National
Global Fisheries Conference India 2023
⇒ Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Shri Parshottam Rupala inaugurated the Special Pavilion and main Exhibition of Global Fisheries Conference India 2023 on 21 November 2023.
To celebrate the contribution and achievements of fishers and fish farmers and other stakeholders and reinforce commitment towards sustainable and equitable development of the Fisheries sector, Department of Fisheries, GoI organized the Global Fisheries Conference India 2023, on occasion of World Fisheries Day.
- The two-day event was held on 21st and 22nd of November 2023 at the Gujarat Science City in Ahmedabad.
Organized by:
The conference was organised by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India.
Theme: ‘Celebrate the Fisheries and Aquaculture Wealth’
Under the theme ‘Celebrating Fisheries and Aquaculture Wealth’, the conference aimed to bring together key stakeholders on one platform for fruitful discussions, market insights and networking.
Key Points:
- The conference served as a platform to forge partnerships with national and international stakeholders and chalk out a roadmap for sustainable growth of India’s fisheries sector.
- The two-day conference, that witnessed an impressive footfall of over 14,000 physical and virtual participants, brought together a diverse array of dignitaries and stakeholders including state fisheries ministers, ambassadors and diplomatic delegations from different nations, global fisheries scientists, policy makers, fisheries communities and investment bankers.
- The conference featured a comprehensive agenda, comprising five technical sessions, five industry connections, and five Government-to-Government (G2G), Government-to-Business (G2B) and Business-to-Business (B2B) sessions.
- An exhibition was organised during conference that featured participation of start-ups, fishermen, food stalls, demonstration of aquariums, Artificial reefs, Seaweed Cultivation, capture fisheries, marine cage culture etc.
Publications:
» During the inaugural event, Union Minister Shri Parshottam Rupala released the “State Fishes of India Booklet” to encourage each state in India to adopt a fish and conserve its biodiversity.
- The booklet contains details of 21 fish species adopted as State Fish and declared as State Aquatic Animal.
» The other key publication released was “Handbook on Fisheries Statistics year 2022” that aims at providing key data points and performance indicators for the Fisheries sector making accurate and reliable fisheries data available to all.
World Fisheries Day 2023: Awards
» In line with the past years, on occasion of the World Fisheries Day, awards were distributed by the dignitaries.
- The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Govt of India has institutionalized awards in different categories to felicitate the outstanding performers in recognition of their accomplishments in innovation, development and adoption of improved technologies and practices in fish farming and fish production.
- The Awardees felicitates with a memento, shawl, certificate, citation and a cash prize.
Important Award Winners:
Best State:
Andhra Pradesh was awarded as the Best Marine State, Uttar Pradesh awarded as the Best Inland State award, Assam as the Best Himalayan region and North Easter State award.
Best District:
Ramanathapuram (Tamil Nadu) was awarded as the Best Marine District, Seoni (Madhya Pradesh), Kamrup (Assam) won the Best Inland District and the Best Himalayan and North Eastern District respectively and Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir) won the Best District in the Union Territories category.
» Awards for Best Fish Farmers, Best Fisheries Cooperatives and the Best Fisheries Enterprises were also distributed during the function.
Government announces names of 18 cities to receive funds under CITIIS 2.0 Challenge
⇒ To promote the reuse and recycling of waste generated in urban areas, Union minister of housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on 04 March 2024 announced the names of 18 cities that will get Rs 1496 crore as part of the CITIIS 2.0 challenge.
These cities are Agartala, Agra, Bareilly, Belagavi, Bilaspur, Guwahati, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Madurai, Muzzafarpur, New Town Kolkata, Panaji, Rajkot, Srinagar, Thiruvananthapuram, Thanjavur, Udaipur, and Ujjain.
Key Points:
The CITIIS 2.0 Challenge was launched by Union Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri on 16 November 2023.
- All 100 SPVs under the Smart Cities Mission were eligible to seek assistance under CITIIS 2.0 program.
- Up to 18 innovative projects promoting circular economy with a focus on integrated waste management have been selected for assistance.
- The CITIIS grant amount for each project under will be limited to 80% of the total project cost, up to INR 135 Crore (90% of the total project cost, in the case of North-Eastern and Hill States).
- The additional funds, i.e., 20% of the total project cost will be mobilised by the selected city through own source funding by the State/ Local Governments (10% of the total project cost, in case of North-Eastern and Hill States).
CITIIS 2.0 (City Investments To Innovate, Integrate and Sustain):
» CITIIS 2.0 was approved by the Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, on 31 May 2023. Under CITIIS 2.0, cities will implement projects promoting a circular solid waste management economy for the next four years.
» CITIIS 2.0 is a significant step in the direction of achieving India’s commitments to combating the challenges posed by climate change.
- During COP26 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Glasgow in November 2021, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi presented the five nectar elements (Panchamrit) of India’s climate actions, including achieving the target of net zero emissions by 2070. Furthering this vision, MoHUA has also undertaken varied measures to address climate change through its ongoing missions, including the Smart Cities Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission, AMRUT and Urban Transport, among others.
- CITIIS 2.0 program envisages to supplement such climate initiatives of the Government of India and MoHUA through its unique model of action at all three levels of the government.
» CITIIS 2.0 is the second phase of the City Investments To Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS) program.
It has been conceived by MoHUA in collaboration with the French Development Agency (AFD), KfW Development Bank, the European Union and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) with the aim to:
- Drive investments into urban climate action through competitively selected projects promoting a circular economy with focus on integrated waste management.
- Foster climate-sensitive planning and action in states and cities through evidence-driven approaches.
- Build institutional mechanisms, leverage partnerships and anchor capacity building for all urban local bodies in India.
Funds for CITIIS 2.0:
- CITIIS 2.0 will be funded through an external funding of INR 1,866 crore (EUR 212 million).
- This includes a loan of EUR 100 million each from AFD (French Development Agency) and KfW German Development Bank; i.e., a total loan of INR 1,760 crore (EUR 200 million), and a technical assistance grant of INR 106 crore (EUR 12 million) from EU.
- The program will be managed by the CITIIS Program Management Unit at NIUA.
International
India-Sri Lanka Joint Exercise MITRA SHAKTI – 2023
⇒ The ninth edition of Joint Military exercise “Exercise MITRA SHAKTI-2023” commenced in Aundh (Pune) on 16 November 2023.
- The exercise was conducted from 16th to 29th November 2023.
Participation:
- The Indian contingent, of 120 personnel, was represented mainly by troops from the MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY Regiment.
- The Sri Lankan side was represented by personnel from 53 Infantry Division.
- 15 personnel from Indian Air Force and five personnel from Sri Lankan Air Force also participated in the exercise.
» The aim of the exercise was to jointly rehearse conduct of Sub Conventional operations under Chapter VII of United Nations Charter.
- The Scope of the exercise included synergising joint responses during counter-terrorist operations.
- Both sides practiced tactical actions such as raid, search and destroy missions, heliborne operations, etc.
- In addition, Army Martial Arts Routine (AMAR), combat reflex shooting and Yoga were also made part of the exercise curriculum.
» Exercise MITRA SHAKTI – 2023 also involved employment of Drones and Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems besides helicopters.
- Drills to secure helipads and undertake casualty evacuation during counter-terrorist operations were also rehearsed jointly by both sides.
Both sides exchanged views and practices of joint drills on a wide spectrum of combat skills that facilitated the participants to mutually learn from each other. Sharing of best practices further enhanced the level of defence cooperation between Indian Army and Sri Lankan Army.
Important Day
World Fisheries Day 2023
⇒ World Fisheries Day is celebrated across the world every year on 21 November.
World Fisheries Day is celebrated to demonstrate solidarity with all fisher folk, fish farmers and concerned stakeholders throughout the world.
History:
- Unifying working fishermen and women from all over the globe was the purpose for the World Forum of Fish Harvesters & Fish Workers that came together in New Delhi on 21st November 1997.
- On that day, the World Fisheries Forum (WFF) was established and fishing representatives from 18 countries signed a declaration advocating for a global mandate of sustainable fishing practices and policies.
- To commemorate this day, the 21st November is celebrated every year as World Fisheries Day.
Significance:
- The event aims to draw attention to overfishing, habitat destruction and other serious threats to the sustainability of our marine and freshwater resources.
- The celebrations serve to focus on changing the way the world manages global fisheries to ensure sustainable stocks and healthy ecosystems.