National
First-ever 3-day International Museum Expo 2023
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the first-ever International Museum Expo 2023 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi on 18 May 2023.
- He also inaugurated a virtual walkthrough of the upcoming National Museum at the North and South Blocks. The Museum is a comprehensive effort to highlight and showcase historical events, personalities, ideas and achievements related to India’s past that have contributed to the making of India’s present.
- The Prime Minister also took a walkthrough of Techno Mela, Conservation Lab and the Exhibitions showcased on the occasion.
- The International Museum Expo was organized as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate the 47th International Museum Day.
» The three-day International Museum Expo 2023 took place at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi from May 18 to 20, 2023.
Mascot of the International Museum Expo:
The Prime Minister also unveiled the Mascot of the International Museum Expo, the Graphic Novel – A Day at the Museum, the Directory of Indian Museums, the Pocket Map of Kartavya Path, and Museum Cards.
- The Mascot of the International Museum Expo is a contemporized version of the Dancing Girl made of wood in the Chennapatnam art style.
- The Graphic Novel portrays a group of children visiting the National Museum where they learn about the different career opportunities that are available at the museum.
- The Directory of India Museums is a comprehensive survey of Indian museums.
- The Pocket Map of the Kartavya Path highlights the various Cultural Spaces and institutions and it also traces the history of the iconic pathways.
- Museums Cards are a set of 75 cards with illustrated facades of iconic museums across the country, and is an innovative way to introduce museums to people of all ages and each card holds brief information about Museums.
Key Points:
- During the three-day International Museum Expo, the focus was on various themed museums, which were explored through workshops, seminars, master classes, panel discussions, and other events.
- The Museum Expo was designed to initiate a holistic conversation on Museums with museum professionals to enable them to evolve as cultural centers that play a pivotal role in India’s cultural diplomacy.
- The programme witnessed the participation of international delegations from cultural centers and museums from across the world.
International
6th India- Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment (MDTI)
⇒ India and Canada held the sixth Ministerial Dialogue on Trade & Investment (MDTI) in Ottawa on May 8, 2023.
Co-chaired by:
Union Minister Shri Piyush Goyal along with Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Government of Canada, co-chaired the discussions for the sixth India- Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment in Ottawa.
MDTI is a bilateral mechanism which provides institutional mechanism to discuss a broad spectrum of trade and investment related issues and cooperation areas.
Focus:
The Dialogue focused on various themes including strengthening the Bilateral Trade Relationship between India and Canada, Investment Promotion and Cooperation, Green Transition – including Critical Minerals discussion and new Areas of Cooperation such as promoting B2B engagements.
» The Ministers emphasised the solid foundation of the trade and economic relationship between Canada and India and recognized the significant opportunity to deepen bilateral ties and economic partnership.
Key outcomes:
- The two sides agreed to explore enhanced cooperation through measures such as coordinated investment promotion, information exchange and mutual support between the two parties in near future through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) preferably in Fall of 2023.
- The Ministers agreed on the importance of G2G coordination to promote critical mineral supply chain resiliency and committed to an annual dialogue at the official level on the margins of the Prospectors and Developers Association Conference (PDAC) in Toronto to discuss issues of mutual interest.
- Both Ministers agreed to rework and relaunch the Canada-India CEO Forum with renewed focus and a new set of priorities. The CEO Forum could be announced at a mutually-agreed early date. The CEO Forum would be a platform to enhance B2B engagement.
- Minister Mary Ng announced that she would lead a Team Canada trade mission to India in October 2023. This will present an opportunity to further the trade and investment ties between the two countries as she is likely to bring a big business delegation for the same.
- The Ministers noted the significant movement of professionals and skilled workers, students, and business travellers between the two countries, and its immense contribution to enhancing the bilateral economic partnership and in this context noted the desire for enhanced discussions in the area of migration and mobility.
- The Ministers discussed appropriate mechanisms to discuss talent and innovation partnership to strengthen the bilateral innovation ecosystem.
- In order to review the progress being made under mechanisms established under the MDTI and regular follow-up the both sides will come up with an annual work plan which would be reviewed and reported on a regular basis.
- The Ministers agreed to remain engaged to provide sustained momentum to building linkages and strengthening cooperation across sectors to harness the full potential of the trade and investment relationship between India and Canada.
4th G20 Development Working Group Meeting
⇒ The 4th Development Working Group Meeting was held in New Delhi from 6-9 June 2023, where delegates discussed key priorities of the Working Group and prepared for the upcoming Ministerial Meeting.
» During the 4th Development Working Group Meeting, the delegates engaged in pivotal deliberations at the G20 Secretariat in New Delhi. The sessions were fruitful in formulating the outcome document.
- The discussions focused on the priorities of the Working Group& formulating the outcome document that will feed into the Development Ministers’ Meeting scheduled in Varanasi.
» Delegates got an up-close look at intricate handicrafts and more from across the country. The stalls also highlighted the transformative potential of India’s Digital Payment mechanisms.
» Alongside drafting outcome documents in preparation for the upcoming Development Ministers’ Meeting, G20 India delegates got an opportunity to delve into India’s rich culture.
Important Day
47th International Museum Day 2023
⇒ International Museum Day is celebrated every year on 18 May since 1977. This day represents a unique moment for the international museum community.
- This global event aims to raise awareness about the significant role that museums play in preserving and interpreting heritage across the world.
Theme:
The theme of the 47th International Museum Day 2023 was ‘Museums, Sustainability and Well Being’.
History:
- International Museum Day was established in 1977 during the ICOM General Assembly in Moscow, Russia.
- The resolution aimed to create an annual event that would unite museums and raise global awareness about their activities.
- It conveyed the message that museums are essential for cultural exchange, mutual understanding, cooperation, and peace among people.
- In 1992, ICOM introduced the first theme for the event, focusing on ‘Museums and Environment.’