1. United States announces hosting first-ever US-Pacific Island Country Summit
Tags: Summits International News
The United States has announced to host the US-Pacific Island Country Summit for the first time in the last week of this month amid China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- This summit will be held in Washington from 28 to 29 September.
US President Joe Biden will host the summit.
The summit will showcase the United States' deep and enduring partnership with Pacific island countries and the Pacific region that is based on shared history, values, and people-to-people ties.
The conference was announced a week after the US accused Beijing of expanding its nuclear arsenal.
The US has claimed that the process of building an excessive nuclear arsenal by China could harm the stability of the Indo-Pacific region.
The White House has invited 12 Pacific Island countries, including the Solomon Islands, which signed a security pact with China in April 2022.
About Indo-Pacific :
It covers half of the world's population and more than 60 percent of the global GDP.
It is a geopolitical region that spans two regions of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
Extending from the west coast of the United States of America to the west coast of India, the Indo-Pacific is a regional structure of 24 countries.
It includes the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, western and central Pacific Ocean.
2. G20 Digital Innovation Network event organised at Bali, Indonesia
Tags: Summits International News
The G20 Digital Innovation Network event will be held from September 2-4 at the Bali International Convention Centre, Bali, Indonesia.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- Startups based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) will participate in this program.
Telangana AI Mission (T-AIM) has announced that four startups from Telangana AI Mission have been selected by MeitY to represent India in the G20 Digital Innovation Network (DIN).
T-AIM is a state government initiative supported by NASSCOM.
The four startups representing India in the G20 Digital Innovation Network are Aarficus, EduBooks, Unimart and MayaMD.
All these are supported by the Revv Up program of Telangana Government.
Goal of the G20 Digital Innovation Network :
The forum aims to find 100 most promising startups in 5 priority areas (Healthcare, Renewable Energy, Smart Society, Financial Inclusion and Supply Chain).
Theme of G20 Digital Innovation Network 2022 :
The theme of this year's event is 'The Rise of Digital Economy: Post-Pandemic Recovery and Beyond'.
G20 Digital Innovation Network program launched :
This forum was started by Italy in the year 2021 by selecting the ten best startups in the name of G20 Digital Innovation League.
This year it has been renamed the G20 Digital Innovation Network.
About Telangana AI Mission (T-AIM) :
Telangana AI Mission (T-AIM) Mission is an AI mission run by the Government of Telangana, which is operated by NASSCOM.
Under T-AIM, a program called "Revv Up" is also run to enable AI startup. Which helps in providing a global platform to these startup groups for emerging technologies.
Revv Up is a free-of-equity-or-cost acceleration program by T-AIM specifically designed for early-stage AI startups.
3. National Conference of Labour Ministers of all States and Union Territories
Tags: National Summits National News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the National Conference of Labour Ministers of all States and Union Territories on 25 August via video conferencing.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The two-day conference is being organised by the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment on August 25-26 at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
The conference was presided over by Union Labour Minister Bhupendra Yadav.
It has been named Vision Shramev Jayate @2047.
The last session of the conference was held in July 2015 under the chairmanship of the then Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya.
This is the first Labour Ministers' Conference in the eight years of the Narendra Modi government's tenure.
It is being organised in the spirit of cooperative federalism to discuss various important labour related issues.
This conference will help in creating more synergy between the Central and State Governments in making better policies and ensuring effective implementation of schemes for the welfare of the workers.
Four Thematic Sessions of the Conference :
Integration of e-Shram portal for on-boarding social security schemes to make social security universal
'Swasthya se Samriddhi' for improving medical care through ESI hospitals run by state governments and integration with PMJAY
Formulation of rules under the four labour codes and the modalities of implementation of those rules
Vision 'Shramev Jayate @ 2047' To focus on equitable and equal working conditions, social security to all workers and other issues
4. 8th India-Brazil Joint Commission Meeting
Tags: Summits International News
External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar who is on his first ever visit to South America, co-chaired the 8th India-Brazil Joint Commission Meeting on 24 August with his Brazilian counterpart, Carlos Franca.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The two leaders held wide-ranging discussions on trade, investment and other consular domains.
The two ministers signed agreements in the field of broadcasting and taxation, exchanging views on BRICS, IBSA, UN, G20 and Ukraine conflict.
The Joint Commission meeting saw wide-ranging discussions on trade and investment, petroleum, biofuels, edible oils and minerals, health, pharma, traditional medicine, science and technology, agriculture and livestock, space, defence, terrorism and consular.
The Brazilian Government released a commemorative stamp on the occasion of India's 75th Independence day.
On 22 August, Jaishankar concluded his first ever official visit to Paraguay where he inaugurated the newly-opened Indian Embassy in the capital city Asuncion.
He also unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Paraguay on 21 August and appreciated the Asuncion Municipality’s decision to locate it at the prominent waterfront of the city.
He also visited the historic Casa de la Independencia, from where Paraguay's independence movement began more than two centuries ago.
India-Brazil Relations :
Diplomatic relations were established between India and Brazil in 1948, both countries opened embassies in the same year.
India's strategic partnership with Brazil continues to intensify with several high-level partnerships.
President Bolsonaro was the chief guest at India's Republic Day parade in 2020.
As strategic partners, India and Brazil have several institutional mechanisms to coordinate various aspects of their bilateral relations.
This includes Joint Commission Meeting, Strategic Dialogue, Foreign Office Consultations, Trade Monitoring Mechanism, Economic and Financial Dialogue, Dialogue on Consular and Mobility Issues, Joint Defence Commission, Joint Committee on Science & Technology and India-Brazil Business Leaders Forum.
In Brazil, the Brazil-India Parliamentary Friendship Group has been established.
President - Jair Bolsonaro
Capital - Brasília
Official Language - Portuguese
Currency - Brazilian real
5. "China-Horn of Africa Peace, Governance and Development Conference"
Tags: Summits
Recently the first "China-Horn of Africa Peace, Governance and Development Conference" was held in Ethiopia.
This is the first time that China aims to "play its role in the field of security".
The conference held in Ethiopia saw the participation of the foreign ministries of the following Horn countries- Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda.
Horn of Africa:
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in Northeast Africa.
Located in the eastern part of the African mainland, it is the fourth largest peninsula in the world.
It is located along the southern border of the Red Sea and extends for hundreds of kilometres into the Guardafui Channel, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
The Horn of Africa is equidistant from the equator and the Tropic of Cancer.
The Horn includes the biodiversity of the highlands of the Ethiopian Plateau, the Ogaden Desert, Eritrea and the Somalian Coast.
The Horn of Africa refers to the region comprising the countries of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.
The region has experienced imperialism, neo-colonialism, cold war, ethnic conflict, inter-African conflict, poverty, disease, famine, etc.
6. Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated the National Conference on Bajra
Tags: Summits
The Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated the National Conference on Bajra in New Delhi.
The theme of the conference is 'The Future Super Food for India'.
The conference has been organised by industry body ASSOCHAM in association with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
The conference has been organised to discuss the opportunities and challenges of ensuring food and nutrition security.
The production of coarse cereals in the country has increased to 17.96 million tonnes in 2020-21 from 14.52 million tonnes in 2015-16 and the production of bajra (pearl millet) has also increased to 10.86 million tonnes in the same period.
Bajra is one of the oldest food items of the country which can be grown in dry areas or even on low fertility lands.
It is known as the superfood of India.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
India is the 5th largest exporter of millet in the world.
The year 2023 will be the International Year of Millet which will promote value creation and sustainable products in food choices.
Major millet producing states in India include Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
Rajasthan is the largest producer of millet.
7. J&K to host G20 summit in 2023
The summit of the G-20, an influential grouping of the world's major economies, will be organised by the Government of India in 2023 in Jammu and Kashmir next year.
20 countries including China, USA, Canada, Germany, Turkey will participate in this conference.
India will chair the G20 from December 1, 2022 and will host the G20 leaders' summit for the first time in the year 2023.
The Government of India has approved the formation of a committee for all coordination of the G-20 Summit to be held in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The chairman of this committee will be the Principal Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department of the Union Territory.
Along with this, the members of the committee will include Commissioner Secretary (Transport), Administrative Secretary (Tourism), Administrative Secretary (Hospitality and Protocol) and Administrative Secretary (Culture).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been leading India's representation at the G20 summit since 2014.
India has been a part of the G-20 group since 1999. At the same time, from 1 December 2021 to 30 November 2024, India is also a part of the G-20 Troika.
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal was appointed Sherpa of India for G20.
G-20 Group
Group of 20 or G-20 is a multilateral organisation which was set up in 1999.
It consists of the world's major developed and developing countries.
It consists of 19 countries and the European Union. The member countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States.
The presidency of the G20 rotates every year among its members, with the country that holds the presidency working together with its predecessor and successor, also known as Troika, to ensure the continuity of the agenda. Currently Italy, Indonesia, and India are the Troika countries.
Italy was the President of the G-20 in 2021. Indonesia is the President for 2022 and India will be the President in 2023.
The first Summit meeting of the leaders of the G-20 was held in 2008 at Washington, United States.
The G20 has no permanent secretariat.
G-20 members constitute 60% of the world population, 80% of the World economy and 75% of world trade.
8. 14th summit of BRICS countries organised
The 14th BRICS Summit was held in virtual mode on 23rd June, 2022 which was presided over by the President of China, Xi Jinping.
During this meeting, the Heads of State discussed inter-BRICS cooperation in areas such as trade, terrorism, traditional medicine, health, environment, reform of multilateral institutions and combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
The summit was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
The BRICS grouping has become a forum for all developing countries to discuss and deliberate on issues of common concern.
Ahead of the summit, China held several preliminary meetings, including the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the National Security Advisors' meeting.
The BRICS Summit 2022 was held under the theme “Foster High-Quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development” .
The 13th BRICS summit was held in India in the year 2021 which was presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India hosted the BRICS summit for the third time in 2021 after 2012 and 2016.
About BRICS
The full form of BRICS is Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill coined the term BRIC (without South Africa) in 2001.
He claimed that by 2050, the four BRIC economies would dominate the global economy by 2050.
South Africa was included in the list in 2010.
The presidency of the Forum is rotated annually among the members.
BRICS accounts for about 40% of the world’s population.
It accounts for 30% of the world's GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
In the year 2014, during the 6th BRICS Summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, the BRICS leaders signed an agreement to establish a New Development Bank (NDB).
9. 3rd Global Organic Expo 2022
The 3rd Global Organic Expo was held from 26-28 May, 2022 at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi.
The theme of the third edition of 'Global Organic Expo 2022' is "Profitability for Humanity".
The event has been organised by the Society of Health, Environment, Safety and Sustainability Professionals (ShesPro) in association with ICONEX Events.
Organic companies from more than 10 countries of the world participated in the Global Organic Expo-2022.
Objective of Global Organic Expo
Reducing costs and achieving sustainable productivity through capacity development of certified organic products and organic production systems.
Organic products focus on building market linkages between producers and marketers with the ultimate aim of increasing income without any chemical inputs.
The Global Organic Expo is an opportunity to locate new customers and interact face-to-face with existing customers, suppliers and partners.
Important facts
Former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling was the guest of honour for the event. He was awarded the 'True Father of Organic State of Sikkim' during the program.
Pawan Chamling's government had passed a resolution in the state assembly on 24 February 2003 to make Sikkim an organic farming state.
After 12 years, on January 18, 2016, Sikkim became the first 100% organic state in the world.
10. President inaugurate National Conference of women legislators in Thiruvananthapuram
Tags: Summits State News
President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the two days national conference of women legislators in Thiruvananthapuram on 26 May.
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan presided over the inaugural session at the Kerala Legislative Assembly complex.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Council of Ministers were also present in the event.
This is the first national conference of its kind in the country.
About the Conference
It is being organised by the state assembly as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to commemorate 75 years of independence.
The theme of the conference - ‘Power of democracy’
The conference seeks to bring together women legislators including women ministers, speaker and deputy speaker from both the houses of parliament, state legislatures and legislative councils and union territories.
The sessions cover topics like ‘Constitution and women’s rights,’ ‘Role of women in India’s freedom struggle,’ ‘Women’s rights and legal gaps’ and ‘Under-representation of women in decision-making bodies.’
About Kerala
Kerala is located - on the southwestern Malabar Coast of India.
Formed - 1 November 1956
Language - Malayalam
Area - over 38,863 km2
bordered by - Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south and the Lakshadweep Sea to the west
Districts - 14
Capital - Thiruvananthapuram
Chief Minister - Pinarayi Vijayan
Governor - Arif Mohammad Khan
Highest literacy rate in India - Kerala
