Daily Current Capsules

04,05,06 and 07 October 2023

Krishna Water Dispute

• The Union Cabinet has approved the issue of further Terms of Reference (ToR) to the existing Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) under section 5(1) of the ISRWD Act for its adjudication between the States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh (AP).
• This is based on receipt of the legal opinion and in light thereof on the issues raised by Government of Telangana (GoT) in their complaint under section (3) of the Inter State River Water Disputes (ISRWD)  Act, 1956.
• Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II was constituted by the Central Government on 02.04.2004 on requests made by the party States under Section 3 of the ISRWD Act, 1956.
• Subsequently, on 02.06.2014, Telangana, as a State of the Union of India, came into existence.

Know! about Interstate River Water Disputes Act, 1956 (IRWD Act)

• The Interstate River Water Disputes Act, 1956 (IRWD Act) is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted under Article 262 of the Constitution of India on the eve of the reorganization of states on the linguistic basis to resolve the water disputes that would arise in the use, control, and distribution of an interstate river or river valley.
• Article 262 of the Indian Constitution provides a role for the union government in adjudicating conflicts surrounding interstate rivers that arise among the state/regional governments.
• Any river water sharing treaty made with other countries, has to be ratified by the Parliament per Article 253 after deciding the share of the Indian riparian states per Article 262 to make the treaty constitutionally valid or enforceable by the judiciary as India follows dualist theory for the implementation of international treaties/laws.

Source – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1964108#:~:text=The%20Union%20Cabinet%20chaired%20by,and%20Andhra%20Pradesh%20(AP).

Promulgation of (i) The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Tenancy Regulation, 2023 (ii) The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Tenancy Regulation, 2023 (iii) The Lakshadweep Tenancy Regulation, 2023

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the proposal for promulgation of (i) The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Tenancy Regulation, 2023 (ii) The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Tenancy Regulation, 2023 (iii) The Lakshadweep Tenancy Regulation, 2023 under Article 240 of the Constitution of India.
• These Promulgations will provide a legal framework for creating an accountable and transparent ecosystem for renting premises in the Union territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands; Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu; and Lakshadweep by balancing the interests and rights of both the landlord and tenant.
• The Regulations will also help to increase access to quality rental accommodation; and lead to gradual formalisation of the rental housing market

Source

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1964108#:~:text=The%20Union%20Cabinet%20chaired%20by,and%20Andhra%20Pradesh%20(AP).

Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister gave its approval for introduction in Parliament, a Bill, namely, the Central Universities (Amendment), Bill, 2023 further to amend the Central Universities Act, 2009 for setting up of Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University at Mulugu District in the State of Telangana as provided in the Thirteenth Schedule to the Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Act, 2014 (no. 6 of 2014).
• There would be provision of funds of Rs. 889.07 crore.
• The new university will not only increase access and improve the quality of higher education in the State but also promote avenues of higher education and advance knowledge by providing instructional and research facilities in tribal art, culture and traditional knowledge system for the benefit of the tribal population in the State.

Source

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/telangana-to-get-central-tribal-university-soon/article67381153.ece

North Koel Reservoir Project

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs Chaired by Prime Minister has given its approval to a proposal of Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti to complete the balance works of North Koel Reservoir Project at a revised Cost
• On completion of the balance works, project would provide additional annual irrigation to 42,301 ha in the four drought-prone districts of Jharkhand and Bihar.

Know! about the Project

• North Koel Reservoir Project is an inter-State major irrigation project with command area lying in the two States of Bihar and Jharkhand.
• The project comprises a dam on North Koel river near Kutku village (District Latehar, Jharkhand), a barrage 96 km downstream of the dam (at Mohammadganj, District Palamu, Jharkhand), Right Main Canal (RMC) and Left Main Canal (LMC) taking off from the barrage.
• The Construction of dam and ancillary activities started in the year 1972 by Govt. of Bihar from its own resources.
• The work continued till 1993 and was stopped in that year by the Forest Department, Govt. of Bihar. Due to apprehension that water accumulated in the dam would threaten the Betla National Park and Palamu Tiger Reserve, the work on dam was at a standstill.
• After the bifurcation of Bihar in November 2000, the head works i.e. Dam and Barrage lie in Jharkhand.
• In the year 2016, the Govt. of India decided to provide assistance for the completion of balance works of the North Koel Reservoir Project
• It was decided to reduce the reservoir level so as to save the core area of Palamu Tiger Reserve.

Know! about the river North Koel

• The North Koel rises on the Chhota Nagpur plateau in Jharkhand and joins the Sone River, a few miles north-west of Haidarnagar in Jharkhand.
• The river passes through the northern part of Betla National Park.
• The main tributaries of the North Koel River are Auranga and the Amanat.

Source

https://newsonair.com/2023/10/05/cabinet-approves-revised-cost-for-completion-of-north-koel-reservoir-project-in-bihar-jharkhand/

National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) reviews situation in Sikkim

• The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), under Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary, reviewed the situation in Sikkim.

National Crisis Management Committee

• It is a committee set up by the Government of India in the wake of a natural calamity for effective coordination and implementation of relief measures and operations.
• It is headed by Cabinet Secretary.
• A National Crisis Management Committee(NCMC) has been constituted in the Cabinet Secretariat.
• The composition of the committee is as under:- Cabinet Secretary Chairman, Secretary to Prime Minister Member, Secretary (MHA) Member, Secretary (MCD) Member, Director (IB) Member, Secretary (R&AW) Member, Secretary (Agri & Coopn.) Co-opted Member, An officer of Cabinet Secretariat. Convenor

Know! what happened in Sikkim

• On October 4th 2023, a devastating glacial lake outburst struck North Sikkim, sending shockwaves across the northeastern state.
• Flash floods occurred in north Sikkim after the South Lhonak Lake burst due to incessant rains.
• This caused the rise of water levels in Teesta river that flooded at least four districts, including Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi
• For years, numerous studies have highlighted South Lhonak Lake’s rapidly growing size due to glacier melting and marked it as susceptible to glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF).

Know! about GLOF

• Glacial lakes, like the South Lhonak Lake, are large bodies of water that sit in front of, on top of, or beneath a melting glacier.
• As they grow larger, they become more dangerous because glacial lakes are mostly dammed by unstable ice or sediment composed of loose rock and debris.
• In case the boundary around them breaks, huge amounts of water rush down the side of the mountains, which could cause flooding in the downstream areas.
• This is called glacial lake outburst floods or GLOF.
• GLOF can be triggered by several reasons, including earthquakes, extremely heavy rains and ice avalanches
• These lakes are also often found in steep, mountainous regions, which means landslides or ice avalanches can sometimes fall directly into the lakes and displace the water, causing it to over-top the natural dam and flood downstream.
• In 2013, one such event took place in Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath when the region witnessed flash floods along with a GLOF caused by the Chorabari Tal glacial lake, killing thousands of people.

Source

https://newsonair.gov.in/News?title=National-Crisis-Management-Committee-reviews-situation-in-Sikkim&id=469149

Gati Shakti National Master Plan

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry and GatiShakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) entered into collaboration today to advance India’s infrastructure and logistics sectors.

Under this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), GSV shall be the nodal agency across India to design, develop and deliver courses and curriculum related to PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and National Logistics Policy at various centres in different states.

Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV)

• Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) Vadodara was established as a Central University through an Act of Parliament in 2022, for creating best in class manpower and talent for the entire transportation and logistics sectors.
• This Central University is sponsored by the Ministry of Railways, Govt. of India and is mandated to work across railways, shipping, ports, highways, roads, waterways, and aviation etc.
• The GSV shall create a resource pool of professionals across technology, economics, management, and policy comprising multidisciplinary teaching (bachelor’s/masters/doctoral), executive training, and research.
• GSV shall also undertake training for Indian Railways probationers and serving officers.

National Logistics Policy (NLP)

• To complement the PM GatiShakti NMP, the National Logistics Policy (NLP) was launched on 17th September 2022
• Objective – to address the soft infrastructure and logistics sector development aspect, inter alia, including process reforms, improvement in logistics services, digitization, human resource development and skilling.
• National Logistics Policy, under the Comprehensive Logistics Action Plan (CLAP) talks of creating a Logistics Human Resources Development & Capacity Building Strategy under which competency frameworks for formalization of logistics professionals are being developed
• Steps are being taken to mainstream logistics and supply chain in course curriculums in different institutions.

Source

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1964364

ITU Workshop and Focus Group Meeting

• International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) are jointly organizing Workshop on Cost Models for Data Services and International Connectivity
• The objective of the Workshop is to share best practices and study cost models and other tools which can be used by countries to consider and implement so as to bring down costs of data services and internet connectivity.

Know! about ITU

• The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information and communication technologies.
• It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Union, making it the oldest UN agency.
• The ITU was initially aimed at helping connect telegraphic networks between countries, with its mandate consistently broadening with the advent of new communications technologies
• It adopted its current name in 1932 to reflect its expanded responsibilities over radio and the telephone.
• On 15 November 1947, the ITU entered into an agreement with the newly created United Nations to become a specialized agency within the UN system, which formally entered into force on 1 January 1949.
• The ITU promotes the shared global use of the radio spectrum, facilitates international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, assists in developing and coordinating worldwide technical standards, and works to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world.

The ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission’s affordability target for entry level broadband services was set at below 2% of monthly GNI per capita for middle and low income countries by 2025 – a target which many still have not reached. 

Source

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1964314

Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) 

• The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu graced the 55^th foundation day celebrations of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) in New Delhi

Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI)

• The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) is a national professional body in India under the ownership of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India with the objective of promoting, regulating, and developing the profession of company secretaries in India.
• The Institute of Company Secretaries of India was formed by enacting the Companies Secretary Act, 1980 by the Parliament of India.

Source

https://www.icsi.edu/home/

Swavlamban 2.0

• To promote ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defense and innovation, a number of big-ticket announcements were made by Defense Minister during the plenary session of Swavlamban 2.0

Know! about Swavlamban 2.0

• Two-day seminar of Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO)
• The main highlight was the release of the fifth Positive Indigenisation List of Department of Military Affairs (DMA) comprising 98 items.
• Highly complex systems, sensors, weapons and ammunition have been included in the list.
• All these items will be procured from indigenous sources as per provisions given in Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020
• Defecne Minister also launched 76 challenges for the industry under 10^th Defence India Start-up Challenges (DISC 10) & DISC 10 PRIME of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and five problem statements under iDEX for Fauji.
• In addition, two INDUS X challenges under ‘INDUS-X Mutual Promotion of Advanced Collaborative Technologies’ (IMPACT) challenges jointly finalised by iDEX and United States Department of Defense (US DoD) were launched by the Raksha Mantri.

SPRINT innovative challenge

• The SPRINT innovative challenge was launched by the Prime Minister of India during the maiden Swavlamban seminar in 2022 to promote the use of indigenous technology and products in the Navy
• It has helped in taking the country forward in becoming self-reliant in the defence sector.

Fifth Positive Indigenisation List

• The Fifth Positive Indigenisation List has been prepared by DMA after several rounds of consultations with all stakeholders.
• It lays special focus on import substitution of components of major systems besides important platforms, weapon system & sensors and munitions which are being developed and likely to translate into firm orders in the next five to ten years.
• The DMA had earlier promulgated four Positive Indigenisation Lists comprising 411 military items. Separately, the DDP has notified four Positive Indigenisation Lists consisting of a total of 4,666 items, including Line Replacement Units/Sub-systems/Spares & Components for Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).

iDEX DISC 10 & DISC 10 PRIME Challenges

• 76 challenges were launched for the industry by the Raksha Mantri under DISC 10 & DISC 10 PRIME to celebrate the 76^th year of India’s independence.
• These challenges include problem statements from the three Services, Indian Coast Guard, DPSUs, Border Roads Organisation and Mission DefSpace. In addition, five problems under the iDEX for Fauji (i4F) scheme were also launched.

INDUS X Challenges

• iDEX in partnership with the US DoD had recently conducted the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) event in Washington DC to expand the strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation between the start-up ecosystems, businesses and academic institutes of India and US.
• In a short span of three months, iDEX and US DoD have finalised two joint INDUS X challenges under the IMPACT which were launched by the Raksha Mantri during the seminar. US Ambassador to India Mr Eric Garcetti was also present at the launch.

INVenT

• The NIIO and the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) entered into an agreement for jointly working on facilitating the infusion of Venture Capital into the defence ecosystem through the iDEX Innovators Hub (iIH). The seminar witnessed ‘INVenT’ (iDEX-Navy Venture for Technology) being launched. In addition, a number of other MoUs were exchanged. These include NIIO MoUs with the academia and the industry.

SBI NAVeCash Card

• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh also launched SBI NAVeCash Card – a one-of-its-kind dual-chip debit card developed by the State Bank of India (SBI) and the Indian Navy.
• The card can be used in online mode (as a regular debit card) as well as in offline mode while at sea with no direct connectivity with the bank.
• The card has been developed and tested onboard various Indian Naval ships and is now ready for launch pan-Navy.
• The card is a positive step towards the Prime Minister’s dream of Digital India with cashless financial transactions as it obviates the usage of cash onboard ships even in high seas.

 Exhibition

• Products developed under the SPRINT (Supporting Pole-vaulting in R&D through iDEX, NIIO and TDAC) initiative were showcased in an exhibition during the seminar.
• Under the SPRINT, launched during the first Swavlamban, the Indian Navy aimed to develop at least 75 technologies/products to celebrate 75 years of India’s Independence as a part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
• The stated aim has been met and surpassed.

Know! also about

Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO)

• The NIIO puts in place dedicated structures for the end users to interact with academia and industry towards fostering innovation and indigenisation for self-reliance in defence in keeping with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• The NIIO is a three-tiered organisation. Naval Technology Acceleration Council (N-TAC) will bring together the twin aspects of innovation and indigenisation and provide apex level directives.
• A working group under the N-TAC will implement the projects.
• A Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC) has also been created for induction of emerging disruptive technology in an accelerated time frame.

Know! about Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO)

• iDEX will be funded and managed by a “Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO)‟ formed as a “not for profit‟ company as per Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013 for this purpose.
• The modalities of implementation of DIF will be managed by a specialized team known as the Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX) within the DIO.
• DIO will provide high level policy guidance to iDEX.
• iDEX will have functional autonomy.

Know! about iDEX

• iDEX will be funded and managed by a ‘Defence Innovation Organization (DIO)’ which has been formed as a ‘not for profit’ company as per Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013 for this purpose, by the two founder members i.e. Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) – HAL & BEL.
• iDEX will function as the executive arm of DIO, carrying out all the required activities while DIO will provide high level policy guidance to iDEX.

Defence India Startup Challenge

• Taking the iDEX initiative further, Defence India Startup Challenge “has been launched by Ministry in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission, aimed at supporting Startups/MSMEs/Innovators to create prototypes and/or commercialize products/solutions in the area of National Defence and Security.

The vision of the Challenge is two-fold:

1. Help create functional prototypes of products/technologies relevant for national security (prototyping), and spur fast-moving innovation in the India defence sector;
2. Help new tech products/technologies find a market and early customer (commercialization) in the form of the Indian Defence Establishment.

IDEX 4 FAUJI

• The objective of iDEX4Fauji program is to harness the knowledge and insights of in-service soldiers and co-create those solutions sustainably with iDEX-supported startups.
• The program would create a mechanism to facilitate the service personnel in providing their feedback/ideas which could enable them to upgrade the existing equipment, or improve them with innovations.

IDEX PRIME (SPACE)

• Defence India Start-up Challenge iDEX PRIME (Space)

  under Mission DefSpace is launched with 12 Problem Statements (PS)

• Aimed at developing technologies addressing every stage of a space mission – from mission planning to satellite data analytics

INDUS X

• INDUS-X Mutual Promotion of Advanced Collaborative Technologies (IMPACT) Challenges are problem statements being launched jointly by Indian Ministry of Defence’s Innovations for Defence Excellence and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit for promoting co-development among the startups of the two nations under the umbrella of INDUS-X

Source

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1964272#:~:text=To%20promote%20%27Aatmanirbharta%27%20in%20defence,Delhi%20on%20October%2004%2C%202023.

https://idex.gov.in

Linguistic Financial Empowerment, Bhashini (DIBD) and RBIH Collaborate for an Inclusive Vision

• Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) and Digital India Bhashini Division (DIBD) Bhashini collaborated to break down the language barriers prevalent in the financial services landscape.
• Through their combined efforts, both are set to explore and develop innovative solutions that foster linguistic inclusivity.
• This strategic partnership is poised to revolutionize financial services by enabling communication in local languages.
• The primary objective is to extend the reach of digital financial services to users in their native tongues, ultimately striving for seamless banking experiences for all.
• Utilizing voice as a medium, BHASHINI can promote financial inclusivity, and economic empowerment, and enhance financial literacy.
• BHASHINI, with its capabilities in language translation and voice processing, will play a pivotal role in achieving these goals.

Know! about DBID

• Digital India Bhashini Division is a Division under Digital India Corporation, section 8 Company under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Govt of India.
• The vision of Bhashini is to “harness natural language technologies to enable a diverse ecosystem of contributors, partnering entities and citizens for the purpose of transcending language barriers, thereby ensuring digital inclusion and digital empowerment

Know! about RBIH

• The Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) – a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) – is an organisation that works to enable frictionless finance for a billion Indians.
• RBIH acts as an enabler and facilitator in the ecosystem, bringing together members from financial, technological, and academic institutions to promote and accelerate innovation across the financial sector.
• RBIH aims not only to strengthen the Indian financial system but also to position India at the forefront of global financial innovation.

Source

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1964079#:~:text=Together%2C%20we%20will%20work%20towards,and%20reduced%20data%20usage%20costs.

National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF)

• The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) has entered into a collaboration with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to launch a $600 million India-Japan Fund (IJF) with JBIC and Government of India (GoI) as anchor investors.
• This joint initiative signals a key dimension of collaboration between the two countries in an area that is a shared priority viz. climate and environment.
• The announcement marks NIIF’s first bi-lateral fund, with the GoI contributing 49% of the target corpus and the remaining 51% contributed by JBIC.
• The Fund will be managed by NIIF Limited (NIIFL) and JBIC IG (a subsidiary of JBIC) will support NIIFL in promoting Japanese investments in India.
• India Japan Fund will focus on investing in environmental sustainability and low carbon emission strategies and aims to play the role of being a ‘partner of choice’ to further enhance Japanese investments into India.

Source

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1963922

World Animal Day 2023

• The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), a statutory body of Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India celebrated the World Animal Day 2023
• World Animal Day, celebrated on October 4th, 2023, under the theme “Great or Small, Love Them All” serves as a dedicated occasion to honor and advocate for animal rights and welfare.

Know! The Genesis of World Animal Day

• World Animal Day has been marked since 1925.
• According to World Animal Protection, it was started by Heinrich Zimmermann, a cynologist, who organised the first celebration at the Sports Palace in Berlin, which was reportedly attended by over 5,000 people.
• He dedicated countless hours to advancing World Animal Day, and in 1931, his proposal to officially celebrate October 4 as World Animal Day was approved and enacted as a resolution.

Source

https://awbi.gov.in

Divya Kala Mela

• Organized by – Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan)
• Objective – Unique event showcasing the products and craftsmanship regular Divyang entrepreneurs/artisans from across the country
• This is a unique initiative of DEPwD towards the economic empowerment of PwD/Divyangjan.

Source

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1935879

200th birth anniversary of Shri Ramalinga Swamy

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed on the occasion of the 200th birth anniversary of Shri Ramalinga Swamy also known as Vallalar.

Know! about Vallalar

• Arutprakasa Vallalar Chidambaram Ramalingam (5 October 1823 – 30 January 1874), whose pre-monastic name was Ramalingam, is one of the most famous Tamil Saints.
• He is commonly known in India and across the world as Vallalar, Ramalinga Swamigal, or Ramalinga Adigal.
• He is also one of the greatest Tamil poets of the 19th century belonging to a line of Tamil saints known as ‘gnana siddhars’ (gnana meaning higher wisdom).
• The Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Sathya Sangam (The Unified Pure Path of Absolute Truth) was spread and passed on by him not only in theory but especially in practice by his way of living which is an inspiration for his followers.
• Through the notion of Suddha Sanmarga Sangam (pure path of absolute truth), the saint endeavored to eliminate the caste system.
• According to Suddha Sanmarga, the prime aspects of human life should be love, connected with charity and divine practice, leading to pure knowledge.
• Ramalinga advocated the concept of worshipping the flame of a lighted lamp as a symbol of the Eternal Power.

https://newsonair.gov.in/News?title=Shri-Ramalinga-Swamy-also-known-as-‘Vallalar’-impact-is-global-and-several-organizations-are-working-on-his-thoughts-and-ideals%3A-PM-Modi&id=468911

11th Meeting of the India-UAE High-Level Joint Task Force on Investments

• The Eleventh meeting of the UAE-India High-Level Joint Task Force on Investments (‘the Joint Task Force) was held in Abu Dhabi

Joint Task Force Highlights

• The Joint Task Force was established in 2013 to promote trade, investment and economic ties between India and the UAE.
• The Joint Task Force has provided an effective mechanism for discussion on opportunities & prospects for investments in both countries as well as resolution of issues faced by investors of the two countries.
• During the meeting, the co-Chairs reviewed the progress made on the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and India, which came into force in May 2022.
• CEPA has helped reduce tariffs on more than 80 percent of product lines, eliminate  barriers to trade and create new pathways for investment and joint ventures.

UAE Start-Up Bridge

• Talks also covered the India-UAE Start-Up Bridge, a joint initiative between the UAE Ministry of Economy and India’s  Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• The bridge is expected to act as a one-stop platform that offers training sessions and knowledge-sharing on important topics such as market access, investment funds, venture capital, incubators and the respective business landscape in each country.

Abu Dhabi – India Virtual Trade Corridor

• Another important agenda topic was the establishment of Abu Dhabi – India Virtual Trade Corridor, which aims to increase overall trade volumes by developing data exchange systems to facilitate paperless trade between the two countries, improving efficiencies and security.
• Both sides agreed to continue coordination and cooperation between the respective counterparties of both countries for the early implementation of this milestone.

Cerebral Palsy Day

• World Cerebral Palsy Day is a global observance that shines a spotlight on cerebral palsy (CP) and its impact on individuals, families, and communities.
• Celebrated every year on October 6th, this day serves as a platform to raise awareness about CP, support those living with the condition, and advocate for greater inclusion and understanding.
• The theme for World Cerebral Palsy Day in 2023 is “Together Stronger.”
• The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India is the nodal department to look after all the development agenda of Persons with Disabilities of the country.

Know! about Cerebral Palsy

• Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture.
• CP is the most common motor disability in childhood.
• Cerebral means having to do with the brain.
• Palsy means weakness or problems with using the muscles.
• CP is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain that affects a person’s ability to control his or her muscles.
• The symptoms of CP vary from person to person.
• A person with severe CP might need to use special equipment to be able to walk, or might not be able to walk at all and might need lifelong care.
• A person with mild CP, on the other hand, might walk a little awkwardly, but might not need any special help.
• CP does not get worse over time, though the exact symptoms can change over a person’s lifetime.
• All people with CP have problems with movement and posture

Source

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/facts.html#:~:text=Cerebral%20palsy%20(CP)%20is%20a,problems%20with%20using%20the%20muscles.

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