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Category: Business

  • MIL-Evening Report: Lethal second-generation rat poisons are killing endangered quolls and Tasmanian devils

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Davis, Associate Professor in Conservation, Edith Cowan University

    Adwo/Shutterstock

    Humans have been poisoning rodents for centuries. But fast-breeding rats and mice have evolved resistance to earlier poisons. In response, manufacturers have produced second generation anticoagulant rodenticides such as bromadiolone, widely used in Australian households.

    Unfortunately, these potent poisons do not magically disappear after the rodent is dead. For example, it’s well known owls who eat poisoned rodents suffer the same slow death from internal bleeding.

    Our new research shows the problem is much bigger than owls. We found Australia’s five largest marsupial predators – the four quoll species and the Tasmanian devil – are getting hit by these poisons too.

    Half of the 52 animals we tested had these poisons in their bodies. Some had died from it. These species are already threatened by foxes and feral cats. Rat poison is yet another threat – and one they may not be able to survive. Other countries have moved to ban these poisons. But in Australia, they’re widely available.

    How does rat poison end up in a Tasmanian devil?

    Quolls and Tasmanian devils are carnivores. They eat mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, finding food by hunting – or by scavenging dead bodies, including rats and mice. But do they eat enough poisoned rats and mice to be at risk?

    To find out, we analysed liver samples from all four of Australia’s quoll species as well as the iconic Tasmanian devil. The samples came from dead animals from a range of sources, including animals dying in veterinary care, found as roadkill, or simply found dead.

    Each of these species is endangered or vulnerable. Together, they represent the largest remaining Australian carnivorous marsupials – native animals at the top of their food chains.

    We tested samples from 52 animals. Half of these were positive for second generation anticoagulant rodenticides. Of these, 21% tested positive for more than one rodenticide.

    Unfortunately, many animals we tested had consumed doses high enough to kill. Around 15% of the Tasmanian devils, 20% of the eastern quolls, 22% of chuditch (western quolls) and 20% of the spotted-tailed quolls tested were very likely to die either from the poison itself or a related cause such as longer-term sickening.

    Tasmanian devils often scavenge from carcasses – exposing them to poisoned rats.
    Vaclav Matous/Shutterstock

    We found one chuditch from a Perth suburb had been exposed to three different second-generation rodenticides. It had levels of one poison, brodifacoum, at 1.6 milligrams per kilo, far above the rate presumed to be lethal to mammals. This is likely the highest recorded exposure rate in an Australian marsupial.

    Some 5% of Tasmanian devils had also been exposed to lethal levels of these second-generation poisons and a further 10% were exposed to potentially lethal levels.

    Even when these poisons don’t directly kill the quoll or devil, they can leave it worse off.

    All five species are threatened, meaning their populations are a fraction of what they used to be. Even small changes to populations can trigger more rapid decline.

    Our analysis indicates an increase in deaths of just 2–4% of the chuditch population could increase extinction risk by 75%. This figure is dwarfed by how many chuditch are at risk from rat poisons, which we estimate at 22% of any given population in each generation, based on the exposure rates here.

    So, exposure to rat poison alone is likely enough to tip the species towards extinction – even without other threats such as being killed by foxes and cats.

    The release of an eastern quoll during a translocation. Rat poisons may pose a real risk to the species.
    Judy Dunlop, CC BY-NC-ND

    Can poisons be too potent?

    After the poison kills a mouse or rat, it remains lethal for some time.

    The poisons we examined take several months to halve in toxicity, meaning during this time they can kill owls, reptiles, frogs and small and medium-sized mammals such as possums.

    In Australia and around the world, evidence is mounting that these second-generation rodenticides are killing many more animals than those targeted. The poisons are hitting a wide range of carnivores including otters, wolves, foxes and raccoons. Even the famous Californian condor is threatened by rodenticides.

    Efforts to use thousands of litres of bromadiolone to stop a mouse plague in New South Wales triggered strong criticism. But to date, criticism has done little to curb their use in Australia.

    Second generation anticoagulant poisons are extremely effective at killing rats and mice – but the poison doesn’t stop there.
    speedshutter Photography/Shutterstock

    Australia is an outlier on this issue. In European and North American nations, these products are restricted to use by licensed pest controllers and banned for home use. Some nations have gone further and banned these poisons altogether. But here, you can buy them at Bunnings, Coles or Woolworths.

    Last year, a delegation of Australian researchers lobbied politicians to do more to regulate the use of these poisons.

    The institution responsible for ensuring poisons are safe is the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicine Authority. At present, the authority is weighing a decision on whether to introduce restrictions on these second-generation poisons, expected in April.

    Four other threatened Australian species – the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle, Tasmanian masked owl, powerful owl and Carnaby’s black cockatoo – have previously been found to be exposed to these rodenticides. Our research takes this tally to nine threatened species.

    In the absence of regulation, you can make a difference at home. Don’t use second-generation poisons which rely on brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone, difenacoum or flocoumafen. Get rid of your mouse or rat problem with first-generation poisons containing warfarin, coumatetralyl or other chemicals.

    If you only have a mouse or two, consider looking at non-poison alternatives.

    Taking a moment to consider these alternatives could save Australia’s most threatened native predators from an agonising death.

    Acknowledgements: Michael Lohr (Birdlife Australia) was the lead author on the research behind this article. Cheryl Lohr (Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Western Australia) contributed to the research.

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

    – ref. Lethal second-generation rat poisons are killing endangered quolls and Tasmanian devils – https://theconversation.com/lethal-second-generation-rat-poisons-are-killing-endangered-quolls-and-tasmanian-devils-250035

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Announcement on Open Market Operations No.31 [2025]

    Source: Peoples Bank of China

    Announcement on Open Market Operations No.31 [2025]

    (Open Market Operations Office, February 17, 2025)

    In order to keep the liquidity adequate in the banking system, the People’s Bank of China conducted reverse repo operations in the amount of RMB190.5 billion through quantity bidding at a fixed interest rate on February 17, 2025.

    Details of the Reverse Repo Operations

    Maturity

    Volume

    Rate

    7 days

    RMB190.5 billion

    1.50%

    Date of last update Nov. 29 2018

    2025年02月17日

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: $30 million to support conservation tourism

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government is investing $30 million from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy to fund more than a dozen projects to boost biodiversity and the tourist economy, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

    “Tourism is a key economic driver, and nature is our biggest draw card for international tourists,” says Mr Potaka.

    “Improving tourism infrastructure is good for the economy, and investing in conservation tourism is a win win.

    “Around 50 per cent of visitors cite natural landscapes and environment as their primary reason for traveling, and about 50 per cent of international tourists visit national parks.

    “While visitor satisfaction remains high, work is needed to ensure Aotearoa New Zealand continues to deliver on its promise to visitors.”

    To manage pressures at Aotearoa New Zealand’s most popular visitor sites, the Government is investing $11 million including:

    • Upgrades to huts, car parks and facilities at Aoraki Mt Cook, Rangitoto Island and Motutapu Island
    • Safety upgrades to 116 cable structures including suspension and swing bridges
    • Investment at Goat Island / Te Hāwere a Maki to improve beach access, carparking, and reflect the area’s significant cultural heritage.

    “These investments will help deliver a top-notch visitor experience at some of our most popular natural heritage sites.

    “Some will complement the Hauraki Gulf Bill that will deliver the highest ever level of environmental protection for this precious moana when it passes later this year.

    “New Zealand’s first marine reserve, Goat Island / Te Hāwere a Maki (Cape Rodney – Ōkakari Point), will be 50 years old later this year. It is among the top 10 most visited natural heritage areas with 350,000 visitors per year and has real potential for improved visitor experiences,” says Mr Potaka.

    “The benefits this will bring to the shops in Leigh, Matakana, and the surrounding area can be substantial.

    “Today’s announcement follows the Government’s launching of a new campaign to gear-up tourism for 2025 by encouraging Australians to pick New Zealand for their next holiday. We are also supporting the continued development of Māori tourism, which now contributes more than $1 billion a year to New Zealand’s economic growth,” Mr Potaka says.

    The Government is investing $19 million from the IVL into protecting biodiversity by reducing the spread of predators and invasive plant species. Investments include:

    • Stopping the spread of wallabies and managing deer and goat populations in National Parks and popular visitor areas to allow nature to thrive
    • Targeted predator control to protect native species especially the critically endangered Southern Dotterel birds in Rakiura National Park
    • Stopping and removing wilding pines from our iconic landscapes.

    “By expanding predator control, we will improve the protection of critically endangered species in national parks and grow the number of iconic birds for visitors to enjoy.

    “Wallabies have a terrible impact on indigenous forests such as at the popular Lakes Tarawera and Okataina, and down in Canterbury.

    “These investments funded from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy will deliver better visitor experiences and improved environmental outcomes and ultimately provide a boost for sustainable tourism and growth,” Mr Potaka says.

    The funding covers work across the next three years and comes from money raised under the previous $35 IVL rate.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Plutus Trade Base Expands Services to Include U.S. Traders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Plutus Trade Base (PTB) announces the expansion of its proprietary trading services to U.S. traders, offering funded accounts and profit-sharing opportunities. The firm provides access through TradeLocker and TradingView platforms, features a live Discord trading room, and supports a range of trading instruments, including forex, equities, commodities, and other asset classes.

    Photo credit: Plutus Trade Base

    LIMASSOL, Cyprus , Feb. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Plutus Trade Base (PTB), a proprietary trading firm, has announced that it will begin offering its services to traders in the United States. The company provides funded trading accounts, allowing traders to access capital without risking personal funds.

    PTB operates by evaluating traders through a structured assessment process. Successful participants gain access to funding and can receive payouts based on their trading performance. The company states that its model is designed to provide traders with more flexibility while maintaining clear trading conditions and rules.

    “The expansion into the U.S. is an important step for us,” said the of CEO of Plutus Trade Base. “Many traders in the U.S. are looking for alternative funding options, and we are working to provide them with a structured and transparent solution.”

    As part of the expansion, PTB has integrated with the TradeLocker and TradingView platforms. The company supports various trading instruments, including forex, stocks, and commodities. It also offers different funding models, including instant funding and challenge-based accounts. The firm states that its payout system includes multiple options, such as cryptocurrency withdrawals.

    The company has also introduced a live trading room on Discord, where traders can participate in discussions, share strategies, and engage in real-time trading sessions. The live trading room includes screen-sharing capabilities and allows participants to join via webcam, facilitating a more interactive learning environment.

    PTB states that it aims to provide clear terms and policies to address common concerns within the proprietary trading industry. The company’s rules outline drawdown limits, profit targets, and withdrawal procedures, which it describes as being structured to create a fair and consistent trading environment.

    “We are focused on providing traders with opportunities while ensuring that our processes remain transparent and accessible,” said PTB’s CEO. “Our goal is to support traders in improving their skills and achieving sustainable growth.”

    Proprietary trading firms have seen increased attention in recent years, with more traders seeking access to capital outside of traditional brokerage models. PTB joins other firms in the industry that offer funded accounts and profit-sharing models.

    PTB states that it will continue to refine its offerings and expand its reach in the coming months.

    About Plutus Trade Base

    Plutus Trade Base (PTB) is a proprietary trading firm that provides traders with access to funded accounts. The company evaluates traders through a structured process, offering funding and payout options based on performance. PTB supports multiple trading platforms and instruments and provides a live trading community for traders worldwide.

    Contact Information
    Name: Max
    Company: Plutus Trade Base
    Website: https://plutustradebase.com/
    Email: support@plutustradebase.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c9c5aea4-5b93-4f19-b1aa-a32da02b703b

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Appointments – Simon Davies announced as new SAP Regional President, Asia Pacific

    Source: SAP

    AUCKLAND, 17 February 2025 – SAP Asia Pacific (APAC) announced Simon Davies as President for the newly-created APAC region, effective immediately. Based in Singapore, Davies will oversee strategy, operations, people, sales, services, partners, and profitability across Asia Pacific for SAP SE (NYSE: SAP). After five years in the role, Paul Marriott returns to Europe to be closer to family.

    With SAP market units operating in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), Greater China, India, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia, Davies will be responsible for overseeing more than 31,000 employees across 78 offices. Across the APAC region, SAP services leading customers including NEC Corporation, Coles Group, Wipro, Fujitsu Limited, Shiseido, Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation, Himalaya, Cochlear, and Japan Airlines.

    Prior to this appointment, Davies has spent 25 years building, selling, and implementing IT solutions in Asia Pacific, working with some of the world’s leading software companies, including Microsoft, Salesforce, and Oracle. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President and General Manager of Asia Pacific and Japan at Splunk, a position he held for over three years. Davies also serves on the board of several pre-IPO technology companies and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD).

    Manos Raptopoulos, Chief Revenue Officer for APAC, EMEA, and MEE, said “Our next chapter is being fuelled by accelerated cloud and AI innovation, underpinned by our purpose, our people, and our partnerships. Simon combines experience in Asia’s fast-growth, innovation-hungry markets with proven expertise in building high-performance, diverse, and inclusive teams. I’m confident that, under Simon, SAP APAC will build on the tremendous momentum established during Paul’s leadership and continue to be a catalyst for innovation and supporting customer success.”

    Simon Davies said, “I’m very excited for this new chapter to begin. Across Asia Pacific and Japan, we see forward-thinking businesses accelerating strategic transformation supported by SAP. Establishing a solid foundation in the cloud and leveraging business data is the gateway to exploring new avenues of growth in areas like artificial intelligence, data analytics, and sustainability.”

    About SAP
    As a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, SAP (NYSE:SAP) stands at the nexus of business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted SAP to bring out their best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience. For more information, visit www.sap.com.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Interview with Natarsha Belling, National News at Noon, Channel 7

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    Natarsha Belling:

    Good afternoon, Treasurer. Thanks for joining us this afternoon.

    Jim Chalmers:

    Thanks very much, Natarsha.

    Belling:

    Surely you are hoping for a rate cut tomorrow.

    Chalmers:

    Because I respect the independence of the Reserve Bank, its governor, and its board, I try not to make predictions or pre‑empt the discussions that are going on right now in Sydney about future movements in interest rates. I know that the independent Reserve Bank has a job to do and some issues to consider. I’m focused on my job. And because we’ve been working so hard on the cost of living and fighting inflation, what we’ve been able to do in Australia is get inflation down and wages up and keep unemployment low. That’s my job and I’m focused on that.

    Belling:

    Inflation is down now, but it certainly hasn’t been. And wages may be increasing, but the cost of living is hurting millions of Australians. Surely you have to admit that.

    Chalmers:

    I do, Australians are under pressure. That is still the case. Even though we have made very substantial progress together on inflation and now sustained progress on inflation, we know that Australians are still doing it tough and that’s why the cost of living is the Albanese government’s primary focus. But when it comes to inflation, even just last week a couple of the major bank economists released new forecasts for inflation. They lowered them substantially. So, we have made that very significant progress together as Australians when it comes to inflation. We have been delivering lower inflation, higher wages and low unemployment. But we know that the job’s not done and people are still under the pump.

    Belling:

    So, in regards to inflation at the moment, if inflation is coming under control and if there is a cut to the official rate tomorrow, we know that is going to take a long time to actually really dent into those family budgets. If people do have a mortgage, it will take many months to take effect and they’re still dealing with skyrocketing costs.

    Chalmers:

    First of all, again, I don’t want to engage in a hypothetical. We’ll know tomorrow afternoon whether the independent Reserve Bank’s decided to cut interest rates or not. But I do accept your broader point and that is that these cost‑of‑living pressures are pretty widespread and that’s why we’ve got the tax cuts rolling out, the energy bill relief, cheaper medicines, cheaper early childhood education, it’s why we’re getting wages moving again, more rent assistance, fee‑free TAFE – all of these things are about recognising that people are under substantial pressure. The government’s got a role to play in easing that pressure wherever it responsibly can. And that’s what we’ve been doing, really, over the course of the 2 and a half years, almost 3 years that we’ve been in office. The cost of living has been the number one focus of this government. And that will continue to be the case no matter what the Reserve Bank decides independently tomorrow.

    Belling:

    Now, the cost‑of‑living crisis is number one at the top of the agenda with how Australians will vote on the upcoming federal election. Do you concede that they won’t vote you in because they are having to deal with this cost‑of‑living crisis?

    Chalmers:

    Look, I don’t obsess over the polls, and that’s because my job is to – my job is to focus on a different set of numbers in the economy. And to the extent they’re related, I think it just reflects the fact, as you and I have been talking about today, that people are under pressure and they express that sometimes in the political system. But my focus as the Treasurer, our focus as the government, is on a different set of numbers in the economy: inflation, unemployment, wages, all of the things that you and I have been talking about today.

    Belling:

    Ok, Treasurer, there is speculation that you have been privately telling MPs not to speculate on what the Reserve Bank may do. Is that true?

    Chalmers:

    I say the same thing to my colleagues behind closed doors that I say publicly, and that is not to take any outcome from the Reserve Bank for granted, and I mean that. I have so much respect for the Reserve Bank, its governor and its board, that I don’t engage in a running commentary on what they might decide. I don’t predict or pre‑empt those discussions that are underway right now, I say that to my colleagues as well. They will announce their decision in due course. Our job as the Cabinet in the Albanese Labor government is to alleviate the cost‑of‑living pressures wherever we responsibly can, to work around the clock as we have been, on getting inflation down at the same time as we get wages up and keep unemployment low. And we have made some really good progress there, but we don’t pretend that there isn’t more work to do.

    Belling:

    Treasurer, a Budget is scheduled for March, but can you commit to that at this stage? Surely you’ll then have some more sweeteners and then go into a May election. So, can you say that Budget is locked and loaded for March?

    Chalmers:

    That’s what we’re working towards. The final decision on the timing of the election will be up to the Prime Minister, as is always the case. But Katy Gallagher and I are working very hard with the Expenditure Review Committee to put together that Budget for March. And what people can expect in our fourth Budget is what they saw in the first 3. We will continue to take the right economic decisions for the right reasons. We’ll continue to prioritise getting on top of inflation without ignoring the risks to growth in our economy. It’s been that combination, that balance that we’ve struck in the first 3 Budgets that has helped us get inflation down and wages up and keep unemployment low. And that’s the approach that we’ll continue to take in the fourth Budget.

    Belling:

    Treasurer, if Labor does lose the federal election, will you be the next Labor leader?

    Chalmers:

    I’m not even thinking about that – 100 per cent of my time is spent putting together the Budget, putting together our economic policies with our colleagues, working around the clock not just to see the return of the Albanese Labor government, but also to make sure that we can continue to make progress in the economy. The alternative to that, the big risk posed to progress in the economy, would be a change of government. We know that Australians would already be thousands of dollars worse off if Peter Dutton had his way, worse off still if he wins the election. And so my job is to work as hard as I can as Anthony Albanese’s Treasurer in this Labor government to keep making the right economic decisions to win the next election so we can continue to deliver for the Australian people, particularly when it comes to the cost of living.

    Belling:

    Jim Chalmers, thank you for joining us this afternoon.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Business – Entries open for new-look ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards

    Source: Business Central

    Entries open for new-look ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards
    The ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards will return this year with an expanded format, building off the success of last year’s sold-out ExportNZ ASB Wellington Export Awards.
    This year’s new-look event recognises the efforts of exporters from Wellington to the wider Central region. It will be hosted for the first time in Palmerston North, at the Palmerston North Conference and Function Centre on June 6.
    The awards will be hosted on an alternate basis between Wellington and Palmerston North each year.
    ExportNZ Central and Hawke’s Bay manager Amanda Liddle says the new format reflects the growth of the export industry across the Central region, including Wellington, Whanganui, Wairarapa, Horowhenua and Manawatū.
    “ExportNZ is delighted to be holding the ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards for the first time in Palmerston North this year. The region has a thriving export sector and an important logistics ecosystem which is crucial to the New Zealand export economy. We look forward to celebrating the success of exporters throughout the lower North Island,” said Liddle.
    Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith says the event is recognition of a region that punches above its weight.
    “We’re proud to host the 2025 Central Export Awards, alternating biennially with Wellington over the coming years. Despite being a powerhouse in primary industries, our city and wider region are often overlooked in the export conversation. Yet we’re at the heart of New Zealand’s food and fibre sector – producing and exporting beef, lamb, poultry, venison, fresh produce, cropping, seafood, dairy, honey, and forestry products worldwide.
    “Beyond agriculture, we’re also home to many world-class manufacturers, a growing tech sector, and have a strong international education presence.
    “We’re grateful to our partners Central Economic Development Agency, Manawatū District Council, Horizons Regional Council, and the Manawatū Business Chamber for supporting this event and celebrating our exporters’ achievements,” said Smith.
    In partnership with ASB, the awards honour the success of Central exporters in international markets.
    The Central region is home to many major exporters, responsible for strong overseas trade, cutting-edge research and industry partnerships – making it an ideal location for this year’s expanded event.
    ASB Head of International Trade Mike Atkins says:
    “ASB is excited to expand our partnership with Business Central in launching the ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards this year. The Manawatū region has a rich history in food innovation and science, backed by thriving primary, technology, distribution, and logistics sectors.
    “We look forward to recognising and celebrating the achievements of the region’s exporters, who play an important role in New Zealand’s economic growth agenda,” Atkins said.
    Are you leading the way in innovation, championing sustainability, or building a thriving export business? 
    The ExportNZ ASB Central Region Export Awards welcomes entries from exporters across these categories:
    • CentrePort Wellington Excellence in Innovation: This award recognises companies that excel in bringing innovative solutions to global markets, encompassing everything from intellectual property and strategy to process implementation and success tracking.
    • ExportNZ Excellence in Sustainability: This award recognises businesses that have woven sustainability into their core operations, achieving global success while creating positive environmental and social impact.
    • DHL Best Emerging Business: This award aims to recognise an outstanding exporting business that is in the early stages of expanding internationally, with an annual turnover of $5 million or less.
    • Gallagher Insurance Best Established Business: This award celebrates success based on net return to the New Zealand economy for more established companies, typically with over five years in export markets and likely annual revenue exceeding $5 million.
    The awards are judged by a panel of experienced exporting specialists to ensure a fair and comprehensive evaluation of each entry. This year the judges are David Boyd, Chair of ExportNZ and Founder of Foot Science International; ASB Head of International Trade Mike Atkins; and Paul Brewerton, Customer Manager at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
    ExportNZ welcomes entries from exporters in the following regions:
    – Greater Wellington
    – Wairarapa
    – Horowhenua
    – Manawatū
    – Whanganui
    Whether you’re just beginning your export journey or are an established international player, we encourage you to share your success story. Entries open on the 17 th of February 2025 and will close on the 16 th of April 2025.Tickets are available now.
    Entry forms, criteria requirements and registration forms for the Awards dinner are available on the ExportNZ website: https://exportnz.org.nz/event/exportnz-asb-central-region-export-awards-2025/

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Directors appointed to Ferry Holdings Limited

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Minister for Rail Winston Peters has announced director appointments for Ferry Holdings Limited – the schedule 4a company charged with negotiating ferry procurement contracts for two new inter-island ferries.

    Mr Peters says Ferry Holdings Limited will be responsible for negotiating long-term port agreements on either side of the Cook Strait and ensuring the seamless and integrated delivery of cost-effective replacement Interislander ferries.

    “The new chair Chris Mackenzie, deputy chair Heather Simpson, and director Greg Lowe bring substantial and specific expertise for the no-nonsense delivery of cost-effective infrastructure,” he says.

    Chris Mackenzie led the negotiations to buy back New Zealand’s rail assets in the late 2000s and was also Independent Chair of the Horizontal Infrastructure Governance Group involved in the Christchurch Rebuild.

    Heather Simpson, a former Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister and an economics lecturer brings significant experience in executing complex tasks. 

    Greg Lowe is the former global Chief Executive of Beca, former Managing Director of Beca Australia and a qualified marine engineer with previous shipbuilding experience. 

    “The new board will manage the contractual negotiations with shipyards, ports, and any other party required to deliver safe, reliable and resilient Interislander services into the future – working closely with us as shareholding Ministers.

    “The board will undertake the procurement process for new ferries and report back to Ministers for final decisions and similarly engage in the landside development planning and funding agreements with ports with decisions taken by Ministers.

    “This won’t be cost-plus infrastructure like Project iReX – it will be a pragmatic appreciation of infrastructure that can continue in service while replacing only what is needed to safely and reliably operate new Interislander ferries,” Mr Peters says

    Cabinet will take decisions on further director appointments soon.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fishing company fined $16,500 for not using tori line, submitting false statement on fish landing return

    Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

    A Northland fishing company has been fined $16,500 for failing to use the required fishing gear and providing a false statement on their fish landing return.

    Macnicol Fishing Limited was sentenced in the North Shore District Court on 3 charges on Friday (14 February 2025) under the Fisheries Act, following a successful prosecution by Fisheries New Zealand.

    The company did not use tori lines which are required to prevent accidental seabird capture when surface long lining. Fish landing returns record where a fish was caught for the purposes of sustainable fisheries management.

    “All longliners are expected to use tori lines when surface longlining. Video footage showed the fishing vessel Carolina M was longlining without using this bird scaring device – which increases the risk of catching endangered seabirds.

    “The rules are there for a reason and most commercial fishers follow them closely,” says Fisheries New Zealand district manager, fisheries compliance, Glen Blackwell.

    Off the coast of the Bay of Plenty, another of the company’s vessels, Kiella, filed an electronic report identifying a different area to where the fish was actually harvested from.

    The following month, the Kiella filed another incorrect electronic report, related to its catch of snapper and trevally. Both these incidents occurred in areas, north of Auckland.

    Mr Blackwell says accurate reporting is essential to sustainable management of our fisheries.

    “It is a fisher’s responsibility to accurately report their catch. This information is an important part of considerations when setting catch limits, so we take misreporting seriously.”

    MPI encourages people to report suspected illegal activity through the ministry’s 0800 4 POACHER number (0800 476 224)

    For further information and general enquiries, email info@mpi.govt.nz

    For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2024 State-of-the-Art Small Spacecraft Technology Report is Released

    Source: NASA

    NASA’s Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute (S3VI) is pleased to announce the official release of the highly anticipated 2024 State-of-the-Art Small Spacecraft Technology report. This significant accomplishment was made possible by the contributions of numerous dedicated people across NASA who graciously supported the preparation of the document as authors and reviewers. We also want to extend our gratitude to all the companies, universities, and organizations that provided content for this report.
    The 2024 report can be found online at https://www.nasa.gov/smallsat-institute/sst-soa. The report is also available in PDF format as a single document containing all report content as well as individual chapters available on their respective chapter webpages. This 2024 edition reflects updates in several chapters to include: the Formation Flying and Rendezvous and Proximity Operations section within the “Guidance, Navigation, and Control” chapter; the Additive Manufacturing section within the “Structures, Materials, and Mechanisms” chapter; the Free Space Optical Communications section within the “Communications” chapter; and the Hosted Orbital Services section within the “Complete Spacecraft Platforms” chapter.
    As in previous editions, the report contains a general overview of current state-of-the-art SmallSat technologies and their development status as discussed in open literature. The report is not intended to be an exhaustive representation of all technologies currently available to the small spacecraft community, nor does the inclusion of technologies in the report serve as an endorsement by NASA. Sources of publicly available date commonly used as sources in the development of the report include manufacturer datasheets, press releases, conference papers, journal papers, public filings with government agencies, and news articles. Readers are highly encouraged to reach out to companies for further information regarding the performance and maturity of described technologies of interest. During the report’s development, companies were encouraged to release test information and flight data when possible so it may be appropriately captured. It should be noted that technology maturity designations may vary with change to payload, mission requirements, reliability considerations, and the associated test/flight environment in which performance was demonstrated.
    Suggestions or corrections to the 2024 report toward a subsequent edition, should be submitted to the NASA Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute Agency-SmallSat-Institute@mail.nasa.gov for consideration prior to the publication of the future edition. When submitting suggestions or corrections, please cite appropriate publicly accessible references. Private correspondence is not considered an adequate reference. Efforts are underway for the 2025 report and organizations are invited to submit technologies for consideration for inclusion by August 1, 2025.
    NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program within the Space Technology Mission Directorate funds the Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News Release – DOH Reopens Paradise Supermart Fast Food & Catering

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    News Release – DOH Reopens Paradise Supermart Fast Food & Catering

    Posted on Feb 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

    KA ʻOIHANA OLAKINO

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

    KE KIA‘ĀINA

    KENNETH S. FINK, M.D., MGA, MPH
    DIRECTOR

    KA LUNA HO‘OKELE

    DOH REOPENS PARADISE SUPERMART FAST FOOD & CATERING

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    February 14, 2025                                                                                                    25-013

    KAHULUI — The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) Maui Food Safety Branch allowed Paradise Supermart Fast Food & Catering to reopen, issuing a green “pass” placard during a follow-up inspection on Feb. 13, 2025. The establishment is operated by Paradise Asian Foods Inc., and is located at 207 East Wakea Ave., in Kahului, Maui.

    The establishment corrected all critical violations cited during a routine inspection conducted on Feb. 5, 2025. The corrected violations include the following:

    • All grease and food debris accumulation were removed from kitchen surfaces and a cleaning schedule was established.
    • Cockroach and fly activity was not observed, and procedures were implemented for pest monitoring and treatment.
    • All refrigeration units were holding temperatures of not greater than 41 F;
    • Written procedures were in place for the monitoring of proper hot, cold and cooling of foods; and,
    • The person in charge obtained a food handler’s certification.

    The DOH is requiring the establishment to continue:

    • Working with its pest control company to have weekly pest control treatments for a month, then move to biweekly and provide completed work orders to DOH; and,
    • Having the identified person in charge continue to demonstrate managerial control of critical food safety requirements.

    The DOH Food Safety Branch protects and promotes the health of Hawai‘i residents and visitors through education of food industry workers and regulation of food establishments statewide. The branch conducts routine health inspections of food establishments where food products are prepared, manufactured, distributed or sold.

    The branch also investigates sources of foodborne illnesses and potential adulteration. It is also responsible for mitigating the effects of these incidents to prevent any future occurrences. The DOH food safety specialists strive to work with business owners, food service workers and the food industry to ensure safe food preparation and employee hygiene practices.

    To obtain restaurant inspection reports for Maui, please call the Maui Food Safety Branch at 808-984-8230. For more information on the department’s placarding program go to http://health.hawaii.gov/san/.

    # # #

    Media Contact:

    Kristen Wong

    Information Specialist

    Hawaiʻi State Department of Health

    Phone: 808-586-4407

    Email: [email protected]

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 2.14.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Feb 14, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Melissa Stone, of Elk Grove, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director at the Department of Child Support Services. Stone has been Deputy Director of the Disability Insurance Branch at the Employment Development Department since 2022, where she was previously a Division Chief from 2020 to 2022. She held several roles at the Franchise Tax Board from 2014 to 2020, including Section Manager, Assistant Section Manager, and Compliance Program Manager. Stone was Chief of the Casualty Insurance Section at the Department of Health Care Services from 2011 to 2014, where she was previously Chief of the Overpayments Unit from 2009 to 2011. She earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $189,600. Stone is registered with no party preference.

    Stephanie Weldon, of McKinleyville, has been appointed Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health. Weldon has been Chief Operations Officer at United Indian Health Services since 2024. She was the Director of the Office of Tribal Affairs at the California Department of Social Services from 2021 to 2024. Weldon was a Program Associate for the Indian Child Welfare Act and Tribal Social Services Specialist at the Child and Family Institute of California from 2020 to 2021. She was Director of Health and Human Services for the Yurok Tribe from 2019 to 2020. Weldon held several roles at the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services from 2014 to 2019, including Child Welfare Director, Social Services Branch Director, and Deputy Director. She was Director of Social Services for the Yurok Tribe from 2010 to 2013. Weldon is a member of the Yurok Tribe, National Indian Child Welfare Association, and California Department of Public Health Tribal Equity Advisory Group. She earned a Master of Social Work degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Native American Studies from Humboldt State University. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $191,868. Weldon is a Democrat.

    Melissa Gear, of Elk Grove, has been appointed Deputy Director of Legislative and Governmental Affairs at the Department of Health Care Access and Information. Gear has been Deputy Director of Board and Bureau Relations at the California Department of Consumer Affairs since 2022. She was the Chief Deputy Legislative Director at the Department of Insurance from 2014 to 2022. Gear was a Legislative Advocate at the California State Teachers’ Retirement System from 2008 to 2014. She was a Legislative Coordinator and Fiscal Coordinator at the California Attorney General’s Office from 2005 to 2008. Gear was a Fiscal and Policy Analyst at the California Legislative Analyst’s Office from 2003 to 2005. She was an Executive Fellow and Legislative Representative at the California Department of Education from 2002 to 2003. She is a Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program Senior Fellow. Gear earned a Master of Public Health and Administration degree from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $158,400. Gear is a Democrat.

    Daniel Millsap, of Folsom, has been appointed Deputy Director of the Real Estate Services Division at the California Department of General Services. Millsap has been Deputy Director for Capital Outlay Programs at the California Conservation Corps since 2019. He was Project Director III at the California Department of General Services in 2018. Millsap held several positions at the California Department of Parks and Recreation from 2007 to 2018, including Construction Supervisor III, Construction Supervisor II Lead, and Construction Supervisor II. He was Project Manager at 4Leaf, Inc., from 2006 to 2007. Millsap was Regional Health and Safety Officer at Kennedy Jenks Consultants from 2002 to 2006. He was Staff Engineer at Kleinfelder from 2001 to 2002. Millsap is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Civil Engineering from University of the Pacific. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $195,960. Millsap is a Democrat.

    Katie Hardeman, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Deputy Executive Director at the State Board of Education. She has been a Legislative Advocate at the California Teachers Association since 2019. She was a Consultant for the California Assembly Budget Committee from 2013 to 2019. Hardeman was a Senior Legislative Aide for Assemblymember Susan Bonilla at the California State Assembly from 2011 to 2013. She was an Executive Assistant for Assemblymember Jose Solorio at the California State Assembly in 2011. Hardeman was a Legislative Assistant at Johan Klehs and Company from 2009 to 2010. She is a member of the Women’s Leadership Program at Leadership California and a player for the California Storm, a semi-professional women’s soccer team. Hardeman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $210,000. Hardeman is a Democrat.

    Richard Roth, of Riverside, has been appointed to the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. Roth was a State Senator at the California State Senate from 2012 to 2024. He was a Managing Member at Roth Carney LLC from 2011 to 2012. Roth was a Managing Partner at Roth Carney Knudsen LLP from 2008 to 2011. He was a Partner at Carney and Delany LLP from 2003 to 2008. Roth was a Partner and Managing Partner at Reid & Hellyer, APC from 1981 to 2003. He served in the United States Air Force from 1975 to 2007, where he retired as a Major General. Roth is a member of the Monday Morning Group of Western Riverside County and Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce. He earned a Juris Doctor Degree from Emory University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Miami University. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $180,840. Roth is a Democrat.

    Seanna Griffis, of Sacramento, has been appointed Special Assistant to the Secretary and Undersecretary at the Government Operations Agency. Griffis has been Legislative Manager at the California Department of Food and Agriculture since 2024. She was an Associate Governmental Program Analyst at the Government Operations Agency from 2022 to 2024. Griffis was Management Services Technician at the California Energy Commission from 2021 to 2022. She was a Paralegal at HealthSentry from 2020 to 2021. Griffis was Legislative Coordinator at the California Veterinary Medical Association from 2019 to 2020. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business and Management from the California State University, Chico. The position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100,008. Griffis is registered without party preference.

    Christopher Contreras, of Northridge, has been appointed to the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission. He has been Chief Operating Officer at Brilliant Corners since 2023, where he has held several roles since 2014, including Chief Program Officer, Director of Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool, Associate Director of Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool Operations & Housing Acquisitions and Housing Acquisitions Manager for the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool. Contreras was a Data Analyst and Surveyor at Data Stream Market Intelligence Inc. from 2008 to 2014. Contreras was a Program Coordinator at the University of California, Santa Barbara Community Housing Office from 2005 to 2007. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from University of California, Santa Barbara. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Contreras is a Democrat. 

    Makenzie Cross, of Elk Grove, has been appointed to the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission. Cross has been a Youth Leader at KAI Partners since 2024. She was a Service Coordinator for Early Intervention at Alta California Regional Center in 2024. Cross was a Behavioral Specialist at the Center for Social Dynamics from 2022 to 2023. She is a member of Impact 100 Greater Sacramento. Cross earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Merced. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Cross is a Democrat. 

    Robert Callan, Jr., of San Francisco, has been appointed to the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission. Callan has been a Realtor at Sotheby’s International Realty since 2020. He was a Realtor at McGuire Real Estate from 2005 to 2020. Callan is a member of The Olympic Club, Screen Actors Guild, The Dolphin Club, California Association of Realtors, National Association of Realtors, and San Francisco Association of Realtors. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Boston College. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Callan is registered with no party preference. 

    Jody Kolbach, of Watsonville, has been appointed to the 14th District Agricultural Association Santa Cruz Fair Board. Kolbach has been the Senior Director of HR Services at Granite Construction since 2025, where she held multiple positions from 2008 to 2021 including Director of HR Transformation and Services, Continuous Improvement Leader, Supply Chain Sourcing Manager, and Senior Finance Analyst. Kolbach was a Worldwide Operations Controller at Seagate Technologies from 2003 to 2008. She earned a Master of Business degree from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Art degree in Accounting from Kansas State University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Kolbach is a Democrat.

    Press Releases, Recent News

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    Feb 14, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his appointment of 14 Superior Court Judges: seven in Los Angeles County; one in Modoc County; two in Riverside County; one in San Diego County; one in San Mateo County; one in Tulare County; and one in Ventura…

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – Further deterioration of the political situation in Georgia – P10_TA(2025)0019 – Thursday, 13 February 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to its previous resolutions on Georgia, in particular that of 28 November 2024 on Georgia’s worsening democratic crisis following the recent parliamentary elections and alleged electoral fraud(1),

    –  having regard to Georgia’s status as an EU candidate country, granted by the European Council at its summit of 14 and 15 December 2023,

    –  having regard to Article 78 of the Georgian Constitution, which demands the implementation of all possible measures to guarantee Georgia’s complete integration into the EU and NATO,

    –  having regard to the final report of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on the parliamentary elections held in Georgia on 26 October 2024,

    –  having regard to Rules 136(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A.  whereas the democratic backsliding in Georgia has dramatically accelerated since the parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024, which were deeply flawed and marked by grave irregularities, and failed to meet international democratic standards and Georgia’s OSCE commitments; whereas these elections violated the democratic norms and standards set for free and fair elections, failing to reflect the will of the people and rendering the resulting ‘parliament’, and subsequently the ‘president’, devoid of any democratic legitimacy; whereas from the very beginning of its activity, the current Georgian parliament has operated as a one-party (Georgian Dream) organ, which is incompatible with the essence of pluralistic parliamentary democracy;

    B.  whereas Article 2 of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement(2) concerns the general principles of the agreement, which include democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms;

    C.  whereas Article 78 of the Georgian Constitution states that the constitutional bodies must take all measures within the scope of their competences to ensure the full integration of Georgia into the European Union;

    D.  whereas the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, publicly condemned the parliamentary elections as rigged, declared that she would not recognise them and called for an international investigation; whereas the current Georgian regime, led by the Georgian Dream party and its founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, has orchestrated an unconstitutional usurpation of power, systematically dismantling democratic institutions, undermining judicial independence and eroding fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, thereby deepening Georgia’s political and constitutional crisis;

    E.  whereas Georgia has officially held the status of EU candidate country since December 2023; whereas on 28 November 2024, Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Georgia would delay initiating accession talks with the EU and reject its financial assistance until the end of 2028, disregarding the country’s constitutional commitment to European integration and effectively undermining Georgia’s sovereign Euro-Atlantic aspirations;

    F.  whereas on 28 November 2024, peaceful mass anti-government protests began across the country, demanding new, free and fair elections, an end to political violence and repression, and the return of the country to its European path; whereas the protests have been taking place without interruption for over 75 days;

    G.  whereas on 14 December 2024, the de facto parliament held a ‘presidential election’ with a single candidate from the Georgian Dream party, former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili, elected with 224 out of 225 votes cast;

    H.  whereas Georgia’s self-appointed authorities have plunged the country into a fully fledged constitutional and political crisis, as well as a human rights and democracy crisis; whereas this has been marked by the brutal repression of peaceful protesters, political opponents and media representatives, with judges, prosecutors and police officers actively fabricating politically motivated administrative and criminal charges against protesters, journalists and opposition figures detained during peaceful anti-government demonstrations; whereas, as of December 2024, more than 460 people have been arrested or punished since the protests began, with this number growing by the day;

    I.  whereas riot police deliberately lacking force identification numbers have forcefully dispersed protesters with tear gas and water cannons; whereas numerous journalists have reported being targeted and beaten, and having their equipment destroyed and personal items stolen; whereas dozens of protesters have been brutally assaulted, and several hundred people have been arrested; whereas Georgia’s Public Defender has revealed that 80 % of those detained reported experiencing violence and inhumane treatment at the hands of law enforcement officers; whereas despite international condemnation, the illegitimate Georgian Government has awarded medals to officials involved in the crackdown;

    J.  whereas independent media outlets, including TV Formula, TV Mtavari and TV Pirveli, face severe operational and financial constraints due to the regime’s interference, while dozens of media representatives are being subjected to various forms of intense physical and psychological pressure; whereas numerous violent attacks on journalists have been documented, including the severe beatings of Aleksandre Keshelashvili, Maka Chikhladze and Giorgi Shetsiruli, and the harassment of detained journalist Saba Kevkhishvili; whereas on 12 January 2025, the Georgian authorities arrested journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, who has been in pre-trial detention since then and is on hunger strike in solidarity with all political prisoners in Georgia; whereas she faces between four and seven years in prison;

    K.  whereas, on the night of 14 January 2025, Giorgi Gakharia, opposition leader of the For Georgia party and former Prime Minister, and Zviad Koridze, journalist and Transparency International activist, were physically assaulted by Georgian Dream officials in separate incidents at the same venue in Batumi;

    L.  whereas on 2 February 2025, Nika Melia, a leader of the pro-European Akhali party, and Gigi Ugulava, the former mayor of Tbilisi, were arrested during the anti-government protests and subjected to physical violence in detention; whereas on 12 January 2025, Elene Khoshtaria, leader of the Droa political movement, was detained in Batumi;

    M.  whereas the de facto Georgian authorities have used disproportionate force and excessive violence against peaceful protesters and resorted to arbitrary mass arrests to thwart dissent; whereas independent human rights organisations have reported the systemic mistreatment of detainees, including torture; whereas to date, not a single law enforcement official involved in the brutal crackdowns, arbitrary arrests and mistreatment has been brought to justice;

    N.  whereas the self-appointed authorities introduced new draconian legislation that came into force on 30 December 2024 and amended the Criminal Code, the Code of Administrative Offences and the Law on Assemblies and Manifestations, imposing further arbitrary restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, introducing, among other things, hefty fines for putting up protest slogans and posters, and granting police the power to detain individuals ‘preventively’ for 48 hours on suspicion of planning to violate the rules governing public assembly; whereas on 3 February 2025, the Georgian Dream party unveiled further draft legislation designed to tighten control, ramping up penalties for a variety of offences directly targeting protestors, critics and political dissent, such as harsher punishments for ‘insulting officials’, the criminalisation of road blocks and an increase in the duration of administrative detention from 15 to 60 days;

    O.  whereas on 27 January 2025, the Council decided to suspend parts of the EU-Georgia visa facilitation agreement for Georgian diplomats and officials, but failed to impose individual sanctions in response to the continued crackdown; whereas the Hungarian and Slovak Governments have been consistently blocking impactful EU-wide sanctions, preventing the remaining 25 Member States (EU-25) from effectively introducing sanctions against the self-appointed Georgian authorities;

    P.  whereas several Member States, including Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Czechia, have imposed bilateral sanctions on some Georgian politicians, judges and other officials responsible for the brutal crackdown on protesters, violations of human rights and abuse of the rule of law; whereas in December 2024, the United States sanctioned Bidzina Ivanishvili, alongside Georgia’s ‘Minister of Internal Affairs’ Vakhtang Gomelauri and Deputy Head of the Special Tasks Department Mirza Kezevadze, for their involvement in brutal crackdowns on media representatives, opposition figures and protesters; whereas the UK and Ukraine have imposed similar sanctions on high-level Georgian officials; whereas Ivanishvili, through hastily adopted laws tailored to his personal situation, is moving his offshore assets to Georgia in anticipation of further sanctions;

    Q.  whereas on 29 January 2025, Georgian Dream announced that it would withdraw its delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) after it demanded new, genuinely democratic parliamentary elections, the release of political prisoners and accountability for perpetrators of violence; whereas UN experts have condemned the pattern of repression and human rights violations in Georgia, while the OSCE has called this suppression a serious breach of the right to freedom of assembly;

    R.  whereas the ruling Georgian Dream party convened the new parliament in violation of the country’s constitution, resulting in a boycott of parliament by the opposition; whereas on 5 February 2025, the self-appointed ‘parliament’ voted to approve the early termination of the mandates of 49 out of 61 members of parliament, representing the Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia and the United National Movement, in order to strip them of their immunity and facilitate their arrest and prosecution; whereas the same ‘parliament’ established a commission to punish former ruling party United National Movement;

    S.  whereas a growing number of civil servants have been dismissed after speaking out against the halting of Georgia’s EU accession process; whereas Georgian Dream has amended laws on public service, simplifying procedures to dismiss public servants, several of whom have been dismissed for participating in protests, in a clear attempt to silence critical voices;

    1.  Condemns the Georgian Dream ‘authorities’ and urges them to immediately cease the violent repression of peaceful protesters, political opponents and media representatives; underlines that Georgia’s self-appointed authorities are currently violating fundamental freedoms, basic human rights and the core international obligations of the country, thereby undermining decades of democratic reforms driven by the country’s political class and civil society; considers Georgia as a state captured by the illegitimate Georgian Dream regime; expresses deep regret over the fact that the ruling Georgian Dream party has abandoned its path towards European integration and NATO membership; recalls that the ongoing democratic backsliding and adoption of anti-democratic laws has effectively suspended Georgia’s EU integration process; reiterates its unwavering support for the Georgian people’s legitimate European aspirations and their wish to live in a prosperous and democratic country;

    2.  Does not recognise the self-proclaimed authorities of the Georgian Dream party established following the rigged election of 26 October 2024, which was neither free nor fair, was held in violation of democratic norms and standards, and did not reflect the will of the people of Georgia; underlines that the extensive electoral fraud has undermined the integrity of the election process, cast doubt on the legitimacy of the result and eroded public trust, both domestically and internationally, in any new government;

    3.  Calls for the EU and its Member States, as well as national parliaments and interparliamentary institutions, not to recognise the legitimacy of the Georgian Dream one-party parliament and their appointed president; calls, therefore, on the international community to join the boycott of the self-proclaimed Georgian authorities;

    4.  Continues to recognise Salome Zourabichvili as the legitimate President of Georgia and representative of the Georgian people; praises her efforts to peacefully steer the country back towards a democratic and European path of development; calls on the President of the European Council to invite President Zourabichvili to represent Georgia at an upcoming European Council meeting and at the next European Political Community summit;

    5.  Underlines that the settlement of the current political and constitutional crisis in Georgia can only be achieved by way of new parliamentary elections; demands that new elections take place in Georgia within the next few months in an improved electoral environment, overseen by an independent and impartial election administration and monitored through diligent international observation to guarantee a genuinely fair, free and transparent process; encourages the Member States and EU officials to firmly demand new elections and to make any future engagement explicitly conditional on setting a new date for parliamentary elections and establishing a mechanism to ensure they are free and fair;

    6.  Calls on the Council and the Member States, particularly the EU-25 on a bilateral and coordinated basis, to impose immediate and targeted personal sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, his family and his companies, and to freeze all his assets within the EU for his role in the deterioration of the political process in Georgia, enabling democratic backsliding and acting against the country’s constitutionally declared interests of Euro-Atlantic integration; calls on the French Government to strip Bidzina Ivanishvili of the Legion of Honour and impose individual sanctions on him; welcomes, in this regard, the sanctions imposed bilaterally by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Czechia, as well as those already imposed by the US and the UK;

    7.  Calls for the EU and its Member States, in particular the EU-25 on a bilateral and coordinated basis, to impose personal sanctions on the officials and political leaders in Georgia responsible for democratic backsliding, electoral fraud, human rights violations and the persecution of political opponents and activists, including Irakli Kobakhidze, Shalva Papuashvili, Vakhtang Gomelauri, Mayor of Tbilisi and Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party Kakha Kaladze, and Chair of the Georgian Dream party Irakli Garibashvili; calls for them to extend these sanctions to judges, including those of the Constitutional Court of Georgia who are passing politically motivated sentences, and representatives of the law enforcement services, as well as to financial enablers tacitly or openly supporting the regime and the owners of regime-aligned media outlets, including TV Imedi, Pos TV and Rustavi 2 TV, for their role in spreading disinformation and seeking to manipulate public discourse in order to sustain the current ruling party’s authoritarian rule;

    8.  Calls on the Council and the Member States to impose sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili’s network of enablers, elite entourage, corrupt financial operatives, propagandists and those facilitating the repressive state apparatus, including, among others, Ekaterine Khvedelidze, Uta Ivanishvili, Tsotne Ivanishvili, Bera Ivanishvili, Gvantsa Ivanishvili, Alexander Ivanishvili, Shmagi Kobakhidze, Ucha Mamatsashvili, Natia Turnava, Ivane Chkhartishvili, Sulkhan Papashvili, Giorgi Kapanadze, Tornike Rizhvadze, Ilia Tsulaia, Kakha Bekauri, Lasha Natsvlishvili, Vasil Maglaperidze, Grigol Liluashvili, Mikheil Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze, Irakli Rukhadze, Tinatin Berdzenishvili, Tamaz Gaiashvili, Anton Obolashvili and Gocha Enukidze;

    9.  Maintains the view that the measures taken so far by the EU in response to the flagrant democratic backsliding and reneging on previous commitments does not yet fully reflect the severity of the situation in Georgia and the latest developments; welcomes the Council’s decision to suspend visa-free travel for Georgian diplomats and officials, but considers it as only a first step, which must be followed by tougher measures; deplores the obstruction by the Hungarian and Slovak Governments of the Council decisions on introducing sanctions against individuals responsible for democratic backsliding in Georgia;

    10.  Emphasises that respect for fundamental rights is vital to the EU’s visa liberalisation benchmarks; reiterates its call on the Commission and the Council to review Georgia’s visa-free status, with the possibility of suspension if it is considered that EU standards on democratic governance and freedoms are not being upheld;

    11.  Strongly condemns the brutal violence and repression used by Georgia’s ruling regime against peaceful protesters since 28 November 2024; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and those detained during the anti-government protests; demands the release of journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, who has been on hunger strike for over four weeks now because of her unjust detention and risks facing critical, irreversible and life-threatening consequences; denounces the assault and beating of former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, resulting in his hospitalisation, followed by the arrest on 2 February 2025 of political leaders including Nika Melia and Gigi Ugulava, as a shocking escalation of state-orchestrated violence by Georgian Dream and its allies against peaceful demonstrators and political opponents; reminds of the detention of Elene Khoshtaria on 12 January 2025 in Batumi;

    12.  Reiterates its solidarity with the people of Georgia and its vibrant civil society in fighting for their legitimate democratic rights and for a European future for their country; urges the Georgian Government to reverse its current political course and return to implementing the will of the Georgian people for continued democratic reforms that would reopen the prospect of future EU membership;

    13.   Strongly condemns the enactment of draconian legislation that imposes unjustified restrictions on freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, and demands the annulment of such recently adopted repressive legislation; urges the Georgian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all individuals detained for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights to freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, and to ensure prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into all allegations of unlawful and disproportionate use of force by the law enforcement agencies; considers that the Georgian justice system has been weaponised to stifle dissent, instil fear and silence free speech;

    14.  Calls for the ‘Georgian authorities’ to take immediate action to ensure the safety and freedom of journalists and to investigate all instances of violence and misconduct by law enforcement agencies; emphasises the importance of fostering a democratic environment where media, civil society and the opposition can operate freely without fear of retaliation or censorship;

    15.  Demands an independent, transparent and impartial investigation into police brutality and the excessive use of force against peaceful demonstrators; calls for those responsible for human rights violations, including law enforcement and government officials ordering acts of repression, to be held fully accountable before the law;

    16.  Denounces the launch of an investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office on 8 February 2025 into non-governmental organisations accused of aggravated sabotage, attempted sabotage and assisting foreign and foreign-controlled organisations in hostile activities aimed at undermining the state interests of Georgia, for which they could receive multiple-year sentences; views this action as further escalation of repression by the regime, misuse of the judicial system and accelerated democratic backsliding;

    17.  Condemns the broader campaign of attacks by the Georgian authorities vilifying civil society organisations and reputable international donors that support democracy, the rule of law and the protection of human rights in Georgia;

    18.  Denounces the termination by Georgian Dream of the mandates of 49 opposition members of parliament as a sign of further democratic backsliding, and considers this the latest move in Georgian Dream’s attack on political pluralism in the country;

    19.   Welcomes PACE’s decision to challenge the credentials of Georgia’s parliamentary delegation due to democratic backsliding and human rights abuses; supports PACE’s call for Georgia to immediately initiate an inclusive process involving all political and social actors, including the ruling party, the opposition and civil society, to urgently address the deficiencies and shortcomings noted during the recent parliamentary elections and to create an electoral environment conducive to new, genuinely democratic elections to be announced in the coming months;

    20.  Notes that Georgia, once a front runner for Euro-Atlantic integration, is undergoing an accelerated process of democratic backsliding, in a seemingly deliberate attempt to demonstrate that the will of the Georgian people no longer determines the country’s future, which could result in the country taking the Belarussian path of political development, transitioning from the current authoritarian state to a dictatorial regime;

    21.  Deplores the decision of Irakli Kobakhidze to suspend accession talks and reject EU funding until the end of 2028; recalls that all polls consistently show the overwhelming support of the Georgian population for a Euro-Atlantic future; expresses strong support for the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the Georgian people;

    22.  Calls for an immediate and comprehensive audit of EU policy towards Georgia due to the democratic backsliding; calls on the Commission to review the EU-Georgia Association Agreement in the light of the self-declared Georgian authorities’ breach of the general principles, as laid down in Article 2, namely respect for democratic principles, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms; points out that non-fulfilment of obligations may result in the conditional suspension of economic cooperation and privileges afforded by the Agreement;

    23.  Welcomes the Commission’s decision to cease all budgetary support to the Georgian authorities and to suspend the initiation of any future investment projects; encourages the Commission to terminate all financial support for ongoing projects; calls for a moratorium on all investment projects in the field of connectivity; calls on the Commission to start identifying economic sectors of relevance to the oligarchic interests that support and sustain the current authoritarian rule, with a view to a potential future decision about restrictive measures or economic sanctions; calls on the Commission to start identifying connectivity projects that support and sustain the current authoritarian rule and to consider their suspension until a rerun of the parliamentary elections;

    24.  Condemns the climate of intimidation and polarisation fuelled by statements by Georgian Government representatives and political leaders, as well as by attacks against political pluralism, including through disturbing cases of intimidation and violence against the Georgian democratic political forces and repeated threats to ban opposition parties, to arrest their leaders and even ordinary supporters, and to silence dissent; underlines that anything but the full restoration of Georgia’s democratic standards will entail a further deterioration of EU-Georgia relations, make any move towards EU accession impossible and result in additional sanctions;

    25.  Calls on the Commission to swiftly redirect the frozen EUR 120 million originally intended as support for the Georgian authorities to enhance the EU’s support for Georgia’s civil society, in particular the non-governmental sector and independent media, which are increasingly coming under undue pressure from the ruling political party and the authorities, as well as to support programmes supporting democratic resilience and electoral integrity; calls for the EU’s funding mechanisms to be adjusted to take into account the needs that arise in a more hostile and anti-democratic environment; highlights the urgency of the need to support civil society in the light of growing repression and the suspension of activities of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and therefore urges the Commission to ramp up support without delay;

    26.  Expresses deep concern about the increasing Russian influence in the country and about the Georgian Dream government’s actions in pursuing a policy of rapprochement and collaboration with Russia, in spite of its creeping occupation of Georgian territory; deplores, in this regard, the growing anti-Western and hostile rhetoric of the Georgian Dream party’s representatives towards Georgia’s strategic Western partners, including the EU, and its MEPs and officials, and Georgian Dream’s promotion of Russian disinformation and manipulation;

    27.  Strongly reiterates its urgent demand for the immediate release of former President Mikheil Saakashvili on humanitarian grounds, specifically for the purpose of seeking medical treatment abroad; emphasises that the self-appointed authorities bear full and undeniable responsibility for the life, health, safety and well-being of former President Mikheil Saakashvili and must be held fully accountable for any harm that befalls him; calls, furthermore, on the Georgian Dream authorities to ensure that Members of the European Parliament are granted unhindered access to Mikheil Saakashvili;

    28.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the self-appointed authorities of Georgia.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – Escalation of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo – P10_TA(2025)0020 – Thursday, 13 February 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to its previous resolutions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),

    –  having regard to the statement by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on behalf of the EU of 25 January 2025 on the latest escalation in eastern DRC,

    –  having regard to the statement by G7 foreign ministers of 2 February 2025 on the escalation of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo,

    –  having regard to the press statement of the UN Security Council of 26 January 2025 on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

    –  having regard to the special session of the UN Human Rights Council of 7 February 2025 on the human rights situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

    –  having regard to the communiqué of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union of 28 January 2025 on the recent developments in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,

    –  having regard to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women of 18 December 1979,

    –  having regard to the Partnership Agreement of 15 November 2023 between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, of the other part(1),

    –  having regard to Rule 136(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A.  whereas in January 2025, the armed rebel group M23, backed by Rwandan forces, further advanced in the eastern DRC and seized the regional capital city of Goma; whereas violence between rebel groups and the Congolese army increased sharply, causing a high number of civilian casualties; whereas an estimated 3 000 deaths occurred during the offensive on Goma; whereas approximately 800 000 internally displaced people were sheltering at that time in densely populated displacement sites around the city;

    B.  whereas M23 announced a unilateral ceasefire to begin on 4 February 2025; whereas fighting has nonetheless continued, Goma airport remains closed, air traffic management equipment is damaged and humanitarian access is still limited; whereas there are reports that the mining town of Nyabibwe in South Kivu has been captured by M23; whereas M23 leaders have declared their intention to continue advancing in the DRC; whereas the latest advances of M23 mark an alarming escalation of the devastating conflict in the eastern DRC, a violation of territorial integrity and an escalation in violence, leading to a dire humanitarian crisis, human rights violations and the further destabilisation of the country;

    C.  whereas the region has been plagued by decades of cyclical violence, causing a security and humanitarian crisis; whereas after a ceasefire that lasted several years, the M23 fighters took up arms again at the end of 2021; whereas martial law has been in force since 2021 in the eastern DRC and the civilian government has been replaced by the military; whereas the M23 forces have been expanding their presence in the eastern DRC, setting up new governance administrations and taxation systems, establishing military training camps and exporting minerals directly to Rwanda; whereas the long-term consequences of the terrible 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi are still fuelling violence, hatred and forced displacements today;

    D.  whereas on 23 and 24 January 2025, M23 fired on positions of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), which resulted in the deaths of 13 peacekeepers deployed with MONUSCO and the peacekeeping mission led by the Southern African Development Community (SADC);

    E.  whereas the UN Group of Experts concluded in its June 2024 report that the deployment of the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) ‘violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’ and that the RDF’s ‘de facto control and direction over M23 operations also renders Rwanda liable for the actions of M23’;

    F.  whereas the seizing of Goma has led to significant displacement of civilians; whereas over 500 000 people are estimated to have been displaced since early January 2025; whereas thousands of Congolese people had previously fled to the city to escape violence and have been further driven from camps for internally displaced people into makeshift tents or forced to sleep out in the open; whereas the safety of internally displaced people is now seriously threatened, with women and girls suffering disproportionately;

    G.  whereas the deputy head of the UN peacekeeping force based in Goma has reported on the mass rape and killing of women inmates inside Goma’s Munzenze prison, and it is estimated that hundreds of women were raped and many burned alive in the prison;

    H.  whereas women and girls in the DRC face increased levels of sexual and gender-based violence, resulting in there being one victim of rape every four minutes; whereas the staff of Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, which receives many survivors of sexual violence, is alarmed about the deteriorating security situation in the area and about the security of the staff and patients in Panzi Hospital itself;

    I.  whereas the seizure of Goma triggered violent protests in Kinshasa, with dozens of protesters attacking embassies and calling on the international community to halt the advance of M23;

    J.  whereas the conflict in the DRC is at risk of regional spillover; whereas a peacekeeping deployment from the East African Community Regional Forces withdrew in 2023; whereas the SADC deployed a peacekeeping mission to the DRC in December 2023 with troops from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi; whereas at least 20 peacekeepers were killed during the M23 advance on Goma; whereas on 6 February 2025, Malawi announced the withdrawal of its troops from this mission;

    K.  whereas it is widely acknowledged that Rwanda is active in the conflict in the eastern DRC, including through its de facto control of M23, to which it supplies weapons, logistical support and troops; whereas UN experts estimate that there are between 3 000 and 4 000 Rwandan troops operating with M23;

    L.  whereas North Kivu is a resource-rich region, with vast supplies of critical raw materials including cobalt, gold and tin, which are necessary for the global digital and energy transition; whereas Goma is a major transport and trading hub for the export of minerals; whereas the UN estimates that around 120 tonnes of coltan are being moved by M23 to Rwanda each month; whereas UN experts further estimate that M23 is financed by around EUR 288 000 per month generated through its control of the mineral trade in the DRC; whereas the rebel groups often recruit child soldiers in a blatant violation of international law and humanity;

    M.  whereas the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigations in the DRC have focused on alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed mainly in the eastern DRC, in the Ituri region and the North and South Kivu Provinces, since 1 July 2002; whereas the DRC made a second referral to the ICC in May 2023 concerning alleged crimes committed in North Kivu since 1 January 2022;

    N.  whereas on 8 February 2025 at a joint summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the regional blocs of southern Africa, the SADC, and eastern Africa, the East African Community (EAC), called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, demanded the withdrawal of uninvited foreign armed forces from the DRC territory, urged all warring parties to hold peace talks within five days, and demanded the reopening of Goma airport and other key routes to facilitate humanitarian aid; whereas the African Union is set to address the matter at a meeting in Addis Ababa on 14 February 2025; whereas other mediation efforts are ongoing, notably by France, which aims to bring all actors to the negotiation table;

    O.  whereas the Foreign Affairs Council of the Council of the EU is expected to exchange views on the situation in the DRC on 24 February 2025;

    P.  whereas between 2021 and 2024, the EU provided EUR 260 million in funding to Rwanda, with an additional EUR 900 million pledged under the Global Gateway strategy; whereas following the latest developments in the eastern DRC, the EU declared that it stood ready to boost emergency assistance, particularly for the newly displaced populations in and around Goma, and on 28 January 2025, the Commission announced new humanitarian support for the DRC with an initial amount of EUR 60 million for 2025; whereas the EU is trying to intensify its presence in the region, including through its recent support for the ‘Green Corridor Kivu-Kinshasa’ programme via a Global Gateway initiative, which aims to help establish a sustainable 2 600 km corridor connecting the eastern DRC to Kinshasa and the Atlantic Coast, covering 540 000 km2;

    Q.  whereas the EU has formed raw materials partnerships with several countries, including the DRC, Rwanda and other countries in the region; whereas these partnerships are focused on, among other things, advancing due diligence and traceability, cooperation in fighting against the illegal trafficking of raw materials, and alignment with international environmental, social and governance standards; whereas Parliament, unlike the Council, was not given the opportunity by the Commission to share its political assessment of the decision to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rwanda or to provide technical feedback on the draft MoU;

    R.  whereas the DRC Foreign Affairs Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner and Nobel Prize laureate Denis Mukwage briefed Parliament on 5 February 2025, at an extraordinary meeting of the Delegation to the Africa-EU Parliamentary Assembly (DAFR) and the Committee on Development, on the occupation of the eastern DRC and the dire humanitarian impact on the local population and internally displaced people;

    S.  whereas the Council appointed Johan Borgstam as the EU Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region on 1 September 2024; whereas on 30 January 2025, DAFR organised an extraordinary hearing with the EU Special Representative and Bintou Keita, Head of MONUSCO;

    T.  whereas prior to recent developments, the DRC faced one of the largest displacement crises in Africa, with 6,7 million internally displaced persons, including 4,6 million in South and North Kivu; whereas the DRC also hosts over 520 000 refugees and asylum seekers from neighbouring countries, while 1,1 million refugees from the DRC are being hosted in neighbouring countries in the region, more than half of them in Uganda; whereas the recent surge in violence has internally displaced over half a million people since the beginning of the year; whereas given the severe overcrowding in the displacement sites where people remain and the lack of water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, the risk of a cholera outbreak is extremely high, along with that of a rapid spread of the Mpox epidemic;

    1.  Strongly condemns the occupation of Goma and other territories in the eastern DRC by M23 and the RDF as an unacceptable breach of the DRC’s sovereignty and territorial integrity; urges the Rwandan Government to withdraw its troops from DRC territory, as they are in clear violation of international law and the UN Charter, and to cease cooperation with the M23 rebels; demands that Rwanda and all other potential state actors in the region cease their support for M23;

    2.  Strongly condemns the indiscriminate attacks with explosive weapons in populated areas of North Kivu by all parties, including on displacement camps and other densely populated areas near Goma, as well as the unlawful killings, rapes and other apparent war crimes, forced labour, forced recruitment and other abusive practices committed by M23 with the support of the RDF and by the armed forces of the DRC, the FARDC;

    3.  Is appalled by the shocking use of sexual violence against women and girls as a tool of repression and weapon of war in the eastern DRC as well as the unacceptable recruitment of child soldiers by the various rebel groups; demands that these matters be addressed by the international community without delay; strongly reiterates that any attack against UN-mandated forces is inexcusable and might be considered a war crime;

    4.  Calls for an immediate end to the violence, particularly the mass killings and the use of rape as a strategic weapon of war; calls on the DRC and Rwanda to investigate and appropriately prosecute those responsible for war crimes, including sexual violence, under the principle of command responsibility;

    5.  Is extremely concerned by the critical humanitarian situation in the country; calls for the immediate reopening of Goma airport to re-establish humanitarian operations and bring in supplies via the airport and the land border; calls for the creation and immediate opening of humanitarian corridors and for all parties, including armed groups operating in the eastern DRC, to allow and facilitate full humanitarian access based on needs and humanitarian principles, including ensuring that civilians and displaced people are not denied access to items essential for their survival;

    6.  Emphasises that humanitarian workers must be able to operate safely to deliver life-saving assistance to Congolese civilians, and that the safety of medical facilities must be preserved; stresses that this is a central obligation under international humanitarian law, and that perpetrators violating these obligations should be held to account; underlines that Rwanda and the neighbouring countries have a special responsibility to facilitate humanitarian access to the region;

    7.  Strongly condemns the attack on diplomatic institutions of the EU, its Member States and civil society organisations, such as political foundations in Kinshasa; underlines that the protection of civilians and diplomatic staff must be guaranteed;

    8.  Expresses concern over the lack of coherence in the EU response to the Great Lakes region’s crises and calls on the Council to reassess the implementation of its renewed EU Great Lakes strategy; recalls that the EU and its special representative for the region are ready to assist all mediation efforts;

    9.  Welcomes the increased humanitarian support pledged by the EU, notes that this still falls far short of meeting the basic needs for food, water, medical assistance and shelter in the eastern DRC, especially in the light of the recent termination of support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); calls on the Commission and the international community to significantly step up financial support for urgent and life-saving assistance;

    10.  Regrets that the EU has not taken appropriate measures to sufficiently address the crisis and effectively press Rwanda to end its support for M23, and that it has instead taken steps – including the signing in February 2024 of an MoU on sustainable raw materials value chains without sufficiently discussing the conflict, and the decision to top up support for Rwanda’s deployment in Mozambique under the European Peace Facility (EPF) – that have failed to demonstrate sufficient safeguards and that have contributed to sending an inconsistent message to the Rwandan authorities;

    11.  Urges the Commission and the Council to immediately suspend the EU-Rwanda MoU on sustainable raw materials value chains until Rwanda proves that it is ceasing its interference and its exportation of minerals mined from M23-controlled areas; calls on all actors to increase transparency and to effectively ban the entry of all blood minerals into the EU;

    12.  Calls on the Commission to render the future re-activation of cooperation on critical raw materials conditional upon Rwanda joining the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, which the DRC is already part of;

    13.  Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the current Conflict Minerals Regulation(2) is strongly enforced and on the Commission to propose a revision of the EU rules, with the aim of ensuring the highest standards of traceability and transparency;

    14.  Notes that parliamentary oversight and civil society involvement in the preparation, signing and implementation of raw material MoUs and roadmaps are essential for an inclusive process with adequate scrutiny, and must become part of the MoU;

    15.  Calls on the Commission, the Member States and the international financial institutions to freeze direct budget support to Rwanda subject to it meeting conditions on, among other things, humanitarian access and the breaking of all links with M23; urges the Commission and the Member States to freeze their military and security assistance to the Rwandan armed forces to ensure that they do not contribute directly or indirectly to abusive military operations in the eastern DRC; calls strongly, in particular, for a review of the EU’s renewed support under the EPF to ensure that troops deployed in northern Mozambique and benefiting from EPF support, as well as their commanders, have been properly vetted and have not been involved in the eastern DRC or in other human rights violations, with a view to suspending the support if it is found to contribute directly or indirectly to abusive military operations in the eastern DRC;

    16.  Urges the Commission and all Member States to ban the transfer of weapons to the Rwandan forces and M23 and to ensure greater transparency of trade in EU weapons;

    17.  Urges the Council to expand sanctions against senior M23 commanders, leaders of other armed groups and senior officials from the DRC and Rwanda – including Major-General Eugene Nkubito, the commander of the RDF’s 3rd Division, and Major-General Ruki Karusisi, RDF Special Force Commander, identified in the June 2024 report of the UN Group of Experts, and Major-General Emmy K. Ruvusha, Commander of the Rwanda Security Forces, identified in the June 2023 report of the UN Group of Experts – and from other countries across the region, as being responsible for or complicit in recent serious abuses by their forces or those for which they have command responsibility;

    18.  Urges the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Member States and the Government of the DRC to take immediate action to prevent sexual violence and improve care for survivors, including by adapting the national legal framework to guarantee access to medical abortion care; draws attention to the health needs of pregnant women, notably those who are displaced and out of reach of medical support; calls on the EEAS and the Member States to further prioritise the disbursement of humanitarian support for women and girls in the region;

    19.  Calls on the Commission to continue supporting anti-corruption efforts and the strengthening of governance in the DRC;

    20.  Commends the Prosecutor of the ICC’s announcement that the ICC will continue to investigate alleged crimes committed by any person, irrespective of affiliation or nationality; reiterates the EU’s unwavering support for the ICC and calls on the Council and Commission to fulfil their obligations to ensure the functioning and effectiveness of the ICC;

    21.  Reiterates its full support for MONUSCO in protecting civilians and stabilising the region; urges the EU to cooperate with all actors on the ground, in particular MONUSCO, to ensure the protection of civilians in the eastern DRC; calls on the UN to work towards a stronger mandate for MONUSCO in order to enable peacemaking; calls on the UN to ensure the protection of civilians and respect for international humanitarian law, particularly given the increased risk of gender-based violence, and to preserve the safety of humanitarian staff, health workers and medical facilities;

    22.  Calls on the UN to take immediate and specific measures to protect Panzi Hospital and its patients and staff;

    23.  Welcomes the special session of the UN Human Rights Council of 7 February 2025 on the human rights situation in the east of the DRC; supports the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry into serious violations committed since January 2022;

    24.  Reiterates its condemnation of hate speech and xenophobia, as well as ethnic-based politics; underlines that all those responsible for sustaining armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the DRC must be held accountable;

    25.  Is concerned about the consequences of Russian interference in the conflict and more widely in the region, and about the increasing presence of disinformation campaigns; condemns, in particular, efforts by Russia to foster anti-Western sentiment through the dissemination of fake news on social media about Western players;

    26.  Expresses its concern about the increasing presence of Chinese actors in the mining sector of the DRC and the region acting without respect for economic and social responsibilities, and recalls that European industries and companies in the region will only have long-term security of supply if a long-lasting and peaceful solution to the conflict is found;

    27.  Recalls that only an inclusive and regional approach will be able to address and tackle the multifaceted, long-standing problems in the region; strongly welcomes the joint SADC and EAC peace summit in Dar es Salaam on 8 February 2025; reiterates, in this regard, its full support for the Luanda and Nairobi processes and calls upon all Great Lake countries, in particular the DRC and Rwanda, to urgently pursue negotiations within these frameworks; emphasises that any solution must also address the root causes of the conflict, including, but not limited to, the illicit trafficking of natural resources; calls on the Commission and the Member States to fully support national and regional initiatives, such as the initiative of the Congolese Catholic and Protestant leaders, and the Luanda Process; underlines that regional organisations, such as the African Union, the SADC and the EAC, must play a central role in all of these efforts; underlines also that a lasting solution requires a reform of the DRC security sector, with a better organised DRC army and administration;

    28.  Calls on the international community and all actors involved to use the Addis Ababa framework agreement and to organise an international conference for peace in the eastern DRC and the Great Lakes region; stresses that this ‘Business for Peace’ conference will have the unique feature of having the private sector around the peace negotiation table, since the war is about strategic minerals; underlines that business people can have significant leverage to push their countries to act for peace; believes that the business for peace approach can help us move forward in finding a solution;

    29.  Calls for the cancellation of the 2025 International Cycling Union (UCI) Road World Championships in Kigali if Rwanda does not change course;

    30.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Government and Parliament of Rwanda and of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the African Union, the secretariats of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Southern African Development Community and the East African Community, and other relevant international bodies.

    (1) OJ L, 2023/2862, 28.12.2023, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/2023/2862/oj.
    (2) Regulation (EU) 2017/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2017 laying down supply chain due diligence obligations for Union importers of tin, tantalum and tungsten, their ores, and gold originating from conflict-affected and high-risk areas (OJ L 130, 19.5.2017, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/821/oj).

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India and Sri Lanka Strengthen Ties in Critical Minerals, Exploration, and Mining

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 15 FEB 2025 2:50PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines Shri Satish Chandra Dubey held a productive meeting today with Shri Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Government of Sri Lanka, at Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi. The discussions focused on fostering bilateral cooperation in mineral exploration and mining, particularly in securing critical minerals essential for both nations’ economic and industrial growth. A key focus was placed on Sri Lanka’s vast graphite and beach sand mineral resources, which hold immense potential in supporting the global shift towards clean energy, advanced battery technologies, and high-tech industries.

    During the meeting, both leaders acknowledged the importance of strengthening collaboration in mineral exploration and mining opportunities for Indian companies in Sri Lanka. Shri Dubey emphasized that India’s National Critical Mineral Mission is aimed at securing a steady supply of essential raw materials like lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, and copper to meet the country’s ambitious renewable energy target. He stated that India is actively working towards granting mining rights for critical minerals, forging international partnerships, and encouraging Indian companies to acquire mineral assets globally. Both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on exploration opportunities, technological collaboration, and investment prospects in these sectors. The possibility of mineral exploration on a Government-to-Government (G2G) basis was also discussed, with the Geological Survey of India (GSI) expressing its interest in conducting mineral assessments in Sri Lanka. Additionally, Sri Lanka requested India to encourage Indian companies to participate in the exploration and development of its beach sand and graphite resources.

    The finalization of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on “Cooperation in the Field of Geology and Mineral Resources” between India’s Ministry of Mines and Sri Lanka’s Geological Survey & Mines Bureau was also discussed. Shri Dubey expressed confidence that this MoU, once concluded, will provide a strong framework for deepening collaboration in capacity building, mining exploration, and advanced mineral processing. He reiterated India’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka in skill development, knowledge exchange, and modernizing its mining industry through technological and financial assistance.

    Speaking on the occasion, Shri Dubey stated, “India and Sri Lanka share a long-standing partnership, and our cooperation in the mining sector will further strengthen our economic ties. By working together, we can harness the full potential of our mineral resources, ensuring mutual growth and sustainability.”

    The meeting concluded on a positive note, with both leaders agreeing to accelerate efforts toward formalizing agreements and exploring new avenues for cooperation in the mineral sector.

    ***

    Shuhaib T

    (Release ID: 2103502) Visitor Counter : 16

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Text of the Vice-President’s address to the Faculty and Staff of National Judicial Academy, Bhopal (Excerpts)

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 15 FEB 2025 2:41PM by PIB Delhi

    Distinguished audience, this is my maiden visit to this prestigious university. While I hold the office of the Vice-President of the country, and by that virtue I happen to be ex-officio chairman of the Council of States, commonly referred to as the Rajya Sabha. 

    My recent public life started in 2019, when the honourable President on 20th of July signed a warrant appointing me Governor, State of West Bengal. It was an act of providence, because that happened to be the birthday of my wife. Another providential convergence, it was 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s landing on the moon but for me, it was painful, because for three decades as a Senior Advocate, and for four decades as an advocate, I was with the jealous mistress, the legal profession. 

    The jealous mistress left me, and my wife got liberated so my active connection with the institution was virtual, not physical. But I can assure anyone who is listening to me, I jealously pondered the jealous mistress. And I thoroughly relished being an advocate for about ten and a half years, and thereafter senior advocate for three decades. 

    Given this background, I will not fail in availing an opportunity on this platform to reflect on issues that are dominating discourse at the present, and the largest democracy on the planet, the oldest, the most vibrant, and home to one-sixth of humanity. I would reflect on constitutional institutions that define democracy, that is, legislature, judiciary, executive but before that, let me advert, democracy has been evolved and defined by two words, One, expression. You must have right to express. If that right is compromised, throttled, or diluted, democracy gets thinner and thinner and thinner. 

    It is your right of expression that makes you the most important factor in the democracy, the stakeholder. One facet of expression is right to vote. But more important is to express your views, your point of view. You participate in governance, administration, by having a voice of expression. This expression is not standalone, this expression requires dialogue. Expression without dialogue means my way or no way. 

    Dialogue is nothing but reflection, either approval of your expression or the other point of view. My own experience says that in life, the other point of view is not only important but more often than not the correct point of view. But lending consideration to the other point of view is quintessential for humanity’s development, because consideration does not mean you concede a point. Consideration means you respect all points of view, and you can find a way out. 

    If the two points cannot be reconciled, herein comes the human spirit of cooperation, convergence, coordination. A difference of opinion should not result in confrontation. A difference of opinion must ignite an urge to converge to find a common ground. Sometimes yielding is a better part of discretion. 

    In this backdrop, let me focus on the state of the nation. I say so because I had the occasion to see the state of the nation in 1989 when I was elected to the Parliament for the first time. Also when I became a Union Minister then and I had the occasion to see the state of the nation now, also last decade or so. 

    In last few years, as a consequence of affirmative governance, innovative policies, the nation is filled with an environment of hope and possibility that can be seen all around. It is all prevailing. We have witnessed economic upsurge that is being accoladed by global institutions like the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank. 

    Economic growth of this country amongst large economies is outstanding because we are at the peak. This economic growth has fuelled a phenomenal infrastructure growth which everyone has come across. Unimaginable, beyond dreams, people-centric policies have led to ground realisation of facilities that are very wholesome to the people at large. Every house with electric connection, with toilet, with cooking gas availability, with banking inclusion. Ongoing schemes like pipe water, roof top solar schemes. There has been handholding of those who are in the last row by way of making available resources to them including affordable housing or Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. 

    What has impressed our young people, and the public at large is deep digital penetration. The technological accessibility and adaptation have been massive, stunning the world. This has enhanced both easy service delivery and ease of governance, ease of business. Once there was a system when because of lack of transparency, lack of accountability, power corridors were infested with agents known as liaison. They corrupted the system; technology has neutralised that. 

    Therefore, to cut it short, no country in the world has grown so fast as Bharat in last few years. Now, this development that the people have tasted has converted our Bharat at the moment as the most aspirational Nation in the world and imagine, a one-sixth of humanity is in high aspirational gear. There are chances of people getting restive or getting in restlessness but if unleashed, this nuclear energy can take us to great heights and that is a challenge before institutions that define our democracy. This calls for optimal performance by pillars of democracy, the legislature, the judiciary and the executive. 

    Friends, time constraint permits me only suggestive focus and for the kind of intelligence that is there in the audience, a suggestion or even a subtle suggestion will make my point. 

    India’s democratic framework did not start in 1947. We have several millennia of rich jurisprudence and that demands careful preservation of institutional autonomy and mutual respect amongst its pillars. Jurisdictional respect and deference require that these institutions operate within defined constitutional bounds while maintaining cooperative dialogue, keeping national interest ever in mind. The principle of separation of powers, necessitates clear demarcation of responsibilities to prevent institutional overreach. 

    Legislatures to begin with because I am directly connected with this in my position as Chairman of the Council of States. Our Parliament, once a theatre of profound dialogue and debate, has yielded to disruption and disturbance. You all are aware. 

    The deliberative dignity envisioned by our Constitution makers stands compromised today with partisan interpretations even on matters of National Security prevailing. How can we ever sacrifice Nation-First principle! How can we relegate national interest to any other interest! 

    Friends, Parliament’s transformation from deliberative dignity to disruptive discord virtually threatens democratic essence. Let me remind you of the Constituent Assembly that, painstakingly, over 18 sessions, spread over little less than three years, dealt with issues that were highly contentious. They were divisive, but there were no disruptions. Tough issues and tough terrain were negotiated with the spirit to find solutions through dialogue, debate, consensus, give and take. 

    Through dialogue of the highest order, these institutions now must achieve, in contemporary times, synergy in serving greater national causes. While doing so, they can maintain their distinct identities. It is concerning because I see day in and day out. 

    Friends, I was inviting your attention that the high standards set by the Constituent Assembly are today compromised. How can we allow in temples of democracy disturbance and disruption? That means the public representatives are not mindful of their constitutional ordinance. How can national interest be overtaken by partisan concerns? How can confrontational stance, and often of irretrievable nature, show exit door to consensus? I urge all through this platform to be cognisant of alarmingly potential and dangers inherent in such kind of derailments undermining the sanctity of parliamentary institutions. To sacrifice such institutions is to taint and tarnish democracy and this indicates lack of commitment to national development. Time for us to be in togetherness, in tandem, to get a reprieve from this malady. I said, I am in a diagnostic clinic of the highest order. 

    Coming to Judiciary, being a member of the bar, I have association. I am therefore a foot soldier. Lawyers are extension of the Bench. They work in togetherness with mutual respect and admiration. Judgements are as good as the assistance of the Bench. It is one of the factors. 

    Like legislature, the judicial architecture also faces critical structural changes. When I became a parliamentary affairs minister in 1990, I went to that room from where the Supreme Court operated. For many years it operated from the Parliament building. There were eight judges, they were not sitting on odd days because there was no work. More often than not, all the eight judges sat together. Gradually we know the situation that is now, and rightly reflected by Justice Bose, but I invite to steer your minds on one aspect. When the strength of the Supreme Court was eight judges, under Article 145(3) there was a stipulation that interpretation of the Constitution will be by a bench of five judges or more. 

    Please note, when the strength was eight, it was five and Constitution allows the highest court of the land to interpret the Constitution. You interpret what is interpretable. In the guise of interpretation, there can be no arrogation of authority. That being the situation, without reflecting more, for fear of being understood or misunderstood, understood in one pretext or misunderstood in another pretext, we need to urgently focus to ensure that the essence and sprit which the founding fathers had in mind under Article 145(3) about interpretation of the Constitution must be respected. If I analyse arithmetically, they were very sure interpretation will be by a majority of judges because the strength then was eight. That five stands as it is and the number is more than fourfold. 

    I seek to recall observations made in speech imparted by a former Chief Justice of India, Shri Gogoi, as nominated Member of Rajya Sabha, nominated by the Honourable President of India in the distinguished category of 12. The former Chief Justice of India as sitting member of Rajya Sabha in the nominated category which is elevated, reflected, I seek to quote him, “The law may not be to be my liking but that does not make it arbitrary. Does it violate the basic feature of the Constitution? I have to say something about the basic structure. There is a book by former Solicitor-General of India Andhyarujina on the Kesavananda Bharati case. Having read the book, my view is that the doctrine of the basic structure of the Constitution has a debatable, very debatable jurisprudential basis. I would not say anything more than this.” 

    The basic structure doctrine debate reflects our institutional tendency to question foundations while ignoring structural cracks. 

    Slightly digressing, we are a country where iconic status is accorded to parameters that are baffling. We don’t scrutinise or probe and that reputation becomes a serious cause of concern because we label someone a jurist without proper analysis. Time for us to give it up. And as much as I have reflected on occasions, we can’t allow others to calibrate us. 

    Another facet, and I try to make it as noticeable as possible, the Judiciary’s public presence must be primarily through judgments. Judgments speak for themselves. Judgments carry weightage and under the Constitution, if the judgement emanates from the highest court of the land, it has binding presidential value. Any other mode of expression other than through judgments avoidably undermines institutional dignity. Again, with the total command that I have, I exercise restraint to assert I seek revisitation of the present state of affairs, so that we get back to the groove, a groove that can give sublimity to our judiciary. 

    When we look around the globe, we never find judges reflecting the way we see here on all issues. I must indicate there is a soothing development. Of late, the storm is withering, calm is prevailing. I hope it continues because we really had a very stormy session echoed in the country, outside the country, on issues, and on occasion so personalised through public domain reflections that sanctity of the highest court was compromised when a judgement of the Supreme Court was called, that it is final because it is the last one. Someday, my view will prevail. 

    Sir, I have known you from a distance. In the High Court at Jharkhand, even if I did not have a case in your court, I used to sit in the last row. There is an aura of the court. Judgments are read, and they will be read by generations that come. When institutions compete instead of complement, democracy pays the price. For Constitutional democracy to survive, institutions must learn to differ without disrupting. And dissent without destroying. Democracy thrives not on institutional isolation, but in coordinated autonomy. Indisputably, institutions contribute productively and optimally while working in their respective domains. Out of difference, I will not advert to instances, except observe that executive governance by judiciary is being frequently noticed and discussed nearly in all quarters. 

    We are a sovereign nation, our sovereignty resides in the people. The constitution given by the people makes this sovereignty inviolable. Executive governance reflecting the will of the people is constitutionally sanctified. Accountability is enforceable when executive roles are performed by elected government. Governments are accountable to legislature and periodically accountable to the electorate but if executive governance is arrogated or outsourced, enforceability of accountability will not be there. 

    Exclusively, governance lies with the government. Sir, with utmost respect, from any other source in the country or outside, from legislature or judiciary, it is antithetical to Constitutionalism and certainly not in consonance with fundamental premise of democracy. Sir, executive governance by judicial decree is a Constitutional paradox that largest democracy on the planet cannot afford any longer. When institutions forget their bounds, democracy is remembered by the wounds this forgetfulness imparts. The constitution envisions harmony, synergetic approach, to be in sync, surely, a concert of chaos was never in the contemplation of the founding fathers of the Constitution. Constitutional consultation without institutional coordination is mere Constitutional tokenism. 

    Sir, let me give one illustration, when two words were interpreted for the first time, consultation and concurrence, and it was indicated that consultation will be concurrence by a judicial directive. Those who engaged in this interpretation conveniently did not avert to article 370 where both the words are used. Article 370 of the Constitution, which is no longer therefortunately, because it was the only temporary article of the Constitution, uses both, consultation and concurrence. How can the two words forget the lexical premise of it used in the constitution? I have distinguished people on the academic side be so taken. I have often said, when it comes to gender discrimination, if it is obvious, is tolerable but when gender discrimination is subtle, it is very painful. That has to be remedied. Similarly, the line between judicial activism and overreach is thin, but the impact on democracy is thick. 

    Sir, you are aware of a case decided, if I’m not mistaken, by Justice Vivian Bose. The line between may be true and must be true is very thin. It has to be negotiated by unimpeachable evidence of great veracity. Similarly, the situation when we come to revenue matters, tax planning, tax evasion, tax avoidance. The line is very thin. Justice Desai, while sitting with Justice Krishna Iyer, had said so and it says, if you are a good chartered accountant, plan. If you are a powerful man, it is avoidance. If you are vulnerable, then you know, wrath of love. 

    Similarly, I say, the line is thin, but this thin line is between democracy and despotism. To stir your minds, how can in a country like ours, or in any democracy, by statutory prescription, Chief Justice of India participates in the selection of the CBI director. Can there be any legal rationale for it? I can appreciate that a statutory prescription took shape because executive of the day yielded to a judicial verdict. But time has come to revisit. This surely does not merge with democracy. How can we involve Chief Justice of India with any executive appointment? 

    I have no doubt the nation is on its way to emerging as a developed nation.

    For the first time, Bharat is not a nation with a potential. Potential is getting harnessed and exploited day in and day out. Viksit Bharat is not our dream. It is a definitive object we are bound to achieve but this requires earnest, coordinated functioning of the three vital institutions. I therefore, strongly suggest evolution of a structured dialogue mechanism must be there for inter-institutional coordination. Thereby, national interest will be served. Constitutional consultationsmust have a protocol for the same. 

    Sir, the blurring line again between judicial review as you are aware was evolved in the American Supreme Court long back. It’s very blurred, Judicial review and judicial overreach. Let me invite attention of all of you. In the Supreme Court of America, before 1869 had judges varying in number, six, eight, but strength was in single digit. In 1869, they decided eight judges. Today, there are eight judges, all the eight judges sit together with quorum being six. They have no pendency. 

    It is this place where you can examine that the jurisdiction of the American Supreme Court is nearly the same as our jurisdiction. Is there a matter in judicial domain which lies exclusively with the magistrate or a district judge or the High Court not being dealt by the Supreme Court? The structure of the Constitution is very categorical. Judicial governance is left to the High Courts in their areas. There’s a constitutional prescription, all subordinate courts and tribunals in the jurisdictional area of the High Court are subject to the control of the High Court but there is no similar control of the Supreme Court of either the High Courts or subordinate judiciary. 

    When I analyse the disposals, Sir, to play and fudge it with figures, it’s very dangerous because we are monetising ignorance of the people. If informed minds get into the habit of exploiting the ignorance of others, nothing can be more dangerous than this. I have examined the recent two volumes sent by the Supreme Court registry. The disposal has to be two-faceted. 

    Dismissal at the threshold of Article 136 that is largely their disposal. The disposal after leave is granted or otherwise the statutory appeals are there is the only real disposal. And how can there be disposal when in a country unknown to the other dispensations in the world we have a PIL court, we have Suo moto cognizance. Day in and day out we are appointing committees, SITs, groups. I wouldn’t say more, except executive decision-making. The autonomy is not autonomy. The autonomy comes with a great sense of accountability and that accountability is enforceable rigorously and on occasions in a stringent way by several agencies that virtually are at the neck of the bureaucrats or politicians deciding it. Let us preserve it. 

    Parliamentary supremacy in law-making I concede is subject to judicial review. It’s a good thing, the judicial review has to be on the anvil that the legislation is in conformity with the Constitution but when it comes to making an amendment in the Indian Constitution, the ultimate repository, the ultimate power, the ultimate authority and the last authority is only the Indian Parliament. There can be no intervention from any quarter whatsoever on any pretext whatsoever because will of the people is reflected in a representative manner on the most sanctified platform through elections. 

    The world and the nation face existential challenges today. Our institutions cannot afford to be standalone. Our institutions cannot believe as being a repository of an authority dictating others how to conduct their affairs. Neither the legislature can do it nor any other institution, climate change means a global existential challenge. Within our country we have challenges of illegal migrants, demographic dislocations. These are not small issues, conversion through allurements. These issues must engage our attention. We have to find solutions to the problems and neutralise these menacing forces that have sinister design and are activating perniciously anti-national narratives. 

    I conclude that time has come for each one of us individually and for each institution collectively to introspect, reform and return to the Constitutional groove as envisioned by our founding fathers, ensuring democracy’s sustainable growth through proper jurisdictional deference and coordination. 

    I am grateful for the patient hearings, and I am sure this institution will emerge as a think tank to discuss issues because there is no other platform to sum up. I have reflected only on tip of the iceberg. 

    Thank you so much.

    ***

    JK

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India-Myanmar Bilateral Meet: MoS Jitin Prasada meets counterpart Deputy Minister H.E. U Minn Minn

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 15 FEB 2025 2:37PM by PIB Delhi

    H.E. U Minn Minn, Deputy Minister for Ministry of Commerce, Myanmar met with Shri Jitin Prasada, Union Minister of State of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, on Friday 14th February 2025 in Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi. Senior officials from both the sides were also present in the meeting.

    Emphasising on the potential for enhanced bilateral trade, the Ministers discussed possibilities in areas of Pharmaceuticals, Pulses & Beans, Petroleum products and greater use of the recently launched Rupee-Kyat Trade Settlement Mechanism to foster mutual growth.

    During the meeting both the leaders deliberated on the potential areas of collaboration to promote bilateral trade and also acknowledged the importance of resuming border trade through roads and agreed to take steps on this issue.

    ***

    Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan

    (Release ID: 2103498) Visitor Counter : 59

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: New Kashmir is no longer a story of conflict, but a story of trust being restored, faith being rewarded, says Vice-President

    Source: Government of India (2)

    New Kashmir is no longer a story of conflict, but a story of trust being restored, faith being rewarded, says Vice-President

    Highest voter turnout in 35 years during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in J&K reflects democracy’s true resonance, says Vice-President

    The region is a confluence of confidence and capital, says VP

    Abrogation of Article 370 gave wings to the aspirations of generations, says VP

    Dr. B.R. Ambedkar refused to draft Article 370; Sardar Patel integrated most princely states but not Jammu & Kashmir, says VP

    Investment proposals worth ₹65,000 crores received in Jammu & Kashmir signal a new era of progress, says VP

    VP Addresses the 10th Convocation of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University in Katra

    Posted On: 15 FEB 2025 2:02PM by PIB Delhi

    The Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today said, “Jammu and Kashmir, which had the highest voter turnout in 35 years during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, witnessed a 30-point increase in participation in the Kashmir Valley. Democracy has found its real voice, its real resonance. The region is no longer a story of conflict; Every investment proposal in New Kashmir isn’t just about capital, it’s about trust being restored, faith being rewarded.
    The change is not imperceptible; it is perceptible. Perception has changed, ground reality is changing, hopes of the people are soaring”, he stated.

    Addressing the gathering at the 10th Convocation Ceremony of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), Katra, Jammu &Kashmir today, Shri Dhankhar said, “In just two years, Jammu and Kashmir received investment proposals worth ₹65,000 crores, signaling strong economic interest in the region. For the first time since 2019, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has entered Jammu and Kashmir, with multiple international companies showing interest. The region is a confluence of confidence and capital,” he stated.

    “The aspirations of generations found wings when the constitutional walls of separation crumbled in 2019 with the historic abrogation of Article 370. To the young minds present, I would like to emphasize that Article 370 was a temporary provision. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, refused to draft it. Sardar Patel, who integrated most princely states into the Indian Union, was unable to integrate Jammu & Kashmir. In 2019, a new journey began on this sacred land—one from isolation to integration,” said Shri Dhankhar.

    He further said, “In 2023, over 2 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir, giving a tremendous boost to the local economy. What was once called heaven on earth is now a symbol of hope and prosperity,” said the Vice-President.

    The Vice-President further said, “A great son of the soil once voiced the demand for ‘Ek Desh Mein Ek Nishan, Ek Vidhan, Ek Pradhan.’ That dream has been accomplished. Where there was once disorder, we now witness real order and stability.”

    “Nationalism is our identity. It is our supreme duty to always prioritize national interest above everything else. No political or personal interest is greater than the interest of the nation,” he urged.

    Highlighting the importance of duties, the Vice President said, “Every individual has certain duties. Our culture teaches us what our duties are. We must discharge our civic duties diligently, and when we do so, the results will be remarkable. We must march ahead, fast-tracking our journey toward a developed Bharat. One significant step in this direction is the transformation from the Danda Vidhan to the Nyaya Vidhan—unshackling the colonial mindset.”

    “You are living in a confident and resilient India. Today, Bharat is being celebrated globally as a favorite destination for investment and opportunity. Never before in our history since independence has the voice of an Indian Prime Minister been so resonant with global leaders,” he added.

    He emphasized that the transformation in Jammu & Kashmir is not just a regional phenomenon but a significant part of India’s national renaissance.

    “The winds of change have brought peace and progress. Let us be the architects of a new dawn for Jammu & Kashmir and for Bharat,” he concluded.

    Shri Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of UT of J&K, Shri Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of UT of J&K, Smt. Sakeena Masood, Minister of Education UT of J&K and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

    ****

    JK

    (Release ID: 2103492) Visitor Counter : 71

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Animal Husbandry & Dairying Department and World Organisation for Animal Health Set Roadmap for Public Private Partnerships in the Livestock Sector

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Animal Husbandry & Dairying Department and World Organisation for Animal Health Set Roadmap for Public Private Partnerships in the Livestock Sector

    Workshop Focuses on District Level Veterinary Laboratories, FMD Free Zones, Robust Vaccine Value Chain; To Boost Animal Health in India

    Need to Develop a Structured PPP Policy within One Year to Strengthen Veterinary Services in India: Secretary DAHD

    Posted On: 15 FEB 2025 1:14PM by PIB Delhi

    The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in collaboration with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), successfully organized the WOAH PVS-PPP (Performance of Veterinary Services-Public Private Partnership) Targeted Support Workshop from 11th to 13th February 2025 in New Delhi. The workshop aimed to strengthen the veterinary services through public-private partnerships (PPP) in areas such as vaccine platforms, veterinary workforce development, institutional infrastructure, and the creation of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD)-Free Zones.

    The discussions centered on bridging the critical gaps in veterinary services in India through structured PPP engagement, with emphasis on:

    • Expanding veterinary infrastructure, including the establishment of NABL-accredited veterinary laboratories at the district level.
    • Strengthening disease control programs through enhanced surveillance and FMD-Free Zone development.
    • Building veterinary workforce capacity through structured training and knowledge-sharing platforms.
    • Strengthening self-reliance in veterinary vaccine production by developing a robust vaccine value chain.
    • Defining a comprehensive PPP policy framework to integrate private sector expertise in veterinary research, diagnostics, and extension services.

    Ms. Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary, DAHD, highlighted the critical role of veterinary services in supporting the livestock sector, which contributes over 30% to India’s Agricultural Gross Value Added (GVA). She underscored the need for establishing veterinary laboratories with NABL accreditation and emphasized that private sector collaboration is essential for disease surveillance, workforce capacity, and vaccine production. “This workshop has created a platform for structured PPP engagement in veterinary services. The discussions will contribute to a roadmap that enhances national disease control programs, expands veterinary infrastructure, and ensures a sustainable ecosystem for animal health security,” she said. Ms. Upadhyaya further emphasized the need for developing a structured PPP policy within a year to ensure long-term investment and private sector participation in veterinary services.

    Dr. Hirofumi Kugita, World Organization for Animal Health, Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, acknowledged India’s leadership in veterinary services and its potential to contribute to global best practices through knowledge-sharing and laboratory collaborations.

    Dr. Abhijit Mitra, Animal Husbandry Commissioner and the chief veterinary officer of the country, noted that scaling up veterinary services requires a structured institutional framework where the public and private sectors work together. He said, “This workshop has set the groundwork for defining such a framework, and the next steps will focus on execution and capacity building”.

    The workshop brought together over 100 participants from State Animal Husbandry Departments, Veterinary Councils, Disease Diagnostic Laboratories, ICAR research institutes, Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production (A-HELP), the Agriculture Skill Council of India, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, private sector stakeholders, Indian Federation of Animal Health Companies (INFAH), vaccine manufacturers, Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Bank. Seven WOAH experts facilitated discussions, defining PPP strategies for resource mobilization, risk management, and stakeholder integration during the workshop. The workshop concluded with the presentation of a PPP Roadmap for the Veterinary Sector, outlining actionable strategies to enhance veterinary services, disease surveillance, and livestock productivity. The outcomes will contribute to policy development, investment mobilization, and structured PPP implementation, ensuring long-term benefits for India’s animal husbandry sector.

    ****

    Aditi Agrawal

    (Release ID: 2103484) Visitor Counter : 31

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Casting Nets, Catching Success

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Casting Nets, Catching Success

    India’s Fisheries on the Rise

    Posted On: 15 FEB 2025 10:18AM by PIB Delhi

    Introduction:

    India is the second largest fish producing country with around 8% share in global fish production. Over the past two decades, India’s fisheries sector has witnessed significant growth and transformation. From technological advancements to policy reforms, the period from 2004 to 2024 has been marked by milestones that have bolstered India’s position in global fisheries and aquaculture. The Union Budget 2025-26, proposed the highest ever total annual budgetary support of Rs. 2,703.67 crores for the fisheries sector. This is a testament to India’s achievement as a leader in aquaculture and seafood exports!

    “THE SUNRISE SECTOR” IN THE UNION BUDGET 2025-26

    The 2025-26 budget announcement strategically focuses on enhancing financial inclusion, reducing financial burden on farmers by reducing custom duties and furthering development of the marine fisheries.

    Additionally, The Budget 2025-26 highlights enabling a framework for sustainable harnessing of fisheries from Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and High Seas with special focus on Lakshadweep and A&N Islands. This will ensure sustainable harnessing of the untapped potential of the marine fish resources in the Indian EEZ and adjacent High Seas for growth in the marine sector.

    The Government of India also increased the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) lending limit from ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh to enhance credit accessibility for fishers, farmers, processors and other fisheries’ stakeholders. This move aims at streamlining the flow of financial resources ensuring that necessary funds are easily accessible for fulfilling working capital requirements of the sector.

    Two Decades of Success

    Increase in Production: Fish production increased to an impressive 184.02 lakh tons (2023-24) from 95.79 lakh tons (2013-14) and 63.99 lakh tons (2003-04) registering an increase of 88.23 lakh tons in 10 years (2014-24) as compared to an increase of 31.80 lakh tons (2004-14).

    Increase in Inland and Aquaculture Fish Production: A tremendous increase of 77.71 lakh tons was achieved in Inland and Aquaculture fish production from 2014-24 as against the 26.78 lakh tons achieved from 2004-14.

    The marine fish production doubled to 10.52 lakh tons (2004-14) from 5.02 lakh tons (2014-24).

    As reported by Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), during the financial year 2023-24, India exported 17,81,602 MT of Seafood worth ₹ 60,523.89 Cr. The export value has witnessed a significant jump from 609.95 Cr in 2003-04.

    Policy Initiatives and Schemes:

    Blue Revolution: The Blue Revolution scheme was the first step towards making the fisheries sector economically viable and robust. With its multi-dimensional activities, Blue Revolution focuses mainly on increasing fisheries production and productivity from aquaculture and fisheries resources, both inland and marine. The Blue Revolution Scheme was launched in FY2015-16 with a central outlay of Rs. 3000 crores for 5 years.

    However, as the sector needed reforms to address critical gaps across the value chain; Thus, the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme was conceived in 2020 to help the fisheries sector achieve new heights while ensuring socio-economic welfare of fishers, fish farmers and other stakeholders. The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) is being implemented for a period of five years (2020-21 to 2024-25) with an investment of Rs 20,050 crore. The initiative delves into the domain of inland fisheries and aquaculture, recognizing their pivotal role in bolstering production and ensuring robust food security.

    Source: https://pmmsy.dof.gov.in/#schemeIntro

    INITIATIVES UNDER PMMSY

    1. Fish Farmers Producer Organisations (FFPOs)– Under the ongoing PMMSY, there is a provision to provide financial assistance for setting up of Fish Farmers Producer Organisations (FFPOs) to economically empower the fishers and fish farmers and enhance their bargaining power which ultimately help to improve the standard of living of fishers.

    The Department of Fisheries has so far accorded approval for setting up of a total of 2195 FFPOs at a total project cost of Rs.544.85 crore comprising 2000 fisheries cooperative as FFPOs and 195 new FFPOs. Further, to facilitate access to institutional credit by fishers and fish farmers, Kisan Credit Card facility has been extended to fisheries since 2018-19 and till date 4,50,799 KCC card have been sanctioned to fishers and fish farmers.

    1. Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF)-

    In the Union Budget 2018, the Hon’ble Finance Minister announced setting up of a Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) for fisheries sector. Accordingly, during 2018-19, a dedicated fund, FIDF was created with a total funds size of Rs 7522.48 crore.

    The Department of Fisheries, has approved a total 136 project proposals/projects at a total cost of Rs.5801.06 crore with project cost restricted for interest subvention at Rs.3858.19 crore received from various State Governments/UTs and other eligible entities. Extension of FIDF will further intensify development of various fisheries infrastructures.

    1. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana-

    The Union Cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PMMKSSY), a Central Sector Sub-scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) in February 2024 for a period of four years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2026-27. PM-MKSSY will be implemented in all the States and Union Territories with an estimated outlay of ₹6000 crore. PM-MKSSY intends to address the inherent weaknesses of the sector through identified financial and technological intervention for bringing in institutional reforms to support the transformation of the fisheries sector in the Long-term.

    Integrated Aqua Parks Under PMMSY-

    4. The Department of Fisheries in India has been actively promoting the development of integrated aquaparks to boost the fisheries sector. These aquaparks are part of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and aim to enhance the aquaculture value chain through various initiatives. The Department has accorded approval for setting up of a total 11 integrated aquaparks in the country at a total cost of Rs 682.6 crore.

    1. Artificial Reefs Deployed Under PMMSY-

    Artificial reefs are man-made structures placed on the seafloor to enhance marine habitats and ecosystems. These structures mimic natural reefs and provide shelter, food sources, and breeding grounds for various marine organisms. In India, the Department of Fisheries has been actively promoting the installation of artificial reefs across coastal states to support sustainable marine fisheries conservation efforts. These initiatives aim to rejuvenate coastal fisheries, rebuild fish stocks, and enhance marine biodiversity. The Department of Fisheries, with technical support from the Fishery Survey of India (FSI) and ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), is committed to promoting sustainable practices and improving the livelihoods of coastal communities through these projects. As on Sep 2024, installation of 937 artificial reefs have been approved at a project cost of Rs. 291.37 crore in the states/UTs of AP, Gujarat, Lakshadweep, Karnataka, Odisha, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.

    1. Designated NBCs Under PMMSY-

    The Department of Fisheries in India has designated specific Nucleus Breeding Centres (NBCs) to enhance the genetic quality of aquaculture species. These NBCs play a crucial role in improving the productivity and quality of species like shrimp, which are vital for both domestic consumption and export.

    Technological Advancements:

    • Satellite Technology Integration: National Rollout Plan for Vessel Communication and Support System, application of Oceansat, Potential Fishing Zones (PFZ) etc., undertaken by Department of Fisheries on application of space technologies in the fisheries sector.
    • GIS-Based Resource Mapping: Implementation of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology for mapping marine fish landing centers and fishing grounds, aiding in effective resource management.

    The components of the scheme for strengthening of database and geographical information system GIS for fisheries sector are as under:

    ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE): A Centre of Excellence

    The Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), established in 1961, is India’s leading institution for higher education and research in fisheries. CIFE has trained more than 4,000 fisheries extension workers and professionals who play a crucial role in promoting sustainable fisheries practices across the country. CIFE’s role in capacity building has been critical to the growth of India’s fisheries sector.

    Key highlights of India’s sustainable fishing efforts include:

    National Policy on Marine Fisheries (NPMF, 2017): The Government of India has introduced the NPMF, which places a strong emphasis on sustainability as the core principle for all marine fisheries actions. This policy guides the conservation and management of India’s marine fishery resources.

    Regulation and Conservation Measures: To ensure the long-term sustainability of marine fish stocks, the Government has implemented several conservation measures, including:

    • Uniform Fishing Ban: A 61-day uniform fishing ban during the monsoon season in the EEZ to allow fish stocks to replenish.
    • Prohibition of Destructive Fishing Methods: Bans on pair trawling, bull trawling, and the use of artificial LED lights in fishing, which help reduce overfishing and minimize damage to marine ecosystems.
    • Promotion of Sustainable Practices: Encouraging sea ranching, the installation of artificial reefs, and mariculture activities such as seaweed cultivation.
    • Fisheries Regulations by States/UTs: Coastal States/UTs have also implemented gear-mesh size and engine power regulations, minimum legal size (MLS) of fish, and zonation of fishing areas for different types of vessels, contributing to sustainable fishing.

    Conclusion:

    The period from 2004 to 2024 has been transformative for India’s fisheries sector. Through concerted efforts in policy implementation, technological integration, and sustainable practices, India has not only enhanced its fish production but also ensured the socio-economic development of its fishing communities. As the nation moves forward, continued focus on innovation and sustainability will be key to maintaining this upward trajectory.

    References:

    Download in PDF

    ***

    Santosh Kumar/ Sarla Meena/ Kritika Rane

    (Release ID: 2103444) Visitor Counter : 22

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government appoints members of Advisory Committee on Attracting Strategic Enterprises

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Government appoints members of Advisory Committee on Attracting Strategic Enterprises
    Government appoints members of Advisory Committee on Attracting Strategic Enterprises
    *************************************************************************************

         The Government announced today (February 15) the reappointment of 10 incumbent non-official members, as well as the appointment of Dr Rocky Cheng as a new member, to the Advisory Committee on Attracting Strategic Enterprises (Advisory Committee). Their appointments will take effect on February 15 for a term of two years.     The Advisory Committee is chaired by the Financial Secretary. Its members comprise representatives from the business sector and community leaders, as well as relevant government officials. The Advisory Committee will provide advice on the overall strategy of attracting strategic enterprises. Non-official members are appointed by the Financial Secretary.     The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, said, “Attracting strategic enterprises from around the globe is especially important in accelerating the development of the innovation and technology industries in Hong Kong, including artificial intelligence and data science, life and health technology, advanced manufacturing and new energy technology and financial technology, thereby creating strong impetus for Hong Kong’s economy. With the valuable advice and recommendations provided by members of the Advisory Committee, the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises has achieved substantive results throughout the past period. I look forward to continuing to work closely with members of the Committee to ensure that our efforts on attracting strategic enterprises would be more effective.”      The membership list of the Advisory Committee is as follows:Chairman————–Financial SecretaryOfficial Members————–Deputy Financial SecretarySecretary for Commerce and Economic DevelopmentSecretary for Culture, Sports and TourismSecretary for DevelopmentSecretary for Financial Services and the TreasurySecretary for Innovation, Technology and IndustryChief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary AuthorityDirector-General of Office for Attracting Strategic EnterprisesGovernment Economist Non-official Members————–Dr Sunny ChaiDr Rocky ChengMr Duncan ChiuMr Victor ChuDr Victor FungDr Peter LamMs Nisa LeungMr David LiaoDr Weijian ShanProfessor Harry ShumMr Sun YuSecretary————–Executive Director of Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises

     
    Ends/Saturday, February 15, 2025Issued at HKT 11:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Special Trains from New Delhi to Prayagraj to Depart from Platform 16 to the Extent Possible ; Passengers to Use Ajmeri Gate for Entry/Exit

    Source: Government of India

    Special Trains from New Delhi to Prayagraj to Depart from Platform 16 to the Extent Possible ; Passengers to Use Ajmeri Gate for Entry/Exit

    Additional RPF and GRP Personnel Deployed to Manage Peak Rush; 4 Special Trains Operated Today, 5 More Scheduled for Tomorrow to Facilitate Devotees Traveling to Mahakumbh

    Ex-Gratia and Compensation Given to Kin of Deceased, Grievously Injured, and Minor Injured Passengers; Railway Personnel Attend the Last Rites of all the 18 Deceased.

    Two-Member High-Level Committee Begins Probe into Yesterday’s Tragic Incident at New Delhi Railway Station

    Posted On: 16 FEB 2025 7:11PM by PIB Delhi

    A day after the tragic incident of stampede at New Delhi railway station, Northern Railway enforced a number of measures to avoid any such untoward incident in the days to come. It has been decided that all special trains in the direction of Prayagraj will be run from platform number 16 to the extent possible . Therefore all the passengers wanting to go to Prayagraj shall  come & go from Ajmeri Gate side of New Delhi railway station. Regular trains will continue to be operated from all platforms as the regular practice is. This is a step in the direction of avoiding peak hour rush getting accumulated in one platform.

    In addition, the deployment of RPF & GRP forces in New Delhi Railway station has been increased. These personnel are assisting the passengers by helping them guide towards the platform in which their train is scheduled to depart. In addition to the focus on increased operational efficiency in rush hours, Northern Railways ran three special trains by evening 7 pm to clear the additional rush in the direction of Prayagraj. This includes one special train to Darbhanga via Prayagraj and two more special trains towards Prayagraj. Besides regular trains towards prayagraj one more special Train is scheduled to depart at 9 pm to cater to the peak evening hour demand. Given the unprecedented crowd of travellers wanting to go in the direction of Prayagraj, Indian Railway has scheduled five more special trains Tomorrow, i.e. 17/02/205 for Mahakumbh devotees.

    In order to avoid any untoward incident in future, Indian Railways appeals through media outlets to the public at large, not to fall prey to rumours as it was witnessed in the unfortunate incident at New Delhi railway station yesterday. All the travellers are requested not to change platforms on hearsay and strictly follow the official announcement. Indian Railway seeks cooperation of passengers by adhering to operational planning of Indian Railways. This will go a long way & help zonal railway authorities to smoothly execute planned regular & special train services for the commuters.

    Railways Helpline no 139 continues to serve for the people to reach out  for any enquiry and passenger support during ongoing rush situations. Indian Railways has received more than 130 calls relating to yesterday’s unfortunate incident on this helpline number by 5 PM today. Further, Indian Railway personnel assisted the families of each deceased by accompanying them to their Homes and & took part in their final rites.

    Earlier in the day, Indian Railways gave an ex-gratia of rupees 10 lakh to the kin of all the 18 deceased. An amount of rupees 2.5 lakh to grievously injured passengers and a compensation of rupees 1 lakh for passengers with minor injury were distributed to the 15 injured, during the day.

    The two member high level committee announced to probe yesterday’s untoward incident has begun its work. The committee comprises Shri Pankaj Gangwar, Principal Chief Security Commissioner & Shri Nar Singh, Principal Chief Commercial Manager, Northern Railway, both Higher Administrative Grade officers.

    List of deceased/Injured passengers

    ****

    Dharmendra Tewari/ Shatrunjay Kumar

    (Release ID: 2103844) Visitor Counter : 455

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Special Trains from New Delhi to Prayagraj to Depart from Platform 16; Passengers to Use Ajmeri Gate for Entry/Exit

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Special Trains from New Delhi to Prayagraj to Depart from Platform 16; Passengers to Use Ajmeri Gate for Entry/Exit

    Additional RPF and GRP Personnel Deployed to Manage Peak Rush; 4 Special Trains Operated Today, 5 More Scheduled for Tomorrow to Facilitate Devotees Traveling to Mahakumbh

    Ex-Gratia and Compensation Announced for Kin of Deceased, Grievously Injured, and Minor Injured Passengers; Railway Personnel Attend the Last Rites of all the 18 Deceased.

    Two-Member High-Level Committee Begins Probe into Yesterday’s Tragic Incident at New Delhi Railway Station

    Posted On: 16 FEB 2025 7:11PM by PIB Delhi

    A day after the tragic incident of stampede at New Delhi railway station, Northern Railway enforced a number of measures to avoid any such untoward incident in the days to come. It has been decided that all special trains in the direction of Prayagraj will be run from platform number 16. Therefore all the passengers wanting to go to Prayagraj shall  come & go from Ajmeri Gate side of New Delhi railway station. Regular trains will continue to be operated from all platforms as the regular practice is. This is a step in the direction of avoiding peak hour rush getting accumulated in one platform.

    In addition, the deployment of RPF & GRP forces in New Delhi Railway station has been increased. These personnel are assisting the passengers by helping them guide towards the platform in which their train is scheduled to depart. In addition to the focus on increased operational efficiency in rush hours, Northern Railways ran three special trains by evening 7 pm to clear the additional rush in the direction of Prayagraj. This includes one special train to Darbhanga via Prayagraj and two more special trains towards Prayagraj. Besides regular trains towards prayagraj one more special Train is scheduled to depart at 9 pm to cater to the peak evening hour demand. Given the unprecedented crowd of travellers wanting to go in the direction of Prayagraj, Indian Railway has scheduled five more special trains Tomorrow, i.e. 17/02/205 for Mahakumbh devotees.

    In order to avoid any untoward incident in future, Indian Railways appeals through media outlets to the public at large, not to fall prey to rumours as it was witnessed in the unfortunate incident at New Delhi railway station yesterday. All the travellers are requested not to change platforms on hearsay and strictly follow the official announcement. Indian Railway seeks cooperation of passengers by adhering to operational planning of Indian Railways. This will go a long way & help zonal railway authorities to smoothly execute planned regular & special train services for the commuters.

    Railways Helpline no 139 continues to serve for the people to reach out  for any enquiry and passenger support during ongoing rush situations. Indian Railways has received more than 130 calls relating to yesterday’s unfortunate incident on this helpline number by 5 PM today. Further, Indian Railway personnel assisted the families of each deceased by accompanying them to their Homes and & took part in their final rites.

    Earlier in the day, Indian Railways gave an ex-gratia of rupees 10 lakh to the kin of all the 18 deceased. An amount of rupees 2.5 lakh to grievously injured passengers and a compensation of rupees 1 lakh for passengers with minor injury were distributed to the 15 injured, during the day.

    The two member high level committee announced to probe yesterday’s untoward incident has begun its work. The committee comprises Shri Pankaj Gangwar, Principal Chief Security Commissioner & Shri Nar Singh, Principal Chief Commercial Manager, Northern Railway, both Higher Administrative Grade officers.

    List of deceased/Injured passengers

    ****

    Dharmendra Tewari/ Shatrunjay Kumar

    (Release ID: 2103844) Visitor Counter : 44

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: English rendering of PM’s address at ET Now Global Business Summit

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 15 FEB 2025 11:33PM by PIB Delhi

    Shri Vineet Jain ji, industry leaders, CEOs, all other esteemed dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen! Greetings to all of you…

    Last time when I attended the ET Summit, elections were just around the corner. At that time, I had humbly said that Bharat would work at a new speed in our third term. I am satisfied that this speed is now visible, and the country is also supporting it.  After the formation of the new government, the BJP-NDA has been continuously receiving the blessings of the people in various states across the country! In June, the people of Odisha accelerated the resolution of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India), then the people of Haryana extended their support, and now the people of Delhi have given us overwhelming support.  This is an acknowledgment of how the people of the country are standing shoulder to shoulder in pursuit of the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’.

    Friends,

    As you mentioned, I just returned last night from my visit to the U.S. and France. Today, whether it’s the world’s major countries or global forums, the level of trust they have in Bharat is unprecedented. This was also reflected in the discussions during the AI Action Summit in Paris. Today, Bharat is at the centre of global discussions about the future, and in some areas, it is even leading.  Sometimes, I wonder—if in 2014, the people of this country had not blessed us, just think—if a new wave of reforms had not begun in Bharat, would we have seen this transformation? I don’t think so, not at all. And I am sure you would not be convinced otherwise either. Would so many changes have taken place? Those of you who understand Hindi must have immediately grasped my point.  The country was functioning before as well. But back then, Bharat witnessed two things—the Congress speed of development and the Congress speed of corruption. If that had continued, what would have happened? A crucial time period for the country would have been wasted.  In 2014, the Congress government had set a target—that by 2044, they would make Bharat the third-largest economy. That means they were thinking in terms of a 30-year timeline. That was the Congress speed of development. And now, you have also seen the speed of development of a ‘Viksit Bharat’. In just one decade, Bharat has made it to the top five economies of the world.  And friends, I say this with full responsibility—you will see Bharat becoming the world’s third-largest economy in the next few years. Just do the math—2044 vs. today’s speed.  A young nation like ours needs this very speed, and today, Bharat is moving forward with exactly that momentum!

    Friends,

    Previous governments avoided reforms, and we must not forget this. The ET folks may forget, but I remind them. The reforms that were eventually implemented in the past were not out of conviction but out of compulsion. Today, the reforms happening in Bharat are being carried out with conviction. The earlier mindset was—why put in so much effort? Why bother with reforms? We’ve been elected, let’s just enjoy, complete five years, and think about elections when they come. There was hardly any discussion about how major reforms could transform the country.  You all belong to the business world. You don’t just deal with numbers—you review your strategies, discard old methods, even if they were profitable once. No industry moves forward by carrying the burden of outdated practices—it lets them go.  Unfortunately, governments developed a habit of living under the burden of colonial rule in Bharat. Therefore, British-era policies and systems were carried forward mindlessly even after independence. We often hear a phrase—Justice delayed is justice denied. It’s spoken like a sacred mantra. We’ve been hearing this for years, but did anyone work seriously to fix it? No.  Over time, we became so accustomed to these inefficiencies that we stopped noticing the need for change. And then, there’s an ecosystem—some of them may be present here too—that actively prevents discussions on positive developments. Their entire energy is spent on blocking progress. But in a democracy, it’s equally important to discuss and reflect on good things as it is to critique the negatives. Yet, a mindset has been created where spreading negativity is considered democratic, and if positive developments are highlighted, democracy is labelled as weak.  It’s critical to break free from this mentality.  Let me give you some examples… 

    Friends,

    Until recently, the penal codes in Bharat were from 1860. Yes, 1860! The country became independent, but we never thought of changing them because we had developed a habit of living with a colonial mindset. What was the purpose of these 1860 laws? Their aim was to strengthen British rule in Bharat and punish Indian citizens. When a system is built with punishment at its core, how can justice be delivered? That’s why, justice used to take years under this system.  We made a massive change. It wasn’t easy—it took tremendous effort, millions of human hours—but we finally brought in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The Indian Parliament approved it, and now, even though it has been only 7–8 months since its implementation, the changes are already visible. You may not see it in newspapers, but if you go among the people, you’ll notice it. Let me share some real examples of how justice delivery has transformed since Nyaya Sanhita has been introduced.  It took just 14 days to solve a triple murder case —from FIR to final judgment! The accused was sentenced to life imprisonment.  In one such case, a minor’s murder case was resolved within 20 days.  In regard to a gang rape case in Gujarat —FIR was filed on October 9, the charge sheet was submitted by October 26, and today, February 15, the court has convicted the accused. In Andhra Pradesh, the court sentenced the accused to 25 years of imprisonment in a crime against a 5-month-old child. Digital evidence played a crucial role in this case. In another case of rape and murder, the suspect was tracked through the e-prison module. Similarly, a rape and murder case was registered in another state, which revealed that the accused had already been jailed for another crime in a different state. His arrest happened without delay. There are countless such cases where justice is being delivered swiftly. 

    Friends,

    A major reform has also been undertaken in property rights. A UN study has identified the lack of property rights as a major challenge for people in many countries. Across the world, millions of people do not have legal documents for their property. But having clear property rights helps in reducing poverty. Earlier governments didn’t even realize this, and even if they did, who would take on the headache? Who would put in the effort? After all, this kind of work doesn’t make it to ET headlines, so why bother? But this is not how nations are run or built! That’s why we launched the Svamitva Yojana. Drone surveys have been conducted in over 3 lakh villages under the Svamitva Yojana. More than 2.25 crore people have received property cards. And today, I’m giving ET a headline: I know writing about Svamitva might not be easy for ET, but with time, even habits change!

    Due to the Svamitva Yojana, property worth 100 lakh crore rupees has been unlocked in rural areas of the country. This means that these properties worth 100 lakh crore rupees already existed in villages, belonging to the poor, but it could not be utilized for economic development. Since people in villages did not have property rights, they could not avail loans from banks. However, this issue has now been permanently resolved. Today, reports from across the country highlight how property cards under the Svamitva Yojana are benefiting people. A few days ago, I spoke to a sister from Rajasthan who had received a property card under this scheme. Her family had been living in a small house for 20 years. As soon as they got the property card, they were able to secure a loan of 8 lakh rupees from the bank. With this money, she started a shop, and the income from it is now helping her family support their children’s higher education. This is how change happens! In another state, a person in a village used his property card to get a loan of 4.5 lakh rupees from the bank. With that money, he purchased a vehicle and started a transportation business. In yet another village, a farmer took a loan against his property card and set up modern irrigation facilities in his fields. There are many such examples where new earning opportunities are emerging for villagers and the poor. These are the real stories of reform, perform, and transform—stories that don’t make it to newspaper headlines or TV channels.

    Friends,

    After independence, there were many districts in our country where governments failed to bring development. This was a failure of governance—not a lack of budget. Funds were allocated, announcements were made, and even stock market reports were published about rising and falling indices. But what should have been done was a focused effort on these districts. Instead, these districts were labelled as backward districts and left to fend for themselves. No one was willing to work on them. Even government officials posted there considered it a punishment posting.

    Friends,

    Amidst this negativity, I took this challenge head-on and completely changed the approach. We identified more than 100 districts across the country, which were once called backward districts, but I called them Aspirational Districts—not backward. We started assigning young officers to these districts and worked on improving governance at the micro level. We focused on the indicators where these districts lagged the most. Then, we implemented the government’s flagship schemes in these areas in mission mode through special camps. Today, many of these aspirational districts have transformed into inspirational districts.

    I want to talk about some of the Aspirational Districts in Assam—those that previous governments labelled as backward—and I want to highlight their transformation. Take Barpeta district in Assam, for example. Back then in 2018, only 26% of elementary schools had the correct student-to-teacher ratio. Only 26%. Today, that number has reached 100% in that district, ensuring that every school meets the required teacher-student balance. Similarly, in Begusarai, Bihar, only 21% of pregnant women were receiving supplementary nutrition, despite the availability of budget and resources. But despite that only 21% women were receiving supplementary nutrition. In Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh, the figure was even lower at 14%. But today, this number has reached 100% in both districts. We’ve also made remarkable progress in child vaccination campaigns. In Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh, vaccination coverage has increased from 49% to 86%. In Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, it has improved from 67% to 93%. Seeing these successes, we realized that this grassroots transformation model was highly effective. So, after successfully identifying and working on 100 Aspirational Districts, we have now taken this mission to the next level. We have identified 500 Aspirational Blocks, where we are now focusing on rapid development. Just imagine—when these 500 blocks experience fundamental improvements, the entire nation’s development indicators will transform!

    Friends,

    Here, we have a large number of industry leaders present. You have seen multiple decades and have been in business for a long time. The kind of business environment Bharat should have was often part of your wish list. Now, think—where were we 10 years ago, and where are we today? A decade ago, Bharat’s banking system was in crisis. It was fragile, and millions of Indians were outside the formal banking network. As Vineet ji just mentioned about Jan-Dhan accounts, Bharat was one of the few countries where accessing credit was very difficult.

    Friends,

    We worked on multiple levels simultaneously to strengthen the banking sector. Our strategy has been: Banking the unbanked, Securing the unsecured and Funding the unfunded. Ten years ago, the argument was that financial inclusion was impossible because there weren’t enough bank branches. But today, nearly every village in Bharat has a bank branch or banking correspondent within 5 km. One example of how credit access has improved is the MUDRA Yojana, which has provided 32 lakh crore rupees to those who would have never qualified for loans under the old banking system. This is a huge change. MSME loans have become much easier to access. Today, even street vendors are getting collateral-free loans, and loans for farmers have more than doubled. We are not only disbursing more loans with bigger amounts but also ensuring that our banks remain profitable. A decade ago, even Economic Times was publishing headlines about banking scams and record NPAs (Non-Performing Assets). Editorials were filled with concerns about the fragility of our banking system. And today what is being published? Between April and December, public sector banks have recorded over 1.25 lakh crore rupees in profits! Friends, this is not just a change in headlines. This is a change in the system, driven by our banking reforms. It proves that the pillars of our economy are growing stronger than ever.

    Friends,

    In the past decade, we have transformed the fear of business into the ease of doing business. With GST, Bharat now has a Single Large Market, which has significantly benefited industries. Our unprecedented infrastructure development has reduced logistics costs and increased efficiency. We have eliminated hundreds of unnecessary compliances and are now further reducing them through Jan Vishwas 2.0. I firmly believe that government intervention should be minimized. To achieve this, we are also setting up a Deregulation Commission to streamline regulations even further.

    Friends,

    Today, Bharat is witnessing another major transformation—one that is preparing us for the future. When the First Industrial Revolution began, Bharat was sinking deeper into colonial rule.
    During the Second Industrial Revolution, while the world was witnessing new inventions and factories, Bharat’s local industries were being destroyed. Raw materials were being exported out of Bharat, leaving us behind. Even after independence, the situation didn’t change much. When the world was moving toward the computer revolution, Indians had to get a licence just to buy a computer! Bharat missed out on the benefits of the first three industrial revolutions, but in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we are ready to move forward alongside the world!

    Friends,

    In its journey toward becoming a ‘Viksit Bharat’, our government considers the private sector a key partner. The government has opened several new sectors for private participation, including the space sector. Today, many young entrepreneurs and start-ups are making significant contributions in this space sector. Similarly, the drone sector, which was once closed to the public, now offers huge opportunities for youth. We have also opened up commercial coal mining for private firms, making auctions more liberalised. The private sector has played a major role in the country’s renewable energy achievements, and now, we are also expanding private participation in the power distribution sector to enhance efficiency. One of the biggest reforms in this year’s budget is something that no one dared to do before—we have opened the nuclear sector for private participation as well!

    Friends,

    Today, our politics has also become performance-oriented. The people of Bharat have made it clear—only those who stay connected to the ground and deliver real results will survive. A government must be sensitive to people’s problems—that is the first requirement of good governance. Unfortunately, those who handled policy-making before us often lacked both sensitivity and willpower to bring real change. Our government, however, has listened to people’s problems with empathy and taken bold, decisive steps to solve them with passion and commitment. Various global studies confirm that because of the basic facilities provided to citizens and their empowerment in the last decade, 25 crore Indians have moved out of poverty. This massive shift has created a new neo-middle class, which is now aspiring to buy their first two-wheeler, first car, and first home. To support the middle class, we made a significant change in this year’s budget—we increased the zero-tax limit from 7 lakh rupees to 12 lakh rupees. This decision will strengthen the middle class and further boost economic activity across the country. This is possible only with a government that is both proactive and sensitive to the needs of the people!

    Friends,

    A ‘Viksit Bharat’ is built on a foundation of trust—trust among citizens, the government, and business leaders. This element of trust is essential for progress. Our government is working tirelessly to strengthen this trust among the people. We are creating an environment of confidence for innovators, where they can incubate their ideas freely. We are ensuring that businesses can rely on stable and supportive policies for sustainable growth. I hope that this ET Summit will further reinforce this trust. With these words, I conclude my remarks. Best wishes to all of you. Thank you very much!

     

    DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: INDIAN NAVY PLATFORMS ARRIVE IN INDONESIA TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INTERNATIONAL FLEET REVIEW 25, AND THE MULTILATERAL NAVAL EXERCISE KOMODO

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 16 FEB 2025 6:25PM by PIB Delhi

    Indian Navy platforms INS Shardul and Long Range Maritime Surveillance P8I aircraft are in Bali, Indonesia, to participate in the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2025, scheduled from 15 Feb to 22 Feb 25. The IFR, a prestigious multinational naval event, will be reviewed by the Hon’ble President of Indonesia and will witness participation of Naval forces from various countries.

    During this period, the Indian Navy will also take part in various high-level engagements including International Maritime Security Symposium, and tactical floor games. Additionally, the crew will join in multinational activities such as a city parade, baby turtle release, coral & mangrove plantation and beach cleaning underscoring commitment towards environmental conservation and maritime cooperation.

    Following IFR 25, both INS Shardul and the P8I will participate in Exercise Komodo, a multilateral naval exercise aimed at enhancing maritime interoperability and regional security cooperation.

    This follows the participation of INS Mumbai & the P8I aircraft in the LA PEROUSE exercises in Indonesia in Jan 2025 and visit of Adm Muhammad Ali, Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy, to India, as part of the high-level delegation accompanying His Excellency President Prabowo Subianto, the Chief Guest for the Republic Day Parade 2025.

    Indian Navy’s regular participation in the exercise is a reaffirmation of India’s commitment to engage with the regional Navies to maintain Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).

    _____________________________________________________________

    VM/SPS                                                                                                        40/25

     

     

    (Release ID: 2103820) Visitor Counter : 10

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Director-General of Investment Promotion visits Japan and Korea to attract business investment to Hong Kong

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Director-General of Investment Promotion visits Japan and Korea to attract business investment to Hong Kong
    Director-General of Investment Promotion visits Japan and Korea to attract business investment to Hong Kong
    ******************************************************************************************

         ​Japan and Korea are two of Hong Kong’s top trading partners, with bilateral trade reaching over HK$307 billion with Japan and HK$355 billion with Korea in 2024. As Asia’s leading international business hub, Hong Kong serves as a strategic gateway for Japanese and Korean enterprises looking to expand into Mainland China and beyond.           The Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong, Ms Alpha Lau, will commence her duty visit to Tokyo in Japan and Seoul in Korea tomorrow (February 17) to promote Hong Kong’s latest business opportunities.           During the visit, Ms Lau will meet with representatives from prominent Japanese and Korean corporations, business associations and incubators in various sectors, including financial services, business and professional services, fintech, and innovation and technology, to discuss their plans to set up or expand in Hong Kong, and how Hong Kong can serve as a strategic gateway to global markets.             In Japan, among other meetings, Ms Lau will also meet representatives from FINOLAB, the fintech centre of Tokyo; Fintech Association of Japan; Japan Cryptoasset Business Association and Global Finance and Technology Network Japan to foster innovation and collaboration in the fintech sector. She will also speak at the Economist Intelligence Corporate Network event to discuss how Hong Kong’s favourable business environment has attracted foreign direct investment.           In Korea, Ms Lau will visit D.CAMP, one of the largest start-up hubs in the country, and meet with its start-ups to further enhance ties between Hong Kong and Korea’s vibrant start-up ecosystem.           Ms Lau said, “We have 34 offices worldwide, with our Tokyo and Seoul offices being among the earliest established. This underscores the longstanding close economic and trade relations between Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea. Thanks to its strategic location, Hong Kong serves as the main bridge linking the Mainland and the rest of the world, with a strong emphasis on fostering artificial intelligence, life sciences, and other innovation-driven industries. It is an ideal place for Japanese and Korean companies and entrepreneurs to expand in the region.”           She added, “There is an ongoing interest in Japanese and Korean pop culture and cuisine in Hong Kong. An increasing number of Japanese and Korean food and beverage companies have shown interest in setting up or expanding their business in the city.”           According to the results of the 2024 Annual Survey of Companies in Hong Kong with Parent Companies Located outside Hong Kong, Japanese companies have a significant presence in Hong Kong, with over 1 400 Japanese companies operating in the city, a 2.3 per cent increase compared to 2023. There were 160 Korean companies operating in Hong Kong in 2024, representing a notable 11.2 per cent increase compared to 2023.

     
    Ends/Sunday, February 16, 2025Issued at HKT 14:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: University on co-operatives to be set up soon to achieve ‘prosperity through cooperation’: MoS Shri Muralidhar Mohol

    Source: Government of India (2)

    University on co-operatives to be set up soon to achieve ‘prosperity through cooperation’: MoS Shri Muralidhar Mohol

    A three-day international conference sponsored by the Union Ministry of Cooperation concludes in Pune

    Posted On: 15 FEB 2025 9:02PM by PIB Mumbai

     

    : Pune, February 15, 2025

    The Government of India is setting up a national cooperative university, the bill for which has been tabled before the Lok Sabha in the budget session. Further, it will be taken up for getting approved in the next session. This was informed by the Union Minister of State for Cooperation Muralidhar Mohol in Pune today. The Minister added that Government of India believes and strives to work with the aim that prosperity can be achieved through co-operation.

    A three-day international conference which was organized by the Union Ministry of Cooperation at the Vaikunth Mehta National Cooperative Society (VAMNICOM) in Pune concluded today. The theme of conference was ‘Generating Prosperity through Cooperatives: Digital Innovation and Value Chain’. Shri Muralidhar Mohol was present as the chief guest on the occasion.

    Speaking further, Shri Mohol said, “There has been sustainable development in rural areas due to cooperative sector. The Government has made special efforts to strengthen the cooperative banks”.

    Union MoS for Cooperation and Civil Aviation Shri Mohol informed that the conference in Pune was the first event by the Government in the International Year of Cooperatives.

    The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC2025). The year’s theme is “Cooperatives Build a Better World”.

    Shri Mohol appreciated CICTAB and VAMNICOM for successfully organizing the conference. He further said that the relations in the field of cooperation with the participating countries of Asia and Africa will be strengthened. Around 36 delegates from 12 countries, namely, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Gambia, Kenya, Liberia, Mauritius, Namibia, Sri Lanka and Zambia attended the conference.

    In three days, experts gave guidance on topics like digital innovation in cooperatives, introduction of successful cooperatives, challenges and opportunities in value chain, sustainability in cooperatives, prosperity through cooperatives, global cooperation etc.

    The dignitaries present on the occasion included the Director of Rural Management Institute, Anand, Gujarat Dr. Umakant Dash; Director, National Institute of Bank Management, Pune, Prof. Partha Ray; Lao PDR (Laos) Ministry of Rural Development, Agriculture and Forestry, Deputy Director General Anosak Phangthimavong; and Gambia Cooperative Registrar General Abba Jibril Sankareh among others. The Center for International Cooperation and Training in Agricultural Banking (CICTAB) has organized this conference with the help of Vaikunth Mehta National Cooperative Society. The Director of VAMNICOM and CICTAB, Pune, Dr. Hema Yadav presented an overview of the three days of the conference.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses the ET Now Global Business Summit 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addresses the ET Now Global Business Summit 2025

    Today, be it major nations or global platforms, the confidence in India is stronger than ever: PM

    The speed of development of a Viksit Bharat is remarkable: PM

    Many aspirational districts have now transformed into inspirational districts of the nation: PM

    Banking the unbanked, Securing the unsecured and Funding the unfunded has been our strategy: PM

    We have transformed the fear of business into the ease of doing business: PM

    India missed the first three industrial revolutions but is ready to move forward with the world in the fourth: PM

    In India’s journey towards becoming a Viksit Bharat, our government sees the private sector as a key partner: PM

    25 crore Indians have risen out of poverty in just 10 years: PM

    Posted On: 15 FEB 2025 10:31PM by PIB Delhi

    The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressing the gathering at the ET Now Global Business Summit 2025 in New Delhi today, recounted that in the last edition of ET Now Summit, he had humbly stated that India would work at a new speed in their third term. He expressed satisfaction that this speed is now evident and receiving support from the country. He thanked the people of Odisha, Maharashtra, Haryana and New Delhi for showing immense support for the commitment to Viskit Bharat. He acknowledged this as a recognition of how the citizens of the country are shoulder-to-shoulder in the pursuit of the goal of a developed India. 

    “Today, be it major nations or global platforms, the confidence in India is stronger than ever”, exclaimed Shri Modi, who returned yesterday from his visit to France and the USA. He added that the sentiment was reflected in the AI Action Summit in Paris as well. The Prime Minister remarked, “Today, India is at the center of the Global Future Discussions and also leading in some as well”. He added that this was a consequence of a new revolution of reforms in India since 2014. Shri Modi highlighted that India entered in the top 5 largest economies in the world in just the last decade, denoting the speed of development of Viksit Bharat. He added that people would soon witness India becoming the 3rd largest economy in the world in a few years. He emphasized that this was the necessary pace for a young country like India and stressed that India was moving ahead with this very speed. 

    Prime Minister remarked that previous dispensations avoided reforms, with a mindset of not wanting to undertake hard work. He added that today the reforms being undertaken in India was with full conviction. He highlighted that there was rarely any discussion about how major reforms could bring significant changes to the country. He pointed out that living under the burden of colonialism had become a habit in India. Even after independence, remnants of the British era continued to be carried forward. He cited an instance where phrases like ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ were heard for a long time, but no concrete steps were taken to address this issue. The Prime Minister highlighted that over time, people became so accustomed to these things that they didn’t even notice the need for change. He added that there was an ecosystem that doesn’t allow discussions about good things to take place and puts energy into preventing such discussions. Shri Modi emphasized that in a democracy, it is crucial to have discussions and debates about positive things. However, he added that a narrative has been created that saying something negative or spreading negativity is considered democratic, whereas if positive things are discussed, democracy is labeled as weak. He stressed that it was essential to come out of this mentality.

    Highlighting that until recently, the penal codes in India dated back to 1860 which aimed at strengthening colonial rule and punishing Indian citizens, Shri Modi noted that a system rooted in punishment could not deliver justice, leading to prolonged delays. He remarked that since the implementation of the new Indian Judicial Code 7-8 months ago, noticeable changes have occurred. For example, a triple murder case was resolved in just 14 days from FIR to sentencing, resulting in life imprisonment. Similarly, a case of a minor’s murder was concluded within 20 days. The Prime Minister pointed out that in Gujarat, a gang rape case registered on October 9, 2024 saw a charge sheet filed by October 26, and today, the court has convicted the accused. He cited another example from Andhra Pradesh, wherein a crime involving a 5-month-old child, the court sentenced the perpetrator to 25 years, with digital evidence playing a crucial role. In another case, the e-prison module aided in locating a rape and murder suspect who had previously served time for a crime in another state, leading to a swift arrest. He said now there were numerous instances where people are now receiving timely justice.

    Pointing to a major reform undertaken related to property rights, Shri Modi referred to a UN study indicating that the lack of property rights in a country is a significant challenge. He pointed out that millions worldwide lack legal property documents, and having property rights helps reduce poverty. He noted that previous governments were aware of these intricacies but avoided such challenging tasks. He emphasized that this approach doesn’t build or run a country. Shri Modi said the Swamitva Yojana was initiated, in which over 3 lakh villages in the country underwent drone surveys, and over 2.25 crore people received property cards. He remarked that due to the Swamitva Yojana, property worth ₹100 lakh crore has been unlocked in rural areas. This property existed earlier but couldn’t be utilized for economic development due to the lack of property rights, he added. Shri Modi highlighted that due to the absence of property rights, villagers couldn’t obtain loans from banks. He added that this issue has now been permanently resolved and today, there are numerous reports from across the country on how people benefit from Swamitva Yojana property cards. The Prime Minister shared a recent conversation with a woman from Rajasthan who received a property card under the scheme, and her family had been living in a small house for 20 years, and after receiving the property card, she secured a loan of around ₹8 lakh from a bank. With this money, she started a shop, and the income now supports her children’s higher education. Recounting another instance from another state, he said that a villager used his property card to obtain a loan of ₹4.5 lakh from a bank and bought a vehicle to start a transportation business. In another village, a farmer used a loan against his property card to set up modern irrigation facilities on his land. The Prime Minister highlighted many such examples where villages and the poor have found new income avenues due to these reforms. He termed these as real stories of reform, perform, and transform that don’t usually make headlines in newspapers and TV channels.

    Remarking that after independence, numerous districts in the country were left untouched by development due to poor governance, Shri Modi said instead of focusing on these districts, they were labeled as backward and left to their fate. No one was willing to address their issues, and government officers were sent there as punishment postings, he noted. “We changed this approach by declaring over 100 districts as Aspirational Districts”, said the Prime Minister. He added that young officers were sent to these districts to improve governance at the micro-level, who worked on indicators where these districts lagged behind and implemented flagship government schemes in mission mode. “Today, many of these aspirational districts have become inspirational districts”, he said. Citing an instance, Shri Modi said that in 2018, only 26% of elementary schools in Barpeta, Assam, had the correct student-to-teacher ratio, which is now 100%, He added that in Begusarai, Bihar, the number of pregnant women receiving supplementary nutrition was 21%, and in Chandauli, UP, it was 14%, while today, both districts have achieved 100%. The Prime Minister also noted the remarkable improvement in child immunization campaigns. In Shravasti, UP, the percentage increased from 49% to 86%, while in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, it rose from 67% to 93%. He highlighted that seeing such successes, 500 blocks in the country have now been declared aspirational blocks, and rapid work is underway in these areas.

    Acknowledging the decades of experience in business of the industry leaders at the summit, the Prime Minister recalled how the business environment in India used to be a part of their wish list and emphasized the progress made in the last 10 years. He highlighted that a decade ago, Indian banks were in crisis, and the banking system was fragile, with millions of Indians outside the banking system. “India was among the countries with the most challenging access to credit”, he added. “Government’s strategy to strengthen the banking sector: Banking the unbanked, Securing the unsecured, and Funding the unfunded”, outlined Shri Modi. He noted that financial inclusion has significantly improved, with nearly every village now having a bank branch or banking correspondent within a 5-kilometer radius. He cited the example of the Mudra Yojana, which has provided around ₹32 lakh crore to individuals who couldn’t obtain loans under the old banking system. He highlighted that loans for MSMEs have become much easier, and even street vendors have been linked to easy loans while the loans given to farmers have more than doubled. The Prime Minister remarked that while the Government is providing large numbers and amounts of loans, the banks’ profits are also increasing. He contrasted this with 10 years ago, when reports of record bank losses and editorials of newspapers expressing concern over NPAs were common. He added that today, from April to December, public sector banks have recorded a profit of over ₹1.25 lakh crore. Shri Modi emphasized that this isn’t just a change in headlines but a systemic change rooted in banking reforms, demonstrating the strengthening pillars of the economy.

    “Over the past decade, our Government has transformed the ‘fear of business’ into ‘ease of doing business’, underscored the Prime Minister.  He highlighted the benefits industries have gained from the establishment of a Single Large Market through GST. He emphasized that there has been unprecedented development in infrastructure over the past decade, leading to reduced logistics costs and increased efficiency. Shri Modi pointed out that the Government has eliminated hundreds of compliances and is now further reducing compliances through Jan Vishwas 2.0. To reduce Government interference in society, a Deregulation Commission is also being established, he added.

    Highlighting that India is witnessing a significant transformation related to future preparedness, Shri Modi remarked that during the first Industrial Revolution, India was under the grip of colonial rule. He added that during the second Industrial Revolution, while new inventions and factories emerged worldwide, local industries in India were being destroyed, and raw materials were being taken out of the country. He pointed out that even after independence, conditions did not change much. When the world was moving towards the computer revolution, in India, one had to obtain a license to buy a computer, he noted. “Although India couldn’t benefit much from the first three Industrial Revolutions, the country is now ready to match steps with the world in the Fourth Industrial Revolution”, the Prime Minister emphasized.

    “Our Government considers the private sector a crucial partner in the journey towards a Viksit Bharat”, exclaimed the Prime Minister. He noted that many new sectors have been opened up for the private sector, such as the space sector, where many young people and startups are making significant contributions. He highlighted that the drone sector, which was closed to the public until recently, now presents vast opportunities for the youth. The commercial coal mining sector has been opened to private firms, and auctions have been liberalized for private companies, he added. The Prime Minister remarked that the private sector plays a significant role in the country’s renewable energy achievements, and the Government is promoting private sector participation in the power distribution sector to enhance efficiency. He also underlined that a significant change in the recent budget is the opening of the nuclear sector for private participation.

    Prime Minister remarked that today’s politics has become performance-oriented and the people of India have clearly stated that only those connected to the ground and delivering results will sustain. He emphasized that the Government must be sensitive to people’s problems and noted that previous policymakers lacked sensitivity and willpower. He added that their Government has understood people’s issues with sensitivity and taken necessary steps with passion and enthusiasm to resolve them. Shri Modi cited global studies showing that over the past decade, the provision of basic amenities and empowerment has helped 25 crore Indians rise out of poverty. He added that this large group has become part of the neo-middle class, now dreaming of their first two-wheeler, first car, and first home. He further added that to support the middle class, the recent budget increased the zero tax threshold from ₹7 lakh to ₹12 lakh, strengthening the entire middle class and boosting economic activity. “These achievements are possible due to a proactive and sensitive government”, exclaimed Shri Modi.

    “The true foundation of a developed India is trust and this element is essential for every citizen, every government, and every business leader”, emphasised Shri Modi. He highlighted that the Government is working with full strength to instill confidence among the citizens. He added that Innovators were being provided with an environment where they can incubate their ideas, while businesses were assured of stable and supportive policies. The Prime Minister concluded by expressing hope that the ET Summit will further strengthen this trust. 

     

     

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: WAVES Outreach Program at Berlinale 2025!

    Source: Government of India (2)

    WAVES Outreach Program at Berlinale 2025!

    Film Industry leaders at Berlin Film Festival invited to participate in WAVES 2025 Summit

    Veteran film-maker Shekhar Kapur highlights India’s Global Potential in Media and Technology

    Posted On: 15 FEB 2025 8:01PM by PIB Mumbai

    : Mumbai, February 15, 2025

    An outreach program for WAVES 2025 was held at the Berlin Film Festival 2025 today, where the Indian delegation engaged with major film producers from around the world participating in the European Film Market. The session served as a platform to showcase India’s unique blend of ancient heritage and modern technological advancements, fostering global collaborations in the media and entertainment sector. The session also extended an open invitation to the leading producers from the film industry and major technological players to come and participate in Waves 2025 to foster collaboration and innovation in the AVGC sector.  

    Speaking on the occasion at Berlinale, veteran director and actor Shri Shekhar Kapur delivered an inspiring address emphasizing the immense potential of the Indian entertainment industry. He stated that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision is to empower creators from every corner of India by providing them with a global platform. He described WAVES as an excellent opportunity for international industry leaders to collaborate with India’s fast-growing AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality) sector.

    Shri Kapur further emphasized India’s technological momentum, expressing confidence that the country is poised to emerge as a global leader in the technical domain. He noted that with sustained growth and innovation, Indian companies will soon be able to compete with major global technology players.

    Speaking on the essence of storytelling, the renowned film maker stressed that the art lies in conveying narratives from the perspective of the listener. He remarked that storytelling requires different mediums, and WAVES 2025 is designed to provide creators with cutting-edge platforms to tell their stories in innovative and immersive ways.

    The Berlin International Film Festival, commonly known as Berlinale, is one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals, attracting filmmakers, producers, and industry professionals from across the globe. Held annually in Berlin, Germany, the festival serves as a hub for creative exchange, celebrating diverse cinematic voices and groundbreaking storytelling. The European Film Market (EFM), a key component of Berlinale, provides a platform for international film and media companies to network, collaborate, and explore business opportunities.

    Earlier, during the event, a presentation was done by the representatives from the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting underscoring India’s vast cultural diversity, traditions, and its fusion with cutting-edge technology. The presentation emphasized that India’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem is driving a new wave of innovation, making it an attractive hub for global partnerships in film, animation, visual effects, gaming, and XR (Extended Reality). Participants were briefed on the various opportunities available under the WAVES initiative, which aims to bring Indian talent to the forefront of the global media landscape.

    Key highlights from the presentation included:

    • The role of WAVES in bridging India’s ancient storytelling traditions with modern digital formats.
    • The initiative’s focus is on fostering collaboration between Indian and global creators through the Waves platform of B2B collaboration and Waves Bazar.
    • Opportunities in animation, gaming, and XR technology for international investors through the WaveXcclerator program.
    • Showcasing the power of imagination and innovation through 30 plus challenges under the Create in India challenge season one.
    • Government-backed initiatives supporting content creators, startups, and technological advancements in media and entertainment.

     

    About WAVES 2025

    WAVES 2025 is a global summit scheduled to be held in Mumbai from 1st May to 4th May 2025, aimed at fostering innovation, creativity, and collaboration in the media, entertainment, and technology sectors. WAVES will bring together creators, industry leaders, and investors to explore new opportunities in animation, gaming, visual effects, and XR (Extended Reality). With a vision to position India as a global powerhouse in the AVGC-XR sector, WAVES 2025 promotes skill development, entrepreneurship, and cross-border collaborations.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SECL approves CSR Projects worth ₹ 170 crores, Strengthening Health, Education and Skill Development in Coalfield areas of CG & MP

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 15 FEB 2025 5:51PM by PIB Delhi

    South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), a Chhattisgarh-based subsidiary of Coal India under Ministry of Coal, Govt. of India, has approved ₹170 Crores for various Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects in FY 24-25. These initiatives will significantly boost health, education and skill development infrastructure in the coalfields regions.

    This allocation surpasses SECL’s statutory CSR budget of ₹99.76 crores for FY 24-25, demonstrating the company’s dedication to community development. These projects will be implemented over the next 2-3 years as per respective agreements.

    These projects reflect SECL’s commitment to holistic community development. A key initiative includes a ₹48.19 crore MoU with the National Institute of Technology, Raipur, for the construction of a 500-beded ‘SECL girls’ hostel’, fully funded by SECL. The foundation stone has been laid by Vice- President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar on January 21, 2025 at Raipur, CG. This will provide a safe and comfortable living environment for female students, promoting higher education among women.

    Recognizing the critical need for cardiac care, SECL has launched the second phase of its flagship project, “SECL ki Dhadkan” (an extension of Coal India ka Nanha Sa Dil). On February 14, 2025, South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) and Sri Sathya Sai Sanjivani Hospital, Raipur, organized the ‘Gift of Life’ ceremony on World Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) Awareness Day and Coal India Limited’s (CIL) Golden Jubilee celebrations. The event, chaired by Shri Biranchi Das, Director (Personnel) of SECL, highlighted SECL’s CSR initiative, ‘SECL Ki Dhadkan,’ which has successfully performed 60 surgeries for children with CHD. With an initial assessment revealing 57 CHD cases in Balrampur, CG, SECL approved ₹4.71 Crore to treat next 300 children across Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. He highlighted that SECL’s aim is to treat every child with Congenital Heart Defects in the state of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. 13 children have already been treated under the 2nd phase of the project. The program ensures that financial barriers do not prevent children from receiving life-saving treatment. The initiative aims to expand to other regions with high CHD cases, making a significant impact on child healthcare in coalfield areas.

    SECL’s ‘Digi Vidya’ program has also gained momentum with a tripartite MoU signed between SECL, the Anuppur District Administration and EdCIL India Limited. This ₹13.73 Crore project will equip 84 government higher secondary and high schools in Anuppur district, Madhya Pradesh, with 265 smart classroom solutions and 84 science labs.

    In line with the 100-Day Intensified Campaign for TB Elimination, SECL has partnered with RK HIV & AIDS Research and Care Centre, Mumbai, for a ₹3.82 Crore project for TB screenings for 50,000 people and provide medicines and nutrition kits to 300 patients across Chhattisgarh (Bilaspur, Raigarh, Surajpur) and Madhya Pradesh (Anuppur).

    SECL is also investing in skill development through a ₹3.12 Crore MoU with Apparel Training & Design Centre (ATDC), Gurugram. This vocational training program will empower 400 underprivileged youth with skills relevant to the apparel and textile industry, creating opportunities for self-employment. The program will include residential and non-residential options for candidates of various SECL operational areas.

    Other significant projects approved by SECL include:

    • Providing a 3.0 Tesla MRI Machine for Late Bisahu Das Mahant Memorial Medical College, Korba (₹28.08 Crores).
    • Financial assistance to the Vidisha District Administration, Madhya Pradesh, for addressing malnutrition and stunting, and screening for anemia and sickle cell anemia (₹30.92 Crores).
    • A Multi-Skill Development Institute (MSDI) project in partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to establish a state-of-the-art training center, benefiting 1260 youths in SECL operational areas (₹6.87 Crores).

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