National
Economic Times Global Business Summit 2023
⇒ The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the Economic Times Global Business Summit 2023 in Delhi on 17th February, 2023.
» The two-day Summit was held on 17-18 February, 2023 at the Taj Palace in New Delhi.
Theme:
The theme of the Global Business Summit 2023 was “Resilience. Influence. Dominance”.
Host:
The Global Business Summit is hosted annually by The Times Group.
The summit brought together thought leaders, policy makers, academicians and corporate heads on a common platform, to provide solutions to key economic challenges. More than 200 business leaders addressed across 40 sessions at the Summit.
NMDC Wins Five Awards at the Governance Now 9th PSU Awards
⇒ India’s largest producer of iron ore NMDC, swept five awards at the Governance Now 9th PSU Awards held in New Delhi on 16 February 2023.
The Governance Now Awards recognize and celebrate the commitment of PSUs in raising the standards in the public sector to create socio-economic value for the country.
Awards:
- CMD Shri Sumit Deb was felicitated with the coveted PSU Leadership Award 2022.
- NMDC also brought home accolades for CSR Leadership, CSR Commitment (Overall), HR Excellence (Overall) and Nation Building, all received by Shri DK Mohanty, Director (Production) on behalf of NMDC.
SARAS AAJEEVIKA MELA-2023
⇒ Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Shri Giriraj Singh inaugurated and addressed as the Chief Guest at the SARAS AAJEEVIKA MELA-2023 in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
- Noida Saras Aajeevika Mela 2023 was organized during 17 February to 5 March 2023 in Noida Hatt.
Shri Giriraj Singh said that there are over 9 crore Women SHG members, viz 9 crore households, and if each of Didi will save Rs 100 per month, the bank will succeed with staggering amount with even higher deposits by most of the Didis (Women SHG Members).
Key Points:
- More than 350 Women SHG Members had put up 180 Stalls from 27 States. Moreover, there were 23 shops by SHG members in the India Food Court with the participation of over 100 sakhis.
- The mela had different areas which were given to different states and displays their special handicrafts such as footwear, clothing and accessories.
International
1st Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG)
⇒ As part of India’s Presidency of the G20, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) hosted the first Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) meeting in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh from 13 February to 15 February 2023.
- The three-day meeting showcased India’s digital transformation journey, and brought together G20 members, key knowledge partners, and guest countries to discuss digital public infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital skilling.
In addition to the G20 members, Guest Countries (namely, Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates), and International Organizations (such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), OECD, the World Bank, UNESCO, and the UNDP) participated in the DEWG meetings.
» The DEWG, originally called Digital Economy Task Force (DETF) was formed in 2017 as part of the German G20 presidency with the aim of promoting the implementation of a secure, interconnected, and inclusive digital economy.
- With the global digital economy estimated to be worth USD 11 trillion and expected to reach USD 23 trillion by 2025, the DEWG plays a critical role in shaping global policy discourse in the digital space.
As a precursor to the first DEWG meeting in Lucknow, MeitY has held several bilateral meetings and launched several initiatives that inter-alia includes the following:
- “Stay Safe Online” campaign
- G20 Digital Innovation Alliance (G20-DIA)
- “Digital Payment” campaign
- Immersive Digital Mobile Van
» The DEWG meetings during India’s Presidency endeavor to work towards the vision of digital transformation and the global digital economy as a means of fostering innovation and delivering public services in a secure cyber environment through a digitally skilled workforce.
The formal Working Group meeting, attended by delegations from member and guest countries and international organizations, deliberated on three DEWG priority areas identified by India –
- Digital Public Infrastructure
- Cybersecurity in the Digital Economy, and
- Digital Skilling
Day 1:
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister of Electronics & IT, Communications and Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated the 3-day long 1st DEWG Meeting, in the presence other Ministers and foreign delegates.
An Exhibition was also inaugurated showcasing virtual realities and artificial intelligence and innovative solutions such as ASK AI, ASK GITA, AI Chess, AI in daily lives, Digital India Journey, Lucknow VR Tour and various Initiatives of Central Government and State Government of Uttar Pradesh.
Five workshops were organized on the inaugural day, which covered various topics related to-
- ‘Digital Public Infrastructure: Sharing implementation experiences of Digital Identity in various countries’
- ‘Sharing of Cyber Security Solutions for MSMEs’
- ‘Digital Public Infrastructure to boost the attainment of sustainable development goals (SDGs)’
- Showcasing Digital Initiatives of the State of Uttar Pradesh
- ‘The Use of Geo-Spatial technologies for infrastructure and Product development in digital economy’
Day 2:
On the second day, the DEWG meeting began with a keynote address from India’s G20 Sherpa, Shri Amitabh Kant, followed by insightful presentations and interventions from participants.
Subsequently, the delegates discussed two priority areas namely Digital Pubic Infrastructure and Cyber security were discussed at length and expressed their willingness for further deliberations in subsequent working group meetings for greater shared understanding.
Day 3:
The final and the third day of the meeting focused on the priority of Digital Skilling. India proposed mechanisms for digitally skilled future ready workforce.
- The member nations appreciated the inclusion of digital skilling in the DEWG agenda and supported the India’s proposed priority areas broadly.
Summary discussions were also held on three key priority areas namely Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Cyber Security in Digital Economy and Digital Skilling.
Death
Noted Yakshagana playback singer, Shri Balipa Narayana Bhagawatha
⇒ Noted Yakshagana playback singer, Shri Balipa Narayana Bhagawatha passed away at his residence near Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district on 16 February 2023. He was 84.
About Bhagawatha:
- Mr Narayana Bhagawatha, who had a large fan following, had mastered a unique style of singing which fans had named as “Balipa shaili” (Balipa style).
- It was distinct from that of other singers. Though many other Yakshagana singers had tried to emulate this, none could master it.
- Mr Narayana Bhagawatha had a rich voice and wrote over 30 Yakshagana “prasangas” (scripts).