26 September 2019: PIB Summary & Analysis

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September 26th, 2019 PIB:-Download PDF Here

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)

Context:

President of India Shri Ramnath Kovind spoke at the 78^th Foundation Day of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) in New Delhi.

About CSIR:

• The CSIR was established by the British Indian Government as an autonomous body engaging in scientific research and development.
• It was set up in 1942. Arcot Ramaswamy Mudaliar and Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar were instrumental in its founding.
• Currently, the CSIR has 38 national laboratories, 3 innovation complexes, 39 outreach centres and 5 units spread all across the country.
• There are 4600 active scientists working under the CSIR.
• Areas in which the body engages in research include a wide variety of subjects such as radio and space physics, oceanography, geophysics, chemicals, drugs, genomics, biotechnology and nanotechnology, mining, aeronautics, instrumentation, environmental engineering and information technology.
• It provides significant technological intervention in many areas with regard to societal efforts which include environment, health, drinking water, food, housing, energy, farm and non-farm sectors.
• The CSIR is also a leader in India’s intellectual property rights movement.
• The CSIR is ranked at 84^th among 4851 institutions worldwide and is the only Indian organization among the top 100 global institutions according to the Scimago Institutions Ranking World Report 2014.
• CSIR holds the 17^th rank in Asia and leads the country in the first position.
• In 2018, the Indian Patents Office awarded CSIR the National Intellectual Property (IP) Award in the category ‘Top R&D Institution / Organization for Patents and Commercialization’.

India-CARICOM Leaders’ Meeting

Context:

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired a meeting with the member states of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Details:

• During the meet, Mr. Modi announced a USD 14 million grant for community development projects in the CARICOM.
• He also announced another USD 150 million Line of Credit for solar, renewable energy and climate change related projects.
• He also declared setting up of the Regional Center for Excellence in Information Technology in Georgetown, Guyana and the Regional Vocational Training Center in Belize by upgrading the existing India-funded centers in these countries.
• Leaders of 14 Caribbean countries participated in the meeting.

About the CARICOM:

• CARICOM is a group of twenty developing countries in the Caribbean that have come together to form an economic and political community that works together to shape policies for the region and encourage economic growth and trade.
• It comprises of 20 countries. Fifteen of these countries are full-fledged members of the community while five of them only retain associate member status.
• Fulltime members:
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Dominica
  • Grenada
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Jamaica
  • Montserrat
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Kits and Nevis
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Suriname
  • Trinidad and Tobago
• Associate members:
  • Anguilla
  • Bermuda
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Cayman Islands
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
• The CARICOM was formed in 1973.
• One of CARICOM’s current goals is to establish a free-trade zone and single market for increased trade and economic growth in the region.

Voluntary Code of Ethics

Context:

“Voluntary Code of Ethics” by Social Media Platforms to be observed in the General Election to the Haryana and Maharashtra Legislative Assemblies and all future elections.

Details:

• The Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on behalf of its members has agreed to observe the “Voluntary Code of Ethics” during all future elections including the on-going General Elections to the Haryana and Maharashtra legislative assemblies and various bye-elections being held simultaneously.
• IAMAI and social media platforms Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, Google, Sharechat and TikTok had presented and observed this “Voluntary Code of Ethics” during the General Election to 17^th Lok Sabha 2019.
• IAMAI has assured the Election Commission that the platforms will cooperate in ensuring the conduct of free and fair elections.

Chief Features of the “Voluntary Code of Ethics”:

• Social Media platforms will voluntarily undertake information, education and communication campaigns to build awareness about electoral laws and other related instructions.
• Social Media platforms have created a high priority dedicated grievance redressal channel for taking expedient action on the cases reported by the Election Commission.
• Social Media Platforms and the EC have developed a notification mechanism by which the EC can notify the relevant platforms of potential violations of Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and other electoral laws.
• Social Media Platforms will ensure that all political advertisements on their platforms are pre-certified from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committees as per the directions of the Supreme Court.
• Participating platforms are committed to facilitate transparency in paid political advertisements, including utilising their pre-existing labels/disclosure technology for such advertisements.

About the Internet & Mobile Association of India:

• It is a not-for-profit industry body whose mandate is to expand and enhance the online and mobile value added services sectors.
• Set up in 2004, it is headquartered in Mumbai.

3rd India Agricultural Outlook Forum 2019

Context:

The 3rd India Agricultural Outlook Forum 2019 commenced in New Delhi.

About the India Agricultural Outlook Forum:

• The India Agricultural Outlook Forum was first held in 2017.
• It is conducted by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) under the Indian Government.
• The first such forum was held in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
• The theme for the 2019 edition of the Forum is ‘Universal Basic Income for Farmers’.
• Other topics that will be discussed this year are the key challenges and opportunities before the agricultural sector, including the ways to manage excess production, price forecasting, artificial intelligence, water management, input markets, insurance, etc.

First Indigenous Fuel Cell System launched

Context:

The First Indigenous Fuel Cell System launched on the Foundation Day of CSIR.

Details:

• This fuel cell system was developed by the CSIR in partnership with Indian industries under India’s flagship program named “New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI)”.
• Three laboratories of CSIR (at Pune, New Delhi and Karaikudi) and two private sector companies Thermax Limited (Pune) and Reliance Industries Limited (Mumbai) were involved in the development.
• The 5.0 kW fuel cell system generates power in a green manner using methanol/bio-methane, with heat and water as bi-products for further use.
• This system has an efficiency of 70%.
• The Fuel Cells developed are based on High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HTPEM) Technology.
• The development is most suitable for distributed stationary power applications for small offices, commercial units, data centres, etc. where highly reliable power is essential with simultaneous requirement for air-conditioning.
• This system will also meet the requirement of efficient, clean and reliable backup power generator for telecom towers, remote locations and strategic applications as well.
• This development would replace Diesel Generating (DG) sets and help reduce India’s dependence on crude oil.

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September 26th, 2019 PIB:-Download PDF Here

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