National
Flag Officer Commanding-IN-Chief, Western Naval Command
⇒ Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, AVSM, NM took over as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C), Western Naval Command (WNC).
Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi took over as FOC-in-C from Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC at an impressive Ceremonial Parade held at INS Shikra on 28 February 2023.
About Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi:
- Prior to taking over as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Vice Admiral Tripathi served as the Chief of Personnel at the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Navy).
- An alumnus of Sainik School Rewa and National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, he was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 July 1985.
- On promotion to the rank of Vice Admiral in Jun 2019, the Flag Officer was appointed as Commandant of the prestigious Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala, Kerala.
MeitY launches the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC)
⇒ The Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar launched the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) on 28 February 2023.
GAC is a faceless dispute resolution mechanism that makes digital platforms – big and small, accountable to Digital Nagriks. GACs to be accessible through the Common Service Centres (CSCs).
About GAC:
- The Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) is established under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 [“IT Rules”], made under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
- The IT Rules and GAC aim to ensure a Safe & Trusted and Accountable Internet for Indian users.
- The GAC deals with the appeals of users (Digital Nagriks) aggrieved by decisions of Grievance Officers of social media intermediaries and other intermediaries on complaints of users or victims against violation of the IT Rules and any other matters pertaining to the computer resources made available by the intermediaries.
- The Digital Nagriks can file an appeal with the GACs within a period of 30 days from the date of receipt of communication from the intermediary’s Grievance Officer. This Committee will subsequently endeavour to address the user’s appeal within a period of 30 days.
International
Business 20 (B20) Engagement Group
⇒ Business 20 (B20) is among the most prominent Engagement Groups in G20, with companies and business organizations as participants. It is the official G20 dialogue forum with the global business community, established in 2010.
- Each year, the G20 Presidency appoints a B20 Chair (an eminent business leader from the G20 host country), who is supported by a B20 Sherpa and the B20 secretariat.
- The B20 leads the process of galvanizing global business leaders for their views on issues of global economic and trade governance and speaks in a single voice for the entire G20 business community.
- The B20 aims to deliver concrete actionable policy recommendations on priorities by each rotating presidency to spur economic growth and development.
The B20 bases its work on Task Forces (TFs) and Action Councils (ACs) entrusted to develop consensus-based policy recommendations to the G20 and international organizations and institutions. The B20 officially conveys its final recommendations to the G20 Presidency on the occasion of the B20 Summit.
The B20 Summit is scheduled to be held in New Delhi from 26th -27th August 2023.
B20 Theme: R.A.I.S.E.
- Responsible Business Practices
- Accelerated Business Practices
- Innovative Business Practices
- Sustainable Business Practices
- Equitable Business Practices
Four B20 Conferences:
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is organized four B20 Conferences in the North Eastern regions to showcase the untapped potential and opportunities within the region.
1st Business 20 (B20) Conference:
The first Business 20 (B20) Conference in North East India commenced on February 17, 2023 at the City Convention Centre in Imphal, Manipur State.
Focus:
The B20 Conference was held on February 17-19, 2023 with a focus on ‘Opportunities for Multilateral Business Partnerships in ICT, Tourism, Healthcare, and Handloom.
- Over 100 delegates from 23 nations consisting of 26 overseas business delegates and 24 diplomats participated in the conference.
- The participants had various opportunities for B2B and B2G meetings, focusing on varied sectors from IT, Infrastructure, Agro Food, etc.
Key Points:
- Representatives of G20 and other countries addressed the plenary session on the first day of the three-day event.
- On the second day of the event, the delegates went on an excursion to historically significant and famous tourist spots of the state including the INA Memorial complex and Loktak Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in South Asia.
- On the last day, before concluding the three-day meeting, the delegates visited Ima Keithel, the iconic all-women-run market in the heart of the capital city of the state, and the historic Kangla Fort.
2nd Business 20 (B20) Conference:
» The second Business 20 (B20) Conference was held on March 1-3, 2023 in Aizawl, Mizoram.
Focus:
The B20 Conference was focused on ‘Opportunities for Multilateral Business Partnerships in Urban Planning, Infrastructure, Bamboo, Startups, Skill Development, Nursing, and Paramedics’.
- Delegations from 17 countries with 38 overseas participants converged in Aizawl for the Conference along with 124 Indian delegates.
- This three-day event saw around 500 participants ranging from Ministers, senior Government officials, diplomats and representatives from business community.
3rd Business 20 (B20) Conference:
» The third Business 20 (B20) Conference was held on March 15-17, 2023 in Gangtok, Sikkim.
Focus:
The B20 Conference was focused on ‘Opportunities for Multilateral Business Partnerships in Tourism, Hospitality, Pharmaceutical, and Organic Farming’.
- Delegations from 22 countries with 53 overseas participants converged for the B20 meeting in Gangtok.
Sessions:
The third B20 conference kicked off with the inaugural session, followed by a plenary session on Opportunities for Multilateral Business Partnerships in Tourism, Hospitality, Pharmaceutical, and Organic Farming.
» The inaugural session of the B20 summit began at Gangtok Sikkim on March 16, 2023.
Speaking at a press conference Chief Minister, Sikkim, Shri PS Tamang mentioned that investors have shown an interest in investing around Rs 1000 crores in Sikkim at the B-20 meeting organized in Gangtok. The investments target IT/ITeS, green energy, infrastructure, skill development, tourism, civil aviation, organic farming, and forest products, among other sectors. He emphasised that the state government is committed to realising this potential investment by simplifying policies. He assured that hydropower development in Sikkim will be undertaken considering public sentiment and the environment.
Plenary Session:
The plenary session during the B20 meeting at Gangtok Sikkim discussed various topics on green development, tourism, organic farming, pharmaceuticals, etc. Overall, the conference focussed on exploring opportunities for collaborations.
4th Business 20 (B20) Conference:
» The fourth Business 20 (B20) Conference was held on April 04-06, 2023 in Kohima, Nagaland.
Nagaland hosted the B20 sessions organised in the Northeast as part of the G20 dialogue forum for the global business community.
Focus:
The B20 Conference was focused on ‘Opportunities for Multilateral Business Partnerships in Agriculture and Food Processing, Tourism, and Information Technology’.
- About 60 delegates from 27 countries participated in B20 meeting, including five Ambassadors from Cuba, Iceland, Jamaica, Paraguay, one Deputy Head of Missions from Estonia, and two Council Generals from Costa Rica and Germany.
- Besides, 24 diplomats, 39 overseas industry and 3 diplomats from G20 countries who are of Indian Origin also participated in the event.
Inaugural Session:
Addressing the inaugural session, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Education, Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh exuded confidence that this Business 20 event in Nagaland, will give the business community a unique opportunity to know North East and examine opportunities in North East from close quarters.
Deliberations focused on the developments across sectors, while emphasising on investment opportunities. Delegates experienced the culture of Nagaland & gave their due respects at the Kohima War Cemetery.