17 Jun 2023: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. India-Vietnam relations
2. National Working Plan Code-2023
3. 4th National Water Awards

1. India-Vietnam relations

Syllabus: GS02-International Relations

Mains: Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Context: Talks between India and Vietnam

Key Details: 

• General Phan Van Giang, the Minister of National Defence of Vietnam, will embark on a visit to India from June 18-19, 2023. 
• He is meeting with Indian Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh aimed at furthering the defence cooperation between India and Vietnam. The discussions will encompass regional and global issues of mutual interest. 
• India and Vietnam enjoy a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with defence relations serving as a crucial pillar of this alliance. 
• The defence engagements between the two nations have evolved to encompass a wide range of interactions, including military-to-military exchanges, service-level contacts, high-level visits, capacity building programs, training initiatives, collaboration in UN Peacekeeping operations, bilateral exercises, and reciprocal ship visits.
• During the visit of Shri Rajnath Singh, the Indian Defence Minister, to Vietnam in June 2022, significant guiding documents were signed to strengthen the defence partnership.
• These include the ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030’ and a Memorandum of Understanding on ‘Mutual Logistics Support,’ which have expanded the scope and scale of defence cooperation between the two countries.

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2. National Working Plan Code-2023

Syllabus: GS03-Environment

Prelims:  ‘World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought’ ; Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)

Context: National Working Plan Code-2023 released for scientific management of forests and evolving new approaches.

Key Details: 

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change has launched the “National Working Plan Code-2023,” which aims to promote scientific forest management and develop innovative approaches. 
• It was unveiled during the commemoration of the ‘World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought’ in an event organised by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE).

About the code:

• India has established a scientific system of forest management, with the working plan serving as the primary tool for its implementation. 
• The National Working Plan Code, initially adopted in 2004 and later amended in 2014, ensures uniformity and provides guidance for the scientific management of different forest divisions in the country.
• Forest management in India aims to achieve various objectives, including environmental stability, preservation of natural heritage, prevention of soil erosion, conservation of catchment areas, mitigation of dune expansion, increasing tree and forest cover through community participation, and improving forest productivity. 
• The National Working Plan Code-2023 will serve as a guiding framework for State Forest Departments in developing working plans for different forest divisions. 
• It covers essential aspects of forest management planning, incorporating principles of sustainable forest management. 
  • This includes assessing forest and tree cover, biodiversity conservation (including wildlife), forest health, soil and water resource management, enhancing forest resource productivity, maximising social, economic, cultural, and spiritual benefits, and establishing appropriate policy, legal, and institutional frameworks.
• A significant addition in the National Working Plan Code-2023 is the requirement for state forest departments to engage in continuous data collection and update it in a centralised database.
• The code also introduces the “Indian Forest Management Standard,” which considers the diverse forest ecosystems in India while promoting uniformity in management practices.

3. 4th National Water Awards

Syllabus: GS02-Governance

Prelims: Jal Jeevan Mission 

Context: Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar confers 4th National Water Awards

Key Details: 

• The Vice President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, presented the 4th National Water Awards, 2022 for  outstanding contributions to water conservation and management.
• Each awardee received a citation, trophy, and cash prizes in specific categories.
• Additionally, the Vice President unveiled an animated short film featuring ‘Piku,’ the mascot of the National Water Mission, which will be broadcasted on Doordarshan to promote the message of water conservation. 
• He also commended the Ministry of Jal Shakti for effectively implementing the Jal Jeevan Mission, emphasising its focus on quantity, quality, and continuity. 
• The Vice President urged public representatives at all levels of governance to plant at least 100 trees per year and appealed to all citizens to embrace water conservation as part of their daily lives through the “3Rs of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” in the spirit of a nationwide movement (‘Jan Andolan’).

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Read the previous PIB articles here.

June 17th, 2023, PIB:- Download PDF Here