16 July 2020: PIB Summary & Analysis

July 16th, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
2. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
3. India and China Military Level meeting on 14 Jul 2020
4. Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF)
5. NISHTHA Programme

1. United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

Context:

Prime Minister to address High-Level Segment of ECOSOC.

Details:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver a keynote address virtually at this year’s High-Level Segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council session on 17^th July 2020 at the United Nations in New York.
• The annual High-level Segment convenes a diverse group of high-level representatives from the Government, the private sector, civil society and academia.
• The theme of this year’s High-level Segment is “Multilateralism after COVID-19: What kind of UN do we need at the 75th anniversary”.
• This will be the first opportunity for the PM to address the broader UN membership since India’s overwhelming election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
• The theme of this year’s High-Level Segment is resonant with India’s priority for the UNSC, wherein the country had called for ‘reformed multilateralism’ in a post-COVID world.
• It also recalls India’s role, as the holder of the inaugural Presidency of ECOSOC (Sir Ramaswami Mudaliar in 1946).
• Modi had earlier delivered the keynote address virtually at the 70^th anniversary of ECOSOC in 2016.

To know more about the Economic and Social Council or ECOSOC, click on the linked article.

2. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

Context:

Indian Council of Agricultural Research celebrates its 92^nd Foundation Day.

To know all about ICAR, check PIB dated 31 March 2020.

3. India and China Military Level meeting on 14 Jul 2020

Context:

India – China standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Details:

• India and China have been engaged in discussions through established military and diplomatic channels to address the prevailing situation along the LAC.
• Commanders from PLA & the Indian Army held a meeting at Chushul, on the Indian side, for the fourth round of talks, on 14 July 2020.
• The engagement was consistent with the consensus reached between the Special Representatives of India and China earlier, on 05 July, to discuss complete disengagement.
• The two sides remain committed to the objective of complete disengagement.

To know more about the India-China standoff, check CNA dated Jul 15, 2020.

4. Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF)

Context:

The Union Fisheries Minister launched the Implementation Guidelines for Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF).

To know more about the AHIDF, check PIB dated June 24, 2020.

5. NISHTHA Programme

Context:

Union Ministers jointly launch the first on-line NISHTHA programme for 1200 Key Resources Persons of Andhra Pradesh.

Details:

• Around 23,000 Key Resource Persons and 17.5 lakh, teachers and school heads have been trained under NISHTHA in face-to-face mode till date.
• For training the remaining 24 lakh teachers and school heads, NISHTHA has been customized for online mode.
• NISHTHA has been customized for an online mode to be conducted through DIKSHA and NISHTHA portals by the NCERT, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting need for maintaining social distance and avoiding the congregation of people.

About the NISHTHA Programme:

• NISHTHA is a National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement at the elementary stage under the Samagra Shiksha scheme.
• The programme was launched in 2019 by the Department of School Education and Literacy.
• Thereafter, 33 states/UTs have launched this programme in their states/UTs in collaboration under Samagra Shiksha, which is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• NISHTHA is a capacity building programme for “Improving Quality of School Education through Integrated Teacher Training”.
• It aims to build competencies among all the teachers and school principals at the elementary stage.
• NISHTHA is the world’s largest teachers’ training programme of its kind.
• The basic objective is to motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students.
• The expected outcomes of NISHTHA include, among others, improvement in the learning outcomes of students, creation of an enabling environment in the classrooms, improvement in the responsiveness of teachers to the social, emotional and psychological needs of students, ICT integration, etc.

July 16th, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here