Location : Washington, United States
The eighth ministerial meeting of the India-U.S.A. Economic and Financial Partnership Dialogue was held n 15th Oct 2021 at Washington D.C. The meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Finance Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman and the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States.
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The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister of India has given its approval on 18th August 2021 for ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer for phase down of Hydroflurocarbons (HFCs) adopted by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on October, 2016 at 28th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol held at Kigali, Rwanda.
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About Montreal Protocol The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, is an international environmental treaty for protection of the Ozone Layer by phasing out the production and consumption of man-made chemicals referred to as ozone depleting substances (ODS). India became a Party to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer on 19 June 1992 and since then has ratified the amendments to the Montreal Protocol. Though the present approval of the Cabinet, India will be ratifying the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol for phase down of Hydrofluorocarbons. Sources : PIB On August 9, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi become the first Indian PM to preside over the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) during an open debate. The current stint is the eighth time that India has held the Presidency of the top U.N. body. The last time India held the position was a decade ago during 2011-12. Similar stints were served during 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-'85 and 1991-92. the first tenure in 1950-51. PM Modi presided the open debate on maritime security mainly because the date also coincides with the historic Quit India movement and the upcoming 75th anniversary of Independence.
Sources : The Hindu The BRICS Counter Terrorism Action Plan that will strengthen counter-terror cooperation among the members of the grouping has been finalised. The discussion in this regard was held at the sixth meeting of the BRICS Counter Terrorism Working Group held on 28th July 2021 to 29th July 2021. The meeting of the Working Group, held virtually, saw participation from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — the member countries of the grouping. It will also curb travel of terrorists, strengthen border control and protect soft targets. The Action Plan is expected to come up for adoption during the meeting of BRICS National Security Advisors scheduled in August.
Sources : The Hindu The US, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan have agreed in principle to establish a new quadrilateral diplomatic platform focused on enhancing regional connectivity. The parties consider long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan critical to regional connectivity and agree that peace and regional connectivity are mutually reinforcing. Afghanistan’s strategic location has for a long time been touted as a competitive advantage for the country. Afghanistan is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north, and China to the northeast.
Sources : The Hindu India and Bhutan jointly launched BHIM–UPI in Bhutan virtually on 13th July 2021. With BHIM-UPI in Bhutan, the payment infrastructures of the two countries are seamlessly connected and will benefit a large number of tourists and businessmen from India who travel to Bhutan each year. This will enhance the ease of living and ease of travelling through cashless transactions at the touch of a button. Bhutan is the first country to adopt UPI standards for its QR deployment, and the first country in our immediate neighbourhood to accept mobile based payments through the BHIM App.
About BHIM–UPI BHIM is an Indian mobile payment App developed by the National Payments Corporation of India, based on the Unified Payments Interface. BHIM App is intended to facilitate e-payments directly through banks and encourage cashless transactions. Sources : PIB Union Minister for Finance participated virtually in the Third G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) Meeting under the Italian Presidency. The two-day meeting held from 9th to 10th July 2021. The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors reaffirmed their resolve to use all available policy tools for as long as required to address the adverse consequences of COVID-19.
About G20 Established : 1999 The G20 is an international forum for the governments and central bank governors from 19 countries and the European Union. G20 founded in 1999 with the aim to discuss policy pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability. Sources : PIB All BRICS countries agreed to the STI-led BRICS Innovation Cooperation Action Plan (2021-24). The proposed plan facilitate sharing of experiences of each other’s innovation ecosystem and networking of innovators and entrepreneurs. The Action Plan will be worked by BRICS Science, Technology Innovation Entrepreneurship partnership (STIEP) Working Group.
About STI-led BRICS Innovation Cooperation Action Plan (2021-24) he STI-led BRICS Innovation Cooperation Action Plan (2021-24) proposed by India during 12th Meeting of BRICS S&T Steering Committee. Sources : PIB India and the UK held the inaugural meeting of the India-UK Financial Markets Dialogue virtually on 9th July 2021. The Dialogue began with a government to government discussion on four themes:
About India-UK Financial Markets Dialogue The Dialogue was established at the 10th Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) in October 2020 to deepen bilateral ties in the financial sector. Financial Cooperation is one of the key pillars of the 2030 Roadmap adopted by the two countries during the recent meeting of the two Prime Ministers and the India-UK Financial Market Dialogue is one of the key elements of this Financial Cooperation. As two services driven economies, both sides agreed there is significant scope for strengthened financial services cooperation between India and the UK. Sources : PIB The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister of India on 8th July 2021 approved the Memorandum on Cooperation (MoC) between Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) to promote and strengthen cooperation in the matter of Competition Law and Policy.
Competition Commission of India(CCI) Competition Commission of India is the competition regulator in India. It is a statutory body of the Government of India responsible for enforcing The Competition Act, 2002 and promoting competition throughout India and to prevent activities that have an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India. Sources : PIB Union Minister of Finance participated in the Global Investors Roundtable organised by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) through video conference which witnessed participation from some of the largest foreign investors. The event provided investors with an opportunity to engage with the Union Finance Minister to discuss potential investment opportunities and deliberate on the role of ongoing policy reforms that will enable greater Ease-of-Doing-Business in India.
About US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Established : 2017 The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is a non-profit organization, with the primary objective of strengthening the India-US bilateral and strategic partnership through policy advocacy in the fields of economic growth, entrepreneurship, employment-creation, and innovation. Sources : PIB The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India here today signed a $484 million loan to improve transport connectivity and facilitate industrial development in the Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) in the state of Tamil Nadu. The project is key to providing seamless road connectivity across industrial clusters, transport gateways and consumption centers, and help reduce logistics and production costs for CKIC’s targeted industries to boost their competitiveness.
About Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) CKIC is part of India’s East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC), which stretches from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu and connects India to the production networks of South, Southeast, and East Asia. ADB is the lead partner of the Government of India in developing ECEC. About Asian Development Bank (ADB) Established : 1966 Headquarter : Manila, Philippines The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established in 1966 which is headquartered in Manila, Philippines. A resolution passed at the first Ministerial Conference on United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific(ESCAP) in 1963 with initiative to become reality. Sources : PIB A three day virtual Conference of BRICS Network Universities on the theme of electric mobility was inaugurated at IIT Bombay on 16th June 2021. IIT Bombay is the lead institution of India for the BRICS Network University. This conference is part of the engagements that India is hosting under the education stream during its Chairship of the 13th BRICS Summit this year. experts from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa will talk about various aspects of electric mobility like traffic management, hydrogen technology, hybrid vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and linkage between e-mobility and livelihoods. students, researchers and faculty from the BRICS Network Universities of the five member countries are expected to participate in the conference.
About BRICS Network University BRICS Network University is a union of higher education institutions of the five BRICS member countries, formed with the objective of enhancing educational cooperation in general, and especially in the realm of research and innovation. About BRICS Established : 2009 Headquarter : It doesn't have headquarter The first BRIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held in 2006 among China, Brazil, Russia and India on the sideline of the 61st session of the United Nations General Assembly, which drew the action plan for BRIC cooperation. In 2009, the first BRIC Summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia. In 2011 South Africa invited to join BRIC and officially enlarged to include 5 countries and changed into BRICS. Sources : PIB Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare attended the 42nd session of FAO Conference virtually. conference highlighted by Indian agriculture performed well during the COVID-19 pandemic as it registered an all-time high production of foodgrains at 305 million tonne as well as in exports during 2020-21, contributing to the global food security.
About Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. It was founded in October 1945. About FAO Conference The Conference is the supreme governing body of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Comprising all FAO Members meets in regular session every two years. Its main functions are to determine the policies of the Organization, approve the budget, and make recommendations to Members and international organizations on any matter pertaining to the purposes of FAO. The Conference also elects the Council. About FAO Council The Council is the executive organ of the Conference. It exercises powers delegated to it by the Conference and meets at least three times between regular Conference sessions. The Council comprises 49 Member Nations each elected by the Conference for a three-year term with one-third of the membership standing down each year. Sources : PIB India participate in G7 Summit on 12 to 13 June 2021 in virtual format. UK currently holds the Presidency of the G7 and has invited India, along with Australia, Republic of Korea and South Africa, as Guest Countries for the G7 Summit. The theme for the Summit is ‘Build Back Better’ and the UK has outlined four priority areas for its Presidency. These are
About G7 summit The Group of Seven (G7) is an inter-governmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Its members are the world's largest IMF-advanced economies and wealthiest liberal democracies. Sources : PIB National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), an organisation under the Ministry of Culture, GoI is collaborating with the Science Museum Group, London for an international travelling exhibition ‘Hunt for the Vaccine’. The exhibition will tell the story of the global effort to find new ways to develop vaccines at pandemic and look at vaccinations more broadly with a historical and contemporary view. The exhibition is scheduled to be inaugurated in November 2022 at Delhi and from there it will travel to other venues across India including metro cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. The new exhibition with some local specific content will also showcase the efforts made by India during the COVID-19 pandemic period. It will also highlight the global issue through a series of programme & events, digital and learning resources etc. for enhanced public engagement and understanding of the vaccines.
About Science Museum Group The Science Museum Group is a collection of British museums, welcoming over five million visitors each year to five sites:
About National Council of Science Museums National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), a premiere institution in the field of science communication, is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India. Primarily engaged in popularizing Science and Technology through a network of science centres, Mobile Science Exhibitions (MSE) units that visit rural schools etc. Presently NCSM, with its Headquarters in Kolkata, administers and manages 25 science museums/centres spread across the country and is the world’s largest network of science centres and museums that functions under a single administrative umbrella with an annual reach to about 15 million people. Sources : PIB Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare in his capacity as Chairperson, Executive Board, World Health Organization (WHO) addressed the 149th Session of the WHO Executive Board Meeting through Video Conference.
About World Health Organization (WHO) The World Health Organization is the directing and coordinating authority on international health within the United Nations system. The objective of WHO is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. About Executive Board of World Health Organization (WHO) The Executive Board is composed of 34 technically qualified members elected for three-year terms. The annual Board meeting is held. The chairman of Executive Board is held by rotation basis for one year among regional groups. Sources : PIB The third edition of India’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index is launched by NITI Aayog on 03 June 2021.The Index developed in collaboration with the United Nations in India. This index measures the progress at the national and sub-national level in the country’s journey towards meeting the Global Goals and targets. This edition of the index report focuses on the significance of partnerships and is titled “SDG India Index & Dashboard, 2020-21: Partnerships in The Decade of Action”.
About India’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index Implementing Agency : NITI Aayog First Edition was launched in December 2018, the index has become the primary tool for monitoring progress on the SDGs in the country and has simultaneously fostered competition among the States and Union Territories by ranking them on the Global Goals. Sustainable Development Goals The Sustainable Development Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all". The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030.
Sources : PIB The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister of India has given its ex-post facto approval for signing and ratification of an Agreement on “Cooperation in the field of Mass Media” between all the Member States of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO). The Agreement was signed in June, 2019. The Agreement shall promote equal and mutually beneficial cooperation among associations in the field of Mass Media. The Agreement would provide an opportunity for the Member States to share best practices and new innovations in the field of Mass Media.
About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation, the creation of which was announced on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai (China) by, China, Kyrgyzstan , Russian, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Charter was signed during the St.Petersburg SCO Heads of State meeting in June 2002, and entered into force on 19 September 2003. Sources : PIB Organiser : Iceland and Japan
2021 Theme : Knowledge for a Sustainable Arctic India is participating in the 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3) - the global platform for discussing research and cooperation in the Arctic region (8-9 May, 2021). The first two meetings—ASM1 and ASM2—were held in the USA in 2016 and Germany in 2018, respectively. ASM3, jointly organised by Iceland and Japan, is the first Ministerial meeting being held in Asia. The theme for this year is ‘Knowledge for a Sustainable Arctic’. The meeting is designed to provide opportunities to various stakeholders, including academia, indigenous communities, governments and policymakers, to enhance collective understanding of the Arctic region, emphasize and engage in constant monitoring, and strengthen observations.
About Arctic Council The Arctic Council is a high-level intergovernmental forum to promote cooperation, coordination, and interaction towards sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic. Since 2013, India enjoys ‘Observer’ status in the Arctic Council with twelve other countries (Japan, China, France, Germany, UK, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Spain, Netherlands, Singapore, and South Korea). India Presence in Arctic India’s engagement with the Arctic dates back to 1920 with the signing of the Svalbard Treaty in Paris. Since July 2008, India has a permanent research station in the Arctic called Himadari at NyAlesund, Svalbard Area in Norway. It has also deployed a multi-sensor moored observatory called IndARC in the Kongsfjorden fjord since July 2014. The research in the Arctic region from India is coordinated, conducted, and promoted by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. Sources : PIB The Government of India (GoI) and European Investment Bank (EIB) on 7th May 2021 signed the finance contract for second tranche of Euro 150 million for Pune Metro Rail project through virtually. EIB had approved the total loan of Euro 600 million to fund the Pune Metro Rail project. The Finance Contract for first tranche of Euro 200 million was signed between GoI and EIB on 22.7.2019.The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (MAHAMETRO) is the implementing agency for this project.
About European Investment Bank (EIB) Established : 1958 Headquarter : Luxembourg The European Investment Bank is the European Union's investment bank and is owned by the EU Member States. It is one of the largest supranational lenders in the world. The EIB focuses on the areas of climate, environment, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), development, cohesion and infrastructure. The EIB was founded by the Treaty of Rome, which came into force on 1st January 1958. Sources : PIB The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister of india gives approval to the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the India and the United Kingdom on Global Innovation Partnership (GIP).
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Sources : PIB Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi and H.E Mr. Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands held a Virtual Summit on 9th April 2021. The two Prime Ministers also agreed on instituting a ‘Strategic Partnership on Water’ to further deepen the Indo-Dutch cooperation in the water related sector, and upgrading the Joint Working Group on water to Ministerial-level. The two leaders reiterated their commitment to a rules-based multilateral order for ensuring international peace, stability and prosperity and looked forward to a successful India-EU Leaders’ Meeting in Porto, Portugal in May 2021.
India hosted a Meeting of BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors virtually on April 6, 2021. The meeting was jointly Chaired by Union Minister for Finance, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman and Governor, Reserve Bank of India, Shri. Shaktikanta Das. Participants included Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the BRICS countries. As 2021 BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting, India’s approach is focused on strengthening intra-BRICS cooperation based on Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus.
This was the first meeting of the BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors under India Chairship in 2021. Issues discussed in the meeting included global economic outlook, new development bank, social infrastructure, IMF reforms, fintech for SME and financial inclusion, customs cooperation, BRICS bond fund and BRICS information security India participated in consultation meeting of Education Ministers of E9 countries on E9 initiative: Scaling up digital learning to accelerate progress towards SDG4 on 6th April, 2021. E9 Countries include Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, and Pakistan. The initiative aims to accelerate recovery and advance the Sustainable Development Goal 4 agenda by driving rapid change in education systems in three of the 2020 Global Education Meeting priorities:
About Sustainable Development Goals(SDG) The Sustainable Development Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all". The SDGs were set in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030. About SDG4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. |
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