Category: Transport

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PRESIDENT OF INDIA INAUGURATES VISITOR’S CONFERENCE 2024-25

Source: Government of India

PRESIDENT OF INDIA INAUGURATES VISITOR’S CONFERENCE 2024-25

PRESENTS VISITOR’S AWARDS 2023

YOU HAVE A CRUCIAL ROLE IN ACHIEVING THE GOAL OF ESTABLISHING INDIA AS AN IMPORTANT CENTRE OF THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY: PRESIDENT MURMU TO HEADS OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING

Posted On: 03 MAR 2025 6:45PM by PIB Delhi

The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the two-day Visitor’s Conference 2024-25 at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (March 3, 2025). The President of India is the Visitor of 184 Central Institutes of Higher Education.

In her inaugural address, the President said that the level of development of any country is reflected in the quality of its education system. She told the heads of the institutions of higher learning that they have a crucial role in achieving the goal of establishing India as an important centre of the knowledge economy. She highlighted the need to pay a lot of attention to research along with education. She said that the Government of India has established the National Research Fund with a very good objective. She expressed confidence that institutions of higher learning would make good use of this important initiative and encourage research.

The President said that the ambition of our higher education community should be that researchers from our institutions get recognition at the world level, patents of our institutions can bring change in the world, and students from developed countries choose India as a preferred destination for higher education.

The President said that students from India enrich the world’s leading educational institutions and developed economies with their talent. She emphasised the need of making efforts to utilize their talent in our country. She stated that our national goal of establishing India as a Global Knowledge Super Power would be achieved only when the world community is eager to adopt the work being done in our laboratories.

The President said that many higher education institutions of our country have global brand value. The students of these institutions get big responsibilities in the best institutions and companies of the world. However, all our institutions should move ahead very fast. The leadership of heads of institutions of higher learning would be recognised by developing and utilising the immense talent of our large youth population.

The President said that along with excellence, social inclusion and sensitivity should also be an essential aspect of our education system. No economic, social, or psychological limitation of any kind should be a hindrance in getting higher education. She said that heads and teachers of institutions of higher learning should take care of young students, remove any insecurity from their minds and provide them moral and spiritual strength. She urged them to make every possible effort to provide counselling and inspiration to students and spread positive energy in the campuses.

The President said that our country has a rich tradition of scientific achievements. The branches and sub-branches of Indian knowledge and science have flourished in every region of the country. It would be very useful to rediscover the invaluable but extinct streams of knowledge and science by doing intense research. She stated that it is the responsibility of the higher education ecosystem to find ways to use such organically grown knowledge systems in today’s context.

The President said that educational institutions shape the future of the nation. Young students learn from the conduct of our policy makers, teachers, heads of institutions, and senior students. She expressed confidence that with their global thinking, the heads of higher learning institutions would prepare a generation of builders of a developed India.

During the inaugural session, the President presented the eighth Visitor’s Awards in the categories of Innovation, Research, and Technology Development.

·  The Visitor’s Award for Innovation was given to Prof Saripella Srikrishna, Banaras Hindu University, for developing Novel Indigenous Innovation in Quantum Technology to boost the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

·  The Visitor’s Award for Research in the field of Physical Sciences was conferred upon Prof Ashwini Kumar Nangia, University of Hyderabad, for his seminal research in the discovery and development of high bioavailability drugs and pharmaceuticals with enhanced efficacy at affordable cost.

·  The Visitor’s Award for Research in Biological Sciences was jointly presented to Prof Rina Chakrabarti, University of Delhi and Prof Raj Kumar, Central University of Punjab. Prof Chakrabarti has been conferred the Award for her research contributions to Sustainable Freshwater Aquaculture while Prof Raj Kumar has been presented the Award for his research contributions to exploring various cancer hallmarks and the development of synthetic anticancer lead molecules.

·    The Visitor’s Award for Technology Development was presented to Dr Venkateswarlu Chintala, Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, for his research contributions to the petrol and diesel production at commercial scale from landfill municipal mixed plastic waste.

Tomorrow, the Conference will deliberate on issues such as – Flexibility in academic courses, Credit Sharing and Credit Transfer with multiple entry and exit options; Internationalisation efforts and collaboration; Translation Research and Innovation related to converting research or innovation into useful products and services; Effective student selection processes and respecting student choices in context of NEP; and Effective assessments and evaluation. The outcome of these deliberations will be presented before the President in the closing session of the Conference.

Please click here to see the President’s Speech –

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MJPS/SR

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurates the “Workshop on Sustainability and Circularity in Dairy Sector” in New Delhi

Source: Government of India (2)

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurates the “Workshop on Sustainability and Circularity in Dairy Sector” in New Delhi

Dairy is an important option to solve the problem of rural migration and to make small farmers prosperous

The Modi Government is realizing the mantra of profit for people along with the three principles of Sahkar Se Shakti, Sahkar Se Sahyog and Sahkar Se Samriddhi

At present, emphasis should be given on setting up the entire chain from farm to factory in the village itself

The Micro ATM model in Gujarat is providing unprecedented benefits to the livestock farmers of the state, NABARD should take this model to every district of the country

To uplift marginal farmers, it is crucial to map a journey from villages to the global stage, fostering confidence through collective efforts and establishing a comprehensive farm-to-factory value chain

Under White Revolution 2.0, the target should be to form a state level union in every state and UT and milk unions in 80% of the districts of the country

The main goal of White Revolution 2.0 is sustainability and circularity

Posted On: 03 MAR 2025 5:57PM by PIB Delhi

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the “Workshop on Sustainability and Circularity in Dairy Sector” in New Delhi today. Sustainability, efficiency and circularity of resources in the dairy sector will help realize Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’.

In his address, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that today when we are moving towards the White Revolution 2.0, the importance of sustainability and circularity takes precedence. He said that apart from what we have achieved so far with the help of first White Revolution, sustainability and circularity in dairy sector are still to be fully accomplished. Shri Shah said that the main goal of White Revolution 2.0 is sustainability and circularity and we need to take care of it from the very beginning of White Revolution 2.0.

Shri Amit Shah said that India’s dairy sector plays a huge role in the country’s as well as rural development and in making landless and small farmers prosperous. He said that it has taken care of our country’s nutrition, contributed in making the country the world’s number one milk producer and also provided additional income to farmers apart from agricultural income.

Union Minister of Cooperation said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has set three goals for us, viz. to become a 5 trillion-dollar economy, to be the third largest economy in the world, and become a fully developed country in 2047. He said that to achieve these three goals, we will have to develop a mechanism to explore and utilize all possibilities in every sector to the fullest. He said that the dairy sector has today taken a visionary initiative to spread good practices related to circularity to 250 milk producer associations.

Shri Amit Shah said that India’s agriculture system is based on small farmers and their migration from villages to cities is associated with their prosperity. He said that dairy is an important option to make small farmers prosperous along with overcoming the problem of rural migration. Shri Shah said that this seminar will prove to be very useful to work with a holistic approach to explore all the possibilities of the dairy sector to the fullest.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, in the last 10 years, a good beginning has been made to bring prosperity in agriculture in the country. He said that farmers have got the confidence and means also to go from village to global, their faith is also increasing on collective success in groups through cooperatives. Shri Shah said that, at present, the emphasis should be given on setting up the entire chain from farm to factory in the village itself. He added that to uplift marginal farmers, it is crucial to map a journey from villages to the global stage, fostering confidence through collective efforts and establishing a comprehensive farm-to-factory value chain. He said that the Modi Government is realizing the mantra of profit for people along with the three principles of Sahkar Se Shakti, Sahkar Se Sahyog and Sahkar Se Samriddhi.

Shri Amit Shah said that the objective of cooperatives is to earn profit as well as to put “people first”. He said that we can realize the principle of “profit for people” only through cooperatives. He said that today the release of the “Margdarshika” on circularity in the dairy sector, NDDB’s schemes for financial assistance to small, large and compressed biogas projects and the launch of NDDB and Sustain Plus project have also taken place.

Union Minister of Cooperation said that to fully utilize organic manure, the district level milk unions and rural dairies will have to bring those farmers also in the net of cooperation who are not yet connected with the cooperative. He said that many farmers give milk to private dairies, but the cooperative sector should manage their dung, which will solve our minimum viability problem and we will be successful in attracting the farmers who are moving towards the private sector back to the cooperative sector. Shri Shah said that a program should be made to successfully implement the successful experiments done for gas production as a model in 250 district milk producing unions with a target of 2 years.

Shri Amit Shah said that we have also started “Cooperation Amongst Cooperatives” to open all accounts in cooperative banks and today 93 percent of the institutions in Gujarat have accounts in cooperative banks. He said that this has automatically made funds available for cooperatives and banks have also become stronger. He said that the Micro ATM model in Gujarat is providing unprecedented benefits to the livestock farmers of the state, NABARD should take this model to every district of the country. Shri Shah said that our effort should be that all machines, from measuring fat to all dairy products, should be manufactured in India. He said that carbon credit should be made a part of our system and a scientific system should be made on the cooperative model to ensure that it reaches the farmers.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that today there are 23 state level unions in the country but we should envision forming a state level union in every state and union territory under White Revolution 2.0. He said that in White Revolution 2.0, we can aim to form milk unions in 80 percent of the districts of the country and increase the number of marketing dairies from the current 28 to 3 times in number. Shri Shah said that in the cooperative dairy sector, more than 75 per cent of the money coming from the consumer goes directly to the farmers. He said that in the corporate sector, farmers get only 32 per cent of the money. He said that we should aim to reduce this profit gap between farmers and companies for every farmer in the country. Along with this, we should also try to bring 16 crore tonnes of cow dung for the benefit of cooperatives.

Shri Amit Shah said that there has been huge reduction in the emission of Methane and Carbon dioxide and its 100 per cent carbon credit should go to the farmers in their bank accounts and this is the real meaning of circularity. He said that the dairy cooperative sector also works a lot in terms of providing employment to women and today 72 per cent women are working in the cooperative dairy sector. Shri Shah said that this proves that in the cooperative dairy sector, work is taking place for the employment and empowerment of women.

The workshop was organized by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Government of India in collaboration with National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh, Union Ministers of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Professor S.P. Singh Baghel and Shri George Kurien, Smt. Alka Upadhyay, Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and many other dignitaries attended the event.

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Read this release in: Hindi

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Pilot Projects on Hydrogen Fuelled Buses and Trucks Launched under the National Green Hydrogen Mission

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 03 MAR 2025 5:31PM by PIB Delhi

As part of the National Green Hydrogen Mission, the Government has initiated five pilot projects for using Hydrogen in buses and trucks. Earlier the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy had issued guidelines for implementing Pilot projects in the Transport Sector under this Mission.

Accordingly, the proposals were invited for different types of hydrogen-based vehicles, routes, and hydrogen refueling stations. After detailed scrutiny, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has sanctioned five pilot projects consisting total of 37 vehicles (buses and trucks), and 9 hydrogen refueling stations. The vehicles that will be deployed for the trial include 15 hydrogen fuel cell-based vehicles and 22 hydrogen internal combustion engine-based vehicles. These vehicles will run on 10 different routes across the country viz., Greater Noida – Delhi – Agra, Bhubaneshwar – Konark – Puri, Ahmedabad – Vadodara – Surat, Sahibabad – Faridabad – Delhi, Pune – Mumbai, Jamshedpur – Kalinga Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram – Kochi, Kochi – Edappally, Jamnagar – Ahmedabad, and NH-16 Visakhapatnam – Bayyavaram. The above projects are awarded to major companies like TATA Motors Ltd, Reliance Industries Limited, NTPC, ANERT, Ashok Leyland, HPCL, BPCL, and IOCL.

The total financial support for selected projects made available will be around Rs. 208 Crore from the Government of India. These pilot projects are likely to be commissioned in the next 18-24 months, paving the way to the scaleup of such technologies in India.

The thrust area for providing support under the scheme is the development of commercially viable technologies for the utilization of hydrogen in the transport sector as fuel in buses and trucks and Supporting infrastructure like Hydrogen refueling stations.

One of the objectives of the Mission is to support the deployment of Green Hydrogen as fuel in buses and trucks, in a phased manner on a pilot basis. These pilot projects can demonstrate safe and secure operations, assess the effectiveness of hydrogen-based vehicles and refueling stations, validate technical feasibility and performance, and evaluate their economic viability, thereby leading to hydrogen-based vehicles and hydrogen refueling stations under real-world operational conditions.

The Scheme Guidelines for the implementation of Pilot projects for use of Green Hydrogen in the Transport Sector under the NGHM can be accessed here.

The National Green Hydrogen Mission was launched on 04^th January 2023 with an outlay of Rs. 19,744 crores up to FY 2029-30. It will contribute to India’s goal to become Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) through clean energy and serve as an inspiration for the global Clean Energy Transition. The Mission will lead to significant decarbonization of the economy, reduced dependence on fossil fuel imports, and enable India to assume technology and market leadership in Green Hydrogen.

Reference:

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1999676

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2006052

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Navin Sreejith

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 12th High-Level Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific
Source: Government of India (2)

12th High-Level Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific

India’s Leadership in Circular Economy

Posted On: 03 MAR 2025 5:22PM by PIB Delhi

Introduction

The 12^th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific has been inaugurated today in Jaipur, India, marking a significant milestone in regional cooperation for sustainable waste management and circular economy initiatives. This Forum provides a critical platform for policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and development partners to discuss and implement sustainable solutions for waste management and resource efficiency. As economies in the Asia-Pacific region experience rapid urbanization and industrialization, the need for a shift towards a circular economy model has never been more urgent.

The Forum will focus on the principles of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle (3R), aiming to create a roadmap for sustainable production and consumption patterns. Through insightful discussions, policy recommendations, and collaborative partnerships, the Forum will help strengthen global and regional commitments with a focus on resource efficiency, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability.

The last Forum was hosted in 2023 by Cambodia. India has previously hosted the Forum in 2018, when the 8^th edition was held in Indore.

Inauguration of the 2025 Forum

The inaugural session of the 2025 Forum was attended by the Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs, and the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. Further, international dignitaries of countries like Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Maldives and Japan also joined the session. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi shared a special written message with the delegates of the Forum emphasising that India follows & strongly advocates the P-3 (Pro Planet People) approach. He has also mentioned that India has always been more than willing to share it experiences and learnings in its journey towards Circular Economy.

Taking forward PM Modi’s vision, the Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs announced the Cities Coalition for Circularity (C-3), a multi-nation alliance for city-to-city collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and private sector partnerships.

Further, during the event, a key Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for CITIIS 2.0 was signed, marking a significant milestone in urban sustainability initiatives. CITIIS 2.0 is a flagship initiative driving integrated waste management and climate action. The Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs announced that agreements worth ₹1,800 crores will be signed under this initiative, benefiting 18 cities across 14 states, and serving as lighthouse projects for other urban areas.

History of the High-Level Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific

The Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific was launched in 2009 to promote sustainable waste management, resource efficiency, and circular economy principles across the region. Recognizing the environmental challenges posed by rapid economic growth, resource depletion, and rising waste generation, the Forum has served as a key platform for policy dialogue and capacity building. A major milestone was the adoption of the Hanoi 3R Declaration (2013-2023), which outlined 33 voluntary goals for shifting towards a more resource-efficient and circular economy. Over the years, the Forum has played a crucial role in aligning regional efforts with global sustainability commitments, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement, and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030).

Building on the momentum of past initiatives, the new 3R and Circular Economy Declaration (2025-2034) aims to catalyze transformational changes in resource and waste management. The Forum continues to support multi-stakeholder collaboration, particularly in tackling plastic pollution through initiatives such as the negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty. With Asia-Pacific accounting for the largest share of global material use, the Forum emphasizes the region’s pivotal role in achieving carbon neutrality, environmental sustainability, and economic resilience.

Key Details of the 2025 Forum

Theme: Realizing Circular Societies Towards Achieving SDGs and Carbon Neutrality in Asia-Pacific.

Dates: March 3-5, 2025

Venue: Rajasthan International Centre, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Organized by: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (India), United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), and Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES).

Supported by: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Japan’s Ministry of Environment, and various other international and regional organizations.

The Forum will feature high-level plenary sessions, technical discussions, roundtables and knowledge-sharing opportunities to explore innovative policies, practices, institutional arrangements and technologies. A curtain-raiser event was organized on 24 February 2025 at the National Media Centre, New Delhi as a precursor to the main Forum.

Objectives of the 2025 Forum

The Forum serves as a collaborative platform to:
- Promote circular economy principles for sustainable resource use.
- Discuss circular economy policies and practices to accelerate achievement of the SDGs.
- Discuss how circular economy strategies can be integrated into national and regional policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions and achieving net-zero targets.
- Discuss how to strengthen regional cooperation and foster collaboration between governments, businesses, and civil society to accelerate the transition from traditional linear economy to more resource efficient and circular societies across Asia-Pacific.
- Discuss challenges (policy regulatory gaps, financial barriers, infrastructure gaps, technological limitations) and opportunities in addressing circular economy principles for various sectors and waste streams.
- Discuss and agree a new voluntary and legally non-binding 3R and Circular Economy Declaration (2025-2034) for achieving resource efficient, clean, resilient, sound material cycle and low-carbon society in Asia and the Pacific.
- Discuss and pave way towards realization of a Circular Economy Alliance Network (CEAN) towards Zero Waste Cities and Societies – a digital multi-faceted collaboration platform involving key stakeholders – government (national and local), private and industry sector, including MSMEs, academic and research institutions, donors and development banks, and NGOs, among others, in support of the effective implementation of the new 3R and Circular Economy Declaration for Asia and the Pacific (2025-2034).
Participants in the 2025 Forum

Participation in the Forum is by invitation only. Approximately 500 delegates will be participating, including 300 international and 200 local participants. These will include:
1. High level government representatives from Asia-Pacific countries and policy makers from relevant Indian Ministries such as Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Local Government, etc.
2. City Mayors/Local Government representatives.
3. Experts and international resource persons, including representatives of scientific and Research and Development (R&D) institutions in the areas of 3R/resource efficiency/waste management/life cycle assessment and management.
4. Representatives of the UN and international organizations, including international financial institutions, multi-lateral development banks and donor agencies.
5. Representatives of the private and business sector and NGOs etc.
Key Theme and Discussion Points

The key points to be discussed include:

1. Policy and Governance

Effective governance is key to achieving a successful circular economy. The Forum will examine the role of governments in fostering an enabling environment for sustainability.

2. Technological Innovations in Waste Management

Advancements in technology can play a transformative role in achieving sustainability goals. This segment will highlight new and emerging technologies in waste management.

3. Financing Circular Economy and 3R Initiatives

A successful circular economy transition requires strong financial backing. The discussion will revolve around investment opportunities and sustainable financing models.

4. Circular Economy for Climate Action

The Forum will explore how circular economy initiatives can contribute to climate resilience and emissions reduction.

Highlights at the 2025 Forum
1. Delegates will have an opportunity to undertake technical field visits to the solid and liquid waste management facilities and visit key heritage sites in Jaipur.
2. A dedicated ‘India Pavilion’ will showcase India’s remarkable initiatives and achievements in the 3R and circular economy domain. This Pavilion will feature exhibitions from key line ministries and national missions, reflecting India’s whole-of-government approach to sustainable development. It will also serve as a hub for interactive knowledge-sharing, with sessions such as the ‘Ministers & Ambassadors Roundtable Dialogue,’ ‘Mayors’ Dialogue,’ ‘Policy Dialogue’ and the signing of agreements under the CITIIS 2.0 program.
3. Multiple launches of knowledge products will take place at the Forum including a compendium of over 100 best practices put together by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
4. The Forum will host an international ‘3R trade and technology exhibition’, providing a platform for over 40 Indian and Japanese businesses and start-ups to showcase best practices, ideas and solutions that support circularity and 3R principles while encouraging cross-learning.
5. ‘Waste-to-wealth’ initiatives by NGOs and self-help groups across India will also be showcased at the Forum promoting sustainability-driven entrepreneurship and community engagement.
India’s Leadership in Circular Economy and 3R Policies

India has been at the forefront of promoting sustainable development and circular economy principles. The country has implemented several landmark policies and initiatives aimed at addressing waste management challenges. Some of the key initiatives include:
- Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM-U) – Strengthening urban waste management with 3R principles. Under SBM-U, India has achieved 108.62% success in household toilet construction, where the mission target was 58,99,637 and the constructed number stands at 63,74,355 as of 27 February 2025. Further 80.29% of solid waste in India is being processed successfully.
- GOBAR-Dhan Scheme – Promoting waste-to-wealth initiatives through biogas and organic waste processing. This scheme currently covers 67.8% of total number of districts in India, with 1008 biogas plants being fully operational as of 27 February 2025.
- E-Waste Management Rules (2022) – Strengthening circular economy practices in electronic waste disposal. As of December 2024, for FY 2024-25, the quantity of e-waste collected and recycled stood at 5,82,769 MT and 5,18,240 MT respectively. The quantity of e-waste collected and recycled in the FY 2023-24 were 7,98,493 MT and 7,68,406 MT respectively.
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Plastic – Encouraging industries to take accountability for plastic waste. India banned single use plastic on 1^st July 2022.
Conclusion

The 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Jaipur is a landmark Forum that will shape the future of waste management and circular economy strategies in Asia and the Pacific. As economies in the region seek sustainable solutions to address growing environmental challenges, this Forum will provide a critical avenue for knowledge-sharing, capacity-building, and policy advocacy.

By fostering cross-sectoral collaborations, discussing innovative policy approaches, and advancing 3R principles, the Forum will contribute significantly to achieving a zero-waste and circular economy-driven future. The discussions and commitments made at this Forum will not only guide policy implementation but also drive investments in sustainable infrastructure and technological innovations.

References

https://uncrd.un.org/sites/uncrd.un.org//files/20240806_lldcs-consultation_p2-uncrd.pdf

https://3rcefindia.sbmurban.org/

https://uncrd.un.org/content/12th-3r-ce-Forum

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2105805

https://uncrd.un.org/sites/uncrd.un.org//files/12th-3r-ce_draft-concecpt-note_prov-programme_24feb2025.pdf

https://x.com/MoHUA_India/status/1894002736670056803

https://gobardhan.sbm.gov.in/state-biogas

https://sbmurban.org/

https://greentribunal.gov.in/sites/default/files/news_updates/Report%20of%20CPCB%20in%20EA%20No.%2004%20of%202024%20IN%20OA%20No.%20512%20of%202018%20(Shailesh%20Singh%20Vs.%20State%20of%20U.P%20&%20Ors.).pdf

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2107712

Kindly find the pdf file

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Santosh Kumar | Ritu Kataria | Rishita Aggarwal

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –
March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hydrogen based fuel cells for uninterrupted power supply to telecom towers

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 03 MAR 2025 5:33PM by PIB Delhi

An innovative hydrogen fuel cell-based backup power solution for telecom towers, developed using a plug-and-play model can support national renewable energy goals while ensuring seamless connectivity for millions and promoting clean energy in the telecom sector.

India has more than a million telecom towers, with tens of thousands in remote areas, where maintaining 24/7 operations is challenging due to limited grid access. Traditionally, diesel generators have been used as backup power sources, but they are expensive and contribute significantly to carbon emissions.

A PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cell is an efficient and clean energy solution for powering telecom towers, particularly as a backup during grid outages. These fuel cells provide reliable electricity with quick start-up times and operate at relatively low temperatures, making them a viable alternative to diesel generators.

PEM fuel cells (PEMFC) generate electricity with only water vapour as a by-product, offering an environmentally friendly solution with high power density in a compact size. They run on hydrogen fuel, which can be stored and transported for refuelling, and require significantly less maintenance than traditional backup power sources. The working principle involves an electrochemical reaction where hydrogen gas is fed into the anode, oxidized to release protons, which then travel through a polymer membrane to the cathode, where they react with oxygen to produce electricity and water.

In accordance with the global environmental demand, the Department of Telecommunications and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) actively promote greener energy solutions. TRAI’s 2012 directive mandates that at least 50% of rural telecom towers and 33% of urban towers transition to hybrid renewable energy sources. Integrating PEMFC with telecom towers aligns with this vision, offering a sustainable and efficient alternative to traditional backup systems.

The Centre for Fuel Cell Technology (CFCT) at the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), an autonomous institute of Department of Science and Technology has developed an innovative fuel cell-based solution. A key feature of this project is the adoption of a plug-and-play model, ensuring easy handling and transport while eliminating security concerns, making the solution practical and adaptable for widespread deployment.

In a first-of-its-kind demonstration, ARCI showcased a mobile PEMFC-based backup power solution for telecom towers using a plug-and-play model.

Unlike fixed installations, this setup allows the power generation unit to be shared among multiple towers, providing backup power where needed. This would considerably facilitate telecom towers to utilize shared back up power and be transported to locations where diesel generator setups are difficult to reach or maintain.

The demonstration was conducted at a telecom tower of a reputed service provider in the Pune Municipal Corporation limits, with Resicorre Technologies, Nashik, as the industrial partner. Resicorre Technologies Private Limited envisions green solution for the Indian society both in vehicular as well as stationary power backup sectors. The current demonstration is part of the sponsored project under the Advanced Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Call – 2021 by the Department of Science and Technology, India. The aim of the project was to establish a reliable fuel cell-based backup power solution that ensures a steady hydrogen supply and power resilience during outages.

With India’s expanding digital infrastructure and growing focus on sustainability, fuel cell technology offers a promising solution for cleaner and more reliable telecom operations. This breakthrough is a game-changer in the telecom sector.

The successful deployment and demonstration of PEM Fuel Cells for the power supply to telecom tower shall promote the usage of clean energy for India’s telecom sector, ensuring uninterrupted service while significantly reducing carbon footprints.

Figure: (Left) Telecom tower powered by mobile PEM Fuel Cell unit with the inset showing the current rating drawn from Fuel Cell at the Base Transceiver Station. (Right): The Fuel cell system along with the demonstration team.

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NKR/PSM

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India’s R&D Spending More Than Double in Last Decade, from Rs 60,196 cr in 2013-14 to ₹1.27 Lakh Crore: Dr. Jitendra Singh

Source: Government of India

India’s R&D Spending More Than Double in Last Decade, from Rs 60,196 cr in 2013-14 to ₹1.27 Lakh Crore: Dr. Jitendra Singh

Homegrown Innovations in AI, Biotechnology, and Quantum Computing to Shape India’s Economic Future: Dr. Jitendra Singh

DISHA Program to Propel India’s Knowledge Economy, Strengthening Atmanirbhar Bharat, says the Minister

AI-Driven Healthcare to Revolutionize Accessibility, But Human Expertise Remains Indispensable: Dr. Jitendra Singh

Young Innovators to Lead India’s Tech Transformation Towards Global Leadership by 2047, Affirms the Minister

Posted On: 03 MAR 2025 5:24PM by PIB Delhi

“India R&D spending (GERD) is double in last one decade during the government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from Rs 60,196 cr in 2013-14 to ₹1,27,381 cr and is shaping the future economy of India which will be defined by homegrown innovations in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum computing,” Dr. Jitendra Singh said, underscoring the role of government-backed initiatives in catalyzing scientific advancements.

Speaking at the DISHA event at India Habitat Centre here, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions highlighted the government’s multi-pronged strategy to position India as a global leader in deep-tech innovation and commercialization.

Dr. Jitendra Singh reiterated that India is making significant strides in fostering an intellectual property (IP)-driven innovation ecosystem, with academia, industry, and startups playing a pivotal role. He noted that the government’s emphasis on research and development (R&D) funding has led to India’s Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) more than doubling in the last decade, from Rs 60,196 cr in 2013-14 to ₹1,27,381 cr. “The government is not only investing in research but also ensuring that these innovations are seamlessly transitioned from labs to industries, strengthening the foundation of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” he added.

The DISHA Program, an initiative aimed at Developing Innovations, Successful Harnessing, and Adoption, is a step towards building a knowledge-based economy where research-driven solutions transform industries. The program is designed to support faculty members and students working on disruptive technologies across disciplines, ensuring that India remains at the forefront of global innovation.

Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized that initiatives like DISHA align with the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), which seeks to create a unified research ecosystem bridging science, humanities, and social sciences. This integrated approach will empower Indian researchers to engage in cross-sectoral collaborations, pushing the boundaries of discovery and implementation.

One of the key highlights of Dr. Jitendra Singh’s address was India’s policy shift in allowing private sector participation in strategic fields such as space technology and nuclear research. “What was once solely the domain of government institutions is now open to private enterprises, enabling faster technological advancements, higher efficiency, and global competitiveness,” he stated.

The space sector, in particular, has witnessed a surge in innovation, with startups actively contributing to satellite development, launch services, and space-based applications. The government’s decision to open up the nuclear energy sector to private players is another transformative step aimed at leveraging indigenous expertise to drive energy security and sustainability.

Highlighting the transformative impact of artificial intelligence in healthcare, Dr. Jitendra Singh pointed out the success of AI-driven mobile telemedicine units in providing healthcare access to remote areas. “AI-powered diagnostics and telemedicine solutions are already redefining patient care, making high-quality healthcare services accessible and affordable for all,” he noted.

However, he stressed the importance of maintaining a balance between AI and human expertise. “The role of AI is to complement human intelligence, not replace it. A hybrid approach will ensure that technology enhances, rather than diminishes, the role of skilled professionals in healthcare and other critical fields,” he added.

With India set to complete 100 years of independence in 2047, Dr. Jitendra Singh urged young innovators to take the lead in shaping the country’s technological future. “The responsibility of building a technologically advanced India lies with the next generation. What we invest in today will determine our standing in the global economy decades from now,” he said.

As the government continues to invest in deep-tech research, skill development, and industry-academia collaboration, programs like DISHA will play a crucial role in making India an innovation powerhouse. The Minister’s address reinforced the vision of an India that is not just a consumer of technology but a leading creator and exporter of cutting-edge solutions to the world.

*****

NKR/PSM

(Release ID: 2107792) Visitor Counter : 10

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PM chairs the 7th meeting of National Board for Wildlife on 3rd March in Gir

Source: Government of India

PM chairs the 7th meeting of National Board for Wildlife on 3rd March in Gir

PM releases the first-ever riverine dolphin estimation report in the country, which estimated a total of 6,327 dolphins

PM lays the foundation stone of National Referral Centre for Wildlife at Junagadh

PM announces 16th Asiatic Lion Population Estimation to be conducted in 2025 and establishment of Centre of Excellence to deal with Human-wildlife conflict at SACON, Coimbatore

PM announces that Cheetah introduction will be expanded to Gandhisagar Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh and Banni Grasslands in Gujarat

Strengthening wildlife conservation efforts, PM announces a new Project for Gharials and a National Great Indian Bustard Conservation Action Plan

PM stresses on the usage of remote sensing & geospatial mapping and AI & Machine Learning to combat issues like forest fires and human-animal conflicts

PM underscores importance of ease of travelling and connectivity for wildlife tourism

PM asks the Wildlife Board and Environment Ministry to gather the traditional knowledge and manuscripts of various regions of India with respect to conservation and management of forests and wildlife

Gir is a good success story of Lion and Leopard conservation, we should document this traditional knowledge with the help of AI for use at other National Parks and Sanctuaries: PM

Posted On: 03 MAR 2025 4:48PM by PIB Delhi

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi visited Gir National Park in Gujarat earlier today, where he chaired the 7th meeting of the National Board for Wildlife.

The National Board for Wildlife reviewed various initiatives undertaken by the Government in wildlife conservation, highlighting achievements in the creation of new protected areas and species-specific flagship programs such as Project Tiger, Project Elephant, Project Snow Leopard, among others. The Board also discussed conservation efforts for dolphins and Asiatic lions, and the establishment of the International Big Cats Alliance.

During the meeting, Prime Minister released the report of the first-ever riverine dolphin estimation conducted in the country, which estimated a total of 6,327 dolphins. This pioneering effort involved surveying 28 rivers across eight states, with 3150 mandays dedicated to covering over 8,500 kilometers. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest numbers, followed by Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam.

Prime Minister emphasised the importance of awareness on dolphin conservation by involvement of local population and villagers in the areas. He also advised organising exposure visits of school children in dolphin habitat areas.

Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of the National Referral Centre for Wildlife at Junagadh, which will function as the hub for coordination and governance of various aspects related to wildlife health and disease management.

Population estimation of Asiatic Lions is carried out once every five years. The last such exercise was carried out in 2020. Prime Minister announced the initiation of the 16th cycle of lion estimation to be conducted in 2025.

Considering that the Asiatic Lions have now made Barda Wildlife Sanctuary their home through natural dispersal, Prime Minister announced that lion conservation in Barda will be supported through prey augmentation and other habitat improvement efforts. Underscoring the importance of eco-tourism as a means for development and conservation of wildlife habitats, he emphasised that there should be ease of travelling and connectivity for wildlife tourism.

For effective management of human-wildlife conflict, Prime Minister made an announcement for establishing a Centre of excellence at Wildlife Institute of India- Campus in SACON (Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History), Coimbatore. The centre will also support the states and UTs in equipping Rapid Response Teams with advanced technology, gadgets for tracking, forewarning; prescribe surveillance and Intrusion Detection Systems in human-wildlife conflict hotspots; and build capacity of field practitioners and community to execute conflict mitigation measures.

Prime Minister stressed on the usage of remote sensing & geospatial mapping and Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning to combat issues like forest fires and human-animal conflicts. He suggested engagement of the Wildlife Institute of India with the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) to address the challenge of human-wildlife conflict.

To enhance the monitoring and management of forest fires, particularly in highly sensitive protected areas, focusing on prediction, detection, prevention, and control, the Prime Minister advised for a collaboration between the Forest Survey of India, Dehradun, and BISAG-N through use of space technology.

Prime Minister also announced that the Cheetah introduction will be expanded to other areas including the Gandhisagar Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh and Banni Grasslands in Gujarat.

Prime Minister announced a scheme focused on the conservation of tigers outside tiger reserves. The initiative aims to address human-tiger and other co-predator conflicts in areas outside these reserves by ensuring co-existence with local communities.

Recognising the dwindling population of gharials and a view of ensuring the conservation of Gharials, Prime Minister also announced the initiation of a new Project on Gharials for their conservation.

Prime Minister commended the efforts undertaken towards conservation of Great Indian Bustard. Considering the need to upscale the conservation efforts, he announced a National Great Indian Bustard Conservation Action Plan.

During the review meeting, Prime Minister asked the Board and Environment Ministry to gather traditional knowledge and manuscripts of various regions of India with respect to conservation and management of forests and wildlife for research and development. Prime Minister chalked out a roadmap for wildlife conservation strategy and future actions for the Ministry and also asked to constitute various task forces to work on Indian Sloth Bear, Ghariyaal and Great Indian Bustard conservation and development.

Prime Minister noted that Gir is a good success story of Lion and Leopard conservation. He said that this traditional knowledge should be documented with the help of AI for use at other National Parks and Sanctuaries.

Prime Minister also suggested for enhanced cooperation in Co-ordination unit under the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

Prime Minister commended the active participation of local communities in conservation, especially through the establishment of Community Reserves. Over the past decade, India has witnessed more than six fold increase in the number of community reserves. He also emphasized the importance of utilizing advanced technologies, including Artificial Intelligence in wildlife conservation.

Prime Minister also advised on research and documentation of medicinal plants in forest areas which can play a crucial role in animal health management. He also mentioned the possibilities of promoting use of plant based medicine systems for animal health management on a global scale.

After the meeting, Prime Minister also flagged off motorcycles for enhanced mobility of frontline forest staff. He also interacted with field level functionaries at Gir which included frontline staff, eco guides and trackers.

***

MJPS/SR

(Release ID: 2107778) Visitor Counter : 45

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: HyD commences investigation for Northern Metropolis Highway (with photo)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

HyD commences investigation for Northern Metropolis Highway (with photo)
HyD commences investigation for Northern Metropolis Highway (with photo)
************************************************************************

The Highways Department (HyD) officially commences the investigation for the Northern Metropolis Highway (NMH) and targets to prioritise the completion of works for the NMH San Tin Section in 25 months and its technical readiness for tendering the main works in 2027. It includes the optimisation of alignment and interchange locations, carrying out the Environmental Impact Assessment and the gazettal procedures, as well as completing site investigations, other impact assessments and the preliminary design of the San Tin Section in parallel, with a view to expediting the implementation of the project. The HyD today (March 3) signed an investigation consultancy agreement with the AECOM Asia Company Limited and AtkinsRealis Asia Limited Joint Venture for the NMH. The professional team formed by the Joint Venture comprises an engineering design consultant from the Mainland, Shanghai Urban Construction Design & Research Institute (Group) Co Ltd, a local land surveyor firm, KELand Surveying, Planning & GIS Co Ltd, a financial consultant, Deloitte Advisory (Hong Kong) Limited, and professional members from other various disciplines. The Joint Venture will take forward the investigation for the project at full speed. A spokesman for the HyD said, “The proposed NMH will link the development nodes in the Northern Metropolis, including Ngau Tam Mei, San Tin Technopole, Kwu Tung North/Fanling North and New Territories North (NTN) New Town, enhancing accessibility to the New Development Areas. The NMH will also further enhance cross-boundary road connections for passengers and goods, enabling members of the public and visitors to travel conveniently to and from various major land boundary control points in the Northern Metropolis. Upon commissioning of the NMH, it can effectively divert about 40 per cent of the traffic flow between the New Territories East and West during peak hours, thereby alleviating traffic pressure on existing roads. We target to have the San Tin Section of the NMH technically ready for tendering in 2027, so that funding approval can be sought from the Legislative Council as appropriate for carrying out the advance works and detailed design as well as commencing the main construction works of the San Tin Section, with a view to commissioning the San Tin Section in or before 2036.” The preliminary alignment of the proposed NMH is about 23 kilometres long, including at-grade roads or viaducts of about 13km in length and a tunnel of about 10km in length. It connects Tin Shui Wai to the NTN New Town near Ping Che and consists of four road sections – Tin Shui Wai Section, San Tin Section, Kwu Tung Section and NTN New Town Section.

Ends/Monday, March 3, 2025Issued at HKT 18:51

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Capture The (Cyber) Flag

Source: US State of Connecticut

Welcoming teams from dozens of colleges and universities, CyberSEED’25 will feature a capture the flag event designed specifically for students. The Connecticut Advanced Computing Center (CACC) is hosting the annual CyberSEED event on March 8. The event will take place online.

Register for the event by 9 a.m. on March 8.

The competition will touch on a variety of cybersecurity challenges including a set of flags focusing on reverse engineering, web application security, network traffic analysis, cryptography, and more. The competition requires a breadth of skills, as well as scripting and programming alongside a solid understanding of network monitoring and forensics tools.

Each top-placing team is eligible to win prizes in amounts ranging from $3,000 to $250.

During last year’s CyberSEED event, the UConn Cyber team, ERROR 404, placed second out of 165 teams.

In response to their achievement, the club’s president, Anthony Crisci, said “We beat colleges with way better cybersecurity funding, courses, and just generally better way better cybersecurity programs than UConn. It feels good and hopefully helps bring more attention to, in my opinion, one of, if not the most important area of technology.”

Laurent Michel is a computer science and engineering professor and organizes the CyberSEED event.

“CyberSEED is a wonderful opportunity for aspiring CyberSecurity Professionals and I’m thankful for Synchrony’s support throughout the years,” Michel says. “UConn’s own teams participated in CyberSEED’24 and the ‘ERROR-404’ teams distinguished itself by securing second place on the roster. I look forward to the outcome with this new group of students and wish them all the best in walking in the footsteps of the other Huskies who did so well. Go Huskies!”

The competition platform is provided by Cyber Skyline and the event is generously sponsored by Synchrony.

Event Details:

This event will be hosted online. Organizers will be using Zoom to coordinate and communicate with all teams during the event. During registration, students should complete the CyberSEED Liability Waiver and email completed forms. Students must register as a team, and should come prepared with a laptop.

Orientation will take place at 9:30 a.m., actual kick off will begin at 10:00 a.m.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Working conditions of artists and workers in the cultural and creative sectors and industries – E-000809/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-000809/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Hristo Petrov (Renew), Irena Joveva (Renew), Jana Toom (Renew), Brigitte van den Berg (Renew), Nikola Minchev (Renew), Eugen Tomac (Renew), Laurence Farreng (Renew), Marie-Pierre Vedrenne (Renew)

In December 2024, the European Labour Authority (ELA) published a report on employment characteristics and undeclared work in the cultural and creative sectors (CCS). This study highlights the precarious conditions faced by the 7.7 million artists and workers in the CCS. In particular, the reliance on self-employment and temporary contracts leaves many workers without adequate social protection such as health insurance and pensions. The report also highlights the widespread practice of undeclared work, characterised by cash payments and unregistered events. Problems also stem from the rise of digital platforms and cross-border mobility of artists and CCS professionals, particularly with regard to taxation and misclassification.

In the light of the ELA report and Parliament’s resolution of 21 November 2023[1]:

1.What progress has been made by the Commission in implementing each of the 13 initiatives identified in its letter of 21 February 2024 in response to Parliament’s resolution?

2.What measures does the Commission intend to take to make progress at both European and national level on the 2023 policy recommendations of the Open Method of Coordination expert group?

3.How will the Commission ensure that the social protection and adequate working conditions of intermittent workers are safeguarded?

Submitted: 21.2.2025

[1] Resolution of 21 November 2023 with recommendations to the Commission on an EU framework for the social and professional situation of artists and workers in the cultural and creative sectors, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/4208/oj.
Last updated: 3 March 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Increase in drug trafficking in Europe and its impact on young people – E-000808/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-000808/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Nadine Morano (PPE)

On 5 November 2024, EUR 1.2 million was seized from a vehicle as part of an anti-drug operation in Marseille. According to the European Union Drug Agency’s 2022 European Drug Report, 362 tonnes of cocaine were seized in Europe, up from 213 tonnes in 2020, the first time the haul was bigger in Europe than in the United States[1].

In addition, more and more young people are involved in drug trafficking and the number of adolescents accused of drug-related homicide is on the rise.

In 2023, 60% of victims of drug-related violence in France were under 25 years old[2]. These figures illustrate the increase in drug trafficking in Europe as well as its impact on young people in France and elsewhere in Europe.

Against this backdrop:

1.What action is the Commission taking to combat this increase in drug trafficking and to stop drugs reaching Europe?

2.How will the Commission limit young people’s exposure to and recruitment into drug trafficking?

Submitted: 21.2.2025

[1] European Drugs Agency, ‘Understanding Europe’s drug situation in 2024 – key developments’, European Drug Report 2024 https://www.euda.europa.eu/publications/european-drug-report/2024/drug-situation-in-europe-up-to-2024_en

[2] Thomas Saintourens, ‘Trafic de drogue : pourquoi la France atteint un point critique’, Le Monde, 17 November 2024, https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2024/11/17/trafic-de-drogue-pourquoi-la-france-atteint-un-point-critique_6398366_3224.html
Last updated: 3 March 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – ETS: Measures to protect the maritime transport sector and Europe’s islands – E-002754/2024(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
All sectors, including maritime transport, need to contribute to the EU’s climate neutrality goal by 2050. The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) is a key policy to achieve this objective.

The economic and social impacts due to the ETS extension to maritime transport were looked at in the impact assessment[1] that accompanied the legislative proposal in 2021.

Regarding costs, the analysis showed that the estimated impact on commodity prices relevant to European trade was expected to be relatively small (less than one percent price increase by 2030), with a very low effect on demand.

The Commission acknowledges the specific challenges faced by islands. The EU ETS contains derogations allowing Member States to exempt from ETS surrendering obligations until end-2030, voyages by passenger vessels between islands with fewer than 200 000 residents and other ports in the same Member State.

Furthermore, in case of transnational public service contracts established by two Member States, one having no land border with another Member State and the other being the closest, shipping companies do not need to surrender allowances if the Member States decide to exempt such a line.

The Commission will monitor and report biennially on the implementation of the ETS extension to shipping. These reports will analyse possible transport cost increases and impacts on shipping services that constitute essential services of territorial continuity.

The first report will be published in March 2025. If appropriate, the Commission will propose measures to ensure the effective implementation of the system.

Member States can also decide to use their ETS revenues to further encourage the decarbonisation of the maritime sector and may benefit projects connecting islands.

[1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2021:0601:FIN
Last updated: 3 March 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Impact of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement on agriculture, the economy and European consumers – E-002629/2024(ASW)
Source: European Parliament

The potential agreement with the Mercosur represents a key geostrategic and economic interest for the EU. This is all the more true under the current global context, in which geopolitical tensions among the different world powers risk to undermine EU exports, and hence the EU economy.

As regards the agri-food sector, it should be recalled that the EU is the largest global exporter, with EUR 229 billion exports and a trade surplus of EUR 70 billion in 2023.

The agreement will create new opportunities for the products of EU farmers in the highly protected Mercosur markets, by eliminating duties on key EU products, such as wine and other beverages, dairy products, olive oil and high-value processed products. Moreover, the agreement protects some 350 European geographical indications.

Furthermore, trade concessions for sensitive agricultural products are granted under the form of carefully calibrated tariff rate quotas, limited to a very small share of EU consumption. Economic studies carried out by the Commission confirm that the market impact of the Mercosur agreement for EU sensitive products would be very limited[1].

The agreement also provides for safeguards in case of any adverse market effects, covering all products, even those not fully liberalised.

Finally, the agreement will have no impact on health standards or consumers’ rights of EU citizens. Imported products, from Mercosur or from anywhere else , will always have to comply with the high EU health and sanitary standards , including with EU requirements concerning consumer information and traceability.

Such requirements are not negotiable, under any trade agreement.
- [1] Sustainability Impact Assessment in support of the Association Agreement negotiations between the EU and Mercosur: https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/analysis-and-assessment/sustainability-impact-assessments_en; Cumulative economic impact of upcoming trade agreements on EU agriculture: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC135540; Economic and Sustainability Impact Assessment for Ireland of the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/1c8a6-economic-and-sustainability-impact-assessment-for-ireland-of-the-eu-mercosur-trade-agreement/
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Road safety in Sicily and the failure to complete Highway 117 (Santo Stefano di Camastra to Gela) – E-002982/2024(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
1. Under the Regional Programme Sicily 2021-2027[1], EUR 90 million are indicatively allocated for upgrading or extraordinary maintenance of secondary and local roads benefitting inner areas, to increase their safety standards and their functionality.

Under the Regional Programme Sicily European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2014-2020, around EUR 201 million were allocated to strengthen secondary and local connections of inner areas and those in agricultural and agro-industrial production districts with the main roads and railways of the trans-European transport network.

2. In its Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy[2], the Commission committed to ‘explore options to further support safe, smart and sustainable road transport operations under an existing agency or another body’. In line with this commitment, the Commission launched a feasibility study, which identifies shortcomings in the current policy implementation and governance set-up and explores options to enable swifter deployment of innovation and new technologies for competitive, safe, smart and sustainable road transport and keep EU technical regulation fit for purpose. While the feasibility study on the possible support to this development has been completed, the Commission’s assessment of the needs has not been finalised yet. F urther steps on this issue will be decided by the Commission following the outcome of this assessment.

3. The construction of Highway 117 (Santo Stefano di Camastra to Gela) is not financed under the ERDF. According to the available information, support is provided by national funding; therefore, the matter falls under the responsibility of Italian authorities only.

[1] Supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/funding/erdf_en

[2] https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/mobility-strategy_en
Last updated: 3 March 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Impact on financial data traffic of hybrid attacks on Baltic Sea fibre-optic cables – E-002849/2024(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
Undersea communication cables operated by public telecommunication service providers, as the ones in question transporting financial sector data would be subject to cybersecurity measures under the directive on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union (NIS2 Directive)[1], which includes also their protection from physical threats.

The Commission is closely following the recent incidents affecting submarine cables. It is reflecting on possible measures to improve security and resilience of this critical infrastructure, in cooperation with Member States, in addition to the recent Recommendation (EU) 2024/779[2] on the topic.

The Commission is not aware of disruptions of a systemic nature in the provision of financial services as a result of the recent incidents affecting the submarine cables.

In addition to the NIS2 Directive, the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA)[3], referred to by the Honourable Member, is also relevant for enhancing the financial sector’s resilience against such kind of incidents.

Under DORA, EU regulated financial entities are required to put in place contingency measures and plans (e.g. business continuity, etc.) to counter such incidents affecting their systems and networks, as well as to perform third-party risk assessments on the providers of information and communication technology (ICT)-services, including of communication and data transmission solutions.

[1] OJ L 333, 27.12.2022, p. 80-152, http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2022/2555/oj

[2] C/2024/1181, OJ L, 2024/779, 8.3.2024.

[3] Regulation (EU) 2022/2554 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 on digital operational resilience for the financial sector and amending Regulations (EC) No 1060/2009, (EU) No 648/2012, (EU) No 600/2014, (EU) No 909/2014 and (EU) 2016/1011, OJ L 333, 27.12.2022, p. 1-79.
Last updated: 3 March 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Training AI: will the EU allow major US platforms to draw on our personal data? – E-002743/2024(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
The use of personal data, including in the context of Artificial Intelligence (AI) training, by online platforms established in the EU is regulated by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)[1]. This includes the possible transfer of personal data to a third country outside of the European Economic Area.

Without prejudice to its powers as guardian of the Treaties, the monitoring and enforcement of the GDPR falls primarily under the competence of national data protection authorities (DPAs) and courts.

DPAs have launched several investigations into platforms’ uses of personal data to train AI models[2] and the European Data Protection Board has recently issued an opinion on the use of personal data for the development and deployment of AI models in line with the GDPR[3].

General purpose AI (GPAI) models generate content based on the input data it has been trained on. Article 4 of Directive (EU) 2019/790[4] introduced an exception for text and data mining (TDM), which provides a relevant framework for the use of protected content for AI training.

Article 4(3) allows rightsholders to reserve their rights, thereby preventing their works or subject matter from being used under the exception.

In such cases, GPAI models’ providers wishing to use such content to train their models must obtain authorisation from rightsholders to carry out TDM.

Moreover, according to Article 53(1)(c) of the AI Act[5], GPAI models’ providers placed in the EU market must put in place a policy to comply with EU copyright law, in particular with the rights reservation expressed under Article 4(3) of Directive (EU) 2019/790, irrespective of where the training of such models occurs.

This measure will facilitate the enforcement of copyright and related rights in the EU.

[1] Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation); OJ L 119, 04/05/2016, p. 1-88.

[2] https://www.dataprotection.ie/en/news-media/press-releases/data-protection-commission-launches-inquiry-google-ai-model and https://www.edpb.europa.eu/system/files/2024-05/edpb_20240523_report_chatgpt_taskforce_en.pdf

[3] https://www.edpb.europa.eu/news/news/2024/edpb-opinion-ai-models-gdpr-principles-support-responsible-ai_en

[4] Directive (EU) 2019/790 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market and amending Directives 96/9/EC and 2001/29/EC, OJ L 130, 17.5.2019, p. 92-125.

[5] Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence and amending Regulations (EC) No 300/2008, (EU) No 167/2013, (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1139 and (EU) 2019/2144 and Directives 2014/90/EU, (EU) 2016/797 and (EU) 2020/1828, OJ L, 2024/1689, 12.7.2024.
Last updated: 3 March 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Use of lethal autonomous weapons systems – E-002645/2024(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
The regulations on the European Defence Fund (EDF)[1], in support of ammunition production (ASAP)[2] and on establishing an instrument for the reinforcement of the European defence industry through common procurement (EDIRPA)[3] explicitly provide that actions related to the development, production or procurement of lethal autonomous weapons, without the possibility of meaningful human control over selection and engagement decisions when carrying out strikes against humans, shall not be eligible for EU financial support.

EU military assistance for Ukraine falls under the responsibility of the Council of the European Union. Under the programmes implemented by the Commission to strengthen the EU’s defence technological and industrial base (EDTIB), the eligibility conditions as established in the EDF, ASAP and EDIRPA imply the exclusion of Ukrainian entities from the possibility of receiving EU funding.

The Commission proposal for the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) Regulation[4] envisages that entities established in Ukraine may be recipients of EU funding, but actions related to lethal autonomous weapons without the possibility of meaningful human control would not be eligible for funding.

Within the limits of the powers conferred on it by the Treaties, the Commission is to oversee the application of EU law. The application of and compliance with international human rights law and international humanitarian law arises from the respective treaties under international law to which Ukraine is a contracting party, e.g. the European Convention on Human Rights and the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their additional protocols.

[1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/697/oj/eng

[2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1525/oj/eng

[3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/2418/oj/eng

[4] https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/edip-proposal-regulation_en
Last updated: 3 March 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – E-002619/2024(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
While Member States are responsible for the organisation of health services and medical care, the Commission has taken several steps to facilitate access for rare disease patients to effective diagnostics and therapies.

The Commission supports the European Reference Networks (ERN)[1]; cross-border networks that bring together European hospital centres of expertise and reference to tackle rare diseases. ERN EYE[2] focuses on rare eye diseases.

The Healthier Together initiative[3] supports Member States in addressing NCDs such as geographic atrophy. The Commission supports collaborative action and the sharing of best practices[4] with EU4Health funding[5]. The Expert Group on Public Health[6] provides a forum for exchange with the Member States on NCDs.

Following an application, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommends whether a medicine can be authorised based on the assessment of its benefit risk balance.

The EU pharmaceutical legislation reform[7] will make the EU system more attractive, increase competitiveness, and reduce red tape contributing to savings of EUR 300 million annually for industry and Member States. Simpler procedures and faster authorisation times will be introduced. Better use of real-world evidence and expedited pathways will accelerate access to new treatments.

Regulatory sandboxes and adapted frameworks will enable early testing of innovative therapies, positioning the EU as a global innovation leader.

The EU supports research on advanced therapies through the EU Research and Innovation Framework Programmes. It has funded 34 collaborative projects with EUR 220 million in Horizon Europe[8]. Remaining calls in Horizon Europe under Work programmes 2025 and 2026/2027 will also target advanced therapy approaches.

[1] Rare diseases and European Reference Networks https://health.ec.europa.eu/rare-diseases-and-european-reference-networks_en

[2] ERN-EYE, a European Reference Network dedicated to rare eye diseases https://www.ern-eye.eu/

[3] https://health.ec.europa.eu/non-communicable-diseases/healthier-together-eu-non-communicable-diseases-initiative_en

[4] https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/dyna/bp-portal/

[5] https://health.ec.europa.eu/funding/eu4health-programme-2021-2027-vision-healthier-european-union_en

[6] https://health.ec.europa.eu/non-communicable-diseases/expert-group-public-health_en

[7] https://health.ec.europa.eu/medicinal-products/pharmaceutical-strategy-europe/reform-eu-pharmaceutical-legislation_en

[8] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en
Last updated: 3 March 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Tackling cardiovascular diseases linked to eating too much salt – E-000806/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-000806/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Nadine Morano (PPE)

According to a report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2024[1], cardiovascular diseases account for 42.5 % of deaths in Europe. The majority of these are the result of high blood pressure brought about by the overconsumption of salt.

In 52 of the 53 countries in the WHO European region, salt consumption is above the WHO’s recommended limit of 5 grams per person per day. These data show the problems associated with the regular consumption of overly salty products in the EU.

With the above in mind:

What is the Commission planning to do to improve food safety for Europeans and limit the risk of cardiovascular disease?

Submitted: 21.2.2025

[1] World Health Organization, ‘Cardiovascular diseases kill 10 000 people in the WHO European Region every day, with men dying more frequently than women’, 15 May 2024, https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/15-05-2024-cardiovascular-diseases-kill-10-000-people-in-the-who-european-region-every-day–with-men-dying-more-frequently-than-women
Last updated: 3 March 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – Gender gap in health and healthcare: Implications for women – 03-03-2025

Source: European Parliament

Recent findings suggesting that women in the EU outlive men yet often spend more years in poor health point to a significant gender gap in healthcare. Women face multiple challenges that negatively affect their well-being, including delayed diagnoses, pain bias, research disparities and limited access to essential services.

MIL OSI Europe News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: EIB Group Forum: Investing in a more sustainable and secure Europe
Source: European Investment Bank
- The third edition of the EIB Group Forum will be held in Luxembourg from 5-7 March, focusing on action to boost Europe’s prosperity, security, and fostering global cooperation.
- EIB Group President Nadia Calviño will open the Forum on 5 March, with EIB Chief Economist Debora Revoltella launching the EIB Investment Report, which analyses investment trends of more than 12,000 European companies.
- President Nadia Calviño and European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jorgensen, will outline latest joint efforts to support access to affordable housing in Europe.
- President Calviño will also participate in sessions alongside European Commissioners, national ministers, international partners and European business leaders.
The European Investment Bank Group (EIB) President Nadia Calviño will open the EIB Group Forum on Wednesday, 5 March, in Luxembourg. The three-day event, held at the European Convention Centre, will bring together leaders and experts to discuss and put forward concrete solutions to the challenges and the opportunities facing Europe and the world today across the economy, society and global politics.

“Now is the time to act. The global order which has provided peace and prosperity for the last 80 years is changing. In these turbulent times it is more important than ever that Europe provides stability and certainty – founded on our strengths, with unity and determination”, said EIB President Nadia Calviño. “Europe is a superpower when it comes to trade, research and innovation. The EIB Group Forum offers a timely opportunity for European leaders and innovators to come together with companies and international partners to put concrete solutions on the table in key areas like green tech, health, security and defense, building a more secure, competitive, and prosperous future for all of us.”

The Forum will feature a diverse lineup of speeches and panels over its three days. Highlights include:

5 March:
- A session on decarbonising Europe’s industry, with a keynote by Luca De Meo, CEO of Renault Group, one of the world’s largest carmakers.
- Launch of the EIB Group Investment report, presenting insights on EU investment trends based the EIB Group’s annual survey of more than 12,000 companies.
- Panels covering Europe’s increased need for security investments; the connection between digitalisation and growth; and the role of capital markets in advancing gender equality.
6 March:
- Keynote address by Antonio Costa, President of the European Council (by video).
- Keynote by Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, in charge of Clean, Just and Competitive Transition.
- Keynote address by World Health Organisation Head Dr Ghebreyesus Tedros
- A session on affordable and sustainable housing in Europe, featuring EIB President Nadia Calviño and European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, Dan Jørgensen, laying the foundations for a new pan-European affordable housing initiative
6-7 March:
- EIB Global Days: Sessions on Europe’s role in the world, including discussions on expanding the EU, support for Ukraine, energy transition beyond EU borders, critical raw materials, and health.
- On the eve of International Women’s Day (8 March), discussions will focus on scaling up solutions for diversity, inclusion and economic growth with the second meeting of the Women Climate Leaders’ Network on the Forum margins.
For the full agenda and speakers please visit the EIB website. The Forum will be entirely livestreamed on the EIB YouTube channel, while the opening speech of the President and other key moments will be available on EBS.

Journalists interested in interviews with Forum participants are invited to contact us. We will facilitate connections with their respective spokespersons where possible.

Background information

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.

The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high -impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.

High-quality, up-to-date photos of our headquarters for media use are available here.
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Thailand – E-000104/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament
1. The Commission is closely monitoring the current revision of the 2015 fisheries legislation. On several occasions, Thailand has been made aware that any substantive relaxation of the current rules in place to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing would not be acceptable and that the EU is reserving its right to consider adopting measures as foreseen by EU Council Regulation No 1005/2008[1] (IUU Regulation), if necessary. On social conditions, the Forced Labour Regulation[2] will empower the EU to prohibit and remove a product from the single market if it is demonstrated to involve forced labour. The directive on corporate sustainability due diligence[3] will also ensure that businesses address in their value chains, inside and outside Europe, any adverse impacts of their actions as regards human rights, labour rights and environmental considerations.

2. In the negotiating rounds held so far on a Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Thailand, the treatment of individual products has not yet been discussed. Discussions will start in the coming months and will include consultations with relevant stakeholders. Economically sensitive sectors are subject to specific modalities for market access which aim at preventing any market disturbances. As the negotiations enter a more advanced stage, a Sustainability Impact Assessment will be carried out in order to provide an in-depth analysis of their potential economic, social, human rights, and environmental impacts.

[1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2008/1005/oj/eng

[2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/3015/oj/eng

[3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1760/oj
Last updated: 3 March 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Monitoring effectiveness and addressing circumvention under the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism – E-002869/2024(ASW)

Source: European Parliament

The Commission is committed to carry out a review and to assess the effectiveness of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in addressing the risk of carbon leakage.

For this purpose, the Commission will present a report to the co-legislators in 2025 which will cover the possible extension to other goods and downstream products.

This report will already look into the question of export carbon leakage, building on the Commission’s 2024 Carbon Market Report. The Commission is also strongly committed to simplifying CBAM, building on the lessons learnt in the transitional period.

As regards the risk of circumvention, the CBAM Regulation, as agreed by the co-legislators, empowers the Commission to tackle practices of circumvention, including by cross-checking customs and other available data with the information provided by CBAM declarants.

Where the evidence confirms the existence of circumvention, the Commission is empowered to add relevant slightly modified products to the scope of the regulation.

The Commission may also initiate investigations into claims of circumvention notified by either a Member State, or by an affected, benefited, or other interested party.

In carrying out such investigations, the Commission will work closely with the competent authorities as well as the customs authorities.

Last updated: 3 March 2025

MIL OSI Europe News –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Spring is the most critical period for wildfires in Scotland

Source: Scotland – Highland Council

Issued by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

For more information, visit https://www.firescotland.gov.uk/outdoors/wildfires/

Firefighters are urging the public to be aware of wildfire risk this Spring as figures show almost 80% of large outdoor fires since 2010 were recorded between March and May.

On average, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) attends 170 large outdoor fires each year.

Prolonged wet weather last year saw the figure drop to 55 incidents, but the seasonal risk remains.

Analysis shows that around two thirds of wildfires are accidental with the most common causes recorded as discarded cigarettes or unattended campfires.

Area Commander and Local Senior Officer for Highland, Michael Humphreys, the SFRS Wildfire Lead, emphasised the need for public responsibility. He said: “It is crucial that people understand the impact of careless fire-setting. Even with the best intentions, small fires can rapidly spread causing devastating damage.

“If you light a campfire during high winds, high temperatures and low humidity there is potential that it could get out of control.

“Always take steps to ensure your campfire is fully extinguished before you leave. Simple steps to act safely and responsibly is a must.”

SFRS continues to collaborate with partners, such as the Scottish Wildfire Forum, to issue wildfire warnings when weather and ground conditions are high and very high for fires. The public can follow SFRS social media channels and website for real-time wildfire warnings and safety guidance.

Deputy Chair of the Scottish Wildfire Forum, Michael Bruce, said: “Large wildfires burning over several days have a devastating impact on our natural environment.

“In May 2019, a wildfire burned for six days in the Flow Country where the burned peatland doubled Scotland’s emissions.

“Wildfires can strike a blow to rural economies and tourism.”

With climate change, we may be seeing hotter, drier summers and wetter, warmer winters. This could increase the chances for wildfires to occur, which is why preventative measures are more important than ever.

To address these risks, SFRS is advancing its Wildfire Strategy, and have invested £1.6 million in specialist equipment and firefighter training to improve its response capabilities.

While wildfires can happen year-round, Spring presents ideal conditions due to the combination of new growth and typically drier ground.

However, wildfire risks are not solely linked to warm conditions—cold, dry winter air can also create highly flammable environments.

For more information, visit Wildfires | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Works progressing on Whin Park Play area

Source: Scotland – Highland Council

Works are progressing well on the exciting changes taking place at Whin Park in Inverness.

Leader of Inverness and Area, Cllr Ian Brown said: “The works are moving with pace as eighty five percent of the equipment is in place and groundworks are continuing.”

Chair of Communities and Place Committee Cllr Graham MacKenzie added: “This month, visitors to the park will see the progression of the groundworks and the installation of the play surfacing and you might even catch a glimpse of the Nessie play feature!”

Weather dependant, the target is to have the works completed for Easter 2025. The park remains open during the works, but the main play area and a section of the car park in front of the shop are closed to allow the works to continue. This also includes the main entrance ramped area to the park. The path network from the Ness Islands and the path at the side of the public toilets also remain open enabling the public to view the works’ progress during this exciting period for this landmark location.

Funding for the contract has been awarded by the Scottish Government Play Area Fund (£234,988) which was allocated to the redevelopment of the park by Members of the Inverness, Central, Ness-side, Millburn, and Inverness West Wards.  In 2023, Inverness City Committee Members agreed £150,000 Inverness Common Good Funding; and in 2024 a further £100,000 from the Community Regeneration Fund towards the park development costs.

Watch the video of the latest works. On YouTube: https://youtu.be/nZswm-1T0vo and look out for our next video update later in March.

3 Mar 2025

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MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Highland Council proposes £14 million investment in bus expansion projects and renewable energy

Source: Scotland – Highland Council

As part of The Highland Council’s proposed three-year Medium Term Financial Plan, £14 million has been allocated for expansion of bus company operations across the Highlands and shared investment in renewable energy opportunities.

£6 million is proposed to be allocated for an ‘Investment in Community Transport’ programme to build on the success of the Council’s in-house bus service by expanding its services to benefit more communities across the Highlands.

Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: “A big part of our budget setting process is focussing on investing in our Highland transport services. In our My Future Highland Programme we gave a commitment to develop affordable and reliable public transport, as part of our work to develop sustainable communities.

“Since we established our In-House Bus Service it has grown from strength to strength. The Council spends around £25m on school and public transport throughout the region, with well over 300 separate contracts. The last tendering round saw an increase of £8m in one financial year, which led to the Council setting up an in-house bus team. The new £6m being proposed will enable us to expand our operations, increase the availability of service provision and facilitate improved cost effectiveness in the next round of bus contract tenders.”

Last month Highland Council took over the operations of D&E Coaches who had operated a significant number of school contracts which will now be serviced in-house by the council.

Cllr Michael Green, Vice Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, said: “The public are set to benefit with greater control in the ways in which public and school transport is managed across the Highlands. This investment may well have positive impacts on older and younger age groups, and disabled people reliant on bus services, also those on lower incomes by supporting access to employment and training especially in rural areas through more accessible service provision.”

£8 million is proposed to be allocated for shared investment in renewable energy opportunities created by the Social Value Charter for Renewables. Agreed by the Council in June 2024, the Charter aims to maximise economic benefits from natural resources by setting out the community benefit expectations from developers wishing to invest in renewables in the Highlands and the way in which public, private and community partnerships can support and enable this contribution.

Leader of The Highland Council, Cllr Raymond Bremner, said: “If approved, an £8 million investment in renewable energy projects will reaffirm the Council’s vision as a centre for global renewable energy by capitalising on the wealth of resources and expanding renewables development in the Highlands. Significant investment opportunities in renewable energy schemes are being created through the Social Value Charter for Renewables, and we hope these investments could support a sustainable, long-term income stream for Highland Council. The Charter was developed as a way of unlocking economic opportunities for the Highlands and this investment would strengthen our commitment to community wealth building and enabling this wealth to remain within the local area.”

Convener of The Highland Council, Cllr Bill Lobban, said: “By capitalising on natural resources to deliver alternative energy solutions, the Council aims to create a more sustainable Highland environment for our communities. We must ensure that those living in the Highlands can benefit from potential income from renewables and the economic growth that these developments can support. The scale of renewable investment opportunities is considerable and a long-term revenue income for the Council and community partners could leave an important legacy that would have lasting benefits and positive impacts for local communities whilst addressing climate challenges.”

The full budget report and proposals can be found on the Council’s website.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Views sought on introducing knowledge tests for private hire car drivers

Source: Scotland – Highland Council

People are being asked for their opinions on whether The Highland Council should introduce knowledge tests as part of the licensing process for private hire car drivers. Currently only taxi drivers are required to sit and pass a knowledge test as part of the licensing process.

The public consultation process will run for an 8 week period and will close on Monday 28 April 2025.

All representations received will be considered by the Highland Licensing Committee at a future meeting.

The consultation can be accessed using the following link or by scanning the QR code:

https://forms.office.com/e/GAf7LBHtdG

ENDS

3 Mar 2025

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MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 4, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont To Present Legendary Rolling Stones Guitarist Keith Richards With the Inaugural Connecticut Governor’s Award of Excellence

Source: US State of Connecticut

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that legendary guitarist, longtime Connecticut resident, founding member of the world-renowned rock band the Rolling Stones, and community philanthropist Keith Richards will be the first recipient of the Connecticut Governor’s Award of Excellence – a prestigious new honor celebrating Connecticut residents who epitomize the state’s core values of creativity, resourcefulness, passion, dynamism, and generosity.

Established in 2025, the Governor’s Award of Excellence celebrates individuals whose contributions enrich Connecticut’s cultural and civic life. The award consists of a custom-designed medallion — crafted by Connecticut State Trooper Danny Carvalho and manufactured by the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) — along with a ribbon designed and sewn by Enfield-based fashion designer Justin Haynes. In addition to the award, Governor Lamont will present Richards with a proclamation offering him the “Key to the State.”

The Governor’s Awards of Excellence celebrates individuals whose contributions enrich Connecticut’s cultural and civic life. The award was custom designed by Connecticut State Trooper Danny Carvalho and manufactured by the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, and the ribbon was designed by Enfield-based fashion designer Justin Haynes.

[Download image in high quality]

The honor will be presented to Richards during a ceremony that will be held at The Westport Library on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. Due to the space limitations of the intimate venue and anticipated interest, this event is open to invited guests and media only. The library will be closed from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to accommodate the ceremony.

“Connecticut has long been home to some of the world’s most innovative minds, boldest artists, and most generous hearts,” Governor Lamont said. “This award was created to honor those whose creativity, resourcefulness, and passion have made a lasting impact on our state and beyond. Keith Richards is the epitome of these values — not only as one of the most influential musicians of all time but as a dedicated supporter of the arts, education, and community causes right here in Connecticut.”

A Connecticut resident since 1985, Richards is being honored for his deep commitment to supporting the local community. Through his generosity and dedication to organizations like SPHERE, which enhances the lives of adults with disabilities, and The Prospector Theater, which provides meaningful employment through the magic of film, Richards has used his influence to uplift and empower others. Richards has also been an advocate for arts, education, and accessibility initiatives throughout the state, further exemplifying his dedication to making a lasting impact.

“When you are growing up there are two institutional places that affect you most powerfully: the church, which belongs to God, and the public library, which belongs to you,” Richards said. “The public library is the great equalizer.”

“The Westport Library is beyond thrilled to host this momentous occasion honoring Keith Richards, a true cultural icon whose influence transcends generations,” Bill Harmer, executive director of The Westport Library, said. “As a library that celebrates creativity, storytelling, and the transformative power of the arts, we couldn’t imagine a more fitting place for this historic event. Keith’s legacy is woven into the fabric of music history, and we are honored to provide the stage where Connecticut will recognize his immeasurable contributions. This is not just a celebration of an artist, but of a life lived boldly, authentically, and with an undeniable passion for inspiring others.”

Richards is regarded as one of the greatest guitarists in the history of music. His career with the Rolling Stones dates back over seven decades, to the early 1960s, and his songwriting partnership with Stones frontman Mick Jagger is heralded as one of the most successful and prolific in rock history. Among his signature songs are “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Satisfaction,” “Ruby Tuesday,” “Start Me Up,” “Happy,” “Miss You,” “Brown Sugar,” “Gimme Shelter,” “Wild Horses,” “It’s Only Rock n’ Roll (But I Like it),” and “As Tears Go By,” to name a few.

Richards has also scored great success as a solo artist, with albums including “Talk Is Cheap,” “Live at the Hollywood Palladium,” “Main Offender,” and “Crosseyed Heart,” and hits such as “Take It So Hard,” “You Don’t Move Me,” “Wicked as It Seems,” and “Eileen.”

Onscreen, Richards played a solider in the 1969 film “Man on Horseback,” himself on “The Simpsons” in 2002, and appeared in two “Pirates of the Caribbean” films as Captain Teague, the father of main character Jack Sparrow, who was notably loosely based off Richards. In 2015, he released his Netflix documentary, “Keith Richards: Under The Influence,” which was partially filmed in Connecticut.

Richards has also penned two books. He released his memoir “Life” to critical acclaim in 2010, and later released a children’s book, “Gus & Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar,” in 2014.

Richards was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1993, and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004, among his many honors.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 4, 2025

MIL-Evening Report: Women’s annual salaries are narrowing the gap. But men still out-earn women by an average $547 a week

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leonora Risse, Associate Professor in Economics, University of Canberra

Hyejin Kang/Shutterstock

Women’s annual earnings are closing in on men’s, with the gender pay gap in Australia’s private sector shrinking from 14.5% to 13.6% in the past year.

It’s a steady improvement, down from a 15.4% gap two years ago.

While women are working and earning more than ever before, they are now empowered with even more information to take into salary negotiations and to decide which companies to work for.

This information is especially valuable in a tight labour market, with the unemployment rate at just 4.1%, as companies fight for top talent.

This is the second year the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) has published company gender pay gaps, responding to concerns that progress on gender equality had been stalling.

Pay gap transparency tackles the problem of “asymmetric information” where employers know where each worker sits on the pay scale, but employees don’t.

Data from 7,800 private companies

Women’s typical full-time annual salaries sat at A$72,638 in 2023–24, compared to men’s $84,048.

Though narrowing, that’s still a gap of $11,410 a year, or around $220 a week.

The gap is much larger once bonuses, overtime and superannuation are included: $18,835 or a total remuneration gap of 18.3%.

All private companies in Australia with at least 100 employees must report their data to the federal agency. This covers 5.3 million employees across 7,800 companies, a big expansion from last year’s 5,000 companies as more companies improve their data reporting.

Employees can look at the agency’s website to find the gender pay gap of their private sector employer – or one they are thinking of joining.

This year’s calculations of company gender pay gaps also incorporate the salaries of top executives.

When CEOs and heads of business are factored in, the difference in men’s and women’s average total remuneration swells to $28,435, or 21.8%.

This all adds up to men out-earning women by an average of $547 per week.

A closer look at company-level gender pay gaps

Across all companies, the average gender gap in total remuneration is 13.0%. But the magnitude varies widely across different companies.

Around 2,200 companies (around one-quarter) have a gap exceeding 20%. Of these, around 250 companies have a gap stretching beyond 40%.

At the other end, around one-quarter of companies have a gap that is either zero or negative, meaning in favour of women.

The agency considers a gender pay gap within the range of negative 5% to positive 5% to be a reasonable measure to aim for.

Of the largest organisations (with 5,000 or more employees), airlines are among the worst performers. Virgin has an average gender gap in total remuneration of 41.7% while Qantas reports a gap of 39.2%.

Among the banks, Commonwealth Bank and Westpac both report an average gender pay gap of 22.4%. Suncorp’s gap sits at 19.3%, NAB’s is at 19.0%, and ANZ has a gap of 18.8%.

Progress is happening

The purpose of publishing company pay gap data is to propel progress on gender equality in Australian workplaces.

It follows legislated reforms designed to motivate employers to pay closer attention to their gender pay gap and take more action.

Comparisons to last year’s data suggest this is happening. The agency reports that just over half of all employers (56%) reduced their gender pay gap. And 68% conducted an analysis of their gender pay gap, which is an important first step in making progress.

Greater transparency makes employers more accountable for improving working conditions.

It is also a way to recognise the companies that are improving over time and learn from their success.

Correct interpretation is critical

The gender pay gap, measured as the difference between men’s and women’s earnings, is not the same as equal pay for equal or comparable work. For over 50 years, it has been against the law in Australia to pay men and women differently for doing work of equal value.

Employer-level gaps in earnings reflects a combination of factors, including gender patterns in the different types of occupations that men and women tend to be in within a company. But these gender patterns in job types do not explain the whole picture.

Biases and barriers persist, including unconscious favouritism, gender imbalances in care-giving responsibilities and the perpetuation of gender stereotypes.

This is also not a gap that can be explained by women working fewer hours than men. The calculations include part-time employees, whose pay is converted into an annualised full-time equivalent.

Each employer has the chance to provide deeper analysis and explanation of their gender pay gap, and the actions they are taking, in their official employer statements which are also available on the agnecy’s website.

This information will empower not just current employees but also prospective employees, customers, business partners and the wider community in their choices of which companies to work for, do business with, and endorse – and which ones not to.

Read more:
Now you’re able to look up individual companies’ gender pay gaps

Leonora Risse receives research funding from the Trawalla Foundation and the Women’s Leadership Institute Australia. She has previously undertaken commissioned research for the Workplace Gender Equality Agency. She is a member of the Economic Society of Australia and the Women in Economics Network. She serves as an Expert Panel Member on gender pay equity for the Fair Work Commission.

– ref. Women’s annual salaries are narrowing the gap. But men still out-earn women by an average $547 a week – https://theconversation.com/womens-annual-salaries-are-narrowing-the-gap-but-men-still-out-earn-women-by-an-average-547-a-week-251034

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

March 4, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement for the Item 2 General Debate

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Speech

UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement for the Item 2 General Debate

UK Statement at the 58 Human Rights Council for the Item 2 General Debate. Delivered by UK Ambassador for Human Rights to the UN, Eleanor Sanders.

Thank you, Mr Vice President.

And thank you for your update, High Commissioner.

First of all, we share your concern at Thailand’s decision to deport forty Uyghurs to China. We urge China to ensure they are treated in accordance with international standards.

Mr Vice President,

Sudan’s people have suffered enough. This Council’s Fact-Finding Mission has reported appalling violence: women raped and sexually abused, people executed because of their ethnicity, children recruited as soldiers, and heavy artillery shelling including in civilian areas. All parties must adhere to their obligations to protect civilians and perpetrators of atrocities must be held accountable.

We commend DRC for its engagement with the Council and urge all parties to act in accordance with international law.

In Venezuela, civil society and independent media are targeted and political opposition face severe restrictions. We call on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release those arbitrarily detained.

And in Guatemala, the continuing persecution of justice officials linked to the fight against corruption is deeply concerning and must stop.

Finally, Mr President,

The situation in Libya remains precarious, with armed groups and security actors operating with impunity. We urge all Libyan actors to comply with international law and engage in the UN-facilitated and Libyan-led political process in good faith.

Updates to this page

Published 3 March 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

March 4, 2025

Category: Transport

PRESIDENT OF INDIA INAUGURATES VISITOR’S CONFERENCE 2024-25PRESENTS VISITOR’S AWARDS 2023

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurates the “Workshop on Sustainability and Circularity in Dairy Sector” in New DelhiDairy is an important option to solve the problem of rural migration and to make small farmers prosperous

12th High-Level Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the PacificIndia’s Leadership in Circular Economy

India’s R&D Spending More Than Double in Last Decade, from Rs 60,196 cr in 2013-14 to ₹1.27 Lakh Crore: Dr. Jitendra SinghHomegrown Innovations in AI, Biotechnology, and Quantum Computing to Shape India’s Economic Future: Dr. Jitendra Singh

PM chairs the 7th meeting of National Board for Wildlife on 3rd March in GirPM releases the first-ever riverine dolphin estimation report in the country, which estimated a total of 6,327 dolphins

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Data from 7,800 private companies

A closer look at company-level gender pay gaps

Progress is happening

Correct interpretation is critical

UN Human Rights Council 58: UK Statement for the Item 2 General Debate

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PRESIDENT OF INDIA INAUGURATES VISITOR’S CONFERENCE 2024-25

PRESENTS VISITOR’S AWARDS 2023

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurates the “Workshop on Sustainability and Circularity in Dairy Sector” in New Delhi

Dairy is an important option to solve the problem of rural migration and to make small farmers prosperous

12th High-Level Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific

India’s Leadership in Circular Economy

India’s R&D Spending More Than Double in Last Decade, from Rs 60,196 cr in 2013-14 to ₹1.27 Lakh Crore: Dr. Jitendra Singh

Homegrown Innovations in AI, Biotechnology, and Quantum Computing to Shape India’s Economic Future: Dr. Jitendra Singh

PM chairs the 7th meeting of National Board for Wildlife on 3rd March in Gir

PM releases the first-ever riverine dolphin estimation report in the country, which estimated a total of 6,327 dolphins