Contents
- Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA)
- IREPS to be integrated with GeM
- India – EU: Scientific and Technological Cooperation
- India – UK: Free Trade Agreement
- Kargil Vijay Diwas
UNNAT BHARAT ABHIYAN (UBA)
Focus: GS-II Social Justice
Why in news?
TRIFED under Ministry of Tribal Affairs entered into a partnership with IIT Delhi for the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA).
Details
- Tribal entrepreneurs under TRIFED’s Van Dhan programme will now be able to get access to the expertise of the entire network of 2600 + academic and research institutions under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA).
- With IIT Delhi, the “National Coordinating Institute (NCI)”, this move envisages promoting Tribal Livelihoods and Income generating programmes through synergistic collaboration among the concerned Ministries and other participating institutions.
- The IIT Delhi-TRIFED partnership will also benefit from the expertise and experience of Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA).
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA)
- UBA is a flagship program of the Ministry for Human Resource Development (MHRD).
- It aims to link the Higher Education Institutions with a set of at least 5 villages, so that these institutions can contribute to the economic and social betterment of these village communities using their knowledge base.
- The technological interventions under the UBA cover different subjects broadly categorized like in the area of sustainable agriculture; water resource management; artisans, industries and livelihood; basic amenities (infrastructure & services) and rural energy system.
- Under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 participating institutes are selected based on the fulfilment of certain criteria.
Objectives of UBA
- To engage the faculty and students of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in identifying development issues in rural areas and finding sustainable solutions for the same.
- Identify & select existing innovative technologies, enable customisation of technologies, or devise implementation methods for innovative solutions, as required by the people.
- To allow HEIs to contribute to devising systems for smooth implementation of various Government programmes.
Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA)
- Vijnana Bharati previously known as “Swadeshi Science Movement” is a Non-profit organisation, working for science popularization & implementation of modern technology & ancient sciences in India.
- It is a dynamic Science Movement with Swadeshi Spirit (Swadeshi: of one’s own country), interlinking traditional and modern sciences on one hand, and natural and spiritual sciences on the other hand, adapted to national needs.
- VIBHA is the largest scientific movement in India.
IREPS TO BE INTEGRATED WITH GEM
Focus: GS-III Indian Economy
Why in news?
Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry reviewed the steps to promote Make in India products in procurement process of Indian Railways and Indian Railways is integrating its procurement systems with Government e-Marketplace (GeM).
What was decided?
- Indian Railway e-Procurement System (IREPS) and GeM will be integrated to generate synergy and take the Railways procurement to GeM’s full potential.
- Post integration GeM is intended to move further in the direction of becoming single point public procurement portal for all agencies of Government of India.
Government e Marketplace (GeM)
- GeM is a one-stop National Public Procurement Portal under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- GeM facilitates online procurement of common use Goods & Services required by various Central and State Government Departments / Organizations /Public Sector Undertakings ( PSUs).
- The procurement of goods and services by Ministries and the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) is mandatory for goods and services available on GeM.
- GeM provides the tools of e-bidding and reverse e-auction to facilitate the government users achieve the best value for their money.
Objectives of the National Mission on GeM (NMG):
- Promote inclusiveness by catapulting various categories of sellers and service providers
- Highlight and communicate ‘value add’ by way of transparency and efficiency in public procurement, including corruption free governance.
- Achieve cashless, contactless and paperless transaction, in line with the Digital India objectives.
- Increase overall efficiency leading to significant cost saving on government expenditure in Procurement.
- Maximizing ease in availability of all types of products and services bought by Government buyers.
INDIA – EU: SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL COOPERATION
Focus: GS-II International Relations
Why in news?
India and European Union have renewed its Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation for the next five years (2020-2025).
Details
- The extension of Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation ill expand the cooperation in scientific and technological research strengthen the conduct of cooperative activities in areas of common interest and application of the results of such cooperation to their economic and social benefit.
- Cooperative activities may take the forms of reciprocal participation of Indian research and European research entities in research, technological development, and demonstration projects under each other programme.
EU-India Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation
- The EU-India Agreement on scientific and technological cooperation is the cornerstone of European Union’s research and innovation cooperation with India.
- India and European Union have strong research and innovation cooperation under the framework of said “Agreement,” and it has grown steadily over the years.
The main purpose is to encourage and facilitate cooperative research and development activities in science and technology fields of common interest- relying on 4 principles:
- Mutual Benefits
- Reciprocal Access to Cooperative Activities
- Exchange of Information between India and EU
- Protection of Property Rights
The cooperation has been focused on water, green transport, e-mobility, clean energy, circular economy, bio-economy, health, and ICT.
Additional areas, such as climate change, sustainable urban development, manufacturing, advanced materials, nanotechnologies and biotechnology, food processing, and ocean research may also be considered in future endeavours.
In the last 5 years, the level of co-investment on India-EU Research Technology Development Projects for addressing societal challenges such as affordable healthcare, water, energy, food & nutrition has been stepped up resulted in several technologies, patents development, their gainful utilization, joint research publications, sharing of research facility and, exchange of scientists and students from both sides.
INDIA – UK: FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
Focus: GS-II International Relations
Why in news?
India and UK held the 14th Joint Economic and Trade Committee meeting virtually.
Highlights
- India and UK affirmed their shared commitment to a Free Trade Agreement and towards that, Early Harvest deals in a staged manner.
- Both sides approached the talks with open minds and shared commitment to revival and revitalisation of the long-standing trade and economic linkages between India and the UK.
- Both sides also resolved to cooperate in health Sector especially in view of the present Pandemic of COVID-19.
Click Here to read more about India’s revamped strategy on Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)
KARGIL VIJAY DIWAS
Focus: GS-I History
Why in news?
Homage was paid to armed forces on Kargil Vijay Diwas by the Prime Minister of India and others.
Kargil Vijay Diwas
Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed in India on the 26th of July, to mark the day when India successfully took command of the high outposts in 1999 during the Kargil War.
Background: History of the conflict
- After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, there had been a long period with relatively few direct armed conflicts involving the military forces of the two neighbours.
- During the 1990s escalating tensions and conflict due to separatist activities in Kashmir, as well as the conducting of nuclear tests by both countries in 1998, led to an increasingly belligerent atmosphere.
- Both countries signed the Lahore Declaration in 1999 promising to provide a peaceful and bilateral solution to the Kashmir conflict.
- During the winter of 1998–1999, some elements of the Pakistani Armed Forces were covertly training and sending Pakistani troops and paramilitary forces, into territory on the Indian side of the line of control (LOC).
- Initially the Indian troops in the area assumed that the infiltrators were jihadis.
- Subsequent discovery of infiltration elsewhere along the LOC, along with the difference in tactics employed by the infiltrators, caused the Indian army to realize that the plan of attack was on a much bigger scale.
The Government of India responded with Operation Vijay, a mobilization of 200,000 Indian troops. The war came to an official end on July 26, 1999, thus marking it as Kargil Vijay Diwas.
