1. 2nd G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group meeting begins in Udaipur
Tags: Summits National News
The 2nd Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG) meeting under India's G20 chairmanship began in Udaipur, Rajasthan and will last for three days.
An Overview of the News
The focus of the meeting is to identify relevant policies and best practices for mobilising sustainable finance to help ensure global growth and stability.
Two workshops were organised during the meeting, namely Non-pricing policy levers to support sustainable investment and efficient finance for the Sustainable Development Goals.
More than 90 delegates from G20 member states, guest countries and various international organisations participated in the event.
The first meeting of the Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG) was held in Guwahati on February 2 and 3 this year, and the third and fourth meetings will be held in Mahabalipuram and Varanasi, respectively.
About the Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG)
Sustainable Finance Working Groups are collaborative initiatives that bring together stakeholders to advance sustainable finance practices.
They aim to promote best practices, share knowledge and resources, and develop standards and guidelines for sustainable finance.
Members may include financial institutions, companies, regulators, civil society organisations and academia.
Examples of sustainable finance working groups include the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), the Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS).
About the G20
The G20 (Group of Twenty) is an international forum consisting of 19 countries and the European Union, representing the world's major economies.
Its members include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
It is an international forum of the world's leading economies, established in 1999, and its primary objective is to promote international financial stability and sustainable economic growth.
The G20 serves as a forum to discuss and coordinate policies related to a wide range of economic and financial issues such as trade, investment, employment, energy and climate change.
2. Indian Higher Education Meet 2023 inaugurated in Dhaka
Tags: Summits International News
High Commissioner Pranay Verma and Minister of Education of Bangladesh Dr Dipu Moni on 18 March jointly inaugurated the Indian Higher Education Meet 2023 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
An overview of the news
It is being organized under the aegis of the Study in India program in Dhaka.
Top ranking higher educational institutions from different parts of India participated in the event.
A large number of Indian students are pursuing higher education in each other's country.
The Indian High Commissioner invited Bangladeshi students to take advantage of India's globally prestigious higher education system and build new bridges of friendship and understanding between the youth of the two countries.
Bangladesh Education Minister Dr. Deepu Moni recognized the important role of education in promoting better understanding between India and Bangladesh and thanked Study in India for taking the initiative to organize the event in Dhaka.
Study in India programme
It is a flagship project launched by the Ministry of Education, Government of India in 2018.
Its main goal is to increase the number of international students in the country and improve the global reputation and ranking of Indian educational institutions.
The programme provides meritorious foreign students fee waiver and scholarship.
The program is designed to encourage and invite the global student community to pursue their higher education in India.
Since its inception, the Study in India program has attracted students from over 150 countries, including Bangladesh.
3. India's G-20 Presidency: Startup-20 Group holds second meeting in Sikkim
Tags: Summits State News
The Startup 20 Engagement Group under India's G-20 Presidency began a two-day meeting in Gangtok, Sikkim.
The group aims to bring together the global startup system and give each country the freedom to develop its own unique ecosystem.
An Overview of the News
Chief Minister Tamang also acknowledged the significant scope for aggregators in developing end-to-end chains of organic farm and livestock products as well as medicinal plants and tourism in Sikkim.
The state government has set up an incubation center under the Atal Innovation Mission at Sikkim Manipal University and launched schemes like One Family, One Entrepreneur in Sikkim to address the challenges faced by startups in the state.
Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Prakash reiterated the commitment of the Union Government to strengthen the startup ecosystem of the Northeast.
The meetup aims to connect large businesses under B20 with small entrepreneurs from Startup20.
About Sikkim
Located - Eastern part of the country
Establishment - 16 May 1975 as the 22nd state of India
Capital - Gangtok
Chief Minister - PS Tamang
Minister of State for Commerce and Industry - Som Prakash
Borders - China, Bhutan, West Bengal and Tibetan region of Nepal
Highest peak of India and third highest peak of the world - Mount Kanchenjunga is located in Sikkim
Rivers - River Teesta and its tributaries like Rangit, Lhonak, Talung and Lachung
4. Global Millets Conference to be inaugurated by PM Modi in New Delhi
Tags: Summits National News
The Global Millets Conference will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 19, 2023 in New Delhi
An Overview of the News
Agriculture ministers from six countries, international scientists, nutritionists, health experts, start-up leaders and other stakeholders from over 100 countries will participate in the conference.
The Prime Minister will unveil a customised postage stamp and currency coin on the International Year of Millets (IYM) - 2023 during the event.
The two-day conference will have sessions on a wide range of issues related to millets, including publicity and awareness, value chain development, health and nutrition, market linkages and research and development.
An exhibition-cum-buyer-seller meet will also be organised with a focus on millets with the participation of over 50 domestic and international buyers, importers, exporters and processors.
The exhibition will showcase millet and millet-based ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat products, by millet-based startups and exporters, and live cooking sessions by various international and national chefs.
Based on India's proposal, the year 2023 was declared by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Millet Year.
Engaged all Ministries and Departments of the Central Government, States and Union Territories, farmers, start-ups, exporters, retail businesses and other stakeholders to promote and spread awareness about the benefits of millets to the farmer, consumer and the climate.
About Millet
India is the largest producer of millets in the world and the second largest exporter of these grains.
Millets have been an integral part of India's food culture for centuries, and several types of millets are grown in the country, including jowar, ragi, bajra, kuttu, ramdana, kangni, kutki, kodo, china, and sama.
Millets are known for their many health benefits, including being a good source of protein, fibre and micronutrients.
Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Uttarakhand being the top 10 states in terms of millet production.
Together, these 10 states account for almost 98% of millet production in India during the 2020-21 period.
5. Union Minister Anurag Thakur inaugurates 16th meeting of SCO Youth Council
Tags: Summits National News
The 16th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Youth Council was held in hybrid mode in New Delhi on 14 March, under the chairship of India.
An overview of the news
Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated the meeting of the SCO Youth Council.
The meeting was chaired by Nitesh Kumar Mishra, Joint Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, Government of India.
In the meeting, SCO member states shared information on the activities of the SCO Youth Council in 2022-2023.
The report of the SCO Youth Conference held on March 13, 2023 in virtual mode on the theme "Effective Community Development Activities" was delivered to all SCO member states.
The Protocol was signed on March 14, 2023 in New Delhi in eight copies in the Russian and Chinese languages.
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
It is a permanent intergovernmental international organization.
It was founded in 2001.
The SCO Charter was signed in 2002, and came into force in 2003.
It is a Eurasian political, economic and military organization.
Its aim is to maintain peace, security and stability in the region.
China, Russia and four Central Asian states – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan – were founding members of the SCO.
Its members include China, Russia, India and Pakistan, as well as 4 Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Official Languages - Russian and Chinese
Chairmanship - On the basis of rotation for a year by Member States
6. India to showcase organic farming of Sikkim at B20 conference in Gangtok
Tags: Summits State News
The vibrant organic farming of Sikkim will be prominently showcased to the world through the 3rd B20 Summit to be held in Gangtok, Sikkim from 15 to 17 March 2023.
An overview of the news
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is organizing four B20 conferences in the North Eastern Region to showcase the untapped potential and opportunities within the region.
Out of which two conferences have already been held in Imphal and Aizawl.
The third and fourth conferences are to be held in Gangtok and Kohima respectively.
The hosting of the B20 summit in Sikkim is important to showcase the vibrant organic farming of the state to the world.
In addition, the B20 event to be held in Gangtok will throw light on organic farming.
G20 Tracks
G20 has two Tracks- Sherpa Track and Finance Track.
Sherpa Track has 13 working groups and 11 engagement groups.
DPIIT is the nodal ministry for two working groups namely Startup 20 and Business 20 (B20).
Working groups consist of non-governmental participants from each G20 member who provide recommendations to G20 leaders and contribute to the policy-making process.
Business 20 (B20)
It was formed in 2010 and is the official G20 dialogue platform with the global business community.
The B20 aims to provide concrete actionable policy recommendations on each Presidency's priorities to drive economic growth and development.
The B20 has scheduled a total of 100 meetings, including 65 in-person meetings and 35 hybrid meetings.
B20 summit to be held in New Delhi from 26 -27 August 2023.
The Startup 20
Startup 20 has been established under the G20 Presidency of India.
It aims to act as a dialogue platform with stakeholders of the global startup ecosystem.
It aims to represent the global startup ecosystem with G20 leaders to raise macroeconomic concerns and challenges faced by entrepreneurs.
A total of 60 meetings of the Start-up 20 Engagement Group will be held, of which 5 are in-person meetings.
The upcoming event is Startup 20 Gangtok, Sikkim on 18-19 March 2023.
The Startup 20 Summit will be held in Gurugram from 2 -4 July 2023.
7. Second G20 Sustainable Financial Working Group (SFWG) meeting to be held in Udaipur
Tags: Summits National News
The Second G20 Sustainable Financial Working Group (SFWG) meeting will be held at Udaipur in Rajasthan from 21 to 23 March.
An overview of the news
The purpose of the meeting is to mobilize sustainable finance to help ensure global growth and stability.
Around 150 delegates from G20 member states, guest countries and various international organizations will participate in the meeting.
Cultural programs and sightseeing tours will also be organized for the guests during the event.
The G20 focuses on promoting international economic cooperation and addressing key economic challenges faced by its member states, including issues related to finance, trade, and global economic development.
The first meeting of the Sustainable Finance Working Group under G20 was organised in Guwahati on 3 February 2023.
8. Second Education Working Group meeting of G20 countries begin in Amritsar
Tags: Summits National News
The Ministry of Education is hosting the second Education Working Group meeting on March 15 in Amritsar, Punjab.
An overview of the news
28 G20 member countries, guest countries and invited organizations (OECD, UNESCO and UNICEF) are participating in the three-day event, which includes seminars, exhibitions and working group meetings.
A seminar on 'Strengthening research and promoting innovation through rich collaborations' will be organized by IIT Ropar in collaboration with IISc Bengaluru, IIM Amritsar and TISS Mumbai at Khalsa College.
The seminar will begin with a presentation by IISc Bengaluru on 'Research Initiatives in G20 Countries'.
The first meeting of G20 Education Working Group (G20 EWG) 2023 was held in Chennai on 1st and 2nd February.
Deliberation on the four priority areas
Ensuring Foundational Literacy and Numeracy especially in the context of blended learning.
Making Tech-enabled learning more inclusive, qualitative and collaborative at every level.
Building Capacities, promoting Life-long Learning in the context of Future of Work.
Strengthening Research, promoting Innovation through richer collaboration and partnerships.
9. First meeting of Supreme Audit Institution (SAI20) begins
Tags: Summits National News
The 1st Supreme Audit Institution 20 (SAI20) Senior Officers' Meeting (SOM) began on 13 March 2023 in Guwahati, Assam.
Overview of the News
The themes of this meeting are 'Blue Economy' and 'Responsible Artificial Intelligence'.
SAI20 aims to bring together an ecosystem wherein SAIs are active participants in governance, promoting transparency and accountability.
The SAI-20 meeting will be chaired by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Girish Chandra Murmu and also attended by senior representatives of equivalent institutions from G-20 countries.
Around 44 delegates from G-20 member countries, guest countries and other international organisations participated in the SAI-20 event.
Countries like Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Oman, Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and UAE participated individually.
The SAI-20 meeting will conclude on March 15.
10. International conference on “Shared Buddhist Heritage”
Tags: Summits National News
An international conference on "Shared Buddhist Heritage" will be held on March 14-15 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
An overview of the news
The conference will focus on India's civilizational connection with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) nations 2023.
It is the first of its kind event under India's leadership of SCO (for a period of one year - from September 17, 2022 to September 2023).
It will bring Central Asian, East Asian, South Asian and Arab countries on a common platform to discuss the "Common Buddhist Heritage".
Conference organiser
The two-day event is being organized by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of External Affairs and the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC-as a grantee body of the Ministry of Culture).
Many Indian scholars of Buddhism will also participate in this program.
Aim of the Conference
To re-establish the trans-cultural link between Buddhist art, art styles, archaeological sites and antiquity of Central Asia in the collections of various museums in SCO countries.
