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Category: Asia

  • MIL-OSI: SADA Recognized as a 2025 Google Public Sector AI and ML, Data Analytics, Maps & Geospatial, Security, and Work Transformation Expertise Partner

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESTON, Va., Feb. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SADA, An Insight company, a leading services and solutions Google Cloud consultancy driving transformative change for its customers, has received five Google Public Sector Partner Expertise Badges in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI and ML), Data Analytics, Maps & Geospatial, Security, and Work Transformation.

    In 2024, SADA achieved significant milestones in these badge areas, demonstrating its commitment to driving impactful results for public sector organizations. These accomplishments include helping state governments centralize and modernize online services with cloud-native applications, enhancing digital infrastructure for executive offices, optimizing government technology ecosystems, and supporting cutting-edge research capabilities.

    Notably, SADA helped the Chicopee Police Department (CPD) to modernize its operations and enhance public safety. By implementing Google Workspace, SADA helped CPD reduce paperwork, achieve 100% compliance with CJIS standards, streamline communication, and enable real-time alerts, ultimately freeing up officers to focus on core policing activities and better serve their community. This success story highlights SADA’s ability to use Google Cloud’s technology to help drive meaningful change in the public sector.

    SADA is being recognized for its proven delivery capabilities within these five solution areas across Google Public Sector. These achievements underscore SADA’s commitment to helping public sector organizations modernize their operations, enhance citizen services, improve their security posture, and transform how they work. SADA’s expertise in these key areas translates to tangible benefits for organizations, including:

    • AI/ML: SADA can help agencies leverage AI/ML to improve decision-making, automate processes, and personalize citizen experiences. Examples include predictive analytics for resource allocation, AI-powered chatbots for citizen inquiries, and machine learning models for fraud detection.
    • Data Analytics: SADA empowers public sector organizations to unlock the power of their data with advanced analytics solutions. This includes data warehousing, business intelligence, and data visualization, enabling agencies to gain valuable insights, improve operational efficiency, and make data-driven decisions.
    • Maps & Geospatial: SADA’s geospatial expertise enables agencies to leverage location data for enhanced planning, improved emergency response, and better management of critical infrastructure. SADA serves organizations with Google Maps solutions. Its teams have foundational technical knowledge in Maps APIs, providing services to organizations needing support in analyzing spatial data and developing location-based services.
    • Security: SADA helps public sector organizations strengthen their security posture with comprehensive solutions that protect sensitive data, prevent cyberattacks, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. These solutions include security assessments, vulnerability management, and incident response planning.
    • Work Transformation: SADA enables public sector agencies to modernize their workplaces and improve employee productivity with Google Workspace solutions. This includes streamlining communication and collaboration and automating workflows.

    “These Google Public Sector Partner Expertise badges validate our team’s dedication to providing cutting-edge solutions that address the unique challenges faced by public sector organizations and the meaningful outcomes we’re helping drive for those organizations who are committed to serving their constituents,” said Michelle Ambrose, SVP Strategic Partnerships and International GTM at SADA.

    SADA will share how it has helped the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development spearhead a groundbreaking digital transformation to enhance services for employers and job seekers in an upcoming session at Google Cloud Next, which will take place April 9-11 in Las Vegas, NV. To learn more and register for the event, visit sada.com/next.

    About SADA, An Insight company
    SADA, An Insight company, is a market leader in professional services and an award-winning solutions provider of Google Cloud. Since 2000, SADA has been committed to helping customers in healthcare, media, entertainment, retail, manufacturing, and the public sector solve their most complex challenges so they can focus on achieving their boldest ambitions. With offices in North America, India, and Armenia providing sales and customer support teams, SADA is positioned to meet customers where they are in their digital transformation journey. SADA is a 7x Google Cloud Partner of the Year award winner with 11 Google Cloud Specializations and was recognized as a Niche Player in the 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Public Cloud IT Transformation Services. Learn more at www.sada.com.

    Media Contact
    Stephanie Krivacek
    press@sada.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: An explosion of colour and the downfall of an Instagram darling: what to see and watch this week

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jane Wright, Commissioning Editor, Arts & Culture, The Conversation UK

    Anyone familiar with Scotland will know the weather is at best mercurial, and at worst wet, grey and what we call “dreich” – a good Scottish word meaning drab. For an artist in the early 20th century suffering not just miserable weather but a cultural landscape of joyless, soul-sucking Presbyterianism, escaping to the sunlit uplands of the Parisian avant garde, where artists were experimenting wildly with new ideas and techniques, would have been deeply attractive.

    Into this vivid world of colour and possibility stepped four Scottish artists who embraced everything this exciting new art scene had to offer, and in doing so, changed Scotland’s art forever. Inspired by the post-impressionist works of Van Gogh, Matisse, Cezanne and Derain, they often painted outdoors, revelling in nature, creating exceptional artworks that explored light, shape and colour.

    Samuel John Peploe experimented with Cezanne-like geometric forms, while John Duncan Fergusson took on fauvist influences. George Leslie Hunter focused on blocks of colour, and Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell explored bold shapes and impressionistic compositions.

    Together they became known as the “Scottish colourists”, and their work is being celebrated at a new exhibition at the Dovecot in Edinburgh. As our reviewer Blane Savage points out, each brought back to Scotland new approaches to art that were reflected in their subsequent work. Take Peploe’s Green Sea, Iona from 1925, which perfectly captures the mesmerising colours of a Hebridean shoreline. Radiant and vibrant, here was art to lift even the dreichest Presbyterian Scot’s heart.

    The Scottish Colourists: Radical Perspectives is on at the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh until June 28.



    Read more:
    Scottish colourists exhibition: the painters who stood shoulder to shoulder with Matisse and Cezanne

    Flowers, grief and reconciliation

    Just as the Scottish colourists loved a nice vase of voluptuous blooms, the new Saatchi Gallery exhibition on the subject, named simply Flowers, explores the place of flora in contemporary art, as well as its wider cultural influence.

    Reviewer Judith Brocklehurst describes the show as resembling a “supersized florist”, filled with bunches of blooms and hanging arrangements of dried flowers. The exhibition offers a wide perspective: from sculpture finding inspiration in Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, to William Morris’s much-loved floral designs, to the digital recreation of 17th-century Dutch paintings, and contemporary photography and video installations too.

    This richly imaginative and engaging exhibition celebrating the importance of flora in our lives is well worth an hour of your time if you’re in London.

    Flowers – Flora in Contemporary Art and Culture is on display at London’s Saatchi Gallery until May 5 2025.



    Read more:
    Flowers at London’s Saatchi Gallery: this exploration of flora in history and contemporary culture smells as good as it looks

    Highly recommended cinema this week is the Japanese film Cottontail, a gentle and touching story about a middle-aged man grieving the loss of his wife after a long illness. Honouring her dying wish, he takes her ashes to be scattered in the Lake District in the north of England – a place that had special significance for her.

    Woven through the tale is the man’s complicated relationship with his son, whom he has neglected for his career. Struggling to connect, they embark on the journey together, each dealing with their own grief and sense of loss. Chao Fang, an expert in ageing, death and dying, found this delicate film’s portrayal of grief realistic and relatable, and the journey to find peace by reconciling the past and present both absorbing and affecting.

    Cottontail is in select cinemas now.



    Read more:
    Cottontail review: how a man’s journey through grief mirrors our search for peace – by an expert in death and grieving

    The Oscar-nominated I’m Still Here, released today, sees director Walter Salles adapt Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s autobiographical novel of the same name. The film follows the grief of a family whose husband and father is disappeared by the regime of Brazilian dictator Emílio Garrastazu Médici in the early 1970s. The film is carried by a memorable performance from actress Fernanda Torres who plays Eunice, the wife of missing left-wing politician Rubens.

    Relating the story from Eunice’s perspective as she desperately searches for her husband, the film details the breakdown of her relationship with her eldest daughters as they all seek to deal with their devastating loss and uncertain future. Professor of film Belén Vidal describes the film as a “clear-cut tribute to the ‘feminine’ politics of resistance”. Sad, moving and bittersweet in its conclusion, I’m Still Here, appropriately, lingers long after the credits have rolled.

    I’m Still Here is in cinemas now.



    Read more:
    I’m Still Here: a vibrant testament to female resilience that mourns Brazil’s dark past

    Downfall of an Instagram darling

    Often real life is stranger than anything created for our screens. Based on the true story of Australian wellness influencer Belle Gibson, Apple Cider Vinegar follows the story of a social media darling documenting her “journey” as she rejects conventional medicine for alternative therapies to treat a rare form of brain cancer. But in 2015, Gibson was exposed as a financial fraud – and worse, was revealed as never having had cancer. The internet, understandably, went wild. But how was she able to perpetrate such an audacious and complex deception?

    Apple Cider Vinegar dramatises Gibson’s story, documenting her meteoric rise to fame and her dramatic downfall, detailing some of the psychological issues that influenced her deceit. But, as sociology professor Stephanie Baker indicates, this shocking story also illustrates a wider point about the conditions that enable frauds like Gibson to gain credibility and influence online. Truly fascinating stuff, it once again reveals how the virtual nature of the internet deludes people when it comes to online behaviour, accountability and getting away with it.

    Apple Cider Vinegar is now streaming on Netflix.



    Read more:
    Apple Cider Vinegar: how social media gave rise to fraudulent wellness influencers like Belle Gibson

    – ref. An explosion of colour and the downfall of an Instagram darling: what to see and watch this week – https://theconversation.com/an-explosion-of-colour-and-the-downfall-of-an-instagram-darling-what-to-see-and-watch-this-week-250437

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: China: Xi Jinping has learned from Trump’s first trade war and is ready to fight back

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tom Harper, Lecturer in International Relations, University of East London

    The start of 2025 has been good for China and its reputation as a high-tech innovator. The unveiling of the Chinese-made artificial intelligence (AI) tool, DeepSeek, caused consternation on the US stock exchange and from potential competitors in Silicon Valley.

    Chinese firms are increasingly at the forefront of key high-level technologies such as electric vehicles (EVs) and AI, as reflected by the success of China’s electric vehicles, BYD, and now DeepSeek.

    These moves have made the Chinese economy more self sufficient than it was during Trump’s first term, and has made Beijing more confident about pushing back politically against Trump.

    This is all underlined by a high-level meeting hosted by President Xi Jinping at China’s Great Hall of the People this week. He told the heads of China’s leading tech firms it was time for them “to give full play to their capabilities” and spoke of it as a patriotic duty, according to official accounts.

    This comes as China starts being hit by US tariffs of an additional 10% on its goods, as well as a slew of anti-China rhetoric from the Trump government.

    But China’s high tech industries are on the up, and this is a significant boost for Xi. For instance, in January this year, sales of the Chinese EVs exceeded those of Tesla in the UK for the first time.

    Part of the Chinese EV’s success could be attributed to a backlash against Tesla’s co-founder Elon Musk, after he started backing far-right parties around the world.

    Another factor that Chinese high-tech goods have in their favour are lower prices. Prices for Chinese EVs start at £7,697 in the UK, for example – much lower than Tesla’s Model 3 at £25,490.

    This price difference will be significant in the latest phase of the Sino-US trade war, particularly in countries struggling with a cost-of-living crisis. China is also hoping its cheap prices and tech innovations will help it find new trading allies to counteract Washington’s proposed tariffs.

    What China has to offer

    China is a fast-growing economic and political power and is expected to account for nearly a quarter of the global economy by 2030.

    The success of BYD and DeepSeek comes at a time where Beijing feels more prepared for Trump’s tough tariffs and tension with Washington, than it did in his previous term. China has responded to Trump’s threats with reciprocal tariffs on US coal and liquefied gas, as well as a ban on the export of critical minerals. These are a key component for many US military technologies varying from communications equipment to missiles.

    China accounts for 72% of all rare earth imports for the US. Such measures contrast with the cautious approach taken by Beijing in 2017, when US tariffs during Trump’s first term met little retaliation from Beijing.

    The changes in China’s tactics can partly be attributed to what Beijing learned from the previous trade war. In 2017 there were weaknesses in the supply chains of many Chinese firms, most notably ZTE and Huawei.

    They struggled when Washington pressurised its own chipmakers and those of allied states, such as Britain’s Arm, to stop sales of semiconductor technology to China. As a result, finding long-term alternatives to US technology in the supply chain has become a key priority for Beijing.

    What is Deep Seek?

    Xi has recognised the value of firms such as Huawei and BYD in aiding China’s wider technological (and geopolitical) ambitions, most notably as part of the Made in China 2025 strategy, a national strategy to make China a leader in high-tech technology.



    Read more:
    DeepSeek: how China’s embrace of open-source AI caused a geopolitical earthquake

    Traditionally, China was seen as the home of cheap, low-quality goods, which had been central to its development in the 1980s and 1990s. But many of companies producing these products are increasingly moving to south-east Asia to take advantage of lower labour costs.

    However, Chinese industries are now gaining ground in fields that have traditionally been the preserve of developed nations. For instance, Huawei has developed a spin off, Honor, which has gone from producing cheap, simple smartphones and into AI technology.

    Meanwhile, the success of BYD and DeepSeek have demonstrated that China is, in some ways at least, far better placed for a prolonged trade war. Beijing is feeling more confident, which explains its willingness to push back against Washington this time.

    So the White House will have to deal with higher prices for US goods going into China, as well as additional trade spats with the EU, Canada and the UK. It might be a bumpy ride for US consumers.

    How Beijing responds and its new-found clout may determine the course of this new trade war, and potentially add to its long-term standing in the world.

    Tom Harper does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. China: Xi Jinping has learned from Trump’s first trade war and is ready to fight back – https://theconversation.com/china-xi-jinping-has-learned-from-trumps-first-trade-war-and-is-ready-to-fight-back-250101

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: We study mass surveillance for social control, and we see Trump laying the groundwork to ‘contain’ people of color and immigrants

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Brittany Friedman, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California

    Black and Latino communities are disproportionately affected by mass surveillance, studies show. Vicente Méndez/Getty Images

    President Donald Trump has vowed to target his political enemies, and experts have warned that he could weaponize U.S. intelligence agencies to conduct mass surveillance on his targets.

    Mass surveillance is the widespread monitoring of civilians. Governments typically target specific groups – such as religious minorities, certain races or ethnicities, or migrants – for surveillance and use the information gathered to “contain” these populations, for example by arresting and imprisoning people.

    We are experts in social control, or how governments coerce compliance, and we specialize in surveillance. Based on our expertise and years of research, we expect Trump’s second White House term may usher in a wave of spying against people of color and immigrants.

    A man apprehended in an immigration raid on Jan. 28, 2025, sits in a holding cell in New York City.
    Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    Spreading moral panic

    Trump is already actively deploying a key tactic in expanding mass surveillance: causing moral panics. Moral panics are created when politicians exaggerate a public concern to manipulate real fears people may have.

    Take Trump on crime, for example. Despite FBI data showing that crime has been dropping across the U.S. for decades, Trump has repeatedly claimed that “crime is out of control.” Stoking fear makes people more likely to back harsh measures purportedly targeting crime.

    Trump has also worked to create a moral panic about immigration.

    He has said, for example, that “illegal” migrants are taking American jobs. In truth, only 5% of the 30 million immigrants in the workforce as of 2022 were unauthorized to work. And in his Jan. 25, 2025, presidential proclamation on immigration, Trump likened immigration at the southern border to an “invasion,” evoking the language of war to describe a population that includes many asylum-seeking women and children.

    The second step in causing moral panics is to label racial, ethnic and religious minorities as villains to justify expanding mass surveillance.

    Building on his rhetoric about crime and immigration, Trump frequently connects the two issues. He has said that migrants murder because they have “bad genes,” echoing beliefs expressed by white supremacists. During the 2016 campaign, Trump’s coinage “bad hombre” invoked stereotypes of dangerous migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border to steal jobs and sell drugs.

    The president has similarly connected Black communities with crime. At an August 2024 rally in Atlanta, Georgia, Trump called the majority-Black city “a killing field.” The month prior, he said the same thing about Washington, D.C.

    Primary targets

    History shows that in the U.S. moral panics are most likely to target Latino, Indigenous and Black communities as a precursor to surveillance and subjugation.

    In the 18th century, Colonial politicians passed legislation likening the Indigenous people of the American colonies to “savages” and passed laws identifying Indigenous tribes as political enemies to be assimilated. If “killing the Indian” out of people didn’t work, they were to be tracked down and removed from the population through imprisonment or death.

    Another early form of moral panics escalating to spying and mass surveillance were southern slave patrols, which emerged in the early 1700s after pro-slavery politicians proclaimed that Black escapees would terrorize white communities. Slave patrols tracked down and captured not only Black escapees but also free Black people, whom they sold into bondage. They also imprisoned any person, enslaved or not, suspected of sheltering escapees.

    Once a group of people becomes the subject of moral panics and targeted for government surveillance, our research shows, the effects are felt for generations.

    Black and Indigenous communities are still arrested and incarcerated at disproportionately high rates compared with their percentage in the U.S. population. This even affects children, with Indigenous girls imprisoned at four times the rate of white girls, and Black girls at more than twice the rate of white girls.

    Low-tech methods

    These 21st-century numbers reflect decades of targeted surveillance.

    In the 1950s, the FBI under Director J. Edgar Hoover created the counter-intelligence programs COINTELPRO, allegedly for investigating communists and radical political groups, and the Ghetto Informant Program. In practice, both programs broadly targeted people of color. From Martin Luther King Jr. to U.S. Rep. John Lewis, Black activists were identified as a threat, spied on, investigated and sometimes jailed.

    A 1964 letter from J. Edgar Hoover expressing his dislike for Martin Luther King Jr.
    Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

    President Lyndon Johnson’s “war on crime,” a sweeping set of federal changes that militarized local police in urban communities, continued this mass surveillance in the 1960s. Later came the “war on drugs,” which an aide to President Richard Nixon later said was designed explicitly to target Black people.

    In subsequent decades, politicians would stir up new moral panics about Black communities – remember the “crack babies” who never really existed? – and use fear to justify police surveillance, arrests and mass incarceration.

    These early examples of mass surveillance lacked the technology that enables spying today, such as CCTV and hacked laptop cameras. Nonetheless, past U.S. administrations have been remarkably effective at achieving social control by creating moral panics then deploying mass surveillance to contain the “threat.” They enlisted droves of police officers, recruited informants to infiltrate groups and locked people away.

    These textbook surveillance methods are still routinely used now.

    Police fusion centers

    For many Americans, the term “mass surveillance” evokes the Department of Homeland Security, which was founded after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This national agency, which forms part of a federal intelligence apparatus of more than 20 agencies focused on surveillance, has played a key role in mass surveillance since 2001, especially of Muslim Americans.

    But it has local help in the form of police units known as fusion centers. These units feed identification information and physical evidence such as video footage to federal agencies such as the FBI and CIA, according to a 2023 whistleblower report from Rutgers Law School.

    The New Jersey Regional Operations Intelligence Center, for example, is a police fusion center overseeing New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. It employs advanced military technology to gather massive amounts of personal data on people perceived as potential security threats. According to the Rutgers report, these “threats” are highly concentrated in Black, Latino and Arab communities, as well as areas with a high concentration of political organizing, such as Black Lives Matter groups and immigrant aid organizations.

    The New Jersey police fusion approach leads to increased arrest rates, according to the report, but there’s no real evidence that it prevents crime or terrorism.

    Guantanamo and black sites

    Given Trump’s pledges to further militarize border enforcement and expand U.S. jails and prisons, we anticipate a rise in spending on fusion centers and other tools of mass surveillance under Trump. The moral panics he’s been stirring up since 2015 suggest that the targets of government surveillance will include immigrants and Black people.

    Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event on April 2, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Mich.
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    Sometimes, victims of mass surveillance go missing.

    The Guardian reported in 2015 that Chicago police had been temporarily “disappearing” people at local and federal police “black sites” since at least 2009. At these clandestine jails, under the guise of national security, officers questioned detainees without attorneys and held them for up to 24 hours without any outside contact. Many of the victims were Black.

    Another infamous black site was housed at the Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba, where the CIA detained and secretly interrogated suspected terrorists following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

    Trump seems to be reviving the Guantanamo black site, flying about 150 Venezuelan migrants to the base since January 2025. It’s unclear whether the U.S. government can lawfully detain migrants there abroad, yet deportation flights continue.

    The administration has not shared the identities of many of the people imprisoned there.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. We study mass surveillance for social control, and we see Trump laying the groundwork to ‘contain’ people of color and immigrants – https://theconversation.com/we-study-mass-surveillance-for-social-control-and-we-see-trump-laying-the-groundwork-to-contain-people-of-color-and-immigrants-221073

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s moves to strip employment protections from federal workers threaten to make government function worse – not better

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By James L. Perry, Professor of Public and Environmental Affairs Emeritus, Indiana University

    Federal workers’ jobs may become more precarious than in the past. mathisworks/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

    On top of efforts to fire potentially tens of thousands of federal workers, an early executive order from President Donald Trump’s second term seeks to reclassify the employment status of as many as 50,000 other federal workers – out of more than 2 million total – to make them easier for the president to fire as well.

    The order has already been challenged in court by two federal workers’ unions and other interest groups, though no judge has yet issued any orders. The Trump administration is drafting rules to put the order into effect.

    The Conversation U.S. politics editor Jeff Inglis spoke to James Perry, a scholar of public affairs at Indiana University, Bloomington, to understand what the order is trying to achieve and how it would affect federal workers, the government and the American public. What follows is an edited transcript of the discussion.

    Andrew Jackson, depicted here giving a speech, believed the president should be in control of most federal workers.
    PHOTOS.com / Getty Images Plus

    What is the standard situation for government employees?

    In the 1820s and 1830s, President Andrew Jackson popularized the idea that the president could, and should, hire supporters into government jobs. But by the early 1880s, there was concern on the parts of both Democrats and Republicans that the victor would control a lot of workers who would serve the president, not the American people whose tax dollars paid their salaries.

    So the parties came together in 1883 to pass the Pendleton Act stipulating that government workers are hired based on their skills and abilities, not their political views. That law was updated in 1978 with the Civil Service Reform Act, which added more protections for workers against being fired for political reasons.

    Those rules cover about 99% of staff in the federal civil service. Currently, there are just about 4,000 political appointees. I’ve seen various estimates that this new executive order would shift at least 50,000 positions from career positions to the political-appointments list.

    Some states, such as Mississippi, Texas, Georgia and Florida, have moved to strip employment protections from state government employees, turning protected employees into at-will workers, who can be fired at any time for any reason. These are largely red states, with strong control by Republican governors. Supporters of this move at the federal level argue that at-will employment can work in federal civil service.

    This argument is not backed by strong evidence. The evidence supporters offer is that human resources directors, who are often appointees of the governor who changed the statute, claim no one has complained about the change in policy. But that doesn’t include people who are likely to have a different perspective.

    It could be that nobody is talking about people being fired for political reasons in these states because they are afraid of getting fired themselves.

    What does this executive order change, and why?

    The rationale for the new policy is that the administration wants to get rid of federal workers whom leaders perceive as either intransigent or insubordinate – or who they fear might oppose Trump’s policy initiatives. This sets up a conflict between how government workers see their duties and how Trump appears to view them.

    Federal employees interviewed by sociologist Jamie Kucinskas during Trump’s first term say they are obligated to look beyond the president’s bidding: They took an oath to the Constitution when they started their jobs, and their salaries and benefits are paid for with taxpayer dollars.

    Trump, by contrast, says workers in the executive branch must answer to him and follow his orders.

    Trump and others have tried to cloak this effort in language about removing workers who perform poorly at their jobs. That concern is legitimate. The Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, which surveys hundreds of thousands of federal workers every year about various aspects of their work and working conditions, indicates that in 2024, 40% of those surveyed said people who perform poorly are not fired and do not improve.

    But taking action against only 50,000 of the 2 million-plus federal employees isn’t going to address such a wide problem.

    There’s a stereotype that in government it can be hard to discipline or fire workers who are not competent at their jobs. The flip side of that stereotype is, however, false: Private businesses are not better at holding poor performers accountable. Survey evidence shows the private sector has just as much difficulty as the government with getting workers to perform effectively.

    There’s room for legitimate disagreement about how far federal employees have to go to comply with presidential directives. The people who think loyalty is the key to merit still might not agree on whether that loyalty is owed to the person sitting in the Oval Office or to the Constitution.

    Protests against the Trump administration have been widespread, including against its policies aimed at federal workers.
    AP Photo/Sejal Govindarao

    How does this affect government workers?

    It’s not clear which positions might be targeted. The order calls them “policy influencing positions,” but drawing the line between policy and administration isn’t always easy.

    It’s also not clear whether the change will stick. When the George W. Bush administration reduced job protections for Department of Homeland Security employees in 2005, a major federal workers’ union sued the administration and won.

    In the first round of this effort under the first Trump administration, it seemed that most of the people affected would be at the top of the federal hierarchy, probably mostly based in Washington, D.C.

    Most of the workers in the federal civil service, though, are not there. They work for the Social Security Administration, giving out checks in Bloomington, Indiana, or other departments and offices around the country. It would be very difficult to classify them as influencing political policy or advocating for policies.

    But there are people who are not Senate-confirmed who do have an influence on policy. For instance, at the Department of Justice, assistant and deputy assistant secretaries have influence on civil rights policy or other policies that affect the president’s ability to pursue his agenda. The February 2025 resignation of Danielle Sassoon from her role as U.S. attorney in New York is an example of legitimate divergence between an appointee and the president’s policy direction.

    Any workers who lost their protections would likely feel threatened with losing their job and their livelihood. They might, out of fear, be more responsive to the dictates of their superiors.

    That might sound good – that if you do what your boss says, you’re doing a good job. But it’s different if your obligations are to the public interest and the Constitution.

    How does this affect everyday Americans?

    Large majorities of Americans believe government workers are serving the public over themselves. And as many as 87% of Americans say they want a merit-based, politically neutral civil service.

    The U.S. has attracted to government service workers who are good at their jobs and able to remain politically neutral at work. Saying that’s no longer important would change the relationship between government workers and their jobs. And it would hurt the nation as a whole if government cannot attract the best and the brightest, or if it sends the best and the brightest packing because they are not comfortable with their work situation, or if they stay but their performance declines.

    James L. Perry does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trump’s moves to strip employment protections from federal workers threaten to make government function worse – not better – https://theconversation.com/trumps-moves-to-strip-employment-protections-from-federal-workers-threaten-to-make-government-function-worse-not-better-248086

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Making sex deadly for insects could control pests that carry disease and harm crops

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Bill Sullivan, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University

    In the toxic male technique, genetically engineered male insects would implant semen containing toxic venom into the female insects during mating. Madugrero/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    Insects do a lot more harm than ruining picnics. Some insects spread devastating diseases, while others cause staggering economic losses in agriculture. To control some of these pests, scientists are developing males that make sex a deadly event.

    The stakes are high. Mosquitoes carry viruses such as dengue, West Nile and Zika, as well as parasites that cause malaria. Researchers estimate that mosquitoes have caused the deaths of 52 billion people overall – nearly half of all the humans that have ever lived.

    Other insects cause major crop damage, jeopardizing the food supply and driving up prices. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 20% to 40% of global crop production is lost to pests annually at a cost of US$70 billion.

    Pesticides have been the front-line defense against insects, but many bugs have evolved resistance to these chemicals. Some pesticides can indiscriminately kill beneficial insects, harm the environment and endanger human and animal health. Some researchers worry that certain pesticides can cause cancer or have damaging effects on human nervous and endocrine systems.

    I’m a microbiology researcher studying infectious disease. New solutions that do not harm humans and the environment to control disease-carrying insects and agricultural pests could lead to fewer people contracting dangerous diseases. In the past few years, a variety of genetic engineering approaches have emerged as promising tactics to combat problematic insects.

    Genetically modified insects

    To avoid the problems associated with pesticides, scientists have devised new approaches that genetically alter the insects themselves in ways that cause their population to crash or render them incapable of transmitting disease – a strategy called genetic biocontrol.

    Genetic biocontrol entails genetically modifying insects to curb their populations.

    The idea to suppress an insect population by flooding it with sterile males has been around for decades. Since the 1950s, scientists have been using radiation to create infertile male mosquitoes. These sterile males mate with females but produce no offspring. Since females are engaged in a lot of unproductive mating, the overall population tends to decline.

    In the past two decades, genetic engineering has been used to introduce dominant lethal genes into insect populations. In this approach, the offspring of genetically modified males inherit a gene that kills them before they reach reproductive age. A field trial in Brazil found that this strategy reduced the target mosquito population up to 95%. Another approach on the horizon involves releasing insects genetically modified to be poor carriers of pathogens that cause disease.

    Despite these advances, a key shortcoming to current genetic biocontrol methods is that they take time. At least one generation needs to be born before the population suppression begins. This means the female insects continue to be a disease vector or agricultural pest until they die a natural death. An ideal technique would neutralize the females immediately, especially during outbreaks.

    A faster approach

    Biologists Samuel Beach and Maciej Maselko at Macquarie University in Australia sought to solve this dilemma by genetically engineering male insects to make poisonous semen. The poisonous semen would kill the female quickly, reducing the population faster than previous biocontrol methods.

    To test this idea, the team used fruit flies called Drosophila melanogaster, which are easy to genetically modify and study in the lab.

    The Brazilian wandering spider, Phoneutria nigriventer.
    Rodrigo Tetsuo Argenton/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    The researchers transferred venom genes from the Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria nigriventer) and the Mediterranean snakelocks sea anemone (Anemonia sulcata) into the genomes of fruit flies.

    The genetically modified fly produces and stores venom proteins in its male accessory gland – a fly’s prostate – along with other seminal fluid proteins. Upon mating, the fly deposits the venomous semen into the female’s reproductive tract. The researchers named this approach the toxic male technique.

    The Mediterranean snakelocks anenome, Anemonia viridis.
    Diego Delso

    After mating, the seminal toxins seep into the female’s body and attack her central nervous system. The toxins bind to proteins called ion channels on cellular membranes, which nerve cells use to communicate with one another. This quickly leads to paralysis and respiratory arrest. You could say these genetically engineered Romeos literally take her breath away.

    The lifespan of female flies that mated with toxic males decreased – up to 64%. A computer simulation of the toxic male technique for Aedes aegypti, a mosquito that transmits several viruses, predicted that this approach could work better than current methods.

    Safety and effectiveness

    While promising and innovative, there are some important challenges that researchers developing the toxic male technique will need to overcome. For example, the technique has been shown to work only in fruit flies. Whether it will work in mosquitoes or other insect pests remains an open question.

    In addition, the technique reduced the female lifespan by only 37% to 64%. To improve the rate of killing, the researchers suggested that other venom formulations might work better. Researchers could try thousands of venom genes from spiders, snakes, scorpions and centipedes. Each new venom they try will require tests to ensure the modified males tolerate them – if they become weak, unmodified males may outcompete them for mating opportunities.

    As with all genetic biocontrol methods, this technique may be too expensive to implement for low-income countries. Nations would need to finance the costs of breeding and deploying the mosquitoes safely.

    Insects also pollinate plants and serve as food sources for other animals, such as bats. If these insects vanish, the ecosystem could face unforeseen adverse effects. Monitoring these potential effects on the environment will also be expensive.

    Other researchers are experimenting with using venom toxins to control parasites that female insects spread through biting. Called paratransgenesis, this technique alters an insect’s gut bacteria to produce a toxin that kills the parasite, leaving the insect unharmed. Since the insect population remains unaltered, paratransgenesis may pose less risk to ecosystems.

    Insects tend to adapt quickly to the methods humans use to control them, so it is advantageous to have multiple strategies at our disposal. The toxic male technique may one day become a valuable new weapon in the arsenal to combat insect pests.

    Bill Sullivan receives funding from the National Institutes of Health.

    – ref. Making sex deadly for insects could control pests that carry disease and harm crops – https://theconversation.com/making-sex-deadly-for-insects-could-control-pests-that-carry-disease-and-harm-crops-248723

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Paul Y liquidation impact monitored

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    In response to Paul Y Engineering Group’s application for provisional liquidation, the Development Bureau today said it is believed the impact of Paul Y’s situation on relevant public works projects is manageable and it will closely monitor the situation.

    The Government noted that an application was made by Paul Y to the court recently to appoint a provisional liquidator for its five subsidiaries to handle debts and formulate a restructuring plan, and the court approved the application today.

    As there have been market rumours and media reports of financial difficulties and layoffs at Paul Y for some time, the Government has been paying close attention to the situation and making preparations to reduce the impact on works projects and subcontractors and assist the affected employees.

    Paul Y’s subsidiaries are undertaking the construction of 13 public works contracts, among which 12 are undertaken by Paul Y and other construction companies by way of joint venture.

    These contracts are managed by government departments including the Civil Engineering & Development Department, the Architectural Services Department, the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, the Highways Department, the Drainage Services Department, the Water Supplies Department and the Environmental Protection Department.

    As the majority of the contracts are undertaken by joint ventures, regardless of whether Paul Y is liquidated eventually, the other participants of the joint venture contracts must complete the remaining works in accordance with the contract requirements.

    The bureau has assessed that the joint venture participants concerned are capable of undertaking the remaining works, and they have also expressed that they will continue to execute the contracts. The only project solely undertaken by Paul Y has largely entered the completion stage.

    On the other hand, Paul Y has also undertaken works projects of other public organisations, some of which are undertaken by joint ventures. The bureau said it is believed the impact is manageable.

    For other projects solely undertaken by Paul Y, the public sector owners have replaced the main contractor of most of the projects in accordance with the established mechanism to ensure their smooth completion. Owners of a few other projects are also carrying out such arrangements to minimise the impact on the projects.

    The bureau said that as the majority of the government and public sector projects will be undertaken by other participants of the joint ventures or have the main contractor replaced in accordance with the mechanism, if Paul Y is liquidated by the court eventually, the succeeding contractor will follow the Government and public sector owners’ request to try to accommodate the situation of existing subcontractors and workers so that they can continue to work on the projects for the sake of maintaining continuity.

    Employees of Paul Y and its subcontractors who have enquiries on their employment rights and benefits may call the Labour Department’s dedicated hotline at 3580 8721 or visit the branch offices of its Labour Relations Division.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: The Binary Holdings Launches BNRY Game Labs to Distribute Games Instantly To 169 Million Players

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Binary Holdings, Web3 distribution infrastructure, is expanding into the gaming market with the launch of BNRY Game Labs. This innovative distribution platform enables gaming studios from all genres to upload their content and immediately access The Binary Holdings’ extensive ecosystem of 169 million users within the largest telcos of South East Asia. Gaming studios can rapidly drive adoption of their games and earn potentially millions of dollars within weeks due to extensive access to a large user base which is expected to grow to a billion users in 2025. Players engaging with these games will earn $BNRY tokens, serving as loyalty points, redeemable within the ecosystem for a variety of products and services.

    BNRY Game Labs stands out as one of the few game distribution platforms capable of accommodating both Web2 and Web3 gaming projects seeking to broaden their user base. By giving game studios instant access to 169 million targeted users within telecommunication ecosystems Indonesia and the Philippines, BNRY Game Labs offers a powerful solution to boost profitability, Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), and customer Life Time Value (LTV). This expansive user base enables studios to extend the shelf life of their games while minimizing costs associated with user acquisition and operational overhead. With a CPM of as low as $0.000005 and a subscription cost significantly lower than traditional Go-To-Market (GTM) budgets, developers can achieve higher profitability while enhancing engagement and retention metrics.

    Developers on BNRY Game Labs also benefit from advanced analytics that increase profitability and enhance user engagement. These tools deliver actionable insights into player behavior, revenue performance, and technical optimization, empowering studios to make data-driven decisions that maximize a game’s chances for success. These features enable developers to make data-driven decisions, enhancing game performance and user satisfaction.

    Addressing Industry Challenges with Innovative Solutions

    The gaming industry faces significant challenges, including rising development and testing costs. The global game testing service market, valued at $772.09 million in 2021, is projected to reach $2.02 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 10.11%. This increase reflects the escalating complexity and quality demands in game development.

    Additionally, many games struggle with adoption due to market saturation and high user acquisition costs. BNRY Game Labs addresses these issues by providing developers with immediate access to a vast user base of 169 million users and comprehensive tools to monitor and enhance game performance, reducing the financial and operational burdens typically associated with game testing and marketing. The Binary Holding’s user base is expected to grow to one billion users in 2025, providing explosive growth to gaming studios.

    This streamlined process allows developers to focus on creating compelling gaming experiences while leveraging The Binary Holdings’ robust infrastructure and user community.

    “BNRY Game Labs is more than a platform—it’s a gateway to the future of gaming,” said Manit Parikh, CEO of The Binary Holdings. “Our mission is to empower developers with the tools, audience, and incentives they need to thrive. By seamlessly integrating gaming with our distribution layer network, we’re unlocking new possibilities for growth and engagement, and ultimately bringing more people into the Web3 world.”

    For more information, visit BNRY Game Labs

    About BNRY Game Labs

    BNRY Game Labs is a marketplace designed to connect game developers with a vast user base, providing tools and analytics to enhance game performance and user engagement. By integrating with The Binary Holdings’ ecosystem, BNRY Game Labs offers unique opportunities for growth and monetization in the GameFi sector.

    About The Binary Holdings

    The Binary Holdings (TBH) provides Web3 infrastructure solutions for telecommunication companies and banks in emerging economies. With over 169 million current users, TBH offers indispensable scalable, cost-effective, and efficient infrastructure services crucial for driving adoption of tokenized and Web3 solutions, facilitated by its native utility token, $BNRY, which powers all transactions and interactions within The Binary Holdings Ecosystem.

    Contact:
    Shahab Ahmed
    Shahab@thebinaryholdings.com

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by Binary Holdings.The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ca61a7be-0035-4c40-9805-7e368fea3bed

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Quarterly BSR-1: Outstanding Credit of Scheduled Commercial Banks – December 2024

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    Today, the Reserve Bank released its web publication entitled ‘Quarterly Basic Statistical Returns (BSR)-1: Outstanding Credit of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs)1 – December 20242’ on its ‘Database on Indian Economy’ portal (https://data.rbi.org.in Homepage > Publications). It captures various characteristics of bank credit such as occupation/activity and organisational sector of the borrower, type of account and interest rates based on account-level reporting3. Data reported by SCBs {excluding Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)} are presented for bank groups, population groups4 and states.

    Highlights:

    • Bank credit growth (y-o-y) decelerated to 11.8 per cent in December 2024 from 12.6 per cent in September 2024; all population groups (viz., rural, semi-urban, urban and metropolitan branches of banks) maintained double digit growth, though with some moderation, which was experienced by both public sector and private sector banks.

    • Personal loans, which have large share (31.5 per cent) in total credit, recorded moderation in annual growth to 13.7 per cent (15.2 per cent a quarter ago); credit to agriculture and industry sectors also recorded some tempering in the growth.

    • Bank lending for trade, finance and professional/ other services accelerated during Q3:2024-25.

    • Lending to public sector organisations accelerated to 5.4 per cent in December 2024 as compared with 0.3 per cent in the previous quarter; its share in total credit stood at 13.6 per cent.

    • Nearly two per cent of the bank loans were in terms of bills purchased/ discounted.

    • Bank charged 8 per cent to less than 10 per cent interest rate on over half of the loan amount and nearly 16 per cent of the loans were bearing less than 8 per cent interest rate; the remaining loans were bearing 10 per cent or above interest rate.

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2024-2025/2227

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Quarterly BSR-2: Deposits with Scheduled Commercial Banks – December 2024

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    Today, the Reserve Bank released the web publication ‘Deposits with Scheduled Commercial Banks1 – December 20242’ on its ‘Database on Indian Economy’ portal3 (https://data.rbi.org.in Homepage > Publications).

    Scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) {excluding regional rural banks (RRBs)} report branch-wise data on type of deposits (current, savings and term), its institutional sector wise ownership, age wise distribution of deposits pertaining to individuals, maturity pattern, size and interest rate range wise distribution of term deposits as well as number of employees in the quarterly ‘Basic Statistical Return’ (BSR) – 2 return. These data are released at disaggregated level (viz., population groups4, bank groups, states, districts and centres).

    Highlights:

    • Aggregate deposits increased by 11.0 per cent in December 2024 as compared with 11.7 per cent growth a quarter ago.

    • Term deposits rose by 14.3 per cent (y-o-y) as compared with 5.1 per cent growth in saving deposits in December 2024; as a result, the share of term deposits in total deposits rose to 62.1 per cent from 60.3 per cent a year ago.

    • The share of deposits bearing seven per cent or above interest rate in total term deposits increased to 70.8 per cent in December 2024 from 61.4 per cent a year ago.

    • With rise in return on term deposits, nearly 79.8 per cent of the incremental term deposits mobilized during April-December 2024 were held in the original maturity bucket of one to three years; on an outstanding basis, over two third of term deposits were in this maturity bucket and another 11 per cent had higher original maturity.

    • During April-December 2024, 56.1 per cent of the total term deposits were of size ‘Rs. one crore and above’.

    • Senior citizens owned 20.2 per cent of the total deposits in December 2024.

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2024-2025/2228

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Russia: What Next? | World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    In 2024 Russia overtook Japan as the world’s fourth largest economy in purchasing power parity terms, yet there is a deteriorating fiscal context and faltering economic stability as a sharp downturn looms.

    On foreign policy, Moscow has doubled down on efforts to consolidate a counterweight to the G7, even as it faces setbacks in the Middle East.

    How will Russia and its place in the world fare in 2025?

    Speakers: Ravi Agrawal, Valdis Dombrovskis, Elisabeth Svantesson

    The 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum will provide a crucial space to focus on the fundamental principles driving trust, including transparency, consistency and accountability.

    This Annual Meeting will welcome over 100 governments, all major international organizations, 1000 Forum’s Partners, as well as civil society leaders, experts, youth representatives, social entrepreneurs, and news outlets.

    The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.

    World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/
    Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/
    YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/wef
    Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/worldeconomicforum/
    X ► https://twitter.com/wef
    LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-economic-forum
    TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@worldeconomicforum
    Flipboard ► https://flipboard.com/@WEF

    #Davos2025 #WorldEconomicForum #wef25

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5GbGmQrnHY

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on JM Financial Home Loans Limited

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated February 17, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹1.50 lakh (Rupees One lakh fifty thousand only) on JM Financial Home Loans Limited (the company) for non-compliance with certain provisions of the ‘Non-Banking Financial Company – Housing Finance Company (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2021’ issued by RBI. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 52A of the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.

    The statutory inspection of the company was conducted by the National Housing Bank with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2022 and March 31, 2023. Based on the supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the company advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions.

    After considering the company’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the company was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    The company failed to disclose, the approach for gradation of risk and rationale for charging different rate of interest to different categories of borrowers, to its customers in the application forms and also did not communicate the same explicitly in the sanction letters.

    This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the company.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/2225

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on Asirvad Micro Finance Limited

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated February 20, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹6.20 lakh (Rupees Six Lakh Twenty Thousand only) on Asirvad Micro Finance Limited (the company) for non-compliance with certain provisions of the ‘Master Direction – Reserve Bank of India (Regulatory Framework for Microfinance Loans) Directions, 2022’, and ‘Appointment of Internal Ombudsman by Non-Banking Financial Companies’ issued by RBI. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under clause (b) of sub-section (1) of Section 58G read with clause (aa) of sub-section (5) of Section 58B of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

    The statutory inspection of the company was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the company advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions.

    After considering the company’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the company were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    1. The company failed to report the household income of certain borrowers to Credit Information Companies;

    2. The company failed to provide factsheets to certain gold loan customers; and

    3. The company failed to establish a system of auto-escalation of all complaints that were partly or wholly rejected by its internal grievance redress mechanism to the Internal Ombudsman for a final decision.

    This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the company.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/2226

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Executive Body Meeting of the South and West Asian Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (SWARBICA) held at India International Centre

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 5:11PM by PIB Delhi

    The two-day Executive Body Meeting of the Heads of Archives of the South and West Asian Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (SWARBICA) was inaugurated by Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister for Tourism and Culture, Government of India, on 20thFebruary 2025, at the India International Centre, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi. The event was hosted by the National Archives of India.

    Representatives from the National Archives of Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka attended both the inaugural and business sessions. The National Archives of Pakistan participated online, while the National Archives of Iran could not attend due to visa issues.

    The Chief Guest emphasized the shared cultural and religious heritage of SWARBICA member countries and underscored the importance of exchange programs, training in digital preservation, and archival conservation to strengthen collaboration. Shri Arun Singhal, Director General, National Archives of India, and Treasurer of SWARBICA, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the digitization of archival records undertaken by the National Archives of India. This SWARBICA meeting was convened after a gap of eight years, following the last meeting held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2017.

    In addition to the Executive Body Meeting, the National Archives of India will host a seminar titled “Using AI for Digital Preservation in Archives” on 21st February 2025. The seminar will explore the role of AI in digital preservation, highlighting its significance and applications. Experts from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and SAMHiTA (International Research Division, India International Centre, New Delhi) will participate as resource persons.

    The South and West Asian Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (SWARBICA) is an international umbrella organization for archival institutions. It provides a platform for archivists across the region to collaborate, strengthen professional relations, and enhance archival preservation. The idea to establish SWARBICA was conceived in 1973 at an Executive Committee Meeting of the International Council on Archives in Brussels, Belgium. It was officially formed on 11th December 1976 in a ceremonial event at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

    ****

    Sunil Kumar Tiwari

    pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2105300) Visitor Counter : 82

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India Japan partnership rooted in brotherhood, democracy,culture and economic cooperation: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal

    Source: Government of India (2)

    India Japan partnership rooted in brotherhood, democracy,culture and economic cooperation: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal

    The partnership reflects a unique fusion of Sushi and Spices, distinct yet complementary: Shri Goyal

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 5:07PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal stated that India and Japan share a globally recognized strategic partnership rooted in brotherhood, democracy, culture, and economic cooperation. This was stated by the Minister at his keynote address at the India-Japan Economy and Investment Forum today.

    The Minister highlighted that the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan have origins in Indian tradition, underscoring the deep cultural ties between the two nations. He noted that the relationship between India and Japan reflected Sushi and spices, a fusion of distinct yet complementary elements, contributing to an extraordinary partnership. Japan has been a key ally in India’s economic growth, with Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from Japan exceeding $43 billion between 2000 and 2024, making it India’s fifth-largest source of foreign investment, added the Minister.

    The Minister highlighted that the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed in 2011 has significantly strengthened bilateral trade, with over 1,400 Japanese companies operating in India and 11 industrial townships across eight states hosting Japanese enterprises. He pointed out that major infrastructure projects such as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail and metro systems in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai reflect Japan’s active participation in India’s development. He expressed optimism about the commencement of the Shinkansen bullet train service between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in the near future.

    The Minister stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the ‘Make in India’ initiative launched in 2014 has provided a significant boost to India’s manufacturing sector. He stated that India and Japan are collaborating to build globally competitive brands, citing the example of Maruti exporting vehicles to various countries, including Japan. He reiterated the objective of increasing the share of manufacturing in India’s GDP to 25%, with Japan playing a crucial role in achieving this target.The Minister cited the Prime Minister, emphasizing that trade, technology, tourism, and investment will remain key pillars of India’s international economic strategy, with the partnership with Japan playing a crucial role in strengthening economic ties.

    He also noted India’s commitment to fostering a business-friendly environment, emphasizing that ease of doing business improvements are being implemented at both central and state levels. Infrastructure development, public-private partnerships in innovation, and a strengthened R&D ecosystem, supported by recent budget announcements, reflect the government’s strategic focus on economic growth. He underscored that India has the world’s largest number of STEM graduates, with women accounting for 43% of them, contributing to the country’s skilled workforce.

    The Minister pointed out five key drivers of India’s economic growth—decisive leadership, demographic dividend, democracy, diversity, and demand generated by 1.4 billion people—stating that these factors collectively shape India’s growing economy. He reiterated that large-scale investments will coexist in India with MSMEs to provide global solutions.

    Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi “ Today’s India inspires confidence in the world”, Shri Goyal added that  with a young and skilled workforce India today is a destination to invest and a destination to source goods and services.

    On quality standards, the Minister stated that Japan serves as a benchmark for excellence and that India seeks to adopt similar high standards in manufacturing. He noted that Indian manufacturers are being encouraged to embrace ‘Kaizen’ (continuous improvement) and Lean Six Sigma principles to enhance quality and efficiency. He further stated that efforts are being made to balance trade between India and Japan, with a focus on increasing Indian exports to ensure reciprocal benefits.The Minister invited participation in India’s growth story, particularly in green energy, renewable energy, high-tech manufacturing of semiconductors, electronic goods, and artificial intelligence. He emphasized that digital technologies will drive progress towards prosperity, reinforcing India’s commitment to innovation and sustainable development.

    ***

    Abhishek Dayal/ Abhijith Narayanan

    (Release ID: 2105293) Visitor Counter : 120

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India’s intervention in Employment Working Group (EWG) in First G20 Employment Working Group Meeting under South African Presidency

    Source: Government of India (2)

    India’s intervention in Employment Working Group (EWG) in First G20 Employment Working Group Meeting under South African Presidency
    Secretary (L&E) outlines India’s achievement in leveraging technology and presented case studies on NCS and e-Shram portal as global best practices

    Bilateral held with ILO & OECD to expedite the feasibility study on International reference Classification of Occupations and Skills

    Bilateral held with Germany on collaboration in the field of AI and its impact on Jobs, OSH related knowledge exchange and strengthening labour administration under Joint Declaration of Intent

    Bilateral held with Netherlands on living wages and its alignment with India’s Multidimensional Poverty index

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 4:22PM by PIB Delhi

    The first G20 Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting under South African Presidency concluded today on 21st Feb, 2025 at Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The EWG priorities (i) Inclusive Growth & Youth Empowerment and (ii) Social Security & Digitalisation for an Inclusive Future of Work, as was discussed in the working sessions of EWG meeting.

    During the four-days, delegates of G20 Members and invited states made interventions and presentations on key focus areas of the G20 Labour & Employment track.  Ms. Sumita Dawra, Secretary (Labour & Employment) led the Indian delegation and made interventions from Indian side on both the priorities. Secretary took an evidence-based approach on increased social security coverage in India, rising workforce in employment, as well as presented case studies on NCS and eShram to emphasize harnessing of technology by India for labour welfare.

    Secretary Labour highlighted India’s transformative use of technology to (i) onboard workers in unorganised sector and build a national database on EShram, and further utilise the portal for building access of workers to various social security schemes; (ii) Use of National Career Service (NCS) Portal to bridge the supply-demand in labour market through convergence of various stakeholders- employers, job-seekers, counselling and skilling services, etc. Case studies were presented on both EShram and NCS, both of which drew much interest of delegates of G20 member states on India’s strides in harnessing technology for the labour market.

    Case Study 1: eShram Portal

    India presented the eShram Portal as a case study, showcasing its role as a comprehensive national database for unorganized and platform workers, for ensuring seamless access to social security benefits as a ‘one-stop-solution.’ Available in 22 languages and powered by Bhashini, the portal assigns a Universal Account Number (UAN) to each worker, enhancing transparency and accountability. Further, the platform workers’ module, launched on December 12, 2024, enables aggregators to onboard workers and share engagement details, facilitating intelligent mapping to their employers. This initiative strengthens last-mile delivery of social security benefits, empowering millions in the informal sector and exemplifying India’s commitment to leveraging technology for inclusive welfare.

    Case Study 2: National Career Service (NCS) Portal

    India’s effort on leveraging technology to bridge the Jobs-Skills gap was presented through case study on NCS Portal. The Portal had mobilized over 440 million vacancies and registered 4 million employers, bridging the gap between job seekers and employers. NCS is also integrated with the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH). Upskilling initiatives in green jobs, AI, and the platform economy were prioritized to meet future workforce demands. The QS World Future Skills Index 2025 recognized India’s strength in ‘ready-to-recruit’ markets for digital, AI and green jobs.

    Bilateral with ILO, OECD

    Follow-up on India’s G20 2023 Presidency with respect to developing an international framework for mutual recognition of skills and qualifications has been prioritised by the delegation. Accordingly, on the side-lines of 1st G20 EWG meeting, India held bilateral discussions with ILO, OECD and Germany regarding skill gap mapping feasibility study, its work plan and time-lines.

    Secretary briefed on the latest updates regarding funding, status of agreement with ILO to complete the study, and collaboration with concerned stakeholders. It was agreed that feasibility study will focus on three key sectors: IT, Green Jobs, and Care-related roles.

    Given India’s demographic dividend, and the projection of India to increasingly meet incremental global workforce requirements over the next decade, this study assumes great significance for facilitation of international mobility of qualified Indians.

    Bilateral with Netherlands

    A bilateral discussion was held with the Netherlands, focusing on India’s Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and its alignment with global efforts to address poverty through the concept of ‘Living Wages,’ thus improving living standards. Collaboration with the Netherlands and the ILO was highlighted as critical to advancing living wages, with proposals for exchange of best practices and technical discussion on estimation of living wages. India reiterated its dedication to collaborating with international partners to advance decent work, sustainable wage systems, and enhanced livelihoods for workers.

    Bilateral with Germany

    During bilateral discussion with Germany, the importance of the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) entered by India with Germany in the month of October 2024 was highlighted. The JDoI is important for enhancing cooperation in work in global supply chains, human-centric AI and its impact on Jobs, developing Gig economy, a global skills referencing framework, etc. India reaffirmed its commitment to deepening collaboration with Germany, fostering innovative projects and a shared vision for an inclusive and equitable future of work.

    *****

    Himanshu Pathak

    (Release ID: 2105272) Visitor Counter : 148

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Gender participation in governance is fundamental to bring about equality and to cut into inequities: Vice President of India, Dr Jagdeep Dhankhar

    Source: Government of India

    Gender participation in governance is fundamental to bring about equality and to cut into inequities: Vice President of India, Dr Jagdeep Dhankhar

    India is trying to leverage its technology for empowering people, to mitigate the suffering and to cut corruption and to generate transparency and accountability: Vice President

    Vice President of India, Dr Jagdeep Dhankhar addressed the conference of African-Asian Rural Development Organization

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 4:47PM by PIB Delhi

    Addressing the delegates at the conference of African-Asian Rural Development Organization in New Delhi today the Vice President of India, Dr Jagdeep Dhankhar said that the gender participation in governance is fundamental to bring about equality and to cut into inequities. India perhaps the only country in the world that has constitutionally structured participation of women in governance. He said that in village and municipal one third seats has been reserved for women. Pertaining to women empowerment he said that his government has taken initiatives that women at all level right from the Panchayat to be empowered. He informed that lakhs of women are frequently being elected through the election process in Panchayat, Cooperative etc. level. They are heading challenges of governance at village Panchayat and district level. He said that elections have been fortified in the constitution it’s a legal framework of functioning of various democratic institution, where the participation of women has been given priority.

    Dr Jagdeep Dhankhar informed that in a country of 1.5 billion people, drastic change is seen in every field in last one decade, education, economy and other basic immunity providing sectors like internet, electricity, cocking gas, toilet etc. He said that massive transformative steps have been taken through two aspects by the government that has helped the country with enormously benefited people. Of them one is education and the second is empowering of the people, when it comes to internet uses per capita India is more than USA & China.

    He said that when it comes to formalization of economy or digital transfer, we account more than 50 percent of the global communities. In decade ago, our economy had only double digit in global bench mark and now we are fifth position in the world and on the way to becoming third economic power of the world in next two years. He said that our nation is set for target that India would be a developed nation by 2047; there was a time our nation has to deposit its gold with Banks in Switzerland to sustain our fiscal credibility by then the foreign exchange reserve was only 11 billion US dollar, if it can be compared to the present situation the volume has gone to 7 hundred billion US dollar. Dr Dhankhar said that India is an example for the rest of the world that what could be impacts of the good initiatives in the field of rural development; empowerment of people etc. This convergence is a significant mile stone that would take the nation to a new height. Vice President said that this conference of African-Asian Rural Development Organization would go a long way in defining the stability of the world, he said that if World’s stability is to be defined then growth of rural sector, agriculture and corporative sector etc.  are top most important. 

    He said that the world is facing challenges for its safe existence. Indicating climate change the Vice President Shri Dhankhar said that it’s a menace created only by us by reckless exploitation of natural resources of which we are not the owner.  He said that we thought that this planet is meant for only human being not for others but there are also other challenges that include hunger, poverty. In one hand we have exploited technology to its maximum extent and on the other hand we have problem like hunger & poverty. In such a situation India is trying to leverage its technology for empowering people, to mitigate the suffering and to cut the corruption and to generate transparency and accountability.

    *****

    MG/NR

    (Release ID: 2105287) Visitor Counter : 51

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LegCo Spring Luncheon (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LegCo Spring Luncheon (with photos)
    LegCo Spring Luncheon (with photos)
    ***********************************

    The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:    The President of the Legislative Council (LegCo), Mr Andrew Leung, hosted a spring luncheon today (February 21) in the Dining Hall of the LegCo Complex for the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, Executive Council Members, senior Government officials and LegCo Members. Nearly 200 guests and Members attended the luncheon to celebrate the Chinese New Year.     Mr Leung said that as Hong Kong navigates a complex international geopolitical environment while addressing a financial deficit, Hong Kong must promote our innovation development and economic transformation by all means and at full speed. He added that the LegCo will continue to fully support the Government in swiftly implementing all development plans that benefit Hong Kong. He also expressed his wish for the country and Hong Kong to successfully overcome challenges and thrive in the Year of the Snake.     Before attending the luncheon, Mr Lee, accompanied by Mr Leung, visited the PANDA GO! FEST HK exhibition in the Main Lobby of the LegCo Complex and took photos with the panda sculptures.

     
    Ends/Friday, February 21, 2025Issued at HKT 18:50

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 17.01 lakh new workers enrolled under ESI Scheme in the month of December, 2024

    Source: Government of India (2)

    17.01 lakh new workers enrolled under ESI Scheme in the month of December, 2024

    8.22 lakh young employees upto the age group of 25 years constitute new registrations

    3.46 lakh female employees enrolled in the ESI Scheme

    20,360 new establishments registered under ESI Scheme in the month of December, 2024

    73 transgender employees registered under ESI Scheme in December, 2024

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 4:12PM by PIB Delhi

    The provisional payroll data of ESIC reveals that 17.01 lakh new employees have been added in the month of December, 2024.

    20,360 new establishments have been brought under the social security ambit of the ESI Scheme in the month of December, 2024 thus ensuring social security to more workers.

    Through the data, it is noticeable that out of the total 17.01 lakh employees added during the month, 8.22 lakh employees amounting to around 48.35% of the total registrations belong to the age group of upto 25 years.

    Also, the gender-wise analysis of the payroll data indicates that the net enrolment of female members has been 3.46 lakh in December, 2024. Besides, a total of 73 transgender employees have also got registered under ESI Scheme in the month of December, 2024 which attests the commitment of ESIC to deliver its benefits to every section of the society.

    The payroll data is provisional since the data generation is a continuous exercise.

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    Himanshu Pathak

     

    (Release ID: 2105266) Visitor Counter : 81

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minster Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan to visit the inaugural function of Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2025 at ICAR-IARI in New Delhi tomorrow

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Minster Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan to visit the inaugural function of Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2025 at ICAR-IARI in New Delhi tomorrow

    The theme of the mela is Unnat Krishi – Viksit Bharat

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 3:53PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minster of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan will visit the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2025 in New Delhi tomorrow. Shri Chouhan will be the Chief Guest of the inaugural function. Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela (PKVM) 2025 of Indian Council of Agricultural Research -Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI) is going to be held during February 22-24, 2025. The theme of the mela is Unnat Krishi – Viksit Bharat. Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur and Shri Bhagirath Choudhary will be the Chief Guest of the Valedictory Session on 24th February 2025. Secretary DARE and Director General, ICAR, Dr. Himanshu Pathak will preside over the inaugural and valedictory sessions.

    The main attractions of the PKVM this year will be:

    • Live demonstrations of the new varieties and technologies developed by IARI
    • Exhibitions on promising technologies, products and services of IARI as well as ICAR Institutes, Agricultural Universities, KVKs, FPOs, entrepreneurs, start-ups, public and private companies
    • Technical Sessions and Farmers-Scientists interactions on important issues like Climate Resilient Agriculture, Crop Diversification, Digital Agriculture; Entrepreneurship Development of Youth and Women; Agricultural Marketing, Farmers Organizations and Start-ups; and Farmers’ Innovation
    • Sale of Pusa Seeds of important varieties
    • On-Spot agro-advisories

    Realizing the growing significance of climatic risk and nutrition, the research program at IARI laid emphasis upon on developing climate-resilient crop varieties and bio-fortified cultivars with enhanced nutrient profile along with higher productivity. During 2024, a total of 27 crop cultivars in 10 different crops namely, 7 in bread wheat, 3 in rice, 8 maize hybrids, 1 pearl millet hybrid, 2 chickpea cultivars, 1 pigeon pea hybrid, 3 mung bean varieties, 1 lentil variety, 2 double zero mustard varieties and 1 soybean variety have been released. These include 16 varieties and 11 hybrids. IARI has been making stupendous contributions in Basmati rice production and trade through development of superior varieties. Basmati rice varieties including Pusa Basmati 1718, Pusa Basmati 1692, Pusa Basmati 1509 and the ones with resistance to both bacterial blight and blast diseases namely, PB 1847, PB 1885, and PB 1886 contribute to about 90% of the 5.2 million tons of Basmati rice exports earning of Rs. 48389 crores from India in 2023-2024. During April to November 2024, the export earnings from our Basmati rice stands at Rs 31,488 crores. Two short duration non-Basmati rice varieties namely, Pusa 1824 and Pusa 2090 have been released, which can help provide sufficient time for after-harvest operations. Pusa RH 60 is a high-yielding, short-duration, aromatic rice hybrid with long slender grains, best suited for Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Pusa Narendra KN1 and Pusa CRD KN2 are improved Kalanamak varieties with better resistance and higher yield, recommended for Uttar Pradesh.

    Institute’s research program also laid focus upon nutritional security and developed eight biofortified cultivars. One bread wheat variety (HI 1665) and one durum wheat, HI 8840 was developed with high iron and zinc content, suitable for central zone. A multi-nutrient hybrid Pusa Biofortified maize Hybrid 5 has been developed, which is enriched with α-tocopherol (21.60 ppm) provitamin A (6.22 ppm), high lysine (4.93%) and tryptophan (1.01%). Pusa Biofortified Maize Hybrid-4 is biofortified with high provitamin A, lysine, and tryptophan. Pusa Popcorn Hybrid-1 and Hybrid-2 offer high popping percentage and butterfly-type popped flakes, ideal for NWPZ and PZ zones. Pusa HM4 Male Sterile Baby Corn-2 is a male sterile-based hybrid developed for NEPZ, PZ, and CWZ zones.

    Two double zero mustard varieties (Pusa Mustard 35 and Pusa Mustard 36) were released with low erucic acid and glucosinolates content; which  provide high yield under timely sown irrigated conditions in Zone-III (Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan). Pearl Millet Pusa 1801 (MH 2417) is a dual-purpose variety (grain and fodder) biofortified with high iron (70 ppm) and zinc (57 ppm) content. It is resistant to multiple diseases and is best suited for the NCT of Delhi. Chickpea var Pusa Chickpea Vijay 10217 is a high-yielding variety resistant to Fusarium wilt, recommended for irrigated conditions in Uttar Pradesh. Chickpea var Pusa 3057 has high seed protein content (24.3%) and is resistant to multiple diseases, including Fusarium wilt, collar rot, and dry root rot. It is also moderately resistant to pod borer and has large seeds with excellent grain color and shape. Pigeon pea var Pusa Arhar Hybrid-5 is a high-yielding variety (23.35 q/ha on average, with a potential of 25.46 q/ha) resistant to SMD, Phytophthora stem blight, Macrophomina blight, and Alternaria leaf spot, making it suitable for Delhi and NCT.

     

    Striving towards attainment of goals of crop diversification for economic as well as ecological benefits, Institute has standardized Integrated Farming System Models (IFS).  Integrated farming system model of 1.0 ha area for small farmers involving crops, dairy, fishery, duckery, biogas plant, fruit trees and agro-forestry developed by ICAR-IARI has potential to generate the net returns up to Rs. 3,79,000/ha/year with an employment generation of 628 man-days. Similarly, Integrated Farming System Model of 0.4 ha area for marginal farm holders integrating polyhouse culture, mushroom cultivation along with crop and horticulture enterprises has the potential to generate the net income of Rs. 1,75,650/acre/year. 

    Horticulture-based crop diversification has been popular among farmers. Cultivation of vegetables, fruits and flowers has been profitable, while fruits and vegetable cultivation is also useful in promotion of nutritional security.  To promote vegetable cultivation, IARI has developed 268 improved vegetable varieties in 48 vegetable crops comprising of 41 hybrids and 227 varieties. IARI has developed nutritionally superior varieties in carrot (Pusa Prateek, Pusa Rudhira, Pusa Asita), okra (Pusa Lal Bhindi-1), Indian bean (Pusa Lal Sem), broccoli (Pusa Purple Broccoli-1) & Vitamin C rich spinach variety (Pusa Vilayati Palak) to address the issue of malnutrition. Yellow vein mosaic virus (YVMV) resistant andEnation leaf curl virus ELCV tolerant okra varieties (Pusa Bhindi-5 and DOH-1) were released to minimize the application of pesticides use and reduction in cost of cultivation. Six varieties and one hybrid in brinjal, three varieties in onion, two varieties and one hybrid in cucumber, three varieties in Indian bean, three hybrids in bitter gourd, two varieties and one hybrid in musk melon were released for cultivation. Two soft-seeded guava varieties, Pusa Aarushi (red pulp) and Pusa Pratiksha (white pulp), have been developed along with a gynodioecious, semi-dwarf papaya variety, Pusa Peet. One marigold variety i.e. Pusa Bahar has been recommended for release. A mid-season gladiolus var. Pusa Sinduri has been released for West Bengal, Punjab, New Delhi and Rajasthan. The production of quality seeds has increased more than four times since 2018-19 (239.861 tons) to 975.478 tons in 2023-24. The nutritious food products developed by the Division of Biochemistry are Divine Dough which is pearl millet flour with richness of quality protein, resistant starch, fibre and micronutrients like Fe and Zn. Pearly Loaf is a gluten-free bread pre-mix made entirely from whole pearl millet, offering a nutritious alternative to wheat-based bread. With a low glycemic index (pGI 68-69%), it supports blood sugar management while being rich in fiber, essential minerals, and bioactive compounds.

    A rapid colorimetric test kit named ‘Speedy Seed viability kit’ has been developed by our institute to distinguish between viable and non-viable seeds within 1–4 hours, depending on the seed type. Pusa STFR Meter developed by ICAR-IARI is a low cost, user-friendly, digital instrument to analyses fourteen important soil parameters including secondary and micronutrients viz., soil pH, EC, organic carbon, available N (derived from organic carbon), P, K, S, B, Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn as well as lime and gypsum requirement. Pusa Decomposer developed by ICAR-IARI is an eco-friendly and economically viable effective microbial solution for in-situ and ex-situ residue management. It has also been developed into ready to use powder formulation, which is completely dissolvable in water and can be used easily with mechanical sprayers. 500g per acre is recommended for decomposition of paddy straw in the field. The farm Sun Fridge developed by ICAR-IARI is an off-grid, battery-less solar refrigerated and evaporative cooled (SREC) structure. The objective of the technology is to have a solar cold store on farm fields. The cold store is used for storage of perishables. “PUSA MeFly KIT” and “PUSA CueFly KIT” are ready-to-use kits to manage fruit fly menace in a wide range of fruit and cucurbit vegetables, respectively. Point of care diagnostic kit and Easy PCR detection kit have been developed for rapid detection of chilli leaf curl virus and mung bean yellow mosaic virus, respectively. Pusa Dhan Bakanae parikshan kit has been developed for identifying pathogens causing bakanae disease in seed as well as in soil.

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    MG/RN

    (Release ID: 2105262) Visitor Counter : 62

    Read this release in: Hindi

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government responds to provisional liquidation of Paul Y Engineering Group Limited

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         In response to the application for provisional liquidation by Paul Y Engineering Group Limited (Paul Y), a Government spokesman today (February 21) gave the following response:
          
         The Government noted that an application was made by Paul Y to the court recently to appoint a provisional liquidator for its five subsidiaries to handle debts and formulate a restructuring plan, and that the court held a hearing and approved the application today. Since it was a corporate decision of Paul Y to submit the application, and legal proceedings are underway, it is inappropriate for the Government to comment on the details.
          
         The Government spokesman said that any enterprise encountering financial difficulties has its own reasons, and the enterprise has to find a suitable solution based on its actual circumstances. As there have been market rumours and media reports of financial difficulties and layoffs at Paul Y for some time, the Government has been paying close attention to the situation and making preparations to reduce the impact on relevant works projects and subcontractors and to assist affected employees.
          
         Regarding public works projects, Paul Y’s subsidiaries are undertaking the construction of 13 public works contracts, among which 12 contracts are undertaken by Paul Y and other construction companies by way of joint venture. These contracts are managed by various government departments separately, including the Civil Engineering and Development Department, the Architectural Services Department, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Highways Department, the Drainage Services Department, the Water Supplies Department and the Environmental Protection Department. As the majority of the contracts are undertaken by joint ventures, regardless of whether Paul Y is liquidated eventually, the other participants of the joint venture contracts must complete the remaining works in accordance with the contract requirements. The Development Bureau (DEVB) has assessed that the joint venture participants concerned are capable of undertaking the remaining works, and they have also expressed that they will continue to execute the contracts. The only project solely undertaken by Paul Y has largely entered the completion stage. Overall, the DEVB believes that the impact of the situation of Paul Y on relevant public works projects is manageable, and will closely monitor the situation.
          
         On the other hand, Paul Y has also undertaken works projects of other public organisations, some of which are undertaken by joint ventures. As aforementioned, it is believed that the impact is manageable. For other projects solely undertaken by Paul Y, the public sector owners have replaced the main contractor of most of the projects in accordance with the established mechanism to ensure the smooth completion of the projects. Owners of a few other projects are also carrying out such arrangements with a view to minimising the impact on the projects.
          
         As the majority of the Government and public sector projects will be undertaken by other participants of the joint ventures or have the main contractor replaced in accordance with the mechanism, if Paul Y is liquidated by the court eventually, the succeeding contractor will follow the request made by the Government and public sector owners to try to accommodate the situation of existing subcontractors and workers so that they can continue to work on the relevant projects for the sake of maintaining continuity.
          
         In respect of Paul Y’s debt matters, the affected subcontractors or suppliers can apply for claims through legal means. The Government, including the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), has been in contact with the construction industry and the banking sector. If subcontractors or suppliers face cash-flow pressure due to the Paul Y incident, the HKMA and the DEVB, together with the Construction Industry Council, will communicate with the Hong Kong Association of Banks so that banks can consider providing assistance on a case-by-case basis. Relevant enterprises can proactively contact lending banks and provide all relevant information so that the banks can understand the actual circumstances of the enterprises in a timely manner and provide flexible arrangements as far as feasible.
          
         In respect of employment rights and benefits, the Labour Department (LD) has all along been requiring Paul Y to pay wages and provide statutory rights to its employees in accordance with the Employment Ordinance (EO) and fulfil its obligations under the EO as a main contractor to pay the first two months’ unpaid wages of an employee who is employed by its subcontractors. The LD will continue to maintain contact with Paul Y, its subcontractors and relevant stakeholders to co-ordinate assistance for employees. Employees of Paul Y and its subcontractors who have enquiries on their employment rights and benefits may call the LD’s dedicated hotline at 3580 8721 or visit 10 branch offices of the Labour Relations Division in the territory.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected smuggled seafood worth about $1.39 million at Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Hong Kong Customs yesterday (February 20) detected a suspected smuggling case involving a cross-boundary goods vehicle at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Port. A batch of suspected smuggled seafood, including about 1 450 kilograms of oysters, 1 150kg of fish, 300kg of lobsters, with a total estimated market value of about $1.39 million, was seized.

         Based on risk assessment, Customs yesterday intercepted an outgoing goods vehicle at the HZMB Hong Kong Port. Upon inspection, Customs officers found the batch of unmanifested cargo items inside the vehicle.

         A 57-year-old male driver was arrested and was put on bail pending further investigation.

         Customs will continue to combat cross-boundary smuggling activities with firm enforcement action based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis.

         Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years. 

         Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).   

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: In its drive against facilities engaged in printing of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN), DRI busts seven more modules in Maharashtra (4), Haryana (1), Bihar (1) and Andhra Pradesh (1); nine arrested

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 3:11PM by PIB Delhi

    Continuing the drive against modules involved in the import of security paper and printing Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN), on 20th February 2025, DRI conducted simultaneous searches at 11 different places across Maharashtra, Haryana, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Bihar yesterday and busted seven (7) additional modules involved in printing of FICN.

    Earlier on 8th Feb, 2025, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had arrested two persons found to be the actual importers of high-quality paper with embedded security thread having inscriptions of ‘RBI’ and ‘Bharat’ (‘security paper’) in Ghazipur District, Uttar Pradesh and Bengaluru, Karnataka and in the follow-up next day on 9th Feb, DRI had busted two facilities (Thane, Maharashtra & Bhiwani District Haryana) printing FICN using imported security papers, where three persons were arrested by jurisdictional police authorities based on complaint made by DRI.

    In the present case, in Vikhroli West, Mumbai, DRI identified and located the importer. After thorough search in a densely populated locality, a sophisticated facility for printing and finishing the Fake Indian Currency Notes was unearthed and fake currency of denomination of Rs. 50 & Rs. 100, several machinery/tools were seized. Seized items includes laptops, printers, pen drives, security paper, A-4 sized papers & butter paper with watermark of Mahatma Gandhi etc. On the basis of the complaint filed by DRI officers, the person was arrested and all the apparatus and tools were seized by the jurisdictional police authorities under Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for further investigation.

    In Sangamner district and in Kolhapur district, the DRI unearthed similar set up with computers and printers, which were being used to print fake Indian Currency Notes. At both the places, on the basis of the complaint filed by DRI officers, the two accused were arrested and the contraband was seized by the jurisdictional police authorities under BNS for further investigation.

    The questioning of the accused in the Kolhapur module led to the busting of another module with printing set up in Belgaum, by Kolhapur police, who arrested three more persons in the case.

    In three other locations, (West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh; Khagaria District in Bihar and Rohtak in Haryana) the importers of the security paper were traced. Incriminating evidence such as restricted security paper and printer at West Godavari; laptops, printer and restricted security paper at Khagaria district were also recovered. The three accused have been arrested by jurisdictional police based on complaint by DRI officials and the matter has been handed over for further investigation under BNS.

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    NB/KMN

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Correctional officers intercept smuggling of suspected dangerous drug into Tai Lam Centre for Women

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Correctional officers intercept smuggling of suspected dangerous drug into Tai Lam Centre for Women
    Correctional officers intercept smuggling of suspected dangerous drug into Tai Lam Centre for Women
    ******************************************************************************************

         Correctional officers at Tai Lam Centre for Women today (February 21) intercepted a female remand person in custody smuggling a suspected dangerous drug into the centre by concealing it inside her body.           The 25-year-old person in custody was remanded for the offence of trafficking in a dangerous drug on February 18. After undergoing X-ray body scanning, she was suspected to have swallowed the dangerous drug before admission. She was therefore separated and put under close monitoring.           At 2.36pm today, she discharged one pack of the suspected dangerous drug, which weighed about 12 grams and was wrapped in a plastic sheet. The case has been reported to the Police for follow-up.           A spokesman for the Correctional Services Department said, “The department takes every measure to stop the introduction of dangerous drugs or unauthorised articles into correctional institutions in order to maintain good order and discipline, and a drug-free environment for all persons in custody.”

     
    Ends/Friday, February 21, 2025Issued at HKT 18:15

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: TRAI releases Recommendations on ‘Framework for Service Authorisations for provision of Broadcasting Services under the Telecommunications Act, 2023’

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 3:28PM by PIB Delhi

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has today released Recommendations on ‘Framework for Service Authorisations for provision of Broadcasting Services under the Telecommunications Act, 2023’.

    As per the extant guidelines for various broadcasting services, licenses/permissions/ registrations are issued by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) under Section 4 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 for provision of broadcasting services, like, television channel uplinking/downlinking (including Teleport), SNG/DSNG, DTH, HITS, IPTV, FM Radio, and Community Radio Stations (CRS).

    The Government has notified the Telecommunications Act, 2023 in the Gazette of India, which repeals the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. However, the appointed date for various sections of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 is yet to be notified. Section 3(1)(a) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 mandates authorisation for those intending to provide telecommunication services, subject to the terms and conditions, including fees or charges, as may be prescribed.

    MIB, vide its letter dated 25th July 2024, has sought recommendations of TRAI under Section 11(1)(a) of TRAI Act, 1997 on the terms and conditions, including fees or charges; for authorisation to provide broadcasting services, aligning it to the Telecommunications Act, 2023 and harmonizing the terms and conditions across various service providers.

    Accordingly, on 30th October 2024, the Authority initiated a consultation process by releasing a Consultation Paper titled ‘Framework for Service Authorisations for provision of Broadcasting Services under the Telecommunications Act, 2023‘ and sought stakeholder’s comments. In response, the comments and counter comments received from the stakeholders were uploaded on TRAI’s website. As part of the consultation process, Open House Discussion (OHD) was held on 18th December 2024.

    Based on the comments and counter-comments received from stakeholders as well as inputs gathered during OHD, examination of the existing provisions of various broadcasting policy guidelines, taking into account relevant earlier recommendations of TRAI that are under consideration of the Government, and its own analysis, TRAI has collated and restructured the terms and conditions into a simplified authorisation framework. The terms and conditions are aligned to the relevant provisions of the Telecommunications Act, 2023. Accordingly, TRAI has finalized its Recommendations on ‘Framework for Service Authorisations for provision of Broadcasting Services under the Telecommunications Act, 2023’. The recommendations aim to promote growth and enhance ease of doing business in the sector.

    The recommended authorisation framework provides for two distinct sets of terms and conditions, the first set, for the applicant entity intending to obtain authorisation for broadcasting services; and the second set, to comply with by the authorised entity for service provisioning during the period of authorisation.

    These two sets of terms and conditions should be adopted while framing the Rules, namely, ‘The Broadcasting (Grant of Service Authorisations) Rules’ and ‘The Broadcasting (Television Channel Broadcasting, Television Channel Distribution, and Radio Broadcasting) Services Rules’.

    The recommended authorisations for broadcasting services include those for Television Channel Broadcasting (Satellite-based/Ground-based), News Agency for Television Channel(s), Teleport/Teleport Hub, Uplinking of Live event/news/footage by Foreign Channel/News Agency, Direct to Home (DTH) Service, Head End in the Sky (HITS) Service, Terrestrial Radio Service, Community Radio Stations and Low Power Small Range Radio Service.

    Salient points of the recommendations are given below:

      • Broadcasting service authorisations shall be granted under Section 3(1)(a) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, in place of the extant practice of issuing license/permission under Section 4 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. Terms and conditions for service authorisations shall be notified as Rules under Section 56 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
      • Grant of service authorisation under Section 3(1)(a) should be in the form of an authorisation document containing essential details pertaining to the service. The format of the authorisation document has been recommended.
      • The terms and conditions for ‘Grant of Service Authorisations’ have been harmonized for similar services and covers eligibility criteria, application process and other relevant details/information required by an applicant entity before applying for service authorisation.
      • Migration of existing licensee/permission holder to new authorisation regime shall be voluntary, till the expiry of their license/permission. Further, no processing fee or entry fee will be required for migration, in case of broadcasting services. However, the validity period of the respective service authorisation should be from the effective date of migration to the authorisation regime, irrespective of the validity period of existing license/permission.
      • Addition of new services, namely, ‘Ground-based Broadcasting of a Television Channel’ and ‘Low Power Small Range Radio Service’, based on earlier recommendations of the Authority.
      • The terms and conditions for service provisioning encompasses two parts, namely, ‘Common Terms and Conditions’ applicable to all broadcasting service authorisations in a harmonized manner and ‘Specific Terms and Conditions’ applicable to service specific authorisations.
      • To protect the interests of service providers, it has been recommended that amendments to terms and conditions of service authorisations (except for reasons of National Security) shall require TRAI’s recommendations.
      • Mandatory co-location should be removed for authorised entities of Radio Broadcasting Services.
      • Infrastructure sharing, on voluntary basis, among broadcasting service providers as well as with the telecom service providers/infrastructure providers, wherever technically and commercially feasible, has been recommended.
      • Authorised entities of ‘Television Channel Distribution Services’ shall endeavour to adopt interoperable STBs to enhance consumer choice and reduce electronic waste.
      • TEC to prepare and notify standards for interoperable STBs and television sets with inbuilt STB functionality.
      • The minimum net worth requirement of Rs. 100 crore for the Internet Service Providers to provide IPTV Service is recommended to be removed and the same should be aligned with the provisions contained in the authorisation for Internet Services to be issued by DoT.
      • Terms and conditions for Radio Broadcasting Service have been made technology agnostic enabling adoption of digital technology.
      • Service authorisation for ‘Terrestrial Radio Service’ to be delinked from frequency assignment and the auction of spectrum for frequency assignment for Terrestrial Radio Service shall be done separately.
      • In addition to broadcasting of radio channel(s), the authorised entities for Terrestrial Radio Service should be allowed streaming the same content through internet concurrently without any user control.
      • MIB should prescribe separate Programme Code and Advertisement Code for radio broadcasting service providers.
      • The terms and conditions including fees and charges for various broadcasting services, particularly in the ‘Television Channel Distribution Services’, have been harmonized with the provisions in the Telecommunications Act, 2023. Salient recommended terms and conditions are as under:

     

    Conditions

    Existing

    Recommended

    Authorisation Fees (erstwhile License Fee) for DTH services

    8% of AGR

    3% of AGR, to be reduced to ‘zero’. No authorisation fee after the end of FY 2026-27

    Authorisation Fees (erstwhile Annual Fee) for Radio Broadcasting Services
    • 4% of GR or 2.5% of NOTEF, whichever is higher;
    • 2% of GR or 1.25% of NOTEF for NE states, J&K and island territories during initial 3 years, thereafter as above
    • 4% of AGR for all the cities;
    • 2% of AGR for NE states, J&K and island territories during initial 3 years, thereafter as above

    Bank Guarantee for

    DTH Service

    Rs. 5 crore initial, thereafter License Fee of two quarters

    Rs. 5 crore or 20% of Authorisation Fee for two quarters, whichever is higher

    Bank Guarantee for

    HITS Service

    Rs. 40 crore for initial 3 years

    Rs. 5 crore for the validity of authorisation

    Processing Fees of

    HITS Service

    Rs. 1 Lac

    Rs. 10000

    Validity Period of

    HITS Service

    10 years initially, no provision for renewal

    20 years with renewal by 10 years at a time

    Renewal Period for Terrestrial Radio Service

    No provision for renewal in FM Radio

    Renewal by 10 years at a time

     

    In addition to harmonization of financial requirements, harmonization of common terms and conditions, roll out obligations for similar services (DTH and HITS), provisions enabling infrastructure sharing, provisions applicable in case of emergency/disaster, monitoring and inspection, contravention of rules, applicable Program Code and Advertisement Code for television broadcasting /distribution services and that for all Radio broadcasting services has been recommended.

    The Recommendations have been placed on the TRAI’s website (www.trai.gov.in). For any clarification/information Dr. Deepali Sharma, Advisor (Broadcasting and Cable Services), TRAI may be contacted at Telephone Number +91-11-20907774.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Gujarat Finance Minister presents Budget 2025-26 digitally via NeVA

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 3:19PM by PIB Delhi

    The Finance Minister of Gujarat, Shri Kanu Desai, presented the Budget 2025-26 digitally via National eVidhan Application (NeVA) at the Assembly, marking a step towards paperless governance.

    National eVidhan Application is a transformative project under the Digital India initiative aiming to transform the governance landscape in India with a paperless and digital legislative process.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FIRST TRAINING SQUADRON OF INDIAN NAVY ARRIVED AT CAM RANH BAY, VIETNAM

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 3:17PM by PIB Delhi

    Building Bridges of friendship whilst training young minds, the ships of First Training Squadron – INS Tir and ICGS Veera arrived at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam on 20 Feb 25. The ships received a warm welcome by the Vietnam People’s Navy and members of Indian mission at Vietnam. The visit is poised to further strengthen the longstanding friendship and growing partnership between the two maritime nations.

    During the port call, various cross training visits, professional and community interactions including a visit to Vietnam Naval Academy are planned. The visit will conclude with bilateral exercises with Vietnam People’s Navy and Coast Guard. The exercise would further enhance the interoperability and exchange of Best Practices.

    India and Vietnam share comprehensive strategic partnership which was further strengthened during the recent visit of the PM of Vietnam to India in Aug 24. Furthering the ties, the visit by Training Squadron of the Indian Navy to Vietnam reinforces closer maritime cooperation and training exchange between the two Navies. The extant deployment is aligned with Government of India’s broader initiative to enhance capacity building and strengthen regional maritime security in line with the vision of Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: In its crusade against facilities engaged in printing of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN), DRI busts seven more modules in Maharashtra (4), Haryana (1), Bihar (1) and Andhra Pradesh (1); nine arrested

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 3:11PM by PIB Delhi

    Earlier on 8th Feb, 2025, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had arrested two persons found to be the actual importers of high-quality paper with embedded security thread having inscriptions of ‘RBI’ and ‘Bharat’ (‘security paper’) in Ghazipur District, Uttar Pradesh and Bengaluru, Karnataka and in the follow-up next day on 9th Feb, DRI had busted two facilities (Thane, Maharashtra & Bhiwani District Haryana) printing FICN using imported security papers, where three persons were arrested by jurisdictional police authorities based on complaint made by DRI.

    Continuing the drive against modules involved in the import of security paper and printing Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN), on 20th February 2025, DRI conducted simultaneous searches at 11 different places across Maharashtra, Haryana, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Bihar yesterday and busted seven (7) additional modules involved in printing of FICN.

    In Vikhroli West, Mumbai, DRI sleuths identified and located the importer. After thorough search in a densely populated locality, a sophisticated facility for printing and finishing the Fake Indian Currency Notes was unearthed and fake currency of denomination of Rs. 50 & Rs. 100, several machinery/tools were seized. Seized items includes laptops, printers, pen drives, security paper, A-4 sized papers & butter paper with watermark of Mahatma Gandhi etc. On the basis of the complaint filed by DRI officers, the person was arrested and all the apparatus and tools were seized by the jurisdictional police authorities under Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for further investigation.

    In Sangamner district and in Kolhapur district, the DRI unearthed similar set up with computers and printers, which were being used to print fake Indian Currency Notes. At both the places, on the basis of the complaint filed by DRI officers, the two accused were arrested and the contraband was seized by the jurisdictional police authorities under BNS for further investigation.

    The questioning of the accused in the Kolhapur module led to the busting of another module with printing set up in Belgaum, by Kolhapur police, who arrested three more persons in the case.

    In three other locations, (West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh; Khagaria District in Bihar and Rohtak in Haryana) the importers of the security paper were traced. Incriminating evidence such as restricted security paper and printer at West Godavari; laptops, printer and restricted security paper at Khagaria district were also recovered. The three accused have been arrested by jurisdictional police based on complaint by DRI officials and the matter has been handed over for further investigation under BNS.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Biodiversity to Bioeconomy

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Biodiversity to Bioeconomy

    How Biotechnology is Transforming North East India

    Posted On: 21 FEB 2025 2:53PM by PIB Delhi

    Nestled in the lap of the Himalayas and blessed with lush biodiversity, India’s North East Region (NER) is a land of hidden treasures. Its vibrant landscapes, rich culture, and vast  pool of resources offer immense potential for innovation. Now, with the transformative power of biotechnology, the NER is not just preserving its natural heritage but also scripting a new chapter of growth and sustainability.

    Imagine a region where farmers cultivate medicinal plants that fuel both health industries and local incomes, where young researchers develop resilient crop varieties that withstand changing climates, and where bio-entrepreneurs thrive by transforming indigenous knowledge into global products. This vision is steadily turning into reality, thanks to the Department of Biotechnology’s North Eastern Programme. The main objectives of the programme are:

    Since 2010, DBT has consistently allocated 10% of its annual budget to specialized programmes in the NER, aiming to bridge the gap between potential and prosperity. These initiatives focus on harnessing endemic bioresources, promoting biotech education, and creating employment opportunities through bio-based entrepreneurship.

    North Eastern Programme timeline

     

    Biotechnology thrives on knowledge and innovation. Recognizing this, the DBT has launched multiple educational and training programmes focused on NER:

    Twinning R&D Programme for NER

    The programme was initiated in 2010-2011 towards developing core competence and capacity in various areas of biotechnology through collaboration of Institutes from North East India with other leading Institutes across the country. The programme has catalyzed vibrant collaborations between 65+ institutions from NER and those from the rest of India in various spheres of biotechnology, where close to 650 R&D projects has been supported benefitting around 450 researchers and 2000 young researchers / students.

    Collaborations under the DBT- Twinning R&D Programme

     

    Establishment of Biotech Hubs across NER

    Since 2011, a network of 126 Biotech Hubs were established across NER, providing necessary infrastructure in universities/ colleges/ institutions and the required training in sophisticated technologies to support and promote biological sciences / biotechnology education and research. In the Phase-II, 54 Biotech have been supported for focused Research & training on local issues.

     

    Biotechnology Labs in Senior Secondary schools (BLiSS) of NER 

    To create awareness among school students about biological sciences at the school level and also to provide an environment of access to a well-equipped laboratory, DBT initiated a programme for establishing “Biotechnology Labs in Senior Secondary Schools (BLiSS)” in NER in 2014.

    Visiting Research Professorship (VRP) programme

    The Programme was initiated in 2015, to utilize the expertise of outstanding scientists for bringing advancements in the Biotechnology and Life Science related activities in various institutions of research and higher learning in the NE States of India.

    Specialized training programmes for NE researchers by National Institutions

    Chemical Ecology Programme between NER and Bangalore Institutes  (NCBS, UAS and IISc.) initiated in 2015, trained and equipped young scientists from  the NER to produce quality research outcomes by providing tailormade interdisciplinary training to Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows recruited under collaborative projects in the field of chemical ecology.

     

    Enhancing Capacity in Genomics-Driven Research in Human Health & Disease in the North-East Region by DBT-NIBMG, Kaylani.

    The programme, initiated in 2016 provided comprehensive training to scientists, research students and clinicians belonging to the NER, engaged in “Biomedical Research”. Short-term training programme included workshops on various aspects of molecular and genetics-based analyses, handling clinical materials such as blood and tissue samples and/or cell lines.

    The following Human Resource Development focused programmes are being implemented in the North Eastern Region:

    Programmes to support locals

    To emphasise services to farmers, and academics, the “DBT-North East Centre for Agricultural Biotechnology (DBT-NECAB): Phase III” project has been supported. Similarly, to strengthen Citrus research in NER, facilities were established at Institute of Horticulture Technology (IHT), Mandira, Assam, for the generation of certified scion material from Khasi mandarin (Citrus reticulata) and sweet orange. Rootstocks free from Citrus greening bacteria (CGB) and Citrus tristeza virus have been developed.

    In view of promoting sustainable bioresources, a total area of 64.1 acres was covered for captive cultivation of selected medicinal crops like Curcuma caesia and compound-rich lemongrass (elemicinrich and methyl-eugenol-rich). About 649 farmers and entrepreneurs from NER benefited from the training and awareness program. Additionally, an essential oil distillation unit has been installed at Mudoi village, Arunachal Pradesh, to support farmers in revenue generation. Furthermore, the Docynia indica, commonly known as Assam apple or wild apple, has been successfully explored towards making value-added products such as pickles, jam, candy, juice, etc., and the knowledge is being popularized among the tribal communities of Assam and Meghalaya through awareness campaigns and meetings

    The major outcomes of the North Eastern programmes are:

     

    • Bacterial Blight resistant introgressed rice variety “Patkai”: A rice variety has been developed by AAU- Assam using introgressing blight resistant from improved samba mahsuri (ISM) into Ranjeet Sub1 background. This variety was notified by Central Variety Release Committee (CVRC)
    • Lateral flow assay for the rapid detection of brucellosis: A chimeric protein conjugate based Lateral Flow Assay (LFA) for the detection of anti-brucella antibodies in multiple livestock was standardized. The analytical sensitivity considering iELISA test as gold standard with sera sample revealed significant positivity in lateral flow tests.
    • Mobile app – Pig Disease Diagnosis Expert System (PDDES), a Computer-based application to assist in the diagnosis of pig diseases or medical conditions was developed. Using PDDES, veterinarians, farmers, and other swine industry professionals can quickly identify and treat diseases to minimize their impact on pig production and profitability. The application is available in Google playstore.

    By harnessing the region’s rich biodiversity and empowering local communities through education, research, and entrepreneurship, the Department of Biotechnology’s initiatives are not only preserving cultural and ecological heritage but also driving sustainable economic growth. As North East India continues to evolve into a hub of bio-innovation, it sets a remarkable example of how science and tradition can coexist to shape a prosperous and sustainable future.

    References

    https://dbtindia.gov.in/scientific-directorates/advanced-biofuels-sustainability-ner/ner#

    Annual Report 2023-24 https://dbtindia.gov.in/about-us/annual-report/dbt

    Biotechnology Support in the North Eastern Region (2010-2021) pdf

    https://dbtindia.gov.in/publications

    Click here to see PDF:

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Commissioner of Customs and Excise meets with Director-General of Abu Dhabi Customs of UAE (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat, today (February 21) held a courtesy meeting with the Director-General of Abu Dhabi Customs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mr Rashed Lahej Al Mansoori, in the Customs Headquarters Building. The visit aimed to forge closer ties and strengthen business connections between the two sides.

         Mr Chan welcomed the visit by Mr Al Mansoori. During the meeting, both sides reviewed the strong economic and trade connections and the close relationship between the UAE and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the on-going collaborative efforts of the two Customs administrations in enforcement co-operation and trade facilitation. They also exchanged views on issues of mutual concern. 

         Mr Chan said that Hong Kong Customs is committed to maintaining solid connections with international and regional counterparts, and joining hands to enhance and promote customs efficiency, to create a more competitive environment for international trade.         

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