1. Jyotiraditya Scindia chairs the Conference of the Ministers of Civil Aviation of States and Union Territories
The Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia chaired the two-day (17-18 October 2022) Conference of the Ministers of Civil Aviation on 18 October 2022. The conference was and co-chaired by Minister of State, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Gen. (Rtd.) Vijay Kumar Singh.
The Conference of the Ministers of Civil Aviation has been organised by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation in New Delhi.
The objective of the two day conference series was to promote greater collaboration and synergy between State Civil Aviation departments and Ministry of Civil Aviation to augment and develop the civil aviation sector.
Speaking on the occasion Scindia stated that the cost of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) remains a challenge as it constitutes 45-50% cost in airline operations. He thanked 28 States, which have brought down Value Added Tax (VAT) on ATF to 1-4%. He also urged the remaining 8 States to bring down the VAT so that the barriers to growth are removed.
Expansion of Airports
On the issue of airports, the Minister said that in next four years, about Rs 95,000 crore are likely to be invested by the Government and the private sector, which includes greenfield as well as brownfield airports.
The Airports Authority of India is working on expansion of about 40 airports and setting up of 3-4 new Greenfield airports. Similarly, private sector is also working on 60 brownfield and 3 Greenfield airports.
In last 8 years, the number of airports has gone up from 74 to 141 (including helipads and waterdromes) and the number is likely to cross 200 in next 4-5 years.
2. Conference of the Secretaries of Civil Aviation
Tags: National Summits National News
The Conference of Civil Aviation Secretaries of all States and Union Territories was organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on 17 October 2022 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
Important facts
The inaugural session was presided over by Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India.
Presiding over the inaugural session, Rajiv Bansal said that a lot of progress has been made in the aviation sector in the last year.
He said domestic air traffic is almost near the pre-Covid level, many new airports have been inaugurated and new routes have been started.
The government has taken several steps to promote drones, helicopter medical emergency services and fractional ownership, he said.
During the conference, requested the states to reduce VAT on Aviation Turbine Fuel, ATF and appreciated the states which have already done so.
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia addressed the Conference.
Objective of the conference
The objective of the conference is to promote greater cooperation and synergy between the State Civil Aviation Departments and the Ministry of Civil Aviation to enhance the development of the civil aviation sector.
Government Initiatives in Civil Aviation sector
National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016
UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) Scheme
The Government has allocated INR 10,667 crore for the Ministry of Civil Aviation in Union Budget 2022-23.
The government has allowed 100% FDI under automatic route for greenfield projects, while 74% FDI is allowed under automatic route for brownfield projects.
3. 12th Defence Expo dedicated to Indian defence companies to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from 18 October to 20 October
Tags: place in news Defence Summits
India’s flagship exhibition on Land, Naval and Homeland Security systems, Defence Expo 2022 will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from 18-22 October 2022. Earlier the 12th Defence expo was proposed to be held in the month of March 2022 but was postponed due to the logistics problems being experienced by participants. The 11th Defence expo was held in Lucknow in 2022.
Theme of the Defence Expo 2022
The theme of the 12th Defence Expo is Path to Pride
Defence Ministers explains the theme of the defence expo 2022
Speaking at the curtain raiser press conference in Gandhinagar on 17October 2022 ,Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that 'Path to Pride' was not just a theme of DefExpo 2022, but a ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ vision of a ‘New India’.
He said that the DefExpo 2022 during ‘Amrit Kaal’ reflects India's resolve to be among the leading nations in the defence & aerospace sectors in the next 25 years.
First time defence expo exclusively for Indian companies
For the first time only Indian companies have been invited for the defence expo. Foreign defence companies which have set up a joint venture with Indian companies can also participate in the expo. A record 1340 companies are participating in the expo.
For the first time, States/Union Territories (UTs) have been invited to set up pavilions at the event.
International participation
Seventy five (75) countries have confirmed their participation in the DefExpo 2022.
The defence minister will host the second India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD) on October 18, while the Indian Ocean Region plus (IOR+) conclave will take place on October 19.
More than 53 African countries have been invited for IADD and 44 for IOR+ conclave.
Defence Expo
It is organised by the Union Ministry of Defence. The main purpose behind the expo is to promote defence exports from India as well as invite foreign companies to explore defence tie-ups and business in India.
Traditionally, the Defence expo has been held in New Delhi every two years
Later it was shifted to Panaji, Goa (2016), Chennai (2018) and Lucknow (2020).
4. Nirmala Sitharaman returns to India after a six day visit to the United States
Tags: Economy/Finance Summits Person in news
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman returned to India after a successful 6 days (11-16 October 2022) visit to the United States of America. She was in America to attend the 46th Annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank meeting held at Washington D.C. from 10-16 October 2022.
The minister also attended G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting. India will take over the chairmanship of the G-20 from Indonesia after a summit meeting in November 2022.
She also met the US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and World Bank President David Malpass.
Annual Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group meeting
The Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group (WBG) normally meet once a year to discuss the work of their respective institutions. The Annual Meetings, which generally take place in September/October, have customarily been held in Washington for two consecutive years and in another member country in the third year.
The 2023 Annual meeting will be held in Marrakech, Morocco.
The Annual Meetings include meetings of the Development Committee, the International Monetary and Financial Committee, the Group of Ten, the Group of Twenty-Four, and various other constituencies.
The Inaugural Meeting of the Boards of Governors was held in Savannah, Georgia, USA in March 1946. The first Annual Meetings were held in Washington in 1946.
International Monetary Fund and World Bank
The International Monetary Fund and World Bank were set up in 1944 after an International conference held at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United States in 1944.
Both the international financial institutions are also called Bretton Woods twins or Bretton Woods’s sisters.
Both the institutions were set up to perform different functions.
The IMF was set up to provide loans to the member countries facing a balance of payment crisis.
The World Bank provides loans to the member countries for development purposes.
At present 189 countries are members of the IMF. Country which is a member of the IMF, automatically becomes a member of the World Bank.
Both the institutions headquarters are at Washington D.C, United States of America
World Bank Group
The World Bank was initially called the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). It was set up to provide loans to the countries for economic development purposes. Later on the World Bank created new institutions according to the emerging different needs of the member countries.
At present the World groups includes five institutions:
- International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD),
- International Financial Corporation(IFC),
- International Development Assistance (IDA),
- Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and
- International Center for Settlement of International Dispute (ICSID).
5. 3rd edition of Confederation of Indian Industry’s renewable energy conference starts in New Delhi
Tags: Environment place in news Summits
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in partnership with the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India is organising the 3rd edition of the International Conference & Exhibition on ‘Pathways for Global Partnership in Green Energy: Powering Atma Nirbhar Bharat & the World’ in New Delhi from 17-19 October 2022 .
This initiative aims at furthering global partnership and take concerted steps to develop green economy and unified to power a clean and green world.
The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goel addressed the conference and said that “India has the potential to grow into a global supplier of renewable energy equipment”. He reiterated India’s commitment to achieve 500 GW renewable energy generation by 2030.
PM Modi has announced India’s commitment to carbon net-zero by 2070. Also, India has set a target to achieve 50% renewables in the overall energy mix by 2030.
While Aatmanirbhar Bharat or self-reliant India focuses on elevating domestic manufacturing capabilities and reinforcing net-zero targets, it also has immense potential to be the global epicentre for renewable energy and green hydrogen ecosystem.
Confederation of Indian Industries (CII)
It is a business lobby group of top business houses in India.
It was set up in 1895.
It works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the growth of industry in India, partnering industry and government alike through advisory and consultative processes.
Headquarters: New Delhi
President: Sanjiv Bajaj
6. India to host 90th General Assembly of INTERPOL
Tags: National Summits National News
India will host the 90th General Assembly of the International Criminal Police Organisation, INTERPOL, in New Delhi from October 18 to 21, 2022.
Important facts
The General Assembly is the highest governing body of Interpol consisting of representatives of 195 member states. Its meeting is held once a year.
The General Assembly is being held in India after 25 years, last held in 1997 on the occasion of India's 75th Independence Day celebrations.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah proposed the event to Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock during an official visit to New Delhi in August 2019.
Agenda of the meeting
The agenda is expected to include presentations, workshops and discussions on the following subjects -
The future of policing
Policing and today’s crimes
What is INTERPOL?
The International Criminal Police Organisation, or Interpol, is an intergovernmental organisation with 194 members.
It was formed in 1923 as the International Criminal Police Commission, and it was named Interpol in 1956.
India joined Interpol in 1949, and is one of its oldest members.
It is the world’s largest international police organisation.
Its work focuses on public safety and combating terrorism, crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes, environmental crimes, etc.
Headquartered - Lyon, France
What is the Interpol General Assembly?
It is the supreme governing body of Interpol, and consists of representatives of all its member states.
Each country is represented in the Assembly by one or more representatives, who are usually the heads of law enforcement agencies.
The General Assembly also elects the members of the Interpol Executive Committee.
7. Piyush Goel addresses the valedictory session of the National Intellectual Property Conference 2022
Tags: place in news Summits
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal while addressing the Valedictory Session of National Intellectual Property Conference 2022 said that India aims to be among the top 10 nations in the Global Innovation Index (GII).
He said that India had made massive gains, jumping from the 81st rank in 2015 to the 40th rank in 2022. Giving protection to the creator of the intellectual property will further innovations in India. He expressed confidence that collective efforts of government, academia, industry, legal fraternity and technology ecosystem will help us achieve this goal.
Organiser of the National Intellectual Property Conference 2022
The National Intellectual Property Conference 2022 was organized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi on 14 and 15th October.
Theme of the conference
The Theme of the National Intellectual Property Conference 2022 : Strengthening IP Ecosystem for Catalyzing the growth of Knowledge Economy
The objective of the conference is to bring the IP Officers, Creators and Practitioners on one platform to discuss futuristic IP challenges related to developmental issues.
Intellectual Property Rights
Intellectual property rights are the rights given to persons/companies over the creations of their minds. They usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his/her creation for a certain period of time. For e.g. Development of a new software or discovery of new medicine.
Some of the important types of Intellectual Property Rights
Patent
A patent is a government-granted monopoly to the inventor to build, sell, and use an invention and prevent others using it without the permission of the patent holder. Normally a patent granted to an inventor is for 20 years. After 20 years patents expire and anybody can copy that invention.
Trademarks
A trademark can be any word, phrase, symbol, design, or combination of these things that identifies a person or company's goods or services in the marketplace. A trademark is used for goods; a “service mark” is used for services.
Copyrights
Copyrights protect original works of authorship, such as paintings, photographs, musical compositions, sound recordings, computer programs, books, blog posts, movies, architectural works, and plays.
World Intellectual Property day is celebrated around the world on 26 April.
8. Rajnath Singh calls for an open and rule based maritime border at the 18th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting 2022
Tags: place in news Defence Summits
Addressing the 18th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) in New Delhi on October 15, 2022, Defence minister Rajnath Singh reaffirmed India’s resolve for open, free and rule-based maritime borders in the Indo-Pacific region.
Organiser of the 18th HACGAM 2022
The 18th HACGAM is being organised by the Indian Coast Guard in coordination with HACGAM secretariat from October 14-18, 2022 in New Delhi.
The 17th HACGAM was hosted by Vietnam Coast Guard virtually in 2021. The 1st HACGAM was hosted by Japan Coast Guard in 2004 at Tokyo.
Minister’ speech
Speaking on the occasion the minister said that oceanic space should be respected as a global common for the benefit of all humanity in an environmentally sustainable way. The minister stressed that India’s shared vision of ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth of All in Region), Sustainable Development Goals and ‘Rule Based Order at Sea’ complement the focused Indian approach of inclusive growth and lasting collaboration in the Indo-Pacific region.
Participants of the meeting
A total of 55 representatives from 18 countries and two International Organisations - Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia Information Sharing Centre (ReCAAP ISC) & United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime- Global Maritime Crime Programme (UNODC-GMCP) - are participating in the meeting.
Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM)
The HACGAM is a multilateral forum of 23 countries; Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos ,Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkiye, Vietnam and one Region i.e. Hong Kong (China).
Additionally, two international organisations Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia Information Sharing Centre (ReCAAP ISC) & United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime- Global Maritime Crime Programme (UNODC-GMCP) are its members.
Indian Coast Guard
It was set up in 1977 and it comes under the Ministry of Defence
Director-General: Virender Singh Pathania
9. Coconut Community Farmers' Conference
Tags: Economy/Finance Summits National News
On October 14, 2022, the 'Coconut Community Farmers' Conference' was organised in Coimbatore.
Important facts
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the Conference.
Tomar said that the government would continue to provide all possible assistance to the farmers in the coastal states to promote coconut cultivation in the country.
Efforts made in the field of research and development in recent years have resulted in the development of new technologies in farming and processing as well as improvements in existing technologies.
With the increase in the number of coconut based industries in the country, new products and employment opportunities are also increasing.
The contribution of coconut cultivation in the agricultural economy is very important. India is a leader in coconut cultivation.
Coconut production in India
India is one of the third largest producers of coconut in the world.
Tamil Nadu ranks first in coconut processing activities.
Coimbatore ranks first in terms of area under coconut cultivation, where coconut is cultivated in an area of 88,467 hectares.
Support is being provided for setting up 537 new processing units in India with a processing capacity of 3,638 million coconuts per annum, of which 136 are in Tamil Nadu.
Indonesia is the world's leading coconut producer, The Philippines is the world's second largest producer of coconuts.
10. India participated in the 6th East Asia Education Ministers' Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam
Tags: Summits International News
India participated at the 6th East Asia Summit Education Minister’s Meeting held on 14 October, 2022 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Important facts
Ms. Neeta Prasad, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Education addressed the gathering through virtually.
She informed about the key initiatives of National Education Policy 2020 and India’s collaborative efforts in education and research with partner countries.
Ms. Neeta Prasad said that the National Education Policy - 2020 is a holistic, flexible and multi-disciplinary vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for education.
She said that this policy is based on the fundamental pillars of equity, quality, affordability and accountability.
She informed that the National Education Policy-2020 focuses on internationalisation of education and building cooperation with other countries.
About East Asia Summit (EAS)
It was initiated in 2005 with the convening of the 1st East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
At the time of its establishment, 16 countries had participated in the East Asia Summit.
The United States and the Russian Federation attended the East Asia Summit in Bali, Indonesia on 19 November 2011.
It refers to the meeting of the Heads of State/Government of the countries participating in the EAS which is held annually.
It has identified six priority areas of cooperation which include environment and energy, education, finance, global health issues and pandemic diseases, natural disaster management and ASEAN connectivity.
