National
3rd State Food Safety Index of FSSAI
⇒ The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Shri Mansukh Mandaviya released Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)’s 3rd State Food Safety Index (SFSI) to measure the performance of States across five parameters of food safety.
The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare felicitated nine leading States/UTs based on the ranking for the year 2020-21 for their impressive performance.
For the Year 2021:
Among the Larger States:
Gujarat was the top ranking state, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Among the Smaller States:
Goa stood first followed by Meghalaya and Manipur.
Among the UTs:
Jammu & Kashmir, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and New Delhi secured top ranks.
Other Initiatives:
» The Union Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya also flagged off 19 Mobile Food Testing Vans (Food Safety on Wheels) to supplement the food safety ecosystem across the country taking the total number of such mobile testing vans to 109.
» Shri Mandaviya also launched various innovative initiatives by FSSAI including the Eat Right Research Awards and Grants to encourage and recognize high-quality research in the area of food safety and nutrition in India and a logo for Vegan Foods. Through this logo, it will be easy for the consumers to identify and distinction Vegan and non-vegan food items.
'Centre of Excellence in Logistics and Supply Chain Management' at NITIE, Mumbai
⇒ Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal inaugurated the ‘Centre of Excellence in Logistics and Supply Chain Management’ at the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai.
About the Centre of Excellence in Logistics and Supply Chain Management:
» The Centre will contribute to cutting edge research, knowledge-building and capacity building in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, through applied research and development activities.
» The Centre will act as a driving force to train and launch top quality programs to disseminate advanced knowledge and promote Digitisation, Analytics, and IoT Application and Decision Support Systems through Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning applications and Digital Twin and Control towers. It aims to strengthen the monitoring and analysis of complex logistics operations.
» The Centre will carry out research projects to find innovative solutions in collaboration with industry and national and international bodies. The focus will be on Logistics and Supply Chain Management along with sustainability and green supply chains.
‘Mystic South, Global Linkages Summit - Towards a $1.5 Trillion Economy by 2025’
⇒ The Vice President, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu addressed the ‘Mystic South, Global Linkages Summit – Towards a $1.5 Trillion Economy by 2025’ organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry 23 September 2021.
Addressing the CII event, the Vice President said:
- Southern States to focus on reforms, ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and adopt the best practices to attract investments.
- The aim of South India to become a $1.5 Trillion Economy by 2025 is achievable.
» The Vice President called upon the industry to work with the Government on implementing various reforms with greater vigour and pave the way for sustained economic growth in the coming decade.
» The Vice President also called for creating global hubs in manufacturing, agricultural exports, digital services, next-generation financial products, high-efficiency logistics, power, sharing economy and modern retail.
International
CIPS Excellence in Procurement Awards 2021
⇒ Government e Marketplace (GeM) won the CIPS Excellence in Procurement Awards 2021 (CIPS Awards) in the “Best Use of Digital Technology” category.
The award was received on behalf of GeM by Shri Rohit Vadhwana, First Secretary (Economic), High Commission of India, in the UK at a ceremony held London on 22 September 2021.
GeM:
Government e Marketplace is a 100% Government owned Section 8 Company setup under the aegis of Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry for procurement of goods and services by Central and State Government organizations.
CIPS Awards:
The CIPS Awards are one of the leading recognitions around procurement globally, which is conducted under the aegis of The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), London.
CIPS:
CIPS is a global not-for-profit organisation and professional body dedicated to promoting good practices in procurement and supply management, with a community across 150 countries.
Important Day
International Day of Sign Languages
⇒ International Day of Sign Languages is celebrated every year on 23 September.
The Sign Language Day is a unique opportunity to support and protect the linguistic identity and cultural diversity of all deaf people and other sign language users.
Theme:
The theme of International Day of Sign Languages 2021 is ‘We Sign For Human Rights’. It was declared by the World Federation of the Deaf.
The theme, highlighting how each of us – deaf and hearing people around the world – can work together hand in hand to promote the recognition of our right to use sign languages in all areas of life.
History:
The UN General Assembly has proclaimed 23 September as the International Day of Sign Languages in order to raise awareness of the importance of sign language in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf.
International Day of Sign Languages was first celebrated in the year 2018 as part of the International Week of the Deaf.
Celebrations in India:
Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC), New Delhi, an autonomous body under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment celebrated ‘Sign Language Day’ in New Delhi.
During the programme, the Centre presented a documentary on ‘Indian Sign Language Journey’. Winners of 4th Indian Sign Language Competition, 2021, a national level competition held for students with hearing disabilities, were announced.