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Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy Visits Western Coalfields Limited to Review WCL Performance.

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy Visits Western Coalfields Limited to Review WCL Performance.

    Minister Emphasizes on all CIL Subsidiaries to Achieve their Annual Targets to Meet the Nation’s Energy Security

    Minister Urges for Swift Action on Land Acquisition, Environmental and Forest Clearances, and Adoption of New Technology

    Posted On: 07 OCT 2024 4:53PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of Coal and Mines, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, today visited the headquarters of Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) in Nagpur to review the company’s performance. He was accompanied by Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari. The review meeting was also attended by Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Smt. Rupinder Brar, Chairman of Coal India Limited, Shri P.M. Prasad and senior officials from WCL and the local administration.

    During the meeting, Shri G. Kishan Reddy reviewed WCL’s coal production, productivity, dispatch efficiency, and addressed issues concerning Project Affected People (PAPs). A detailed presentation was made, covering key metrics of coal production, dispatch, and Overburden Removal (OBR) for the first and second quarters of current financial year. Further, it was assured that WCL will meet its annual production targets by the end of the financial year.

    In his address, Shri G. Kishan Reddy emphasized the need for all CIL subsidiaries to achieve their annual targets to meet the nation’s coal requirements. Minister said that both enhancing existing mining operations and launching new projects are vital to making India self-reliant (Atmanirbhar) in the coal sector. Furthermore, he assured full support from the Ministry of Coal in driving these efforts forward, including assistance with land acquisition, environmental and forest clearances, and the adoption of modern technologies.

    After the review meeting, Shri G. Kishan Reddy honoured sanitation workers for their exceptional contribution to the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva Campaign 2024.’ Minister also extended financial assistance to daughter of late Shri Nunhare, a former sanitation worker, to support her education and family needs.

    Prior to the review meeting, Union Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy planted a sapling as part of the Ministry of Coal’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative. Minister visited the Integrated Control and Command Centre (ICCC) at the WCL headquarters, an innovative AI-enabled facility for mine surveillance. During this visit, he also launched WCL’s Coal SHAcTE Dal, a specialized team of armed security personnel equipped with modern tools and technology to respond swiftly to emergencies, including intrusion and unauthorized access in coal mines.

    Minister also inaugurated the NaCCER (National Center For Coal And Energy Research) and launched WCL’s CSR flagship project, ‘Tarash 2.0’. This initiative will provide coaching to 40 students for IIT-JEE and NEET exams, along with accommodation, meals, books, and a monthly stipend of ₹1,000. Shri G. Kishan Reddy also honored four students from the Tarash 2.0 program who achieved over 90% in their 10th-grade exams.

    This visit underscores the government’s focus on energy security, technological advancement, and community welfare. The launch of NaCCER and ‘Tarash 2.0’ marks a new era in innovation, education, and progress for a self-reliant coal sector & strengthen R&D in coal and enhance operational efficiency, contributing to a sustainable energy future.

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    ST

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Indian Institute of Foreign Trade to open its first overseas campus in Dubai

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 07 OCT 2024 4:05PM by PIB Mumbai

    Mumbai, 7 October 2024

     

    The iconic India Pavilion at the Expo City in Dubai will host the first overseas campus of Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT). An MoU to this effect was signed on 03 October 2024 by Professor Rakesh Mohan Joshi, Vice Chancellor of IIFT and Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and CEO of Expo City Dubai Authority. IIFT is likely to move into its premises by early 2025 with short and medium-term training programmes, research and eventually with lauch of its flagship programme, MBA (International Business). 

    IIFT, regarded as an academic centre of excellence in international business research, training and education, will establish its first campus outside of India at the former Expo 2020 India Pavilion. The campus will be a boon for the 3.5 million-strong Indian community residing in the UAE. It will also open doorways for the overseas expansion and recognition of the IIFT brand. 

    The MoU between IIFT and Dubai EXPO City builds on a range of bilateral agreements between India and the UAE, including a mechanism to settle trade in local currencies,  the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), Bilateral Investment Treaty and others. On 2nd September, 2024, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, inaugurated the campus of IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi with its the first B Tech Course. 

    Congratulating the institute, Union Commerce Minister, Piyush Goyal said that IIFT’s new campus at Dubai would be a landmark decision in transforming it into a world class institute in real sense. Moreover, with IIFT’s expertise in the area of foreign trade, it would provide opportunity for students, professionals and government officials not only from UAE but from other parts of the world too for training and research in the area of international trade.

    Commerce Secretary and Chancellor of the Institute, Sunil Barthwal expressing his happiness about IIFT’s establishing its maiden overseas campus at Expo City, Dubai, said that institute’s offshore campus in Dubai would be a critical step not only for international expansion of IIFT but it would also facilitate promotion of international trade not only with UAE but also in the entire gulf region and beyond. 

    IIFT Vice Chancellor, Prof. Rakesh Mohan Joshi said that its first offshore campus at Dubai would be a milestone to transform IIFT into a world-class institute with cutting-edge research, training and academic programmes.

     

    About IIFT:

    Established in 1963 as an autonomous body under Ministry of Commerce, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) has gained Deemed University status and is one of the premier business institutions in India focussing on Foreign Trade  and highly regarded as an academic centre of excellence in international business research, training and education. IIFT will collaborate with Expo City Dubai on research projects and other knowledge-sharing activities focused on sustainability and innovation.

     

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    PIB Mumbai | SR/ SC/ DR

    Follow us on social media: @PIBMumbai    /PIBMumbai     /pibmumbai   pibmumbai[at]gmail[dot]com  /PIBMumbai     /pibmumbai

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: ‘National Anubhav Awards Scheme, 2025’

    Source: Government of India

    ‘National Anubhav Awards Scheme, 2025’

    For the first time, Anubhav Awards Scheme covers employees of Central Public Sector Undertakings, including Public Sector Banks

    Last Date for publication of write ups on Anubhav portal will be 31stMarch 2025, all Line Ministries/Departments to reach out to pensioners to make submissions on Anubhav Portal

    National Anubhav Awards Scheme: A treasure trove of experiences for Nation building

    Till date, DOPPW confers 59 Anubhav Awards and 19 Jury Certificates

    Posted On: 07 OCT 2024 5:33PM by PIB Delhi

    On the directions of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare had launched an online platform named ‘Anubhav’ in March, 2015 to enable ‘eligible’ retiring/retired government employees in sharing their experiences of working with the Government.

    Thereafter, an Annual Awards Scheme was devised in 2015 to incentivize and encourage the submission of the experiences through write ups. Till date, 10,886 write-ups have been published and 78 outstanding write ups have been conferred with 59 Anubhav Awards and 19 Jury Certificates in seven Anubhav Awards Ceremonies.

    Government of India has notified the National Anubhav Awards Scheme, 2025. To participate in the scheme, Central Government employees/pensioners are required to submit their Anubhav write ups. Thereafter, the write-ups published after assessment by the concerned Ministries/Departments up to 31.03.2025 will be shortlisted for five Anubhav Awards and 10 Jury Certificates.

    The National Anubhav Awards Scheme, 2025 is the watershed moment in the history of Anubhav Portal as for the first time, apart from the employees of Central Government, employees of Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs), including Public Sector Banks, will also be eligible for submitting their write ups. With this, invaluable experiences, insights and best practices prevalent in the strong and vibrant Public Sector of India will also enrich the ever-growing treasure trove of Anubhav Portal. Further, the existing time limit of one year of the retirement within which, the pensioners could submit the write ups, has now been extended up to three years.

    To streamline the assessment process, a new marking system for various pay levels has been introduced.

    For more information, eligible employees or pensioners should visit Anubhav Portal(URL-http://www.pensionersportal.gov.in/anubhav) where relevant FAQs, steps to fill in the Anubhav write up, selected write ups for guidance, short films on Anubhav Awardees and Citation booklets have been put up for reference.

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    NKR/DK

    (Release ID: 2062872) Visitor Counter : 22

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah chairs a review meeting on Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in New Delhi today

    Source: Government of India

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah chairs a review meeting on Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in New Delhi today

    Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, we will completely eliminate Naxalism by 2026

    Naxalism is the biggest hurdle in the development of tribal areas and an enemy of humanity as a whole

    Due to Naxalism, more than 8 crore people have been deprived of basic amenities, a major violation of human rights

    Since January 2024, a total of 237 Naxalites have been neutralized, 812 arrested, and 723 have surrendered in Chhattisgarh

    A zero-tolerance approach to Left Wing Extremism and full implementation of government schemes will transform LWE-affected areas into fully developed areas

    Modi government is strengthening 3-C i.e Road connectivity, Mobile connectivity and Financial connectivity

    During the Modi government, security spending in LWE-affected states has nearly tripled, reaching Rs. 3,006 crore

    From 2004 to 2014, only 66 fortified police stations were constructed, but the Modi government has built 544 such stations in the last 10 years

    Violent incidents in LWE-affected areas dropped by 53%, from 16,463 cases between 2004 and 2014 to 7,700 in the last 10 years

    Chief Ministers of all LWE affected states should review development and anti-Naxal operations once a month and Director Generals of Police at least once in 15 days

    Posted On: 07 OCT 2024 6:24PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah chaired a review meeting on Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in New Delhi today. The Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Telangana, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh participated in the meeting. Union Ministers from various ministries, who are cooperating with the states to accelerate developmental works in LWE-affected areas, were also present during the meeting. The Union Home Secretary, Director Intelligence Bureau, Deputy National Security Advisor, senior officers of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and the central government, Chief Secretaries, Director Generals of Police, and senior officials from LWE-affected states also participated in the meeting.

    In his address, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, all LWE-affected states, working shoulder to shoulder, are committed to completely eliminate Naxalism by March 2026. He mentioned that Prime Minister Modi has set the goal of making India a developed nation by the year 2047, and our 8 crore tribal brothers and sisters have a very important role in it. Shri Shah added that the true meaning of a developed India is that development reaches the 140 crore people of the country, including our 8 crore tribal brothers and sisters. He said that the biggest obstacle in bringing development to remote areas and tribal communities today is Naxalism. He said that Naxalism prevents education, healthcare, connectivity, banking, and postal services from reaching villages. Shri Shah emphasized that in order to ensure that the development reaches the last person in the society, we must completely eliminate Naxalism.

    Union Home Minister said major success has been achieved in the fight against Naxalism from 2019 to 2024. He stated that through the joint efforts of the central and state governments, we aim to replace the darkness created by left-wing extremism with the constitutional rights and start a new era of development and trust instead of the violent ideology of left-wing. Shri Shah emphasized that with a zero-tolerance approach towards left-wing extremism and 100% implementation of government schemes, we want to fully develop the LWE-affected areas.

    Shri Amit Shah said that the government had laid down two rules of law to fight left wing extremism. First, to establish the rule of law in Naxalism-affected areas and completely stop illegal violent activities. Second, to quickly compensate for the loss in those areas which were deprived of development due to the long Naxalite movement.

    Union Home Minister said that for the first time in 30 years, the number of casualties due to Left Wing Extremism (LWE) was below 100 in 2022, which is a significant achievement. He mentioned that from 2014 to 2024, there has been a substantial decline in Naxal-related incidents. He said that 14 top Naxal leaders have been neutralized, and the government welfare schemes have been better implemented to reach to the last man in the queue. Shri Shah said that the fight against LWE is in its final phase, and by March 2026, with everyone’s cooperation, the country will be completely free from this decades-old menace. He further mentioned that areas like Buddha Pahad and Chakarbandha have been completely free from the grip of Naxalism. He added that 85 per cent of the LWE cadre strength in Chhattisgarh has been eliminated, and now the need is to deliver a final blow to Naxalism.

    Shri Amit Shah said that since 2019, the Modi government has implemented a multi-pronged strategy, under which vacuums were identified for the deployment of CAPFs. As a result, more than 194 camps were established in just one year, leading to significant success. Shri Shah mentioned that the filling of security vacuums through 45 police stations, strengthening state intelligence branches, and the excellent performance of state special forces contributed to the success of the strategy. He further said that the provision of helicopters has drastically reduced the number of casualties among our troops. Earlier, there were only two helicopters deployed for the service of the forces, but today, 12 helicopters, 6 from BSF and 6 from the Air Force, are operational.

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation complimented Chhattisgarh government for its success in combating Naxalism. He mentioned that since January 2024, a total of 237 Naxalites have been killed, 812 arrested, and 723 have surrendered in Chhattisgarh. Home Minister appealed to the youth involved in Naxalism to abandon the path of violence and join the mainstream of society to contribute to the country’s development. He noted that more than 13,000 people from the Northeast, Kashmir, and LWE affected areas have renounced violence and joined the mainstream. Shri Shah asked the youth engaged in Naxalism, that all states have developed beneficial rehabilitation schemes for them. He emphasized that it has now been fully proven that no one benefits from Naxalism.

    Shri Amit Shah said that Rs 1,180 crore was spent under the security related expenditure scheme from 2004 to 2014, which the Modi Government has increased almost 3 times to Rs 3,006 crore between 2014 to 2024. He said Rs 1,055 crore has been given under the scheme of assistance to central agencies for managing LWE. Shri Shah said that Special Central Assistance is a new scheme under which the Modi Government has spent Rs 3,590 crore in the last 10 years. He said that a total of Rs 14,367 crore has been approved so far, out of which Rs 12,000 crore has been spent.

    Union Home Minister said that 66 fortified police stations were built between 2004 and 2014, whereas 544 fortified police stations have been built between 2014 to 2024. In the 10 years before 2014, 2,900 km of road network was constructed, which has increased to 14,400 km in the last 10 years. He added that no efforts were made for mobile connectivity in the last 10 years from 2004 to 2014, whereas during 2014 to 2024, 6,000 towers have been installed and the work of converting 3,551 towers to 4G has also been completed. Before 2014, only 38 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) were approved, now in the last 10 years, 216 schools have been approved, out of which 165 EMR schools have come into existence. The Home Minister said that all these efforts show with what intensity we have worked to accelerate development.

    Shri Amit Shah said that in the 10 years between 2004 and 2014, 16,463 incidents of violence had occurred which have now come down to 7,700 with a reduction of about 53%. Similarly, the deaths of civilians and security forces have reduced by 70%, 96 districts reporting violence have now come down to 16 with a reduction of 57 percent. Police stations reporting violence have also come down to 171 from 465, out of which 50 police stations are new. Shri Shah said that this success is the result of joint efforts of all the states and the central government. He added that we have to take it forward with more determination and vigor.

    Union Home Minister said that the success achieved in Chhattisgarh against Naxalism inspires all of us. He said that the Chhattisgarh government has launched a new campaign of development in all the districts affected by Left Wing Extremism. A target has been set for 100% saturation of about 300 schemes of central and state governments for personal and family welfare. He added that due to these schemes, grains and medicines at cheaper rates, schools, public health centers etc. have now reached the villages.

    Shri Amit Shah highlighted that since 2019, to fill the security vacuum, 280 new camps have been established, 15 new Joint Task Forces have been created, and six CRPF battalions have been deployed to assist state police in various states. Along with this, an offensive strategy has been adopted by activating the NIA to choke the financing of Naxalites, which has resulted in a shortage of financial resources for them. Home Minister added that multiple long-duration operations were conducted, ensuring that the Naxalites are surrounded, leaving them with no opportunity to escape.

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation stated that apart from the flagship schemes, the Modi government has placed significant emphasis on key development areas such as road connectivity, improvement in telecommunications, financial inclusion, skill development, education, health, and nutrition, which have yielded positive results. He mentioned that on October 2, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan’ from the land of Jharkhand. He added that this campaign will be a milestone in providing personal amenities for achieving full saturation in rural areas in over 15,000 villages, benefiting nearly 1.5 crore people in LWE affected areas. Shri Shah emphasized that Modi government is strengthening 3-C i.e Road connectivity, Mobile connectivity and Financial connectivity.

    Union Home Minister emphasized that Naxalism is not only the biggest obstacle to the development of tribal areas but also the enemy of humanity and the greatest violator of human rights. He mentioned that depriving 8 crore people of basic amenities is a major violation of human rights. Shri Shah pointed out that thousands of innocent tribal brothers and sisters are killed by landmines planted by Naxalites, and it is due to Naxalism that development in these areas has been halted.

    Union Home Minister stated that in order to completely eradicate Naxalism, it is essential to give a final push to eliminate this menace once and for all. He urged the Chief Ministers of all affected states to review the progress of development and anti-Naxal operations at least once a month, and requested the Director Generals of Police to conduct such reviews at least once every 15 days.

    Shri Amit Shah said that we must work towards the complete elimination of Naxalism. He emphasized that by April 2026, through the collective strength of the people, we should be able to announce that the states and central government, working together, have fully eliminated the menace of Naxalism. He added that once this is achieved, there will be no obstacle to development, no human right violations, and no violence in the name of ideology.

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    RK/ASH/PR/PS                    

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    Read this release in: Hindi

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FSSAI convenes meeting of Rice Millers and Fortified Rice Kernel manufacturers aimed at strengthening Food Safety Standards and Compliance with Fortification

    Source: Government of India

     FSSAI convenes meeting of Rice Millers and Fortified Rice Kernel manufacturers aimed at strengthening Food Safety Standards and Compliance with Fortification

    The meeting fostered interaction between dignitaries and stakeholders to discuss challenges faced in manufacturing, quality control, storage, and testing

    Posted On: 07 OCT 2024 6:38PM by PIB Delhi

    The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) convened a significant meeting with stakeholders from the Fortified Rice Kernel (FRK) manufacturing sector and rice millers in Hyderabad, today. The meeting was chaired by CEO Shri G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, with special guests including Sri D.S. Chauhan, Commissioner & Principal Secretary to the Government of Telangana, along with other prominent officials from the Food Safety and Consumer Affairs departments.

    During the meeting, CEO FSSAI highlighted the importance of maintaining stringent standards for FRK and the necessary compliance mechanisms to be adhered to during the fortification process. He reiterated the mandate for third-party audits to be conducted by all FRK manufacturers; failure to comply with these regulations will result in consequences for non-compliance.

    The government’s fortification program, aimed at addressing micronutrient deficiencies such as anaemia prevalent in the Indian population, was also discussed. As the national food regulator, FSSAI has established standards for FRK and FRK premixes to ensure quality, making it mandatory to conduct batch-wise testing.

    Recently, the Prime Minister launched 109 high-yielding, nutritionally fortified varieties of crops. The significance of bioavailability in FRK was also emphasized. Currently, over 900 companies are involved in FRK manufacturing in India.

    Concerns regarding recent non-compliance reports from various stakeholders were raised, particularly regarding manufacturing practices and record-keeping. Special Guest D.S. Chauhan, Commissioner & Principal Secretary to the Government of Telangana, underscored challenges in implementing rice fortification programs, such as contamination, adulteration, and hygiene issues. He noted the presence of duplicate products, particularly concerning rice and tea, while commending the high quality of Telangana rice.

    Shri R.V. Karnan, Commissioner of Food Safety, advocated for district-level awareness programs and training sessions for manufacturers on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). He also emphasized the necessity of identifying key locations within states to establish additional labs for testing FRK samples, which will ensure prompt corrective actions in line with Food Safety and Standards Regulations.

    The meeting fostered interaction between dignitaries and stakeholders to discuss challenges faced in manufacturing, quality control, storage, and testing. Also, CEO FSSAI has ensured to address the major glitches faced by the FRK Manufacturers and Millers

    In conclusion, the CEO of FSSAI reaffirmed the collective commitment of all stakeholders to prioritize food safety and work collaboratively towards ensuring safe and nutritious food for consumers across the country.

    The event was attended by over 150 stakeholders, including representatives from international organizations such as Nutrition International, state officials, senior FSSAI officials, and members from the food and agriculture sectors.

    FSSAI remains dedicated to exploring and implementing measures to enhance the food safety landscape throughout India.

     

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     HFW/Rice Millers-FRK Manufacturers Stakeholders Meeting/7th  October 2024/1

    (Release ID: 2062912) Visitor Counter : 16

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India stands as a global voice of reason in its commitment to the pursuit of a sustainable energy future: Shri Pralhad Joshi

    Source: Government of India (2)

    India stands as a global voice of reason in its commitment to the pursuit of a sustainable energy future: Shri Pralhad Joshi

    Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi Highlights India’s Progress in Renewable Energy and Green Shipping at Hamburg Sustainability Conference in Germany

    Since 2014, India has witnessed a transformative increase in its renewable energy capacity, with a 175% rise from 75 GW to over 208 GW: Union Minister

    India is making significant strides in the green shipping sector, aims to be among the top ten shipbuilding nations by 2030 and the top five by 2047: Union Minister Joshi

    Posted On: 07 OCT 2024 6:57PM by PIB Delhi

    Emphasizing India’s significant progress in green shipping and energy transition, Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Shri Pralhad Joshi, delivered the keynote address at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference in Germany on 7th October 2024. The Minister remarked that that India stands as a global voice of reason in its commitment to the pursuit of a sustainable energy future that aligns with our growth ambitions and environmental responsibilities.

    Addressing the conference, Union Minister highlighted India’s energy transition and noted that India has achieved significant milestones in its shift to renewable energy. “India is the only G20 country to have met its climate targets ahead of schedule, despite having the lowest per capita emissions among G20 nations,” he remarked. He emphasized that energy security and access remain paramount for India, but this has never hindered the nation’s commitment to energy transition on both national and global scales.

    In this address, Union Minister Joshi noted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has witnessed a transformative increase in its renewable energy capacity since 2014, with a 175% rise from 75 GW to over 208 GW today. Total RE increased from 193.5 billion units to 360 BU, marking an 86% rise during this period. Solar energy capacity has also grown 33 times in the last 10 years. Shri Joshi also emphasized that International Solar Alliance, supported by over 100 countries, demonstrates India’s leadership in global efforts to combat climate change through solar energy.

    The Minister also drew attention to India’s cultural heritage, noting that the concept of sustainability is deeply rooted in Indian tradition. He recited the Gayatri Mantra from the Rigveda, underlining India’s ancient belief in the harmony between mankind and nature.

    Green Shipping Initiatives:

    Addressing the theme of Green Shipping, Shri Joshi emphasized the crucial role of the maritime sector in global trade and its impact on greenhouse gas emissions. He stated, “As we progress towards achieving net-zero emissions, the necessity for sustainable maritime transport has become very important. India is making significant strides in the green shipping sector, driven by government initiatives, technological advancements, and international collaborations.”

    The Minister detailed how Indian shipyards are being modernized and older dockyards are being evaluated for reopening to expand green shipbuilding capacity. “India is becoming a promising hub for green shipbuilding,” he noted, citing the government’s strong emphasis on alternative fuels and renewable energy sources like biofuels and wind power. India is upgrading its port infrastructure to support green shipping fuels and vessels using hybrid models, with the goal of ranking among the top five shipbuilding nations by 2047.

    The National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), launched with an outlay of $2.4 billion, aims to produce 5 million metric tonnes (MMT) of green hydrogen annually by 2030, attracting over $100 billion in investments and creating more than 6 lakh jobs. He also invited international stakeholders to collaborate in India’s ambitious green hydrogen and renewable energy projects.

    Pilot projects under the NGHM, with an investment of $14 million, are already exploring the use of green hydrogen in the shipping sector. “We are focusing on converting existing vessels to operate on green hydrogen or its derivatives. The Shipping Corporation of India is currently converting two vessels to run on green methanol,” the Minister explained. India with an investment of approximately $25 million, is setting the stage for development of hydrogen hubs that will transform its energy landscape. Moreover, ports such as Deendayal, Paradip, and V.O. Chidambaranar are being developed into key hydrogen hubs with bunkering and refuelling facilities to support green hydrogen-powered ships.

    Shri Pralhad Joshi concluded his address by reaffirming that, “India’s embrace of innovative technologies, investment in robust infrastructure, and cultivation of international cooperation have elevated us from a mere participant to a leading force in this global transition.”

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    Navin Sreejith

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The AI Compute Connection: Canada and the UK strengthen ties

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The SIN Canada team organized a mission to the UK to deepen collaboration in the field of AI compute and gain insights into the UK’s supercomputing landscape.

    AI Mission during visit to the UK.

    The race for supercomputing power is heating up globally, with nations recognizing its pivotal role in training the next generation of AI models. Canada and the UK have emerged as leading players in this field, with a shared vision to harness the potential of AI for the benefit of society. To further solidify this partnership, the SIN Canada team organized a high-level inward mission to the UK (15-18 July 2024) aimed at deepening collaboration in the dynamic field of AI compute. The Canadian delegation visited the UK with the aim of gaining invaluable insights into the UK’s supercomputing landscape. This mission was underpinned by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in early 2024 by the UK and Canadian governments, which established a cooperative framework for future collaboration in AI compute.

    The delegation, comprised of some of the most senior officials from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Board level representatives of Canada’s world-leading AI institutes (MILA, Amii, and Vector), as well as CIFAR, Communications Security Establishment, and the Digital Research Alliance of Canada. The program was packed with visits to cutting-edge facilities like Isambard-AI in Bristol and the exascale project in Edinburgh. Offering a firsthand experience of the UK’s supercomputing capabilities and these complex and technical programmes.

    A core focus of the mission was to understand the policy development behind the UK’s compute investments, exascale investment and the AI Research Resource. In April 2024, Prime Minister Trudeau announced Canada investment of CA$2 (£1.2) billion to launch a new AI Compute Access Fund and Canadian AI sovereign compute strategy. As the sector develops, officials are keen to learn from the UK’s experience in building such large-scale infrastructure. Additionally, the delegation sought insights into the UK’s project management and procurement approaches, access policies, and strategies for addressing the challenges of energy consumption associated with supercomputing – sustainable infrastructure is one element of the MoU.

    The mission also provided an opportunity to explore the UK’s approach to AI safety and security. Meetings with the UK National Cyber Security Centre and the AI Safety Institute were crucial in understanding the measures being taken to mitigate risks associated with AI development. British and Canadian cyber security centres including endorsing the UK’s Guidelines for secure AI system development. Beyond technical discussions, the delegation engaged enjoyed in high-level networking events, including a cocktail reception at the Royal Society and a lunch at Canada House. These events facilitated valuable dialogue with key stakeholders in the UK AI ecosystem.

    One participant said:

    … It was a masterfully organized and assembled group of visits in a whirlwind format. The mission achieved more than I anticipated in terms of breadth and depth of topic areas, tours, knowledge sharing. To say that the visit was inspirational would be an understatement. Rather, having seen what is possible and underway in the UK, I would venture to say that it has motivated a re-evaluation of what we believe could be possible, not only in Canada, but also in what partnerships and cooperation might be sparked between Canada and the UK in the realm of AI, compute infrastructure, and AI safety. It truly brought to life the true spirit of the UK-Canada MoU …

    This SIN Canada-led inward mission marks a significant step forward in the Canada-UK AI collaboration. By sharing knowledge and best practices, both countries can accelerate their progress in developing world-class supercomputing infrastructure. The ultimate goal was to create an environment where AI research and innovation can flourish, driving economic growth and addressing societal challenges.

    As the world becomes increasingly reliant on AI, partnerships like the one between Canada and the UK will be essential for shaping the future of this transformative technology. There will likely be a return visit in February 2025 to further cement UK-Canada AI collaboration and strengthen connections between UK and Canadian AI experts.

    For more information on this activity, please contact Mario Rivero-Huguet, Head of Science and Innovation (Montreal) at mario.rivero-huguet@fcdo.gov.uk

    Updates to this page

    Published 7 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 12th Meeting of the India-UAE High Level Joint Task Force on Investments

    Source: Government of India (2)

    12th Meeting of the India-UAE High Level Joint Task Force on Investments

    Food parks among areas for greater collaboration and investments between India and UAE: Shri Piyush Goyal

    Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) to establish a subsidiary at GIFT City: Shri Piyush Goyal

    Invest India office to open in UAE: Shri Piyush Goyal

    Interlinking of the two national payment platforms – UPI (India) and AANI (UAE) to facilitate seamless cross-border transactions between the two countries: Shri Piyush Goyal

    Posted On: 07 OCT 2024 5:09PM by PIB Mumbai

    Mumbai (India), 7 October 2024

     

    The 12th Meeting of the India-UAE High Level Joint Task Force on Investments (HLJTFI) took place in Mumbai today. It was co-Chaired by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Government of India and His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Managing Director of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).

    The HLJTFI was established in 2013 to promote trade, investment and economic ties between India and the UAE. Since its formation, it has provided an effective mechanism to discuss opportunities and prospects for further investments in India and the UAE, while acting as a forum to resolve issues faced by investors of the two countries.

    During the 12th HLJTFI meeting, the Co-Chairs acknowledged the continued growth and strengthening of the bilateral relationship between India and the UAE, including on trade and investment related matters. The India-UAE Bilateral Investment Treaty, signed during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the UAE in February 2024, has been ratified by both sides and entered into force with effect from 31 August 2024. 

    The Co-Chairs also acknowledged the rapid rise in bilateral trade under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which came into force in May 2022. The Joint Task Force reviewed the working of the India-UAE CEPA, which was one of the fastest-ever negotiated Free Trade Agreements. This landmark agreement designed to stimulate increased trade and boost the trading relationship between the two countries. During the course of the last two years, the CEPA has helped reduce tariffs on the majority of product lines, sought to address other barriers to trade and created new avenues for cooperation. As a result of the deal, bilateral trade has risen consistently, with non-oil trade rising to US$28.2 billion in the first half of 2024, a 9.8% year-on-year increase. The agreement has also spurred FDI – as of 2023, the UAE is India’s fourth largest foreign investor with US$3.35 billion committed across a wide range of sectors, representing a threefold increase on 2022. Indian FDI into the UAE in 2023 totalled US$ 2.05 billion, more than 2021 and 2022 combined. These figures represent real growth with real, on-the-ground impact. Further, it has led to job creation in Indian market and export from labour-oriented sectors is growing rapidly.

    Considering the strategic agreements and initiatives signed during the recent official visit of H.H. Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, to India, the two sides noted the existing and future investments and projects of UAE entities in key sectors of the Indian economy, including energy, artificial intelligence, logistics, food and agriculture, which total approximately US$100 billion. The meeting also reviewed UAE investments in Indian infrastructure assets.

    During the HLJTFI meeting, the two sides reviewed progress on several key initiatives, including some that were previously announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and expressed satisfaction at the rapid pace of implementation. These initiatives include bilateral trade in local currencies, the integration of payment systems of India and the UAE, cooperation on Central Bank Digital Currencies, the launch of work relating to a Virtual Trade Corridor and the development of a food park in Ahmedabad. 

    Food parks are among areas for greater collaboration and investments between India and UAE. It will lead to higher income for farmers, jobs’ creation in food processing sector, and enhance food security for UAE. Small working groups between Central Government, State Governments and UAE Government will take forward food corridors between the two countries on a mission-mode basis. The strong progress made on these initiatives attests to the high level of commitment from both sides to ensure the implementation of their respective leaders’ visions. 

    The two sides welcomed the announcement of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) establishing a subsidiary at GIFT City. This underlines the strong interest from UAE’s institutional investors in India’s growing and dynamic economy, and GIFT City’s reputation as world-class financial services centre, operating under a strong regulator and a robust legal framework.

    To augment the relationship, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), via its international subsidiary NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) is collaborating with Al Etihad Payments (AEP), to enable creation of domestic card scheme JAYWAN in UAE. The JAYWAN card scheme is an outcome of deep collaboration between NIPL and AEP. It is based on the RuPay card stack (developed and deployed at great scale by NPCI in India), which is shared with the AEP to enable UAE be sovereign in the area of digital payments. The two governments are now working on interlinking the two national payment platforms – UPI (India) and AANI (UAE), which will facilitate seamless cross-border transactions between the two countries. This will benefit over 3 million Indians residing in UAE enabling them use power of UPI and AANI, for real-time cross-border remittance, which is aligned with the vision of bringing speed, transparency, accessibility and cost efficiency in cross-border remittances.

    The Government of India has also decided to open an office of Invest India in Dubai, UAE to serve as a dedicated point of contact for potential UAE investors seeking to invest in India. The issue was discussed during the India-UAE HLJTFI meeting today. This will be the first such overseas office of Invest India in the Middle East region and its second overseas office overall after Singapore.

    In course of the HLJTFI meeting, the Co-chairs Shri Piyush Goyal, Commerce & Industry Minister of India, and His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Managing Director of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, also expressed satisfaction on the progress being made by Bharat Mart. Work on the ground has commenced, and design work on the layout of retail spaces and warehousing is making rapid progress.

    The HLJTFI provides a forum to deliberate on ways and incentives for encouraging further growth in investment flows from both sides. In this context, the Indian side shared opportunities for investments in priority sectors like renewable energy, green hydrogen, pharmaceuticals and genomics, among others. The UAE side also raised opportunities for investment in India’s aerospace sector, due to the rapid growth of its aviation market.  

    Issues related to investments from both sides, as well as specific challenges faced by companies from both countries, were also discussed during the meeting, with a view to removing obstacles and facilitating their resolution. The Co-Chairs directed both teams to work together and with the relevant government entities to address these issues in a timely and mutually acceptable manner. 

    The HLJTFI meeting was attended by Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India; Shri Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to the UAE, H.E. Dr. Abdulnasser Jamal Alshaali, Ambassador of the UAE to India, and a number of senior officials from both the governments.

    Shri Piyush Goyal, Commerce and Industries Minister, Government of India, and Co-Chair of the HLJTFI said: “India-UAE partnership stands on the pillars of innovation, investment and sustainable development. The Joint Task Force meeting today was useful to take a stock of all the laudable initiatives that India and the UAE have jointly undertaken, such as local currency settlement, virtual trade corridor, Bharat Mart, and so on. With the strong framework now provided by India-UAE CEPA and Bilateral Investment Treaty, I encourage stakeholders to further explore investment opportunities and trade possibilities.”

    His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Managing Director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and Co-Chair of the HLJTFI, said: “The India-UAE CEPA, signed in 2022, has been a major catalyst for strengthening economic ties and enhancing cross-border trade between the UAE and India. Against this positive backdrop, the Joint Task Force continues to play an important role as a forum to explore new investment opportunities, remove impediments to further cooperation and work together in pursuit of shared goals.”

     

    * * *

    PIB Mumbai | SR/ SC/ DR

     

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Shri Dharmendra Pradhan presides over signing of Letter of Engagement between NCERT and Amazon

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Shri Dharmendra Pradhan presides over signing of Letter of Engagement between NCERT and Amazon

    NCERT to triple-fold publication of books by publishing 15 crore books this year – Shri Dharmendra Pradhan

    Books will be made available at MRP across nearly 20,000 pin codes nationwide– Shri Dharmendra Pradhan

    MoU will ensure access to original NCERT textbooks on major e-commerce platforms

    Shri Dharmendra Pradhan lauds NCERT’s partnership with Amazon, calls it a step towards enhancing ease of living and accessibility to education

    Posted On: 07 OCT 2024 6:57PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister for Education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, presided over the signing of the Letter of Engagement (LoE) today between NCERT and Amazon Seller Services Pvt Ltd. This is the first such tie-up, which will ensure access to original NCERT textbooks at the printed price on major e-commerce platforms. Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Shri Sanjay Kumar; Joint Secretary, (DoSEL), Smt. Prachi Pandey; Director, NCERT, Prof. Dinesh Prasad Saklani; Vice President, Amazon, Shri Saurabh Shrivastava; Director, Public Policy, Amazon, Shri Aman Jain, other dignitaries and officials were also present at the event.

    While addressing the audience, Shri Pradhan stated that today’s initiative will strengthen NEP2020’s vision of making education inclusive, accessible, and affordable. He added that with the increasing digital footprint across the country, this initiative will also support the Government’s vision of ‘ease of living.’ Shri Pradhan noted that NCERT has been shaping India’s education landscape by publishing textbooks since 1963, with a total of around 220 crore books and journals. He emphasized that NCERT is a major think tank for the country. Furthermore, he announced that these books will be made available across nearly 20,000 pin codes nationwide. He emphasized that these books should be available at MRP.

    Shri Dharmendra Pradhan lauded NCERT’s partnership with Amazon calling it a step towards enhancing ease of living and accessibility to education. NCERT to triple-fold publication of books and publish 15 crore books this year, he added.

    He also informed the audience that NCERT has been entrusted with the responsibility of developing 21st-century textbooks.

    Stressing the importance of making learning joyful for the 300 million students of the Amrit Kaal, he urged the development of e-books that are interactive and AI-driven, featuring innovations like talking books. Expressing his gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, he underscored the significance of books in all 23 languages, declaring that books will be the real soft power of India.

    Highlighting the significance of textbooks in education, Shri Sanjay Kumar emphasized the need to strengthen the supply chain for these essential resources. He stressed that textbooks, which account for nearly 96% of the total volume of book sales in the country, should be made available through e-commerce platforms like Amazon to enhance accessibility for students.

    NCERT textbooks of all grades shall be made available on the Amazon NCERT storefront (http://amazon.in/ncert), which was also launched today. The textbooks shall be retailed at a price not more than the rate printed on the textbooks. Only original NCERT textbooks shall be retailed on this platform, thereby helping curb the sale of pirated NCERT textbooks. Amazon will help NCERT monitor and take down unauthorized sellers who distribute counterfeit or overpriced books.

    Through Amazon’s vast delivery network, students and schools, even in the most remote areas, will be able to purchase textbooks at the prescribed prices. This would address the challenges of supply gaps, delayed availability, and regional shortages of textbooks, ensuring equitable access to education.

    This tie-up shall also enable NCERT to leverage customer reviews and feedback to improve the quality of its textbooks and other educational material. Moreover, anonymised sales and usage data will be shared with NCERT to facilitate informed decision-making regarding future print orders, distribution strategies, and selection of new distributors in States/districts where the demand for NCERT textbooks is more.

    *****

    SS/AK

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Health Minister Unveils Key Initiatives to boost Nutrition Support for TB Patients and their Families

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Health Minister Unveils Key Initiatives to boost Nutrition Support for TB Patients and their Families

    Monthly support under Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana increased from the existing ₹500 per month to ₹1000 per month for all TB patients: Shri J P Nadda

    Government approves additional allocation of ₹ 1040 crores to Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana as nutritional support for all TB patients

    All household contacts of TB patients to be covered under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan and will be eligible to receive social support from the community

    “Till date, ₹ 3,202 crores, have been disbursed to 1.13 crore beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana”

    Posted On: 07 OCT 2024 7:09PM by PIB Delhi

    In alignment with its commitment to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to TB elimination, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri J P Nadda, announced several key initiatives aimed at enhancing nutrition support for TB patients and their household contacts.

    Underscoring India’s resolute commitment to end TB, Shri Nadda announced that Nutrition support under Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) has been increased from existing Rs. 500 per month/patient to Rs. 1,000/month/patient for entire duration of the treatment. “The government has also decided to introduce energy dense nutrition supplementation for all patients with BMI<18.5 and to permit expansion of scope & coverage of Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (PMTBMBA) to the family members (household contacts) of TB patients”, he said.

    All TB patients will now receive a nutritional support of ₹ 3,000 to ₹ 6,000 under Ni-Kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY). While enhancement of NPY support will benefit all 25 lakh TB patients in a year, introduction of Energy Dense Nutritional Supplementation (EDNS) would cover approximately 12 lakh underweight patients (BMI less than 18.5 kg/m2at the time of diagnosis). EDNS would be provided to all eligible patients for the first two months of their treatment. “This move will cost the Government of India approximately an additional ₹1,040 crores to be shared between the center and states on 60:40 basis”, Shri Nadda said.

    Further, the Union Health Ministry has approved demand on expanding scope of nutritional support to household contacts of TB patients. In addition to TB patients, Ni-kshay Mitras will adopt the household contacts of TB patients for distribution of food baskets with a view to improve the immunity of the family members of TB patients. This would lead to a significant reduction in out-of-pocket expenses (OOPE) incurred by TB patients and their families.

    The Union Health Minister stated that till date, ₹3,202 crores have been disbursed to 1.13 crore beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana.

    These measures are expected to aid nutritional recovery, improve response to treatment and outcomes and reduce mortality due to TB in India.

    ***

    MV

    HFW/Nutritional Support to TB Patients/07th October 2024/5

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 3rd edition of Kautilya Economic Conclave 2024 (KEC2024) concludes in New Delhi

    Source: Government of India

    3rd edition of Kautilya Economic Conclave 2024 (KEC2024) concludes in New Delhi

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi gave a special address at the KEC2024 to the participants, evoking enthusiasm in its ongoing effort to make India a developed economy by 2047

    The Prime Minister emphasised India’s emergence as a preferred global investment destination due to substantial reforms over the last decade

    Union Finance Minister gave an overview of India’s high economic growth, fiscal management and investment on infrastructure, manufacturing, and technology while reiterating the government’s commitment to inclusive growth and reforms

    Dr. Jaishankar stressed on the emergence of AI and its far-reaching impact on economic and social activities

    Prof. Jagdish Bhagwati lauded the Prime Minister for his leadership, emphasising his timely intervention with a shift from inward-looking policies to a more open, productive economy

    KEC2024 showcased India’s new role in setting the global agenda, particularly in areas like green energy, technology, and trade reform, and highlighted India’s aspirations for inclusive growth and its evolving role as a strategic leader of the Global South

    Over 150 prominent economists, policymakers, and academic pioneers from India and around the globe participated in the KEC2024

    Posted On: 07 OCT 2024 8:37PM by PIB Delhi

    The third edition of the Kautilya Economic Conclave 2024 (KEC2024) held between October 4-6, 2024, in New Delhi, was successfully concluded yesterday. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, addressed the KEC2024 with a special address to the participants, evoking enthusiasm in its ongoing effort to make India a developed economy by 2047.

    Over 150 prominent economists, policymakers, and academic pioneers from India and around the globe participated in the KEC2024, organised by the Institute of Economic Growth (IEG) in partnership with the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance (MoF). It featured 11 Plenary Sessions, 12 interactive sessions and bilateral discussions on contemporary economic and social challenges facing both India and the world.

    The Prime Minister’s vision for a Viksit Bharat is predicated on continued economic growth, structural reforms and harnessing the cutting edge of technology.

    In his address, the Prime Minister emphasised India’s emergence as a preferred global investment destination due to substantial reforms over the last decade, including advancements in banking, taxation, and infrastructure, and also discussed India’s commitment to green energy, highlighting initiatives like the green hydrogen mission and the Global Biofuel Alliance, which were critical outcomes of India’s G20 Presidency.

    Earlier, the KEC 2024 kicked off with an inaugural address by Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, who emphasised India’s robust macroeconomic fundamentals and its abilities to address multiple uncertainties.

    Smt. Sitharaman also gave an overview of India’s high economic growth, fiscal management and investment on infrastructure, manufacturing, and technology while reiterating the government’s commitment to inclusive growth and reforms.

     

     

    The KEC2024 concluded with the Union Minister for External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar in conversation with Mr. N.K. Singh, President of the Institute of Economic Growth, where they discussed India’s strategic role in the Global South.

    Dr. Jaishankar highlighted how India is seen as a “trusted and articulate member” and spoke on the increasing importance of alternative global frameworks such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which are shaping global collaboration beyond traditional structures like the UN. Dr. Jaishankar also stressed on the emergence of AI and it’s far reaching impact on economic and social activities.

    A key highlight was the participation of Prof. Jagdish Bhagwati, one of India’s most respected economists, who praised India’s transformation from “taking advice” from global institutions like the World Bank to now “giving advice” to them. He lauded the Prime Minister for his leadership, emphasising that his timely intervention shifted from inward-looking policies to a more open, productive economy given the complexities, strategies have been nibble to grasp new opportunities while addressing ongoing challenges.

    Throughout the KEC2024, experts delved into several critical topics like the challenges affecting factors of productivity such as skilling to enhance employment, and growth enhancing strategies; the urgent need to address climate change and strategies for a green transition; best international and domestic practices in industrial policy; the challenges and consequences of geo-economic fragmentation; reforming the international financial architecture; and artificial intelligence and its potential effects on jobs and the economy, to mention a few.

    The KEC2024 featured a wide array of distinguished participants, both from India and abroad. Key international participants included, among others, Bhutan’s Finance Minister Mr. Lyonpo Lekey Dorji; Ms. Amelie de Montchalin, Frech Permanent Representative of OECD & former French Minister; Mr. Albert Park, Chief Economist and Director General, Asian Development Bank; Mr. Masood Ahmed, President Emeritus of the Centre for Global Development; Mr. Justin Yifu Lin, Dean of the Institute of New Structural Economics at Peking University; Mr. Erik Berglof, Chief Economist at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; Lord Nicholas Stern, IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government, London School of Economics; and mr. John Lipsky, Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute, Johns Hopkins University. Among the Indian participants, notable figures included Mr. Arvind Panagariya, Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission; Mr. Suman Bery, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog; Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor, and Secretaries from the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of External Affairs.

    These discussions spanning over three days – centred around the theme of “the Indian Era”. There were sessions on topics such as “Relationship between climate and development goals”; “Geo-economic fragmentation and the implications for growth”; “Financing the green transition”; “The rise of Asia and its implications for development economics”, etc.

    The deliberations at the conclave showcased India’s shift from following global directives to setting the global agenda, particularly in areas like green energy, technology, and trade reform, and highlighted India’s aspirations for inclusive growth and its evolving role as a strategic leader of the Global South, while reinforcing its ambition to become a developed economy by 2047.

    ****

    NB/KMN

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy Reviews IBM, JNARDDC Operations, Inaugurates Advanced Scanning & XRD Facilities in Nagpur

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 07 OCT 2024 8:44PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister for Coal and Mines, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, visited the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) headquarters in Nagpur, where he reviewed the progress of key initiatives, launched digital innovations, and underscored the government’s commitment to advancing India’s mineral exploration and processing capabilities.

    During the visit, Shri G. Kishan Reddy visited IBM’s state-of-the-art Modern Mineral Processing Lab at Hinga, Nagpur. The lab is pivotal to India’s strategic mineral mission. The lab’s advanced technologies in critical mineral processing and beneficiation were showcased, with Shri Sanjay Lohiya, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Controller General of IBM, highlighting the lab’s role in promoting efficiency, sustainability, and global competitiveness.

    Shri G Kishan Reddy inaugurated the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESM) and Digital X-ray diffraction (XRD) facilities at the Modern Mineral Processing Laboratory of IBM. These advanced technologies will enhance mineral analysis capabilities, contributing to India’s strategic mineral mission by improving accuracy, efficiency, and sustainability in mineral processing.

    Minister also chaired a review meeting with Shri Sanjay Lohiya and other officials from IBM, focusing on streamlining operations, enhancing mineral exploration efforts, and leveraging cutting-edge technologies to improve transparency and efficiency in the mining sector.

    Shri Lohya briefed the Minister on Star Ratings System for Sustainable Mining Practices and Mining Tenement System.

    Shri G. Kishan Reddy also chaired a review of the Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminum Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC) within the IBM premises, where he emphasized the importance of research and innovation in aluminum processing and its contribution to India’s self-reliance in mineral resources.

    The Union Minister planted saplings at the IBM headquarters, symbolizing the commitment to environmental sustainability and green initiatives in the mining sector.

    The visit reinforces the Ministry’s dedication to fostering self-reliance in mineral resources and advancing India’s position in the global mineral sector.

    ****

    ST

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy Reviews IBM, JNARDDC Operations, Inaugurates Advanced Scanning & XRD Facilities in Nagpur

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 07 OCT 2024 8:44PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister for Coal and Mines, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, visited the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) headquarters in Nagpur, where he reviewed the progress of key initiatives, launched digital innovations, and underscored the government’s commitment to advancing India’s mineral exploration and processing capabilities.

    During the visit, Shri G. Kishan Reddy visited IBM’s state-of-the-art Modern Mineral Processing Lab at Hinga, Nagpur. The lab is pivotal to India’s strategic mineral mission. The lab’s advanced technologies in critical mineral processing and beneficiation were showcased, with Shri Sanjay Lohiya, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Controller General of IBM, highlighting the lab’s role in promoting efficiency, sustainability, and global competitiveness.

    Shri G Kishan Reddy inaugurated the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESM) and Digital X-ray diffraction (XRD) facilities at the Modern Mineral Processing Laboratory of IBM. These advanced technologies will enhance mineral analysis capabilities, contributing to India’s strategic mineral mission by improving accuracy, efficiency, and sustainability in mineral processing.

    Minister also chaired a review meeting with Shri Sanjay Lohiya and other officials from IBM, focusing on streamlining operations, enhancing mineral exploration efforts, and leveraging cutting-edge technologies to improve transparency and efficiency in the mining sector.

    Shri Lohya briefed the Minister on Star Ratings System for Sustainable Mining Practices and Mining Tenement System.

    Shri G. Kishan Reddy also chaired a review of the Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminum Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC) within the IBM premises, where he emphasized the importance of research and innovation in aluminum processing and its contribution to India’s self-reliance in mineral resources.

    The Union Minister planted saplings at the IBM headquarters, symbolizing the commitment to environmental sustainability and green initiatives in the mining sector.

    The visit reinforces the Ministry’s dedication to fostering self-reliance in mineral resources and advancing India’s position in the global mineral sector.

    ****

    ST

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Haryana records 67.9% turnout in Assembly elections 2024; scores 3% higher than Lok Sabha voting

    Source: Government of India

    Haryana records 67.9% turnout in Assembly elections 2024; scores 3% higher than Lok Sabha voting

    Urban Apathy continues to drag down overall state turnout

    Posted On: 07 OCT 2024 8:46PM by PIB Delhi

    A voter turnout of 67.9% has been recorded across the 90 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) in the Haryana Assembly Elections 2024, reflecting significantly higher voter response compared to last Lok Sabha elections which recorded 64.8% voting in the state. The turnout nearly touches the figures of Assembly Elections in 2019, which stood at 68.3%. Voters across rural areas turned up at polling stations with greater vigour. The gender wise voter turnout figures are given below:

    Single Phase

    Male Turnout

    Female turnout

    Third gender turnout

    Overall turnout

    90ACs

    68.93%

    66.73%

    25.27%

    67.90%

     

    2. The disturbing trend of Urban Apathy, however, continues to significantly impact overall state voter turnout, with many urban constituencies in Haryana recording turnout rates 10% below the state average.

    Voter turnout at polling stations in some prominent urban ACs in Haryana

    Name of AC

    Turnout in 2024 Assembly Elections

    Difference in %turnout

    from 2024 LA state average (67.9%)

     

    Turnout in 2019 Assembly Elections

    Difference in % turnout

    from 2019 LA state average (68.3%)

    Gurgaon

    51.81%

    16.09%

    52.36%

    15.9%

    Faridabad

    53.74%

    14.16%

    49.56%

    18.7%

    Panchkula

    59.37%

    8.53%

    60.03%

    8.3%

    Ballabhgarh

    53.27%

    14.63%

    51.42%

    16.9%

    Sonipat

    57.67%

    10.23%

    61.86%

    6.4%

    Karnal

    56.37%

    11.53%

    52.29%

    16.01%

    Badshahpur

    54.26%

    13.64%

     

    57.61%

    10.7%

     

    3. This trend of low urban participation mirrors similar patterns seen in previous assembly elections in Karnataka, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Countrywide various initiatives were undertaken by the Commission in the previous elections to motivate and engage the urban voters. Ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, special consultations with Municipal Commissioners and DEOs from select districts and introduction of TIP (Turnout Implementation Plan) were undertaken. However, despite the Commission’s intensive efforts to engage and motivate urban voters, the participation continues to be subpar. Recently, during the review visit in Maharashtra, CEC Shri Rajiv Kumar had again emphasised on all DEOs and MCs to work on improving voter turnout, especially in urban areas. The Commission, while expressing concerns over the discernible lower turnout in urban areas in Haryana and in J&K, has resolved to further strengthen measures and innovative outreach to deal with urban apathy in the upcoming elections in predominantly urban states like Maharashtra.

    4. Voting turnout trends at the polling stations on the poll day was facilitated by the Commission through its Voter turnout App, every two hours starting 9:30 am onwards. CEO Haryana has confirmed that all polling parties have returned safely and scrutiny has completed in the presence of the candidates/their authorised agents. The Assembly Constituency and gender wise voter turnout data for Haryana Assembly Elections is given at Table 1. Further, a copy of Form 17C is also provided to the candidates through their polling agents.

    5. The voter turnout given in Table 1 is at the polling stations and final votes polled will be available post-counting with counting of postal ballots. Postal Ballots include Postal Ballots given to service voters, absentee voters (85+, PwD, Essential Services etc.) and Voters on Election Duty. Daily account of such Postal ballots received, as per established guidelines, are given to all candidates.

    Table 1: AC wise and Gender wise Voter turnout at polling stations for Haryana Assembly Elections

    AC No.

    AC Name

    Registered Elector

    Voter Turnout Percentage

    Total

    Male

    Female

    TG

    Total Percentage

    1

    KALKA

    202052

    73.95%

    70.03%

    20.00%

    72.07%

    2

    PANCHKULA

    236193

    60.99%

    57.58%

    12.50%

    59.37%

    3

    NARAINGARH

    191954

    74.57%

    71.95%

    44.44%

    73.33%

    4

    AMBALA CANTT.

    206271

    65.64%

    63.15%

    18.18%

    64.45%

    5

    AMBALA CITY

    262199

    64.23%

    61.70%

    10.00%

    63.02%

    6

    MULANA

    224118

    72.06%

    69.88%

    33.33%

    71.04%

    7

    SADHAURA

    220596

    79.62%

    77.54%

    Nil

    78.65%

    8

    JAGADHRI

    233840

    79.43%

    77.09%

    100.00%

    78.34%

    9

    YAMUNANAGAR

    243023

    68.43%

    65.88%

    0.00%

    67.24%

    10

    RADAUR

    208812

    73.75%

    72.08%

    0.00%

    72.97%

    11

    LADWA

    196536

    74.85%

    75.07%

    0.00%

    74.96%

    12

    SHAHBAD

    171536

    71.41%

    69.33%

    50.00%

    70.42%

    13

    THANESAR

    218409

    64.68%

    65.38%

    28.57%

    65.01%

    14

    PEHOWA

    186944

    67.54%

    69.59%

    50.00%

    68.53%

    15

    GUHLA

    192364

    68.66%

    69.97%

    75.00%

    69.29%

    16

    KALAYAT

    214107

    74.65%

    74.00%

    33.33%

    74.34%

    17

    KAITHAL

    222913

    75.41%

    74.62%

    50.00%

    75.04%

    18

    PUNDRI

    192443

    70.04%

    70.21%

    50.00%

    70.12%

    19

    NILOKHERI

    233507

    64.93%

    61.96%

    75.00%

    63.50%

    20

    INDRI

    218716

    72.26%

    70.16%

    0.00%

    71.25%

    21

    KARNAL

    266616

    57.96%

    54.68%

    40.00%

    56.37%

    22

    GHARAUNDA

    242271

    73.15%

    70.55%

    40.00%

    71.91%

    23

    ASSANDH

    242385

    68.43%

    64.79%

    25.00%

    66.70%

    24

    PANIPAT RURAL

    289385

    69.84%

    68.76%

    60.00%

    69.34%

    25

    PANIPAT CITY

    234020

    64.52%

    60.49%

    25.00%

    62.62%

    26

    ISRANA

    183606

    71.75%

    68.45%

    0.00%

    70.20%

    27

    SAMALKHA

    229240

    74.96%

    71.47%

    0.00%

    73.33%

    28

    GANAUR

    194344

    73.26%

    70.96%

    Nil

    72.18%

    29

    RAI

    199861

    71.19%

    68.48%

    12.50%

    69.94%

    30

    KHARKHAUDA

    177128

    65.49%

    61.98%

    22.22%

    63.85%

    31

    SONIPAT

    251087

    59.04%

    56.18%

    20.00%

    57.67%

    32

    GOHANA

    195124

    67.87%

    64.98%

    18.18%

    66.52%

    33

    BARODA

    188907

    69.41%

    67.58%

    Nil

    68.57%

    34

    JULANA

    184665

    74.66%

    74.67%

    0.00%

    74.66%

    35

    SAFIDON

    195528

    74.85%

    74.24%

    0.00%

    74.56%

    36

    JIND

    203721

    66.81%

    64.75%

    33.33%

    65.83%

    37

    UCHANA KALAN

    218507

    75.39%

    75.50%

    Nil

    75.44%

    38

    NARWANA

    224432

    71.63%

    69.67%

    100.00%

    70.71%

    39

    TOHANA

    231884

    77.86%

    76.86%

    66.67%

    77.39%

    40

    FATEHABAD

    258978

    75.91%

    73.82%

    40.00%

    74.92%

    41

    RATIA

    227487

    73.16%

    70.62%

    14.29%

    71.95%

    42

    KALANWALI

    184203

    76.94%

    74.78%

    33.33%

    75.92%

    43

    DABWALI

    207722

    78.88%

    76.84%

    33.33%

    77.92%

    44

    RANIA

    189408

    76.68%

    75.04%

    25.00%

    75.91%

    45

    SIRSA

    232026

    68.88%

    66.52%

    54.55%

    67.76%

    46

    ELLENABAD

    195547

    81.52%

    79.58%

    66.67%

    80.61%

    47

    ADAMPUR

    178650

    76.24%

    74.59%

    50.00%

    75.47%

    48

    UKLANA

    215906

    68.03%

    64.62%

    50.00%

    66.44%

    49

    NARNAUND

    214830

    76.35%

    76.24%

    Nil

    76.30%

    50

    HANSI

    203214

    70.97%

    67.83%

    0.00%

    69.50%

    51

    BARWALA

    189112

    74.27%

    72.76%

    0.00%

    73.56%

    52

    HISAR

    182083

    62.76%

    59.98%

    33.33%

    61.44%

    53

    NALWA

    180375

    71.85%

    70.46%

    50.00%

    71.19%

    54

    LOHARU

    206663

    79.22%

    80.15%

    0.00%

    79.66%

    55

    BADHRA

    197966

    72.02%

    71.62%

    100.00%

    71.83%

    56

    DADRI

    208350

    68.39%

    66.38%

    Nil

    67.44%

    57

    BHIWANI

    236537

    62.18%

    59.23%

    0.00%

    60.77%

    58

    TOSHAM

    221442

    72.38%

    72.09%

    0.00%

    72.24%

    59

    BAWANI KHERA

    215564

    71.13%

    69.67%

    Nil

    70.45%

    60

    MEHAM

    199898

    74.54%

    73.63%

    50.00%

    74.12%

    61

    GARHI SAMPLA – KILOI

    221912

    69.21%

    64.51%

    Nil

    67.02%

    62

    ROHTAK

    199738

    61.63%

    58.18%

    0.00%

    59.96%

    63

    KALANAUR

    216156

    67.14%

    64.41%

    100.00%

    65.86%

    64

    BAHADURGARH

    245974

    65.22%

    63.63%

    0.00%

    64.47%

    65

    BADLI

    187603

    71.39%

    68.51%

    0.00%

    70.02%

    66

    JHAJJAR

    190025

    65.67%

    62.75%

    0.00%

    64.27%

    67

    BERI

    183266

    65.66%

    62.91%

    20.00%

    64.37%

    68

    ATELI

    202985

    70.70%

    70.45%

    Nil

    70.58%

    69

    MAHENDRAGARH

    209992

    72.40%

    73.26%

    Nil

    72.81%

    70

    NARNAUL

    156372

    68.29%

    65.86%

    0.00%

    67.14%

    71

    NANGAL CHAUDHRY

    165930

    69.85%

    71.07%

    0.00%

    70.42%

    72

    BAWAL

    229170

    69.54%

    66.21%

    Nil

    67.95%

    73

    KOSLI

    249851

    70.52%

    69.83%

    100.00%

    70.19%

    74

    REWARI

    253892

    67.61%

    63.95%

    50.00%

    65.86%

    75

    PATAUDI

    254780

    64.79%

    58.26%

    0.00%

    61.67%

    76

    BADSHAHPUR

    520958

    56.30%

    51.96%

    23.53%

    54.26%

    77

    GURGAON

    443102

    53.50%

    49.95%

    14.29%

    51.81%

    78

    SOHNA

    286119

    73.06%

    68.55%

    33.33%

    70.95%

    79

    NUH

    207841

    74.87%

    73.90%

    33.33%

    74.42%

    80

    FEROZEPUR JHIRKA

    247350

    73.02%

    73.25%

    0.00%

    73.13%

    81

    PUNAHANA

    206279

    70.53%

    71.16%

    0.00%

    70.81%

    82

    HATHIN

    240643

    78.63%

    76.98%

    36.36%

    77.87%

    83

    HODAL

    196672

    73.28%

    70.58%

    11.11%

    72.02%

    84

    PALWAL

    267983

    73.15%

    70.06%

    42.86%

    71.70%

    85

    PRITHLA

    226202

    76.25%

    71.47%

    66.67%

    74.02%

    86

    FARIDABAD NIT

    321159

    61.47%

    58.59%

    16.67%

    60.18%

    87

    BADKHAL

    332125

    50.34%

    45.86%

    8.33%

    48.27%

    88

    BALLABGARH

    274743

    54.10%

    52.25%

    0.00%

    53.27%

    89

    FARIDABAD

    265869

    55.38%

    51.86%

    12.50%

    53.74%

    90

    TIGAON

    374454

    56.35%

    51.90%

    4.00%

    54.34%

    Total

    20354350

    68.93%

    66.73%

    25.27%

    67.90%

    *NIL means there are no registered third gender electors

    *******

    PK/RP

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi expresses heartfelt gratitude on completion of 23 years as head of government

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi expresses heartfelt gratitude on completion of 23 years as head of government

    During my 13 years as Chief Minister, Gujarat emerged as a shining example of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’: PM

    Over 25 crore people have been freed from the clutches of poverty. India has become the fifth largest economy: PM

    India’s developmental strides have ensured that our country is being viewed with utmost optimism globally: PM

    I will not rest till our collective goal of a Viksit Bharat is realised: PM

    Posted On: 07 OCT 2024 9:06PM by PIB Delhi

    The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed his heartfelt gratitude for completing 23 years as the head of a government. Shri Modi recalled his time as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and said that Gujarat emerged as a shining example of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,’ ensuring prosperity for all sections of society. Reflecting on the past decade, the Prime Minister said that India’s developmental strides have ensured that our country is being viewed with utmost optimism globally. He reassured the citizens he would keep working tirelessly and not rest till the collective goal of a Viksit Bharat is realised.

    The Prime Minister posted a thread on X:

    “#23YearsOfSeva…

    A heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has sent their blessings and good wishes as I complete 23 years as the head of a government. It was on October 7, 2001, that I took on the responsibility of serving as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. It was the greatness of my Party, @BJP4India, to task a humble Karyakarta like me with the responsibility of heading the state administration.”

    “When I assumed office as CM, Gujarat was facing numerous challenges – the 2001 Kutch Earthquake, before that a Super Cyclone, a massive drought, and the legacy of many decades of Congress misrule like loot, communalism and casteism. Powered by Jana Shakti, we rebuilt Gujarat and propelled it to new heights of progress, even in a sector like agriculture, for which the state was not traditionally known.”

    “During my 13 years as Chief Minister, Gujarat emerged as a shining example of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,’ ensuring prosperity for all sections of society. In 2014, the people of India blessed my Party with a record mandate, thus enabling me to serve as Prime Minister. This was a historic moment, as it marked the first time in 30 years that a party secured a full majority.”

    “Over the past decade, we have been able to address several challenges our nation faces. Over 25 crore people have been freed from the clutches of poverty. India has become the fifth largest economy and this has particularly helped our MSMEs, StartUps sector and more. New avenues of prosperity have opened for our hardworking farmers, Nari Shakti, Yuva Shakti and the poor as well as marginalized sections of society.”

    “India’s developmental strides have ensured that our country is being viewed with utmost optimism globally. The world is keen to engage with us, invest in our people and be a part of our success. At the same time, India is working extensively to overcome global challenges be it climate change, improving healthcare, realising SDGs and more.”

    “Much has been achieved over the years but there is still more to be done. The learnings over these 23 years enabled us to come up with pioneering initiatives which have made an impact both nationally and globally. I assure my fellow Indians that I will keep working tirelessly, with even more vigour in service of the people. I will not rest till our collective goal of a Viksit Bharat is realised.”

     

    ***

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Textiles celebrates ‘World Cotton Day’ 2024

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Ministry of Textiles celebrates ‘World Cotton Day’ 2024

    Adoption of best farm practice can increase yield of Cotton: Textiles Minister

    Industry signs several Memorandum of Understandings to promote Indian Kasturi Cotton Brand

    Posted On: 07 OCT 2024 10:11PM by PIB Delhi

    The Union Minister of Textiles, Shri Giriraj Singh attended the celebration of World Cotton Day 2024 here today. The Ministry of Textiles jointly hosted the conference with Confederation of Indian Textile Industries (CITI) and Cotton Corporation of India focusing on the theme of “Megatrends Shaping Cotton Textile Value Chain”.

    The Textiles Minister while addressing the august gathering reiterated the commitment of the government to achieve the target of USD 350 billion by 2030 including export target of USD 100 billion. This could only be achieved, if all the stakeholders in the cotton value chain join hands together. He also shared the experience that how adoption of best farm practice  like high density planting, closer spacing, drip fertigation etc., can increase the yield to even 1500 Kgs per hectares as against the present national average yield of about 450 kgs. Therefore, there is dire need to adopt best farm practices on saturation mode. The outcome of this pilot project will encourage the farmers of other area to adopt these practices for better yield.

    He also expressed his concern about the problem of weed management in cotton farming which increases labour cost to cotton farmers. Further, cotton being predominantly grown in black soil causes difficulties in wet soil to have timely weed management. The efforts be made to help cotton farmers to overcome weed management problem by adopting suitable new seed varieties and he appealed to take this issue with all seriousness and examine the suitability of this new seed technology available in the world like HT BT for adoption in our country.

    Smt Rachna Shah, Textiles Secretary in her address mentioned about the importance of cotton economy, which provides livelihood to six million cotton farmers directly and another employment to 45 million people engaged directly or indirectly in various other activities in the cotton value chain. She mentioned about the share of cotton fibre to the total fibre in the country at about 60%, where the same is at 23% in the world. However, she urged that all the stakeholders of the cotton value chain to concentrate in increasing cotton productivity, as India ranks 35th in terms of yield. She appealed all stakeholders to adopt collaborative approach to address this serious challenge of productivity, being faced by entire cotton value chain.

    Smt. Shubha Thakur, Additional Secretary, MoA&FW while discussing on the initiatives of the government in increasing yield of cotton, reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to work in close coordination with Ministry of Textiles, in adopting best farm practice by the farmers so as to improve livelihood of the farmers.  

    Smt Prajakta Verma Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles while delivering key note address informed that enhancing sustainability is paramount and therefore Ministry has encouraged collaborative approach through formation of Textile Advisory Group (TAG) where the challenges of Textile Industry are being addressed through participative approach. She also highlighted inter-ministerial coordination in launching initiative of holistic plan to increase cotton production and yield which enable the farmers to increase their income.

    The Union Minister of Textiles along with the dignitaries of the event visited to various exhibitor stalls who showcased Kasturi cotton products, recycled textiles, products of scrap fabrics, Handloom products etc.

    The one day conference in commemoration of World Cotton Day 2024, highlighted best practices and sustainable farming methods, traceability, ESG data points for connecting farm to fashion, targeting technology like HDPS,  spanning from Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign. Brainstorming sessions addressed crucial topics, including “Enhancing Sustainability & Traceability”, “Decent work in cotton supply chain”, “Evolving Trends in Cotton Farming” and “Cotton Trading and Risk Management “for Enhancing Quality & Productivity of Cotton”.

    During inaugural session Shri Rohit Kansal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Textile highlighted that the country has set a target of creating Textile Ecosystem of USD 350 bn by 2030 from current USD 176 bn. He urged the stakeholders of cotton textile value chain to be cognisant of the challenges that are being posed by current and potential competing fibres so that cotton will be legacy sector of Indian Textile Industry, further he emphasised the sustainability is a sine qua non for cotton textile value chain. 

    Shri Lalit Kumar Gupta, CMD CCI highlighted the important role being played by CCI as central nodal agency in empowering cotton farmers by use of technology and provides an alternate market channel for selling their produce.

    Shri Rakesh Mehra, Chairman CITI emphasized that cotton being the oldest fibre in the textile industry plays a significant role in driving economic growth, employment generation, provides livelihood to farmers, women empowerment. He urged that the cotton to be produced more and more and increase the productivity so that the industry gets the raw material at competitive price.

    The various other eminent speakers shared their experience and valuable insights during the occasion.

    ***

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – EU forking out EUR 123 million for a bridge to be built by a Chinese company in Tunisia – E-001871/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001871/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Jordan Bardella (PfE)

    The fact that the contract to build the Bizerte bridge in Tunisia has been awarded to the Chinese company Sichuan Road and Bridge Group has raised concerns about the allocation of public funds to third countries. Costing EUR 200 million in total, the project is primarily financed by a loan of EUR 123 million from the European Investment Bank.

    With the EU being one of the main donors, one has to question the transparency of the selection processes and the relevance of using EU funds to support non-EU companies, especially in a context where China is stepping up its efforts to establish itself in North Africa through the New Silk Routes Initiative.

    • 1.What control mechanisms has the Commission put in place to ensure that priority is given to allocating EU funds to European companies in international projects?
    • 2.How will it ensure greater transparency in the award of contracts financed by the EU abroad?
    • 3.How will it strengthen Mediterranean cooperation while ensuring that European companies are better positioned in future EU-funded projects in third countries?

    Submitted: 30.9.2024

    Last updated: 7 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Social situation and government repression in Bangladesh – E-001526/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The spokesperson statement on Bangladesh of 19 July 2024 mentioned by the Honourable Member[1] was followed by three statements by the High Representative/Vice-President (HR/VP) on 30 July, 5 August and 8 August 2024.

    In these statements[2], HR/VP voiced the EU concern over unlawful killings and stressed the need to fully respect all human rights and to ensure full accountability.

    On 8 August 2024, a new interim-government was sworn-in, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Muhammad Yunus.

    Bangladesh is now entering a period of transition and the interim government will have an important task to prepare the ground for democratic elections and ensure accountability for the deaths and violence that have occurred.

    The EU looks forward to engaging with the new administration and to supporting this critical transition which should be part of a peaceful and inclusive process underpinned by good governance, democratic values and respect for human rights.

    Last updated: 7 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on strengthening Moldova’s resilience against Russian interference ahead of the upcoming presidential election and a constitutional referendum on EU integration – B10-0082/2024

    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

    B10‑0000/2024

    European Parliament resolution on strengthening Moldova’s resilience against Russian interference ahead of the upcoming presidential election and a constitutional referendum on EU integration

    (2024/2821(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to Articles 2 and 49 of the Treaty on European Union,

    – having regard to the European Council decision of 23 June 2022 to grant EU candidate country status to Moldova,

    – having regard to the interim opinion of the Venice Commission of 13 March 2023 on the draft law on limiting excessive economic and political influence in public life (de‑oligarchisation),

    – having regard to the joint staff working document of 6 February 2023 entitled ‘Association Implementation Report on the Republic of Moldova’, reviewing Moldova’s implementation of reforms under the EU-Moldova Association Agreement since October 2021 (SWD(2023)0041),

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

    A. whereas Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe; whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has further affected living standards;

    B. whereas the Russian Federation has been using provocation, disinformation, illegal funding of political parties, cyberattacks and other hybrid means to undermine the stability, sovereignty, constitutional order and democratic institutions of the Republic of Moldova;

    C. whereas Russian missiles targeting Ukraine have flown over the Republic of Moldova’s territory on several occasions, in clear violation of Moldova’s sovereignty;

    D. whereas oligarchs have an excessive influence on vested interests in economic, political and public life in Moldova;

    E. whereas in September, certain members of the party founded by fugitive oligarch Ilan Șor were accused by the Moldovan judiciary of having received money from accounts held by the Russian bank Promsvyazbank in order to take part in demonstrations ahead of the presidential election in October; whereas oligarch Ilan Șor fled to Russia in 2019 after being sentenced to 15 years in prison for fraud and money laundering; whereas Șor’s party was declared ‘unconstitutional’ by the Constitutional Court, accused of seeking to destabilise Moldova in collusion with Russia, and banned;

    F. whereas in July 2023, the Transnistrian Communist Party leader, Oleg Khorzhan, was found stabbed to death in his home; whereas Oleg Khorzhan was a public critic of the de facto authorities and reported on human rights abuses in prison; whereas no effective investigation into his death has been carried out;

    G. whereas presidential elections are scheduled to be held on 20 October 2024 in conjunction with a referendum on joining the EU; whereas Moldova was officially granted candidate status by the EU in June 2022 and negotiations were opened in December 2023;

    H. whereas reducing corruption is one of the nine steps Moldova needs to address before joining the EU;

    1. Notes with concern the attempts by Russia to influence the outcome of the presidential election and referendum in Moldova, notably through the actions of several members of the party funded by the convicted oligarch Ilan Șor, who is also subject to EU sanctions;

    2. Notes with concern the increasing spread of pre-election propaganda and disinformation by Russian sources in Moldova on social media, with the aim of misleading voters or reducing turnout in the referendum; calls on social media platforms to adapt the design of their algorithms to mitigate the spread of illegal content, hate speech and disinformation online;

    3. Recognises and encourages the efforts of the Moldovan authorities to allow all Moldovans to vote, including those living in the breakaway Republic of Transnistria or residing abroad;

    4. Expresses understanding that the Moldovan authorities are intervening against social media and other actors who are clearly operating on behalf of Russia in spreading lies and seeking to sabotage a fair election process; underlines the importance of supporting the Moldovan authorities in their efforts to counter Russian influence; calls for the EU to continue helping Moldova to strengthen its capacities and resilience in the area;

    5. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to protect basic democratic values, including freedom of expression, the media and organisation, and to never impose any limits on the possibility to work for a legitimate opposition or engage in critical scrutiny of the media;

    6. Underlines the importance of a stable and democratic Moldova for stability, peace and cooperation throughout the region; calls for the EU to continue to support Moldova’s democratic structures;

    7. Takes note of the importance of the nine conditions set by the Commission for the accession procedure; recognises Moldova’s reform efforts; underlines the importance of continued support from the EU, including strengthening the rule of law and the independence and effectiveness of the Moldovan authorities;

    8. Underscores that financial support should have strong social conditionalities attached to it; recalls that such support should also encompass strengthening the capacities, independence and plurality of civil society organisations and social partner organisations; recommends establishing a sustainable social dialogue as another key area of social intervention;

    9. Highlights the need to speed up the introduction of the new guaranteed minimum wage for all and to improve social protection; reiterates its criticism that the implementation of the social acquis is under-represented in the Commission’s assessments and recommendations and calls for this situation to be changed;

    10. Notes with concern the strong direct and indirect dependence on Russian gas; calls for the EU to support energy conservation, domestic renewable energy production and Moldova’s continued integration into European electricity and gas grids;

    11. Recognises the significant efforts made by the country in receiving Ukrainian refugees; is concerned, however, that with the newest immigration regime, refugees risk losing access to critical goods and services, including access to employment and certain other rights;

    12. Notes Russia’s attempts to foment tensions between the autonomous region of Gaugazia and the Moldovan authorities; condemns Gaugazia Governor Evghenia Gutul’s meeting with Vladimir Putin; encourages the Moldovan Government’s efforts to reduce tensions with the autonomous region of Gaugazia through dialogue and reform;

    13. Underlines the fact that the region of Transnistria is under Russian influence and is being used to destabilise the democratic government in Moldova; condemns President Vladimir Putin’s decision to revoke a 2012 decree committing Russia to finding a solution for Transnistria; calls on Russia to immediately dismantle its military presence in Transnistria; reiterates its support for a comprehensive and peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian conflict, based on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova with a special status for the region of Transnistria; encourages the implementation of all confidence-building measures designed to avoid destabilisation; believes that a comprehensive and peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian conflict is important for Moldova’s EU accession process;

    14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Government and Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, the UN, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Council of Europe.

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Irregularities in the election process in Belgium – E-001511/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission does not have a general competence to intervene in elections of the Member States. Subject to the respect of certain basic principles, such as those laid down in Articles 2 and 10 of the Treaty on European Union, and their international commitments, it is the competence and the responsibility of the Member States to lay down the specific conditions for the conduct of elections, including on electronic voting, and of the competent national administrative and judicial authorities to ensure compliance with applicable law and relevant international standards. Such standards may include transparency, fairness and reliability.

    As regards the elections to the European Parliament, national electoral procedures must also comply with the principles set out in the Act concerning the election of the Members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, which do not specify who may vote[1].

    The Court explained in Delvigne[2] that the definition of the persons entitled to exercise that right therefore falls within the competence of each Member State in compliance with EU law.

    In December 2023, the Commission issued a Compendium of electronic voting practices[3] which includes specific information on ensuring integrity of electronic voting systems, including through effective testing and auditing of systems.

    In 2023, the Commission presented a recommendation on inclusive and resilient elections[4] which highlighted, among others, the importance of ensuring necessary safeguards and appropriate training for election officials when introducing e-voting.

    The Commission intends to review the follow-up being given to the recommendation by Member States in the context of the Commission’s Report on the 2024 European elections.

    • [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01976X1008%2801%29-20020923
    • [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62013CJ0650
    • [3] https://commission.europa.eu/system/files/2023-12/compendium.pdf
    • [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32023H2829
    Last updated: 7 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – The European Union’s double standard in relation to Ukraine and Cyprus – E-001884/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001884/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Loucas Fourlas (PPE)

    The European Union has shown a strong and immediate response to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, imposing tough sanctions, providing military and humanitarian assistance and supporting the territorial integrity of the country.

    However, it seems that this same determination and solidarity does not apply in relation to the Republic of Cyprus – a Member State of the European Union – part of which has been illegally occupied by Türkiye for 50 years. The EU has not imposed corresponding sanctions against Türkiye, nor has it exerted the same political pressure to end the occupation.

    In view of this:

    • 1.Given that both Ukraine and Cyprus are facing illegal military occupations, how does the Commission justify the double standard in its approach to the situations in the two countries?
    • 2.Will the Commission review its policy and adopt a more assertive stance towards Türkiye with regard to the illegal occupation of Cyprus, imposing sanctions and other measures equivalent to those in place against Russia?

    Submitted: 30.9.2024

    Last updated: 7 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the democratic backsliding and threats to political pluralism in Georgia – B10-0086/2024

    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

    B10‑0086/2024

    European Parliament resolution on the democratic backsliding and threats to political pluralism in

    Georgia

    (2024/2822(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to its previous resolutions on Georgia,

    – having regard to the European Council conclusions of 14 and 15 December 2023 and of 27 June 2024,

    – having regard to the Commission communication of 8 November 2023 entitled ‘2023 Communication on EU Enlargement Policy’ (COM(2023)0690) and to the accompanying Commission staff working document entitled ‘Georgia 2023 Report’ (SWD(2023)0697),

    – having regard to the joint statement of 8 November 2023 by the Chair of the Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus and the European Parliament’s Standing Rapporteur on Georgia on the Commission recommendation of 8 November 2023 on the EU membership application of Georgia,

    – having regard to the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part[1], which entered into force on 1 July 2016,

    – having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in particular Article 215(2) thereof, and to the Treaty on European Union, in particular Article 29 thereof,

    – having regard to the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia and to its September 2009 report,

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

    A. whereas the exercise of freedom of opinion, expression, association and peaceful assembly is a fundamental right enshrined in the Georgian Constitution;

    B. whereas Georgia, as a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as a member of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, has committed itself to the principles of democracy, the rule of law and respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights;

    C. whereas Russia has occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia since the August 2008 conflict that followed Georgia’s attack on Tskhinvali on the night of 7 to 8 August 2008;

    D. whereas in June 2014, the EU and Georgia signed an Association Agreement that entered into force on 1 July 2016;

    E. whereas in December 2023, the European Council granted Georgia the status of EU candidate country;

    F. whereas in March 2017, the EU visa liberalisation agreement with Georgia came into effect, following Georgia’s successful implementation of all the benchmarks set in its visa liberalisation action plan;

    G. whereas parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held in Georgia on 26 October 2024;

    H. whereas Georgia has over 26 000 NGOs –1 for every 142 citizens, which is greater than the EU average;

    I. whereas following the 2020 parliamentary elections, the NGO International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), which received external funding, challenged the official election results and questioned their legitimacy, but later admitted that it had made a significant error in its calculations;

    J. whereas the Parliament of Georgia adopted the ‘transparency of foreign influence’ law, which was signed into law on 3 June 2024 despite the President’s veto; whereas the law was met with protest from parts of Georgian civil society; whereas the law requires organisations receiving more than 20 % of their funding from overseas to register as ‘agents of foreign influence’;

    K. whereas on 17 September 2024, the Parliament of Georgia adopted the ‘family values and the protection of minors’ law, which bans gender transition, prohibits adoption by gay and transgender people, nullifies, on Georgian territory, same-sex marriages performed abroad, and provides a legal basis for the authorities to outlaw Pride events and public displays of the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag and to impose the censorship of films and books;

    L. whereas the Venice Commission stresses that international standards recognise that ensuring gender equality is a positive obligation of the state; whereas on 4 April 2024, the Parliament of Georgia repealed the 2020 amendments introducing gender quotas for candidate lists in parliamentary and local elections, and abolished the associated financial incentives for political parties;

    1. Stresses that Georgia’s future must reflect the will of its people; underlines the necessity of holding free and fair elections, without foreign intervention from any side;

    2. Recalls that the EU accession process is based on objective criteria; regrets the European Council’s decision to suspend financial assistance to Georgia; underlines the benefits of the visa liberalisation agreement and the need to maintain it; emphasises the need for a constructive dialogue between the Government of Georgia and the EU;

    3. Rejects, with deep concern, the adoption of the ‘family values and the protection of minors’ law, and considers it an attack on the LGBTQ+ community and a threat to civil liberties as a whole; rejects, furthermore, the law’s implications for the media, given that it imposes censorship by banning broadcasters from reporting freely on LGBTQ+ issues; reiterates that media freedom and tolerance towards sexual minorities are key factors for the functioning of a democracy;

    4. Notes that the ‘transparency of foreign influence’ law entails the risk that NGOs, civil society organisations, opposition media outlets and other organisations that receive funds from other countries will be labelled as ‘foreign agents’;

    5. Emphasises that the rights to freedom of expression and assembly and to peaceful protest are fundamental freedoms and must be respected in all circumstances; expresses concern over reports of the unnecessary and disproportionate use of force against demonstrators; highlights that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stated that ‘[a]ny restrictions to these rights must abide by principles of legality, necessity and proportionality. The use of force during protests should always be exceptional and a measure of last resort when facing an imminent threat’;

    6. Expresses its readiness to participate in an impartial and independent international election observation mission;

    7. Takes note of the Parliament of Georgia’s decision to abolish mandatory gender quotas; reiterates the need for balanced gender representation in political participation; calls on the Government of Georgia to undertake initiatives in this regard;

    8. Takes note of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statements at a press conference at the UN General Assembly in New York and the corresponding willingness of Georgian officials to resolve outstanding issues in a peaceful, diplomatic way; encourages both sides to undertake solid initiatives in this direction;

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

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on strengthening Moldova’s resilience against Russian interference ahead of the upcoming presidential elections and a constitutional referendum on EU integration – B10-0080/2024

    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

    Siegfried Mureşan, Andrzej Halicki, Michael Gahler, Sebastião Bugalho, David McAllister, Željana Zovko, Nicolás Pascual De La Parte, Isabel Wiseler‑Lima, Antonio López‑Istúriz White, Wouter Beke, Krzysztof Brejza, Daniel Caspary, Rasa Juknevičienė, Sandra Kalniete, Ondřej Kolář, Andrey Kovatchev, Andrius Kubilius, Miriam Lexmann, Vangelis Meimarakis, Ana Miguel Pedro, Davor Ivo Stier, Michał Szczerba, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Matej Tonin, Milan Zver, Ioan‑Rareş Bogdan, Daniel Buda, Gheorghe Falcă, Mircea‑Gheorghe Hava, Dan‑Ştefan Motreanu, Virgil‑Daniel Popescu, Adina Vălean, Loránt Vincze, Iuliu Winkler
    on behalf of the PPE Group

    B10‑0080/2024

    European Parliament resolution on strengthening Moldova’s resilience against Russian interference ahead of the upcoming presidential elections and a constitutional referendum on EU integration

    (2024/2821(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to its recent resolutions on the Republic of Moldova,

    – having regard to the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part[1], which includes a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area,

    – having regard to the Republic of Moldova’s application for EU membership of 3 March 2022, and the European Council’s consequent granting of candidate status on 23 June 2022 based on a positive assessment by the Commission and in line with the views expressed by Parliament,

    – having regard to the convening of the first intergovernmental conference on Moldova’s accession to the EU, held in June 2024,

    – having regard to Articles 2 and 49 of the Treaty on European Union,

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

    A. whereas the Republic of Moldova will hold presidential elections and a constitutional referendum on EU integration on 20 October 2024;

    B. whereas the Russian Federation has been using provocation, disinformation, illegal funding of political parties, cyberattacks and other hybrid means to undermine the stability, sovereignty, constitutional order and democratic institutions of the Republic of Moldova; whereas Russia’s subversive activities in Moldova seek to undermine popular support for the European path chosen by the Moldovan people and foster destabilisation;

    C. whereas in 2023, the EU imposed sanctions on key Moldovan oligarchs and pro-Russian sympathisers, such as Ilan Shor, Vladimir Plahotniuc, Igor Ceaika, Gheorghe Cavaliuc and Marina Tauber, on the basis of a recently established sanctions regime targeting persons responsible for actions aimed at destabilising, undermining or threatening the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Moldova;

    D. whereas in June 2024, the US, together with the UK and Canada, exposed Russia’s efforts to engage in subversive activities and electoral interference targeting the Republic of Moldova;

    E. whereas in September 2024, the US designated three entities and two individuals for their involvement in Russia’s destabilising actions abroad, highlighting the covert capabilities of state-funded RT, formerly Russia Today; whereas the US revealed that RT has moved beyond media operations and is actively engaged in cyber activities, covert influence, military procurement, information warfare across multiple regions and efforts to interfere in Moldova’s electoral processes, as well as directly supporting fugitive Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor and coordinating with Russian intelligence to influence the outcome of Moldova’s October 2024 presidential elections and constitutional referendum on EU accession;

    F. whereas the Republic of Moldova has taken steps to combat Russian interference, including by banning pro-Russian political parties, sanctioning oligarchs, suspending media outlets that spread disinformation, and increasing customs controls;

    G. whereas, despite all these attempts at destabilisation, the Moldovan people and the Moldovan leadership have remained determined to follow their chosen pro-European path;

    H. whereas on 3 March 2022, the Republic of Moldova applied for EU membership and, on 17 June 2022, the Commission presented its opinions on the applications submitted by Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova; whereas Moldova was granted the status of EU candidate country on 23 June 2022; whereas the Commission outlined nine steps for Moldova to address in its 2023 enlargement package report, which was presented on 8 November 2023, recommending the opening of accession negotiations, provided that remaining reforms in justice, anti-corruption and deoligarchisation were accomplished; whereas the European Council decided to open accession negotiations on 14 December 2023, and the first intergovernmental conference formally launching these negotiations was held on 25 June 2024; whereas EU accession remains a merit-based process that requires fulfilment of the EU membership criteria;

    I. whereas the Moldovan Government has been pursuing an ambitious political, judicial and institutional reform process; whereas despite the dramatic effects of the war on Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova has managed to significantly consolidate its democracy and maintain the reform trajectory; whereas the improvements in the country’s democratic system have been reflected in its progress on various international indexes;

    J. whereas on 24 April 2023, the EU set up the Partnership Mission in Moldova under the common security and defence policy, with the objective of enhancing the security sector’s resilience in the areas of crisis management, hybrid threats and countering foreign information manipulation and interference;

    K. whereas on 21 May 2024, Moldova became the first country to sign a Security and Defence Partnership with the EU, which will help strengthen cooperation on security and defence policy between the EU and Moldova;

    1. Reaffirms its commitment to the Republic of Moldova’s future membership of the EU and acknowledges that its place is in the EU; believes that its membership in the EU would constitute a geostrategic investment in a united and strong Europe;

    2. Calls on the Commission to accelerate the completion of the bilateral screening process, which will allow for the swift organisation of future intergovernmental conferences and for the opening of negotiations under Cluster I on Fundamentals as soon as possible;

    3. Condemns the increasing malicious activities, interference and hybrid warfare deployed by the Russian Federation, its institutions and proxies, with the aim of undermining and subverting the democratic electoral process, stability and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova ahead of the presidential elections and the constitutional referendum on EU integration;

    4. Reiterates its call on the Russian authorities to respect the Republic of Moldova’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to cease its provocations and attempts to destabilise the country and undermine its constitutional order and democratic institutions;

    5. Calls for the EU and its Member States to ensure that all necessary assistance is provided to the Republic of Moldova to strengthen its institutional mechanisms and its ability to respond to hybrid threats and counter disinformation and cyberattacks; underlines the importance of the EU Partnership Mission in the Republic of Moldova in strengthening the resilience of Moldova’s security sector in the areas of crisis management and hybrid threats, including cybersecurity and countering foreign information manipulation and interference, and calls for its mandate to be extended;

    6. Encourages the EU and its Member States to actively support Moldova in countering disinformation, hybrid threats, cyberattacks and multifaceted Russian interference; emphasises the particular importance of countering Russia’s falsification and instrumentalisation of history, which underscores its malign interference in the Republic of Moldova and is used to justify its war of aggression against Ukraine and its threats of further aggression against other states; considers that this should include enhancing the Republic of Moldova’s capacity to combat disinformation, strengthen its cybersecurity infrastructure and improve resilience against foreign malign influence, ensuring a secure and democratic environment; calls for increased support for Moldova’s Center for Strategic Communication and Combating Disinformation;

    7. Calls for the EU and like-minded states to closely monitor Russian interference in the Moldovan electoral process and to stand ready to use existing sanctions regimes against individuals and entities that actively participate in subverting and destabilising the political landscape, spread disinformation and sow chaos;

    8. Underlines the importance of continuing the country’s reform process, not only in order to achieve the political objective of EU membership, but above all to tangibly improve the standard of living for all sections of society in the country; welcomes the widespread support in the Republic of Moldova for its European integration;

    9. Calls for the EU and its Member States to increase financial and technical assistance to the Republic of Moldova to facilitate the process of the country’s swift and effective integration into the EU; recommends the creation of robust and flexible tools tailored to Moldova’s specific needs in order to efficiently address its economic and structural challenges, ensuring the country remains resilient and capable of implementing necessary reforms on its EU accession path, and ensuring that it is adequately funded; calls on the Commission, in this regard, to include the Republic of Moldova in the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance and to prioritise funding for candidate countries in its proposal for the next multiannual financial framework (2028-2034), ensuring the path towards EU membership;

    10. Calls for the adoption of a new growth plan for the Republic of Moldova so as to adequately finance and support Moldova in achieving economic convergence with the EU; believes that this plan should finance investments in infrastructure, human capital and the digital and green transitions, facilitating sustainable economic growth;

    11. Reiterates its call for an innovative, complementary and flexible interaction between the implementation of the Association Agreement and the accession negotiation process, allowing for the Republic of Moldova’s gradual integration into the EU single market, based on a priority action plan and relevant sectoral programmes and providing access to relevant EU funds, enabling Moldovan citizens to reap the benefits of accession during the process rather than only at its completion;

    12. Advocates increased financial assistance from the European Peace Facility to further enhance Moldova’s defence capabilities, with a particular focus on air defence systems, mobility and transport, command and control, electronic warfare and logistics;

    13. Welcomes the Moldovan authorities’ considerable efforts to advance the reform agenda in order to progress towards EU membership; commends the progress made by the Republic of Moldova on justice-sector reform, especially in the context of the implementation of the Commission recommendations on Moldova’s accession application; encourages the Moldovan Government to continue working with all stakeholders towards a sustainable and comprehensive justice and anti-corruption reform, in line with EU and Venice Commission recommendations; emphasises the absolute priority of strengthening the rule of law, which has substantially gained in importance in the EU accession process and remains one of the most important conditions for EU membership to ensure that EU enlargement strengthens rather than weakens the EU and its single market;

    14. Encourages the Commission to assist the Republic of Moldova in strengthening its energy security by supporting the construction of new electricity interconnections with neighbouring countries; calls on the Commission to stand ready to offer emergency assistance in case of an energy crisis ahead of and during the heating season; calls for the EU to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects as a clean and sustainable way of diversifying Moldova’s energy supply;

    15. Commends Moldova’s accession to EU programmes such as EU4Health, Customs, Horizon Europe, LIFE, FISCALIS, Connecting Europe Facility, the Single Market Programme, Digital Europe, Creative Europe, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, Joint Procurement Agreement to procure medical countermeasures, Employment and Social Innovation Programme, Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme 2021-2027, Interreg Danube Region Programme 2021-2027, Interreg NEXT Romania-Republic of Moldova Programme 2021-2027 and Erasmus+; supports the inclusion of Moldova in the ‘roam like at home’ initiative;

    16. Calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service to improve strategic communication about the EU in the Republic of Moldova; calls on the Commission and the Member States to continue to support media literacy and the independence of the media in the Republic of Moldova, and to support the digital hardening of its critical infrastructure and the replacement of Russian-origin information and communications technology systems;

    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, the Government and Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Council of Europe.

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the democratic backsliding and threats to political pluralism in Georgia – B10-0084/2024

    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

    B10‑0084/2024

    European Parliament resolution on the democratic backsliding and threats to political pluralism in Georgia

    (2024/2822(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to its previous resolutions on Georgia,

    – having regard to the statement by the spokesperson for the European External Action Service of 4 September 2024 on the legislative package on ‘family values and protection of minors’,

    – having regard to the statement by the High Representative with the European Commission of 15 May 2024 on the adoption of the ‘transparency of foreign influence’ law,

    – having regard to the European Council conclusions of 27 June 2024,

    – having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

    – having regard to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,

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

    A. whereas the exercise of freedom of opinion, expression, association and peaceful assembly are fundamental rights enshrined in the Georgian Constitution;

    B. whereas Georgia, as a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as a member of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, has committed itself to the principles of democracy, the rule of law and respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights;

    C. whereas the European Union expects Georgia, a candidate country for EU accession, to abide fully by the international commitments it has made and, in particular, to fulfil the recommendations set out in the Commission’s recommendation of 8 November 2023, on the basis of which the European Council decided to grant candidate status to Georgia;

    D. whereas on 14 May 2024 the Georgian Parliament adopted the ‘transparency of foreign influence’ law despite mass protests of Georgian citizens and repeated calls from Georgia’s European partners to withdraw the draft law which, in spirit and content, contradicts EU norms and values;

    E. whereas the European Council, in its conclusions of 27 June 2024, called on Georgia’s authorities to ‘clarify their intentions by reversing the current course of action which jeopardises Georgia’s EU path, de facto leading to a halt of the accession process’;

    F. whereas on 17 September 2024, the Georgian Parliament adopted another controversial legislative package, namely on ‘family values and protection of minors’;

    1. Condemns the adoption of laws such as those on ‘transparency of foreign influence’ and ‘family values and protection of minors’, which have been met with massive protests by the Georgian public, civil society organisations, independent media, prominent public figures and the country’s European and international partners alike, and which are abused by the government to impose restrictions on critical voices in civil society and the non-governmental organisation (NGO) sector or to discriminate against vulnerable persons;

    2. Expresses its concern about the climate of hatred and antagonism fuelled by statements by Georgian Government representatives and political leaders, as well as by the government’s attacks against political pluralism, such as its threats to ban opposition parties;

    3. Underlines that the aforementioned laws are incompatible with EU values and democratic principles, run against Georgia’s ambitions for EU membership and endanger the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration;

    4. Calls on the Georgian Parliament to withdraw these laws and to refrain from submitting any further legislative proposals that contradict the principles of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms and which would therefore directly contradict the criteria for EU membership;

    5. Highlights that the controversial laws betray the aspirations of the large majority of the Georgian people to live in a democratic society, continue democratic and rule of law reforms, pursue close cooperation with Euro-Atlantic partners and engage on a path towards EU membership;

    6. Underlines that the public watchdog role exercised by civil society and independent media is essential to a democratic society and crucial in advancing EU accession-related reforms and therefore calls on the Georgian authorities to do their utmost to guarantee an enabling environment in which civil society and independent media can thrive; emphasises that the legitimate aim of ensuring the transparency of NGOs receiving foreign funding cannot in any way justify measures which restrict their activities, especially not in the field of democracy, the rule of law and human rights;

    7. Condemns the murder of a prominent human rights activist belonging to the transgender community the day after the adoption of the law on ‘family values and protection of minors’, as well as the many recent cases of intimidation and attacks against critical voices in civil society;

    8. Recalls that the European Council granted Georgia candidate status at its summit of 14-15 December 2023 on the understanding that the relevant steps set out in the Commission recommendation of 8 November 2023 would be taken; stresses that this recommendation called on Georgia to ensure, among other things, that civil society was able to operate freely and to fight disinformation against the EU and its values; urges the Georgian Government, therefore, to reverse its current political course and return to a path that is aligned with the will of the Georgian people for continued democratic reforms that open up the perspective of future EU membership;

    9. Reiterates its call on the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement and the President of the Commission to remind the Georgian Government of the commitments it made and the values and principles it subscribed to when it applied for EU membership;

    10. Urges the Georgian Government to uphold its commitment to respect, strengthen and promote democracy, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, and genuinely engage in the full implementation of the steps required to fulfil the conditions for candidate status and EU membership, in a spirit of engagement and cooperation with Georgia’s civil society and political opposition;

    11. Reiterates its unwavering support for the Georgian people’s legitimate European aspirations and to their wish to see their country join the European family, and expresses its hope that Georgia will return to its path of democratic reform;

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

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Failure to launch: why the Albanese government is in trouble

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol Johnson, Emerita Professor, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Adelaide

    It wasn’t meant to be like this.

    In her 2022 study of Anthony Albanese, Katharine Murphy describes a prime minister who thought he’d be successfully managing an idealistic, collaborative and positive “new politics” that would favour the Teal independents rather than Dutton’s Liberals. Albanese seemed confident that Labor was destined for an extended period in office. Given he later appointed Murphy to his communications team, he apparently approved of her analysis.

    However, even at the time Murphy’s Lone Wolf: Albanese and the New Politics was published, various commentators, including myself, queried the “new politics” scenario. While the Teals may represent a new politics, it is clear that the old Liberal politics — of culture wars and denouncing Labor’s economic and climate change policies — is also still very much with us.

    Labor and the Liberals are now neck-and-neck in some polls, with minority government (or worse) potentially looming for Labor. Meanwhile, Gareth Evans and Bill Kelty, key figures from the Hawke/Keating period, have excoriated the Albanese government’s allegedly lacklustre performance.

    How did it all go so wrong?

    Great expectations; modest reality

    Some of the reasons can be traced back to difficulties addressing unrealistic expectations in Labor’s 2022 election strategy. Albanese went to the 2022 election with a “new politics”, collaborative style agenda that sought to bring all Australians, including business, labour, Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians together. It was a small target strategy based on assumed common interests, kindness and compassion rather than divisiveness.

    As a result, Labor successfully countered Scott Morrison’s populist, “us versus them” campaign strategy. However, Labor’s approach was to prove easier to implement as an election strategy than in government, as three examples show.

    First, Albanese was channelling Bob Hawke when it came to bringing business and labour together. Yet, the Hawke government’s rapprochement with business was based on business being able to pay lower wages, because workers would be compensated by a government-funded “social wage” in the form of benefits and entitlements.

    By contrast, the Albanese government pledged to end the wage stagnation of the Liberal years and generally increase wages. A major emphasis was placed on improving the wages of low-paid women workers. In the process, Labor tackled issues that arose from Keating’s flawed, neoliberal-influenced, enterprise bargaining model.

    However, key business groups criticised Labor’s resulting industrial relations measures, including multi-employer bargaining, increases in the minimum wage, and measures designed to address precarious and contract work. The Liberals have largely sided with business critiques.

    Second, Labor’s attempts to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians together, via the Voice referendum, fell victim to a divisive, populist campaign by Dutton and others. Dutton depicted the Voice proposal not as arising from a major national meeting of Indigenous representatives but as being an elite “Canberra voice” that would give special rights to Indigenous Australians that were denied to others. Furthermore, he argued that government was so focused on elite “woke” issues such as the Voice, it was neglecting Australian workers’ cost-of-living crisis. Labor’s strategy for countering right-wing populism was in disarray.

    Albanese’s response to the Voice loss was to go even more “small target” in ways that alienated progressive supporters. He abandoned key commitments ranging from the Indigenous Makarrata commission process of Treaty and Truth-telling, to protecting LGBTQI+ teachers and students from being sacked by religious schools. The debacle over including gender identity questions in the census was another result.

    Third, international events, and other parties’ politicisation of them, have impeded the government’s attempts at social cohesion. Australian political debate has become so polarised over developments in the Middle East that the Albanese government is accused of abandoning support for Israel by the Liberals and the Murdoch press, while simultaneously being accused of being “complicit in Israel’s genocide” by the Greens and pro-Palestinian groups.

    Narrative failure

    As its original story of bringing Australians together has been increasingly undermined, the government has floundered when it comes to telling a clear narrative about itself. By contrast, Dutton’s relentless, focused and simply expressed negativity has been cutting through.

    Part of Labor’s problem in countering Dutton is that he is targeting them for things that are often beyond their control.

    For example, Dutton’s claim the government has been too distracted by so-called “woke” issues to address the cost-of-living crisis has been particularly electorally damaging for Labor. So have his claims that Labor’s renewable energy policies are fuelling inflation and pushing up the cost of living still further.

    The government argues it has been providing extensive cost-of-living relief in the form of tax cuts, energy bill relief, rental assistance, wage increases, cheaper medicines and reduced child care costs. However, the problem is that such government measures are being continually undercut by inflation, price increases, high interest rates, and the housing affordability and supply crisis.

    Yet, the housing affordability and supply crisis has been aggravated by decades of poor housing policy that long predate the Albanese government. Furthermore, Labor’s attempts to address it are currently being stymied by a combination of Coalition and Greens opposition, once again sandwiching Labor.

    Meanwhile, the Coalition argues that government spending is exacerbating inflation and high interest rates. However, even the independent Reserve Bank, which sets cash interest rates and is also critical of government spending, has drawn attention to multiple international factors playing a role in inflation. Price increase gouging by some businesses to augment their profits has exacerbated the problem.

    Furthermore, Treasurer Jim Chalmers argues that existing government spending levels have been essential to preventing Australia sliding into recession, while still enabling a budget surplus.

    Chalmers has struggled to cut through in the way that Keating’s messages did. However, Keating benefited from the Coalition largely agreeing with his neoliberal-influenced “reform” agenda, despite arguing it wasn’t going far enough. By contrast, Chalmers has been facing a fundamentally hostile opposition, unsympathetic to key influences on his thought, such as Mariana Mazzucato.

    Labor has also had trouble selling the government’s achievements because, as I argue in a recent book, some of the Albanese government’s most successful reform measures have been in gender equality (although much more still needs to be done). Despite women making up more than half of the population, reforms that affect women tend to be undervalued in what is still a male defined political culture. Furthermore, the working class is often conceived in terms of blue collar male employment, so benefits for women workers are not being adequately recognised. This is particularly the case in Dutton’s hyper-masculine, strongman discourse.

    Mobilising gendered leadership stereotypes has been central to Dutton’s populist “us” versus “them” politics. Dutton consistently depicts Albanese as an emasculated “weak” leader on issues ranging from addressing the cost of living crisis to detaining asylum seekers freed by a High Court decision, and supporting Israel. By contrast, Dutton is depicted as the strong leader who will stand up for everyday Australians allegedly abandoned by Labor and the so-called elites.

    This does not look like a “new politics” at all and it is a divisive, populist terrain that Labor is finding very difficult to negotiate.

    Carol Johnson has received past funding from the Australian Research Council for work on Labor governments and on gender equality policy. .

    – ref. Failure to launch: why the Albanese government is in trouble – https://theconversation.com/failure-to-launch-why-the-albanese-government-is-in-trouble-239730

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: One of science’s greatest achievements: how the rapid development of COVID vaccines prepares us for future pandemics

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Griffin, Professor, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The University of Queensland

    Since COVID was first reported in December 2019, there have been more than 775 million recorded infections and more than 7 million deaths from the disease. This makes COVID the seventh-deadliest pandemic in recorded history.

    Factors including climate change, disruption of animal habitats, poverty and global travel mean we’re only likely to see more pandemics in the future.

    It’s impossible to predict exactly when the next pandemic will happen, or what it will be. But experts around the world are working to prepare for this inevitable “disease X”.

    One of the cornerstones of being prepared for the next pandemic is being in the best possible position to design and deploy a suitable vaccine. To this end, scientists and researchers can learn a lot from COVID vaccine development.

    A look back

    After SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID) was discovered, vaccine development moved very quickly. In February 2020 the first batch of vaccines was completed (from Moderna) and the first clinical trials began in March.

    An mRNA vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech was the first to be approved, on December 2 2020 in the United Kingdom. Approvals for this and other vaccines, including shots developed by Moderna (another mRNA vaccine) and Oxford/AstraZeneca (a viral vector vaccine), followed elsewhere soon afterwards.

    Previously the fastest vaccine developed took around four years (for mumps in the 1960s). Had COVID vaccines taken this long it would mean we would only just be rolling them out this year.

    An estimated 13.72 billion COVID vaccine doses have now been administered, with more than 70% of the world’s population having received at least one dose.

    The rapid development and rollout of COVID vaccines is likely to be one of the greatest achievements of medical science ever. It also means we are in a much better position to respond to future emerging pathogens.

    New vaccine technology

    A lot of work over many years prepared us to develop COVID vaccines as quickly as we did. This included developing new platforms such as viral vector and mRNA vaccines that can be adapted quickly to new pathogens.

    While scientists had been working on mRNA vaccines for decades before the COVID pandemic, the COVID shots from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna were the first mRNA vaccines to be approved for human use.

    These vaccines work by giving our body instructions (the “m” in mRNA stands for messenger) to make SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins. These are proteins on the surface of the virus which it uses to attach to our cells. This means when we encounter SARS-CoV-2, our immune system is poised to respond.

    This technology will almost certainly be used to protect against other diseases, and could potentially help with a future pandemic.

    In the meantime, scientists are working to improve mRNA technology even further. For example, “self-amplifying RNA” has the potential to enhance immune responses at lower doses compared with conventional mRNA.

    mRNA vaccines teach our bodies to make SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein.
    Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock

    While our current COVID vaccines are safe and very effective at protecting against severe disease, they’re not perfect. We may never be able to achieve a “perfect” vaccine, but some additional properties we’d like to see in future COVID vaccines include being better at reducing transmission, lasting longer, and needing to be updated less often as new variants emerge.

    Even now there are many COVID vaccines in clinical trials. So hopefully, COVID vaccines that improve on the initial shots will be available relatively soon.

    Other desirable attributes include vaccines we can administer by alternate routes to needles. For COVID and other diseases such as influenza, we’re seeing significant developments locally and internationally on vaccines than can be administered via skin patches, through the nose, and even orally.

    Some challenges

    Developing vaccines for COVID was a huge challenge, but one that can mostly be judged a success. Research has estimated COVID vaccines saved 14.4 million lives across 185 countries in just their first year.

    However, the story of COVID vaccination has also had many other challenges, and arguably a number of failures.

    First, the distribution of vaccines was not equitable. Analysis of the initial rollout suggested nearly 80% of eligible people in high-income countries were vaccinated, compared with just over 10% in low-income nations.

    Supply of vaccines was an issue in many parts of the world, so expanding local capacity to enable more rapid production and distribution of vaccines will be important for the next pandemic.

    Further, adverse events linked to COVID vaccines, such as rare blood clots after the AstraZeneca vaccine, affected perceptions of vaccine safety. While every serious adverse event is significant, these incidents were very rare.

    However, these issues exacerbated other challenges that hampered vaccine uptake, including the spread of misinformation.

    Misinformation remains a problem now and will probably still be prevalent whenever we face the next pandemic. Addressing this challenge involves understanding what’s deterring people from getting vaccinated, then informing and educating, addressing misinformation both about vaccination and the risks of the disease itself.

    Restoring and building trust in public health authorities also needs to continue to be a focus. Trust in governments and health authorities declined during the COVID pandemic, and evidence shows lower trust is associated with lower vaccine uptake.

    The COVID vaccine rollout faced a variety of challenges.
    Yuganov Konstantin/Shutterstock

    Ongoing preparation

    There’s no doubt our recent experience with COVID, particularly the rapid development of multiple safe and effective vaccines, has put us in a better position for the next pandemic.

    This didn’t happen by accident. There was a lot of preparation even before COVID was first discovered that facilitated this. Organisations like the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) have been supporting research to develop vaccines rapidly to respond to a new threat for some time.

    CEPI has an ongoing program that aims to be able to develop a vaccine against a new threat, or disease X, in just 100 days. While COVID vaccines have been a huge achievement, work continues in the hope we will be able to develop a vaccine even faster next time.

    This article is part of a series on the next pandemic.

    Paul Griffin is a director and scientific advisory board member of the immunisation coalition. He has served on Medical Advisory Boards including for AstraZeneca, GSK, MSD, Moderna, Biocelect/Novavax, Seqirus and Pfizer and has received speaker honoraria including from Seqirus, Novartis, Gilead, Sanofi, MSD and Janssen.

    – ref. One of science’s greatest achievements: how the rapid development of COVID vaccines prepares us for future pandemics – https://theconversation.com/one-of-sciences-greatest-achievements-how-the-rapid-development-of-covid-vaccines-prepares-us-for-future-pandemics-228787

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Ocean protection accounts for 10% of fish in the world’s coral reefs – but we could save so much more

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Cinner, Professor & ARC Laureate Fellow, Thriving Oceans Research Hub, School of Geosciences, University of Sydney

    Ocean fish populations have fallen dramatically in the past half-century, and climate change is expected to make the problem worse. Governments have designated “marine protected areas”, where where human activity is constrained to protect ocean life. But have these efforts worked?

    About 8% of Earth’s oceans are protected, including about 3% where fishing is banned altogether. Our new study of nearly 2,600 tropical coral reefs around the world is the first to examine whether these areas have helped fish populations.

    We found about one in ten kilograms of fish on coral reefs is the result of efforts such as marine protected areas and other restrictions on fishing. This is promising news. But our study also reveals great room for improvement.

    A video discussing how Earth’s fish stocks are declining.

    Getting to grips with marine protection

    Maintaining healthy fish populations is important. Many communities depend on fishing for their food and livelihoods. And fish play a vital role in ocean ecosystems.

    Marine protected areas are a key policy tool used to increase fish populations. They cover a range of ocean areas including lagoons, coastal waters, deep seabed waters and coral reefs.

    The areas go by several names, including marine parks and conservation zones. Some, where fishing is prohibited, are known as no-take zones.

    Governments often quote figures on the area of ocean protected when seeking to tout their conservation policies. For example in Australia, we are told the federal, state and territory governments have established marine parks covering 4.3 million square kilometres or 48% of our oceans.

    But the extent to which marine protected areas actually conserve marine life varies enormously from place to place. So simply counting up the protected ocean area doesn’t tell you much about what has actually been achieved.

    Measuring success

    We and our colleagues wanted to assess the extent to which marine protection efforts have increased the amount of fish on coral reefs.

    We developed a computer model based on about 2,600 reefs across the global tropics, which includes reefs in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans. From that, we estimated the amount of fish currently on each reef – measured in the kilograms of fish per hectare, or “biomass”.

    The estimations were based on information such as:

    • environmental conditions such as ocean temperature and the type of habitat where the reef is located

    • the intensity of fishing activity, known as “fishing pressure”

    • how strong the protection is – for example whether it bans fishing, or just restricts it

    • the level of compliance with no-take zones.

    We then simulated what would happen if we changed the type of protection strategy in each location while keeping everything else the same.

    We ran a few scenarios:

    • no coral reef conservation existed anywhere and all reefs could be fished without constraint

    • sites currently fished without constraint (which amounted to over half of our sites) had restrictions in place

    • fishing was prohibited on 30% of all reefs.

    And the results?

    We found both marine protected areas and other fishing restrictions account for about 10% of the fish “biomass” on reefs. In other words, about one in ten kilograms of fish on coral reefs is due to protection efforts.

    No-take zones punch above their weight. Of the fish biomass attributable to protection efforts, about 20% comes from just 3% of sites in no-take zones. This proportion would be even higher if illegal fishing in no-take zones was stamped out.

    But we found any type of fishing restriction was useful. If everywhere currently fished without constraint was subject to some level of protection – such as banning nets or spear guns – the biomass of fish globally would be another 10.5% higher, our study found. This essentially matches all conservation efforts to date.

    Our modelling also showed fish on coral reefs could be increased by up to 28% globally if the area of no-take zones rose to 30%.

    But these reefs must be chosen strategically. That’s because protection strategies can lead to wildly different results, depending on local conditions. For example, sites with lower fishing pressure in the surrounding seascape got a bigger boost from protection than places surrounded by intensive fishing effort.

    This may be because at heavily fished locations, algae often overtakes coral as the dominant feature. Algae is less fish-friendly than coral, so fish populations may not bounce back quickly even when fishing pressure is reduced.

    Grounds for optimism

    Our study tested the mettle of global coral reef conservation. On one hand, we found conservation efforts have made a contribution to the amount of fish on global coral reefs, which provides grounds for cautious optimism.

    But on the other hand, this contribution is quite modest. Our study shows much greater gains could be made not only by expanding protected marine areas, but also by improving compliance in existing ones.

    Most nations have signed a global agreement to protect 30% of Earth’s land and waters by 2030. That means the amount of ocean in marine protected areas globally will increase nearly fourfold in just six years.

    As governments continue this task, we hope our results help identify ocean sites that will benefit most from protection.

    Joshua Cinner receives funding from the Australian Research Council and National Geographic Society. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and the International Coral Reef Society.

    Iain R. Caldwell is affiliated with the Wildlife Conservation Society

    – ref. Ocean protection accounts for 10% of fish in the world’s coral reefs – but we could save so much more – https://theconversation.com/ocean-protection-accounts-for-10-of-fish-in-the-worlds-coral-reefs-but-we-could-save-so-much-more-239188

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: I think my child might need a tutor. What do I need to consider first?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew White, Lecturer and Researcher Australian Catholic University, Australian Catholic University

    School tutoring is a huge business. Australian estimates suggest it was worth more than of A$1.5 billion as of 2021.

    In Australia, we see frequent media reports of parents using tutors to help their children through school.

    How can you tell if tutoring is right for your child?

    What is tutoring?

    Private tutoring can be take many forms, but involves parents paying for additional lessons outside of schools hours. These are either one-to-one or in small groups.

    There are services available for students in primary school through to senior high school.

    Some tutoring services target specific skills, such as literacy or numeracy. Others offer support for young people with organisation skills and homework or preparation for certain exams.

    Tutoring can go for a short burst over a few weeks to prepare for an exam or it may be regular and ongoing to maintain learning.

    Tutoring could be to catch up on one element of school, such as handwriting or reading.
    Deyan Georgiev/ Shutterstock

    Why do people get tutoring?

    Families can get tutoring for a student for a wide range of reasons.

    A child may be struggling with certain elements of schooling – such as reading, writing, or maths. Tutoring can provide an opportunity to catch-up with tailored support.

    Tutoring can also help children prepare for tests and exams, such as NAPLAN or Year 12.

    Tutoring is used to prepare students for government selective school programs or private school scholarship exams.

    Researchers have highlighted some cultural backgrounds see investing in tutoring as an essential part of educating their children and helping them reach their full potential.

    The tutoring debate

    Tutoring can be expensive and time consuming for families. Families may pay between $30 and $200 a session, depending on the subject and qualifications of the tutor.

    Some argue this gives some children an unfair advantage and students should instead rely on their natural ability.

    Despite the criticism, there are benefits to tutoring. This includes giving students extra opportunities to consolidate their knowledge – we know this can help students learn.

    It can also help build their confidence if a tutor can step through learning in a less pressured environment. As my research has shown, academic progress relies heavily on a students’ belief in their capacity to succeed.

    Does my child need a tutor?

    All students can benefit from personalised support and coaching in whatever they wish to peruse. However, all students do not need a tutor. The choice to engage a tutor should be attached to a goal that you and your child agree on.

    If the young person does not want to engage in tutoring having a tutor is not going to help. Rather, it is more likely to lead to stress and arguments.

    It may help to talk to your child’s teacher and review school reports before starting with a tutor to work out which particular areas need extra attention.

    Depending on what you need, your child’s tutor may be a university student or someone who has made a career out of tutoring.
    Dmytro Zinkevvych/Shutterstock

    If your shared goal is to catch up or help with certain academic skills, it is important to find a tutor who is experienced and can explain the approach they take and what evidence it is based on.

    If the goal is organisation, homework or even just to improve confidence, you could at first try a university student who has past success themselves or with other students. For more specialised goals, seek out tutors who are open about their qualifications, experience and past success.

    Child safety should also be a consideration. The Australian Tutoring Association provides practical advice for parents choosing a tutor and a code of conduct for tutors.

    There is no requirement for tutors to be a member of the association. So parents should make sure any tutor has a current Working with Children check. You can of course also talk to other parents and teachers for recommendations.

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

    – ref. I think my child might need a tutor. What do I need to consider first? – https://theconversation.com/i-think-my-child-might-need-a-tutor-what-do-i-need-to-consider-first-240091

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: 07/10/2024 Minister Radosław Sikorski commemorated the victims of the terrorist attack of October 7, 2023.

    MIL ASI Translation. Region: Polish/Europe –

    Fuente: Gobierno de Polonia en poleco.

    Minister Radosław Sikorski honored the memory of the victims of the terrorist attack of October 7, 2023.07.10.2024The ceremony took place in the gardens of the Embassy of Israel in Warsaw in the presence of the Minister in the Chancellery of the President Wojciech Kolarski, the diplomatic corps, representatives of Jewish organizations. El embajador Yacov Livne expressed gratitude to the president, the government and the Polish nation for unanimously condemning the attack a year ago.

    In the October attack by Hamas and other groups on Israeli territory, approximately 1,200 people were killed, including over 800 civilians. In addition, 251 people were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip – 117 of whom were released, most of whom were released in November last year as a result of a short-term ceasefire. As a result of these events and further actions in the Gaza Strip, at least 19 people of Polish origin were killed, including 9 people with dual Polish and Israeli citizenship. One of the victims – the historian Alex Dancyg, born in Warsaw and distinguished for Polish-Jewish dialogue, was remembered by his son Yuval Dancyg. Minister Sikorski recalled that Poland has always condemned terrorism in any form and hopes that in the future the inhabitants of the Middle East will live in harmony. Those participating in the ceremony expressed solidarity with the group of 101 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. The fate of most of them remains unknown.

    MILES AXIS

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom statement marking one year since Hamas attack on Israel

    Source: US State of California 2

    Oct 7, 2024

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued the following statement marking one year since the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel:

    “For the last year, the people of Israel – and Jewish communities across the globe – have mourned for their lost loved ones, prayed for the return of the hostages, and come together to show incredible strength in the face of rising antisemitism. The Jewish spirit is one of resilience and commitment to community, especially in times of great trauma, and California stands beside the people of Israel and the innocent families impacted by this ongoing conflict. As Jews around the world observe the Days of Awe and celebrate this most holy of times, may we pray for peace for all in the new year.”

    Governor Newsom visited Israel following the attacks and met with survivors  impacted families, and officials. The State of California shipped medical supplies — including field hospitals — to support humanitarian relief efforts in Israel and Gaza. Earlier this year, the Governor issued a Golden State Plan to Counter Antisemitism and penned an open letter to California’s Muslim, Palestinian American, and Arab American communities.

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