26 Oct 2021: PIB Summary & Analysis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. 8th India-Sweden Innovation Day
2. Vigilance Awareness Week
3. Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)
4. Exercise Konkan Shakti 2021
5. Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD)

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1. 8th India-Sweden Innovation Day

Context:

8th India-Sweden Innovation Day held in New Delhi with the theme ‘Accelerating India Sweden Green Transition’.

Details:

• The online event is hosted by India Unlimited in association with the Embassy of India in Sweden, Sweden-India Business Council, and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
• The science and technology cooperation between India and Sweden forms an important component of the bilateral cooperation, which was initiated through the Indo-Swiss Inter-Governmental Agreement signed at Stockholm in December 2005.
  • This agreement has provisions for cooperation through exchange of scientists, graduate students, research workers, technologists, other specialists and scholars among others.

2. Vigilance Awareness Week

Context:

Vigilance Awareness Week observed from 26th October to 1st November 2021.

Know more about the Vigilance Awareness Week in the article Central Vigilance Commission.

3. Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)

Context:

Union Minister reviewed the progress on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) initiative of DPIIT.

What is Open Network for Digital Commerce?

• It is a platform to make e-commerce processes open source for online retailers.
• It is expected to digitize the entire value chain, standardize operations, promote inclusion of suppliers, derive efficiencies in logistics and enhance value for consumers.

Read more about Open Network for Digital Commerce in the linked article.

Progress on the ONDC:

• The Quality Council of India (QCI) has established a team of experts for the execution of the project.
• A number of small and medium enterprises have been on-boarded as volunteers to complement the ONDC team.
• An ONDC gateway has also been established.
• About 20 entities covering all network components are at various stages of on-boarding.
• DPIIT has approved a budget of approximately Rs 10 crores for initial work on the project.
• It has been suggested to establish a private sector led non-profit company to provide a start-up mindset for a population scale implementation, enabled by a management with a futuristic vision, leadership with a deep understanding of commerce, comfort with cutting edge technology, and missionary outlook to drive change.
  • The role of the entity would be to develop the network by adopting and building enabling technology and encouraging wide-scale voluntary participation by ecosystem players.
  • It would ensure network discipline by establishing a code of conduct and rules of network based on principles of consumer protection, fair trade and regulatory conformity.
  • The entity will also provide foundational services for managing the network like digital infrastructure for the network, common registry, certification of participants and certifying agencies, grievance redressal, etc.
  • The entity will develop and operate reference applications for buyers, sellers and gateway for market activation and priming the network along with partner entities.
  • It will also support SMEs in their digital transformation by developing readymade tools to help existing software applications quickly adapt to the network.

4. Exercise Konkan Shakti 2021

Context:

The sea phase of Ex Konkan Shakti 2021 began off the Konkan coast in the Arabian Sea.

About Ex Konkan Shakti 2021:

• Konkan Shakti is the maiden tri-service exercise between the Armed Forces of India and the United Kingdom.

Also read: List of Joint Military Exercises of the Indian Army

5. Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD)

Context:

Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) being held in October 2021.

What is the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD)?

• The Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) is the apex international annual conference of the Indian Navy, and is the principal manifestation of the navy’s engagement at the strategic level.
• It was first held in 2018.
• It is organised by the National Maritime Foundation and is an annual event.
• The aim of each successive edition of the IPRD is to review both opportunities and challenges that arise within the Indo-Pacific.
• IPRD 2021 will focus on eight specific sub-themes under the broad theme of “Evolution in Maritime Strategy during the 21st Century: Imperatives, Challenges, and, Way Ahead”.
• The eight sub-themes are:
  • Evolving Maritime Strategies within the Indo-Pacific: Convergences, Divergences, Expectations and Apprehensions.
  • Adaptive Strategies to Address the Impact of Climate Change upon Maritime
  • Port-led Regional Maritime Connectivity and Development Strategies.
  • Cooperative Maritime Domain Awareness Strategies.
  • Impact of the Increasing Recourse to Lawfare upon a Rules-based Indo-Pacific Maritime Order.
  • Strategies to Promote Regional Public-Private Maritime Partnerships.
  • Energy-Insecurity and Mitigating Strategies.
  • Strategies to Address the Manned-Unmanned Conundrum at Sea.

Read previous PIB here.

October 26th, 2021, PIB:- Download PDF Here