National
3rd edition of ISA Steel Conclave
⇒ Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal addressed the 3rd edition of ISA Steel Conclave in New Delhi on 22 November 2022.
Union Minister urged Steel Industry to make best use of the India-Australia Economic Cooperation & Trade Agreement (ECTA) Agreement and look at capturing new opportunities in Australia.
ISA – Steel Conclave 2022:
» The third Edition of the flagship event, ‘ISA – Steel Conclave’ on ‘Steel: Shaping the future’ was held on November 21 – 22, 2022 at The LaLiT, New Delhi, India.
- The inaugural edition of ISA – Steel Conclave was held in 2018.
Organized by:
The 3rd edition of ISA Steel Conclave was organized by Indian Steel Association and supported by Ministry of Steel.
Discussion:
- ISA – Steel Conclave 2022 once again covered pertinent issues and deliberated on Indian and global perspectives of the steel industry.
- The ISA – Steel Conclave 2022 decoded the current challenges and growth opportunities in the sector, Atmanirbharta in steel, steel logistics, innovation in technology and capital goods, low carbon emission steel, sustainable investments and other cutting-edge issues.
Other Points:
- India is currently the second largest steel producer in the world. With a share of 6% in global crude steel production and 5.7% in global crude steel consumption, India has become one of the major steel hubs in the world for both the production and consumption of steel.
- India has witnessed an increase in the export for finished steel to an all-time high of 13.49 MT in FY2021-22, up by 25% from FY2020-21 which indicates that India’s finished steel is widely accepted.
Book ‘India: The Mother of Democracy’
⇒ Union Education & Skill Development Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan released the book ‘India: The Mother of Democracy’ prepared and published by Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) in New Delhi on 24 November 2022.
- The book is an attempt to showcase the democratic ethos ingrained in India since the dawn of civilisation.
The Minister expressed his confidence that the book—India: The Mother of Democracy, will encourage healthy discussions on India’s democratic legacy and inspire next generations to cherish our timeless ethos.
International
UNESCO India Africa Hackathon 2022
⇒ UNESCO India Africa Hackathon 2022 was inaugurated on 22 November 2022 with a grand opening ceremony at Gautam Buddha University, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath mentioned about the strong historical ties between India and African countries.
Focus:
The program extensively focused upon promoting engagement and collaboration of the student communities in India with the communities of African nations to develop ingenious and out-of-the-box strategies to tackle the problems faced by mankind.
Theme:
The UNESCO-India-Africa Hackathon 2022 was organized on 23-24 November 2022 on the theme of ‘LiFE’.
The Sub-themes were:
- Education
- Energy
- Drinking Water and Sanitation
- Agriculture
- Health and Hygiene
Organized by:
UNESCO India Africa Hackathon 2022 was organized jointly by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Innovation Cell of the Ministry of Education, and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
Organizing and Participating Country:
India was the host country for UNESCO India Africa Hackathon 2022 while Botswana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambian, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Togo, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Republic of Kenya, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe were the Participating Countries.
» The 36-Hours Hackathon involved young entrepreneurs from India and 22 African countries. Nearly 600 young innovators come together to find solutions for social, environmental and technical problems during the event.
Valedictory session:
The Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar addressed the valedictory session of UNESCO-INDIA-AFRICA (UIA) Hackathon at Greater Noida on 25 November 2022.
- The Vice President said that the event reflects close relations cherished by India and its African counterparts and embodies the spirit of collaboration – bringing them together to solve problems for the betterment of humankind.
About UNESCO INDIA – AFRICA Hackathon:
- The UNESCO INDIA – AFRICA Hackathon is an annual 36 hours event that brings together students, educators, teachers, and the research community of India and its African partners to tackle the common challenges faced by their countries and serves as a facilitator for cultural amalgamation.
- The UNESCO INDIA – AFRICA Hackathon provides a suitable platform allowing young innovators to come together and find solutions for social, environmental and technical problems faced by the collaborating nations.
- It serves as the foundation for creating potential start-ups with the potential to transform the world. It allows the participating students to unleash their creativity and explore new technologies to solve real-world problems under the guidance of experts – thus, spearheading business innovation in the modern world.
- The Hackathon also serves as a symbol of the close relation cherished by India and its African counterparts and embodies the spirit of collaboration – bringing them together to solve problems for the betterment of humankind.
UNESCO India Africa Hackathon 2022 Winners (Official Link)
Important Day
Lachit Diwas
⇒ Lachit Diwas is celebrated annually in the Indian state of Assam on 24 November, to mark the birth anniversary of the great Lachit Borphukan.
Lachit Diwas 2022 was special because as it marks the 400th birth anniversary of the great Lachit Borphukan.
» Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the closing ceremony of the year long celebrations of 400th Birth Anniversary of Lachit Barphukan on 25th November, 2022 in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
- The Prime Minister also released the book – ‘Lachit Borphukan – Assam’s Hero who Halted the Mughals’ on the occasion.
It has been the constant endeavour of the Prime Minister to honour the unsung heroes in a befitting manner. In line with this, the country is celebrating 2022 as the 400th birth anniversary year of Lachit Barphukan. The celebrations were inaugurated in February this year by the then Hon’ble President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind in Guwahati.
About Lachit Barphukan:
- Lachit Barphukan (24th November, 1622 — 25th April, 1672) was the famous General of the Royal Army of the Ahom Kingdom of Assam who defeated the Mughals and successfully halted the ever-expanding ambitions of the Mughals under Aurangzeb.
- Lachit Barphukan inspired the Assamese soldiers in the Battle of Saraighat fought in 1671, and delivered a crushing and humiliating defeat on the Mughals.