Category: India

MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana announces departure of U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

BILLINGS — The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana today announced the departure of U. S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich, effective yesterday.

Mr. Laslovich has served as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the District of Montana since being sworn into office on June 2, 2022. President Joe Biden nominated Mr. Laslovich for the position on Jan. 31, 2022, and the U.S. Senate confirmed him on May 17, 2022.

As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Laslovich oversaw all federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation on behalf of the U.S. government. The district has offices in Helena, Great Falls, Missoula, Butte, and Billings.

“It has been the honor of my life to serve as the United States Attorney for the state that raised me. I am profoundly grateful to the talented and hard-working people in this office, as well as our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners who strive every day to uphold the rule of law, keep people safe, and steadfastly defend the interests of the United States of America. I have never been prouder to have served with them, and I will always be rooting hard for their continued safety and success,” Mr. Laslovich said.

During Mr. Laslovich’s tenure, the U.S. Attorney’s Office focused on prosecuting drug trafficking and violent and sexual abuse crimes occurring on Montana’s six Indian Reservations that are within federal jurisdiction for major crimes; building strong partnerships with other federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement agencies; addressing violent and firearms crimes in communities across the state through initiatives like Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF); and protecting civil rights for all Montanans. The office continued its work to protect children from online and in person sexual predators, abusers, and traffickers, and to catch fraudsters, especially those who prey on elderly and vulnerable persons.

Mr. Laslovich also emphasized the importance of strong working relationships with numerous law enforcement agencies at the local, state, tribal and federal levels. Mr. Laslovich and office representatives met regularly with tribal leadership to discuss various issues. The office also worked closely with other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners and organizations to strengthen trust, communications, and cooperation in working toward the shared goal of keeping people safe and holding offenders accountable.

In Indian Country, the U.S. Attorney’s Office worked with tribal and federal law enforcement partners to shut down trafficking rings attempting to set up bases on Montana reservations and enlist residents to distribute drugs transported from outside Montana. One of those cases involved dismantling a large, multi-state drug trafficking organization that was based on Crow Indian Reservation property known as Spear Siding and distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl to three other Montana Indian reservations and communities from suppliers in Washington and a Mexican cartel. The case resulted in federal convictions in Montana of 27 persons and was one of the largest federal drug trafficking investigations in Montana.

Additionally, a recent six-month-long enforcement initiative led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, in cooperation with Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Reservation, led to indictments of multiple individuals on drug crimes. The enforcement action was aimed at identifying hot spots and devoting law enforcement resources to communities facing rising rates of drug-related violent crime and overdose deaths.

During the last three years, federal prosecutors remained committed to making communities across Montana safer by identifying and prosecuting the most dangerous offenders through initiatives like PSN and OCDETF. In Great Falls, a multi-agency investigation into a large fentanyl trafficking ring led to a coordinated take down of suspects and convictions of 10 individuals.

During Mr. Laslovich’s tenure, prosecutions of individuals on federal firearms crimes increased significantly. The average number of defendants charged with illegal possession of a firearm averaged 111 cases a year from 2022 through 2024, compared with an average of 83 cases per year from 2014 to 2021. And the number of defendants charged with carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence or drug trafficking also increased to an average of 56 cases a year from 2022 to 2024 from an average of 40 cases per year from 2014 to 2021.

Additionally, Mr. Laslovich oversaw the launch in Montana of United Against Hate, a Justice Department initiative focused on improving the prevention of hate crimes and hate incidents by building relationships at the local level. Laslovich and the office’s civil rights coordinator and prosecutor held a series of community meetings across the state with law enforcement partners, community and faith organizations, tribal communities, and citizens to discuss identifying and reporting hate crimes and to learn about available resources. Further, the office successfully prosecuted a Basin man on federal hate and firearms crimes after he fired an AK-style assault rifle at the residence of a woman, who identified as lesbian, and was home at the time. The defendant was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

The office’s civil team continued its work defending the United States in litigation, collecting debts owed to the federal government, and investigating fraud. As part of that work, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reached a civil settlement agreement in 2024 between the federal government and St. Peter’s Health, in Helena, in which St. Peter’s agreed to pay $10,844,201 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims for payments to federal health care programs for services performed by an oncology doctor.

Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, Mr. Laslovich served as regional vice president for SCL Health Montana-Wyoming since 2017. From 2009 to 2016, Mr. Laslovich was chief legal counsel in the office of the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, where he prosecuted securities fraud cases. During 2011 and 2012, Laslovich also served as a special assistant U.S. attorney on securities cases in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana. He previously worked in the Montana Attorney General’s Office. Mr. Laslovich began his legal career at Datsopoulos, MacDonald & Lind, P.C. in Missoula and taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Montana School of Law for two semesters.

As one of the youngest Montanans ever elected to the Montana Legislature, Mr. Laslovich first served in the House of Representatives from 2001 through 2004 and then in the Senate from 2005 to 2010, representing Anaconda-Deer Lodge, Granite, and Powell counties.

Mr. Laslovich received his J.D. from the University of Montana School of Law in 2006 and his B.A., with high honors, from the University of Montana in 2003.

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MIL Security OSI –

February 19, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: Launch of the RBIDATA Mobile App by RBI

Source: Reserve Bank of India

Today, the Reserve Bank of India launched RBIDATA, a Mobile App, that offers macroeconomic and financial statistics relating to the Indian economy in a user-friendly and visually engaging format.

The key features of the app include:

Access to over 11,000 different series of economic data to give a comprehensive view of the Indian economy.
Users can view time series data in graphs/charts and download data for analysis.
The app includes details such as data source, unit of measurement, frequency, recent updates. Additional notes are also provided to help users understand the graphs/charts better.
The ‘Popular Reports’ section features a series of frequently viewed reports.
‘Search’ option allows users to access data directly from home screen, without the need to navigate various sections or publications.
The ‘Banking Outlet’ section helps users find banking facilities within 20 km of their location.
Users can access data about SAARC countries through the ‘SAARC Finance’ link in the app.

This app offers quick access to the Database on the Indian Economy (DBIE – https://data.rbi.org.in) portal and aims to serve the researchers, students, and the general public. It is available for both iOS and Android users (version 12 and above). The app also lets users provide feedback to improve its functionality.

(Puneet Pancholy)
Chief General Manager

Press Release: 2024-2025/2193

MIL OSI Economics –

February 19, 2025

MIL-OSI Canada: Construction on the New La Ronge Long Term Care Home Reaches Halfway Mark

Source: Government of Canada regional news

Released on February 18, 2025

The Government of Saskatchewan announced today that construction on the new La Ronge Long-Term Care Home has reached 50 per cent completion.

Construction activities currently underway include completion of building envelope including glazing, interior partition walls, masonry brick installation, electrical and mechanical rough-ins, roof insulation and membrane and interior steel wall layout.

“It is wonderful to see the progress being made on the new long-term care home in La Ronge,” Minister Responsible for Seniors Lori Carr said. “When complete, the new space will ensure seniors and other residents of the north can receive long-term care that meets their needs closer to home and their families.”

The new three-story facility will consist of 80 private rooms with bathrooms, increasing capacity by 64 beds from the current space in the health centre. The home will also feature shared living areas, family rooms, a commercial kitchen and cafeteria, a serenity room and traditional healing space.

“We are very pleased to announce this project reaching 50 per cent completion,” SaskBuilds and Procurement Minister David Marit said. “This progress further highlights our commitment to create critical infrastructure that supports the needs of families in northern Saskatchewan. Together, we are building stronger communities that will serve generations to come.”

The new long-term care home will be owned and operated by the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).

“We are thrilled to see the continued momentum of this new long-term care home project,” said Andrew McLetchie, Vice President, Integrated Northern Health, Saskatchewan Health Authority. “The SHA is committed to safe, quality care as close to home as possible. With significantly more capacity and amenities than the current facility, this new home will deliver on that commitment to residents of the La Ronge area.”

The Government has committed approximately $100 million to the project. The La Ronge and Area Long-Term Care Funding Committee is working to raise funds to purchase furniture, fixtures and equipment.

“The La Ronge and Area Long-Term Care Fundraising Committee is proud to partner with the SHA to ensure the new facility is fully equipped to meet residents’ needs,” Fundraising Coordinator Jacob Page said. “Through community support, we are raising funds for the furniture, fixtures, and equipment that will make this space welcoming, functional, and culturally inclusive for those who will call it home.”

Ledcor Construction Limited (Ledcor) began construction on the facility in July 2023 and it is expected to be substantially completed by early 2027.

“Ledcor is proud to be working on the new La Ronge Long Term Care facility,” Regional Manager Laird Ritchie said. “This project is an opportunity to enhance the community by creating an inspiring and functional space that will benefit future generations. We are thrilled to have reached the 50 per cent completion milestone and look forward to continuing to apply our expertise to ensure the project’s successful completion and lasting impact. The project team has actively engaged with the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT), the local band, and the town during the recruitment process. Our commitment to using local trades and suppliers has been warmly welcomed.”

Once residents can be moved into the new home, the current LTC space in the health centre will be renovated to improve program areas including therapies and add an adult day program and new hemodialysis unit.

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For more information, contact:

MIL OSI Canada News –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Quantum effects make distant objects move together: new research finds this may happen with ripples in space

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Partha Nandi, Postdoc Fellow, Stellenbosch University

Galaxies, planets, black holes: to most people, everything about our Universe sounds and feels enormous. But while it’s true that much of what happens millions of light years away is large, there are also processes happening at the quantum end of the scale. That’s the branch of science which explains how nature works at very small scales – smaller than atoms. At this level, things behave in surprising ways.

Theoretical physicists Partha Nandi and Bibhas Ranjan Majhi explored the possibility that gravitational waves – ripples in space caused by massive objects moving or colliding – might exhibit quantum properties. They shared their findings with The Conversation Africa.

What are gravitational waves?

Simply put, they’re like tiny ripples in space, similar to the waves you see when you splash water. They occur when really heavy things in space, like stars or black holes, move around or crash into each other. These ripples then travel across space and carry energy.

They’re also far more than that: they are a method of communication. They carry information about massive cosmic events, helping scientists to “listen” to space in a way that wasn’t possible before their existence was confirmed.

In 1916 the legendary theoretical physicist Albert Einstein published a groundbreaking paper that laid out his theory of general relativity. He described gravity not as a force, but as the bending of space and time caused by massive objects. This bending affects how objects move, just like a heavy ball placed on a stretched rubber sheet makes smaller objects roll toward it.

Einstein accurately predicted the motion of planets, black holes, and even how light bends around massive objects – and the existence of gravitational waves rippling in space-time when those massive objects move or collide.

Read more: Curious Kids: what are gravitational waves?

It took nearly 100 years for Einstein’s hypothesis about gravitational waves to be confirmed. That’s when the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the US detected these waves for the first time. It took such a long time because despite how huge they sound, gravitational waves are minute: they stretch or squeeze space by a factor 1,000 times smaller than the size of an atom. Special tools were needed to spot them and LIGO’s cutting-edge technology was up to the task.

You argue that some gravitational waves are quantum in nature. What does that mean?

“Quantum” is the branch of science that explains how nature works at very small scales – smaller than atoms. At this level, things behave in surprising ways.

For instance, tiny particles can behave like waves. They can also exist in more than one state at the same time, which is called superposition. Additionally, they can be mysteriously linked so that a change in one instantly affects the other, no matter how far apart they are. This is called entanglement.

Read more: Quantum entanglement: what it is, and why physicists want to harness it

Photons are a good example. These are particles of light, and scientists have proved that they behave in these “quantum” ways, such as being able to exist in superposition or becoming entangled with each other.

Entanglement is a kind of connection but it’s much deeper than a simple link. When two objects are entangled, they share something called a quantum state. This describes everything about a particle or system. It’s like a blueprint, but instead of fixed details, it gives the chance of finding the particle under different conditions, such as its position or speed.

When two objects share a quantum state, their behaviour becomes mysteriously linked. If you measure one object, the state of the other will immediately adjust to match, no matter how far apart they are. This is what makes entanglement so special and unlike anything we see in the everyday world.

What did your research reveal?

We hypothesised that gravitational waves could have both classical and quantum properties. The ones detected by LIGO so far follow classical behaviour, matching Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

But the current LIGO detectors aren’t sensitive enough to detect quantum effects, and there’s been no way to know whether our hypothesis is correct. So we modelled a detector similar to the latest generation of LIGO, which has mirrors attached to arms that can move and vibrate.

Classical gravitational waves cause the mirrors to move in specific ways, but in our study quantum gravitational waves – tiny ripples caused by particles called “gravitons” – affected the mirrors differently. They can make the mirrors’ oscillation modes become entangled: parts of the motion move together in ways that classical waves cannot create.

To visualise this, imagine two wind chimes far apart, swaying in sync because of an invisible breeze. Here, the quantum gravitational waves are like that breeze. They make distant objects move together in a way that classical gravitational waves cannot.

This suggests that at very small scales, gravitational waves may show quantum features, like entanglement, which can’t be explained classically. We’re not suggesting that all gravitational waves are quantum. However, this does not imply that all gravitational waves are quantum in nature. Instead, those originating from the early universe, approximately 13.8 billion years ago, may carry quantum signatures. These types of gravitational waves may encode information about the early universe, especially around the time of the Big Bang, and how they may have changed over time.

Why is this an important finding?

Confirming the quantum nature of gravitational waves bridges Einstein’s relativity with quantum mechanics, solving a puzzle that has challenged physics for decades: the difficulty of reconciling the principles of general relativity, which describes gravity on a large scale, with the laws of quantum mechanics, which govern the behaviour of particles at the smallest scales.

This breakthrough could revolutionise our understanding of the universe. The quantum nature of gravitational waves could help advanced sensors detect faint cosmic signals and provide insights into the universe’s origins, black hole behaviour, and the fabric of reality. While LIGO has already made great progress in measuring gravitational waves, exploring their quantum side opens up a new field of physics.

Read more: Gravitational waves: will the global south provide the next pulse of gravity research?

It’s important to note that more research will be needed to test and replicate our findings in different experimental settings. We’re far from the only people studying these phenomena and we hope our findings will strengthen the efforts of South African institutions such as the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS) and the Astrophysics Research Group at Stellenbosch University which contribute to gravitational wave astrophysics through data analysis, collaboration and theoretical work.

Advances in technology will also play a key role in expanding quantum gravitational wave research opportunities. The LIGO-India observatory, due to become operational by 2030, will be one such possible experimental setting.

– Quantum effects make distant objects move together: new research finds this may happen with ripples in space
– https://theconversation.com/quantum-effects-make-distant-objects-move-together-new-research-finds-this-may-happen-with-ripples-in-space-245050

MIL OSI Africa –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Quantum effects make distant objects move together: new research finds this may happen with ripples in space

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Partha Nandi, Postdoc Fellow, Stellenbosch University

An illustration of two black holes orbiting each other. Eventually they will merge, producing gravitational waves. Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty Images

Galaxies, planets, black holes: to most people, everything about our Universe sounds and feels enormous. But while it’s true that much of what happens millions of light years away is large, there are also processes happening at the quantum end of the scale. That’s the branch of science which explains how nature works at very small scales – smaller than atoms. At this level, things behave in surprising ways.

Theoretical physicists Partha Nandi and Bibhas Ranjan Majhi explored the possibility that gravitational waves – ripples in space caused by massive objects moving or colliding – might exhibit quantum properties. They shared their findings with The Conversation Africa.

What are gravitational waves?

Simply put, they’re like tiny ripples in space, similar to the waves you see when you splash water. They occur when really heavy things in space, like stars or black holes, move around or crash into each other. These ripples then travel across space and carry energy.

They’re also far more than that: they are a method of communication. They carry information about massive cosmic events, helping scientists to “listen” to space in a way that wasn’t possible before their existence was confirmed.

In 1916 the legendary theoretical physicist Albert Einstein published a groundbreaking paper that laid out his theory of general relativity. He described gravity not as a force, but as the bending of space and time caused by massive objects. This bending affects how objects move, just like a heavy ball placed on a stretched rubber sheet makes smaller objects roll toward it.

Einstein accurately predicted the motion of planets, black holes, and even how light bends around massive objects – and the existence of gravitational waves rippling in space-time when those massive objects move or collide.

Read more:
Curious Kids: what are gravitational waves?

It took nearly 100 years for Einstein’s hypothesis about gravitational waves to be confirmed. That’s when the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the US detected these waves for the first time. It took such a long time because despite how huge they sound, gravitational waves are minute: they stretch or squeeze space by a factor 1,000 times smaller than the size of an atom. Special tools were needed to spot them and LIGO’s cutting-edge technology was up to the task.

You argue that some gravitational waves are quantum in nature. What does that mean?

“Quantum” is the branch of science that explains how nature works at very small scales – smaller than atoms. At this level, things behave in surprising ways.

For instance, tiny particles can behave like waves. They can also exist in more than one state at the same time, which is called superposition. Additionally, they can be mysteriously linked so that a change in one instantly affects the other, no matter how far apart they are. This is called entanglement.

Read more:
Quantum entanglement: what it is, and why physicists want to harness it

Photons are a good example. These are particles of light, and scientists have proved that they behave in these “quantum” ways, such as being able to exist in superposition or becoming entangled with each other.

Entanglement is a kind of connection but it’s much deeper than a simple link. When two objects are entangled, they share something called a quantum state. This describes everything about a particle or system. It’s like a blueprint, but instead of fixed details, it gives the chance of finding the particle under different conditions, such as its position or speed.

When two objects share a quantum state, their behaviour becomes mysteriously linked. If you measure one object, the state of the other will immediately adjust to match, no matter how far apart they are. This is what makes entanglement so special and unlike anything we see in the everyday world.

What did your research reveal?

We hypothesised that gravitational waves could have both classical and quantum properties. The ones detected by LIGO so far follow classical behaviour, matching Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

But the current LIGO detectors aren’t sensitive enough to detect quantum effects, and there’s been no way to know whether our hypothesis is correct. So we modelled a detector similar to the latest generation of LIGO, which has mirrors attached to arms that can move and vibrate.

Classical gravitational waves cause the mirrors to move in specific ways, but in our study quantum gravitational waves – tiny ripples caused by particles called “gravitons” – affected the mirrors differently. They can make the mirrors’ oscillation modes become entangled: parts of the motion move together in ways that classical waves cannot create.

To visualise this, imagine two wind chimes far apart, swaying in sync because of an invisible breeze. Here, the quantum gravitational waves are like that breeze. They make distant objects move together in a way that classical gravitational waves cannot.

This suggests that at very small scales, gravitational waves may show quantum features, like entanglement, which can’t be explained classically. We’re not suggesting that all gravitational waves are quantum. However, this does not imply that all gravitational waves are quantum in nature. Instead, those originating from the early universe, approximately 13.8 billion years ago, may carry quantum signatures. These types of gravitational waves may encode information about the early universe, especially around the time of the Big Bang, and how they may have changed over time.

Why is this an important finding?

Confirming the quantum nature of gravitational waves bridges Einstein’s relativity with quantum mechanics, solving a puzzle that has challenged physics for decades: the difficulty of reconciling the principles of general relativity, which describes gravity on a large scale, with the laws of quantum mechanics, which govern the behaviour of particles at the smallest scales.

This breakthrough could revolutionise our understanding of the universe. The quantum nature of gravitational waves could help advanced sensors detect faint cosmic signals and provide insights into the universe’s origins, black hole behaviour, and the fabric of reality. While LIGO has already made great progress in measuring gravitational waves, exploring their quantum side opens up a new field of physics.

Read more:
Gravitational waves: will the global south provide the next pulse of gravity research?

It’s important to note that more research will be needed to test and replicate our findings in different experimental settings. We’re far from the only people studying these phenomena and we hope our findings will strengthen the efforts of South African institutions such as the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS) and the Astrophysics Research Group at Stellenbosch University which contribute to gravitational wave astrophysics through data analysis, collaboration and theoretical work.

Advances in technology will also play a key role in expanding quantum gravitational wave research opportunities. The LIGO-India observatory, due to become operational by 2030, will be one such possible experimental setting.

Partha Nandi receives funding from the University of Stellenbosch. as a posdoctoral fellowship.

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

– ref. Quantum effects make distant objects move together: new research finds this may happen with ripples in space – https://theconversation.com/quantum-effects-make-distant-objects-move-together-new-research-finds-this-may-happen-with-ripples-in-space-245050

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI: WSO2Con 2025 to Showcase How Enterprises Can Embrace ‘Platformless Modernization’ to Drive Innovation
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Austin, TX, Feb. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WSO2Con 2025 will empower enterprises to embrace ‘Platformless Modernization’ by showcasing real-world strategies, expert insights, and innovations that simplify development, accelerate digital transformation, and future-proof IT infrastructures. Keynotes, customer stories and technical discussions during the three-day event will explore and deep-dive into how enterprises can transform digital innovation by eliminating the complexities of traditional platforms either by adopting an enterprise-grade internal developer platform or leveraging software-as-a-service offerings to build your own. The event will take place from March 18 to 20, 2025, in Barcelona, Spain, at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya.

Delivering a platform experience without the complexity

Platformless modernization aims to redefine how organizations build, deploy, and manage applications. Traditional platforms often come with operational overhead, requiring businesses to maintain infrastructure and navigate complex configurations. A platformless approach removes these burdens, making the platform layer invisible to developers, so they can focus on just building innovative applications and providing better digital experiences to their customers and users.

At WSO2Con 2025, WSO2 executives and industry experts will explore what platformless modernization means for enterprises, offering insights into:
- How businesses can deliver developer-friendly experiences without the overhead of managing platforms
- Strategies for enabling rapid, secure, and scalable application development powered by API management, integration, and identity solutions
- The role of internal developer platforms (IDPs) in modernizing software delivery with AI, Kubernetes, and cloud-native architectures
Insightful keynotes and customer success stories

The conference will feature a distinguished lineup of keynote speakers. In his opening keynote, WSO2’s Founder and CEO, Dr. Sanjiva Weerawarana will discuss the vision for platformless modernization with WSO2 technical experts providing in-depth sessions on how platformless is shaping the future of integration, API management and identity & access management.

Jeremy Schneider, Senior Partner & Co-Head of Global Software & High-Tech Practice, McKinsey and Company will provide a framework for navigating evolution in the digital economy in his keynote Every Company is a Software Company. In other keynote presentations, Amy Bingham, vice president & chief information officer at Pekin Insurance will share learnings on how Pekin turned a challenging year of unprecedented setbacks into a story of resilience, rebuilding, and long-term success in an increasingly unpredictable world. Jonathan Pearl, executive director – technology product management at financial services company, BNY Mellon, will explore the power of APIs and how they can be used to drive modernization, innovation and collaboration – both internally and externally. He will discuss the key principles and best practices for designing, building, discovering and governing APIs, as well as the cultural and organizational changes needed to successfully support an API first strategy.

Registration for WSO2Con 2025 is still open with a flash sale from February 18 to 21, 2025. To register and view the full agenda, visit https://wso2.com/wso2con/2025/.

About WSO2

Founded in 2005, WSO2 is the largest independent software vendor providing open-source API management, integration, and identity and access management (IAM) products. WSO2’s products and platforms—including our next-gen internal developer platform, Choreo—empower organizations to leverage the full potential of APIs for secure delivery of digital services and applications, enabling thousands of enterprises in over 90 countries globally to drive their digital transformation journeys. Our open-source, API-first approach frees developers and architects from vendor lock-in, enabling rapid digital product creation. Recognized as leaders by industry analysts, WSO2 has over 800 employees worldwide with offices in Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Spain, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the UK, and the US, with USD100M in annual recurring revenue. Visit https://wso2.com to learn more. Follow WSO2 on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).

Trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

###

The MIL Network –
February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI: Crown LNG Signs Gas Sales MOU with India Gas Exchange

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

LONDON, Feb. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Crown LNG Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: CGBS) (“Crown” or “Crown LNG”), a leading provider of LNG liquefaction and regasification terminal technologies for harsh weather locations, announced today the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the India Gas Exchange Ltd. (“IGX”), India’s first automated national level trading platform. The MOU outlines how Crown and IGX plan to cooperate on liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) sales to pipeline customers downstream from Crown’s planned LNG import terminal in Kakinada, India.

The signing ceremony on the sidelines of India Energy Week 2025 in New Delhi included Swapan Kataria, CEO of Crown LNG, and Rajesh Kumar Mediratta, Managing Director & CEO of IGX, and was witnessed by The Honorable Member of Parliament from Kakinada Shri Tangella Uday Srinivas, an advocate for building infrastructure to empower millions of households and to improve the development of new industries in Andhra Pradesh, including data centers requiring uninterrupted 24/7 power supply.

The non-binding MOU provides a framework for LNG cargoes traveling through Crown’s regasification terminal to be listed, marketed, and sold on the IGX. Under the agreement, IGX will drive market awareness through workshops and industry engagement initiatives, encouraging wider participation in gas trading. Crown LNG will collaborate closely with IGX on LNG cargo arrivals and sales, ensuring a stable and efficient supply chain. Together, they aim to unlock new opportunities in India’s energy sector and reinforce the role of natural gas as a key driver of sustainable economic growth. Both organizations will explore further areas of cooperation to accelerate India’s 15% gas-based economy target by 2030, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“This collaboration will offer Crown a unique position to sell gas to a large base of producers, traders, and offtakers throughout India,” said Swapan Kataria, Crown LNG CEO. “We believe this agreement is the first of several that will address the lack of supply for the eastern coast of the fourth largest LNG importer in the world. Together with IGX and our growing network of trusted local partners, we are excited to strengthen India’s energy security and to help make natural gas more accessible to industries and micro-enterprises across India.”

The Kakinada terminal has received an approved total import capacity of 7.2 MMTPA. Crown expects to achieve final investment decision for the project in 2026 and to deliver first gas in 2029.

About Crown LNG Holdings Limited
Crown LNG is a leading provider of offshore LNG liquefaction and regasification terminal infrastructure solutions for harsh weather locations, which represent a significant addressable market for bottom-fixed, gravity based (“GBS”) liquefaction and floating storage regasification units, as well as associated green and blue hydrogen, ammonia and power projects. Through this approach, Crown aims to provide lower carbon sources of energy securely to under-served markets across the globe. Visit www.crownlng.com/investors for more information.

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

Certain statements in this announcement are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe,” “may,” “could,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “plan,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “future,” “outlook,” “potential,” “project” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding estimates and forecasts of other performance metrics and projections of market opportunity. They involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release and on current expectations of Crown’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Crown. Some important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements could include changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political and legal conditions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the SEC.

Crown LNG Contacts

Investors
Caldwell Bailey
ICR, Inc.
CrownLNGIR@icrinc.com

Media
Zach Gorin
ICR, Inc.
CrownLNGPR@icrinc.com

The MIL Network –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: UNECE and UN Road Safety Envoy call for global use of UN helmet standard to save millions of lives
Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Wearing quality helmets reduces the risk of death for drivers and passengers of powered two- and three-wheelers by over six times and reduces the risk of brain injury by up to 74%. UN regulation No. 22 has provided countries with the blueprint to legislate the use of tested and certified helmets for over 50 years. Already applied in 43 countries, millions of lives could be saved through the worldwide application of this standard.

As governments and stakeholders come together for the 4^th Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Marrakech on 18-20 February, UNECE and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, are launching a call for widespread enforcement of UN Regulation 22.

“Wearing a helmet that meets the UN standard is a game changer”, stressed UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt. “Countries must address any remaining legislative gaps to make helmet use compulsory, and ensure that affordable safe helmets are available to all. Together with political will and partnerships like the safe and affordable helmets initiative we have shown this can be done. Now we need action at scale.”

“Millions of households around the world depend on two- and three-wheelers, but do not have access to safe and affordable helmets. The human cost caused by this situation, not to mention the huge economic impact of deaths and injuries, is unacceptable. It is the collective responsibility of regulators, governments and manufacturers to ensure that helmets meeting the safety standards of UN certification are available and to convince riders to use them. This is a matter of justice and equity – no one should be left behind when it comes to road safety,” said Tatiana Molcean, UNECE Executive Secretary.

Rise in 2-3 wheelers calls for urgent safety action

Two- and three-wheeler use has grown rapidly as many low-and -middle-income countries have motorized over the last 20-30 years. Motorcycles comprise nearly 70% of the national vehicle fleet in countries like India, Indonesia, the Philippines and China. However, the lack of a widespread, systematic approach to ensuring safety has led to a huge increase in deaths and injuries.

According to the 2023 Global Road Safety report of the World Health Organization, motorcyclists and other powered two- and three-wheeler riders represent 30% – a staggering 357,000 deaths – of the 1.19 million global road traffic deaths every year. This marks a 25% increase in the number of victims since 2013, with head injuries being the main cause of death in most motorcycle crashes. Non-use of helmets among motorcyclists across some 40 countries was reported at 20% for drivers and 30% for passengers.

In Malaysia, nearly 65% of road crash victims are motorcycle riders, while in the European Union, which has the lowest death rate compared to any country worldwide at 4.6/100,000, users of powered two-wheelers (motorbikes and mopeds) accounted for only 19% (3,876) of the deaths on the road in 2023.

Safe helmets need further enforcement

Since the entry into force of UN regulation No. 22, 43 countries have applied it, including:
- Belgium in 1972
- Netherlands in 1972
- Sweden in 1973
- Spain in 1976
- Italy in 1977
- Finland in 1977
- Switzerland in 1982
- Russian Federation in 1986
- New Zealand in 2002
And most recently in;
- Pakistan in 2020
- Malaysia, the Philippines and Uganda in 2023
But with the rapid increase of two- and three-wheeler use, application in many more countries around the world could significantly reduce risks.

The Special Envoy’s Safe and Affordable Helmets Initiative

The cost of UN-certified helmets can be a barrier to mass use in many countries. In other markets, the proliferation of helmets which do not comply with UN Regulation 22 offers a false sense of protection to riders and passengers, as highlighted in the White Paper of the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety released last week.

In order to make safe helmets available to many more road users in developing countries, Special Envoy Jean Todt launched the Safe and Affordable Helmets Initiative in 2020. The Initiative promotes safe helmet use and the development and mass production of UN-certified helmets in developing countries themselves.

As a result, producers in India, Indonesia, Spain, and South Korea have already started manufacturing UN-certified helmets for retail at around $20, and more than 40,000 helmets financed by partners of the initiative were distributed in some 17 countries in Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia. In addition, Rwanda, through a project financed by the UN Road Safety Fund, set up a helmet testing facility in December 2024 and align its national standard and certification scheme with UN Regulation N°22. The aim is to build the foundations for a vibrant, scalable helmet manufacturing industry to produce a consistent supply of safe and affordable helmets that would be available across Africa.

Note to editors

UNECE hosts the World Forum for Harmonization for Vehicle Regulations (WP.29), which develops and updates safety regulations, including UN Regulation No. 22. As custodian of the UN road safety conventions, UNECE hosts the Secretariats of both the Special Envoy and UN Road Safety Fund and supports their work.

Technical specifications of helmet manufacturing and testing

UN Regulation No. 22, under the 1958 Agreement outlines a series of tests that ensure adequate measures for fields of vision, hearing ability, non-flammability, material requirements, moisture absorption, and child helmet provisions. One of the most important requirements that makes UN Regulation No. 22 unique, compared to other standards, is conformity of production (CoP) – the procedure to ensure that helmets produced by a manufacturer, is in conformity with the approved type overtime.

The conformity of production procedures; exchange of information among type approval authorities on type approvals granted, counterfeit products and products not meeting the requirements. All this aims to prevent the delivery of fake helmets to the market. Countries involved in the UN system can, thus, rely on each other in the implementation and maintenance of their national legislation based on UN Regulation No. 22.

Technological and materials improvement have led to amendments in 1988, 1995, 2000, and in 2021 concerning moisture absorption, scratch resistance, friction limits, and chinstrap strength.

The 06 series of amendments of the UN Regulation No. 22, entered into force in 2021, increases the number and types of testing required for certification, including visor coloring and material, testing of extra impact points, and updated procedures for tests introduced previously. UN Regulation No. 22-05 tested helmets in rectilinear impact situations, i.e. perpendicular to the impacted surface. Series 6 adds oblique impacts to its tests, which better reflects real-world impact conditions and better protects the brain from rotational accelerations.

MIL OSI United Nations News –
February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: FEMA Supports State and Local Response to Ohio Valley Flooding

Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

Headline: FEMA Supports State and Local Response to Ohio Valley Flooding

FEMA Supports State and Local Response to Ohio Valley Flooding

Following President Trump’s Approval of Emergency Declaration for KentuckyWASHINGTON — FEMA is closely coordinating with state and local officials to provide support as widespread flooding impacts portions of Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia. With winter weather in the forecast, residents should stay informed about changing conditions, as freezing temperatures and additional precipitation could worsen impacts and create hazardous travel conditions.“I spoke to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to offer federal resources and action for the deadly flash floods impacting Kentucky. We discussed how while emergency management is best led by local authorities, we reinforced that the Department of Homeland Security stands ready to take immediate action to offer resources and support,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. “Local emergency managers should swiftly notify people in the affected areas to take action to protect themselves and their belongings. DHS stands ready to help when a state needs, requests and declares an emergency. Follow us for updates and closely monitor messages from your state and local leaders.” Within 12 hours of the initial weather impacts, FEMA deployed Urban Search and Rescue teams and swift-water rescue teams from Missouri, Indiana and Ohio, to work alongside state National Guard personnel, to assist with evacuations. Additionally, two FEMA Incident Management Teams and emergency communications support were deployed in Kentucky today to assist with response efforts. FEMA is delivering 40 truckloads of meals and water requested by the states. FEMA also deployed staff to the Virginia and West Virginia emergency operations centers to monitor and coordinate on any requests for additional assistance.Resources for Affected ResidentsPeople in affected areas are encouraged to follow local officials’ guidance and seek available resources. Kentucky: Residents with immediate needs should complete the Rapid Needs Assessment Form online or call 502-607-6665. For life-threatening emergencies, call 911 immediately.Virginia, Tennessee and West Virginia: Residents should monitor local emergency management agencies and the National Weather Service for updates and emergency instructions.Shelters are open for those displaced by the flooding. Individuals in need of shelter can locate the nearest open facility by visiting www.redcross.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).FEMA urges residents to take precautions as floodwaters continue to rise. Never attempt to walk, swim or drive through floodwaters. Just six inches of moving water can knock a person off their feet, and one foot of water can carry away most vehicles.FEMA remains committed to working with federal, state, tribal and local partners to support the recovery for communities and the Americans who were affected by the storms and flooding.
mashana.davis
Mon, 02/17/2025 – 22:13

MIL OSI USA News –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: TRIFED and Tea Trunk sign MoU to bolster Tribal economy

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 18 FEB 2025 4:19PM by PIB Delhi

In a significant move to expand the market outreach of tribal products, Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd (TRIFED), under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, has entered into a strategic partnership with Tea Trunk, a house of finest Indian tea leaves and unique blends. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed here on February 17, marking a pivotal step in ensuring the availability of tribal products in the mainstream retail market, catering to a much bigger customer base.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durgadas Uikey and Managing Director of TRIFED Shri Ashish Chatterjee during the ongoing flagship event ‘Aadi Mahotsav’, being held at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in the National Capital from 16 to 24 February 2025. The MoU was exchanged between TRIFED General Manager Shri Sandeep Pahalwan and Ms Snigdha Manchanda, Founder & CEO, Tea Trunk.

The primary objective of this collaboration is to boost the tribal economy by leveraging Tea Trunk’s market presence and providing a wider choice of products to its existing customer base. This collaboration will ensure sustainable economic development for tribal producers and provide them with skill development and capacity-building opportunities.

The TRIFED has been organsing “Aadi Mahotsav – National Tribal Festival” to provide direct market access to the tribal master-craftsmen and women in large metros and State capitals. The theme of the festival is “A Celebration of the Spirit of Entrepreneurship, Tribal Craft, Culture, Cuisine and Commerce”, which represents the basic ethos of tribal life.

President of India Smt Droupadi Murmu had inaugurated the festival on February 16, 2025 in the august presence of Shri Jual Oram, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs; Shri Durga Das Uikey, MoS Tribal Affairs; Ms. Bansuri Swaraj, Member of Parliament, New Delhi.

About TRIFED:

* TRIFED is an organization under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, dedicated to the socio-economic development of tribal communities through the marketing development of tribal products.

About Tea Trunk:

* Tea Trunk is a premium tea brand based in Goa that sells unique blends of Indian tea leaves, spices, handicrafts, etc. It offers a myriad of teas such as detox and digestion, immunity boosting, calm and de-stressing, anti-ageing, weight loss, etc.

PSF/DK

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 19, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) – Quarterly Bulletin [October – December 2024]

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 18 FEB 2025 4:00PM by PIB Delhi

Key findings

Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in urban areas among persons of age 15 years and above has increased from 49.9% during October – December, 2023 to 50.4% in quarter October – December, 2024.
LFPR for male of age 15 years and above in urban areas increased from 74.1% during October – December, 2023 to 75.4% during October – December, 2024 reflecting overall increasing trend in male LFPR.
LFPR among female of age 15 years and above for urban areas increased from 25.0% during October – December, 2023 to 25.2% during October – December, 2024.
Worker Population Ratio (WPR) in urban areas among persons of age 15 years and above has increased from 46.6% during October – December, 2023 to 47.2% in October – December, 2024.
WPR for male of age 15 years and above for urban areas increased from 69.8% in October – December, 2023 to 70.9% during October – December, 2024 reflecting overall increasing trend in male WPR.
Unemployment Rate (UR) in urban areas among persons of age 15 years and above decreased from 6.5% during October – December, 2023 to 6.4% during October – December, 2024.
UR among males of age 15 years and above remained same as 5.8% during October – December, 2023 and October – December, 2024. UR among female of age 15 years and above decreased from 8.6 % in October – December, 2023 to 8.1% in October – December, 2024.

Considering the importance of availability of labour force data at more frequent time intervals, National Statistics Office (NSO) launched Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in April 2017.

The objective of PLFS is primarily twofold:

to estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators (viz. Worker Population Ratio, Labour Force Participation Rate, Unemployment Rate) in the short time interval of three months for the urban areas only in the ‘Current Weekly Status’ (CWS).
to estimate employment and unemployment indicators in both ‘Usual Status’ (ps+ss) and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually.

Twenty-four Quarterly Bulletins of PLFS corresponding to the quarter ending December 2018 to quarter ending September 2024 have already been released. In these quarterly bulletins estimates of labour force indicators, viz., Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), Unemployment Rate (UR), distribution of workers by broad status in employment and industry of work in the Current Weekly Status (CWS) for urban areas have been presented.

The present Quarterly Bulletin is the twenty-fifth in the series for the quarter October – December, 2024.

PLFS fieldwork during the quarter October – December 2024

The fieldwork for collection of information in respect of all the samples allotted for the period October-December 2024, were completed timely for the first visit as well as revisit samples, except for twelve first visit first stage units (FSU[1]s); three in the state of Manipur, two in the state of Maharashtra, Odisha, Assam and one each from Gujarat, Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar Islands and eight revisit FSUs (four from State of Maharashtra, two from state of Karnataka and one each from Madhya Pradesh and Andaman & Nicobar Islands), which were treated as casualty.

These aspects may be kept in mind while using the estimates of PLFS for the concerned quarter.

A rotational panel sampling design has been used in urban areas. In this rotational panel scheme, each selected household in urban areas is visited four times, in the beginning with ‘First Visit Schedule’ and thrice periodically later with a ‘Revisit Schedule’. The scheme of rotation ensures that 75% of the first-stage sampling units (FSUs) are matched between two consecutive visits.

At the all-India level, in the urban areas, a total number of 5,742 FSUs (urban sampling unit curved out from Urban Frame Survey) have been surveyed during the quarter October – December 2024. The number of urban households surveyed was 45,074 and number of persons surveyed was 1,70,487 in urban areas.

Conceptual Framework of Key Employment and Unemployment Indicators for the Quarterly Bulletin: The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) gives estimates of key employment and unemployment Indicators like the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), Unemployment Rate (UR), etc. These indicators, and ‘Current Weekly Status’ are defined as follows:

Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): LFPR is defined as the percentage of persons in labour force (i.e. working or seeking or available for work) in the population.

Worker Population Ratio (WPR): WPR is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.

Unemployment Rate (UR): UR is defined as the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labour force.

Current Weekly Status (CWS): The activity status determined on the basis of a reference period of last 7 days preceding the date of survey is known as the current weekly status (CWS) of the person.

The Quarterly Bulletin for the quarter October – December 2024 is available at the website of the Ministry (https://mospi.gov.in). The key results are given in the statements annexed.

Annexure

Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for persons of age 15 years and above

LFPR in urban areas was 50.4% in October – December 2024 for persons of age 15 years in above. While for male LFPR was 75.4% in October – December 2024, for female, LFPR was 25.2% during this period.

Statement 1: LFPR (in per cent) in CWS in urban areas for persons of age 15 years and above all‑India
survey period	Male	Female	Person
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
October – December 2023	74.1	25.0	49.9
January – March 2024	74.4	25.6	50.2
April – June 2024	74.7	25.2	50.1
July – September 2024	75.0	25.5	50.4
October – December 2024	75.4	25.2	50.4

Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for persons of age 15 years and above

WPR in urban areas was 47.2% in October – December 2024 for persons of age 15 years in above. For male, it was 70.9% in October – December 2024, for female, it was 23.2% during this period.

Statement 2: WPR (in per cent) in CWS in urban areas for persons of age 15 years and above all‑India
survey period	Male	Female	Person
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
October – December 2023	69.8	22.9	46.6
January – March 2024	69.8	23.4	46.9
April – June 2024	70.4	23.0	46.8
July – September 2024	70.7	23.4	47.2
October – December 2024	70.9	23.2	47.2

Unemployment Rate (UR) for persons of age 15 years and above

Unemployment Rate in urban areas was 6.4% in October – December 2024 for persons of age 15 years in above. For male, Unemployment Rate was 5.8% in October – December 2024 and for female, UR was 8.1% during the same period.

Statement 3: UR (in per cent) in CWS in urban areas for persons of age 15 years and above all‑India
survey period	Male	Female	Person
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
October – December 2023	5.8	8.6	6.5
January – March 2024	6.1	8.5	6.7
April – June 2024	5.8	9.0	6.6
July – September 2024	5.7	8.4	6.4
October – December 2024	5.8	8.1	6.4

E. Highlights of the Quarterly estimates of key Labour Market indicators

Trend in Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for persons of age 15 years and above since 2022

The trend in LFPR in urban areas since the quarter January – March, 2022 for male and female are presented in figure 1 and 2.

Trend in Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for persons of age 15 years and above since 2022

The trend in WPR in urban areas since the quarter January – March, 2022 for male and female are presented in figure 3 and 4.

Trend in Unemployment Rate (UR) for persons of age 15 years and above since 2022

The trend in UR in urban areas since the quarter January – March, 2022 for male and female are presented in figure 5 and 6.

*****

Samrat

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 19, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Centre for Joint Warfare Studies releases two critical publications on Contemporary Security Challenges

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 18 FEB 2025 3:56PM by PIB Delhi

The Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), under the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS), Ministry of Defence, in a significant step towards advancing strategic thought and policy discourse, unveiled two critical publications on 18 February 2025. Chief of Integrated Defence Staff & Chairman CENJOWS Lt Gen JP Mathew launched the February 2025 issue of the flagship journal Synergy, themed ‘Information Warfare Impacting Joint Warfighting’ and a monograph titled ‘Russia-Ukraine War: Navigating the Ramifications for Europe and India’.

The specially curated edition of Synergy – February 2025, the peer-reviewed journal widely recognized for its in-depth analyses and thought provoking discussions, provides a comprehensive perspective on contemporary security dynamics and future-oriented strategies. It examines the role of Information Warfare in Joint Warfighting in modern conflicts, including cyber, psychological, and electronic warfare. It explores Technological Disruption, assessing AI, cyber tools and digital deception in shaping the future of warfare and evaluates Strategic & National Security Impact and India’s challenges, particularly in response to adversarial IW tactics. It further discusses Operational Convergence while exploring the integration of IW within Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems to enhance joint force effectiveness.

The monograph, titled ‘Russia-Ukraine War: Navigating the Ramifications for Europe and India’, provides an in-depth analysis of the geopolitical, economic and security implications of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. It assesses the war’s impact on European stability, Indo-Russian relations and India’s strategic positioning in a rapidly evolving global order. The study explores key aspects such as geopolitical realignments, energy security challenges, India’s diplomatic balance, NATO’s Indo-Pacific expansion, EU-India collaboration and long-term global security implications.

With the release of these two significant publications, CENJOWS reaffirms its commitment to fostering intellectual engagement on contemporary strategic issues. Both the monograph and Synergy journal are now available, serving as essential resources for the policymakers, military professionals, researchers and academic institutions.

SR/Anand

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav inaugurates a day-long conclave – ‘Waste Recycling and Climate Change 2025’
Source: Government of India

Union Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav inaugurates a day-long conclave – ‘Waste Recycling and Climate Change 2025’

Industry-wide adoption of Circular Approaches is critical to driving Sustainable Growth and Resource Efficiency: Shri Bhupender Yadav

Four Key Strategies for a Successful Circular Economy highlighted – Redesigning Products for Circularity; Investment in Advanced Recycling Technologies; Strengthening Supply Chain Collaboration; Consumer Awareness and Behavioral Change

Posted On: 18 FEB 2025 3:43PM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav today inaugurated a day-long conclave organized by the Recycling and Environment Industry Association of India (REIAI), on ‘Waste Recycling & Climate Change 2025’.

Addressing the inaugural session, the Union Minister stated, “India generates around 62 million tonnes of waste annually, with plastic, electronic, and hazardous waste growing rapidly. The traditional linear economic model of take, make, and dispose is no longer sustainable. The increasing pressure on landfills, depletion of natural resources, and environmental damage from unchecked waste disposal require urgent action. The circular economy is not just an alternative; it is essential. It marks a fundamental shift in how we produce, consume, and manage materials”. A well-functioning circular economy not only conserves natural resources but also fosters industrial innovation, economic competitiveness, and job creation, he stated.

Shri Yadav said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India is shifting from waste management to harnessing the economic potential of recycling through waste to wealth initiative. “The circular economy has a major role in the future including reducing, reusing, and recycling at every stage, from product design to end-of-life management. Waste should not be treated as a burden but as a resource. Adopting sustainable practices is crucial for achieving economic resilience, environmental sustainability, and social security”, he added.

The Minister further stated that by the year 2050 India’s circular economy is expected to have a market value of $2 trillion and create 10 million jobs. It a big opportunity for start-ups and new recycled product developers. It is important to align this growth with environmental sustainability, drawing inspiration from nature’s efficient recycling systems as nobody recycles like Nature, he added.

Shri Yadav urged the recycling industry in the country to develop and adopt newer innovative technologies for reducing dependence on natural resources as well as cutting down imports of critical minerals needed for economic growth. “Adopting circular economy principles can bring tremendous economic benefits. This shift towards resource efficiency aligns seamlessly with our national vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, enhancing the competitiveness of Indian industries in global markets”, the Minister added.

The Minister informed that the Ministry has been instrumental in formulating policies and regulations, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks, that incentivize recyclers and integrate the informal sector into formal recycling systems. These initiatives aim to streamline waste management and promote eco-friendly production across industries. The Ministry has notified a number of market-based Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulations, including those on e-waste, end-of-life vehicles, plastic packaging, waste tyres, waste batteries, used oil. The revenue earned by registered recyclers from sale of EPR certificates is additional profit earned over and above the profit generated from the sale of recycled product, he added.

Shri Yadav said that the government has laid down the policies but Industry-wide adoption of circular approaches is critical to driving sustainable growth and resource efficiency. The Minister highlighted 4 key strategies in this direction:
1. Redesigning Products for Circularity: Companies must move beyond single-use models and design products for recyclability. The integration of biodegradable, reusable, and modular components will help extend product life cycles and reduce waste.
2. Investment in Advanced Recycling Technologies: Adoption of emerging technologies can transform waste management systems, thereby improving recovery rates.
3. Strengthening Supply Chain Collaboration: Businesses need to collaborate across the value chain to optimize resource utilization, create closed-loop production systems, and build markets for secondary raw materials.
4. Consumer Awareness and Behavioural Change: Circularity requires active consumer participation. Industries must invest in campaigns to engage consumers, incentivize recycling, and promote sustainable consumption behaviours.
Dr Amandeep Garg, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) said, “There is a huge gap and huge potential to work towards waste recycling system, as the role of recycling industry is important cut imports of various critical products needed for economic growth”. Corporate houses should lead the transition to a circular economy by incorporating recyclable designs, promoting sustainability in dealership operations, and enhancing consumer awareness, he added.

The event witnessed the presence of Dr. Ashok Kumar, President, Recycling and Environment Industry Association of India and subject experts from the industry and about 200 delegates environmental scientists, waste management professionals and policymakers.

Link to Union Minister’s Address: https://x.com/byadavbjp/status/1891738588506882540?t=DJBoZWZnfkxUliS4sdOkLw&s=08

*****

VM/GS

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –
February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: WAVES Trailer Making Competition
Source: Government of India

WAVES Trailer Making Competition

Where Creativity Meets Cinema

Posted On: 18 FEB 2025 3:36PM by PIB Delhi

Where Creativity Meets Cinema

Introduction

The WAVES Unlocking Creativity: Trailer Making Competition is an exciting opportunity for aspiring filmmakers to craft compelling trailers using Netflix’s extensive content library. As part of the Create in India Challenges under Pillar 4 (Films) of World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), this competition encourages participants to reimagine iconic scenes or present fresh perspectives through the art of trailer-making. This pillar explores the world of filmmaking, production, and globalisation, offering a platform for participants to showcase their creative skills. Organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry and Reskilll, with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Netflix as the creative partner, the competition aims to inspire and equip the next generation of content creators.

Taking place from 1-4 May 2025 at Jio World Convention Centre & Jio World Gardens in Mumbai, WAVES will be a landmark event for the Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry. Bringing together industry leaders, creators, and innovators, WAVES will serve as a global platform for discussions on emerging trends, opportunities, and challenges, while showcasing India’s creative potential on the world stage.

At the heart of WAVES, the Create in India Challenges have emerged as a catalyst for creativity and innovation. With over 70,000 registrations from across the world, these challenges are empowering creators to push boundaries and redefine storytelling. As a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the challenges are fostering a dynamic ecosystem for content creation and collaboration, positioning India as a global hub for creative excellence.

Eligibility and Judging Criteria
1. The competition is open to students and aspiring filmmakers with a passion for video editing, filmmaking, or content creation. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age to participate.
1. A panel of industry experts will evaluate trailers based on creativity, storytelling, technical execution, and overall impact. The screening process will take place in multiple rounds, with participants receiving feedback at various stages to help refine their submissions.
Timeline

Registration Details

Registrations are currently open and will close on 31st March 2025. As of February 15, 2025, a total of 3,313 participants from around the world have registered. The competition has attracted a diverse group of entrants, including college students aspiring to be content creators and video editors, as well as working professionals exploring their passion or leveraging their experience as editors and creators.

Register here: https://reskilll.com/hack/wavesficci/signup

Prizes & Rewards

Roadshows: Fueling Creativity and Competition

Roadshows are central to the Trailer Making Competition, serving as key platforms to inspire and nurture creative talent. The recent stop at Guru Tegh Bahadur 4th Centenary Engineering College (GTB4CEC) was a testament to this mission, bringing hands-on learning and industry exposure to aspiring filmmakers. These roadshows build momentum toward the grand finale, equipping participants with the skills and confidence to craft compelling trailers.

What Participants Experience:
- Hands-On Workshops: Practical training in green screen editing, colour correction, and advanced video editing techniques.
- Creative Challenge: Attendees craft engaging trailers based on provided themes, showcasing their storytelling and technical abilities.
- Industry Insights: A panel of experts evaluates the trailers, offering valuable feedback to help participants refine their craft.
- Showcase of Talent: A celebration of budding filmmakers and editors, strengthening the competition’s creative ecosystem.
References:

Click here to see PDF:

Santosh Kumar/ Sarla Meena/ Saurabh Kalia

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –
February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India-Qatar Joint Business Forum held to Strengthen Bilateral Economic Ties
Source: Government of India (2)

India-Qatar Joint Business Forum held to Strengthen Bilateral Economic Ties

The Forum epitomised the strength of the India-Qatar relationship built on shared interests and mutual respect

Economic collaboration for a shared future, promoting trade, energy security, technology, and sustainability formed the cornerstone of discussions

Posted On: 18 FEB 2025 3:20PM by PIB Delhi

On the sidelines of the visit of H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Amir of Qatar to India from 17-18 February, Confederation of Indian Industry, in partnership with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) organised the India-Qatar Joint Business Forum on 18^th February 2025 in New Delhi. The Joint Business Forum was graced by Shri Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India and H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani, Hon’ble Minister of Commerce and Industry, State of Qatar, who delivered keynote address at the Business Forum.

Speaking in the Inaugural session of the Joint Business Forum, Union Minister, Shri Piyush Goyal reaffirmed India’s ambition to become a USD 30-35 trillion economy by 2047, in alignment with the Viksit Bharat vision. He emphasized that while India and Qatar share a long history of successful energy trade, the future of this partnership extends beyond hydrocarbons to cutting-edge sectors like AI, quantum computing, IoT, and semiconductors etc.

He emphasized that as geopolitical dynamics shift and cybersecurity threats intensify, alongside the challenges of climate change, self-reliance i.e. Atmanirbharta has become a key priority. With each country possessing distinct competitive advantages, he stressed that India and Qatar are in a position to complement each other’s strengths and can be partners in driving innovation and shape the industries of tomorrow. As both nations embark on a transformational transition, this partnership will rest on the pillars of entrepreneurship, technology, and sustainability.

He further highlighted India’s key reforms in reducing the cost of doing business and enhancing Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), positioning it as an oasis of credibility and consistency for global investors. Inviting Qatar to explore opportunities in India’s dynamic and resilient economy, he emphasized that India’s Vision 2047 and Qatar’s National Vision 2030 will shape a new era of strategic economic cooperation. He also suggested creating a Joint Working Group on sectors of mutual interest and further invited Qatari businesses to explore opportunities in GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tech-City).

Speaking during the inaugural session, H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani, Hon’ble Minister of Commerce and Industry, State of Qatar echoed the sentiments and highlighted that the relationship between Qatar and India is not just a transaction, it is a tradition built on mutual respect, shared interests and a commitment to bolster economic cooperation. India-Qatar trade partnership has flourished with India becoming Qatar’s third largest trading partner. He further emphasized that Qatar remains a diverse, dynamic, and investor-friendly destination, warmly inviting Indian investors to explore the vast opportunities within Qatar’s economy and infrastructure.

Shri Jitin Prasada, Union Minister of State of Commerce and Industry, Government of India highlighted India’s dynamic economic growth and innovation-driven ecosystem. He emphasized that India has attracted USD 709 billion in FDI inflows over the last decade, supported by 40,000 compliance reforms. He also emphasised upon India’s leadership in innovation, with over 1,55,000 startups across various industries, ranging from space technology to agriculture.

He further stated that India Stack is revolutionizing digital access, financial inclusion, and internet democratization. The Qatar National Bank (QNB) – National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) partnership will further enhance digital payments through QR Code-based UPI transactions. The Minister also highlighted the National Manufacturing Mission, which focuses on increasing industrial capability and delivering high-quality products. Additionally, he invited the Qatari delegation to participate in the upcoming Startup Mahakumbh in India, fostering deeper collaboration in the tech and innovation ecosystem.

H.E. Dr. Ahmad Al-Sayed, Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, State of Qatar, highlighted that India and Qatar are well-positioned to navigate the evolving global trade landscape. He emphasized the importance of enhancing the collaboration between two countries beyond traditional energy sector to explore into emerging industries such as electric vehicles (EVs), manufacturing and other non-oil & gas sectors.

To support global investors, Qatar has established the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC)—a key initiative to attract businesses and facilitate private equity investments. He reiterated that Qatar stands as one of India’s strongest global partners, offering unparalleled access to international markets. Additionally, Qatar Science & Technology Park will serve as a foundation for research and development, while Media City in Qatar aims to attract top media companies, and Qatar Free Zone is designed to drive investment across key sectors.

With India’s prowess in digitalisation, and Qatar’s ambitious plan for digital transformation, India is in a very unique position to provide technology and scale for digital transformation to Qatar. The discussions highlighted India’s position as a gateway to South Asia and Qatar’s role as a hub for the Middle East. There is high potential for collaboration between India and Qatar in high quality solar grid polysilicon manufacturing, among others, noted panelists.

The India-Qatar Joint Business Forum convened business leaders, policymakers, and industry experts to explore new avenues of collaboration in relevant sectors. With bilateral trade surpassing USD 15 billion in FY 2023-24, investment flows have increased—ranking among the top three GCC investors in India—but there remains significant untapped potential. To solidify this growing partnership, two key Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed during the event:
- Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Qatar Business Association
- Invest India and Invest Qatar
These agreements aim to facilitate business cooperation, enhance investment flows, and foster long-term collaboration in strategic sectors of mutual interest.

Shri Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, emphasized that the India-Qatar business delegation will serve as a catalyst for stronger partnerships. He welcomed Qatar’s participation in Startup India Mahakumbh 2025, scheduled for April 3-5, 2025, which will serve as a landmark initiative fostering deeper startup collaborations and attracting Qatari investments into India’s technology and innovation ecosystem.

Mr. Sanjiv Puri, President, CII, highlighted key areas for economic cooperation, including energy security, agriculture, the startup ecosystem, and skill development. He further emphasized Qatar’s crucial role in India’s energy landscape and stated that CII is committed to facilitating partnerships between Indian and Qatari entities as both nations plan their respective renewable energy goals.

The event was also addressed by H.E. Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, Chairman of Board of Directors, Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry and H.E. Sheikh Hamad Bin Faisal Al Thani, Board Member of the Qatari Businessmen Association. The Business forum showcased three panel discussions on investments, logistics and advanced manufacturing and futuristic areas such as AI, innovation, sustainability, etc.

The India-Qatar Business Forum reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of both nations to advancing trade, investment, and technology collaboration. As India and Qatar strengthen their economic ties, they are set to drive prosperity, innovation, and sustainable growth, unlocking a new chapter in their historic partnership.

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Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan

(Release ID: 2104334) Visitor Counter : 20

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –
February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: APEDA showcases India’s Organic Legacy at BIOFACH 2025 with leading Organic exporters from across India

Source: Government of India (2)

In a celebration of India’s rich agricultural heritage and the growing demand for sustainable farming, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) organized participation of Indian exporters under India Pavilion at BIOFACH 2025 held from February 11 to 14, 2025 at Messezentrum in Nuremberg, Germany. The APEDA India pavilion at BIOFACH 2025 was inaugurated by Shri Shatrughna Sinha, Consul General of India, Munich along with Shri Abhishek Dev, Chairman, APEDA.

The event also marked the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) between APEDA and Nuremberg Messe on 11.02.2025 to make India the Partner Country of the Year at BIOFACH 2026. The LoI, signed by Ms. Victoria Vehse, Vice President and Member of the Management Board for Nuremberg Messe and Shri Abhishek Dev, Chairman APEDA in the presence of Shri Shatrughna Sinha, Consul General, Consulate General of India, Munich. The signing was a defining moment in the long-standing partnership between India and BIOFACH, with India previously holding the esteemed Partner Country title in 2012. It also sets the stage for India to take the spotlight in this global event next year and present INDIA’s strength as the organic food basket for the world at BIOFACH 2026.

The India pavilion at this year’s event showcased a vast array of organic products including pulses, spices, rice, processed foods and essential oils. The thoughtfully curated display not only highlighted India’s agricultural prowess but also invited visitors to experience the deep-rooted cultural narratives that had shaped India’s organic farming tradition.

To showcase the vast diversity of organic food products and offerings from India, APEDA facilitated the participation of more than 20 co exhibitors including exporters, FPOs and State Government Organisations showcasing a vibrant display of products like Rice, Oilseeds, Herbs, Spices, Pulses, Cashew, Ginger, Turmeric, Large Cardamom, Cinnamon Mango Puree, Essential Oils amongst others.

At the India pavilion, apart from display of a wide range of organic products, Attendees were invited to journey through the vibrant flavours and aromas of India, with curated food tastings designed to evoke the essence of India’s organic bounty. From the fragrant, aromatic Biryani, made with premium organic Basmati rice and exotic spices, to the calming and immune-boosting properties of a Golden Turmeric Latte, every dish served as a celebration of India’s organic offerings. In addition, the pavilion featured live cooking demonstrations, where visitors savoured a range of authentic Indian dishes such as Millet Dosa.

Furthermore, the cultural experience at the India Pavilion extended beyond the culinary delights, with visitors being treated to Henna Art, a symbol of India’s rich cultural diversity and artistic expression. This cultural element provided a tangible connection to India’s centuries-old traditions, bridging the gap between sustainable farming and the broader cultural heritage that defined the nation.

As the world increasingly shifts its focus toward sustainability and eco-friendly living, APEDA’s participation at BIOFACH 2025 reinforced India’s role as a global leader in organic agriculture. With a rapidly growing organic market, India remains committed to offering high- quality, sustainably produced products that meet international standards. This commitment was further exemplified by APEDA’s focused approach to supporting Indian exporters, ensuring they are equipped to meet the demands of a global market that is progressively seeking more sustainable and organic food solutions. Amongst the Non-European Nations, India had the highest participation at the event.

APEDA’s Pavilion at BIOFACH 2025 demonstrated the best of India’s organic excellence which was found in the products on display, the stories of exporters from the entire length and breadth of the country and their shared commitment to a healthier and more sustainable future.

India’s organic farming sector with its deep-rooted history and evolving future is ready to take centre stage once again at BIOFACH 2026. As global attention turns to India’s agricultural innovations, APEDA aims to forge collaborations and partnerships that would pave the way for India to become the world’s most trusted and sought-after source of organic food products.

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Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Coal Ministry to Host Roadshow on ‘Commercial Coal Mines Auctions & Opportunities in Coal Sector’ in Kolkata Tomorrow
Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 18 FEB 2025 3:17PM by PIB Delhi

The Ministry of Coal is geared up to host a Roadshow on Commercial Coal Mine Auctions & Opportunities in the Coal Sector on 19th of February 2025 in Kolkata. This event is designed to bring together investors, industry leaders, mining experts, and policymakers, providing a dynamic platform to explore transformative opportunities within India’s coal sector.

The tenacity of the Roadshow is to highlight the wide array of opportunities available in the coal sector, driven by significant Government reforms aimed at streamlining processes, enhancing transparency, and creating a level playing field for all stakeholders. The event will provide in-depth details into the upcoming Commercial Coal Mine auctions, discuss the investment potential, and showcase the long-term benefits of participating in India’s growing coal sector.

This roadshow is valuable platform for stakeholders to engage, network, and learn about the regulatory framework, streamlined clearance processes, and the Ministry’s efforts to foster an investor-friendly environment in the coal sector. The Ministry is committed to ensuring that the coal industry remains globally competitive, offering a win-win scenario for both domestic and international investors looking to capitalize on the opportunities in India’s energy landscape.

The event also provides an exclusive opportunity for participants to connect with key decision-makers, gain valuable insights into future coal sector trends, and explore collaborative ventures that can shape the future of India’s energy and mining sectors.

Key Reforms in Commercial Coal Mine Auctions includes:
- Reduction in upfront amount and bid security amount, making participation more financially accessible.
- Permission to relinquish part of the coal mine for partially explored blocks, providing greater operational flexibility.
- Rebate in Performance Security for Underground coal mines, encouraging investment in underground mining.
- Ease of participation with no entry barriers, ensuring a more inclusive auction process.
· Full flexibility in coal utilization, enabling companies to use coal for any purpose as per their business needs.

· Optimized payment structures and incentives for early production.

The Ministry of Coal is committed to driving growth, investment, and sustainable development in India’s coal sector and looks forward to a successful Roadshow, marking an important step in driving growth, investment, and sustainable development in India’s coal production and the use of clean coal technology, promoting efficiency and sustainability.

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Shuhaib T

(Release ID: 2104330) Visitor Counter : 38

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –
February 19, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya & Maharashtra CM, Sh. Devendra Fadnavis to Lead ‘Jai Shivaji Jai Bharat’ Padyatra in Pune, Maharashtra Tomorrow

Source: Government of India

Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya & Maharashtra CM, Sh. Devendra Fadnavis to Lead ‘Jai Shivaji Jai Bharat’ Padyatra in Pune, Maharashtra Tomorrow

Over 20,000 MY Bharat Youth Volunteers to Join Padyatra Honouring Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s Legacy

Similar Padyatras to Take Place Simultaneously Across All 36 Districts of Maharashtra

Posted On: 18 FEB 2025 2:40PM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis will undertake ‘Jai Shivaji Jai Bharat’ Padyatra (foot march) along with 20,000 MY Bharat Youth Volunteers as part of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti on 19^th February 2025 in Pune, Maharashtra. Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, Smt. Raksha Khadse along with other State Ministers will also join the Padyatra.

जय भवानी, जय शिवाजी!

हिंदवी स्वराज्य के संस्थापक, महान पराक्रमी योद्धा छत्रपति शिवाजी महाराज जी की जयंती के अवसर पर कल महाराष्ट्र के सभी 36 जिलों में ‘जय शिवाजी, जय भारत’ पदयात्रा का आयोजन किया जाएगा।

इस अवसर पर महाराष्ट्र के मुख्यमंत्री श्री @Dev_Fadnavis जी के साथ मैं पुणे… pic.twitter.com/4Bkvfv3Yr3

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) February 18, 2025

This landmark event will honour the enduring legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, celebrating his leadership, valour, and courage that continues to inspire a Viksit Bharat.

The Padyatra will cover a scenic route of approximately 4 kilometres, starting from COEP College Ground and culminating at Fergusson College. For the first time, a padyatra of this scale is being conducted simultaneously across the entire state in all 36 districts, bringing together youth, local leaders, and citizens.

To amplify the spirit of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti, a series of pre-Padyatra engagements were organized across all districts of Maharashtra which included activities like:

Cleanliness drives at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statues & historical sites
Yoga sessions promoting physical & mental well-being
Guest lectures on the life & leadership of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Competitions & Cultural Programs Highlighting His Legacy

‘Jai Shivaji Jai Bharat’ Padyatra Pre-Event Activities in Maharashtra


Image1: Cleaning Activities at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s Statue Site in Nashik District	Image 2: Vibrant Cultural Processions in Nanded District

Image 3: Festive Processions in Dharashiv District	Image 4: Cleanliness Drive in Pune District

Image 5: Play Acting on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s life in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar District	Image 6: Lectures on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s Legacy Delivered in Chandrapur District

‘Jai Shivaji Jai Bharat’ Padyatra in Pune, Maharashtra marks the sixth in series of 24 Padyatras planned to commemorate 75 years of the Constitution and celebrate India’s vibrant cultural diversity. Similar events will be organized across the country throughout the year, fostering patriotism and a deeper connection to India’s rich heritage.

The Ministry invites the youth across India to participate by registering on the MY Bharat Portal (www.mybharat.gov.in) and joining this march of pride to honour Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s legacy and his vision for a united and self-reliant India.

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Himanshu Pathak

(Release ID: 2104326) Visitor Counter : 67

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 19, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Government Releases Fifteenth Finance Commission Grants for Rural Local Bodies in Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh

Source: Government of India

Union Government Releases Fifteenth Finance Commission Grants for Rural Local Bodies in Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh

Punjab Gets over Rs. 225 Crores; Chhattisgarh over Rs. 244 crores & Uttarakhand receives over Rs. 93 Crores for strengthening Rural Governance

Posted On: 18 FEB 2025 2:32PM by PIB Delhi

The Union Government has released Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) Grants during Financial Year 2024–25 for Rural Local Bodies in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh. These grants provided to the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) / Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) play a crucial role in strengthening grassroot democracy. For the Rural Local Bodies of Punjab, the 1^st installment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs.225.1707 crores have been released. These funds are for eligible 13144 Gram Panchayats, eligible 146 Block Panchayats and all eligible 22 District Panchayats in the state. While the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) Grants released during Financial Year 2024–25, for Rural Local Bodies in Chhattisgarh are, 2^nd installment of Untied Grants of the Financial Year 2024–25 amounting to Rs.237.1393 crore along with the withheld amount of 1^st installment of Untied Grants for Financial Year 2024–25 amounting to Rs.6.9714 crore. These funds are for 11548 eligible Gram Panchayats, all eligible 146 Block Panchayats and all eligible 27 Zila Panchayats of the State. While for Rural Local Bodies in Uttarakhand, 1^st installment of Untied Grants for the Financial Year 2024–25 amounting to Rs.93.9643 crore have been released. These funds are for eligible 7769 Gram Panchayats, all eligible 995 Block Panchayats and all eligible 13 Zila Panchayats of the State.

Government of India through Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Jal Shakti (Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation) recommends release of Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) Grants to States for Rural Local Bodies which are then released by the Ministry of Finance. The allocated Grants are recommended and released in 2 installments in a Financial Year. The Untied Grants will be utilized by Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)/ Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) for location-specific felt needs, under the Twenty-Nine (29) Subjects enshrined in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution, except for salaries and other establishment costs. The Tied Grants can be used for the basic services of (a) sanitation and maintenance of ODF status, and this should include management and treatment of household waste, and human excreta and fecal sludge management in particular and (b) supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting and water recycling.

For more information, please click : https://panchayat.gov.in/document-category/release-order-of-finance-commission-grants-to-rlbs-issued-by-ministry-of-finance/

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Aditi Agrawal

(Release ID: 2104325) Visitor Counter : 37

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Roundtable interaction with Resident Commissioners on the activities related to the 4th edition of World Food India (WFI) -2025

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 18 FEB 2025 2:06PM by PIB Delhi

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) organised a roundtable interaction with the Resident Commissioners and representatives of States & Union Territories (UTs) on 17^th February 2025 at 11:30 am under the chairpersonship of Secretary, FPI. The agenda of the roundtable was to discuss possible areas of collaborations with States & UTs for World Food India 2025.

Shri Minhaj Alam, Additional Secretary, FPI during his welcome remarks highlighted that the event would be providing a platform for the States and UTs to showcase opportunities, interact with global and domestic business leaders, suppliers, purchasers, and technology providers for collaborations, and generate investment & sourcing interests across food processing value chain.

During the keynote address, Secretary, FPI informed the Resident Commissioners &representatives that the mega event would be organized from 25^th – 28^thSeptember 2025 and is being envisaged on a much larger scale than the event earlier organised by the Ministry. He further highlighted the initiatives being taken by the Ministry including the schemes such as Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLIS), the Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme, and the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY)aimed at enhancing investment, innovation, and value addition across the sector while enhancing India’s global footprint.

The Secretary, FPI, further emphasized that an event of this scale requires the concerted efforts of stakeholders across the value chain. To unlock its full potential, it is essential for all States and Union Territories (UTs) to participate with their full strengths. States and UTs were suggested to share their feedback and suggestions to enhance the event’s success and to actively contribute to making it a landmark initiative.

The participating Resident Commissioners & representatives of States & UTs assured necessary support for the activities planned for World Food India 2025. Some of the suggestions / feedback included consolidated sessions for States/UTs with similar products& food processing ecosystem, handholding support to MSMEs, etc.

Shri D. Praveen, Joint Secretary, FPI in his closing remarks requested all States and UTs to actively engage with the Ministry for showcasing the strength of Indian food processing sector and maximize their participation in the mega event. He further emphasized that the Ministry will be visiting various states to connect with industry stakeholders, promote the event, and gain insights into industry challenges and necessary interventions to enhance the ease of doing business.

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STK

(Release ID: 2104321) Visitor Counter : 80

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Thermal structure of solar coronal holes and their magnetic fields unveiled

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 18 FEB 2025 4:27PM by PIB Delhi

A new study has accurately estimated the physical parameters of thermal and magnetic field structures of solar coronal holes which have significant influence on space weather that affects satellites, as well as the Indian summer monsoon rainfall.

Coronal holes, which are dark regions in X-ray and extreme ultraviolet images of the Sun, have open magnetic field lines and are hence important for understanding the interplanetary medium and space weather. The latitude dependence of temperature and the magnetic field strengths of these coronal holes have now been characterised accurately by astronomers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.

Discovered in the 1970s by X-ray satellites, “coronal holes” in the sun’s atmosphere are dark in the X-ray and EUV wavelengths, and are low-density regions that have open magnetic field structures in the interplanetary space. These solar activity phenomena are intense sources of fast (450-800 km/sec) solar wind—streams of charged particles that escape from the sun, more easily into space.

At present, this high-speed solar wind can interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, causing disturbances like geomagnetic storms. Effects of sunspots on the Earth’s atmosphere and climate are well recorded.

Interestingly, a recent physics-based study came to the conclusion that, in addition to influence of sunspots, parameterized study of radiative effects of coronal holes explains satisfactorily the variability of Indian Monsoon rainfall. Moreover, occurrences of coronal holes are associated with disturbances in the Earth’s ionosphere, the layer of the atmosphere that reflects and modifies the radio waves, leading to further communication issues.

Considering these imminent dangers of space weather effects and long-term influence of the solar coronal holes on the Indian Monsoon rainfall it is important to study their thermal, magnetic field structures and their origin. Thermal means, estimation of temperature, radiative flux and energy of the coronal holes that emanate on the sun and at Lagrangian point at space, near the Earth. If one knows the temperature structure of coronal holes, from their latitudinal variation on the sun, one can estimate their depths of origin during their initial evolutionary stage in the deep solar interior.

On the other hand, estimation of radiative flux and energy of the coronal holes will be useful for estimation of input of this thermal energy into the interplanetary space. Moreover, information of latitudinal variation of temperature structure of coronal holes indirectly leads to estimation of magnetic field structure of coronal holes that ultimately give the clue for understanding the formation of coronal holes.

Keeping these important facts in mind, astronomers of Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), an autonomous institute of Department of Science and Technology, used eight years of full-disk calibrated images observed by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) space probe to study these coronal holes. These were unambiguously detected and physical parameters of thermal and magnetic field structures of coronal holes were accurately estimated.

“The study published in published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics also offers a comprehensive understanding of how these near-equatorial coronal holes evolve as they traverse the solar disk. In addition to estimation of different physical parameters of coronal holes, two important findings emerged from this study,” said Dr Manjunath Hegde of IIA, and lead author of the study.

“We found that there is no latitudinal variation of temperature structure of coronal holes and also that there is a latitudinal variation of strength of magnetic field structure of coronal holes that increases from the solar equator to the pole. The first result suggests that coronal holes are likely to originate from the deep interior, whereas the second result suggests that coronal holes might have formed from the superposition of Alfven wave perturbations”, said Dr K.M. Hiremath from the same institute.

Figure 1a & 1b

(a): full-disk SOHO/EIT 195 Å image of 04-01-2001, 00:00:11 UT with detected CHs. (b): contour map of the southern CH with a given threshold.

Figure 2

Corona hole temperature variation (shown as blue triangles) across latitudes. The continuous red line represents a least-squares fit and dashed red lines depict one standard deviation error bands computed from all data points. While χ2 serves as a measure of the goodness of fit.

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NKR/PSM

(Release ID: 2104369) Visitor Counter : 60

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CCA, Ministry of Mines Organizes Workshop on Usage of e-Bill

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 18 FEB 2025 11:59AM by PIB Delhi

The Office of the Chief Controller of Accounts (CCA), Ministry of Mines, organized a workshop under the chairpersonship of the CCA, Ministry of Mines on February 14, 2025. The workshop provided valuable insights about the functionalities and benefits of e-Bill, a digital platform that streamlines the process of generating, processing, and validating bills. The workshop focused on familiarizing stakeholders with the advantages and practicalities of e-Bill for enhanced efficiency and transparency in the billing process. The workshop was attended by Ministry officials, vendors and other stakeholders. A total of 26 participants attended the session physically, with an additional 20 participants joining via video conference.

A comprehensive demonstration was conducted on how to generate, submit, and track e-Bills on the platform. The session included how to initiate and create an e-Bill, Process of bill submission and validation & monitoring the approval process through the dashboard.

The session provided benefits of the e-Bill system, emphasizing its role in simplifying and accelerating the bill submission and approval process and other benefits like reduced time taken to generate and process bills, minimizing delays in the payment process, tracking of bills, minimizing the need for physical paperwork, accessing bills and related documents from anywhere, improving convenience for all parties involved.

The CCA, Ministry of Mines emphasized the need for widespread adoption of the e-Bill system to ensure seamless implementation across all concerned sectors. The office assured support and guidance to all users transitioning to the digital billing platform.

The workshop concluded with a positive response from the attendees, who expressed confidence in the efficiency and practicality of the e-Bill system.

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Shuhaib T

(Release ID: 2104285) Visitor Counter : 77

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Programme Agreement Signed with Reliance New Energy Battery Limited for 10 GWh capacity under the PLI for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Scheme

Source: Government of India

Programme Agreement Signed with Reliance New Energy Battery Limited for 10 GWh capacity under the PLI for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Scheme

Out of 50 GWh capacity, 40 GWh cumulative capacity has been awarded under the scheme.

Posted On: 18 FEB 2025 11:29AM by PIB Delhi

In a major step forward for India’s advanced battery manufacturing sector, the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI), Government of India, signed a Programme Agreement with Reliance New Energy Battery Limited (a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited) under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) on February 17, 2025. This agreement awards Reliance New Energy Battery Limited a 10 GWh ACC capacity, following a competitive global tender process and makes it eligible to receive incentives under India’s ₹ 18,100 crore PLI ACC scheme.

This signing is another critical milestone in the implementation of the technology agnostic PLI Scheme on the “National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage,” approved by the Cabinet in May 2021 with a total outlay of Rs.18,100 crore aimed at achieving a total manufacturing capacity of 50 GWh. With this signing, a cumulative capacity of 40 GWh has been awarded to four selected beneficiary firms out of 50 GWh capacity. In the first round of bidding conducted in March 2022, three beneficiary firms were allocated a total capacity of 30 GWh, and the Programme Agreements for that round were signed in July 2022.

During the ceremony, senior officials from MHI emphasized that the PLI ACC Scheme is designed to boost local value addition while ensuring that the cost of battery manufacturing in India remains globally competitive. The scheme allows the beneficiary firm the flexibility to adopt the most suitable technology and associated inputs for establishing state-of-the-art ACC manufacturing facilities, thereby supporting mainly the EV and renewable energy storage sectors.

In tandem with the PLI ACC scheme, the Union Budget for FY2025-26 introduced several transformative measures aimed at accelerating domestic battery manufacturing and supporting the growth of the e-mobility ecosystem in the country. Notably, the Budget exempted 35 additional Capital Goods for EV battery manufacturing from Basic Customs Duty (BCD), a targeted initiative designed to boost the production of lithium-ion batteries within India. Moreover, its emphasis on reinforcing domestic manufacturing and promoting value addition, further underscores vision of establishing a robust, self-reliant advanced battery ecosystem.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries remains committed to creating an enabling environment for innovation, fostering a robust domestic supply chain, and attracting significant Foreign Direct Investment—all crucial elements in advancing India’s strategic vision for sustainable development and self-reliance. This initiative of Government of India has acted as a catalyst for Indian cell manufacturers to setup cell manufacturing facilities. Apart from the PLI beneficiary, 10+ companies have already started setting up 100+ GWh additional capacity.

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TPJ/NJ

(Release ID: 2104281) Visitor Counter : 72

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India Qatar future partnership to rest on the pillars of sustainability, technology and entrepreneurship and energy: Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Shri Piyush Goyal

Source: Government of India

India Qatar future partnership to rest on the pillars of sustainability, technology and entrepreneurship and energy: Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Shri Piyush Goyal

India today provides an oasis of stability, predictability and continuity:Minister Goyal

MoU signed between Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)

MoU signed between Invest Qatar and Invest India

Posted On: 18 FEB 2025 10:40AM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal highlighted that India-Qatar future partnership will rest on the pillars of sustainability, technology and entrepreneurship and energy. This was stated by the Minister at the inaugural session of the India-Qatar Business Forum in New Delhi today. H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani, Hon’ble Minister of Commerce and Industry, State of Qatar was the Guest of Honour at the session.

Shri Goyal noted that the partnership between the two countries rests on the foundation of trust, trade and tradition. The Minister added that the terms of trade are undergoing a change, evolving from energy trade to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, Internet of things (IOT), quantum conducting, semiconductors etc. The entire world is going through a major shift in the context of geopolitical tensions, climate change, cybersecurity threats and focus on localisation around the world, he noted.

The Minister stated that India and Qatar complement each other and can work together for prosperity and a better future. Shri Goyal added that together we are set for a transition in terms of trade, investments and highlighted the 2 MoUs signed between Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and another between Invest Qatar and Invest India. The Minister also announced the elevation of the Joint Working Group on trade and commerce to the Ministerial level.

Shri Goyal quoted Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, “Today be it major nations or global platforms, the confidence in India is stronger than ever before”, and urged the business leaders to work together with the same spirit and confidence. The Minister noted that India offers a vibrant economy, a rich demography with young population, reforms in every sphere of business, focus on ease of doing business and quality at the centrepiece of our industrial evolution. India today provides an oasis of stability, predictability and continuity, he added. Shri Goyal also invited companies from Qatar to be a part of India’s journey of growth in investments, manufacturing,renewable energy, expansion of smart cities and infrastructure development. Qatar Vision 2030 and India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 will together define a much bigger and brighter future for the people of the two countries, concluded the Minister.

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Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan

(Release ID: 2104278) Visitor Counter : 84

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister pays tribute to Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa on his Jayanti

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 18 FEB 2025 8:52AM by PIB Delhi

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi paid tributes to Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa on his Jayanti.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister said;“On behalf of all the countrymen, salutations to Swami Ramakrishna Paramhans Ji on his birth anniversary.”

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MJPS/ST

(Release ID: 2104257) Visitor Counter : 92

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 19, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Appointment of a new Senior Judicial Commissioner of the Judicial Appointments Commission: February 2025
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

His Majesty The King, on the advice of the Lord Chancellor, has approved the appointment of a new Commissioner to the Judicial Appointments Commission.
His Majesty The King has approved the appointment of Upper Tribunal Judge Clive Lane as a Senior Judicial Commissioner of the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) for three years commencing 1 May 2025.

The JAC is an independent body that selects candidates for judicial office in courts and tribunals in England and Wales, and for some tribunals with a UK-wide jurisdiction.

JAC Commissioners are appointed, under Schedule 12(1) of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, by His Majesty The King on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor.

The appointment of Upper Tribunal Judge Clive Lane was made in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Judicial Appointment Commission Regulations 2013.

Biography

Upper Tribunal Judge Clive Lane was admitted as a solicitor in 1985 and was in private practice until 2001. He was a Legal Chair of the Appeals Service (now Social Entitlement Chamber) from 1999 until 2007. He was appointed a Deputy District Judge (Civil) in 2001. He served as an Immigration Judge from 2001 until 2009 when he was appointed a Judge of the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber).

Since 2021, he has been authorised to sit as a Judge of the High Court (Family Division). In 2024, he was appointed a Justice of the Court of Appeal of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

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Published 18 February 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
February 18, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: Result of the Daily Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auction held on February 18, 2025

Source: Reserve Bank of India

Tenor	2-day
Notified Amount (in ₹ crore)	1,00,000
Total amount of bids received (in ₹ crore)	71,773
Amount allotted (in ₹ crore)	71,773
Cut off Rate (%)	6.26
Weighted Average Rate (%)	6.26
Partial Allotment Percentage of bids received at cut off rate (%)	N.A.

Ajit Prasad
Deputy General Manager
(Communications)

Press Release: 2024-2025/2189

MIL OSI Economics –

February 18, 2025

MIL-OSI Submissions: Asia Pacific – New UN report lauds community-driven innovations in closing SDG data gaps in Asia and the Pacific

Source: United Nations – ESCAP

Across Asia and the Pacific, communities are pioneering innovative solutions to bridge critical data gaps, ensuring that marginalized populations are no longer invisible in policymaking. From surveying hundreds of nomadic tribal households across Rajasthan State in India to health-monitoring mobile applications in Indonesia, these efforts are transforming sustainable development in the region.

A new report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) demonstrates that by amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities, these solutions are not only making policies more inclusive but also making sustainable development monitoring more representative across Asia and the Pacific.

However, the Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2025 also stresses that urgent action is still needed in order to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

“Data gaps persist and leave some of the most vulnerable populations invisible in official statistics, limiting policymakers’ ability to address their needs effectively,” underscored United Nations Under-Secretary-General and ESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.

She added, “Constrained resources to modernize statistical systems pose additional hurdles. Without urgent action to accelerate progress, many of the Goals will remain out of reach.”

The report highlights several SDG targets where Asia and the Pacific leads globally such as reducing income poverty (Goal 1), addressing undernourishment (Goal 2), supporting small-scale industries (Goal 9), reducing hazardous waste (Goal 12), mitigating land degradation (Goal 15), and combating human trafficking and intentional homicide (Goal 16).

Despite these strides, slow progress or setbacks in critical goals such as quality education (Goal 4), decent work and economic growth (Goal 8), and sustainable consumption and production (Goal 12) threaten regional efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Rising fossil fuel subsidies, low literacy and numeracy rates, and unsustainable production patterns further compound these challenges.

Meanwhile, environmental degradation, increasing vulnerability to natural disasters, and persistent greenhouse gas emissions are exacerbating setbacks on climate action (Goal 13), life below water (Goal 14) and life on land (Goal 15).

The report further finds that development benefits often bypass vulnerable groups, with intersecting factors like age, gender, education, location and wealth exacerbating inequalities. Poverty and education level are the two most significant factors contributing to inequality of opportunity. Poorer households in rural areas with lower levels of education are the most disadvantaged in accessing basic services such as water, sanitation and clean energy.

To bridge these gaps, ESCAP calls for innovative and inclusive data collection and analysis. Nuanced and granular data will provide policymakers a clearer understanding of the realities of specific population groups especially those most at risk of being left behind.

The report further emphasizes that transforming national statistical systems to meet the data needs of the 2030 Agenda requires urgent political commitment, financial investment and stronger cross-sector partnerships.

An annual flagship publication of ESCAP, the Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2025 uses the latest data for global SDG indicators to determine where additional effort is needed in the region and where momentum for future progress is building.

MIL OSI – Submitted News –

February 18, 2025

MIL-OSI Economics: Money Market Operations as on February 17, 2025

Source: Reserve Bank of India


(Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)

	Volume (One Leg)	Weighted Average Rate	Range
A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV)	6,02,266.22	6.21	5.00-6.65
I. Call Money	13,904.85	6.34	5.15-6.65
II. Triparty Repo	4,25,598.80	6.16	5.72-6.31
III. Market Repo	1,60,868.37	6.32	5.00-6.55
IV. Repo in Corporate Bond	1,894.20	6.52	6.50-6.57
B. Term Segment
I. Notice Money**	309.00	6.24	5.80-6.40
II. Term Money^@@	354.00	–	6.45-7.25
III. Triparty Repo	675.00	6.30	6.27-6.40
IV. Market Repo	841.07	6.13	6.00-6.55
V. Repo in Corporate Bond	0.00	–	–

	Auction Date	Tenor (Days)	Maturity Date	Amount	Current Rate / Cut off Rate
C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
I. Today’s Operations
1. Fixed Rate
2. Variable Rate^&
(I) Main Operation
(a) Repo
(b) Reverse Repo
(II) Fine Tuning Operations
(a) Repo	Mon, 17/02/2025	1	Tue, 18/02/2025	1,00,014.00	6.26
	Mon, 17/02/2025	4	Fri, 21/02/2025	57,413.00	6.26
(b) Reverse Repo
(III) Long Term Operations^
(a) Repo
(b) Reverse Repo
3. MSF^#	Mon, 17/02/2025	1	Tue, 18/02/2025	1,471.00	6.50
4. SDF^Δ#	Mon, 17/02/2025	1	Tue, 18/02/2025	1,12,137.00	6.00
5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*				46,761.00
II. Outstanding Operations
1. Fixed Rate
2. Variable Rate^&
(I) Main Operation
(a) Repo
(b) Reverse Repo
(II) Fine Tuning Operations
(a) Repo
(b) Reverse Repo
(III) Long Term Operations^
(a) Repo	Fri, 14/02/2025	49	Fri, 04/04/2025	75,003.00	6.28
	Fri, 07/02/2025	56	Fri, 04/04/2025	50,010.00	6.31
(b) Reverse Repo
3. MSF^#
4. SDF^Δ#
D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI^$				9,555.27
E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*				1,34,568.27
F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*				1,81,329.27
G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
(i) Cash balances with RBI as on		February 17, 2025		9,06,304.57
(ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending		February 21, 2025		9,12,240.00
H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on^¥		February 17, 2025		1,40,112.00
I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on		January 24, 2025		-34,103.00
^@ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
– Not Applicable / No Transaction.
** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
^@@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
^$ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
^& As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
^Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
* Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
^¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
# As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
^ As per the Press Release No. 2024-2025/2138 dated February 12, 2025 and Press Release No. 2024-2025/2013 dated January 27, 2025.
Ajit Prasad Deputy General Manager (Communications)
Press Release: 2024-2025/2188

MIL OSI Economics –

February 18, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Cramer Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Adoptive Families and Protect Adopted Children
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Senate co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Coalition on Adoption, introduced two pieces of bipartisan legislation, the Supporting Adopted Children and Families Act and the Safe Home Act.

“We’re grateful for the dedication and commitment of adoptive families who open their homes and hearts to children,” said Klobuchar. “As co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, I will continue to work with Senator Cramer and colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure every child has a safe, loving, and permanent family.”

“Giving a child a stable home through adoption is one of the greatest joys for a parent, and I can attest to it,” said Cramer. “Our bills ensure children are not neglected and families have the support services they need throughout the adoption process.”

The Supporting Adopted Children and Families Act supports adoptive families with pre- and post-adoption resources, including mental health treatment. This legislation will promote:
- Training and counseling on behavioral issues, including issues relating to emotional, behavioral, or developmental health needs;
- Peer-to-peer mentoring and support groups that permit a new adoptive parent to communicate and learn from more experienced adoptive parents, including programs that enhance communication between adoptive parents with children of similar geographic, ethnic, or cultural backgrounds;
- Treatment services specialized for adopted children, including psychiatric residential services, outpatient mental health services, social skills training, intensive in-home supervision services, recreational therapy, suicide prevention, and substance abuse treatment; and
- Crisis and family preservation services, including crisis counseling and a 24-hour emergency hotline for adoptive parents.
The Safe Home Act protects a parent’s ability to place their children with a trusted relative when appropriate but ensures they cannot transfer custody to a stranger without the oversight of the child welfare system. The bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to provide states with guidance on preventing, identifying, and responding to unregulated custody transfers (UCTs). UCTs occur when parents transfer custody of their adopted children outside of the child welfare system — without background checks, home studies, and supervision — increasing the likelihood that the child will experience neglect, exploitation, or abuse. The bill defines UCTs as the placement of a child:
- With someone other than a child’s adult relative, family friend, or member of the child’s Indian tribe;
- With the intent of severing the existing parent-child relationship;
- Without ensuring the safety and permanency of the placement; and
- Without transferring parental rights and responsibilities under the law.
The Safe Home Act also requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in consultation with the State Department, to issue a report to Congress on UCT and guidance to states on preventing, identifying, and responding to these cases.

Klobuchar and Cramer serve as co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA), the largest bipartisan, bicameral caucus in Congress. CCA brings together members of Congress from both parties who share the goal of ensuring all children know the love and support of a family through adoption, guardianship, and kinship care. Representatives Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and Danny K. Davis (D-IL) serve as the caucus’s House co-chairs.
MIL OSI USA News –
February 18, 2025

Category: India

What are gravitational waves?

You argue that some gravitational waves are quantum in nature. What does that mean?

What did your research reveal?

Why is this an important finding?

What are gravitational waves?

You argue that some gravitational waves are quantum in nature. What does that mean?

What did your research reveal?

Why is this an important finding?

Union Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav inaugurates a day-long conclave – ‘Waste Recycling and Climate Change 2025’Industry-wide adoption of Circular Approaches is critical to driving Sustainable Growth and Resource Efficiency: Shri Bhupender Yadav

WAVES Trailer Making CompetitionWhere Creativity Meets Cinema

India-Qatar Joint Business Forum held to Strengthen Bilateral Economic TiesThe Forum epitomised the strength of the India-Qatar relationship built on shared interests and mutual respect

Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya & Maharashtra CM, Sh. Devendra Fadnavis to Lead ‘Jai Shivaji Jai Bharat’ Padyatra in Pune, Maharashtra TomorrowOver 20,000 MY Bharat Youth Volunteers to Join Padyatra Honouring Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s Legacy

Union Government Releases Fifteenth Finance Commission Grants for Rural Local Bodies in Punjab, Uttarakhand, and ChhattisgarhPunjab Gets over Rs. 225 Crores; Chhattisgarh over Rs. 244 crores & Uttarakhand receives over Rs. 93 Crores for strengthening Rural Governance

Programme Agreement Signed with Reliance New Energy Battery Limited for 10 GWh capacity under the PLI for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) SchemeOut of 50 GWh capacity, 40 GWh cumulative capacity has been awarded under the scheme.

India Qatar future partnership to rest on the pillars of sustainability, technology and entrepreneurship and energy: Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Shri Piyush GoyalIndia today provides an oasis of stability, predictability and continuity:Minister Goyal

Biography

Share this page

Updates to this page

Union Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav inaugurates a day-long conclave – ‘Waste Recycling and Climate Change 2025’

Industry-wide adoption of Circular Approaches is critical to driving Sustainable Growth and Resource Efficiency: Shri Bhupender Yadav

WAVES Trailer Making Competition

Where Creativity Meets Cinema

India-Qatar Joint Business Forum held to Strengthen Bilateral Economic Ties

The Forum epitomised the strength of the India-Qatar relationship built on shared interests and mutual respect

Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya & Maharashtra CM, Sh. Devendra Fadnavis to Lead ‘Jai Shivaji Jai Bharat’ Padyatra in Pune, Maharashtra Tomorrow

Over 20,000 MY Bharat Youth Volunteers to Join Padyatra Honouring Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s Legacy

Union Government Releases Fifteenth Finance Commission Grants for Rural Local Bodies in Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh

Punjab Gets over Rs. 225 Crores; Chhattisgarh over Rs. 244 crores & Uttarakhand receives over Rs. 93 Crores for strengthening Rural Governance

Programme Agreement Signed with Reliance New Energy Battery Limited for 10 GWh capacity under the PLI for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Scheme

Out of 50 GWh capacity, 40 GWh cumulative capacity has been awarded under the scheme.

India Qatar future partnership to rest on the pillars of sustainability, technology and entrepreneurship and energy: Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Shri Piyush Goyal

India today provides an oasis of stability, predictability and continuity:Minister Goyal