National
Festival of Libraries 2023
⇒ The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the unique ‘Festival of Libraries 2023’ in New Delhi on August 5, 2023.
- The two-day event was held on 5th – 6th August 2023 at Hall No. 5 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Organized by:
The Festival was organized by the Ministry of Culture with the aim to promote development and digitization of Libraries and cultivate the culture of reading.
Objectives:
- The Festival of Libraries was a unique event that aimed to engage and inspire participants from the entire ecosystem of libraries.
- The festival was a part of the second phase of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. Its aim was to facilitate the formulation of action-oriented policies for the development of Model Libraries in India, right down to the village and community levels.
- The aim of the event was to bring together stakeholders across the board, from librarians & academics to district collectors of 100 aspirational districts & directors of model libraries to develop a roadmap for encouraging Libraries to become the Drawing Rooms of the Community and for the Readers to emerge as future Leaders, in consonance with the spirit of a country that reads, is a country that leads.
Valedictory Ceremony:
The Valedictory Ceremony, on the second day of the first-ever ‘Festival of Libraries 2023’, witnessed the gracious presence of the Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar.
The Festival saw the launch of Biblio-on-Demand service, Library ranking framework, modernisation project of Delhi Public Library, Directory of Libraries (Volume 1- Delhi), coffee table book on proscribed literature among others.
Bibliographic Services on Demand:
Central Reference Library, Kolkata operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, will expand its user base through the Bibliographic Services on Demand. This service aims to provide users with curated lists of reliable sources compiled by professional bibliographers.
The four national depository libraries that will serve as the source of reference for this service are:
- The National Library, Kolkata
- The Delhi Public Library, New Delhi
- The State Central Library, Mumbai
- The Connemara Public Library, Chennai
Highlights:
- The festival featured a diverse range of engaging activities, including roundtable discussions, interactive panels, and insightful conversations with organisers of literary festivals, young authors, and publishing houses. Special sessions were dedicated to exploring schemes for library development, including the National Missions on Libraries Manuscripts and Archives.
- The festival also marked the launch of a special ranking system for libraries across India, further promoting excellence and innovation in the library sector.
- The Festival witnessed several key developments that enriched the discourse on libraries’ modernisation.
- The Festival of Libraries also delved into the significance of preserving history and knowledge through archives and oral histories.
- The Festival of Libraries 2023 made a lasting impact on all participants, highlighting the significance of libraries as vital repositories of knowledge and culture.
» The government’s National Mission on Libraries (NML) launched in 2014 further underscores its dedication to enhancing libraries across the country. This mission develops model libraries, connect district libraries with digital networks, and prioritize libraries in economically backward districts.
First ever woman from Nagaland nominated to the panel of Vice-Chairpersons
⇒ The Monsoon Session, 2023 of Parliament which commenced on 20th of July, 2023 was adjourned sine die on 11th of August, 2023. The Session provided 17 sittings spread over a period of 23 days.
In a historic move this Monsoon Session, Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar nominated four women Parliamentarians to the panel of Vice-Chairpersons on 20 July 2023.
- In another notable development, the Rajya Sabha Chair has become fully digital from this Monsoon Session.
Key Points:
- All women members nominated to the panel were first term Parliamentarians.
- Smt S Phangnon Konyak was the first ever woman from Nagaland to be elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha.
- The panel reconstituted ahead of the monsoon session had a total of eight names, half of which were women.
- This was the first time in the history of the Upper House that equal representation was given to women members in the panel of Vice-Chairpersons.
The details of women members nominated in the panel of Vice Chairpersons are as follows-
- P.T. Usha: She is a Padma Shri awardee and a renowned athlete. She was nominated to Rajya Sabha in July, 2022.
- S. Phangnon Konyak: She belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party. She is the first woman to be elected as Member of Rajya Sabha from Nagaland in April, 2022 and the second woman from the State to be elected to either House of the Parliament or the State Assembly.
- Fauzia Khan: She belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party. She was elected to the Rajya Sabha in April, 2020.
- Sulata Deo: She belongs to Biju Janata Dal. She was elected to Rajya Sabha in July, 2022.
Other Four Members:
Apart from the aforementioned women members, Shri V Vijayasai Reddy, Shri Ghanshyam Tiwari, Dr. L. Hanumanthaiah and Shri Sukhendu Sekhar Ray have also been nominated to the panel of Vice-Chairpersons.
Coal Ministry bags “Best Engagement” Award for Procurement through GeM Portal
⇒ Coal Ministry was awarded for its achievements on e- procurement through GeM by Ministry of Commerce. The Ministry of Coal has been awarded in “Best Engagement” category.
- Coal Ministry has successfully set new benchmarks in the e-procurement ecosystem, creating a level playing field for stakeholders and fostering fair competition. The Ministry has performed consistently well on GeM platform for two financial years in a row.
- During the financial year 2023-24, the Coal Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) have demonstrated unwavering confidence in GeM by publishing bids worth Rs 21,500 crore.
» Further, the Ministry of Commerce has awarded Coal India Limited (CIL) has been awarded “Rising Star” and NLC India Limited has been awarded in the “Timely Payments” category.
India Climate Energy Dashboard (ICED) 3.0
⇒ NITI Aayog released the India Climate Energy Dashboard (ICED) 3.0 on 20 July 2023.
- The ICED is the country’s one-stop platform for near real-time data on the energy sector, climate, and related economic datasets based on government published sources.
Key Points:
- Developed as a user-friendly platform, ICED 3.0 enables users to freely access and analyse datasets using an analytical engine.
- It will facilitate insights and enhance understanding about the energy and climate sectors while identifying the key challenges.
- The Portal will draw insights from the available data parameters and hence immensely useful in monitoring the progress of India’s clean energy transition journey.
- This dashboard offers more than 500 parameters, over 2000 infographics, and a number of interactive visualizations, allowing users to gain a holistic understanding of India’s energy sector.
International
List of outcomes when Prime Minister Modi paid an official visit to France
⇒ French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met on 14 July 2023.
At the invitation of President of France Mr. Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi concluded a historical visit as the Guest of Honour at the National Day of the French Republic on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership.
In January 1998, in a world of change and uncertainty, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and President Jacques Chirac elevated the relationship to a Strategic Partnership – one of the first for India with any country.
» PM Modi and President Macron took stock of the transformation and expansion of the relationship, over the past 25 years, in every area of bilateral cooperation and highlighted its evolution into a partnership of regional responsibilities and global importance.
- They agreed that ours is a relationship that has been resilient in the darkest storms and bold and ambitious in riding the high tides of opportunities.