TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. India and the Netherlands sign a Memorandum of Intent
2. India-Ethiopia Joint Trade Committee
3. First INDUS-X Investors Meet held
4. TB in India

1. India and the Netherlands sign a Memorandum of Intent

Syllabus: GS-2, International Relations

Prelims: MoI between India and the Netherlands

Context:

India and the Netherlands signed a Memorandum of Intent to cooperate on medical product regulation and enhance the quality of medical products.

Details:

• The MoI was signed by the Indian Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers and the Dutch Minister of Health at The Hague.
• The Minister was in the Netherlands leading a delegation attending the second World Local Production Forum (WLPF) meeting being held there.
• The World Local Production Platform is a platform created at the initiative of WHO with the aim of increasing access to medicines and other health technologies.

2. India-Ethiopia Joint Trade Committee

Syllabus: GS-2, International Relations

Prelims: India-Ethiopia Joint Trade Committee

Context: 

6th Session of India-Ethiopia Joint Trade Committee held successfully in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Details:

• Both sides agreed to expeditiously address all issues impeding bilateral trade and facilitate trade promotion between the two countries. 
• The Indian side invited the Ethiopian side to collaborate on the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) of India with Ethswitch of Ethiopia.
• Both sides identified several areas of focus for enhancing bilateral trade as well as mutually beneficial investments including health and pharmaceuticals, automobiles, textiles, infrastructure projects, food and agro-processing and so on.
• The Indian side also requested the Ethiopian side to expedite the early finalization of the Bilateral Investment Treaty.

About Ethiopia:

• The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa with an estimated growth of 6.4% in the year 2021-22. 
• Bilateral trade between India and Ethiopia stood at USD 642.59 million in 2022-23. India is the second largest exporter to Ethiopia. 
• Indian companies are among the top three foreign investors in Ethiopia.
• Indian companies have invested in various sectors like agriculture and floriculture, engineering, plastics, manufacturing, cotton and textiles, water management, pharmaceuticals and healthcare.

3. First INDUS-X Investors Meet held

Syllabus: GS-2, International Relations

Prelims: INDUS-X 

Context:

First INDUS-X Investors Meet held in Delhi ahead of 2+2 Indo-US Ministerial Dialogue.

Details:

• The Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) under the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence and the US Department of Defence organised the first INDUS-X Investors Meet in November 2023 at New Delhi as a precursor to the 2+2 Indo-US Ministerial Dialogue. 
• The meeting brought all the stakeholders such as Startups/MSMEs, Investors, Incubators, and Industry from both sides under one roof to discuss the collaborative agendas and opportunities.
• The India – U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) was launched in June 2023 during the State Visit of the Prime Minister of India to the US to expand strategic technology partnership and defense industrial cooperation between governments, businesses, and academic institutions of India and the US. Read more about INDUS-X in the linked article.

Also read: India – US Relations

4. TB in India

Syllabus: GS-2, Health

Prelims: Tuberculosis

Mains: TB prevalence in India

Context:

WHO acknowledges India’s success in declining TB incidence by 16% and TB mortality reduction by 18% since 2015.

Details:

• According to the Global TB Report 2023 released by WHO, India has made tremendous progress in improving case detection and reversing the impact of COVID-19 on the TB programme. 
• India’s reduction of TB incidence by 16% in 2022 (from 2015) is almost double the pace at which global TB incidence is declining (which is 8.7%).
• The mortality of TB has also reduced by 18% during the same period for India and globally.
• The report notes that India’s intensified case detection strategies have resulted in the highest-ever notification of cases in 2022, during which, over 24.22 lakh TB cases were notified, surpassing the pre-COVID levels. 
• The report also notes that India has taken bold steps to prioritize TB elimination efforts by investing additional resources in the National TB Elimination Programme being implemented under the aegis of the National Health Mission.

Read the previous PIB articles here.