National
Van Dhan Award 2020-2021
⇒ Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Shri Arjun Munda discussed the development of the tribal areas in Assam with the Chief Minister of Assam, Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma on 12 September 2021.
Senior Cabinet Ministers of the Assam Government and officials of the Tribal Affairs Department were present in the review meeting held at the State Guest House in Guwahati.
Key points of discussion:
Ways to promote the artifacts and artisans of the tribal areas of Assam, ensuring quality education for the children from these areas, Eklavya Model education, and the overall implementation of the schemes in these areas.
Van Dhan Award 2020-2021:
Shri Munda also presented the Van Dhan Award 2020-2021 to Chief Minister Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma during his two-day visit to Assam.
The Tribal Affairs Ministry has awarded the Van Dhan National Award 2021-22 to TRISSAM of Assam in category of Collaborative Initiative for co-branding in Van Dhan Yojana.
Food Processing Unit in Morena, Madhya Pradesh
⇒ As a part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebration, Ministry of Food Processing Industries celebrated Food Processing Week from 6 September 2021 to 12 September 2021, under which the Ministry organized various programmes.
On the last day of the Food Processing Week, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries inaugurated the Food Processing Unit of M/s Sahara Frozen Foods established at Morena, Madhya Pradesh.
It was established under the Cold Chain scheme of Central sector scheme- Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana.
The Sahara Frozen Foods unit has been set up at a project cost of Rs 21.09 crores and a grant in aid of Rs 10 crores from the Ministry.
The unit will also provide direct and indirect employment to about 700 persons and benefit about 1,000 farmers in the CPC and PPC catchment areas.
Sansad TV
⇒ Vice President of India and Rajya Sabha Chairman, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla jointly launched the Sansad TV at the Main Committee Room, Parliament House Annexe. Sansad TV was launched on the occasion of International Day of Democracy i.e., on 15th September, 2021.
Sansad TV programming is primarily in 4 categories:
- Functioning of Parliament and democratic institutions
- Governance and implementation of schemes/policies
- History and culture of India
- Issues/interests/concerns of contemporary nature
International
First Ministerial-level 2+2 Dialogue between India and Australia
⇒ Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women, the Hon Marise Payne, and Minister for Defence, the Hon Peter Dutton visited India in September 2021, to take part in the first Ministerial-level 2+2 Dialogue between India and Australia.
Participants:
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held the ”two-plus-two” talks with their Australian counterparts Marise Payne and Peter Dutton, on 11 September 2021.
Host:
India hosted the 2+2 Dialogue with Australia in New Delhi between September 10-12 to boost the strategic cooperation between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
A number of issues were discussed during the meeting, including:
- Possibilities of further expanding bilateral strategic and economic cooperation
- Shared Vision for the Indo-Pacific, Regional and Multilateral Cooperation
- Strengthening People-to-People Ties
- The growing importance of the Indian community in Australia as a human-bridge between both sides
- Various institutional frameworks for wide ranging collaboration including defence cooperation and fight against global pandemic
On the Bilateral Defence Cooperation:
- Decided to expand military engagements across services, facilitate greater defence information sharing and to work closely for mutual logistic support.
» During the discussions both sides emphasised the need to ensure free flow of trade, adherence to international rules and norms and sustainable economic growth in the entire region.
» India invited Australia to engage India’s growing defence industry and to collaborate in co-production and co-development of defence equipment.
Next 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue:
» The next 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue will be held in 2023.
Important Day
Hindi Diwas
Hindi Diwas in India:
Hindi Diwas is celebrated every year on 14 September.
On 14 September 1949, the Constituent Assembly decided that Hindi would be the official language of the Central Government. After the recommendation of the Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samiti, Hindi Diwas was celebrated from 14 September 1953.
World Hindi Diwas:
‘World Hindi Diwas’ is celebrated every year on 10 January.
The purpose of celebrating this day is to promote Hindi throughout the world. In the year 2006, the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced to celebrate 10 January as ‘World Hindi Diwas’.