1. NSA Doval meet counterparts from Central Asian countries in Delhi
Tags: Summits National News
NSA Ajit Doval welcomes dignitaries to the first India-Central Asia meeting of the National Security Advisers/Secretaries of Security Councils on 6 December in New Delhi.
Important facts
This was the first time that the NSAs of the Central Asian countries were in the national capital Delhi for a security meeting amid the humanitarian and security situation arising in Afghanistan.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually hosted the first India-Central Asia Summit on 27 January, which was attended by the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
During the Summit, Prime Minister Modi and the Central Asian Leaders discussed the next steps in taking India-Central Asia relations to new heights.
The leaders had agreed to institutionalise the Summit mechanism by deciding to hold it every two years.
They also agreed on regular meetings of Foreign Ministers, Trade Ministers, Culture Ministers and Security Council Secretaries to prepare a plan of action for the summits.
An India-Central Asia Secretariat will be set up in New Delhi to support the new mechanism.
The leaders discussed far-reaching proposals for cooperation in trade and connectivity, development cooperation, defense and security, cultural and people-to-people contacts.
These include the Round Table on Energy and Connectivity, the Joint Working Group at Senior Official Level on Afghanistan and the use of Chabahar Port, the display of Buddhist exhibitions in Central Asian countries and joint counter-terrorism exercises.
They also agreed on annual 100-member youth delegations from Central Asian countries to India and special courses for Central Asian diplomats.
2. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurates the National Conference on Soil Health Management for Sustainable Farming in New Delhi
Tags: Summits Person in news
On the occasion of the World Soil Day, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the National Conference on Soil Health Management for Sustainable Farming on 5 December 2022 in New Delhi. Every year 5 December is observed as World Soil Day.
The Conference was organized by the NITI Aayog in collaboration with GIZ affiliated to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany.
In the conference, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog Suman Berry, CEO Parameswaran Iyer were also present.
Speaking on the occasion, the Union minister said that due to chemical farming and other reasons, soil fertility is getting eroded and to meet this serious challenge the government is promoting natural farming.
He said that the Central government has launched the National Mission on Natural Farming as a separate scheme with an expenditure of Rs 1,584 crore.
An additional area of 4.78 lakh hectares has been brought under natural farming in 17 states.
Under the Namami Gange programme, the project of natural farming is going on along the banks of the Ganges.
To promote soil management the government has issued more than 22 crore Soil Health Cards to the farmers. Soil Health gives information to farmers about the health of the soil they are using for cultivation of crops. It tells them which types of crops are suited for their soil. It was launched in February 2015.
3. Millets- Smart Nutritious Food Conclave held in New Delhi
Tags: Summits National News
To promote the export of millets, a one-day 'Millets-Smart Nutritive Food' conclave was organised by the government on 5th December in New Delhi.
Important facts
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal was the chief guest of the conclave.
It was organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry through its apex agricultural export promotion body, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
Its purpose is to promote the export of millets.
This is the first conclave to be held in the pre-launch program of the International Year of Millets - 2023 (IYOM - 2023).
In the Conclave, Farmer Producer Organisations, startups, exporters, producers of millets based value added products participated.
In the conclave, exhibition and B2B meetings were also organized to showcase Indian millets and millet based products.
Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel was the guest of honour at the conclave.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) announced on March 5, 2021 that 2023 will be observed as the International Year of Millets (IYOM).
The government is currently organising IYOM-2023 at domestic and international level to popularise Indian millets and its value added products across the world and make it a mass movement.
4. India’s Bio-economy has grown 8 times to over $80 billion in 2022: Jitendra Singh
Tags: place in news Economy/Finance Summits
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh has said that India's bio-economy has grown 8 times in the last 8 years under Prime Minister Modi leadership from $10 billion in 2014 to over $80 billion in 2022.
He was speaking at the “International Conference on Emerging Trends in Biosciences and Chemical Technology- 2022” in Jammu on 3 December 2022.
The conference is being organized by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, School of Biotechnology, Jammu in collaboration with CSIR-IIIM Jammu and The Biotech Research Society of India, from 3rd - 5th December 2022.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that Biotech Startups have grown 100 times in the last 8 years from 52 odd startups in 2014 to more than 5300 in 2022. He said, 3 Biotech Startups were incorporated every day in 2021 and a total of 1,128 biotech startups were set up in 2021 alone, signalling the rapid growth of the sector in India.
What is Bio- Economy?
The concept of Bio-Economy was first used in Europe. The term Bio Economy generally refers to an economy using renewable natural resources to produce food, energy, products and services. The important renewable natural resources include the biomass in forests, soil, fields, bodies of water and the sea and freshwater.
The Bio- Economy covers all sectors and systems that rely on biological resources (animals, plants, micro-organisms and derived biomass, including organic waste), their functions and principles.
It includes all economic and industrial sectors that use biological resources and processes to produce food, feed, bio-based products, energy and services.
5. International conference on “J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist” organized in New Delhi
Tags: place in news National Summits Person in news
The Union Ministry of Culture organised an “International conference on the contributions of J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist” at the Inter-University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi on 3 December 2022 on the occasion of 164th birth anniversary of legendary Indian scientist Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose.
The aim of the conference was to acknowledge and popularize the contributions of Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose.
Jagdish Chandra Bose
JC Bose was born on 30 November 1858 in Mymensingh (Bangladesh) and died on 23 November 1937 at Giridih, Jharkhand.
He was a Plant Physiologist and physicist who invented the crescograph, a device for measuring the growth of plants. He for the first time demonstrated that plants have feelings.
He discovered wireless communication and was named the Father of Radio Science by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
A crater on the moon is named in his honour.
He established Bose Institute in Kolkata in 1917 which is the first interdisciplinary research centre in Asia.
6. Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane inaugurates the first Coastal Security Conference in Chennai
Tags: place in news Defence Summits Person in news
Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane inaugurated the first Coastal Security Conference organised by the Indian Coast Guard under the aegis of Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) at Chennai on 1 December 2022. Director General, Indian Coast Guard V S Pathania was also present at the occasion.
Defence Secretary called upon the member countries to take concerted measures to counter transnational crimes and address identified areas to make the seas safer.
The two day (1-2 December) conference is being attended by India, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Mauritius.
Theme of the conference: Collaborative Efforts for Coastal Security.
A range of issues including coastal security threat, collaborative response, international maritime law and role of empowered agencies, technological solutions for coastal security etc were discussed at the conference.
Colombo Security Conclave (CSC)
The CSC started as a trilateral maritime cooperation mechanism between India, Maldives and Sri Lanka in 2011. The membership of the Group was enlarged with the addition of Mauritius in March 2022.
The Secretariat of the CSC is located in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The members have identified five pillars for cooperation, namely-
- Maritime Safety and Security;
- Countering Terrorism and Radicalization;
- Combating Trafficking and Organised Crime;
- Cyber Security, Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Technology and
- Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.
7. NADA India to host Inclusion Conclave for the first time to focus on athletes with disabilities on 2nd December 2022
India will host an Inclusion Conclave for the first time which will focus on anti-doping education and process for athletes with disabilities. The Conclave organised by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA India) with the help of WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) Asia-Oceania office, will be held on 2 December 2022 in New Delhi.
The conclave will focus on developing a policy and legal framework on anti-doping as well as on educating the disable athletes on the anti -doping process and controls.
Doping in sports means the use of unauthorized drugs by the athletes to enhance their performance in sports.
National Anti-Doping Agency or NADA
The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) is the national organization responsible for promoting, coordinating, and monitoring the doping control program in sports in all its forms in the country. It is the member of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) was set up on November 24, 2005 Under the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Director General of NADA: Ritu Sain
Headquarters: New Delhi
8. 17th International Conference on Cement, Concrete and Building Materials to be held in New Delhi
Tags: place in news Summits
The National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB), under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, will organize the 17th International Conference on Cement, Concrete and Building Materials.
The biennial Conference will be held in New Delhi from 6-9 December 2022.
The theme of the Conference is: Moving towards Net Zero Carbon Emission”.
The conference will be inaugurated by Anurag Jain, Secretary to Government of India, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
More than 80 leading equipment manufacturers and service providers of India and the world, will also showcase their technological prowess, new products and services in a Technical Exhibition, in sync with the conference.
9. World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2022
Tags: Summits Important Days International News
The World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2022 concluded on November 25, with the Muscat Ministerial Manifesto on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
Important facts
The two-day summit, which began on November 24 in Oman's capital Muscat, follows two high-level summits held in the Netherlands in 2014 and 2019.
The theme of the meeting was - The AMR Pandemic: From Policy to One Health Action.
The Manifesto has been endorsed by 34 of the 45 countries that participated at the conference.
Muscat Ministerial Manifesto on AMR - three global targets
Reduce the total amount of antimicrobials used in the agri-food system at least by 30-50% by 2030 from the current level.
Zero use of Critically important antimicrobials (CIA).
Ensuring that 'access' group antibiotics (a class of antibiotics that are cheaper, safer and have a lower AMR risk) represent at least 60 per cent of total antibiotic consumption in humans by 2030.
About World Antimicrobial Awareness Week
It is a global campaign observed annually to improve awareness and understanding related to AMR.
It encourages best practices among the public, health stakeholders and policy makers to reduce the emergence and spread of AMR.
What is Antimicrobial Resistance?
It is the resistance acquired by any microorganism (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, etc.) against antimicrobial drugs (such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials, and anthelmintics) that are used to treat infections.
As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, the infection persists and can spread to others.
10. Coal Ministry to conduct Investor Conclave in Mumbai
Tags: Summits National News
In order to promote the participation of bidders in the commercial auction of coal mines, the Ministry of Coal will organise an Investors Meet on December 1, 2022 in Mumbai.
Important facts
Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi will preside over it and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will be the chief guest.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will be the Special Guest and Minister of State for Coal, Mines and Railways, Raosaheb Patil Danve and Minister of Mining for Maharashtra, Dadaji Bhuse will be the Guest of Honour of the function.
Amrit Lal Meena, Secretary, Ministry of Coal and Vivek Bhardwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Mines will also participate in the Conclave.
