1. Indian Army launches single-window facility for welfare, grievance redressal of ‘veer naris’
Tags: National Defence National News
The Indian Army has launched a single-window facility for welfare and grievance redressal of ‘veer naris’ on 10 October, 2022.
Important facts
The project was inaugurated by the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) at the Indian Army Veterans Directorate (DIAV) campus, Delhi Cantt.
Veerangana Seva Kendra (VSK) will be available as a service on Indian Army Veterans Portal www.indianarmyveterans.gov.in.
Veer Nari or Kin will have many means of contact including telephone, WhatsApp, e-mail.
The widow of a member of the armed forces who sacrificed her life in war or military campaign is called 'Veer Nari'.
A single window facility named Veerangana Seva Kendra (VSK) has been launched for the welfare of 'Veer Naris' and redressal of grievances with the motto of 'Take Care of Your Own, No Matter What'.
The system caters to the applicant for tracking, monitoring and filing complaints with regular feedback.
Veer Nari or Kin will have multiple means of contacting VSK through Telephone, SMS, WhatsApp, Post, E-mail and Walk-in.
Stakeholders can monitor the status of complaints through Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.
The applicant will receive regular updates of the status through SMS and email.
The 'Veer Naris' are appointed as VSK staff to maintain in-built engagement and empathy with the beneficiaries.
The project is spearheaded by the branch of DIAV, AG and the technology solution is developed by BISAG-N, while Hero MotoCorp has supported the project through its CSR initiatives.
2. India hosted the 2nd BIMSTEC Agriculture Ministers meeting
Tags: National National News
India hosted the Second Agriculture Ministerial-level meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) at New Delhi on 10 November under the chairmanship of the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar.
Important facts
Agriculture ministers of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand participated in the meeting.
Tomar urged the member countries to develop a comprehensive regional strategy to strengthen cooperation for transformation in agriculture.
Referring to the International Year of Millets - 2023, he urged for adopting a healthy diet for all.
He asked the participating countries to actively participate in India's initiative to promote coarse cereals as food.
About 2nd BIMSTEC Agriculture Ministerial Meeting
The meeting adopted the Action Plan for Strengthening BIMSTEC Agricultural Cooperation (2023-2027).
An MoU was signed between the BIMSTEC Secretariat and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and approval was given to bring the fisheries and livestock sub-sectors under the Agriculture Working Group.
About BIMSTEC
BIMSTEC was established in 1997.
It includes five countries of South Asia – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and two countries of South-East Asia – Myanmar and Thailand.
3. India hosted the 2nd BIMSTEC Agriculture Ministers meeting
Tags: National National News
India hosted the Second Agriculture Ministerial-level meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) at New Delhi on 10 November under the chairmanship of the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar.
Important facts
Agriculture ministers of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand participated in the meeting.
Tomar urged the member countries to develop a comprehensive regional strategy to strengthen cooperation for transformation in agriculture.
Referring to the International Year of Millets - 2023, he urged for adopting a healthy diet for all.
He asked the participating countries to actively participate in India's initiative to promote coarse cereals as food.
About 2nd BIMSTEC Agriculture Ministerial Meeting
The meeting adopted the Action Plan for Strengthening BIMSTEC Agricultural Cooperation (2023-2027).
An MoU was signed between the BIMSTEC Secretariat and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and approval was given to bring the fisheries and livestock sub-sectors under the Agriculture Working Group.
About BIMSTEC
BIMSTEC was established in 1997.
It includes five countries of South Asia – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and two countries of South-East Asia – Myanmar and Thailand.
4. India joins MAC, at 27th session of COP27 in Egypt
Tags: National Summits National News
India has joined the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) at the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.
Important facts
After joining the alliance, India called for the integration of mangrove conservation with reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) programs for carbon sequestration.
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said studies have shown that mangrove forests can absorb four to five times more carbon emissions than landed tropical forests.
What are Mangroves?
These are small trees and shrubs that grow along the coast and thrive in salt water and develop into unique forests on land and sea shore.
Mangrove ecosystems are one of the most productive and ecologically important ecosystems in the world.
They offer significant climate change mitigation and adaptation co-benefits because they are able to store carbon up to 400 percent faster than land-based tropical rainforests.
They protect coastal areas from rising sea levels, erosion and storms and provide breeding grounds for marine biodiversity.
About 80 percent of the world's fish population depend on these ecosystems for their survival.
India contributes about half of the total mangrove cover in South Asia and the Sundarbans in West Bengal has the highest percentage of mangrove cover in India.
West Bengal has the highest percentage of mangrove cover in India. It is followed by Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Kerala also have mangroves.
About Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC)
MAC is an intergovernmental coalition that seeks to accelerate the conservation and restoration of mangrove ecosystems.
India is among the first five countries to join the MAC, which includes Australia, Japan, Spain and Sri Lanka.
5. India joins MAC, at 27th session of COP27 in Egypt
Tags: National Summits National News
India has joined the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) at the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.
Important facts
After joining the alliance, India called for the integration of mangrove conservation with reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) programs for carbon sequestration.
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said studies have shown that mangrove forests can absorb four to five times more carbon emissions than landed tropical forests.
What are Mangroves?
These are small trees and shrubs that grow along the coast and thrive in salt water and develop into unique forests on land and sea shore.
Mangrove ecosystems are one of the most productive and ecologically important ecosystems in the world.
They offer significant climate change mitigation and adaptation co-benefits because they are able to store carbon up to 400 percent faster than land-based tropical rainforests.
They protect coastal areas from rising sea levels, erosion and storms and provide breeding grounds for marine biodiversity.
About 80 percent of the world's fish population depend on these ecosystems for their survival.
India contributes about half of the total mangrove cover in South Asia and the Sundarbans in West Bengal has the highest percentage of mangrove cover in India.
West Bengal has the highest percentage of mangrove cover in India. It is followed by Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Kerala also have mangroves.
About Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC)
MAC is an intergovernmental coalition that seeks to accelerate the conservation and restoration of mangrove ecosystems.
India is among the first five countries to join the MAC, which includes Australia, Japan, Spain and Sri Lanka.
6. Kochi to host 18th International Telemedicine Conference
Tags: place in news Summits National News
The 18th International Telemedicine Conference organised by Telemedicine Society of India (TSI) in association with TSI Kerala Chapter will be held in Kochi, Kerala from 10-12 November.
Important facts
More than 200 scientists and academic scholars from India and around the world are expected to come together in this three-day event.
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman S Somnath will participate in this conference as the chief guest and deliberate on how the latest technologies in our country will improve telemedicine facilities.
The conference will be held at Amrita Hospital, Kochi.
“The core theme of the event ‘Strengthening Health Systems Through Sustainable Telemedicine and Digital Health’.
The conference aims to build a platform involving health regulators, health funding authorities, service providers and international experts.
The conference will examine emerging telehealth models, explore breakthrough technologies and entrepreneurship.
The conference will also highlight the socioeconomic impact of telehealth on healthcare and equity.
About International Telemedicine Conference
Telemedicine-2022 is an annual global conference for healthcare professionals, providers, health insurance providers, online pharmacy chains, industrialists, academic scientists, research scholars and scientists.
The conference is organised in collaboration with government agencies, private organisations and national and international professional societies.
7. Urban Affairs Ministry launches Transport 4 All Challenge Stage-2 and Citizen Perception Survey 2022
Tags: National National News
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched the “Transport 4 All Challenge” Stage-2 and Citizen Perception Survey 2022 on 9 November, 2022.
About Transport 4 All Challenge Stage-2
It is an initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, aimed at enhancing the mobility experience of citizens.
The challenge focuses on digital innovation and invites cities, citizens and innovators to join hands to develop relevant digital solutions to improve formal and informal public transport to better meet the mobility needs of all citizens.
More than 130 cities signed up for Phase 1 of the challenge launched on April 15, 2021.
Stages of Transport 4 All Challenge’ Stage-2
Stage I - Problem Identification : Cities, with the support of NGOs, identify key recurring problems that citizens and public transport operators face.
Stage II - Solution Generation : Startups, develop prototypes of solutions to improve public transport with inputs from cities and NGOs.
Stage III Pilot Testing : Cities engage Startups for large-scale pilots and refine the solutions based on citizen feedback.
Citizen Perception Survey 2022
The Citizen Perception Survey (CPS) is conducted as part of the Ease of Living Index. It was conducted for the first time in 2020.
The Survey aims to understand citizens' perceptions about the quality of life in their cities.
It tries to understand the perception of citizens on public transport, education facilities, health services, availability of water, cost of housing, employment opportunities, etc.
Citizen Perception Survey 2022 will be conducted from November 9 to December 23 this year.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the Urban Outcomes Framework 2022 in April 2022 as an initiative to conduct transparent and comprehensive assessment of cities based on cross-city outcomes in key sectors.
The Ease of Living Index, in the form of a 360-degree assessment, evaluates India's cities on the basis of quality of life, economic potential and sustainability.
8. Urban Affairs Ministry launches Transport 4 All Challenge Stage-2 and Citizen Perception Survey 2022
Tags: National National News
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched the “Transport 4 All Challenge” Stage-2 and Citizen Perception Survey 2022 on 9 November, 2022.
About Transport 4 All Challenge Stage-2
It is an initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, aimed at enhancing the mobility experience of citizens.
The challenge focuses on digital innovation and invites cities, citizens and innovators to join hands to develop relevant digital solutions to improve formal and informal public transport to better meet the mobility needs of all citizens.
More than 130 cities signed up for Phase 1 of the challenge launched on April 15, 2021.
Stages of Transport 4 All Challenge’ Stage-2
Stage I - Problem Identification : Cities, with the support of NGOs, identify key recurring problems that citizens and public transport operators face.
Stage II - Solution Generation : Startups, develop prototypes of solutions to improve public transport with inputs from cities and NGOs.
Stage III Pilot Testing : Cities engage Startups for large-scale pilots and refine the solutions based on citizen feedback.
Citizen Perception Survey 2022
The Citizen Perception Survey (CPS) is conducted as part of the Ease of Living Index. It was conducted for the first time in 2020.
The Survey aims to understand citizens' perceptions about the quality of life in their cities.
It tries to understand the perception of citizens on public transport, education facilities, health services, availability of water, cost of housing, employment opportunities, etc.
Citizen Perception Survey 2022 will be conducted from November 9 to December 23 this year.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the Urban Outcomes Framework 2022 in April 2022 as an initiative to conduct transparent and comprehensive assessment of cities based on cross-city outcomes in key sectors.
The Ease of Living Index, in the form of a 360-degree assessment, evaluates India's cities on the basis of quality of life, economic potential and sustainability.
9. S Jaishankar holds bilateral talks with Foreign Minister of Belarus, Vladimir Makei
Tags: International Relations International News
External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar held bilateral talks with his Belarus counterpart Vladimir Makei in New Delhi on 9 November, 2022.
Important facts
The Foreign Minister of Belarus, Vladimir Makei arrives in New Delhi on November 9, 2022 for a two-day visit to India.
Both leaders held talks on a range of issues including bilateral economic ties, Ukraine conflict and multilateral cooperation.
India - Belarus Relations
India’s relations with Belarus have been traditionally warm and cordial.
India was one of the first countries to recognize Belarus as an independent country in 1991.
After formal diplomatic relations were established, the Indian diplomatic mission was opened in Minsk in 1992 and Belarus opened its mission in New Delhi in 1998.
Cooperation between the two countries is reflected in several multilateral fora such as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
Belarus helped consolidate India's candidature for a temporary seat at the UNSC in July 2020.
India has supported Belarus in various international fora such as membership of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and other international and multilateral groups such as the IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union).
The two countries have established mechanisms for the exchange of views on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues through the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC), and the Joint Commission on Military Technical Cooperation.
The two countries signed several MoUs on various subjects including defence and technical cooperation, trade and economic cooperation, culture, education, media and sports, tourism, science and technology, agriculture, textiles, avoidance of double taxation, promotion of investment.
In the economic sphere, the annual bilateral trade turnover in 2019 is USD 569.6 million.
About Belarus
President - Alexander Lukashenko
Prime Minister - Roman Golovchenko
Capital - Minsk
Currency - Belarusian ruble
10. S Jaishankar holds bilateral talks with Foreign Minister of Belarus, Vladimir Makei
Tags: International Relations International News
External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar held bilateral talks with his Belarus counterpart Vladimir Makei in New Delhi on 9 November, 2022.
Important facts
The Foreign Minister of Belarus, Vladimir Makei arrives in New Delhi on November 9, 2022 for a two-day visit to India.
Both leaders held talks on a range of issues including bilateral economic ties, Ukraine conflict and multilateral cooperation.
India - Belarus Relations
India’s relations with Belarus have been traditionally warm and cordial.
India was one of the first countries to recognize Belarus as an independent country in 1991.
After formal diplomatic relations were established, the Indian diplomatic mission was opened in Minsk in 1992 and Belarus opened its mission in New Delhi in 1998.
Cooperation between the two countries is reflected in several multilateral fora such as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
Belarus helped consolidate India's candidature for a temporary seat at the UNSC in July 2020.
India has supported Belarus in various international fora such as membership of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and other international and multilateral groups such as the IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union).
The two countries have established mechanisms for the exchange of views on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues through the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC), and the Joint Commission on Military Technical Cooperation.
The two countries signed several MoUs on various subjects including defence and technical cooperation, trade and economic cooperation, culture, education, media and sports, tourism, science and technology, agriculture, textiles, avoidance of double taxation, promotion of investment.
In the economic sphere, the annual bilateral trade turnover in 2019 is USD 569.6 million.
About Belarus
President - Alexander Lukashenko
Prime Minister - Roman Golovchenko
Capital - Minsk
Currency - Belarusian ruble
