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Category: India

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 292 Months in Prison

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    FORT WAYNE – Dontae L. Salter, 30 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to distributing methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.

    Salter was sentenced to 292 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.

    According to documents in the case, Salter distributed several pounds of methamphetamine from June through October of 2023.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes the FBI, the Indiana State Police, the Fort Wayne Police Department, and the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives also assisting with the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.

    This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    This case was also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Chagos Islands: UK’s last African colony returned to Mauritius

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    The United Kingdom announced on Thursday that agreement has been reached to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, ending decades of dispute and negotiation over Britain’s last African colony.

    The agreement follows 13 rounds of talks that began in 2022 after Mauritian calls for sovereignty were recognised by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the UN General Assembly in 2019 and 2021.

    The world court, as the ICJ is known, is the principle judicial organ of the UN which adjudicates disputes between nations.

    Before granting independence to Mauritius in 1968, Britain was found to have unlawfully separated it to form a new colony on the Chagos archipelago named the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).

    The UK had initially dismissed UN rulings and court judgements demanding it return the islands to Mauritius, arguing that the ICJ ruling was merely an advisory opinion.

    Forced displacement of islanders

    In splitting the islands from Mauritius, the UK expelled between 1,500 and 2,000 islanders so that it could lease Diego Garcia, the largest of the Chagos islands, to the United States for military use which the two allies have since operated jointly.

    According to news reports, the UK falsely declared that Chagos had no permanent population so that it would not have to report its colonial rule to the UN. In reality, the Chagossian community had lived on Chagos for centuries.

    The UK and US governments forcibly displaced the Chagossian population between 1967 and 1973 not only reportedly on Diego Garcia, but also Peros Banhos and Salomon.

    The campaign challenging British ownership of the Chagos archipelago included the Mauritian ambassador to the UN, Jagdish Koonjul, raising his country’s flag above the atoll of Peros Banhos in a ceremony in February 2022 to mark the first time Mauritius had led an expedition to the territory since the expulsions.

    The new agreement

    Under Thursday’s agreement, the UK will still retain control of the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.

    The UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said the UK government had secured the future of the military base “as well as guaranteeing our long-term relationship with Mauritius, a close Commonwealth partner”.

    However, many Chagossians are still frustrated by the UK government’s lack of consultation with them before Thursday’s announcement, according to news reports.

    Chagossian Voices, a community organisation for Chagossians based in the UK and several other countries where islanders have settled, deplored “the exclusion of the Chagossian community from the negotiations”, leaving them “powerless and voiceless in determining our own future and the future of our homeland”.

    “The view of Chagossians, the Indigenous inhabitants of the islands, have been consistently and deliberately ignored and we demand full inclusion in the drafting of the treaty,” they added.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The week the world comes to Manhattan: Looking back at UNGA79

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    Every September when UN Headquarters in New York is swamped – massive motorcades, intense security, snipers on rooftops and world leaders descending along with throngs of diplomats, media and celebrities – it’s not easy to grasp what exactly is going on or what was achieved. 

    Let’s try to unscramble those 10 days for you. This year, some 235 events and hundreds of speakers later, the spotlight was shone on what the world was facing – how to move towards a revamp of an outdated global economic order, forging new pathways to peace, and finding solutions to the growing threat of nuclear war, global public health challenges, climate disruption and dangerous levels of impunity, inequality and uncertainty.

    Kicking off the Summit of the Future (22-23 September) ahead of the General Assembly’s annual high-level week, Secretary-General António Guterres’ clarion call for change made the stakes plain: “We cannot build a future fit for our grandchildren with systems built for our grandparents.” 

    More than 140 leaders spoke in the action-packed gathering while the UN was taken over by youth and civil society. The end-goal? Torchbearers of change trying to chart a course to rejig a UN that can be fit for purpose and ready to meet 21st century challenges with modernized, upgraded institutions that do not reflect the world of 1945.

    The good news is they agreed on a rescue plan to steer the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track, a groundbreaking Pact for the Future that now needs to be implemented. Despite a last-minute challenge from a group of countries opposed to the pact, UN Member States actually inked a deal – and agreed on the need for justice and reform.

    Soundcloud

    The big wins? Economic justice pledges included a promise to overhaul the international financial architecture so that developing countries reeling under a debt burden can begin to invest in development and not be crippled by debt repayments. Security Council reform saw a groundswell of support to expand and balance rights of membership. Strong backing was expressed for Africa to have permanent representation in the Security Council – along with other contenders like Brazil, India, and Japan. South African Prime Minister Cyril Ramaphosa called for the Security Council to be “more representative and inclusive,” noting that Africa and its 1.4 billion people remain excluded from this key decision-making structure.

    A group of experts delivered findings on the critical need to embrace digital innovation and harness how artificialintelligence could transform our world; but equally to close the digital divide and ensure guardrails around a responsible advance for humanity. 

    A Global Digital Compact was agreed, with the aim of opening the doors to a brave, new and accountable digital world order.

    On the sidelines, a dark moment was captured in a conversation on the future of women in Afghanistan – actress Meryl Streep questioned how it was possible that cats and birds had more freedom in the country where girls were banned from education. “A cat may go sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face. She may chase a squirrel into the park. A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today because the public parks have been closed to women and girls by the Taliban,” Streep said. “This is a suppression of the natural law.”

    In a devastating testimonial during a ministerial meeting “The Cost of Inaction in Sudan”, Sudanese activist Nisreen al-Saem lamented that the war in her country was a “war on women” and appealed: “Oh, Burhan and Hemediti, we’re tired, unite the Sudanese people and lay down your arms”.

    As the General Assembly began its 79th session, 190 countries out of 193 Member States spoke in what is not a debate at all – but a chance for governments to speak their mind on the state of the world or their region or pressing global problems. Highlighting an ignominious fact, Iceland’s Foreign Minister Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir – as one of only 19 women speaking in the hallowed hall – chastised: “I thought we had come further than this.”

    Another female leader, the outspoken premier of Barbados, Mia Mottley, a fierce advocate of the Bridgetown Initiative which aims to kickstart global financial restructuring exhorted global institutions to give developing countries – especially small vulnerable ones – “seats at the tables of decision-making”. 

    The chorus was loud on the need for institutional reform at the UN, stoked by fears of an outdated and archaic institution unable to keep pace with a world that has changed profoundly. 

    If the UN is to become a “central platform for finding common ground” according to the Minister for External Affairs of India, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, “it cannot, by remaining anachronistic.” In his swansong speech, US President Joe Biden reminded fellow leaders: “Never forget we are here to serve the people, not the other way around.” 

    Soundcloud

    The eclipse of multilateralism and international law bubbled up repeatedly – Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan, warned that multilateralism is not an option but an existential necessity while Amery Browne, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago wagged his finger at the selective respect for international law.

    A refrain heard repeatedly on the war in Ukraine and Gaza was captured by Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Lars Rasmussen, who worried that the respect for international law is slowly being undermined and flagged that, “Wars of aggression and altering borders is — and should remain — a thing of the past.”

    Many sounded the alarm on the climate-security nexus with President Ramkalawan of the Seychelles flagging this as an existential issue that would plague future generations – a sentiment widely echoed by the young activists who flocked to the UN.

    As nation after nation spoke out about the unimaginable destruction and devastation in Gaza following the terror attacks launched by Hamas on 7 October 2023, and with the drumbeat of war growing in the region, Brazil’s President Luiz Ignacio Lula had warning words: “The right to defense has become the right to vengeance.”  While committing to sending forces to counter the deteriorating security in Haiti, President William Ruto of Kenya regretted that the Charter’s foundations have been shaken. 

    The President of the General Assembly, Philemon Yang pleaded for an end to the spiralling conflict and retribution between Israel and Gaza and a return to a solution grounded in international law for the good of Israelis and Palestinians. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to the UN to “set the record straight” in a session that was sparsely attended because of a walkout – but his speech was watched by record numbers online illustrating how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict dominated the discussions.

    The entire General Assembly session was supposed to be about the future, devoted to uplifting commitments to reset the world on the path to sustainable development, to rethink how we can make the world more equitable and efficient, find ways to tackle public health threats like Anti-Microbial Resistance and to showcase how the world can leverage the potential of new technologies. Yet, the focus inevitably ended up on what the Secretary-General called “the purgatory of polarity” and the threat of an “age of impunity.”

    In the spirit of the Pact for Future Generations, heartwarming moments came from youth who showed up for the Action Days and the SDG Media Zone. Sanjana Sanghi, a UN Development Programme climate activist from India, praised the positivity of the younger generation that inspired hope. She summed up the buzz felt around the UN campus: “I am deeply inspired by these young changemakers who are passionately working to address climate issues and secure a sustainable future for everyone.” 

    *This is not an official record. It is a snapshot of this year’s General Assembly High-Level Week.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN chief tells President Putin Russian invasion violates UN Charter

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that his country’s on-going invasion of Ukraine violates the United Nations Charter and international law.

    Their meeting took place on Thursday, in Kazan, Russia, the venue for the 16th BRICS Summit.

    In a post on social media platform X, Mr. Guterres wrote on Friday that during the meeting, he had emphasized to President Putin the illegality of the Russian invasion.

    “I reiterated the points I made in the Summit session,” Mr. Guterres said.

    The BRICS group was founded by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2006 – with South Africa joining in 2010 – and has since expanded to a bloc of nations which collectively represents nearly half of the world’s population.

    Addressing the Summit on Thursday, the Secretary-General highlighted the need for peace in Ukraine, “a just peace in line with the UN Charter, international law and General Assembly resolutions.”

    He also emphasized the importance of upholding everywhere the values of the UN Charter, the rule of law, and the principles of sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of States.

    In his meeting with Mr. Putin, Secretary-General Guterres also expressed his strong support for the establishment of an agreement for safe navigation in the Black Sea, which an essential avenue for global food security.

    “The Secretary-General expressed his belief that establishing freedom of navigation in the Black Sea is of paramount importance for Ukraine, the Russian Federation and for the world’s food and energy security,” according to a readout of the meeting issued by the Mr. Guterres’ spokesperson.  

    “He fully supports the continuation of negotiations in this regard and expresses his deep appreciation for the work being done by Türkiye,” the readout added.

    Transport of agricultural goods, in particular grain from Ukraine and other ports on the Black Sea, as well as fertilizers have been severely affected since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, jeopardizing food security and skyrocketing prices globally.

    Brokered by the UN and Türkiye in July 2022, the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the subsequent parallel accord between UN and Russia were crucial in restoring trade in the vital commodities.  

    The Initiative was not renewed after its third term, which expired on 17 July 2023, impacting again the trade route.

    At a news briefing in New York on Friday, a UN spokesperson addressed questions about Secretary-General António Guterres’ meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite an active International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant against the Russian leader.

    UN Deputy Spokesperson, Farhan Haq, said that any engagement between UN officials and individuals under indictment is based strictly on operational necessity.

    “There are very clear operational issues that we have to deal with,” Mr. Haq explained, referring to the readout from the meeting and noted concerns about the war in Ukraine and safe navigation in the Black Sea.

    “These are all reasons for having a meeting such as this, again, under strict conditions in terms of dealing with operational matters, while you have to deal with indicted personnel.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Nobody wants to talk about AI safety. Instead they cling to 5 comforting myths

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Salmon, Professor of Human Factors, University of the Sunshine Coast

    Google Deepmind / Unsplash

    This week, France hosted an AI Action Summit in Paris to discuss burning questions around artificial intelligence (AI), such as how people can trust AI technologies and how the world can govern them.

    Sixty countries, including France, China, India, Japan, Australia and Canada, signed a declaration for “inclusive and sustainable” AI. The United Kingdom and United States notably refused to sign, with the UK saying the statement failed to address global governance and national security adequately, and US Vice President JD Vance criticising Europe’s “excessive regulation” of AI.

    Critics say the summit sidelined safety concerns in favour of discussing commercial opportunities.

    Last week, I attended the inaugural AI safety conference held by the International Association for Safe & Ethical AI, also in Paris, where I heard talks by AI luminaries Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua Bengio, Anca Dragan, Margaret Mitchell, Max Tegmark, Kate Crawford, Joseph Stiglitz and Stuart Russell.

    As I listened, I realised the disregard for AI safety concerns among governments and the public rests on a handful of comforting myths about AI that are no longer true – if they ever were.

    1: Artificial general intelligence isn’t just science fiction

    The most severe concerns about AI – that it could pose a threat to human existence – typically involve so-called artificial general intelligence (AGI). In theory, AGI will be far more advanced than current systems.

    AGI systems will be able to learn, evolve and modify their own capabilities. They will be able to undertake tasks beyond those for which they were originally designed, and eventually surpass human intelligence.

    AGI does not exist yet, and it is not certain it will ever be developed. Critics often dismiss AGI as something that belongs only in science fiction movies. As a result, the most critical risks are not taken seriously by some and are seen as fanciful by others.

    However, many experts believe we are close to achieving AGI. Developers have suggested that, for the first time, they know what technical tasks are required to achieve the goal.

    AGI will not stay solely in sci-fi forever. It will eventually be with us, and likely sooner than we think.

    2: We already need to worry about current AI technologies

    Given the most severe risks are often discussed in relation to AGI, there is often a misplaced belief we do not need to worry too much about the risks associated with contemporary “narrow” AI.

    However, current AI technologies are already causing significant harm to humans and society. This includes through obvious mechanisms such as fatal road and aviation crashes, warfare, cyber incidents, and even encouraging suicide.

    AI systems have also caused harm in more oblique ways, such as election interference, the replacement of human work, biased decision-making, deepfakes, and disinformation and misinformation.

    According to MIT’s AI Incident Tracker, the harms caused by current AI technologies are on the rise. There is a critical need to manage current AI technologies as well as those that might appear in future.

    3: Contemporary AI technologies are ‘smarter’ than we think

    A third myth is that current AI technologies are not actually that clever and hence are easy to control. This myth is most often seen when discussing the large language models (LLMs) behind chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.

    There is plenty of debate about exactly how to define intelligence and whether AI technologies truly are intelligent, but for practical purposes these are distracting side issues.
    It is enough that AI systems behave in unexpected ways and create unforeseen risks.

    Several AI chatbots appear to display surprising behaviours, such as attempts at ‘scheming’ to ensure their own preservation.
    Apollo Research

    For example, existing AI technologies have been found to engage in behaviours that most people would not expect from non-intelligent entities. These include deceit, collusion, hacking, and even acting to ensure their own preservation.

    Whether these behaviours are evidence of intelligence is a moot point. The behaviours may cause harm to humans either way.

    What matters is that we have the controls in place to prevent harmful behaviour. The idea that “AI is dumb” isn’t helping anyone.

    4: Regulation alone is not enough

    Many people concerned about AI safety have advocated for AI safety regulations.

    Last year the European Union’s AI Act, representing the world’s first AI law, was widely praised. It built on already established AI safety principles to provide guidance around AI safety and risk.

    While regulation is crucial, it is not all that’s required to ensure AI is safe and beneficial. Regulation is only part of a complex network of controls required to keep AI safe.

    These controls will also include codes of practice, standards, research, education and training, performance measurement and evaluation, procedures, security and privacy controls, incident reporting and learning systems, and more. The EU AI act is a step in the right direction, but a huge amount of work is still required to develop the appropriate mechanisms required to ensure it works.

    5: It’s not just about the AI

    The fifth and perhaps most entrenched myth centres around the idea that AI technologies themselves create risk.

    AI technologies form one component of a broader “sociotechnical” system. There are many other essential components: humans, other technologies, data, artefacts, organisations, procedures and so on.

    Safety depends on the behaviour of all these components and their interactions. This “systems thinking” philosophy demands a different approach to AI safety.

    Instead of controlling the behaviour of individual components of the system, we need to manage interactions and emergent properties.

    With AI agents on the rise – AI systems with more autonomy and the ability to carry out more tasks – the interactions between different AI technologies will become increasingly important.

    At present, there has been little work examining these interactions and the risks that could arise in the broader sociotechnical system in which AI technologies are deployed. AI safety controls are required for all interactions within the system, not just the AI technologies themselves.

    AI safety is arguably one of the most important challenges our societies face. To get anywhere in addressing it, we will need a shared understanding of what the risks really are.

    Paul Salmon receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Nobody wants to talk about AI safety. Instead they cling to 5 comforting myths – https://theconversation.com/nobody-wants-to-talk-about-ai-safety-instead-they-cling-to-5-comforting-myths-249489

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Indian Ocean tsunami anniversary: A call to safeguard future generations

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    On Boxing Day – 26 December 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia, unleashing a massive tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean.

    Waves as high as 51 meters (167 feet) inundated communities in Aceh, Indonesia, with flooding extending up to five kilometres (three miles) inland.

    The devastation spread across Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives and India, with tsunami waves travelling at speeds of 800 kilometres per hour (500 miles per hour). The impacts extended to Somalia and Tanzania, and waves reached as far afield as Mexico, Chile and even the Arctic.

    In addition to the lives lost, more than 1.7 million people were displaced, and the economic toll reached an estimated $10 billion. Children bore a particularly heavy toll, with thousands killed or orphaned.

    A wake-up call for humanity

    Philémon Yang, President of the UN General Assembly, described the tsunami as “the first global disaster of the 21st century and one of the most devastating in recent history.”

    He urged nations to reaffirm their resolve to protect future generations and integrate disaster preparedness and resilience into sustainable development strategies.

    Kamal Kishore, UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, called the tsunami a “wake-up call for humanity”.

    “It really showed us how such low-frequency, high-impact hazards, can have impacts that will ripple across the entire global system and across multiple geographies,” he said.

    Progress through global collaboration

    The tragedy also catalysed unprecedented global collaboration.

    “Following the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, it was evident that transboundary problems require solutions that reach across borders,” emphasised Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

    In the two decades since the tragedy, working together the international community has made significant strides in disaster preparedness.

    In 2005, nations convened under the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) to establish the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS). Today, 27 national tsunami warning centers can issue alerts within minutes of seismic events.

    Compared to just 25 per cent in 2004, over 75 per cent of coastal communities in high-risk areas now have access to tsunami early warning information, according to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

    Furthermore, UN initiatives like the Tsunami Ready Programme and the Tsunami Project continue to empower local leaders and communities with life-saving knowledge and resources. Similarly, the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness is developing vital early warning systems for all.

    ESCAP Video | Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness

    Climate change amplifying risks

    However, challenges have also grown more complex.

    Climate change is amplifying the frequency and severity of water-related disasters, often cascading with and compounding geophysical events like earthquakes and volcanoes.

    ESCAP estimates that 68 million people in 43 Asian and Pacific countries, along with $2.3 trillion in infrastructure along coasts, remain at significant risk. In the Indian Ocean basin alone, over 2,600 educational facilities, 1,200 ports, and 140 power plants are vulnerable.

    We must do more

    Mr. Kishore underscored the need for sustained awareness and preparation.

    “We have to continue to keep the awareness of Tsunami risk high,” he said.

    “It is crucial that we do not forget the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and continue to do everything we can to protect ourselves, our children and our future generations from the impact of future tsunamis.”

    Indian Ocean tsunami: Survivors recall the fateful day

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Explainer: How family planning saves lives

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Health

    Sakina Sani was married off when she was 12 years old amid conflict and food shortages in northern Nigeria. She became pregnant at 15 but miscarried and then had two children in rapid succession.

    “I will never allow my daughter to go through what happened to me,” she told UNFPA, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency.

    What happens when conflict displaces tens of thousands of people in hotspots like Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Ukraine, and women die every day in childbirth or pregnancy?

    UNFPA is there, equipping displacement camps and medical personnel with lifesaving supplies.

    When an earthquake tumbles whole city blocks, it puts contraceptives onto emergency relief convoys alongside kits for delivering babies and medicines to stop internal bleeding.

    When a cyclone slashes through remote island communities, the agency sends contraceptives just as it sends sterile medical equipment, including condoms, oral and injectable contraceptives, contraceptives implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs).

    Why? Because contraceptives are part of lifesaving humanitarian care.

    This may be counterintuitive to some, but it is a settled fact in the eyes of medical science, humanitarian responders and women themselves.

    Even outside emergency settings, having access to modern, safe contraceptives empowers women to make their own decisions about their fertility, which in turn reduces unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions, improves health outcomes and lowers the risk of maternal and child mortality.

    In short, family planning saves millions of lives. Here are some of the reasons why:

    © UNFPA/Karel Prinsloo

    A woman is injected with a contraceptive at a UNFPA-supported health centre in the Central African Republic.

    Getting pregnant does not stop in emergency settings

    More than 60 per cent of all maternal deaths are estimated to take place in humanitarian crises and fragile settings, places where women struggle to access the care and nutrition needed to safely carry a pregnancy.

    Even in the best circumstances, alarming proportions of women are unable to say no to sex, roughly one quarter of women, according to the most recent data.

    In a humanitarian crisis, women experience about twice the rates of gender-based violence as well as the heightened risk of rape as a weapon of war and tool of genocide and the increased risk of intimate partner violence. All of this elevates their vulnerability to an unintended pregnancy.

    © UNFPA/Danil Pavlov

    Preventing fatal complications

    While contraception is sometimes criticised – incorrectly – as a new medication, one that is unnatural or poorly understood, the truth is that they have existed for millennia. Condoms, for example, have been used for centuries.

    When it comes to  modern forms of contraception, they are among the most prescribed and well-studied medications in existence. Contraceptives have been investigated not just by pharmacologists and medical researchers, but also by healthcare economists, epidemiologists and policymakers, and the findings are conclusive: by preventing unintended pregnancy, contraceptives prevent women from dying.

    How? Every pregnancy carries a risk, and pregnancies in crisis settings, where health systems are in tatters and medical care scarce, are particularly dangerous.

    Lifesaving aid because babies don’t wait

    What happens when a woman is ready to give birth after a hurricane or in a war zone?

    In the crisis-addled DRC, a breakdown in healthcare infrastructure has led maternal mortality rates to soar, with three women dying every hour from pregnancy or childbirth complications.

    “Many women in northwest Syria lose their lives while being transferred between hospitals in the absence of essential supplies for critical conditions,” Dr. Ikram Haboush, in Idlib, said.

    Unintended pregnancies are also directly correlated with higher maternal mortality rates.

    “That is why every public health programme designed to reduce the number of maternal deaths incorporates contraception as one of the pillars of action,” according to the experts who wrote UNFPA’s flagship annual publication, the State of the World’s Population Report, Seeing the unseen: The case of action in the neglected crisis of unintended pregnancy.

    By preventing unintended pregnancy, contraceptives also reduce the incidence of maternal injuries and illness, stillbirth and neonatal death.

    In 2023, UNFPA’s dedicated supplies partnership procured $136 million worth of contraceptives, which is estimated to have prevented nearly 10 million unintended pregnancies and over 200,000 maternal and newborn deaths. It is estimated these contraceptives also prevented nearly three million unsafe abortions.

    © UNFPA

    Two community workers provide information about contraceptives in Bihar, India.

    Preventing fatal illness, chronic ailments

    Contraceptives like male and female condoms additionally save lives by decreasing the chances of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV.

    Even a treatable STI can be life-threatening in settings with limited access to medical care,  as is the case for women and girls in Haiti, for example, where widespread and relentless sexual violence has led to rising rates of unintended pregnancy as well as STIs, while the health system has all but collapsed.

    Only around three per cent of survivors in Haiti report receiving post-rape treatment within 72 hours of being assaulted. This treatment includes emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy and post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV transmission.

    Contraceptives also treat ailments unrelated to sexual activity that are debilitating in even stable and secure circumstances like polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, dysmenorrhea and extremely heavy bleeding.

    For women like Omaira Opikuko from Venezuela, there is no question that long-term contraception after her sixth delivery was lifesaving.

    She suffered both haemorrhaging and a prolapsed uterus during her last labour.

    “I was on the brink of death,” she said.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Two Thai peer educator high school students describe a range of available condoms.

    Cost-effective humanitarian interventions

    Family planning is cost effective.

    In 2023, more than 50 countries that received UNFPA contraceptive supplies made collective savings of over $700 million through reduced healthcare costs for pregnancy, delivery and post-abortion care.

    Numerous studies have shown that family planning is a critical investment for society, not only by averting unintended pregnancy and the maternal health problems that accompany it, but also by increasing education and employment gains among women.

    In humanitarian settings, contraceptives are all the more critical, helping women and families survive and stabilise and leaving them better prepared to recover.

    No one knows this better than survivors of humanitarian crises themselves

    “There is a lot of demand for family planning services,” one emergency responder said in the immediate aftermath of a deadly cyclone.

    Amid the world’s growing precarity, rising catastrophes and increasing displacements, these services are a light in the dark for women and girls around the world.

    As Ms. Opikuko in Venezuela said, “I don’t want to be scared anymore.”

    Learn more about UNFPA here.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNOPS: the UN agency turning commitments into reality

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Humanitarian Aid

    Nations around the world which are seeking practical solutions to peace and security, humanitarian and development issues are marking 30 years of collaboration with a specialized UN agency.

    Despite immense security risks and logistical challenges, the agency worked with international partners to transport and eliminate hundreds of tonnes of chemical materials under strict deadlines. This mission drew praise from global leaders, illustrating how a UN body with the right expertise can help neutralize threats to international peace and security.

    The devastating 2004 tsunami left Indonesian provinces Aceh and Nias in ruins. Amid overwhelming damage, UNOPS constructed 225 earthquake-resistant schools in the region, providing children with secure, modern learning environments. By combining engineering expertise, local labor, and a rapid implementation timeline, education was revitalized for communities that had lost so much.

    UNOPS commitment to helping protect the environment was also highlighted through its work on the Montreal Protocol, the international treaty that led to the healing of the ozone layer. By providing technical guidance and project support, UNOPS helped countries transition to safer alternatives for nearly 100 chemicals that harm the ozone layer.

    © UNOPS/John Rae

    A newly installed tap in Mirtala Village, India provides a clean water supply

    Bridging the gap between ambition and action

    In any country coming out of conflict, rebuilding essential infrastructure can make the biggest difference. UNOPS remains committed to supporting countries in conflict – building on its recent work in Ukraine, Syria and Gaza, which has been practically reduced to rubble. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is still in its early stages, but UNOPS stands ready to support a coordinated UN reconstruction response.

    From its beginnings as a small department to its evolution into a driving force for concrete action, the UNOPS journey is a testament to the power of resilience, innovation, and partnership. As global challenges multiply, the agency’s role in bridging the gap between humanitarian, developmental and environmental needs is an example of what the UN can achieve through determination, expertise, and a global commitment to improving lives worldwide.

    Today, the office is committed to bridging the gap between ambitions and tangible action, building foundations for countries to recover and thrive, from constructing schools and hospitals, building roads that connect communities in remote areas, and strengthening health systems.

    In 2025, as it marks its 30th anniversary, UNOPS is planning for the future, to ensure that it provides solutions where needs are greatest, with a focus on serving some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Praises President Trump for Making Tariffs Great Again

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) delivered a floor speech praising President Donald Trump’s recent implementation of reciprocal tariffs to ensure fairness and bolster our national security.
    Read the speech below or watch the full speech here.

    “I come to the floor today to talk to you about President Trump’s tariffs. The media is in full meltdown. They’re in a full meltdown mode after President Trump imposed duties and retaliatory tariffs this week on countries that have basically been ripping the United States of America off, and they’ve been doing it for decades. Apparently, globalists and Democrats are just fine with other countries imposing tariffs on the United States. But when it comes to President Trump trying to equalize it up, establish a level playing field for domestic producers, well, that’s a bridge too far.
    If they have been paying attention to President Trump, they should [not be] remotely surprised. He campaigned on this platform three times and has been crystal clear on his intentions. Now, he is following through on his campaign promises. But in the corporate media, it seems to still be confused about all these tariffs. So, let me spell it out.
    President Trump’s view on tariffs [are both] a negotiating tool to get other countries to do a few things that we ask them to do, a way to boost American manufacturing, and put American workers and businesses first, not last. President Trump has his work cut out for him after the disastrous four years for our small businesses and our corporations under the Biden administration. The Biden administration made it clear to our friends and foes alike that the globalist agenda would take precedent over the safety and well-being [of] the American people. It’s mind boggling. Thankfully, those days are over.
    [The] American people gave President Donald J. Trump a clear mandate to restore our country’s superpower status and [to] put all Americans first, all businesses first. Everybody that does something in this country. And that starts, number one, with securing our borders. Like I’ve said many times, if you don’t have a border, you don’t have a country. And we have really struggled in the last four years. That is changing.
    That’s why the Master Negotiator in Chief, President Donald Trump, threatened to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada [in] just the last couple of weeks. Over the last four years, the Mexican government just basically turned a blind eye while caravans of illegal aliens overrun our borders—coming from Mexico, coming from Central America, all over the world—just overrunning our country. Thousands of women and children were trafficked, raped along the way. Drug cartels made an absolute fortune—absolute fortune. Not just with drugs, by the way, but for the payments of these illegals coming all the way through either Central America or South America to United States with a big, basically, tariff of their own, charging these people to come to the United States. Lawlessness had become the status quo under President Biden. Nobody cared. Democrats in this room, they didn’t care. They didn’t care what was going on. Let’s just let them all come in. Let’s let the drugs come in. We lose 300 people pretty much every few days to illegal drugs in this country with overdoses. But let’s [not] worry about that. Let’s just worry about controlling our country the way they wanted to. Well, it’s been a disaster.
    Mexico showed zero signs of willingness to negotiate when President Trump took office. When he did take office [on] January 20th, they woke up real quick. President Trump correctly understands that Mexico’s economy is heavily dependent on the United States of America and the citizens of this country. In fact, more than 80% of Mexico’s exports come to the United States. 80% come here. And the American citizens buy those products […] Mexico’s economy would almost instantly feel the effects of a 25% tariff, leaving Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum no choice—no choice—but to come to the negotiating table under the master negotiator Donald Trump.
    So that’s why he uses tariffs: to get his point across because people across the world take us for granted. As a result, within hours of President Trump’s announcement of the tariffs, Mexico caved. They saw real quick. Obviously, they’re not stupid. They agreed to help the United States secure the border and crack down on the cartels and the illegal drugs coming in—almost immediately. […] Our neighbor to the North also caved to President Trump after a 25% tariff was threatened on Canada. Not only are illicit drugs like fentanyl coming into our country from Mexico, but there are also about [a] 2000% increase in drugs coming across the border in 2023 and 2024 from Canada. A 2000% increase. In the last fiscal year alone, enough fentanyl was seized at the northern border to kill 9.8 million Americans. And to me, that would be a very serious problem. But do you think that Democrats cared? Nope. There was no action at all by the Biden administration on Canada. No action on Mexico. But thanks [to] President Trump’s leadership, our North American neighbors, from the North and South, are making changes now daily that will protect American citizens from deadly drugs, criminals, and human traffickers. The number one job of the President of the United States to protect the people in this country first, and that’s what President Trump’s doing.
    In addition to using tariffs as a negotiating tool, President Trump also views tariffs as a way to write the wrongs of past, ineffective trade deals. That’s why this week he’s imposing a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, including those of Canada and Mexico. Contrary to what the media is telling you, this isn’t unprecedented. It’s not unusual. In fact, President Trump has helped shine a light on the fact that US exporters face higher tariffs [….] more than two-thirds of the time. We pay more tariffs than anybody. For example, among our major trading partners, [China applies higher tariffs on 85% of U.S. products and India on 90% of U.S. products]. Just think about that. We are paying tariffs on things coming in[to] this country, but when we send things out, we get the heck tariffed out of us from other countries. It’s not fair trade.
    These exports, imbalances, don’t just impact bottom lines, they also discourage domestic production. We have got to produce more in this country. We have got to build more things in this country, and that’s what President Trump’s trying to do. If we don’t cut back on spending and start producing more in this country, this will not be the United States of America much longer because we will be bankrupt. And we’ll be reporting to somebody like China who is buying our treasury bills right and left…or they were. 
    One report conducted by the Department of Commerce in the first Trump administration found that excess production capacity, particularly China, has been a major factor in the decline of domestic aluminum production. Basically, we’re getting overwhelmed by aluminum from China that’s not near as good as what we make in this country.
    President Trump built one of the strongest economies in modern history in his first term. Modern history. But the democrats failed to know that. So, they wanted to change it. And did they ever. [They] almost destroyed our economy. Jobs and wages were up when President Trump was in, inflation was down. Americans had more money in their pocket. And thanks to President Trump’s strategic tariffs, along with the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, companies were reshoring businesses back in the United States right and left. They were coming back because they could make profit. And that’s what it’s all about when you have a corporation. You gotta make a profit. And President Trump was able to, because of tariffs, make more money for manufacturing. […]
    You had companies like Ford canceling plans to build in Mexico, back in President Trump’s first term, and instead opening one in Michigan. This turned out to be extremely important when COVID hit and we were forced to rely on goods manufactured right here in the United States. We found out pretty quick, just in [pharmaceutical] drugs alone, we make very little drugs in the United States. They’re made in India and China. They’ve got to come back here. We have to be self-sustaining.
    Whether it’s our healthcare technologies, agriculture products, or steel, and aluminum, there’s no reason for us to depend on other countries. We are the number one country in this world, have been, and will be in the future in manufacturing production. America has some of the best and brightest manufacturers. Best and brightest producers, farmers, and businesses. We take second to none. And from a national security perspective, it is dangerous to be reliant on other countries who may not have the best interests of the United States in mind. You can’t blame them. They’re looking out for themselves first. Well, we need to do the same thing.
    Not to mention the fact that US produces the cleanest steel in the world. You’d think the Democrats and the Climate Cult would at least be happy about that. Think about that. You know, President Trump just put tariffs on steel and aluminum. A lot of the steel and aluminum come in and, because of how they make it, is some of the dirtiest in the world. We make the cleanest, and why in the world would we want to import something that is going to be detrimental to our country? […]
    The tariffs being imposed this week are an important step in President Trump’s plan to restore fairness to trade, boost domestic manufacturing, and put consumers and producers first. It’s about time. Three weeks into his presidency, President Trump is keeping his promises. President Trump’s strategic tariffs will strengthen and revitalize our nation’s economy, stop the flow of illicit drugs and illegal immigration, and make sure our trade deals are fair to both taxpayers and American manufacturers. America first! President Trump is utilizing every tool at his disposal as we speak, including tariffs, to usher in the Golden Age of the American Economy. We have to make that change. If we don’t, we will not survive as the number one country in the world. We will not regain that status and we will be losing our national security.”
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: Chief of Naval Operations Visits NSWC Crane, Purdue University

    Source: United States Navy

    Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti traveled to Indiana to visit Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division, located on Naval Support Activity (NSA) Crane to speak with Sailors, civilians, and elementary school students, and then visited Purdue University for a series of engagements with university leadership, research lab professors, and midshipmen, Feb. 10.

    The visit enabled CNO to see and discuss key efforts that support her Navigation Plan for America’s Warfighting Navy to include the project 33 targets to operationally integrate robotic and autonomous systems, restore critical infrastructure, and recruit and retain talent, as well as elements of the NAVPLAN’s 5+4 related to building long-term warfighting advantage.

    “Our Navy is the most powerful Navy in the world, but it doesn’t do anything without cutting-edge technology and the people who develop and operate it. For well over 80 years Crane, Indiana has been making a difference for the warfighter, and that was evident in everything I saw today,” said Franchetti. “You provide critical warfighting capability from readiness and modernization to the kinetic and non-kinetic effects we need to deter – and defeat – any adversary.”

    At NSWC Crane, Franchetti recognized top performing Sailors and civilians, visited NSWC Crane’s Electromagnetic Warfare Center of Excellence, and received updates on the Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile Program, hypersonic programs, and microelectronics investments. 

    NSWC Crane has a STEM partnership with over 40 area schools, providing education opportunities to over 10,000 students annually, and CNO had the opportunity to engage with a group of elementary school students participating in the program.

    “Being in the Navy is really fun, you can operate ships, submarines, and planes – from seabed to space, and work alongside Allies and partners to defend our nation,” Franchetti told the 4th grade students. “I joined the Navy for free college and to see the world, but I stayed for the mission and the teams we get to be a part of. With over 150 job specialties, there’s something for everyone. I hope you will think about joining our Navy team.”

    At Purdue University, Franchetti met with academic leadership including Dr. Mung Chiang, Purdue University president and toured their Applied Research Institute laboratories where she learned about their research with hypersonics and reviewed their rapidly evolving additive manufacturing capabilities, toured their infrastructure and innovation laboratory, and observed simulated flight operations at Purdue’s UAS Research and Test Facility.

    “I’m grateful for our research partnership and its focus on battlefield innovation,” said Franchetti. “The importance of our initiatives on advanced technology development such as hypersonics, microelectronics and energetics are critical to the future of our nation’s defense and directly contribute to my priorities of warfighting, warfighters and the foundation that supports them.”

    CNO also met with Purdue University’s Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps unit, which hosts 102 midshipmen and 11 staff members, and she commended their decision to serve in America’s Warfighting Navy.    

    “Thank you for being part of NROTC, and for wanting to serve something greater than yourselves. You have an amazing opportunity in front of you,” Franchetti told the midshipmen. “Our Navy – Marine Corps team provides options to our Nation’s decision makers every day. From the Red Sea where we’ve been defending the free flow of commerce, protecting innocent mariners and our Allies and partners in the region – to the Indo-Pacific where we deter the PRC, your Navy is in high demand.”

    For over eight decades, NSWC Crane has delivered innovative solutions and readiness to the Nation, with a focus on Electromagnetic warfare, Expeditionary warfare and Strategic Missions.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Hays man admits manslaughter charge in stabbing on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS — A Hays man today admitted to fatally stabbing a woman during a quarrel on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

    The defendant, Tonylee Andrew Sears, 24, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter as charged in an indictment. Sears faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 18. Sears was detained pending further proceedings.

    The government alleged in court documents that in the early morning hours of Jan. 13, 2024, Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services responded to reports of a stabbing at Sears’ home. Officers encountered Sears, a witness, identified as John Doe, and the victim, identified as Jane Doe. Jane Doe was on the living room floor, bleeding, and was pronounced dead at the scene. In an interview with law enforcement, John Doe said he and Jane Doe had gone to Sears’ house to drink alcohol and hang out and that the victim and Sears argued. The argument escalated, and Sears grabbed a knife and stabbed Jane Doe while she was on the ground. John Doe pulled Sears off the victim and called 911. Sears threw the knife in the kitchen sink. When interviewed, Sears admitted that he and the victim rolled around on the floor after an argument, and he stabbed her. Officers recovered a knife from the kitchen sink. An autopsy report concluded that Jane Doe died from a stab wound.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Sam Kerr verdict: what it means for law in the UK and the star athlete’s soccer career

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan McElhone, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Monash University

    A London court has found Sam Kerr not guilty of the racially aggravated harassment of Metropolitan Police officer Stephen Lovell.

    As captain of the Australian women’s national soccer team, Kerr was widely condemned when news broke she had used a “racial slur” against an officer during an altercation.

    The high-profile incident sparked debate across the globe.

    Initially, former Australian soccer player Craig Foster criticised Kerr’s behaviour before retracting it and publicly apologising to her.

    Meanwhile, politicians and academics argued her comments did not amount to racism given the power dynamics at play: not only is Kerr of Indian descent, but official inquiries have found the Metropolitan Police to be institutionally racist.

    Historically, police have played a role in sustaining colonialism, racism and white supremacy. Calling Kerr’s words racist overlooks that they don’t accord with an entrenched, global system of power.

    What happened that night?

    Kerr has maintained she and her partner – United States’ women’s national team player Kristie Mewis – believed they were being kidnapped by a cab driver.

    He refused to let them out of the cab after Kerr vomited, taking them to Twickenham police station instead of their destination.

    There, Mewis broke the cab window in an attempt to get out of the vehicle.

    At the station, Kerr reportedly appealed to officers to “understand the emergency that both of us felt”, referencing the 2021 abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a Metropolitan Police officer.

    The commissioned inquiry into Everard’s murder characterised the Metropolitan Police as institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic.

    However, Kerr soon faced an allegation of racism after becoming distressed and antagonistic towards the officers.

    Believing they were siding with the cab driver after forming negative preconceptions because of her skin colour, she repeated “you guys are stupid and white, you guys are fucking stupid and white”.

    What are the legal ramifications in the UK?

    Kerr pleaded not guilty to the offence of intentionally causing harassment, alarm, or distress to another by using threatening, abusive, or insulting words under Section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986, and to the racial aggravation of the offence per the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

    She faced a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine.

    Kerr accepted she used the words “fucking stupid and white”. But it still had to be proven she intended and caused harassment, alarm, or distress to Lovell and that the offence was racially motivated.

    Initially, the Crown Prosecution Service concluded there was not enough evidence to charge Kerr.

    But after receiving a request from the Metropolitan Police to review the case, and a new statement from Lovell about Kerr’s words making him feel “belittled” and “upset”, they authorised police to charge the athlete.

    A jury found her not guilty after a seven-day trial.

    Broadly speaking, public order offences criminalise words and behaviour that might breach the peace. Police have significant discretion to use these offences as tools to regulate people’s uses of public space.

    In Australia and the UK, police have been shown to use these powers in discriminatory ways.

    Kerr has conceded her behaviour was regrettable but the charge against her is difficult to align with the purpose of public order legislation.

    What does it mean for Kerr’s soccer career?

    It is unclear what this verdict means for Kerr’s career.

    Her English club, Chelsea, is anticipating she will return from a long-term knee injury soon.

    It is possible the club was kept in the loop about Kerr’s altercation with police from the beginning, as she reportedly threatened to involve its lawyers in the body-cam footage shown at trial.

    The club is yet to make a statement about the trial or verdict.

    Football Australia is in a different position though, having been blindsided by the news Kerr had been charged by police.

    The fact Kerr is the captain of the Matildas, and the sport’s highest-profile marketing asset, adds layers of complexity to Football Australia’s decision-making.

    CEO of Football Australia James Johnson declined to weigh in on Kerr’s captaincy until her trial concluded.

    It is possible the governing body will impose a sanction, with Kerr falling afoul of clause 2.14 of their national code of conduct and ethics after being charged with a criminal offence.

    Kerr could return to the pitch later this month, but has been left out of the Matildas squad for the SheBelieves Cup in the US because of her fitness.

    With the AFC Women’s Asian Cup on the horizon, interim Matildas head coach Tom Sermanni no doubt hopes her recovery stays on track.

    Meanwhile, Kerr is yet to play under Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor. She could prove crucial as the club chases an elusive UEFA Women’s Champions League title, but faces competition for her spot.

    Megan McElhone 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. Sam Kerr verdict: what it means for law in the UK and the star athlete’s soccer career – https://theconversation.com/sam-kerr-verdict-what-it-means-for-law-in-the-uk-and-the-star-athletes-soccer-career-249153

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AI Action Summit co-chaired by France and India (February 10-11, 2025)

    Source: France-Diplomatie – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development

    Statement on inclusive and sustainable artificial intelligence for people and the planet

    1. Participants from over 100 countries, including government leaders, international organizations, representatives of civil society, the private sector and the academic and research communities gathered in Paris on February 10 and 11, 2025 to hold the AI Action Summit. Rapid development of AI technologies represents a major paradigm shift, impacting our citizens and societies in many ways. In line with the Paris Pact for People and the Planet, and the principles that countries must have ownership of their transition strategies, we have identified priorities and launched concrete actions to advance the public interest and to bridge digital divides through accelerating progress towards the SDGs. Our actions are grounded in three main principles of science, solutions – focusing on open AI models in compliance with countries’ frameworks – and policy standards, in line with international frameworks.

    2. This Summit has highlighted the importance of reinforcing the diversity of the AI ecosystem. It has laid an open, multi-stakeholder and inclusive approach that will enable AI to be human rights based, human-centric, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy while also stressing the need and urgency to narrow the inequalities and assist developing countries in artificial intelligence capacity-building so they can build AI capacities.

    3. Acknowledging existing multilateral initiatives on AI, including the United Nations General Assembly Resolutions, the Global Digital Compact, the UNESCO Recommendation on Ethics of AI, the African Union Continental AI Strategy, and the works of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Council of Europe and European Union, the G7 including the Hiroshima AI Process and G20, we have affirmed the following main priorities:

    • Promoting AI accessibility to reduce digital divides;
    • Ensuring AI is open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy, taking into account international frameworks for all
    • Making innovation in AI thrive by enabling conditions for its development and avoiding market concentration driving industrial recovery and development
    • Encouraging AI deployment that positively shapes the future of work and labour markets and delivers opportunity for sustainable growth
    • Making AI sustainable for people and the planet
    • Reinforcing international cooperation to promote coordination in international governance

    To deliver on these priorities:

    • Founding members have launched a major Public Interest AI Platform and Incubator, to support, amplify, decrease fragmentation between existing public and private initiatives on Public Interest AI and address digital divides. The Public Interest AI Initiative will sustain and support digital public goods and technical assistance and capacity-building projects in data, model development, openness and transparency, audit, compute, talent, financing and collaboration to support and co-create a trustworthy AI ecosystem advancing the public interest of all, for all and by all.
    • We have discussed, at a Summit for the first time and in a multi-stakeholder format, issues related to AI and energy. This discussion has led to sharing knowledge to foster investments for sustainable AI systems (hardware, infrastructure, models), to promoting an international discussion on AI and environment, to welcoming an observatory on the energy impact of AI with the International Energy Agency, to showcasing energy-friendly AI innovation.

    We recognize the need to enhance our shared knowledge on the impacts of AI in the job market, though the creation of network of observatories, to better anticipate AI implications for workplaces, training and education and to use AI to foster productivity, skill development, quality and working conditions and social dialogue.

    4. We recognize the need for inclusive multistakeholder dialogues and cooperation on AI governance. We underline the need for a global reflection integrating inter alia questions of safety, sustainable development, innovation, respect of international laws including humanitarian law and human rights law and the protection of human rights, gender equality, linguistic diversity, protection of consumers and of intellectual property rights. We take notes of efforts and discussions related to international fora where AI governance is examined. As outlined in the Global Digital Compact adopted by the UN General Assembly, participants also reaffirmed their commitment to initiate a Global Dialogue on AI governance and the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and to align ongoing governance efforts, ensuring complementarity and avoiding duplication.

    5. Harnessing the benefits of AI technologies to support our economies and societies depends on advancing Trust and Safety. We commend the role of the Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit and Seoul Summits that have been essential in progressing international cooperation on AI safety and we note the voluntary commitments launched there. We will keep addressing the risks of AI to information integrity and continue the work on AI transparency.

    6. We look forward to next AI milestones such as the Kigali Summit, the 3rd Global Forum on the Ethics of AI hosted by Thailand and UNESCO, the 2025 World AI Conference and the AI for Good Global Summit 2025 to follow up on our commitments and continue to take concrete actions aligned with a sustainable and inclusive AI.

    Signatory countries:

    1. Armenia

    2. Australia

    3. Austria

    4. Belgium

    5. Brazil

    6. Bulgaria

    7. Cambodia

    8. Canada

    9. Chile

    10. China

    11. Croatia

    12. Cyprus

    13. Czechia

    14. Denmark

    15. Djibouti

    16. Estonia

    17. Finland

    18. France

    19. Germany

    20. Greece

    21. Hungary

    22. India

    23. Indonesia

    24. Ireland

    25. Italy

    26. Japan

    27. Kazakhstan

    28. Kenya

    29. Latvia

    30. Lithuania

    31. Luxembourg

    32. Malta

    33. Mexico

    34. Monaco

    35. Morocco

    36. New Zealand

    37. Nigeria

    38. Norway

    39. Poland

    40. Portugal

    41. Romania

    42. Rwanda

    43. Senegal

    44. Serbia

    45. Singapore

    46. Slovakia

    47. Slovenia

    48. South Africa

    49. Republic of Korea

    50. Spain

    51. Sweden

    52. Switzerland

    53. Thailand

    54. Netherlands

    55. United Arab Emirates

    56. Ukraine

    57. Uruguay

    58. Vatican

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Sentencing for Violent Confrontation That Turned Nearly Fatal

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man has been sentenced to 102 months in prison for shooting a victim multiple times and leaving him seriously injured.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    According to court documents, Robert Abeyta, 51, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh, went to John Doe’s residence located on the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo armed with a loaded pistol and confronted Doe. When Doe, who has law enforcement experience, attempted to disarm Abeyta, a struggle ensued during which Abeyta shot Doe multiple times in the head, neck, and shoulder.

    Witnesses reported that Abeyta continued to assault Doe after the shooting. Neighbors intervened, disarming Abeyta and restraining him until law enforcement arrived. Doe’s girlfriend and young child were inside the home during the shooting and witnessed its immediate aftermath.

    Upon his release from prison, Abeyta will be subject to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.

    The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Ohkay Owingeh Police Department and Santa Clara Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: TRAI releases report on Independent Drive Tests (IDT) conducted in five citiesviz. Mysuru City (Karnataka LSA), Dharamshala City (Himachal Pradesh LSA), Chennai City (Tamil Nadu LSA), Chandigarh City (Punjab LSA) and Kolkata City (Kolkata LSA) during Nov- 2024.

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 6:15PM by PIB Delhi

    TRAI, through its empanelled agency, conducted Independent Drive Tests (IDT)in five cities viz. Mysuru City (Karnataka LSA),Dharamshala City (Himachal Pradesh LSA), Chennai City (Tamil Nadu LSA), Chandigarh City (Punjab LSA) and Kolkata City (Kolkata LSA). Drive tests were conducted to assess the quality of service provided by Cellular Mobile Telephone Service providers for voice and data services in November-2024.

    In IDT, the performance of M/s Bharti Airtel Ltd., M/s BSNL/MTNL, M/s Reliance JioInfocomm Ltd. and M/s Vodafone Idea Ltd., providing services in a Licensed Service Area (LSA) through various technologies (like 2G/ 3G/ 4G/ 5G) for voice and data, has been measured by conducting drive test. The observations presented in drive test reports represent the performance of the service providers on the area/ route under test on the day/ time of conducting the drive test.

    The following Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Voice as well as Data service were assessed for the networks of allTelecom service providers operating in the region.

    1. Voice services:
    1. Call setup success rate
    2. Drop call rate (DCR)
    3. Speech Quality using MOS (mean opinion score)
    4. Downlink &Uplink packet (voice) drop rate
    5. Call Silence Rate
    6. Coverage (%)- Signal strength
    1. Data Service:
    1. Data Throughput (Downlink and uplink both)
    2. Packet drop rate (Downlink & Uplink)
    3. Video streaming delay
    4. Latency
    5. Jitter

    The details of drive tests conducted in the four cities are given below:-

    S.No.

    City/Routes Covered

    Licensed Service Area

    Period of Drive Test

    Distance Covered

    Performancesummary

    (attached at)

    1

    		 Mysuru City & Mysuru toMalavalli Highway Karnataka 19th Nov. 2024 to 22nd Nov. 2024 City :263.5 Kms

    Walk Test: 10 Kms

    Highway :215 Kms

    		 Annexure A

    2

    		 Dharamshala City Himachal Pradesh 19th Nov. 2024 to 20thNov. 2024 City :148 Kms Annexure B

    3

    		 Chennai City Tamil Nadu 19th Nov. 2024 to 22nd Nov. 2024 City :352.5 Kms Annexure C

    4

    		 Chandigarh City Punjab 10th Nov. 2024 to 15thNov. 2024 City :599.5 Kms

    Walk Test: 2.6 Kms

    		 Annexure D

    5

    		 Kolkata City Kolkata 5thNov. 2024 to 9thNov. 2024 City :264 Kms

    Walk Test: 1.34 Kms

    		 Annexure E

    The detailed reports are available at TRAI website www.trai.gov.in. For anyclarification/information, Shri Tejpal Singh, Advisor (QoS-I) TRAI may be contacted on email: adv-qos1@trai.gov.inor at Tel. No. +91-11-20907759.

    Click here to download PDF

    ******

    Samrat/Dheeraj@: pibcomm[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2101898) Visitor Counter : 67

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister meets President of the Republic of Estonia

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 6:19PM by PIB Delhi

    ​Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met today with H.E. Mr. Alar Karis, President of the Republic of Estonia on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in Paris. This was the first meeting between the two leaders.

    Prime Minister and President Karis underlined that warm and friendly relations between India and Estonia are based on their shared commitment to democracy, rule of law and the values of freedom and pluralism. The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the growing bilateral cooperation in various fields, including trade and investment, IT and digital, culture, tourism and people-to-people ties. They discussed the ongoing bilateral cooperation in the field of cyber security. Prime Minister invited the Estonian government and companies to explore the opportunities offered by the India growth story and take advantage of programmes such as Digital India.

    The two leaders noted the importance of the India-Estonia partnership also in the context of the India-EU strategic partnership. They welcomed the initiation of ministerial exchanges in the India-Nordic-Baltic format. The leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, and cooperation at the United Nations.

    The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the growing cultural and people-to-people ties between India and Estonia. In this regard, PM appreciated the popularity of Yoga in Estonia.

     

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MALDIVES REQUESTS INDIA’S SUPPORT FOR DIGITIZATION OF PARLIAMENTARY RESOURCES, LOK SABHA SPEAKER ASSURES EVERY POSSIBLE HELP TO MALDIVES LEGISLATURE

    Source: Government of India (2)

    MALDIVES REQUESTS INDIA’S SUPPORT FOR DIGITIZATION OF PARLIAMENTARY RESOURCES, LOK SABHA SPEAKER ASSURES EVERY POSSIBLE HELP TO MALDIVES LEGISLATURE

    MALDIVES SPEAKER APPRECITES USE OF TECHNOLOGY, DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION WITH AI AND MULTILINGUAL INTERPRETATION SERVICES IN PARLIAMENT OF INDIA

    MALDIVES IS AN IMPORTANT PILLAR OF OUR ‘NEIGHBOURHOOD FIRST’ POLICY AND VISION OF ‘SAGAR’: LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    PEOPLE TO PEOPLE RELATIONS BETWEEN INDIA AND MALDIVES ARE BEDROCK OF BILATERAL TIES: LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION FROM MALDIVES CALLS ON LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 6:15PM by PIB Delhi

    Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla today reaffirmed India’s deep-rooted ties with the Maldives, describing the island nation as not just a friendly neighbor but also a key pillar of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and vision ‘SAGAR’. Shri Birla made these remarks during bilateral talks with the visiting Maldivian delegation, led by H.E. Mr. Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Speaker of the People’s Majlis of Maldives, at Parliament House.

    During the discussions, Shri Birla highlighted the advances made by Parliament of India in its digital transformation with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance legislative efficiency. He informed the delegation that the Parliament of India now provides simultaneous interpretation services in 15 regional languages, which will soon be expanded to 22 languages.

    Speaker of the People’s Majlis of Maldives appreciated the usage of technology, digitalization work and use of AI by Parliament of India and requested Shri Birla to extend technological support to help Maldives Majlis to digitise its parliamentary resources. Shri Birla assured him that every possible help would be extended from Parliament of India to People’s Majlis of Maldives in this regard.

    Extending a warm welcome, Shri Birla emphasized the historical and cultural ties between the two nations, highlighting the renewed momentum in their relations following President Mohamed Muizzu’s visit to India last year. He hoped that the visit of the Maldivian Parliamentary delegation would further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

    Discussing capacity-building initiatives, the Speaker underscored the role of PRIDE (Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies) in providing training on parliamentary procedures. He expressed confidence that the Maldivian Parliament and Secretariat would benefit from PRIDE’s expertise. Shri Birla hoped that this visit would open new avenues for collaboration between the legislative institutions of India and the Maldives.

    The Lok Sabha Speaker informed the delegation that India is currently celebrating 75 years of its Constitution, which serves as the foundation of the country’s vibrant parliamentary democracy and source of inspiration in the nation’s journey. Elaborating on India’s Parliamentary Committee System, Shri Birla described committees as “Mini-Parliaments”, where key budgetary and policy matters undergo in-depth scrutiny. He underscored that these committees function in a non-partisan manner, enabling detailed deliberations that are often constrained in the larger House due to time limitations. He informed the Delegation that various committees are currently examining the budget tabled in Parliament, ensuring robust financial oversight.

    H.E. Mr. Abdul Raheem Abdulla thanked Shri Birla for the warm welcome and commended the Indian Parliament’s digital advancements, particularly its use of AI. He also visited the Parliament Library and appreciated the facilities there and hoped that the similar facilities would be made available in the Parliament Library of the Maldives.

    The meeting was also attended by Members of Parliament – Shri N.K. Premachandran, Shri Ashish Dubey, Shri Francis George, Shri Alok Kumar Suman, Shri Shafi Perambil  and Shri Utpal Kumar Singh, Secretary General, Lok Sabha, among others.

    Earlier, the Parliamentary Delegation led by H.E. Mr. Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Speaker of the People’s Majlis of Maldives watched the proceedings of Lok Sabha. Shri Birla welcomed the Delegation in the House.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PRESIDENT OF INDIA INAUGURATES INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INNOVATION IN UNANI MEDICINE FOR INTEGRATIVE HEALTH SOLUTIONS – A WAY FORWARD

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 6:08PM by PIB Delhi

    The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, inaugurated an International conference on innovation in Unani Medicine for Integrative Health Solutions – A Way Forward in New Delhi today (February 11, 2025) on Unani Day.

    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that it is an occasion to remember Hakim Ajmal Khan, in whose honour, this day has been celebrated as Unani Day since 2016. She stated that Hakim Ajmal Khan spread the Unani system of medicine in India. He presented many examples of innovation. Due to his efforts, the Unani system of medicine was widely adopted in India.

    The President said that today, India is leading the world in terms of education, research, healthcare, and the production of medicines in the Unani system. She was happy to note that researchers and practitioners associated with the Unani system are adopting useful aspects of modern methods and technology. She expressed confidence that this conference will discuss contemporary topics like Evidence-based Recent Research Trends in Unani Medicine and Harnessing Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning for Ayush/Traditional Medicine: Prospects and Challenges.

     The President said our country has adopted a holistic approach towards health. Efforts are being made to empower various medical systems by giving them due respect. According to the National Health Policy 2017, special emphasis is being laid on bringing AYUSH medical systems, including Unani, into the mainstream. She noted that under the guidance of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine, studies and research are going on in many Unani medical educational institutions. MD and PhD programs have also been started in Unani Medical Colleges. She expressed confidence that the new generations in Unani medical science will strengthen the ancient heritage of knowledge and experience.

    Please click here to see the President’s Speech – 

     

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Funds Allocation to Department of Agricultural Research and Education

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 6:01PM by PIB Delhi

    The details of funds allocated for the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) during the financial years 2014-2023 including BE, RE and Actual Spending are as below:

    (Rs. in crore)

    Year

    Budget Estimates (BE)

    Revised Estimates (RE)

    Actual Expenditure

    2014-15

    6144.39

    4884.00

    4840.03

    2015-16

    6320.00

    5586.00

    5572.90

    2016-17

    6620.00

    6238.00

    5995.21

    2017-18

    6800.00

    6992.00

    6989.92

    2018-19

    7800.00

    7952.73

    7943.59

    2019-20

    8078.76

    7846.17

    7844.98

    2020-21

    8362.58

    7762.38

    7685.52

    2021-22

    8513.62

    8513.62

    8439.94

    2022-23

    8513.62

    8658.89

    8578.17

    2023-24

    9504.00

    9876.60

    9804.39

     

    There has been a progressive increase in the budget outlay in successive years. However, there was a minor reduction in RE during 2019-20 & 2020-21 due to pandemic COVID-19.

    During the past decade, the Department has strived to deliver through optimum utilization of available resources and making maximum use of the marginal increase through prioritization of research activities. It has been able to meet the challenges towards carrying out its Research & Development and operational activities in the area of Agriculture and allied sectors and achieving its desired outcome by realigning its processes.

    Further, DARE being a scientific department works in collaboration with the mainline ministries viz Agriculture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Science & Technology etc. on number of research projects as Research Partner to achieve its desired goals and outcome in a collaborative manner.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Bhagirath Choudhary in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Raksha Mantri invites investors to go long on investment in India; Assures them of stable policy environment in India

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Raksha Mantri invites investors to go long on investment in India; Assures them of stable policy environment in India

    Consensus at all levels of Government on leading role of the private sector: Shri Rajnath Singh at Global Investors’ Meet in Bengaluru

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 5:55PM by PIB Delhi

    Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh has asked global investors to go long in their Indian investment plans. Speaking at the inaugural function of the Global Investors’ Meet organised by the Government of Karnataka in Bengaluru today, Raksha Mantri said that investors will benefit from India’s formidable strengths like political stability, huge marketing potential it offers and an ecosystem based on rule of law, free from uncertainty and disorder. He noted that India’s immense investment potential has witnessed sustained success, lasting impact and enduring growth. 

    Shri Rajnath Singh stressed that India’s constitutional values are deeply rooted in its rich history of acceptance of different ideas and are illustrated in the close coordination between Union and state governments. He said the Government has actively worked to address the challenges, including red tapism, that investors previously faced. He added that the cumbersome process of obtaining multiple clearances has been replaced by a single-window system, ensuring a faster and hassle-free experience by the investors. 

    Assuring of a strong market demand for the investors to tap into India’s potential, Raksha Mantri said India is already one of the world’s fastest-growing markets. He emphasised that several recent economic decisions are expected to further strengthen the demand environment. He added that, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government has introduced a massive income tax cut, in this year’s budget announcement. This significant tax relief will substantially increase the disposable income of the public, leading to stronger business growth for the investor firms, he mentioned. 

    Shri Rajnath Singh recalled his interaction with entrepreneurs who expressed concern that they might invest in a promising sector today, only to face unexpected policy changes later, which could disrupt their plans and profits. Assuaging such doubts, he said that across all levels of governance in India there is a broad consensus that sustainable economic development must be driven by a market-led economy, with a leading role of the private sector. He further elaborated that this shared commitment provides a stable and predictable policy environment, ensuring that businesses can invest, with confidence of policy continuity. “Today, investors do not face red tapism in India. Instead, we roll out the red carpet for them. This kind of cross-political party consensus on promoting investment plays a crucial role in reducing uncertainty for our investors,” he added.  

    Calling for investment in Karnataka, Raksha Mantri asserted that in the era of Cooperative Federalism, central and state governments are working closely together to shape the country’s economy. Citing Bengaluru as a pioneering hub for various industries like IT and software, he said that the city is now a rising centre for Artificial Intelligence (AI) too. Asserting that this is the moment and the perfect time to invest in India, Raksha Mantri noted the unprecedented opportunities before investors. 

    Shri Rajnath Singh lauded the contributions of the investors who have been instrumental in shaping the nation’s economic progress. He added that a lot more needs to be done, towards the national objective of becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047, and expressed confidence that, together, the goal will be achieved. 

    Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri Siddaramaiah, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri DK Shivakumar, Ministers of the state government and industry representatives were also present at the event.

     ***

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Empowerment of Women

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 5:47PM by PIB Delhi

    Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) accords priority for gender empowerment through its policies and programmes. The Gender Programme is integrated within Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana -National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) interventions. DAY-NRLM recognizes addressing gender inequality as a pre-requisite to social and economic empowerment. The Programme builds capacity of State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM) to integrate Gender in its operations and create an architecture of support at the community level for women’s collectives to identify and take action on gender discriminatory practices. Series of training and perspective-building inputs are made available on these platforms and are provided to Social Action Committees (SAC) under Village organization (VO), and cluster level federation (CLF) by the trained pool of Gender Cadres. These bodies primarily function on the premise of uplifting women’s condition and position in society by identifying, acknowledging, and addressing issues of discrimination. The program also conducts several large-scale advocacy outreach through the National Gender Campaign (Nayi Chetna). DAY NRLM is empowering women SHGs to access credit from Banks from Banks. Credit accessed by women Self Help Groups during the last five years is as under:

    1. 2019-20 Rs. 70,977 crores
    2. 2020-21 Rs. 84,717 crores
    3. 2021-22 Rs. 1,20,477 crores
    4. 2022-23 Rs. 1,57,370 crores
    5. 2023-24 Rs. 2,07,820 crores

    Further, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, being implemented by MoRD requires that priority shall be given to women in such a way that at least one-third of the beneficiaries shall be women who have registered and requested for work. Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a gender-neutral scheme that promotes participation of women by providing wage parity with men, provision of separate schedule of rates of wages for women, facilities for crèche, work-side sheds for children and child care services. In convergence with the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), women mates have also been introduced, which again facilitates the participation of women. The rate of participation of women (percentage of women person-days out of a total in percentage) under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS from 2019-20 to 2023-24 is given below: –

    Financial Year

    2019-20

    2020-21

    2021-22

    2022-23

    2023-24

    Women participation rate (%)

    54.78

    53.19

    54.82

    57.47

    58.9

    (As per NREGASoft)

    MoRD is implementing a women-specific Scheme i.e. Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) under National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). The central pension under the IGNWPS is Rs. 300/- per month per beneficiary. State Governments have been advised to contribute at least an equal amount from their resources. The applicant must be a widow in the age group of 40-79 years. The applicant should belong to a Below Poverty Line (BPL) household according to the criteria prescribed by the Central Government. On reaching the age of 80 years, the beneficiaries get enhanced assistance of Rs.500/- per month. At present widow beneficiaries are getting pension between Rs. 300/- to Rs. 2800/- depending on the State pension amount which varies from State to State. At present, the ceiling under the scheme for all States and UTs is pegged at 67.36 lakh.

    MoRD is also implementing two welfare programmes in skill development for rural poor youth under NRLM as follows: –

    1. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) which is a placement-linked skill development program for rural poor youth in the age group of 15-35 years. It empowers the rural poor youth with employable skills and facilitates their participation in regular labour markets, thus providing them with jobs having regular monthly wages at or above the minimum wages. Under DDU-GKY, coverage of 33% of women is mandatory. The details of the total candidates and women candidates trained and placed for the last 5 years under DDU-GKY is provided below:

     

    FY

    Total

    Women

    Trained

    Placed

    Trained

    Placed

    2019-20

    247177

    150214

    126691

    66440

    2020-21

    38289

    49563

    19685

    22640

    2021-22

    97006

    45612

    58443

    26040

    2022-23

    231491

    158078

    133519

    92065

    2023-24

    199524

    157456

    122250

    94684

    2024-25 till

    Dec., 24

    69086

    53810

    43228

    33646

     

    1. Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETI) scheme is applicable to all the categories including women. Any unemployed youth in the age group of 18-45 years, irrespective of Caste, Creed, Religion, Gender and Economic Status, having aptitude to take up self-employment or wage employment and having some basic knowledge in the related field can undergo training under RSETI. The details of the total candidates and women candidates trained and settled for the last 5 years under RSETIs is provided below:

    FY

    Total

    Women

    Trained

    Settled

    Trained

    Settled

    2019-20

    384025

    281645

    274135

    202010

    2020-21

    255141

    185234

    206794

    138538

    2021-22

    314114

    256429

    257107

    212400

    2022-23

    409802

    325880

    331898

    272977

    2023-24

    451419

    350272

    360318

    290392

    2024-25
    (till 31-12-2024)

    471968

    299356

    382796

    249717

     

    The other schemes of MoRD accord priority to genders in general. The guidelines under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin provides that allotment of house shall be made jointly in the name of husband and wife, except in the case of widow/unmarried/separated person. The State may also choose to allot the house solely in the name of woman. Under Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY), the scheme guidelines have enough provisions for giving representation to women during planning and implementation. four members watershed development team (WDT) set up by the project implementation agency for planning and implementation of the watershed projects should have at least 1 women member. Similarly, the 11 members Watershed Committee constituted by the Gram Sabha for executing project development activities at village level should have at least two women representatives. Further the self-help groups constituted under WDC-PMKSY have maximum women members.

    So far as land ownership is concerned, SVAMITVA Scheme of Ministry of Panchayati Raj, which significantly contributes to the economic empowerment of rural women. By providing legally recognized property ownership in village Abadi areas, the scheme ensures that women, including those from marginalized communities, have secured land tenure. Further, as informed by Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Article 243D of the Constitution of India provides for not less than one-third reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), out of total number of seats to be filled by direct election and out of total number of offices of chairpersons of Panchayats. However, 21 States and 2 UTs, have gone even further and have made provisions of 50% reservation for women in PRIs in their respective Panchayati Raj Acts. As per the information available with the Ministry, 21 States namely, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and 2 Union Territories namely “Lakshadweep” and “Dadra & Nagar haveli and Daman & Diu”, have made provision for 50% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions in their respective State Panchayati Raj Acts. In respect of remaining States and Union Territories, Constitutional provision as prescribed in Article 243D (i.e. not less than one-third reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions) applies.

    Government has been encouraging increased involvement of women in the functioning of Panchayats through active participation in the Gram Sabha meetings for preparation of Gram Panchayat Development Plans and various schemes being implemented by the Panchayats. This Ministry has also issued advisories to the States to facilitate holding of separate Ward Sabha and Mahila Sabha meetings prior to Gram Sabha meetings, enhancing the presence and participation of women in Gram Sabha and Panchayat meetings, allocation of Panchayat funds for women centric activities, combating the evil of women trafficking, female foeticide, child marriage etc.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Kamlesh Paswan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Amrit Sarovar Scheme

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 5:45PM by PIB Delhi

    Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched in April 2022 to construct or rejuvenate 75 Amrit Sarovars (ponds) in each district, totaling 50,000 across the country. This initiative has made significant progress in addressing the critical issue of water scarcity. As on January 2025, over 68,000 Sarovars have been completed, enhancing surface and groundwater availability across various regions. These Sarovars have not only addressed immediate water needs but also established sustainable water sources, symbolizing Government’s commitment to long-term environmental sustainability and community well-being.

    Phase II of Mission Amrit Sarovar is envisaged to continue with a renewed focus on ensuring water availability, with community participation (Jan Bhagidaari) at its core, and aims to strengthen climate resilience, foster ecological balance, and deliver lasting benefits for future generations.

    Mission Amrit Sarovar works are being taken up by the States and Districts with convergence from various ongoing schemes such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS), 15th Finance Commission Grants, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichayi Yojna sub-schemes such as the Watershed Development Component, Har Khetko Pani, besides States’ own schemes. Public contributions like crowdfunding and Corporate Social Responsibility are also allowed for the work.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Kamlesh Paswan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Funds for Construction of Houses under PMAY-G

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 5:46PM by PIB Delhi

    The Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) aims at providing pucca houses for all persons having kutcha houses up to 2 rooms or less and whose names are included in properly verified Permanent Waiting List (PWL) & Awaas+ list. The beneficiaries have been identified based on the housing deprivation parameters and exclusion criteria prescribed under Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC)- 2011. On application of exclusion criteria, a priority list called the Permanent Wait List (PWL) is prepared for the States/UTs. The PWL is further subjected to verification by Gram Sabhas and completion of an Appellate Process thereafter. This process of exclusion is also applied to beneficiaries registered by the States/UTs in Awaas+.

    The Union Cabinet has approved the implementation of the scheme for 5 more years during FY 2024-25 to 2028-29 to provide assistance for the construction of 2 crore additional rural houses. Approval has also been provided for updating the Awaas+ List for identifying eligible rural households using modified exclusion criteria under the scheme. In line with the approval of the Union Cabinet, a survey is being conducted for the identification of additional eligible rural households under the scheme. The survey is being conducted through Awaas+ 2024 Mobile App which has already been launched on 17.09.2024 with modified exclusion criteria.

    (b) & (c):         Under PMAY-G, the unit assistance of Rs. 1.20 lakh in plain areas and Rs. 1.30 lakh in North Eastern States, Hilly States (including UTs of J&K and Ladakh) is provided. In addition to the unit assistance, the beneficiaries are facilitated with 90/95-man days of unskilled labour wages through mandatory convergence with Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Support of Rs. 12,000 for construction of toilet is also provided through Swacch Bharat Mission – Gramin (SBM-G), MGNREGS or any other dedicated source of funding.

    The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of PMAY-G till March, 2029 as per the existing unit assistance for construction of 2 crore more houses.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Allocation of Houses under PMAY-G

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 5:44PM by PIB Delhi

    In order to achieve the target of “Housing for All” in rural areas, the Ministry of Rural Development is implementing Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana- Gramin (PMAY-G) with effect from 1st April, 2016 to construct 2.95 crore houses by providing assistance to eligible rural households with basic amenities. The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for “Implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana- Gramin (PMAY-G) during FY 2024-25 to 2028-29” for construction of additional 2 crore rural houses.

    The identification of beneficiaries under PMAY-G is based on the housing deprivation parameters and exclusion criteria prescribed under Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC)-2011 and due verification by the respective Gram Sabhas and completion of an Appellate Process. These parameters/criteria was applied on SECC 2011 database to identify eligibility of beneficiaries under PMAY-G.

    There was a need to meet the new demand that arose during the intervening period and to meet gaps due to reduction in number of eligible beneficiary in SECC 2011 based Permanent Wait List (PWL). The Government conducted Awaas+ 2018 survey during January 2018 to March 2019 to identify those beneficiaries which claimed to have been left out under the SECC 2011 survey and thus prepared an additional list of potentially eligible beneficiaries. During Awaas+ survey, a total of 3.90 crore potentially eligible households were registered by the States/UTs and after remanding/verification by Gram Sabhas, a total of 2.79 crore were found potentially eligible by the States/UTs.

    Of the overall mandate of 4.95 crore households, 2.105 crore beneficiary households have been allocated from SECC 2011 survey database and 1.688 crore households have been allocated from Awaas+ survey database after following due verification process by Gram Sabhas and Appellate Process thereafter.

    The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for implementation of the scheme for 5 more years during FY 2024-25 to 2028-29 to provide assistance for the construction of 2 crore additional rural houses. Approval has also been provided for updating the Awaas+ List for identifying eligible rural households using modified exclusion criteria under the scheme. In line with the approval of the Union Cabinet, a survey is being conducted for the identification of additional eligible rural households under the scheme. The survey is being conducted as per the modified exclusion criteria through Awaas+ 2024 Mobile App, which has already been launched on 17.09.2024.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Self-Help Groups

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 5:43PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), inter-alia, is implementing Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana –National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in which Self Help Groups (SHGs) are involved. These Schemes are implemented through State Governments/UT Administrations. In addition, SHGs are being involved by other Departments/Ministries and State Government Departments dealing with rural development from time to time.

    DAY-NRLM is being implemented across the country in a mission mode since 2011 with the aim to bring at least one-woman member from each rural poor household, as per the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data and process of Participatory Identification of Poor (PIP), into the fold of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and to support them to take up economic activities. As on 31st January, 2025 about 10.05 crore Women households have been mobilized into 90.90 lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs). The State/UT wise details of the number of households mobilized into SHGs since 2011 under the Mission is attached at Annexure.

    Under MGNREGA, SHG members are involved in the planning of works through participation in Gram Sabha projects, play the role of Social Auditors and are also engaged as worksite supervisors (mates). In addition, the Programme progressively engages Federations of Women Self-help Groups as Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) at the Gram Panchayat / Block / District level.

    (b): Under DAY-NRLM, various sub-schemes like Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP), Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP), National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP), Deendayal Upadhyay Gramin Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETI) are being implemented for enhancing the income on sustainable basis of the rural poor. The mission seeks to achieve its objective through investing in four core components viz., (i) social mobilization and promotion of sustainable community institutions of the rural poor (Self Help Groups-SHGs, Village Organisations-VOs, Cluster Level Federations-CLFs); (ii) financial inclusion, (iii) sustainable livelihoods; and (iv) convergence and entitlements. Accordingly, within the ambit of the mission and with the converging schemes of the other Ministries, SHG members are being facilitated for promotion of sustainable livelihoods, so that they may reach an aspirational goal of having minimum of one lakh rupee as annual income. For facilitating this initiative, a mobile application has been rolled out for surveying the income and activities of the SHG households.

    The Ministry in collaboration with Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has created “SARAS Collection” as a Store Front in GeM for marketing of SHG products. Also, Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) have been entered on 2nd November, 2021 and 12th May, 2022 between Ministry and Flipkart Internet Pvt. Ltd. and Amazon respectively to allow the Self-Help Groups (SHGs) producers including the artisans, weavers and craftsmen to access national markets through the Flipkart Samarth programme and Amazon Saheli initiative. An MoU has also been signed by the Ministry with Patanjali on 2nd November, 2022 for collaboration in various fields including online marketing of SHGs products.

    An e-Commerce platform (www.esaras.in) has also been launched by the Ministry for online marketing of SHG products. An MoU has been signed between MoRD and Fashnear Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Meesho) on February 16, 2023 and Jio Mart (Reliance Retail Ltd) on 8th Dec,2023 for onboarding and marketing of SHGs products.

    Further, some States have also developed their own e-Commerce platform to support marketing of products of SHGs.

    State/UT wise details of the number of households mobilized & SHGs Formed as on 31st January, 2025

    Sl No

    State

    SHGs formed

    Households Mobilized

    1

    Andhra Pradesh

    855600

    9075289

    2

    Assam

    361516

    4111020

    3

    Bihar

    1097100

    12713428

    4

    Chhattisgarh

    276375

    3068427

    5

    Gujarat

    279758

    2783006

    6

    Jharkhand

    291601

    3589607

    7

    Karnataka

    360684

    4207374

    8

    Kerala

    271209

    4002478

    9

    Madhya Pradesh

    487291

    5829972

    10

    Maharashtra

    640719

    6525549

    11

    Odisha

    551141

    5775035

    12

    Rajasthan

    321875

    3804161

    13

    Tamil Nadu

    336764

    4023939

    14

    Telangana

    442979

    4820573

    15

    Uttar Pradesh

    842101

    9509884

    16

    West Bengal

    1192980

    12251533

    17

    Haryana

    60301

    629094

    18

    Himachal Pradesh

    45295

    378542

    19

    Jammu & Kashmir

    91445

    797805

    20

    Punjab

    52118

    543246

    21

    Uttarakhand

    65840

    497777

    22

    Arunachal Pradesh

    11730

    91964

    23

    Manipur

    11538

    117457

    24

    Meghalaya

    45312

    444264

    25

    Mizoram

    10291

    85934

    26

    Nagaland

    15419

    135261

    27

    Sikkim

    5915

    56675

    28

    Tripura

    51841

    494675

    29

    Andaman & Nicobar Islands

    1294

    13194

    30

    Goa

    3891

    50735

    31

    Ladakh

    1745

    12230

    32

    Lakshadweep

    348

    4363

    33

    Puducherry

    4744

    59714

    34

    Daman DIU and NH

    1645

    16674

     

    Total

    9090405

    100520879

     

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Benefits of Organic Farming

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 5:31PM by PIB Delhi

    It is agreed to the view that biological substitutes for chemical fertilizers and pesticides can improve health of soil, human and planet, besides benefiting farmers.

    In order to promote use of bio-fertilizers, the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has developed improved and efficient strains of bio-fertilizers specific to different crops and soil types under the Network project on ‘Soil Biodiversity-Bio-fertilizers’. Under this project ICAR has developed improved and efficient strains of bio-fertilizer specific to different crops and soil types, Liquid Bio-fertilizer technology with higher shelf life, bio-fertilizer consortia formulation with two or more bio-fertilizer strains, microbial enriched bio-compost and Zinc & Potassium Solubilizing Bio-fertilizers. The ICAR also imparts training to educate farmers on use of bio-fertilizers.

    To promote use of organic fertilizers in the country, Government is promoting organic farming through the schemes of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) in all the States/UTs (except North Eastern States). For North Eastern States, Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) scheme is being implemented. Both the schemes stress on end-to-end support to farmers engaged in organic farming i.e. from production to processing, certification & marketing and post-harvest management training and capacity building. Under PKVY, assistance of Rs. 31,500 per ha for a period of three years is provided for promotion of organic farming. Out of this, assistance of Rs. 15,000 per ha for a period of three years is provided to farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer for on- farm /off –farm organic inputs. Under MOVCDNER, assistance of Rs. 46,500/ha for 3 years is provided for creation of Farmers Producer Organization, support to farmers for organic inputs etc. Out of this, assistance @ Rs. 32500/ ha for 3 years is provided to farmers for off -farm /on –farm organic inputs under the scheme including Rs. 15,000 as Direct Benefit Transfer to the farmers. The year-wise fund released including assistance for procurement of off-farm and on-farm organic inputs during the period of last three years is as under:

    Rs. in Crore.

    Year

    PKVY

    MOVCDNER

    2021-22

    88.58

    133.29

    2022-23

    188.78

    144.42

    2023-24

    206.39

    230.67

    In order to ensure the avaibility of good quality of bio-fertilizers, organic fertilizers and Bio- stimulants, the Government of India regulates its quality under the Fertilizer Control Order (1985).

    Government is implementing Market Development Assistance (MDA) @ Rs. 1500/Metric Tonne to promote organic fertilizers, viz., Fermented Organic Manure/ Liquid Fermented Organic Manure/Phosphate Rich Organic Manure produced at plants under Galvanizing Organic Bio Agro Resources Dhan (GOBARdhan) scheme of Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

    To incentivize the farmers to reduce the overall consumption of fertilizers for improving soil health and fertility and sustainable productivity, “PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth (PM-PRANAM)” incentivizes States and Union Territories to promote alternative fertilizers and balanced use of chemical fertilizers. Under this programme, 50% of subsidy savings will be passed on as a grant to the state that reduces chemical fertilizers.

    National Center of Organic and Natural Farming (NCONF) and its Regional Center of Organic and Natural Farming (RCONF) located at Ghaziabad, Nagpur, Bangalore, Imphal and Bhubaneswar organise various trainings and online awareness campaign on organic and natural farming. ICAR also imparts trainings, front-line demonstrations, awareness programs etc. to educate farmers on organic farming, through network of Krishi Vigyan Kendras.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Agricultural Infrastructure Fund

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 5:29PM by PIB Delhi

     In order to enhance the income of farmers, it is not only essential to enhance production and productivity of farm produce but also minimize the post-harvest losses and ensure better realization of prices for farmers through creation of modern post-harvest management infrastructure. With an objective to address the existing gaps in post-harvest management infrastructure in the country, the flagship scheme of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) was launched in 2020-21 to strengthen the infrastructure in the country through creation of farm gate storage and logistics infrastructure to enable farmers to store and preserve their farm produce properly and sell them in the market at better price with reduced post-harvest losses and lesser number of intermediaries. Improved post-harvest management infrastructure like warehouses, Cold stores, sorting and grading units, ripening chambers etc will allow farmers to sell directly to a larger base of consumers and hence, increase value realization for the farmers. This will improve the overall income of farmers. Further, AIF scheme aims to benefit all stakeholders in the agricultural ecosystem by contributing in the holistic development of the agriculture sector. Under AIF, provision for Rs. 1 Lakh crore loan has been made through lending institutions with a interest rate cap of 9% on loans. The scheme is operational from 2020-21 to 2032-33.

    All loans under this financing facility have interest subvention of 3% per annum up to a loan limit of ₹2 crores. This interest subvention is available for a maximum period of 7 years. In case of loans beyond ₹2 crores, interest subvention is limited up to ₹2 crores. Credit guarantee coverage is also available for eligible borrowers from this financing facility under Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme for a loan up to ₹2 crores. The fee for this coverage is borne by the Government.

    Budgetary support is being provided for interest subvention and credit guarantee fee as also administrative cost of PMU. This will be amount to Rs. 10,636 crores over a period of 10 years. The detailed break up is as below.

    SL NO.

    Name of Component

    Allotted Fund Amount

    1

    Interest Subvention Cost

    Rs. 7907Cr

    2

    Credit Guarantee Cost

    Rs. 2629 Cr

    3

    Administration Cost of PMU

    Rs. 100 Cr

    Total

    Rs. 10636 Cr

     

     State/UT wise details of Projects approved under AIF scheme during the last three years is as below: –

      (Amount in Rs Crore)

    Sl.

    State / UT

    Sanctioned No

    Sanctioned Amount

    1

    Madhya Pradesh

    7,701

    5,853

    2

    Maharashtra

    6,860

    4,151

    3

    Rajasthan

    1,802

    2,310

    4

    Gujarat

    2,072

    2,215

    5

    Uttar Pradesh

    3,854

    3,636

    6

    Haryana

    2,704

    2,108

    7

    Punjab

    12,003

    3,116

    8

    Telangana

    1,662

    2,178

    9

    Karnataka

    2,208

    2,148

    10

    Andhra Pradesh

    680

    1,116

    11

    West Bengal

    2,537

    1,441

    12

    Tamil Nadu

    5,889

    1,189

    13

    Chhattisgarh

    814

    1,008

    14

    Odisha

    1,098

    810

    15

    Assam

    409

    726

    16

    Bihar

    848

    680

    17

    Kerala

    1,600

    604

    18

    Uttarakhand

    236

    315

    19

    Jharkhand

    225

    255

    20

    Himachal Pradesh

    347

    137

    21

    Jammu And Kashmir

    88

    198

    22

    Delhi

    7

    10

    23

    Goa

    19

    10

    24

    Meghalaya

    2

    8

    25

    Chandigarh

    2

    8

     

    26

    Arunachal Pradesh

    5

    6

    27

    Tripura

    5

    10

    28

    Nagaland

    0

    0

    29

    The Dadra And Nagar Haveli And Daman And Diu

    1

    1

    30

    Puducherry

    2

    2

    31

    Manipur

    3

    1

    32

    Mizoram

    0

    0

    33

    Sikkim

    0

    0

    34

    Ladakh

    0

    0

    35

    Lakshadweep

    0

    0

    36

    Andaman and Nicobar Islands

    0

    0

     

    Total

             55,683

                   36,250

     

    An impact assessment study of AIF was conducted by Agro Economic Research Centre, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune in December 2023 to evaluate overall performance of the scheme, primarily based on feedback from beneficiaries as well as farmers in selected states.  The main findings of the study are as below. 

    1.       Based on this study, till 26th January 2025, investment in the agri sector under AIF has generated more than 9 lakh employment opportunities. Out of the sanctioned projects, nearly 97% of the projects created are in rural areas promoting investment and employment opportunities in rural areas. 

    2.       The average number of persons employed per unit in the peak season was found to be 11. The average was highest i.e. 27 in Rajasthan and lowest i.e. 5 in the state of Maharashtra.

    3.       Further, the storage infrastructure created under AIF has added nearly 550 LMT of storage capacity which includes approx. 510.6 LMT of dry storage and nearly 39.4 LMT of Cold storage capacities (as on 26.01.2025). This additional storage capacity can save up to 20.4 LMT of food grains and 3.9 LMT of horticulture produce annually. 

    4.       The Agro processing centres created under the scheme is promoting timely value-addition of farmer’s produce resulting in increase in farmer’s income up to 20% and reduction of post-harvest losses. Custom hiring centres set up under the scheme is boosting farm mechanization and adoption of better crop residue management practices.

    5.       31 percent of the AIF units have availed of government subsidies also. Thus, they have been benefitted due to Convergence under AIF. 

    6.       For around 85 percent of the total units, availability of AIF loan was the main reason for starting the unit.

     

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Spurious Seeds, Pesticides and Fertilizers Supplied to the Farmers

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 5:27PM by PIB Delhi

    To curb the malpractices of spurious seeds, pesticides and fertilizers and in order to ensure availability of quality inputs to the farmers, various provisions are available in the Seeds Act, 1966, the Seeds Rules, 1968, the Seeds (Control) Order, 1983, Essential Commodity Act, 1955, Insecticide Act, 1964, Insecticides Rules,1971, the Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985etc.

    The concerned State Department of Agriculture appoints the Inspectors for ensuring quality control of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides in their respective states. In case any samples of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides are found to be spurious/sub-standard, action is taken under the relevant provisions of Acts and Rules. The details of samples drawn by inspector sand found substandard (across the Country) in respect of Seeds, Fertilizers and pesticides during 2023-24 is given below. 

    1. 133,588 seed samples were drawn and out of which 3,630 samples were found sub-standard during the year 2023-24.
    2. 1,81,153 fertiliser samples were analysed and out of which 8,988 samples were found nonstandard during the year 2023-24.

    iii. 80,789 pesticide samples were analysed and out of which 2,222 samples were found to be spurious.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Structural Challenges in Indian Agriculture

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 5:26PM by PIB Delhi

    Government of India is implementing various measures to improve the Indian Agriculture which encompasses multitude of developmental programmes, schemes, reforms and policies aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity, raising resource use efficiency, promoting sustainable agriculture and strengthening infrastructure, ensuring remunerative price to farmers, etc. These include:

    1. National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM)
    2. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oil Palm
    3. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oilseeds
    4. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)
    5. National Mission on Natural Faming (NMNF)
    6. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
    7. Soil Health & Fertility (SH&F)
    8. Rainfed Area Development (RAD)
    9. Agroforestry
    10. Crop Diversification Programme (CDP)
    11. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE)
    12. Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP)
    13. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
    14. National Bamboo Mission
    15. National Bee Keeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)
    16. Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region
    17. Per Drop More crop (PDMC)
    18. Integrated Scheme for Agriculture Marketing (ISAM)
    19. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
    20. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY)
    21. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)/ Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS)
    22. Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)
    23. Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS)
    24. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
    25. Formation and Promotion of 10,000 new Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs)
    26. Namo Drone Didi
    27. Agri Fund for Start-Ups & Rural Enterprises (AgriSURE)
    28. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM)
    29. Digital Agriculture Mission

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Supports GoAERO University Awardees for Emergency Aircraft Prototyping

    Source: NASA

    With support from NASA, the international GoAERO Prize competition recently announced funding for 14 U.S. university teams to build innovative new compact emergency response aircraft. 
    The teams will develop prototype versions of Emergency Response Flyers, aircraft intended to perform rescue and response missions after disasters and in crisis situations. The flyers must be designed to deliver a first responder, evacuate victims, provide emergency medical supplies, and aid in humanitarian efforts. Teams will bring their test aircraft to a fly-off expected in 2027. 

    koushik datta
    NASA Project Manager

    “These awards will provide students with an opportunity that might have otherwise been difficult – a chance to design and build potentially lifesaving aircraft,” said Koushik Datta, University Innovation Project manager in NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “At NASA, we’re looking forward to seeing how these young innovators can contribute to our mission to advance futuristic aviation technologies that can benefit first responders and the public.” 
    With support from NASA’s University Innovation Project, GoAERO named 14 awardee teams at the following universities: 

    Auburn University, in Leeds, Alabama  

    California Polytechnic University, in Pomona  

    Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh  

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, in Daytona Beach, Florida 

    Georgia Institute of Technology, in Atlanta 

    North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, in Greensboro  

    North Carolina State University, in Raleigh 

    The Ohio State University, in Columbus  

    Penn State University, in State College  

    Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Indiana  

    Saint Louis University  

    Texas A&M University, in College Station, and Oklahoma State University, in Stillwater  

    University of Texas, Austin  

    Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg 

    Student teams can utilize the funds to purchase parts, materials, batteries, and other components for building their aircrafts. 
    When naming the university awardees, GoAERO – in partnership with Boeing, RTX, and Honeywell – also announced 11 winners of Stage 1 of its competition. These include teams from the private sector and universities. These awardees were selected to build full- or smaller-scale flyers for evaluation. Eight entries will be selected for the next round of Stage 2 awards. The GoAERO Prize is still accepting new teams.  While prizes are awarded at Stage 1 and Stage 2, teams do not need to win prizes to continue on to the next stage or compete in the final fly-off.  
    In addition to the University Innovation Project support for the university teams, NASA has partnered with GoAERO through a non-funded Space Act Agreement to provide U.S. teams with mentorship, educational opportunities, and access to specialized software tools. 

    MIL OSI USA News –