India-Italy Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation

The Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation between India and Italy held its 21st session.

Highlights:

The India-Italy Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation held its 21st session virtually.

Both sides held extensive discussions on bilateral trade and , as well as economic cooperation in the fields of

81.2-142.7 81.2z"/> Subscribe on YouTube
Food Processing, textiles, leather, railways, start-ups, and the promotion of SMEs, all of which play an important role in economic Growth and job creation.

Bilateral market access issues and non-tariff barriers were also discussed in order to facilitate trade and investment.

Need to develop new techniques to audit ‘Blue Economy’: CAG Girish Chandra Murmu

(CAG) Girish Chandra Murmu said that Supreme Audit Institutions should develop new techniques and capabilities to audit marine life or the Blue economy to ensure Sustainable Development.

In order to fulfil their commitment towards sustainability goals in consonance with SDG 14 Life below Water the governments are

reorienting policies and regulatory structures to conserve and sustainably use the Oceans, seas and Resources“>Marine Resources for sustainable development.

Government imposes stock limits on wheat to prevent hoarding

In order to manage overall and to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation, the government has decided to impose stock limits

d="M549.7 124.1c-6.3-23.7-24.8-42.3-48.3-48.6C458.8 64 288 64 288 64S117.2 64 74.6 75.5c-23.5 6.3-42 24.9-48.3 48.6-11.4 42.9-11.4 132.3-11.4 132.3s0 89.4 11.4 132.3c6.3 23.7 24.8 41.5 48.3 47.8C117.2 448 288 448 288 448s170.8 0 213.4-11.5c23.5-6.3 42-24.2 48.3-47.8 11.4-42.9 11.4-132.3 11.4-132.3s0-89.4-11.4-132.3zm-317.5 213.5V175.2l142.7 81.2-142.7 81.2z"/> Subscribe on YouTube
on wheat for traders, wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers and processors. The order will be applicable with immediate effect and will be applicable until March 31, 2024.

In order to manage overall food security and to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation, the government has decided to impose stock limits on wheat for traders, wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers and processors. The order will be applicable with immediate effect and will be applicable until March 31, 2024.

Stock limits will be applicable for each entity individually such as: traders/wholesalers- 3000 tonne; Retailer- 10 tonne for each of the retail outlets; Big Chain Retailer- 10 tonne for each outlet and 3000 tonne at all their depots and Processors – 75 per cent of annual installed capacity.

Further, the centre has also decided to offload 15 lakh tonnes of wheat in the first phase from central pool stock under Open Market Sale Scheme to control retail prices of wheat.

Wheat will be sold in lot sizes of 10-100 tonnes. Registration for this auction is open on the Fci‘s e-auction platform. It has also been decided to offload rice under the open market scheme in order to moderate the prices.

China could potentially have as many ICBMs as U.S. or Russia by turn of decade: SIPRI

The size of Chinas nuclear arsenal increased from 350 warheads in January 2022 to 410 in January 2023, and it is expected to keep growing, according to estimations by Stockholm

International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

The key finding in SIPRI Yearbook 2023 is that the number of operational nuclear weapons started to rise as countries long-term force modernisation and expansion plans progressed.

According to SIPRI estimates, the nuclear arsenals of India grew from 160 in 2022 to 164 in 2023 and that of Pakistan from 165 to 170.

The nine nuclear-armed states the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (North Korea) and Israelcontinue to modernise their nuclear arsenals and several deployed new nuclear-armed or nuclear-capable weapon systems in 2022

Lower house of Japans Parliament passes bill to promote LGBTQ+ awareness

The powerful lower house of Japan’s parliament on June 13 passed a bill to promote understanding ofLGBTQ+ issuesamid protests by activists that last-minute revisions by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s conservative party favoured opponents of sexual instead of guaranteeing equal rights.

Japan is the only member of the Group

of Seven leading industrialized nations which does not have LGTBQ+ legal protections.

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana: Revolutionizing Indias Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector

Shri Parshottam Rupala, the Union Ministerof , Animal Husbandry & Dairying, initiated the fifth phase of the Sagar Parikrama Yatra in Karanja, Raigad, Maharashtra. The upcoming leg of theSagar Parikrama Yatra Phase-Vwill encompass various coastal areas such asGateway of India, Karanja (Raigad District), Mirkarwada (Ratnagiri District), Devgad (Sindhudurg District), Malvan, Vasco, Mormugaon, and Canacona (South Goa).

In 2020, the Government of India launched the ambitiousPradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)with the goal of transforming the countrys fisheries and aquaculture sector. ThePMMSYaims to enhance fish production, create

EMPLOYMENT opportunities, improve the income of fishers and fish farmers, and contribute to the overall Growth and development of coastal and inland fishing communities.

This comprehensive scheme is set to play a crucial role in the Sustainable Development of Indias aquatic Resources and establish the nation as a global leader in fisheries.

Bhopal becomes 1st city to measure Sustainable Development Goals progress

Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh,has become the first city in India to measure its progress towards achieving the Goals (SDGs). The city has adopted a Voluntary Local Review (VLR) process, which is a tool that helps cities to assess their progress on the SDGs and identify

areas where they need to improve.

The VLR process in Bhopal was developed in collaboration with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and a number of other local stakeholders. It involved a comprehensive assessment of the citys performance on the SDGs, including a review of data, interviews with stakeholders, and public consultations.

The VLR process has helped Bhopal to identify a number of areas where it needs to improve its performance on the SDGs. These include areas such as POVERTY, Education, Health, and Environment. The city has now developed a plan of action to address these challenges and achieve the SDGs by 2030.

Sourav Ganguly named as brand ambassador of Tripura Tourism

Former India cricket captain and ex-BCCI chiefSourav Gangulywas roped in as the brand ambassador for Tripura Tourism. Ganguly expressed his willingness to be

288 64S117.2 64 74.6 75.5c-23.5 6.3-42 24.9-48.3 48.6-11.4 42.9-11.4 132.3-11.4 132.3s0 89.4 11.4 132.3c6.3 23.7 24.8 41.5 48.3 47.8C117.2 448 288 448 288 448s170.8 0 213.4-11.5c23.5-6.3 42-24.2 48.3-47.8 11.4-42.9 11.4-132.3 11.4-132.3s0-89.4-11.4-132.3zm-317.5 213.5V175.2l142.7 81.2-142.7 81.2z"/> Subscribe on YouTube
the brand ambassador for Tripura tourism after the states Tourism MinisterSushanta Chowdhurymet him at his residence in Kolkata. Gangulys selection as the brand ambassador for Tripura Tourism is expected to draw significant attention to the states unexplored tourist destinations.

The Tripura government is confident that Ganguly will be a successful brand ambassador for the state. They believe that his popularity and charisma will help to attract more visitors to Tripura and boost the tourism . The announcement came after Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury met Ganguly at his residence in Kolkata along with state officials, and discussed the proposal. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, who had earlier spoken to the former ace cricketer, expressed his confidence that Gangulys involvement will greatly benefit the tourism sector.

India and Australia Sign Agreements on Migration and Green Hydrogen Task Force

In a significant development highlighting the strengthening ties betweenIndia and Australia, the two nations signed crucial agreements on Migration and mobility PARTNERSHIP, as well as on the establishment of aGreen Hydrogentask force. The Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) were exchanged following a bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese in Sydney.

Prime Minister Modi emphasized that theIndia-Australia relationshipis built

upon mutual trust and confidence. During their constructive discussions, both leaders focused on enhancing strategic cooperation in the mining and critical Minerals sector. The talks centered around taking the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to new heights. In a friendly gesture, Prime Minister Modi extended an invitation to Prime Minister Albanese and all Australian cricket fans to visit India for the upcoming Cricket World Cup this year.

Delivered nearly 14,500 tonnes of medical oxygen to various states so far: Railways

The Railways has delivered nearly 14,500 tonnes of liquid medical Oxygen in over 884tankerstovarious statessince it started its operation, the national transporter said.

So far, 224

‘Oxygen Express’trainshave completed their journey and brought relief to various states, while eight others, loaded with over 563 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) in 35 tankers, are currently on their way.

Relief by ‘Oxygen Express’ trains has reached 13 states — Uttarakhand, Karnataka,Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Nadu,Haryana, Telangana, Punjab, Kerala, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.