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Category: India

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addresses the ‘Legislative Drafting Training’ program in the Gujarat Assembly

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addresses the ‘Legislative Drafting Training’ program in the Gujarat Assembly

    Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has become the centre of global aspirations, with its roots in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly

    Legislative drafting is a very important and necessary art for a country governed by a constitution

    Legislative drafting is the essence of law; the decline of this art would not only harm democracy but also adversely affect the public

    If there is any ideal for legislative drafting in the whole world, it is the framing of the Constitution of India

    If the process of writing laws is not fully developed in a scientific manner, the chances of democracy succeeding are unlikely

    Laws should be made clear because judicial intervention occurs where there is a gray area lacking clear legal interpretations

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was instrumental in starting a training school for “legislative drafting” in the Parliament House

    Those doing legislative drafting should possess abilities of a philosopher, knowledge of historical facts, and deep understanding of linguistics

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 9:16PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addressed the ‘Legislative Drafting Training’ programme in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly today. Several dignitaries, including the Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, Shri Shankar Chaudhary, and the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel, were present on the occasion.

    Union Home Minister said that “legislative drafting” is a very important and necessary art for a country like India which is governed by a constitution. He said that the art is gradually fading away. He mentioned that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the government has completed 10 years, during which India has become the center of global aspirations, with its roots in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. Prime Minister Modi has achieved many milestones in public welfare over the past 10 years.

    Shri Amit Shah noted that “legislative drafting” is the essence of law, and the decline of this art would not only be detrimental to democracy but also harm millions of people in the state and the country. He said that if drafting is done without understanding the legislative process while making laws, then the laws will never fulfill their intended purpose. The responsibility of converting a cabinet note into a bill lies with the legislative department, which eventually leads to the formation of law. Shri Shah stated that unless the process of “legislative drafting” is fully developed in a scientific manner, the chances of democracy succeeding remain unlikely.

    Union Home Minister stated that if there is any ideal for “legislative drafting” in the world, it is the framing of the Constitution of India. He stated that there is no process bigger than the framing of the Indian Constitution. He emphasized that clarity is the most important aspect of the art of “legislative drafting.” The clearer the legislators are in translating their objectives into law, the smaller the gray area will be; and the less the gray area, the lesser the judicial interventions will be. Shri Shah mentioned that judicial interventions occurs where there are gray areas lacking clear legal interpretations; therefore, laws should be made clear.

    Union Home Minister said Article 370, for example, was very clearly drafted by the drafting Committee of the Constitution. He said, the term “Temporary Provisions of the Constitution” was very important, meaning that it is not a “Permanent Provision,” and its removal does not require an amendment to the Constitution. It was mentioned that the President can issue a constitutional order to revoke Article 370 at any time, with a validation by a simple majority in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. He stated that if Article 370 was kept as a provisional constitute at that time, a two-thirds majority would have been required to remove it. However, the legislators were very clear that the temporary provision was a makeshift arrangement, and as a result, the reference for its removal was placed in Article 370(3).

    Shri Amit Shah appealed to all legislators and MPs to maintain continuous contact with the legislative drafting wing and keep engaging in discussions with them. He mentioned that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi established a training school for “legislative drafting” within the Parliament House in 2019. He noted that an aware politician can bring about significant change through their legal understanding. Citing the example of G.V. Mavalankar, Shri Shah mentioned that despite being in the opposition, he proposed 16 reforms, all of which had to be accepted by the ruling party because they were well-considered proposals for reform. He emphasized that those involved in legislative drafting should have the abilities of a philosopher, knowledge of historical facts, and have a deep understanding of linguistics.

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    RK/VV/ASH/PS

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addresses 14th All India Home Guards and Civil Defence Conference in Gandhinagar, Gujarat today

    Source: Government of India

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addresses 14th All India Home Guards and Civil Defence Conference in Gandhinagar, Gujarat today

    Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, all dimensions of service and security for building a developed India can be achieved with the support of Home Guards and Civil Defence

    Civil Defence and Home Guards play a crucial role in empowering and securing the nation through service and protection

    Modi government will make the Home Guards and Civil Defence charter more relevant and useful by incorporating several new aspects and timely changes

    Modi government will also engage youth from all segments in Home Guards and Civil Defence, similar to the NCC and NSS

    Home Guards and Civil Defence volunteers made invaluable contributions during the 1965 and 1971 wars as well

    Home Guards and Civil Defence must be integrated with awareness programs such as a drug-free India, clean India, tree planting, water conservation campaigns, women’s safety, TB-free India, the fight against malnutrition, and nutrition campaigns

    A roadmap should be developed to assist in law and order, facilitating coordination between local law enforcement and Home Guards and Civil Defence

    There is a need for institutional arrangements for training and traffic management to enhance the contribution of these organizations to emergency services

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 9:25PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addressed the 14th All India Home Guards and Civil Defence Conference in Gandhinagar, Gujarat today. On this occasion, several dignitaries were present, including Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel and Union Home Secretary Shri Govind Mohan.

    In his address, Shri Amit Shah mentioned that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has set a resolved to make India a fully developed nation by 2047. He said that in this vision, we must become a fully developed nation while preserving our values, traditions, culture, and languages alongside development in every sector. Shri Shah emphasized that service and security are two very important points in realizing this commitment. He mentioned that security encompasses every individual, property, future, rights, along with our core values of service. He noted that civil defence and home guards are institutions linked with security and service, working to connect a segment of society with the protection and service of the community. He added that the commitment to building a developed India, as envisioned by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, can be achieved through the dimensions of service and security provided by Home Guards and Civil Defence.

    Union Home Minister noted that during this two-day conference, there will be extensive discussions on various points regarding the strengthening of Home Guards and Civil Defence, capacity building, and their roles in disaster management across five sessions. He mentioned that this conference will also serve as a medium for dialogue between states, facilitating the exchange of good practices and boosting their capabilities in resolve emerging challenges.

    Shri Amit Shah said that former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri played a significant role in giving importance to Home Guards and Civil Defence since 1962. He noted that the Civil Defence Directorate was established in 1962, and the Civil Defence Act was passed in 1968. Shri Shah mentioned the invaluable contribution of Home Guards and Civil Defence volunteers during the wars of 1965 and 1971. He highlighted that during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, Home Guards and Civil Defence organizations played a crucial role in protecting essential infrastructure, providing general training to citizens, and assisting in relocating them to safer places, in collaboration with the armed forces and local administration.

    Union Home Minister stated that the efforts will be made by Modi government to make the Home Guards and Civil Defence charter relevant and useful by adding several new aspects and timely changes over the next four months. He mentioned that this step aims to bring a new awareness and vitality to both organizations. Shri Shah explained that the current charter includes preparing people for war emergencies, protecting citizens, training them to avoid the effects of war, fostering a mindset of non-violent civil resistance, organizing communities, assisting in the repair of infrastructure damaged in war, and boosting morale. He noted that if an organization’s charter does not undergo changes for 50 years, both the organization and the charter become obsolete. He emphasized that there have been radical changes in the country over the past 50 years, and technological advancements have altered needs, leading the country to progress significantly.

    Shri Amit Shah stated that the role played by Home Guards and Civil Defence volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with their dedication to serving people, is commendable. He mentioned that during the pandemic, 27 personnel from Home Guards and Civil Defence lost their lives while serving the public.

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that training for contribution in emergency services for Home Guards and Civil Defence should be systematic and should have a place in their charter. He said that there is a need to make institutional arrangements for Home Guards and Civil Defence in traffic management as well. He said that similarly they should join other awareness programmes, such as Drug Free India, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Tree Plantation Campaigns, Water Conservation, Awareness against social evils, Women Safety, Community Health Care, TB Free India, War against Malnutrition, Poshan Abhiyaan etc. Shri Shah said that there should be a constructive role in spreading awareness for cyber security and against digital fraud, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Plastic Free India and Tree Plantation Campaign for environmental protection. He said that a roadmap should be made for assistance in law and order so that there is coordination between the local law and order handling officials and Home Guards and Civil Defence. He added that their roles in education, such as reducing drop out ratio, 100 percent enrollment and improvement in the quality of education, should also be given a place in the new charter. He said that there is a need to include Home Guards and Civil Defence in the charter to link them with many government programmes for employment and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

    Shri Amit Shah said that keeping in mind the needs of the country today, there is a need to think afresh about the role of these two organisations to make them more relevant. He said that in the next 4 months, there is a need to infuse new life into both these organisations. Shri Shah said that there is also a need to focus on training and bringing forward new and young faces. The Home Minister said that till now only those people are associated with Home Guards and Civil Defence who want to come forward for the society. He said that the government will try that just like all sections of the society are represented in NCC, NSS, in the same way, youth from every section of the society should also be associated with these organisations. He said that towards achieving the goal of building a developed India in 2047, we need to strengthen every aspect related to it.

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    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister meets with the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 10:25PM by PIB Delhi

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met H.E. Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in Kazan today on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit.

    Prime Minister congratulated H.E. Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian on his election as the 9th President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He also welcomed Iran in the BRICS family. The two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation in various fields. Noting that the signing of the long-term contract of Chabahar Port is an important milestone in bilateral relations, the two leaders reaffirmed its significance for reconstruction and redevelopment of Afghanistan and enhancing trade and economic linkages with Central Asia.

    The leaders also exchanged views on regional developments, including the situation in West Asia. Prime Minister expressed deep concern over the widening of the conflict and reiterated India’s call to de-escalate the situation. Prime Minister also emphasized on protection of civilians and the role of diplomacy in resolving the conflict.

    The leaders agreed to continue their cooperation in various multilateral forums, including BRICS and SCO. Prime Minister invited President Pezeshkian to visit India at an early date. President Pezeshkian accepted the invitation.

     

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    MJPS/SR

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister meets with the President of the Russian Federation

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 10:32PM by PIB Delhi

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met with the President of the Russian Federation, H.E. Vladimir Putin, in Kazan today, on the margins of the 16th BRICS Summit. This was their second meeting this year. The two leaders had earlier met in Moscow for the 22nd Annual Summit in July 2024.

    Prime Minister thanked President Putin for his invitation to attend the 16th BRICS Summit. He appreciated the Russian Chairship of BRICS and its efforts to strengthen multilateralism, advance sustainable development, and push for global governance reform. The two leaders also reviewed bilateral cooperation in a range of fields, including political, economic, defence, energy, and people-to-people ties. They welcomed the forthcoming meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic and Cultural matters, which is scheduled to be held in November 2024 in New Delhi.

    The leaders exchanged views on India-Russia engagement in multilateral fora, in particular in BRICS. They also shared views on key regional and global issues of mutual interest, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Prime Minister reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy was the way forward in resolving conflicts.

    The two leaders agreed to remain engaged to further strengthen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries, which continues to register significant growth and has shown resilience in the backdrop of geopolitical uncertainties.

    Prime Minister invited President Putin to visit India next year for the 23rd Annual Summit.

     

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    MJPS/SR

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on People’s Republic of China’s misinterpretation of the UN resolution 2758 and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan – B10-0138/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    to wind up the debate on the statement by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

    Adam Bielan, Charlie Weimers, Bert‑Jan Ruissen, Mariusz Kamiński, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Michał Dworczyk, Carlo Fidanza, Alexandr Vondra, Alberico Gambino, Rihards Kols, Reinis Pozņaks, Ondřej Krutílek, Veronika Vrecionová, Assita Kanko, Małgorzata Gosiewska, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński
    on behalf of the ECR Group

    B10‑0138/2024

    European Parliament resolution on People’s Republic of China’s misinterpretation of the UN resolution 2758 and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan

    (2024/2891(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to its previous reports, recommendations and resolutions on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan,

    – having regard to the urgency motion on Taiwan, passed by the Australian Senate on 21 August 2024,

    – having regard to the motion of 12 September 2024 passed in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament on UN resolution 2758,

    – having regard to the statement by the spokesperson of the European External Action Service of 14 October on China’s latest military drills around Taiwan,

    – having regard to the UN Charter,

    – having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI) of 25 October 1971,

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

    A. whereas, in the 1970s, in the hope of enhancing prosperity, stability and peace, the PRC was offered a place in the UN; whereas Beijing seized this opportunity, benefiting from close ties with the West, joining the World Trade Organization, enjoying freedom of navigation and experiencing stabilisation in the seas and straits of South-East Asia, all of which opened the door to the country’s unprecedented economic and technological development;

    B. whereas, in recent years, through its actions – such as supporting Russia’s barbaric aggression and assertively expanding in the region, particularly with the threat of invading Taiwan – Beijing is failing to uphold the commitments expected of UN Security Council members and the commitments enshrined in the UN Charter; whereas UN resolution 2758 does not establish the PRC’s sovereignty over Taiwan and does not determine the future status of Taiwan in the United Nations, nor of Taiwanese participation in UN agencies or international organisations;

    C. whereas the PRC has falsely leveraged some interpretations of UN Resolution 2758 to advance its ‘One China’ narrative globally and put pressure on Taiwan, limiting its voice on the international stage and influencing its diplomatic relationships;

    D. whereas the Australian and Dutch Parliaments have already decided not to go along with the PRC’s interpretation of UN Resolution 2758;

    E. whereas the PRC is perpetuating its overly aggressive actions, and trying to erode the status quo in the Taiwan Strait; whereas since 2019 the PRC has violated the Taiwanese air defence identification zone (ADIZ) with increasing regularity; whereas the PRC has been behaving aggressively across vast areas of the Indo-Pacific and exerting varying degrees of military or economic coercion, which has led to disputes with neighbours such as Japan, India, the Philippines and Australia;

    F. whereas on 14 October 2024 the PRC launched, without prior warning, a large-scale military drill named Joint Sword 2024-B that simulated a blockade of Taiwan; whereas the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) deployed 153 aircraft and 36 naval and coastguard ships around Taiwan, setting single-day records;

    G. whereas the PLA’s air manoeuvres have increased from under 20 incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ in 2019 to 2 459 so far in 2024; whereas the threat is exacerbated by Beijing’s announcement that it was practising for a blockade of Taiwan’s key ports and military bases; whereas the PLA’s primary locus for ADIZ operations has shifted over time from the South China Sea to the Taiwan Strait; whereas the PLA’s flight activity to the east of Taiwan has increased, demonstrating a shift from training and navigation operations to testing likely combat concepts in the event of a blockade or military invasion of Taiwan;

    H. whereas, besides military pressure, the PRC has for years pursued a sophisticated strategy of targeting Taiwan with foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), including hybrid and cyberattacks, with the goal of undermining Taiwan’s democratic society;

    I. whereas the PRC under the leadership of Xi Jinping has said that it will not renounce the use of force to seek unification with Taiwan;

    J. whereas on 25 September 2024 the PRC fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean for the first time since 1980;

    K. whereas the PRC’s increasingly aggressive posture, in particular in its own neighbourhood, such as the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, poses a risk to regional and global security;

    L. whereas Beijing’s active support of the Russian Federation’s aggressive actions against Ukraine contradicts the PRC’s claim to be a ‘stabilising power’; whereas the Russian war of aggression is being closely watched by the PRC as a test bed for the possible future invasion of Taiwan and to gauge the likely reaction of the international community;

    M. whereas the EU and Taiwan are like-minded partners that share the common values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law;

    N. whereas the PRC is a one-party state controlled and ruled entirely by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP); whereas the CCP has used its growing influence in international organisations to reshape the open, rules-based international order to protect and advance its own interests;

    O. whereas Taiwan is located in a strategic position in terms of trade; whereas the Taiwan Strait is the primary route for ships travelling from the PRC, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan towards Europe; whereas the EU remains the largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Taiwan; whereas there is considerable potential for increasing Taiwan’s FDI in the EU; whereas Taiwan dominates semiconductor manufacturing markets, as its producers manufacture around 50 % of the world’s semiconductor output; whereas the EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy argues for increasing trade and investment cooperation with Taiwan and advocates stabilising tensions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait;

    1. Reiterates that Taiwan is an important EU partner and a like-minded democratic ally in the Indo-Pacific region;

    2. Condemns the sustained efforts made by representatives of the PRC to distort the meaning of UN resolution 2758, historical documents and international rules;

    3. Remains deeply committed to the EU’s ‘One China’ policy, which does not equate with the PRC’s ‘One China’ principle’;

    4. Stresses that nothing in resolution 2758 prevents Taiwan’s participation in international organisations and that it has no bearing on the sovereign choices of other countries with respect to their relationship with Taiwan;

    5. Regrets the PRC’s efforts to block Taiwan’s participation in multilateral organisations; calls for the EU and its Member States to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation, in line with the key UN principles of universal representation, in relevant international organisations such as the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in order to better protect global interests and address the serious challenges facing humanity, such as pandemics, climate change and human rights;

    6. Strongly condemns the PRC’s provocative, irresponsible, disproportionate and destabilising military exercises, including the recent exercises of 14 October, as well as its continued military provocations against Taiwan and its aggressive posture in the wider region; expresses its concern about the PRC’s recent launch of an ICBM into the Pacific Ocean, which has contributed to further tensions across the Indo-Pacific region;

    7. Reaffirms its strong commitment to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait; calls for the EU and its Member States to ensure that any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, particularly by means of force or coercion, will not be accepted and will be met with a decisive and firm reaction;

    8. Highlights that the PRC’s increasingly aggressive posture poses a threat to the freedom of navigation and jeopardises the stability which is vital for global trade; emphasises that this situation is being watched with concern by a growing number of like-minded partners committed to peace and stability in the region, including across the Taiwan Strait; underlines the need to shore up deterrence against destabilising behaviour, including through regular operations to assert freedom of navigation over the PRC’s attempts to impose control over international waters and airspace;

    9. Reiterates its strong condemnation of statements by President Xi Jinping that the PRC will never renounce the right to use force with respect to Taiwan;

    10. Urges the PRC to immediately cease all actions and intrusions into the Taiwanese ADIZ and the airspace violations above Taiwan’s outer islands, and to restore the full respect of the Taiwan Strait’s median line, all of which also poses a risk to international aviation, and stop all other grey-zone military actions, including cyber and disinformation campaigns;

    11. Recalls that maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific is a core interest for the free world, including the EU and its Member States; stresses that a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait would not only cause significant economic disruption affecting European interests and prosperity, but would also seriously undermine the rules-based order in the region, as well as democratic governance with human rights, democracy and the rule of law at its core;

    12. Recalls Taiwan’s help and assistance during both the COVID-19 pandemic and the humanitarian crises caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as its continuous involvement and support for the Ukrainian government and countries hosting Ukrainian refugees;

    13. Reiterates the importance of respecting international law, in particular the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and its provisions on the obligation to settle disputes by peaceful means and on maintaining the freedom of navigation and overflight;

    14. Reiterates its call for the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs to change the name of the European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan to ‘European Union Office in Taiwan’ to reflect the broad scope of our ties;

    15. Reiterates its previous call for the Commission to launch, without delay, an impact assessment, public consultation and scoping exercise on a bilateral investment agreement with the Taiwanese authorities in preparation for negotiations on deepening bilateral economic ties;

    16. Recommends further deepening cooperation between the EU and Taiwan to enhance structural cooperation on countering disinformation and foreign interference; recommends posting a liaison officer at the European Economic and Trade Office to coordinate joint efforts on tackling disinformation and interference; condemns any form of pressure and threats of reprisals, including economic coercion, with regard to the independent right of the EU and its Member States to develop relations with Taiwan in line with their interests and shared values of democracy and human rights, without foreign interference;

    17. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Governments of the PRC and Taiwan.

     

     

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DOD, German Ministry of Defence Enter Into Security of Supply Arrangement

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    The Department of Defense (DoD) entered into a bilateral, non-binding Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) with the Federal Ministry of Defence for the Federal Republic of Germany (DEU MOD). The arrangement will enable both the U.S. and Germany to acquire the industrial resources they need to quickly meet defense requirements, resolve unanticipated disruptions that challenge defense capabilities, and promote supply chain resiliency.

    The SOSA was signed on October 22, 2024 by Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Dr. William LaPlante, on behalf of the United States and the Head of the Directorate-General for Equipment within the Federal Ministry of Defence, Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, on behalf of Germany in Brussels, Belgium.

    “This SOSA is an important step forward and further strengthens the robust defense partnership between Germany and the United States,” said Dr. LaPlante.

    Through this arrangement, the U.S. and Germany commit intent to support one another’s priority delivery requests for procurement of critical national defense resources. The U.S. will provide Germany some assurances under the U.S. Defense Priorities and Allocations System, with program determinations by the DoD and rating authorizations by the Department of Commerce. Germany will in turn establish a government-industry Code of Conduct with its industrial base, in which German firms will voluntarily agree to make every reasonable effort to provide the U.S. with priority support. Participation in this Code of Conduct is made voluntarily.

    SOSAs are an important mechanism for DoD to strengthen interoperability and are a proven supply chain tool for enabling a resilient, global defense ecosystem for the U.S. and key partners and allies. The arrangements institute working groups, establish communication mechanisms, streamline DoD processes, and proactively act to allay anticipated supply chain issues in peacetime, emergency, and armed conflict.

    Germany is the nineteenth SOSA partner of the United States. Other SOSA signatories include Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. For more information on SOSAs, visit: https://www.businessdefense.gov/security-of-supply.html

    About the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (OASD (IBP):

    The OASD IBP works with domestic and international partners to forge and sustain a robust, secure, and resilient industrial base enabling the warfighter, now and in the future.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: ACT challenges Brian Tamaki’s racist, ignorant campaign targeting immigrants

    Source: ACT Party

    ACT Ethnic Communities spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar is challenging Brian Tamaki after Indian New Zealanders and other ethnic communities raised concerns about a new campaign to “Make NZ Kiwi Again” which targets immigrants.

    “I have been approached by representatives of ethnic communities in New Zealand alarmed to see Brian Tamaki is promoting conspiracy theories about an ‘Indian invasion’. In a long video tirade, Tamaki rails against Hindu temples, Indian civil aviation officials, and the proposed free trade deal with India.

    “Tamaki wants New Zealanders to march to ‘Make NZ Kiwi Again’ , but he cannot be very Kiwi himself if he has forgotten our fundamental history and values. Every New Zealander has either crossed an ocean to build a life here, or is descended from someone who did. Kiwis believe in freedom and a fair chance for anyone who’s willing to offer their efforts to society.

    “I hope Brian Tamaki doesn’t have to visit hospital any time soon, but if he does, he will experience firsthand the contribution of immigrant doctors, nurses, and carers that have made New Zealand home.

    “The construction sector is powered by migrants who are literally building New Zealand’s future. Others develop cutting-edge technology right here in New Zealand to solve problems, boost exports, and create jobs that benefit us all.

    “The migrant community shouldn’t be feared – they should be embraced for all they bring to New Zealand.

    “Tamaki warns that Indians are ‘not bad people, but they have intentions’. That is part is true – we have intentions to build peaceful and prosperous lives, raise educated children, and open businesses that offer value to New Zealand.

    “Brian Tamaki is a shameless self-promoter and is clearly willing to tap into any negative sentiment that draws attention and outrage. This week it’s Indians, next week it will be another group. It’s tempting to ignore him, but when he seeks to define who is and isn’t a Kiwi, he must be challenged.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Mecklenburg County

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Mecklenburg County

    Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Mecklenburg County

    RALEIGH, N.C. –  A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will open Monday, Oct. 21 in Charlotte (Mecklenburg County) to assist North Carolina survivors who experienced loss from Tropical Storm Helene. 

    The Mecklenburg County DRC is located at: 

    Corvian Community School
    9501 David Taylor Drive
    Charlotte, NC 28262
    Open: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., Monday through Sunday

    A DRC is a one-stop shop where survivors can meet face-to-face with FEMA representatives, apply for FEMA assistance, receive referrals to local assistance in their area, apply with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for low-interest disaster loans and much more.

    FEMA financial assistance may include money for basic home repairs, personal property losses or other uninsured, disaster-related needs, such as childcare, transportation, medical needs, funeral or dental expenses.

    Centers are already open in Asheville, Bakersville, Boone, Brevard, Hendersonville, Jefferson, Lenoir, Marion, Morganton, Newland, Old Fort, Sparta, Sylva and Waynesville. To find those center locations, go to fema.gov/drc or text “DRC” and a zip code to 43362. Additional recovery centers will open soon. All centers are accessible to people with disabilities or access and functional needs and are equipped with assistive technology. 

    Homeowners and renters in 39 North Carolina counties and tribal members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians can visit any open center, including locations in other states. No appointment is needed. 

    It is not necessary to go to a center to apply for FEMA assistance. The fastest way to apply is online at DisasterAssistance.gov or via the FEMA app. You may also call 800-621-3362. If you use a relay service, such as video relay, captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
     

    aubrey.pound

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New Zealand celebrates epic sporting weekend

    Source: New Zealand Government

    New Zealanders have a huge amount to be proud about after five national sporting teams celebrated historic wins over the weekend, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop says.

    “In New Zealand’s history there haven’t been too many sporting weekends like the one we’ve just seen, with epic wins from Team New Zealand, the White Ferns, the Black Caps, the Silver Ferns and the Paddle Ferns,” Mr Bishop says.

    “I know lots of Kiwis will be bleary-eyed today after a couple of long nights watching our teams go up against the best, but I bet they’re as stoked at the results and as proud of our teams as I am.

    “The excitement started around 1am Sunday morning when Emirates Team New Zealand, who were on match point, took to the water off Barcelona with INEOS Britannia. Kiwi sailing fans with long memories were probably pretty nervous at this point, and they probably chewed through their fingernails as the Brittania clawed their way back to dead even around the midway mark – but Team New Zealand’s Taihoro was dominant in the end, finishing 37 seconds ahead. This three-peat victory by Team New Zealand was the first time any team has won the Cup three times in more than 30 years – a brilliant achievement by the team.

    “The next sporting victory was on Sunday evening from the Black Caps who took out the first test in the series against India. This was just New Zealand’s third win against India in India ever, and our first since 1988. The Hutt Valley’s own Rachin Ravindra (deservedly Man of the Match) made a century in the first innings and helped chase down the target in the second innings, finishing unbeaten. 

    “There was also sporting action in Wellington on Sunday evening with the Silver Ferns taking on the world champion Diamonds in the Constellation Cup. The Ferns were dominant from the start, playing a bold attacking game which showed in the final score of 64-50 – the highest the Silver Ferns have ever scored against the Diamonds in regular time. The Ferns and the Diamonds have been pretty even in recent years so a 14 goal victory is an awesome achievement. While there are still three games to go, this is a brilliant start.

    “That wasn’t all for Sunday evening though: over in China the Paddle Ferns, our women’s national Canoe Polo team, took on Italy in the final of the Canoe Polo World Cup and stormed home with the silverware. The final score of 6:1 shows how strong the Paddle Ferns were – continuing a long and proud history of excellence in the sport. 

    “And then to round out a truly amazing sporting weekend, at 3am Monday morning the White Ferns, led by Sophie Devine, stepped up to face South Africa in the women’s T20 World Cup final in Dubai and absolutely smashed it, bringing home their first World Cup since the One Day International in 2000. Amelia Kerr’s 43 runs off 38 balls, and then taking 3 wickets for 24 set our team up for their magnificent performance. 

    “All in all, I think this was a weekend that will go down in New Zealand’s sporting annals. All five teams should know that their country is enormously proud of them. 

    “And I think Kiwi sports fans can be forgiven if they’re caught yawning at work today, after so much sporting excitement packed into one weekend!”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Why should India’s human rights record matter in its bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council?

    Source: Amnesty International –

    There has been much talk of late about the possibility of India joining the UN Security Council (UNSC) as a permanent member, while most of the current permanent members have expressed public support for expansion of the UNSC.

    India has been falling far short of its domestic and international human rights obligations, and its desire to expand its role in the UN presents an opportunity to assess its record of engagement as a member of other UN political bodies, including the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

    It’s important to review India’s pattern of engagement with the human rights architecture as a whole, including with  the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UN human rights treaty bodies.

    Such analysis, as presented below, indicates that India has not been a strong leader at the UNHRC, willing to take difficult and principled stands with consistent application of human rights values; nor has it engaged particularly constructively with Council mechanisms. There is much room for improvement on India’s engagement with the human rights system in relation to its own domestic human rights challenges.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI updates the Alert List of unauthorised forex trading platforms

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has added the following entities/platforms/websites to the Alert List of unauthorised forex trading platforms. The updated Alert List is available here.

    Sr. No Name Website
    1 Ranger Capital https://www.rangercapital.net
    2 TDFX https://www.tdfx.exchange
    3 Inefex https://www.inefex.com/international
    4 YorkerFX https://yorkermarkets.com
    5 Growline https://grow-line.org
    6 Think Markets https://www.thinkmarkets.com
    7 Smart Prop Trader https://www.smartproptrader.com
    8 FundedNext https://fundednext.com
    9 Weltrade https://www.weltrade.com
    10 FreshForex https://freshforex.com
    11 FX Road https://www.fxroad.com
    12 DBG Markets https://www.dbgmarketsglobal.com
    13 Plusonetrade https://www.plusonetrade.com

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/1351

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: AIIB Backs Early-Stage Innovation in India, Investing in Endiya Partners under Venture Capital Investment Program

    Source: Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank

    The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved investments in Endiya Partners Fund III under the AIIB Venture Capital (VC) Investment Program. The investments will support early-stage companies focused on green and technology-enabled infrastructure in India and Southeast Asia.

    Launched in December 2022, AIIB’s VC Investment Program for Green and Technology-Enabled Infrastructure began with a commitment of USD100 million, with an additional USD30 million for co-investments. The program aims to fill the capital gap for early-stage ventures by investing through small-scale VC funds.

    Endiya Partners Fund III will invest in early-stage start-ups in India, focusing on intellectual property that aligns with AIIB’s strategic priorities.

    “Endiya Partners shares AIIB’s vision of promoting innovation in green and technology-enabled infrastructure through strategic investments in the digital industry, healthcare and enterprise sectors,” said Sateesh Andra, Managing Partner at Endiya Partners. “We thank AIIB for their confidence and LP (limited partners) investment as we drive impactful change.”

    This will be the second signed commitment, previously approved as MSA Emerging Technology Markets Fund I in 2023. The total investment under the VC Program now represents about 20% of its investable corpus. The program’s goal is to build a diversified portfolio of 10 to 12 VC funds across sectors, geographies and stages of development.“These investments are pivotal as they operationalize AIIB’s forward-looking VC Program, with significant potential to grow the innovation landscape in our Members,” said Gregory Liu, AIIB Director General of Financial Institutions and Fund Clients, Global. “Our focus will be to enhance this program by identifying innovative ideas that deliver scalable impacts, creating a portfolio that generates returns and positive outcomes.”

    The investments align with AIIB’s Private Capital Mobilization thematic priority and mission of Financing Infrastructure for Tomorrow, emphasizing technology as a competitive advantage. AIIB’s Environmental and Social Policy applies to the program, ensuring that each VC Fund adheres to the Bank’s environmental and social standards.

    About AIIB

    The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank whose mission is Financing Infrastructure for Tomorrow in Asia and beyond – infrastructure with sustainability at its core. We began operations in Beijing in 2016 and have since grown to 110 approved members worldwide. We are capitalized at USD100 billion and AAA-rated by the major international credit rating agencies. Collaborating with partners, AIIB meets clients’ needs by unlocking new capital and investing in infrastructure that is green, technology-enabled and promotes regional connectivity.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Text of the Vice-President’s address at Concluding Ceremony of International Festival on Indian Dance, New Delhi (Excepts)

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 2:07PM by PIB Delhi

    Coming here on this occasion, I get a feeling of sublimity. It is the essence of human life; it is a heavenly feeling. I am grateful to the Honourable Culture Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for having made available such an opportunity to me to know about what has been transacted during the last six days. One assurance I can hold out, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is a game changer.

    He gets into his job with passion, mission and he is good at execution. I have seen the positive impact of his ministry when I was in Meghalaya last week. He has not been in the saddle for long but this gives as an indication of the shape of things to come and from every perspective. Bharat home to one-sixth to humanity, this aspect is more important than anything else.

    We have a global identity nurtured over centuries and the most inalienable facet, emotive facet, rich facet is our cultural identity.

    The presence of a very distinguished parliamentarian, an actor of reckoning, but her identity globally is only by her great commitment to dance. I am referring to Hon’ble Member of Parliament Hema Malini Ji.

    Her presence is electrifying because while she has been in various roles, in films and otherwise, her heart, soul and mind have always been in sync when it comes to dance. And dance, I can say, is her everlasting and first love.

    Dr. Padma Subramaniam, people look for civilian awards and to be honoured with the second-highest civilian award of this nation and that too in this great field, your presence means a lot to us.

    Dr. Sandhya Purecha, she is deep into it, you must have heard her. She is committed to it. This is the second time I am attending her function and I am sure things will always be on an incremental trajectory.

    My greetings and salutations to those celebrities, dignitaries who are of the dais. They represent our cultural wealth. They are premium ambassadors of this nation within and outside.

    Friends, nothing can be more delightful than to celebrate human expressions through art forms and the six days of deliberations. Mind-scratching, I am told by the Hon’ble Minister, have been extremely fruitful.

    All awardees, civilian or otherwise, converged at one place to analyze and address issues so that our culture is nurtured, it is blossomed, and it makes our identity globally more important. I have no doubt the deliberations will go a long way in shaping further course of action. And it is also an occasion to look to those who are committed to dance music, but are in suffering of some kind. We need to handhold them. We need to create a new interest in them.

    I know sometimes it is so vital to provide fiscal assistance because they are so deep into their art and culture, dance and music, they forget about it. I’m sure this will be looked into.

    I am sure the Honourable Minister would generate a mechanism that all stakeholders for dance and music or culture as a whole come on the same page. They work in tandem and togetherness to generate an ecosystem where our artists in these domains feel comfortable financially and otherwise. And we manage to see an explosion of real talent that lies in villages Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

    I am told that over 200 artists and scholars from 16 plus nations have performed various Indian dance forms and shared insights. The Utkarsh performance featuring 300 tribal performers was acclaimed by the President of India. I commend the organisers for this event. I must make by way of transgression, a brief reference, to an extremely talented chief minister, Mr. Sangma of Meghalaya. When I was there, at Raj Bhavan, all the tribes of Meghalaya performed, all of them. They performed one after the other. They performed in unison. They performed in harmony. And this reflected that house over maybe the divisiveness, the unity brought about by culture, by dance and music is impregnable. It is lasting. It is soothing. It is a seamless connection of the heart and soul of the people.

    Dance and Music are natural connecting modes. They bring about a friendship beyond language or other barriers.

    Bharat means a gold mine of fine arts. The world recognises it, we feel it. This festival testifies to dance’s universal appeal, featuring global artists with unique perspectives. It underscores that Indian art educates, uplifts and inspires offering a model of inclusivity in a divided world.

    The greatest challenge the planet faces today is lack of inclusivity. Lack of inclusivity in thought, in politics, in economic development. India has emerged as a global beacon of inclusive growth. A growth that is benefiting by good governance, Affirmative policies, the most vulnerable, the marginalized, the weakest, and that has given the nation a mood of hope and possibility, something that was lacking a few years back. In a world grappling with conflicts and transgressions, discord, there is ray of light. When the tunnel is of transgressions, conflagrations, we find light of dance and music that unites people across cultural barriers.

    Culture, dance, and music are universal languages of mankind. They are understood all over.

    as you mean without having to take recourse to the language or dialect that is specific to individuals.

    Performing arts have the power to unite, power to heal, power to inspire, power to motivate. Dance artists are cultural and peace ambassadors. They promote dialogue. They promote discussion. They lay great ground for soothing diplomatic maneuvers.

    Distinguish audience, our civilization has always valued various forms of expression. I am taking it in a wider connotation, our civilisation depth is always to lend your ears to the other point of view, never be dismissive about it. There will be occasions when you will find on introspection that the other point of view is the correct point of view.

    Dance is considered divine as described in Bharat Muni’s Natya Shastra and when you feel divinity, when you experience sublimity, when you rise about heart and mind, or in conversation with your soul, then you realise the existence of pure life. It gives a different meaning altogether, generating peace and harmony all around.

    When we look into our historical perspectives, ancient Indian centres like Patliputra, Puri, and Ujjain fostered dance forms. India shared its message of peace and unity through Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, through scriptures and art forms globally.

    Let me reflect, our culture was a feast during our G20 presidency. 200 hundred locations in this great country when we had G20 presence. every state of the Union, every Union territory and therein you found something very great. The state government, the Union territory administration and the central government were on the same page as never before and that was a grandiose success.

    Indian dances have been performed worldwide for millennia, including Chinese and Greek courts. The Ramayana spread to Southeast Asia is visible at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. On my first maiden visit outside this country, as Vice President, I went to Cambodia to attend an ASEAN meeting. When I went to Angkor Wat, unbelievable! You look at what has been carved out in stone. As if everything was speaking. Amazing and believable! One has to see to believe. I saw it myself. This can turn out to be a great facet of cultural diplomacy and art does not define dominance. Art defines integration. Culture, music, art, they unite. They never dominate. 

    Bharat is a living civilization with geniuses like Tansen, Tagore, Purandar Drasa and Swami Haridas. But there was a time in our history, 400, 500 years back, where music was discarded by the then rulers. Our most precious treasure was antithetical to their values.

    We suffered that kind of repression. But our belief throughout has been that in every part of this great land, those who nurtured, blossomed furthered because of dance music were held in high esteem. And I’m so happy and delighted that in the last 10 years, the recognition extended to eminent, deserving personalities from this domain is very commendable and soothing.

    This will help come over challenges of day to day life. They will help us to nurture our indomitable spirit.

    Post-Independence, our founding fathers mandated the preservation of cultural heritage in the Constitution. It is reflected in the directive principles of state policy.

    India is rising. The rise is exponential. The economic upsurge is stunning. The world organizations are echoing in us. We are moving towards a destination which people of my generation never dreamt of. What we have today was not thought of even a decade ago. In that situation, it is our bounden duty. It is ordainment of our civilization that our art and heritage are made to shine as symbols of identity and influence. There must be our cutting edge when we deal with people to people contact. UNESCO recognizes eight Indian dance forms as intangible cultural heritage, including Kalbeliya, Garba and Chow. I don’t subscribe to this. We have many more. They are calibrating from their perspective. We must go much beyond that.

    Yoga’s global recognition, marked by International Yoga Day, reflects India’s role in promoting wellbeing. A thought occurred to the Prime Minister. The thought was put on the global platform. In the shortest time, the largest number of nations converged, and what we see now, yoga is doting every part of the globe that gets sunshine.

    Indian wisdom is coming to the rescue of billions.

    Our cultural revival integrates ancient wisdom with contemporary practices cementing India’s image as a cultural powerhouse.

    I congratulate the Ministry of Culture, ICCR and Sangeet Natya Academy for their efforts. However, And this is a time to be extremely proactive, time not to be complacent. We need to discover, nurture and find that it does not go into extinction. Lesser known dance forms, they need to create retention.

    Go to any part of the state and you will find every district having its own identity.

    Like one district, one product, you will find one district, one cultural event relating to culture, dance, music. I am amazed sometimes when I see the instruments, how hard they have worked to preserve those instruments, how skillfully they play, how they mesmerize you, how they release your stress and tension for a time. When you attend to them you find you are in a different world altogether. We have to focus on that. Let us give them a new lease of life.

    We have to also be in overdrive in a group to ensure that our youth get involved with Indian dance, music and the kind. This will also cut into the menacing habits our youth get into. Drugs to name one. A person who is involved in these finer arts either as a performer or as onlooker is surcharged with positivity, welfare of humanity, and I am sure this too will be attended.

    As I said, which is more important, your ministry does not stand alone. You have to get all the stakeholders be it the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Civil Aviation any ministry must have the role of Gajendra Singh Shekhawat because we need to spread our culture, disseminate the knowledge of it and wider the knowledge, wider the dissemination greater will be the impact.

    Additionally, I urged the honorable minister and I requested particular manuscript experts and dance scholars to work together in rediscovering lost dance manuscripts. I was happy to note what the honorable minister conveyed to me. The giants, the Padmavadis, the great exponents over the last six days have brainstormed to address the challenges and to find out. what can be done.

    I would particularly emphasise that we are in the grip of another industrial revolution and that revolution is technology.

    Technology, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, machine learning, blockchain and the kind. They help refine our artistic talent. and the effort should be made in a structured scientific manner, employment for generating opportunities in the field of culture, art, dance, music.

    These endeavours, particularly promoting rural folk dance forms and rediscovering ancient heritage will serve a large interest of the nation. While institutional efforts are invaluable, collective action is crucial for cultural revival involving individual efforts, community engagement and international collaboration.

    I am sometimes amazed when people hold great functions, they think of a different mode of music, different mode of dance. Ignoring the wealth we have with us, once it catches up, they will know what gain they have got. Let us recognize this as the beginning of a commitment to nurture our artistic heritage.

    Let us pledge to ensure it blossoms to new heights, the heights that are due to it. Art and culture are vital to our existence, shaping our identity and relationships. Dance is both a window to our past and a pathway to our future. Together let’s celebrate the enduring relevance of Indian dance and arts, ensuring they continue to enrich our lives and the world.

    I will conclude by making one observation, India’s rise is phenomenal, Infrastructure development is unbelievable. From the time I faced a situation as a minister and a member of parliament in 1990, where foreign exchange reserve was one billion US dollars, now it has crossed 700 billion.

    I saw Jammu and Kashmir as a minister in 1990, we didn’t see even two dozen people on the road, two crore people went there last year as tourists. In this big change we must have proportionate development of our culture.

    Thank you so much.

    ****

    JK/RC/SM

    (Release ID: 2067002) Visitor Counter : 55

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry Approved 50 NH Projects in Manipur, Prioritizes 902 km of Road Development in Hill Areas

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 12:16PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry has approved 50 National Highway projects of 1026 km length in Manipur. Out of this, 44 projects of 902 km length lie in the hills of the State so far. In hills, 8 projects for 125 km have been completed and balance 36 projects of Rs 12000 cr for 777 km are in progress.

    In the Annual Plan 2024-25 of the Ministry, there are 2 National Highway projects of Rs 1350 cr for total length 90 km which lies in hills.

    Under CRIF Ministry approves the list of work on State roads as prioritised by the State Government. Out of total 111 Nos. of works in the priority list given by the State Government, depending on the BOS ratio Ministry has approved 57 Nos. of works in the order of priority. The BOS ratio now stands 9.81 against the permissible BoS ratio of 4 for hilly State.

    *****

    NKK/GS

    (Release ID: 2066960) Visitor Counter : 34

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Auction for Sale (re-issue) of (i) ‘6.79% GS 2034’, (ii) ‘7.46% GS 2073’

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 11:39AM by PIB Delhi

    Government of India (GoI) has announced the sale (re-issue) of “6.79% Government Security 2034” for a notified amount of ₹22,000 crore (nominal) through price based auction using multiple price method and “7.46% Government Security 2073” for a notified amount of ₹10,000 crore (nominal) through price based auction using multiple price method. GoI will have the option to retain additional subscription up to ₹2,000 crore against each security mentioned above. The auctions will be conducted by the Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai Office, Fort, Mumbai on October 25, 2024 (Friday).

    Up to 5% of the notified amount of the sale of the securities will be allotted to eligible individuals and institutions as per the Scheme for Non-Competitive Bidding Facility in the Auction of Government Securities.

    Both competitive and non-competitive bids for the auction should be submitted in electronic format on the Reserve Bank of India Core Banking Solution (E-Kuber) system on October 25, 2024. The non-competitive bids should be submitted between 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. and the competitive bids should be submitted between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

    The result of the auctions will be announced on October 25, 2024 (Friday) and payment by successful bidders will be on October 28, 2024 (Monday).    

    The Securities will be eligible for “When Issued” trading in accordance with the guidelines on ‘When Issued transactions in Central Government Securities’ issued by the Reserve Bank of India vide circular No. RBI/2018-19/25 dated July 24, 2018 as amended from time to time.

    *****

    NB/AD

    (Release ID: 2066950) Visitor Counter : 76

    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Departure Statement for Prime Minister’s visit to Russia for BRICS Summit

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 7:32AM by PIB Delhi

    I am departing today on a two day visit to Kazan at the invitation of H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, to attend the 16th BRICS Summit.

    India values the close cooperation within BRICS which has emerged as an important platform for dialogue and discussion on issues concerning the global developmental agenda, reformed multilateralism, climate change, economic cooperation, building resilient supply chains, promoting cultural and people to people connect, among others. The expansion of BRICS with the addition of new members last year has added to its inclusivity and agenda for the global good.

    Building upon the Annual Summit held in July 2024 in Moscow, my visit to Kazan will further reinforce the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia.

    I look forward to meeting other leaders from BRICS as well.

     

    ***

    MJPS/SR

    (Release ID: 2066904) Visitor Counter : 44

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Sh. Nitin Gadkari Reviews Progress of 29 NH Projects in Nagaland, Stresses on Accelerated Infrastructure Development

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 12:35PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari reviewed National Highways of Nagaland on 21.10.2024 in presence of Nagaland Deputy CM Shri T R Zeliang and both the MoS for Road Transport & Highways Sh. Ajay Tamta and Sh. Harsh Malhotra. He informed through a post on X, which reads as,

    “Reviewed the progress of 29 NH projects covering 545 km in Nagaland alongside Union MoS Shri Ajay Tamta Ji, Shri H D Malhotra Ji, Nagaland Deputy CM Shri T R Zeliang Ji, and senior officials in Delhi. During the meeting, we stressed the need to accelerate mobility infrastructure development in Nagaland, prioritizing sustainability and cost-efficiency. These initiatives will greatly enhance connectivity, drive local economic growth, and contribute to the region’s deeper integration into India’s overall development.”

    Sh. Gadkari wrote in another post on X, “Nagaland’s highways are transforming into lifelines of growth, driven by PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji’s vision. A future of connectivity, prosperity, and progress unfolds with every new road.”

    Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari, reviewed  National Highways of four North-Eastern states on Day 1 of review of NH in New Delhi on 21.10.2024. He posted a video on review through X which is reproduced as below: –

    Review Meetings of the North-East region National Highway Projects (Day-1)

    *****

    NKK/GS

    (Release ID: 2066964) Visitor Counter : 90

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Coal Unveils Report of the High-Powered Expert Committee on Gainful Utilization of Overburden (OB) in the Coal Sector

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 1:04PM by PIB Delhi

    In a significant move towards sustainability and efficient natural resource management, Union Minister of Coal & Mines, Shri G. Kishan Reddy today unveiled the Report of the High-Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) on Gainful Utilization of Overburden (OB) in the Coal Sector during the Half-Yearly Review of the Coal Sector at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi. The event was graced by the presence of Union Minister of State for Coal & Mines, Shri Satish Chandra Dubey, Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Shri Vikram Dev Dutt, senior officials from the Ministry of Coal and CMDs of Coal/Lignite PSUs.

    The HPEC comprised multi-disciplinary experts from five central ministries, NITI Aayog, and coal companies. The committee was tasked with identifying innovative ways to utilize overburden, which consists of soil, rock, and minerals, traditionally discarded as waste during coal mining operations.

    The report outlines a comprehensive framework for using OB as a valuable resource. Historically seen as waste, OB is now being positioned as an asset with the potential to contribute significantly to environmental sustainability, economic development and create employment opportunities for local communities. The HPEC report advocates for a ‘Whole Mining’ approach that aims to integrate overburden into the economic value chain, contributing to sustainable mining practices.

    Key highlights of the report include strategies for processing OB to produce Manufactured-Sand (M-Sand), which can be used in construction projects, reducing the dependency on river sand and preventing environmental degradation. The commercial sale of this M-sand is expected to generate significant revenue for coal companies, and support local economies.

    The HPEC report anticipated several key benefits for coal communities. Processing OB to produce M-Sand not only generates significant revenue for coal companies but also supports local economies by offering cheaper, high-quality sand for construction. Establishing OB-to-sand processing plants will create jobs, boosting livelihoods in coal mining areas. Effective OB utilization, reclaims land for productive uses like agriculture or infrastructure by reducing the need for OB dumps. By decreasing dependence on river sand for construction industries, OB processing also protects ecosystems from erosion and degradation. Additionally, OB contains valuable resources such as clay, limestone, and rare earth elements, which can support infrastructure development and other industries. Several successful pilot plants have demonstrated the viability of this initiative, contributing to environmental sustainability and fostering community engagement, trust, and well-being.

    In a significant step towards promoting a circular economy and turning waste into wealth, Coal/Lignite PSUs have commissioned four OB processing plants and five OB-to-M-sand pilot plants. Additionally, six more OB processing and OB-to-M-sand plants are currently in various stages of installation within the Coal/Lignite PSUs.

    Amlohri Plant, NCL, Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh

    The launch of this report marks a crucial step in the coal sector’s journey towards a circular economy, where waste is minimized, and resources are maximized. The Ministry of Coal, in collaboration with various stakeholders, is committed to implementing the recommendations of the HPEC report, with a focus on benefiting the environment, the economy, and the communities surrounding coal mining regions, in line with India’s broader goals of achieving environmental sustainability and resource efficiency.

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    ST

    (Release ID: 2066973) Visitor Counter : 109

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Coal India arm SECL Advances Its Digital Push During Special Campaign 4.0

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 1:55PM by PIB Delhi

    South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), Coal India’s second-largest subsidiary, has made significant strides in its digital transformation as part of the Special Campaign 4.0. With a focus on innovation, inclusivity, and operational efficiency, SECL has introduced a series of digital initiatives to streamline processes, enhance collaboration, and foster a culture of continuous learning within the organization. 

    CMD Dashboard: A Unified Platform for Task Monitoring and Collaboration 

    SECL’s CMD Dashboard is a comprehensive online platform designed to monitor various tasks and projects across SECL’s headquarters and operational areas. The dashboard enables users to raise requirements with any department and track their requests in real-time. It provides an overview of new, in-progress, and delayed tasks, fostering greater transparency, collaboration, and efficiency across SECL’s inter-company operations.

    Digital Land Acquisition Process with LAMS 

    SECL has also digitalized its land acquisition process through the Land Acquisition Management System (LAMS), which simplifies and expedites the traditionally complex land acquisition procedures. Notably, Khodri village, under the Kusmunda megaproject, has become one of the first villages to complete an end-to-end digital land acquisition using LAMS.

    Abhimanyu E-Learning Platform: Fostering a Culture of Knowledge and Skill Development 

    Following the successful launch of the Abhimanyu E-magazine last year, which promoted knowledge sharing among SECL employees, SECL is now introducing the Abhimanyu E-learning Platform. This platform offers employees an online space for collective learning, knowledge-sharing and skill development enhancing their professional development.

    Online Grievance Redressal: Enhancing Citizen-Centric Services 

    In line with Special Campaign 4.0’s focus on citizen-centric practices, SECL is proactively advancing its online grievance redressal systems. With no pending grievances over 30 days, the company has streamlined its complaint resolution process, ensuring quicker redressal.

    Driving Digital Transformation with In-House Web Apps

    SECL has also developed various in-house web applications to drive its digital transformation. Key apps include CSR app, which tracks corporate social responsibility initiatives; Chirayu app, which facilitates seamless medical referrals and the Vidhik app, which provides an overview of legal matters. These platforms reflect SECL’s commitment to creating tailor-made, efficient digital solutions that meet the unique needs of its workforce and operations.

    Through these initiatives, SECL is advancing its digital push, contributing to the overall vision of a digitally empowered Coal India. Special Campaign 4.0 has been a catalyst in SECL’s journey toward greater innovation, transparency, and operational excellence.

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    ST

    (Release ID: 2066992) Visitor Counter : 63

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PRESIDENT OF INDIA PRESENTS NATIONAL WATER AWARDS

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 1:56PM by PIB Delhi

    The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu presented the fifth National Water Awards in New Delhi today (October 22, 2024).

    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that water is a basic necessity and a fundamental human right for every individual. A clean and prosperous society cannot be built without ensuring access to clean water. The unavailability of water and poor sanitation have a greater impact on the health, food security and livelihood of the underprivileged.

    The President said that despite the well-known fact that fresh water resources are available in limited quantities on earth, we ignore water conservation and management. These resources are getting polluted and depleted due to manmade reasons. She was happy to note that the Government of India has taken many steps to promote water conservation and water harvesting.

    The President said that water conservation is part of our tradition. Our ancestors used to build ponds near villages. They used to build reservoirs in or near temples so that the stored water could be used in case of water shortage. Unfortunately, we are forgetting the wisdom of our ancestors. Some people have encroached upon reservoirs for personal gain. This not only affects the availability of water during drought but also creates flood-like situations when there is excessive rainfall.

    The President stressed the need to remember that conservation and enhancement of water resources is the collective responsibility of all. Without our active participation, it is not possible to build a Water-Secure India. She highlighted that we can make significant contributions through small efforts. For example, we should not leave the taps of our houses open, keep in mind that water does not overflow from the overhead water tank, make water-harvesting arrangements at homes, and collectively renovate traditional water reservoirs.

    The President said that the National Water Awards is a commendable step towards promoting relevant approaches and actions towards water resources. She expressed confidence that the “Best Practices” of the awardees would reach the masses through this event.

    The National Water Awards aim to create awareness among the people about the importance of water and motivate them to adopt the best water usage practices. The fifth National Water Awards were presented in nine categories – Best State, Best District, Best Village Panchayat, Best Urban Local Body, Best School or College, Best Industry, Best Water User Association, Best Institution (other than school or college), and Best Civil Society.

    Please click here to see the President’s speech – 

     

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    MJPS/SR

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Bharat Tex 2025 gains international momentum:

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Bharat Tex 2025 gains international momentum:

    Ministry of Textiles organises interaction session with over 30 Countries

    Bharat Tex 2025 to focus on scale, sustainability and skills

    India is looking at a shared future, a future that is sustainable, equitable and prosperous for all of us: Shri Pabitra Margherita

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 2:07PM by PIB Delhi

    Ministry of Textiles organized an interactive Session with Foreign Missions in India for Bharat Tex 2025 at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi yesterday. The event saw participation from over 30 Foreign Missions in India namely Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Indonesia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lesotho, Montenegro, Malaysia, Mongolia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Taiwan, Togo, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

    Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, Shri Pabitra Margherita graced the event as the Chief Guest. The session was also attended by Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Ms. Rachna Shah; Special Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Shri P. Kumaran; Additional Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Shri Rohit Kansal; Trade Advisor, Ministry of Textiles, Ms. Shubhra; industry leaders and officials.

    Speaking on the occasion, the Minister invited the ambassadors and representatives of various countries to proactively participate in Bharat Tex 2025. Describing it as the largest and the most comprehensive textiles event ever, he described Bharat Tex as a unique effort to bring the entire value chain of textiles under one roof. He highlighted the entrepreneurial spirit of the Indian textile industry in finding innovative solutions for the challenges posed by the global textile industry. He underlined that Bharat Tex will reaffirm the attractiveness of India as a reliable, sustainable sourcing destination as well as an investment destination at a large scale for textiles. The sector has the potential to provide large scale employment across the value chain and touch the lives of people across all social spheres. With innovation, collaboration, and the Make in India spirit at its core, this event is an embodiment of the 5F vision of the Prime Minister- Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign, he added.

     

    Ms. Rachna Shah also highlighted the role of Bharat Tex in the Global Textiles Industry. She invited the attendees to participate as a Partner Country in the mega textile global event. Further she emphasised on India’s focus on the Textiles sector with strong policy support backed by various incentives and schemes including PLI and PM-MITRA Parks.  

    Bharat Tex is a mega global textiles event being organized by a consortium of Textile Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) and supported by the Ministry of Textiles. Scheduled to be held from February 14 to 17, 2025 BHARAT TEX 2025, is positioned as a global scale textile trade fair and knowledge platform. The event will be held simultaneously at two state of the art venues: Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi and India Expo Centre and Mart, Greater Noida. While the main event will be held from February 14-17 at the Bharat Mandapam and will cover the entire value chain of textiles, exhibitions pertaining to handicrafts, garment machinery and ethnic apparel will be held from February 12 to 15 at the India Expo Centre and Mart, Greater Noida.

    Bharat Tex 2025 aims to build on the resounding success of the first edition in 2024. Built around the twin themes of resilient global value chains and sustainability, this year’s show promises to be even more vibrant and attractive than the first edition, attracting top policymakers, global CEOs, international exhibitors, and global buyers. A record number of over 5,000 Exhibitors, 6,000 international buyers from over 110 countries and over 1, 20,000 visitors are expected to participate in this year’s event.

    The Bharat Tex 2025 exhibition will feature dedicated pavilions for Apparel, Home Furnishings, Floor Coverings, Fibres, Yarns, Threads, Fabrics, Carpets, Silk, Handlooms, Handicrafts, Technical Textiles, Apparel Machinery, Dyes & Chemicals and many more. It will also have a retail High Street focusing on India’s fashion retail market opportunities.

    The textile mega event will also provide a platform for global textiles dialogue covering conference, seminars, CEO roundtables, and B2B and G2G meetings across various key topics such as Industry 4.0, Sustainability, Global Value Chain, Investment, Trade among other areas.

    Attendees can look forward to live demonstrations, cultural events, and fashion presentations, designer and brand exhibitions and sustainability workshops, and expert talks. Bharat Tex 2025 aims to serve as a unique and consolidated platform to showcase India’s full textile value chain, while highlighting its strengths in fashion, traditional crafts, and sustainability initiatives.

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    VN

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOHUA enhancing efficiency in addressing pending matters under Special Campaign 4.0

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 3:33PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is actively participating in the Special Campaign for Disposal of Pending Matters (SCDPM) 4.0. by enhancing efficiency in addressing pending matters and promoting the upkeep and beautification of urban spaces. This initiative, organized in collaboration with its attached and subordinate offices, as well as Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), is now in Implementation Phase i.e. from October 2 to October 31, 2024.

    The SCDPM aims to systematically address and dispose of pending references across various categories, including Member of Parliament (MP) references, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) references, VIP and Cabinet references, State Government references, and CPGRAM matters, ensuring timely resolution.

    This effort aligns with the vision of our Hon’ble Prime Minister for a ‘Swachh Bharat’. MoHUA plays a crucial role in this cleanliness drive, given its responsibilities in construction, maintenance, and the upkeep of government offices and residential complexes, where the results of cleanliness and the reduction of pending issues are most visible.

    This year, the campaign is focusing on field and outstation offices that are responsible for service delivery or have public interfaces. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) is providing full support and assistance for this special drive. By prioritizing the disposal of pending matters and beautifying our surroundings, MoHUA aims to foster a healthier and more attractive environment for everyone.

    The Ministry is involving all stakeholders to participate actively in this campaign, reinforcing our commitment to transparency, efficiency, and cleanliness in public service. So far, 8120 out of 21088 files have been reviewed, 3488 out of 3697 files have been weeded out, cleanliness drives have been conducted on 227 sites, Rs 2263879 revenue has been generated till date and 13437 sq feet space has been freed.

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    JN/SK

     

     

    (Release ID: 2067028) Visitor Counter : 36

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: DoPPW to conduct Nationwide Digital Life Certificate Campaign 3.0 from 1st to 30th November, 2024

    Source: Government of India

    DoPPW to conduct Nationwide Digital Life Certificate Campaign 3.0 from 1st to 30th November, 2024

    Camps to be held at 800 Districts/Cities across the country, Largest ever DLC Campaign

    To promote Digital Empowerment of Pensionersusing face authentication technology

    Saturation model adopted to achieve 2 crore DLCs with 1 crore Face Authenticated DLCs

    19 Banks, 785 District Post offices, 57 Welfare Associations, MeitY & UIDAI teams, CGDA to collaborate in the month-long campaign

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 2:46PM by PIB Delhi

    Pensioners have to submit Life Certificate every year in the month of November for continuation of pension. DoPPW will be conducting the 3rd Nation-wide Digital Life Certificate campaign which will be held in 800 cities/ Districts across India from November 1-30, 2024. The department has notified the guidelines through O.M. dated 9th August, 2024. 

    The Campaign will be held in collaboration with Pension Disbursing Banks, India Post Payments Bank, Pensioners’ Welfare Associations, CGDA, DoT, Railways, UIDAI & MeitY with the aim of touching all the pensioners in remotest corners of the country.

    The DLC Campaign 2.0 was held at 597 locations in 100 cities in November, 2023 under which a total of 1.47 crore DLCs were generated, of which, 45.46 lakh were of Central Government Pensioners. 25.41 lakh DLCs were generated using Face Authentication technique and more than 30,500 pensioners above 90 years of age availed the benefit of DLCs.

    The preparatory phase for the forthcoming campaign has been commenced by holding extensive outreach meetings with all stakeholders. Dedicated DLC portal has been created with mapping of 800 Districts, 1900 camp locations and 1000 nodal officers. Trainings have been scheduled in a phased manner for all nodal officers.

    IPPB will be holding Camps at 785 districts through its vast network of 1.8 lakh postmen and Gramin Dak Sewaks. IPPB provides doorstep DLC services. This facility will be available to all the categories of Pensioners across the country irrespective of the fact their pension accounts are in different bank.In order to avail “Doorstep service for submission of DLC” through IPPB, pensioners can get detailed information on ippbonline.com. All postmen and Gramin Dak Sewaks are well equipped with mobile phones which will be used for DLC generation through Finger biometric & Face Authentication techniques.

    19 Pension Disbursing Banks will also hold camps at 150 cities at more than 750 locations. Visits will be made to the homes/hospitals for aged/disabled/sick pensioners, thus affording them the ease of digitally submitting life certificates.These steps are aimed at ensuring that all pensioners benefit from the Campaign and is particularly helpful to the super senior pensioners.

    57 Pension Welfare Associations, registered with DoPPW, will play a crucial role in the campaign by organizing camps and also mobilizing pensioners for the camps which will be held by IPPB and Pension Disbursing Banks.

    This year the focus will be on promoting Face Authentication Technology. MeitY and UIDAI will provide full technical support during this Campaign. Face Auth has been made more seamless and convenient for the elderly Pensioners.

    DD, AIR and PIB teams are fully geared up to provide full support to this campaign for Audio, Visual and Print publicity. Outreach efforts will be further complemented by SMSs, tweets (#DLCCampaign3), Jingles and Short films to spread awareness about the campaign.

    This will be the largest ever digital empowerment campaign and seeks toachieve maximum outreach to all the categories of  the Pensioners.

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    NKR/KS/AG

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Towards more precise atomic clocks useful for navigation, Telecommunication & Aviation

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 22 OCT 2024 3:43PM by PIB Delhi

    A team of experimentalists working with cold Rydberg atoms have used Quantum magnetometry to help the atomic clocks and magnetometers used for precise time keeping in navigation, telecommunication and aviation, achieve higher precision and make them additionally robust.

    A Rydberg atom is an excited atom with one or more electrons that have a very high principal quantum number. This state of excitation is measured with a spectroscopic method called the Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT).

    Researchers at the Raman Research Institute (RRI) have leveraged the Doppler effect to their advantage and achieved a ten times enhanced response to the magnetic field while performing quantum magnetometry (phenomenon exploiting the quantum nature of light and atoms for precision measurement of magnetic fields) on thermal rubidium atoms using Rydberg Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) in a room temperature-based environment.

    Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) is a fascinating phenomenon which makes an opaque medium transparent, can slow down light pulses to crawling speeds and even trap light inside atomic media. EIT has led to a myriad important applications in precise atomic clocks, atomic magnetometers and quantum computation. EIT generally occurs in a three-level atomic system involving two atomic transitions addressed by a weak probe laser beam and a strong coupling laser beam.

    Scientifically, interference occurs when a wave is able to travel between two points via multiple paths, either resulting in their enhancement or cancellation. On similar lines, an atom can transition between multiple quantized energy levels by different routes that can interfere. This determines the amount of light an atom absorbs.

    Similar to interference of light, where constructive interference gives bright fringes and destructive interference gives dark fringes, the probabilities of atomic transitions between these energy levels can also interfere destructively, known as quantum interference. It can result in atoms in a dark state to not absorb the probe light and thereby render the atomic medium transparent. This phenomenon is called Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT).

    Deploying Rydberg EIT, the researchers detected atoms in their highly excited (Rydberg) states. Rydberg Electromagnetically Induced Transparency has a Rydberg state as one of the energy levels involved in the EIT process. Rydberg EIT signals were used to measure the response of the Rydberg atoms to the external magnetic field.

    “When the Rydberg EIT was observed in an unconventional configuration of the probe and the coupling beam, where the Doppler shift was not compensated, an enhanced response to the magnetic field was observed. It is the Doppler shift which causes a larger response of the Rydberg EIT signal to an externally applied magnetic field,” said Dr. Sanjukta Roy, Head of Quantum Optics with Rydberg Atoms Lab (QuORAL) at RRI, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

    Generally, Doppler shift is perceived as the change in frequency of a wave by a moving observer. When a laser beam flashes on atoms, their thermal motion leads to a Doppler shift – an atom moving towards the laser beam sees a higher frequency, whereas one moving away sees a lower frequency. This effect is generally assumed to be detrimental to sensing.

    The experimentalists, in the paper published recently in the New Journal of Physics, have demonstrated and successfully harnessed the quantum effects at room temperature by effectively using this Doppler effect to their advantage. They have also explained their experimental observations using theoretical modeling and simulations in collaboration with Dr. Shovan Dutta, Theoretical Physics group, RRI.

    “Magnetic fields alter the energy levels. In its presence, the energy levels get shifted by different amounts, producing multiple transmission peaks whose separation can be used to measure the magnetic field,” said Shovan Kanti Barik, a PhD student at RRI and lead author of the paper titled ‘Doppler-Enhanced Quantum Magnetometry with Thermal Rydberg atoms’.

    Cryogenically-cooled superconducting devices are useful for sensing ultra-weak magnetic fields.

    “But our experiment in room-temperature vapor-cell can be conveniently deployed for various practical applications. This was made possible due to the simplified experimental system and non-requirement of atom cooling or ultra-high vacuum. This implies that our results have promising applications for detecting weak magnetic fields in a convenient-to-use room-temperature setup,” Roy added.

    Such Doppler-enhanced quantum Magnetometry offers a wide variety of applications ranging from geophysics to the detection of brain activity and mineralization to space explorations and archaeology.

    Experimental set-up used for the observation of Doppler-Enhanced Quantum magnetometry with Rydberg atoms                                                                                                                                                           

     

     

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    NKR/KS/AG

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Directions under Section 35A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (As Applicable to Co-operative Societies) – The National Co-operative Bank Ltd., Bangalore – Extension of Period

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India issued Directions under Section 35A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 to The National Co-operative Bank Ltd., Bangalore vide Directive No. BLR.DOS.SSMS.No.S836/09-01-112/2023-2024 dated July 24, 2023, for a period of six months up to close of business on January 24, 2024, as modified from time to time which were last extended up to close of business on October 24, 2024 vide Directive DOR.MON/D-34/12-23-112/2024-2025 dated July 22, 2024. The Reserve Bank of India is satisfied that in the public interest, it is necessary to further extend the period of operation of the Directive beyond close of business on October 24, 2024.

    2. Accordingly, the Reserve Bank of India, in exercise of powers vested in it under sub-section (1) of Section 35A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, hereby extends the Directive for a further period of three months from close of business on October 24, 2024, to close of business on January 24, 2025, subject to review.

    3. All other terms and conditions of the Directive under reference shall remain unchanged.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/1352

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: American Bar Association Offers Free Legal Aid to Hurricane Helene Survivors in South Carolina

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency 2

    ree legal assistance is available to disaster survivors in Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Jasper, Kershaw, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union and York counties and the Catawba Indian Nation who were affected by Hurricane Helene in South Carolina. 
    If you need help, you can call (803) 799-6653 ext. 120 or (803) 576-3815 8:30 a.m. — noon; 1:00 — 4:30 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. If after business hours, survivors can leave a message. The hotline is available to connect survivors to free legal services in qualifying counties who cannot afford an attorney.
    Legal Aid may be able to help survivors in the following ways: 

    FEMA and SBA financial benefits.
    Home repair contracts and property insurance claims.
    Re-doing wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the disaster.
    Price gouging, scams or identity theft.
    Landlord or tenant problems, or threats of foreclosure.
    Disability-related access to federal, state and local disaster programs.

    The Disaster Legal Services program works with state and local partners to provide free legal help for low-income disaster survivors. The service is a partnership between the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, FEMA, and various organizations and volunteer attorneys. 
    Hotline partners cannot help in all cases. For example, the Disaster Legal Services program cannot take cases where a settlement could include legal fees or an award, but DLS can refer those cases to other legal help.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Month of Discovery: Undergraduate Researcher Krithika Santhanam

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Krithika Santhanam’s ’25 (CLAS) research activities started early on in her time at UConn.  

    During her freshman year, Santhanam reached out to Caroline Dealy, professor of orthodontics, about working in her lab.  

    Santhanam spent her first and sophomore years in Dealy’s lab, which researches treatments for osteoarthritis. 

    “Osteoarthritis is a condition where there’s a spontaneous degeneration of cartilage cells which impacts our joints,” Santhanam says.  

    There is currently no treatment for osteoarthrosis. That’s why Dealy’s lab is working on finding a way to get cartilage cells to spontaneously regenerate. Santhanam found that when certain BMP ligands, a type of molecule, were removed in mouse models, something caused cartilage cells in their knees to regenerate.  

    Santhanam had the opportunity to present her findings at the 16th International Conference on Limb Development, Regeneration, and Evolution and the New England Science Symposium at Harvard University.  

    “The amount of skills that I gained, the confidence that I gained through that opportunity as a freshman,” Santhanam says. “I was able to talk to professional scholars within the field, which was amazing.”  

    After identifying a new cell population within the cartilage of mice samples, Santhanam continued her work with Dealy through a SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Find) Award. With the SURF Award, Santhanam dug deeper to determine what was causing the regeneration she had observed in the last step of her project.  

    “My project proposal was looking at what properties do these new cells have,” Santhanam says. “Because we have no idea what type of cartilage cells these are, what is allowing them to regenerate, what stage of chondrocyte maturation are they in?”  

    After a long process of trial and error, Santhanam found that the cells matched with a tag called RUNX2, which is related to bone cell differentiation. 

    Santhanam is now working with Fumilayo Showers, assistant professor of sociology and Africana studies, on a project looking at frontline and non-frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of how health care had to change during the pandemic and what we can learn from the emergency. 

    Santhanam is also currently putting the finishing touches on a documentary project about disability advocacy in South India that she made through the BOLD Scholars program.  

    Santhanam’s individualized major in health policy and racial disparities has allowed her to take classes in a wide array of subjects including women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and human development and family sciences. In these classes, she learned about harmful patient-provider interactions where individuals with disabilities do not feel heard or lack access to healthcare facilities in the first place.  

    “This was interesting to me because I feel like when we talk about intersectionality between race, class, gender, and all these things, sometimes we don’t think about disability as one of those social determinants of health,” Santhanam says.  

    Santhanam went to her parents’ home of Chennai, India to interview people involved in disability advocacy there. 

    “The differences and cultural stigmas I see when I go back really is something that is not talked about enough,” Santhanam says. “I know individuals with disabilities in India, and I know how that care is different, and I really want people to know that, and I also want people to know the positive strides that have been made in the past 20 years.”  

    Santhanam interviewed doctors and people involved with advocacy groups, including Dr. Aishwarya Rao, pediatrician, disability rights activist, and the founder of Better World Shelter, a rehabilitation shelter for women with disabilities; Sharada Devi, an assistant professor at the University of Kerala’s Institute of English; and KVJ Sumitra Prasad, founder of SAI Center, which promotes the importance of adults with disabilities living independently through the DORAI Foundation.  

    Santhanam will screen her documentary at UConn Storrs in January. 

    Santhanam plans to attend medical school after graduation with the long-term goal of opening a clinic focused on women’s health.  

    During her sophomore year, Santhanam participated in the UConn Health Leaders program where she screened patients for social determinants of health. She quickly realized that in Connecticut there are massive disparities in people’s ability to access healthcare, like healthy food and transportation that support wellbeing.  

    “That experience really was eye-opening,” Santhanam says. “Doing that program really made me feel like this is my calling, and really sent me into wanting to see what internal medicine was like. In my opinion, I believe primary care is the first place and the most important place where you can make an impact on someone’s health outcomes.”  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The number of tourists from foreign countries has increased by 70 percent in Moscow

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    More than a million foreign tourists visited Moscow in the first half of 2024. The Russian capital is chosen for business trips, gastronomic discoveries, and vacations with family and friends. The city attracts travelers with its architectural heritage, culture, pedestrian streets and embankments, parks, numerous cafes and restaurants, and a diverse event program.

    “In six months, the tourist flow to Moscow from foreign countries has grown by 70 percent compared to the same period in 2023. The leaders in the number of guests were China, Turkey, India and the countries of the Asia-Pacific region,” she said.

    Natalia Sergunina, Deputy Mayor of Moscow.

    China ranks first in the number of tourists among non-CIS countries — about 190 thousand visits. This is 2.4 times more than in the first two quarters of last year. Turkey is in second place (35.2 thousand trips), and India is in third place (28.5 thousand trips).

    The number of travelers from the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America has doubled — 260.6 thousand and 17.2 thousand people, respectively. There have been more guests from Vietnam: from January to June of this year, Moscow was visited by 16.6 thousand people.

    In addition, Moscow is seeing an increase in business travelers, with 40 percent of them later returning to the capital for family vacations. The city is introducing business travel industry representatives to opportunities to organize large-scale events. For example, in April this year, the Shaping MICE Future conference was held, which brought together over 100 participants from India and Russia. In June, the first BRICS tourism forum was held. It was attended by delegations from Brazil, Egypt, India, Iran, China, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and the Republic of South Africa.

    In addition, there is an online certification program called Moscow MICE Ambassadors. During the training courses, industry representatives from India can learn about the stages of planning and organizing events in the capital.

    In 2023, the foreign tourist flow to the Russian capital amounted to 2.3 million people. To strengthen international ties, the city participates in major specialized exhibitions, organizes business missions, as well as projects and events aimed at domestic and foreign audiences.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/145593073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Directions under Section 35A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 – The Konark Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd., Ulhasnagar – Extension of period

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India, vide directive No.CO.DOS.SED.No.S592/45-11-001/2024-25 dated April 23, 2024, had placed The Konark Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd., Ulhasnagar under Directions from the close of business on April 23, 2024 for a period of six months.

    2. It is hereby notified for the information of the public that, the Reserve Bank of India, in exercise of powers vested in it under sub-section (1) of Section 35 A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, hereby directs that the aforesaid Directions shall continue to apply to the bank till close of business on January 23, 2025 as per the directive DOR.MON/D-62/12.22.805/2024-25 dated October 17, 2024, subject to review.

    3. All other terms and conditions of the Directives under reference shall remain unchanged. A copy of the directive dated October 17, 2024, notifying the above extension is displayed at the bank’s premises for the perusal of public.

    4. The aforesaid extension and /or modification by the Reserve Bank of India should not per-se be construed to imply that Reserve Bank of India is satisfied with the financial position of the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/1354

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: BOS’ Supply Chain Division Receives a $500,000 order from a Customer in India

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RISHON LE ZION, Israel, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BOS Better Online Solutions Ltd. (“BOS” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: BOSC), an integrator of supply chain technologies, announced today that its Supply Chain Division, which provides franchised distribution of electronic components, received a $500,000 order from a customer in India. The order is for delivery gradually by August 2025.

    Avidan Zelicovski, BOS’ President, expressed confidence in the division’s ability to expand its global sales, citing the success of achieving $6 million in overseas sales in 2023. Additionally, he highlighted that since the announcement on July 10, 2024, regarding initial sales to Greek customers, the division has received $280,000 orders from that territory.

    About BOS

    Through its three business divisions, BOS leverages cutting-edge technologies to optimize supply chain operations.

    The robotic division automates the inventory process by replacing handwork with robots. RFID division optimizes inventory management by marking and tracking inventory through the supply chain, and the supply chain division integrates its franchised electro-mechanical components into its client’s products.

    The MIL Network –