DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: Sept. 23, 2022

First India-Australia-Indonesia foreign minister’s trilateral meeting held in New York

Tags: place in news Summits Person in news International News

External Affairs Minister S.Jaishanker held the first trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of India, Indonesia and Australia in New York on 23 September 2022.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• In a tweet the minister said that he discussed the maritime issue, blue water economy with the Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi and the Australian foreign minister Penny Wong and emphasized the centrality of ASEAN in the Indo-Pacific region.
• World leaders are in New York to participate in the High Level Week at the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). 

Quad foreign minister sign an agreement to operationalise Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief at New York

Tags: place in news International News

The foreign ministers of the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) signed an agreement in New York, United States on 23 September 2022 to operationalise Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) in the Indo-Pacific area.

Foreign ministers of India(S.Jaishanker), Australia(Penny Wong,), United States(Anthony Blinken) and Japan(Hayashi Yoshimasa ) signed the agreement  to operationalise, which was announced by the  Quad Leaders in Tokyo on 24 May 2022, as part of a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient.

Under the HADR, the member countries will coordinate their disaster response operations in the region with other National and International agencies, private ,non-governmental organisations .

Next  Quad foreign minister’s meeting  to be held in New Delhi

They also agreed to hold the next foreign minister’s meeting of the Quad in India in early 2023.

The concept of QUAD was given by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007 for maritime cooperation between these countries after the Indian Ocean Tsunami disaster in 2004. 

IMPORTANT FACTS -

Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) :

• It is a group of Australia, India, Japan and the United States to promote cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The first in person summit meeting of the Quad leaders was in Washington, United States  in 2021.
• The second in person summit meeting was held in May 2022 in Japan 
• The third summit meeting will be held in Australia in 2023.

Foreign Minister Jaishankar attends high level L-69 group meeting in New York

Tags: place in news Summits International News

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended the High Level Meeting of the L.69 Group on "Reinvigorating Multilateralism and Achieving Comprehensive Reform of the UN Security Council” in New York, United States of America on 23 September 2022.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The L.69 Group consists of developing countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America, Caribbean and Small Island Developing States, focused on reforms of the UN Security Council.
• Dr S. Jaishankar is on an official visit to the United States from 18-28 September 2022. He is leading the India delegation for the High Level Week at the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). 

Jitendra Singh announces the launch of the “Innovation Roadmap of the Mission Integrated Biorefineries”

Tags: Government Schemes Science and Technology

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh announced the launch of the Innovation Roadmap of the Mission Integrated Biorefineries” developed by co-leads and active inputs from Brazil, Canada, EC and the United Kingdom. 

He was speaking at the 1st Roundtable on “Sustainable Bioenergy and Bio-refineries” at the Global Clean Energy Action Forum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States.

Under the Global Clean Energy Action Forum the 7th Mission Innovation and 13th Clean Energy Ministerial -2022 are being held jointly from 21-23 September 2022.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

India’s effort in furthering Biorefineries :

• A bio refinery is a facility that integrates biomass conversion processes and equipment to produce fuels, power, and value-added chemicals from biomass.  Biomass is renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals.
• Dr Singh said that a pilot plant of 10 Tons/day capacity plant with integrated enzyme production is being set up at Panipat Haryana, which will be commissioned by December 2022.This will be the 1st indigenous technology for on-site enzyme production.
• The Minister pointed out that Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has also planned to supply this indigenous enzyme to a commercial 2G ethanol plant of 100 KL/day expected to be commissioned by 2024.
• He also said that India has established 5 Bioenergy Centers, where an interdisciplinary team is working on advanced sustainable biofuels using modern biotechnology tools.

India records reduction in Child mortality rate as per the SRS 2020

Tags: National

As per the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2020 released on 22nd September 2022 by Registrar General of India, the Child mortality Rate, Infant Mortality rate, Neonatal Mortality rate has registered a decline in the country as compared to 2014.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

Definition and data highlights :

• Crude Birth Rate: It is defined as the annual number of live births per 1,000 population.
• Total Fertility Rate (TFR): It refers to the average number of children which a woman can give birth to during her reproductive life cycle.
• Early Neonatal Mortality Rate: It refers to the deaths during the first 7 completed days of life per 1000 live births in a given year.
• Neonatal Mortality rate: Neonatal Number of deaths during the first 28 completed days of life per 1000 live births in a given year.
•  In Urban area it was 12 and in the rural area it was 23
• Infant Mortality Rate: Infant Mortality rate refers to the deaths of children below the age of a year and above per 1000 births. 
• In the Urban area the IMR was 19 and in the rural area it was 31.
• The IMR for male and female was same, 28 per 1000 live births.
• Under 5 Mortality Rate: It is defined as the probability of a child dying between birth and exactly 5 years of age, expressed per 1,000 lives.
• It is 36 in rural areas and 21 in urban areas.
• In females it was 33 and in male it was 31.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Other important points of the SRS data :

• According to the SRS 2020 data, 6 states have achieved the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of Neonatal Mortality rate (NMR) of 12 or less.
• These states are Kerala (4), Delhi (9), Tamil Nadu (9), Maharashtra (11), Jammu & Kashmir (12) and Punjab (12).
• 11 States /Union Territories have achieved SDG -Under 5 Mortality rate goals of 25 or less than 25 deaths per 1000 live births. 
• These states are: Kerala (8), Tamil Nadu (13), Delhi (14), Maharashtra (18), J&K (17), Karnataka (21), Punjab (22), West Bengal (22), Telangana (23), Gujarat (24), and Himachal Pradesh (24). 

Paediatric Surgeon ‘Dr M Srinivas’, appointed AIIMS Delhi director for 5 years

Tags: Person in news

The Appointment committee of the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the appointment of Dr M .Srinivas as the Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi on 23 September 2022.

He will take the place of Dr Randeep Guleria whose term ends on 23 September 2022.

Dr M. Srinivas is presently the Dean of Hyderabad’s Employees State Insurance Company (ESIC) Hospital and Medical College.

He was a professor in AIIMS’s department of paediatric surgery before shifting to the ESIC Hospital and Medical College in Hyderabad in 2016.

He has been appointed for a period of 5 years or till he attains the age of 65 years. 

IMPORTANT FACTS -

AIIMS New Delhi :

• The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi was set up in 1956 under the All India Institute of Medical Science act 1956.
• The AIIMS was set up with a generous grant from the New Zealand government.
• All-India Institute of Medical Sciences was established as an institution of national importance.
• It is an autonomous institution which comes under the Union Ministry of Health and Family welfare.

Punjab fined Rs 2180 crore by the NGT for its failure to treat waste

Tags: State News

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a penalty of Rs 2,180 crore on the Punjab government for its failure to treat solid and liquid waste, leading to a huge gap in their generation and treatment. 

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice AK Goel said corrective action could not wait for an indefinite period and health issues could not be deferred for long.

It said the compliance of environmental norms on the subject of waste management had to be high on priority. The government has to provide funds for this purpose.

It asked the state government to deposit the fine amount in a separate fund which will be used to build infrastructure for treatment of waste.

The NGT is monitoring compliance of Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and other environmental issues by states and Union territories. 

IMPORTANT FACTS -

National Green Tribunal :

• It deals with cases relating to the environment protection and conservation of forest.
• It was set up in 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.
• The Tribunal is not bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but is guided by principles of natural justice.
•  New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai are other four places of sitting of the Tribunal.\
• Chairperson  : Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel

Chhattisgarh government to start ‘Hamar beti Hamar mann’ for women safety in the state

Tags: Government Schemes State News

The Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in a tweet on 23 September 2022, has announced that the government will launch the Hamar beti Hamar Mann’ campaign for the safety of women, especially girls.

The state government will deploy a special women police patrol on girls’ schools, colleges and prominent places where women and girls visit. A mobile number will also be issued for the ‘Hamar Beti-Hamar Maan’ helpline, on which the girls will be able to register their complaints.  

The state government has also decided to deploy women prosecutors for the investigation of crimes related to women.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

Chhattisgarh :

• It was known as southern Kosala in ancient times.  
• The modern state of Chhattisgarh was created on 1 November 2000 by splitting Madhya Pradesh.
• The state shares boundaries with 6 states. They are Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand to the north and northeast, Odisha to the east, Telangana to the south, and Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh to the west. 
• Governor of Chhattisgarh: Anusuiya Uikey 
• Capital : Raipur 
• High Court seat : Bilaspur 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

State symbol :

• State Animal :  Wild Water Buffalo 
• State Bird : Hill Myna 
• State Tree : Sal tree
• State Flower : Foxtails Orchid 

International Sign Language Day

Tags: Important Days

International Sign Language Day is observed every year on 23 September to raise awareness about the importance of sign language.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• It is a day to raise awareness of the sign languages that are recognised for the human rights of deaf people.

• The day provides support for linguistic identity and cultural diversity for all peoples who interact with each other through sign languages.

• People who cannot hear or talk, there are many problems associated with them.

• The theme of this year's Sign Language Day-2022 - “Sign Languages Unite us”.

• Sign languages are efficient natural languages that are structurally different from day-to-day spoken language.

• According to the statistics of the World Federation of the Deaf, there are more than 70 million deaf people worldwide.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Background of the day :

• The proposal to celebrate this day was proposed by the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), a federation of 135 national associations of deaf people.

• The proposal was adopted unanimously on 19 December 2017.

• The first 'International Sign Language Day' was organised globally in the year 2018.

• The World Federation of the Deaf was established on 23 September 1951.

MoU signed between NSIC and Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone Limited in health sector

Tags: State News

An MoU was signed between National Small Industries Corporation Limited (NSIC), a Public Sector Enterprise of the Ministry of MSME, Government of India, and Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone Limited (AMTZ) on 22 September for cooperation in the healthcare sector.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Narayan Rane was also present on the occasion.

• The MoU was signed by Gaurang Dixit, Chairman and Managing Director, NSIC and Dr. Jitendra Sharma, Managing Director and CEO, AMTZ.

• This MoU will be an important step in enhancing the competitiveness of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the health sector.

• Both the organisations can leverage their expertise and create excellent opportunities for MSMEs to build global alliances in the health sector and gain access to the latest medical technologies along with creating skilled manpower for the sector.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

National Small Industries Corporation Ltd. (NSIC) :

• It is an ISO 9001:2015 certified Government of India Enterprise under Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).

• It is working to promote and assist the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the country.

National Workshop on Role of Agri Start-ups in Honey Value Chain held in Varanasi

Tags: National National News

National Bee Board (NBB), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, in collaboration with National Seed Research and Training Centre (NSRTC) Varanasi, organised a National Workshop on Role of Agri Start-ups in Honey Value Chain at NSRTC Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on 22 September. 

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• Beekeepers, honey startups and FPOs, stakeholders in beekeeping, officials from various ministries, government organisations, institutions, state horticulture departments, agricultural universities, etc. participated in the workshop.

Sweet Revolution :

• It is an ambitious initiative of the Government of India for promoting 'beekeeping'.

• It aims to accelerate the production of quality honey and other related products.

• In order to give a boost to the sweet revolution, the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission was launched by the government in 2020.

• There are about 20,000 different species of bees in the world.

• Bees live in colonies and each colony has three types of bees, the queen bee, the worker bee, and the drone bee.

BRICS members endorse South Africa's presidency in 2023

Tags: International News

The BRICS Foreign Ministers held their annual meeting on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 22 September.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The foreign ministers of BRICS member countries Brazil, Russia, India and China extended their full support to South Africa for the presidency of BRICS in 2023 and to hold the fifteenth summit.

• The Ministers welcomed the Transforming Education Summit convened by the United Nations Secretary-General from 16-19 September 2022.

• Member countries also welcomed the first "BRICS Anti-Corruption Ministerial Meeting", which was held virtually on 13 July.

• The Ministers encouraged cooperation against corruption among BRICS countries on the basis of full consultation and consensus.

• The Ministers reiterated their commitment to further strengthen cooperation within the BRICS Anti-Drug Working Group in accordance with the existing International Drug Control Regime.

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development :

• The Ministers called for the implementation of its three dimensions - economic, social and environmental - in a balanced and integrated manner by mobilising the necessary tools to implement the Sustainable Development Agenda in 2030.

• They reaffirmed that the BRICS countries are committed to implementing the UN Education 2030 Agenda.

• UN Education 2030 Agenda - promoting education accessibility and equity, accelerating the development of quality education and training, encouraging exchanges among the youths, strengthening knowledge on sustainable development, and providing BRICS contributions for global governance.

'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas', a collection of selected speeches of the Prime Minister, released

Tags: Books and Authors

A collection of selected speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was released on September 23 at Akashvani Bhawan in New Delhi. 

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The book titled 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas - Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks' depicts the Prime Minister's vision of a New India.

• The book was released by former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

About the book :

• The book is a collection of 86 speeches delivered by the Prime Minister from May 2019 to May 2020.

• The speeches are divided into ten thematic areas.

• The thematic areas are - Atmanirbhar Bharat - Economy, People - First Governance, Fight Against COVID-19, Emerging India - Foreign Affairs, Jai Kisan, Tech India - New India, Green India - Resilient India - Clean India, Fit India - Efficient India, Eternal India - Modern India focuses on cultural heritage and 'Mann Ki Baat'.

• The book will be available in both Hindi and English languages.

• It reflects the ideas, determination, and decisiveness of Modi's government.

• The book portrays the Prime Minister's vision of a new India and the leadership shown by him to make India the 5th largest economy in the world.

PM Modi inaugurated National Conference of Environment Ministers

Tags: National National News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Conference of Environment Ministers in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat on September 23 via video conferencing.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• Addressing the National Conference of Environment Ministers of all States, Modi said, New India is progressing with a new approach and new thinking. 

• The PM said, India's forest cover has increased and wetlands are also expanding rapidly.

• He said that there has been an increase in the number of lions, tigers, elephants, one-horned rhinoceros and leopards of Gir in the last few years.

• He urged all the states present in the conference to adopt best practices in environmental protection and implement successful solutions across India.

• The conference will lay special emphasis on increasing the forest cover, restoration of degraded land and wildlife conservation.

• The two-day conference, to be held on September 23 and 24, will have six thematic sessions.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Six thematic sessions are :

1. LiFE, Combating Climate Change (Updating State Action Plans on Climate Change for Mitigation of Emissions and Adaptation to Climate Impacts)

2. PARIVESH (Single Window System for Integrated Green Clearances)

3. Forestry Management

4. Prevention and Control of Pollution 

5. Wildlife Management

6. Plastics and Waste Management

2023 Breakthrough Prize winners announced

Tags: Science and Technology Awards International News

On September 22, the winners of the 2023 Breakthrough Prize, called the Oscars of Science, totaling more than $15 million, were announced.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• This year three awards were given in the Life Science category while one award each for Mathematics and Physics.

• Daniel Spielman of Yale University was awarded the Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics for his many discoveries in theoretical computer science and mathematics.

• Clifford Brangwyn and Anthony Hyman (British scientist) won the Life Science Prize for their discovery of a new mechanism of cellular organisation.

• Other life science prizes were awarded to Demis Hassabis (British scientist) and John Jumper (USA) for developing AlphaFold, which predicts the structure of proteins, and Emmanuel Mignot (France) and Masashi Yanagisawa (USA)  for discovering the causes of narcolepsy.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

About Breakthrough Prizes :

• The Breakthrough Prizes were started in 2010 by a group of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.

• These Prizes were founded by Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, Yuri and Julia Milner, and Anne Wojcicki. 

• These prizes are the most richly endowed prizes in science, the prize money of which exceeds that of the Nobel Prizes.

• Breakthrough has an amount of $3 million in each prize, which is more than $1 million in prizes awarded to the winner of the Nobel Prize.

• The awards are presented in the fields of life sciences, fundamental physics and mathematics.

Defence Ministry signs contract to acquire additional Brahmos missiles

Tags: place in news National Defence National News

An agreement worth Rs 1,700 crore was signed between the acquisition arm of the Defence Ministry and M/s BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd on September 22 for additional supply of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. 

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The total contract value signed so far for these missiles has exceeded Rs 38,000 crore.

• The induction of these missiles will further enhance the operational capability of the Navy.

• The contract will also promote indigenous production of critical weapon systems and ammunition with active participation of domestic industry.

• It may be mentioned that BAPL is a joint venture between India and Russia which is making a significant contribution in the development of a new generation of surface-to-surface missiles.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

About BrahMos :

• BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile.

• It is a joint collaboration between India and Russia.

• The missile is capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against surface and sea-based targets.

• BrahMos was first flight tested at Pokhran test range in Rajasthan.

G4 group express concern over slow pace of reform on Security Council

Tags: place in news International News

The foreign ministers of Group of 4 (India, Japan, Brazil and Germany) met in New York on 22 September 2022 and expressed concern about the lack of meaningful progress in the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on United Nations Security Council (SC) reform. They met on the sidelines of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly being held in New York, United States.

The meeting was attended by Indian External Affairs Minister S.Jaishanker, German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, Brazilian foreign minister Carlos Alberto Franco Franca and Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.

The G-4 was formed in 2005 to reform the UN Security Council and include four countries as the permanent member of the United Nation Security Council.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

China not in favour :

• According to the government of India, as told to Lok Sabha on 22 July 2022, only China is opposing India’s candidature for the UN Security Council membership while the other permanent members of the Security Council, Russia, France, United Kingdom and the United States are in favour of India.
• China is also opposed to the membership of Japan and Germany.
• It has a difficult relationship with India and Japan and consider them as its rival while it opposes Germany as it is not a developing country.

UN Security Council :

• The UN Security Council is the main UN body which is responsible for maintaining peace and security in the world.
• It consists of 15 members. 10 members are non-permanent and are elected for 2 years. 
• Five members are permanent members and they have veto power.  The five permanent members are China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States.

RBI directs Mahindra Finance to stop recovery of loans through third parties

Tags: Economy/Finance

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in an order issued on 22 September 2022 directing Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Ltd. (MMFSL), Mumbai, to immediately halt recovery of loans and repossession activity through third-party agents.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Ltd is a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) promoted by Mahindra and Mahindra group.
• This direction was issued by RBI under section 45L (1) (b) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
• The regulatory action comes in the wake of an incident in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, where a recovery agent working on behalf of the non-banking financial company (NBFC) allegedly ran over a pregnant woman during the confiscation of her family’s tractor.
• RBI has issued a code for the NBFC, mandating that lenders must not resort to undue harassment, persistently bother borrowers at odd hours or use muscle power for recovery of loans.

Important Points to remember :

• Banks in India are regulated by RBI under the Banking Regulation Act 1949.
• NBFC are regulated by RBI under the Reserve Bank of India act 1934.

Commercial Paper can be issued by REIT and InvIT: SEBI

Tags: Economy/Finance

Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has on 22 September 2022, allowed Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) and Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT), to issue commercial paper (CP).

However, only those REIT and InvIT which have a net worth of at least Rs 100 crore or more are eligible to issue commercial paper.

SEBI also said that the eligible REIT and InvIT need to abide by the guidelines prescribed by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for issuances of commercial papers.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

What is Commercial Papers ?

• It is an unsecured money market instrument issued as a promissory note to borrow for a short term.

Who can issue it :

• It can be issued by Companies, including Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) ,All India Financial Institutions (AIFIs), Co-operative societies/unions, Government entities, Trusts, Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP) Firms and any other body corporate having presence in India with a net worth of ₹ 100 crore or higher .

What is time period of CP :

• The CP has a minimum time period of 7 days and a maximum time period of one years. 

Feature of CP :

• The CP has a minimum face value of Rs 5 lakh and it is issued in multiple of 5 lakhs.
• It doesn't carry any interest rates and is always issued at a discount to its face value.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

What is REIT :

• They are like Mutual Funds who pool the money of the investor and invest into real estate like Malls, shopping complexes, office buildings etc.  The money they earn through rents is distributed amongst the investors in the form of dividends. Also, if the value of the invested real estate’s increases then the investors will also benefit.
• They help an investor invest in Real estate with as little as Rs 10,000-Rs15, 000.

 Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) :

• They are like Mutual Funds who pool the money of the investor and invest into Infrastructure, roads, pipelines, power plants etc.  They offer regular dividends and the benefit of capital appreciation. 

Both REIT and InvIT are regulated by SEBI.

Money market is regulated by RBI while the Capital market is regulated by SEBI.

India and 4 other South Asian countries set up Asian Palm Oil Alliance (APOA)

Tags: Economy/Finance International News

The five palm oil importing countries of South Asia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal have announced the setting up of Asian Palm Oil Alliance (APOA) at Agra, to strengthen their bargaining power and make oil imports sustainable.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

First chairman of the APOA :

• Atul Chaturvedi, President, Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) has been appointed as the first chairman of the APOA.

Aim of the APOA :

• Elaborating the aim of the APOA, Chaturvedi said that “we aim at safeguarding the economic and business interests of the palm oil consuming countries and will work towards increasing the consumption of palm oil in member countries,” 
• He said that membership of APOA would be further expanded to include companies or industry bodies associated with production or refining of palm oil across the continent.
• The next meeting of the APOA is expected to be held in Indonesia early next year.
• India is the largest importer of palm oil in Asia and in the world , accounting for 15% of global imports, followed by China (9%), Pakistan (4%) and Bangladesh (2%).

Palm Oil and India :  

• Palm oil is used in a wide variety of products from cooking to making shampoos, breads, Ice creams etc.
• India imports about 8.3 million tonnes of palm oil including crude palm oil (CPO), Palmolein and PFAD (Palm Fatty Acid Distillate),
•  Around 4 million tonnes of palm oil comes from Indonesia with Malaysia being the second largest source of palm oil (3.8 million tonnes) and Thailand accounting for the remaining half-a-million tonnes.
• Indonesia and Malaysia jointly produce 84 % of world palm oil.
• The largest producer of palm oil in India is Andhra Pradesh followed by Telangana.