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By admin: Dec. 13, 2022

Rajeev Chandrasekhar attends the India Global Forum at Dubai

Tags: Economy/Finance Summits International News

Union Minister of state for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar attended the India Global Forum at Dubai on 13-15 December, 2022.

Important facts

• He attended the ministerial roundtable – globalization of Indian tech and innovation talent. 

• He put forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision on creating reliable corridors of technologies and innovation.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision is to build credible corridors for technologies and innovation with various countries in collaboration with young Indian innovators.

• The objective of these discussions is to assess avenues of collaborations with entrepreneurs who are aspirational of expanding their footprint in India. 

About India Global Forum

• It is the agenda-setting forum for international business and global leaders. 

• It selects platforms that international corporate and policy makers can leverage to interact with stakeholders in their sectors and geographies of strategic importance.

G-20 finance and central bank representatives meeting held in Bengaluru

Tags: Economy/Finance Summits National News

The first G-20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies meeting and the first Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting began in Bengaluru on 13 December.

Important facts

• The Bank Governors meeting began in Bengaluru on 13 December. 

• The three-day meeting, which will mark the beginning of discussions on the 'Finance Track' agenda under India's G20 chairmanship, will be jointly organised by the Ministry of Finance and the Reserve Bank of India.

• There will be 40 such meetings on Finance across the country.

• The first Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting will be held between February 23-25, 2023 in Bengaluru.

What is the G20 Finance Track?

• It is led by the finance ministers and central bank governors of the G20 countries and focuses on economic and financial issues.

• It provides an effective forum for global economic discourse and policy coordination.

• The G20 Finance Track discusses key issues of relevance for the global economy, encompassing the global economic outlook, the international financial architecture, infrastructure development and financing, sustainable finance, global health, international taxation and financial sector issues, including financial inclusion.

• Discussions in the Bengaluru meeting will focus on the agenda of the finance track under India's G20 chairmanship.

• During the meeting, a panel discussion on 'Strengthening Multilateral Development Banks to Address the Common Global Challenges of the 21st Century' will be held.

• A seminar on the 'Role of Central Banks in Green Financing' will also be held.

UIDAI topped the Grievance Redressal Index for the fourth consecutive month in November

Tags: National News

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has once again secured the first rank among all Group A Ministries, Departments and Autonomous Bodies for resolution of public grievances in the ranking report published by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) for November 2022.

Important facts

• This is the fourth month in a row when UIDAI has topped the said rankings.

• UIDAI's new open-source CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system is enhancing user experience and improving service delivery to residents.

• This system has the capability to support multiple channels like phone call, e-mail, chatbot, web portal, social media, letter, and walk-in through which the grievances can be registered, tracked and resolved effectively.

• Through this new CRM system, UIDAI has moved towards a centralised complaint management system.

• UIDAI Headquarters and its Regional Offices (ROs) are using a common platform for resolution of CRM cases through various channels.

UIDAI’s ‘Aadhaar Mitra’

• UIDAI's newly launched Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI-ML) based chatbot, 'Aadhaar Mitra' is gaining popularity among the residents.

• Around 30,000 conversations are happening on "Aadhaar Mitra" on a daily basis and it is expected to cross the 50,000 mark soon.

• The new chatbot has advanced features like - Check Aadhaar Enrolment/Update Status, Track Aadhaar PVC Card Status, Enrollment Center Location Information etc.

• Residents can even register their grievances and track them using Aadhaar Mitra. 

• "Aadhaar Mitra" is available in both English and Hindi languages.

• UIDAI is constantly working to facilitate “ease of living” for residents.

UIDAI

• The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is a statutory authority established under the provisions of the Aadhaar Act, 2016.

• The UIDAI is mandated to assign a 12-digit unique identification (UID) number (Aadhaar) to all the residents of India.

PM participated in a programme commemorating Sri Aurobindo’s 150th birth anniversary

Tags: Person in news

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a programme commemorating Sri Aurobindo’s 150th birth anniversary, on 13th December, 2022 via video conferencing.

Important facts

• The Prime Minister released a commemorative coin and postage stamp in honour of Sri Aurobindo at the event organised at Kamban Kalai Sangam, Puducherry under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

About Sri Aurobindo

• Aurobindo Ghose was born in Calcutta on 15th August 1872.

• He was a revolutionary, nationalist, poet, educationist, yogi and philosopher. 

• At the age of seven he was taken to England for education. There he studied at St. Paul's School, London, and at King's College, Cambridge.

• He became a state service officer on his return to India in 1893. 

• He worked for the next thirteen years in the service of the Maharaja in the princely state of Baroda and as a professor at Baroda College.

• Aurobindo's practical strategies to break free from British rule marked him as the "prophet of Indian nationalism".

• From 1902 to 1910, he participated in the struggle to free India from the British. 

• As a result of his political activities, he was imprisoned in the year 1908 (Alipore Bomb Case).

• In Pondicherry he established a community of spiritual seekers, which took shape in the year 1926 as the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

• Aurobindo Ghose died on December 5, 1950.

Four day Meeting of G20 Development Working Group under India's Presidency begins in Mumbai

Tags: National Summits National News

The G20 Development Working Group (DWG) under India's Presidency began in Mumbai on 13 December.

Important facts

• The meeting will take place in Mumbai on 13-16 December. G20 Members, guest countries and invited international organisations would be attending the meeting in person.

• India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant addressed the delegates at the inaugural session.

• He said, the Government of India has tried to bring better data governance and has launched several initiatives like Data Governance Quality Index.

• The group is part of the G20’s sherpa track and is one of the first working groups to be created in 2010. 

• The Indian presidency will hold two events - “Data for Development: Role of G20 in advancing the 2030 Agenda" and “Infusing new LiFE into Green Development" - before the official meeting of the working group.

• Review of SDG progress and G20’s efforts to achieve the SDG targets would be discussed at the DWG meeting.

• In the context of green development, focus areas would include climate finance and technology, as well as just energy transitions for developing countries.

• With a human-centred approach to technology, tech-enabled development in sectors ranging from agriculture to education will also be discussed.

• The meeting will highlight women's empowerment and representation including efforts to bring women forward and in key positions to promote socio-economic development and achievement of SDGs.

Ministry of Power to celebrate “Energy Conservation Day 2022”

Tags: Important Days National News

Ministry of Power to celebrate “Energy Conservation Day 2022” on the occasion of the National Energy Conservation Day on 14th December 2022.  The purpose is to showcase the achievements of the nation in energy efficiency and conservation.

Important facts

• Droupadi Murmu, Hon’ble President of India will be the Chief Guest of the event. R. K. Singh, Union Minister of Power, New & Renewable Energy will address the event. 

• Hon'ble President of India will felicitate the winners of National Energy Conservation Awards, National Energy Efficiency Innovation Awards, National Painting Competition Awards and also launch the EV Travel Portal on the occasion.

Major attractions of the event

• National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) 2022

• National Energy Efficiency Innovation Awards (NEEIA) 2022

• National painting competition for school children 2022

• Launch of ‘EV-Yatra portal’ and mobile app

• Session on emerging new technologies in the area of energy efficiency

EV-YATRA PORTAL and Mobile App

• The Mobile application titled “EV Yatra” has been designed and developed to facilitate in-vehicle navigation to the nearest public EV charger. 

• This mobile application can be easily downloaded from Google Play Store and Apple Store on Android and iPhone smartphones.

• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency has developed this mobile application to facilitate in-vehicle navigation.

Govt blocked Pakistan-based OTT app for showing anti-India content

Tags: National News

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has blocked Pakistan-based OTT Platform Vidly TV and four social media accounts for displaying anti-India content on 12 December. 

Important facts

• Utilising emergency powers under IT Rules 2021, the Information & Broadcasting Ministry issued directions to block the website, two mobile applications, four social media accounts, and one smart TV app of Pakistan-based OTT platform Vidly TV.

• Vidly TV recently released a web series - 'Sevak: The Confessions'.

• The web series was found to be "prejudicial to national security, sovereignty and integrity of India, India's friendly relations with foreign states and public order".

• Three episodes of the web series have been released.

• Its first episode was aired on 26 November, the anniversary of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, and the content shows a "distorted version of sensitive historical events relating to India".

• The web series portrayed anti-India narrative on sensitive topics like Operation Bluestar, demolition of Babri Masjid, murder of Christian missionary Graham Staines, Malegaon blast, Samjhauta Express blast, and inter-state river water dispute.

• In September, the broadcasting ministry directed YouTube to remove 45 videos from 10 of its channels.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister - Anurag Singh Thakur

India, Poland hold 10th round of Foreign Office Consultations in Warsaw

Tags: International Relations International News

India and Poland held the 10th round of Foreign Office Consultations in Warsaw on December 12. 

Important facts

• During the meeting, the two sides discussed regional and international issues, including developments in the Indo-Pacific, India's neighbourhood, the Ukraine conflict, cooperation in multilateral fora including the United Nations, and United Nations Security Council reforms.

• During the meeting, India and Poland identified agriculture, food processing, information technology and green transformation as areas of interest to further enhance bilateral ties.

• Both sides expressed satisfaction at the discussions at the sixth round of the India-Poland Joint Commission Meeting on Economic Cooperation to be held in October 2022.

• The Indian side in the meeting was led by Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs.

• Both countries agreed to hold the next round of Foreign Office Consultations on mutually convenient dates in New Delhi.

Bilateral Trade

• The two nations noted the potential of bilateral trade and investment ties. 

• According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the bilateral trade between India and Poland has witnessed steady growth in recent years and it stood at USD 4.3 billion in 2021.

• Indian companies have invested over USD 3 billion in Poland while Polish investments in India stand at USD 700 million.

About Poland

• Prime Minister - Mateusz Morawiecki

• President - Andrzej Duda

• Capital - Warsaw

• Currency - Polish zloty

Chief Justice of India inaugurates digitisation hubs in 10 districts of Odisha

Tags: State News

Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on 12 December virtually inaugurated District Court Digitisation Hubs (DCDH) in 10 districts of Odisha. 

Important facts

• The hubs at Angul, Bhadrak, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh and Sonepur, will take care of digitisation work of all 30 districts of the state.

• Each DCDH will be assigned the task of digitizing the surrounding districts.

• The objective of the Hub would be to digitize the disposed case records of the nearby assigned districts.

• Scanning work for the paperless courts of the nearby districts would also be taken up at the DCDH concerned.

• Initially, four District Court Digitization Centres (DCDC) were set up on a pilot basis in Cuttack, Ganjam, Sambalpur and Balasore districts on April 30, 2021.

Importance of Digitization Centers

• The digitization work done by the Orissa High Court has emerged as a model for all the High Courts in the country.

• Digitisation is the most important step towards ensuring modernisation of the judiciary, especially trial courts. 

• Digitization makes access to records easier for authorized persons and also ensures systematic information keeping, security of documents and records and reduction in the time taken to locate documents.

e-filing in courts

• The CJI also emphasised that digitisation needs to be accompanied by e-filing otherwise it would be difficult to go on digitising everything that is filed in physical form in the long run. 

• The facility of e-filing is now available to advocates or litigants even in remote areas of the State.

• The high court has decided to provide touch screen laptops to every judicial officer of the state to ensure paperless work. 

Chief Justice Orissa High Court - S Muralidhar

Chief Minister of Odisha - Naveen Patnaik

Jos Buttler, Sidra Ameen win ICC Player of the month awards

Tags: Person in news Sports News

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on 12 November announced the winners of the ICC Player of the Month awards for November 2022. 

Important facts

• England's T20 World Cup-winning captain Jos Buttler was named the ICC Player of the Month for the first time after his stellar performance in November.

• Playing his 100th T20 match against New Zealand in Brisbane, opener Buttler played a key role in the victory, scoring 73 off 47 balls.

• Butler has achieved this award by leaving behind his compatriot spinner Adil Rashid and Pakistan's star fast bowler Shaheen Afridi.

• Pakistan's Sidra Amin became the country's second consecutive winner of the Women's Player of the Month award after a stellar performance in the ODI series win against Ireland.

• Sidra played an unbeaten inning of 176 runs against Ireland in the month of November, this was also the highest score of his cricket career.

• Sidra has won this award leaving behind Thailand's Natthakan Chantham and Ireland's Gabby Lewis.

Culture Ministry set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres to conserve, develop art, culture & crafts across country

Tags: National News

For the preservation and development of arts, culture and crafts across the country, the Union Ministry of Culture has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centers (ZCCs) at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur.

Important facts

• These centres aim to conserve and develop art, culture and crafts across the country. 

• The government provides regular annual grant-in-aid for conducting various activities and programmes to ZCCs. 

• However, no State and Union Territory wise funds are released by the Ministry for the purpose.

• This information was given by the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of North Eastern Region G. Kishan Reddy while replying to a question in the Lok Sabha.

• ZCCs organize a minimum 42 Regional Festivals for promotion of art and culture every year as per their programme calendar. 

• These centers also implement a number of schemes for preservation and promotion of various folk arts and culture of the country. 

Union Minister of Culture - G. Kishan Reddy