beyond climate related issues and engage in dialogue for enabling enhanced financing for select SDGs primarily through nature-related data and reporting and social impact investing.
Day 3:
On the last day of the 2nd SFWG Meeting, discussions were held in detail about different aspects of climate finance, including exploring opportunities to enhance financial ecosystems that can efficiently cater to sustainable development.
Session 1: Capacity building of the Ecosystem for financing toward Sustainable Development
- In the meeting, the G20 delegates deliberated on streamlining and building capacity for financing sustainable development globally.
Important Day
World Down Syndrome Day 2023
⇒ World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), is a global awareness day observed every year on 21 March since 2012.
World Down Syndrome Day raises awareness about Down syndrome and promotes understanding and acceptance of people with this condition.
Theme:
Each year, Down Syndrome International (DSi) develops a theme for WDSD.
- The theme for World Down Syndrome Day 2023 was ‘With Us Not For Us’.
People with disabilities have the right to be treated fairly and have the same opportunities as everyone else, working With others to improve their lives.
History:
- World Down Syndrome Day was first observed in 2006 after Down Syndrome International (DSI) established the day at their World Congress in 2005.
- Later, the Brazilian Federation of Associations of Down Syndrome joined hands and worked with DSI and its members to introduce an extensive campaign to generate international support.
- On 19 December 2011, the General Assembly declared 21 March as World Down Syndrome Day (A/RES/66/149). The General Assembly decided, with effect from 2012, to observe World Down Syndrome Day on 21 March each year.
- The date for WDSD being the 21st day of the 3rd month, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome.
About Down Syndrome:
- Down syndrome (or Trisomy 21) occurs when an individual has an extra partial (or whole) copy of chromosome 21. It is not yet know why this syndrome occurs, but Down syndrome has always been a part of the human condition.
- It exists in all regions across the globe and commonly results in variable effects on learning styles, physical characteristics and health.
- The estimated incidence of Down syndrome is between 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 1,100 live births worldwide. Each year, approximately 3,000 to 5,000 children are born with this chromosome disorder.