CREATING CIVIL SERVANTS FOR THE NATION

OCTOBER 2023

PIB
Compilation
♦ 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers'
Summit (P20)
♦ Digital India Act 2023
♦ AI Safety Summit 2023

IAS YAN
 PIB COMPILATION OCTOBER 2023

PIB Compilation
*Table of Content
General Studies – II
 Mera Yuva Bharat Platform
 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20)
 Digital India Act 2023
 National Turmeric Board
 World Health Summit 2023
 Foundation for Amrit Vatika

General Studies – III

 Global Maritime India Summit 2023
 7th Edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC)
 AI Safety Summit 2023
 6th Session of the International Solar Alliance Assembly
 National Action Plan for Green Shipping
 Trajectory correction for Aditya-L1

News in Brief
Bilateral Agreements and Summits
Military Exercises and Initiatives

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GENERAL STUDIES – II

01 MERA YUVA BHARAT PLATFORM

Context
 The Union cabinet approved the establishment of an autonomous body known as 'Mera Yuva Bharat'
(MY Bharat).

About
 Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat), an autonomous body will benefit the youth in the age group of 15-29
years, in line with the definition of „Youth‟ in the National Youth Policy.
 The beneficiaries will be in the age-group of 10-19 years.
 Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) is „Phygital Platform' (physical + digital) comprising physical activity
along with an opportunity to connect digitally.
 The primary objective of Mera Yuva Bharat is to make it a whole of government platform for youth
development.

Vision
 'Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat)' is designed to be a central, technology-driven platform dedicated to
fostering youth development and empowering young people to lead progress.
 The primary objective is to offer equal opportunities, enabling youth to achieve their dreams and
actively participate in building a developed India.
 This initiative aims to facilitate the growth of a 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India) by engaging youth
across various government initiatives and sectors.
 It envisions a framework where the youth of India can seamlessly connect with programs, mentors, and
their local communities.

Objective
 The primary objective of Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) is
to make it a whole of Government platform dedicated to the
advancement of the youth.
 Its objectives include:
o Leadership Development in the Youth and Improve
the leadership skill
o Better alignment between youth aspirations and
community needs
o Enhanced efficiency through Convergence of existing
programme
o Act as a one stop shop for young people and Ministries
o Create a centralized youth data base
o Improved two-way communication to connect youth
government initiatives and activities of other
stakeholder that engage with youth
o Ensuring accessibility b creating a physical ecosystem

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02 9TH G20 PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKERS' SUMMIT (P20)

Context
 The Prime Minister recently inaugurated the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) in New
Delhi.

Theme
 The summit is being hosted by the Parliament of India under the
broader framework of India‟s G20 Presidency with the theme of
„Parliaments for One Earth, One Family, One Future‟.

High-level sessions
 There were four high-level sessions organized during the P20
Summit:
1. Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
Showcasing Achievements, Accelerating Progress
2. Sustainable Energy Transition — Gateway to Green Future
3. Mainstreaming Gender Equality, From Women‟s
Development to Women-led Development
4. Transformation in people‟s lives through Public Digital
Platforms

Focus of P20 summit

 The P20 summit, 2023 will also emphasize the “LiFE is Beautiful” initiative, through a pre-summit event.
 This initiative recognises communities that practice environmentally conscious lifestyles as “Pro-Planet
People” (P-3), and seeks to leverage these practices to build a sustainable ecosystem based on the
principle of “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle”.

G20 and its success

 The G20 New Delhi Summit provided an occasion for the demonstration of India‟s contemporary
technology advancement as well as our heritage, culture, and traditions.
 The energizing of the international economy, availability of greater resources for development,
expansion of tourism, global workplace opportunities, stronger food security through millet
production and consumption, and a deeper commitment to biofuels are among the prominent outcomes
of the G20 Summit that will benefit the entire nation.

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03 DIGITAL INDIA ACT 2023

Context
 India‟s „Digital India‟ initiative is set to receive a significant boost with the introduction of the Digital
India Act 2023 (DIA).

About
 The recent announcement of the Digital India Act 2023 (DIA) represents a significant step towards
establishing a future-ready legal framework for the
country‟s burgeoning digital ecosystem.
 The Digital India Act will fully replace the current
Information Technology Act (IT Act) of 2000.
 The primary motivation behind the DIA is to bring
India‟s regulatory landscape in sync with the digital
revolution of the 21st century.
 This move by the Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MEITY) signals a proactive approach to
regulating and shaping the digital future of the nation.

Key provisions
 Digital Infrastructure Development: Outlines plans for enhancing digital infrastructure, including
widespread internet access and advanced communication networks.
 Data Privacy and Security: Defines protocols for handling sensitive data, both by government agencies
and private entities.
 Cybersecurity Measures: Introduces measures to strengthen cybersecurity, safeguarding against cyber
threats and attacks.
 Digital Literacy and Skill Development: Focuses on skill development initiatives to nurture a workforce
adept in digital technologies.
 Promotion of Emerging Technologies: Supports research and development in emerging technologies
such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and IoT (Internet of Things).
 Additionally, the DIA mandates stringent Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements for wearable
devices, accompanied by criminal law sanctions.

Challenges
 One key concern is the potential impact on innovation and the ease of doing business. Stricter
regulations, particularly in emerging technologies, could inadvertently stifle entrepreneurial
initiatives and deter foreign investments.
 Balancing the interests of various stakeholders, including tech giants, while ensuring the protection of
citizen rights, poses a significant challenge.

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04 NATIONAL TURMERIC BOARD

Context
 The Centre recently notified the constitution of the National Turmeric Board, a long-standing demand of
turmeric farmers across the country.
 The board will function under the Union Ministry of Commerce.

Composition
 The National Turmeric Board will have a chairperson appointed by the central government.
 Members of the board will represent various ministries, institutions, turmeric farmers, exporters, and
more.
 A secretary will be appointed to the board by the Ministry of Commerce.

Objective
 The National Turmeric Board will focus on the development and growth of turmeric and turmeric
products in the country.
 Its primary objectives include:
o Enhancing awareness and consumption of turmeric globally
o Exploring new international markets to boost exports
o Encouraging research and development of innovative turmeric products
o Promoting traditional knowledge for value-added turmeric items

Production in India
 India is the largest producer, consumer, and exporter of turmeric in the world.
 In the year 2022-23, an area of 3.24 lakh ha was under turmeric cultivation in India with a production of
11.61 lakh tonnes (over 75% of global turmeric production).
 More than 30 varieties of Turmeric are grown in India and it is grown in over 20 states in the country.
 The largest producing states of Turmeric are Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Export
 The leading export markets for Indian Turmeric are Bangladesh, UAE, USA and Malaysia.
 The Centre expects turmeric exports to reach $1 Billion by 2030, and establish India as the leading
global turmeric exporter.

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05 WORLD HEALTH SUMMIT 2023

Context
 The 2023 World Health Summit took place from October 15
to October 17 in Berlin, Germany
Theme: “A Defining Year for Global Health Action” in Berlin,
Germany, and online.

75/25 initiative
 India has launched the 75/25 initiative, aimed at screening
and providing standard of care for 75 million individuals
with hypertension and diabetes by 2025.
 It marks the most extensive expansion of NCDs in primary
healthcare globally.
 India firmly emphasizes the need for a comprehensive strategy which includes preventive measures,
early discussion, and efficient management with the aim of reducing the prevalence and impact of
NCDs on the well-being of our citizens.

India‟s efforts to health challenge

 In 2010, the Indian government initiated the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-
Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) under the National Health Mission (NHM) to address the urgent
global health challenge posed by NCDs.
 It aims for strengthening infrastructure, human resource development, health promotion, early
diagnosis, management and referral.
 The Ayushman Bharat initiative is translating the policy intent to budgetary commitment, to meet
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
underscoring the commitment to „leave no one behind.

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06 FOUNDATION FOR AMRIT VATIKA

Context
 Prime Minister laid the foundation for Amrit Vatika which is a finale event of the Meri Maati Mera Desh
campaign at Kartavya Path in New Delhi.

About Amrit Vatika

 The Amrit Vatika is situated adjacent to the Netaji Bose statue under the Grand Canopy and the
National War Memorial.
 This will be the newest landmark will celebrate 75 years of Independence and honor the valor of the
unsung freedom fighters.
 The Amrit Vatika, a memorial lawn will have an area of 12,000 sqm.
 The soil from across 766 districts has been collected.

Amrit Kalash Yatris

 The government has arranged for over 20,000 Amrit Kalash Yatris from the states and UTs to arrive at the
national capital by special trains and buses, who will be led by their respective MPs for the two-day
carnival at Kartavya Path.

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General Studies – III

07 GLOBAL MARITIME INDIA SUMMIT 2023

Context
 The Prime Minister has inaugurated the third edition of the Global Maritime India Summit 2023.

Blueprint for Indian Maritime blue economy

 The Prime Minister unveiled the „Amrit Kaal Vision 2047‟, a
long-term blueprint for the Indian maritime blue economy.
 The blueprint outlines strategic initiatives aimed at:
o Enhancing port facilities
o Promoting sustainable practices
o Facilitating global collaboration
 The foundation stone for projects worth more than ₹23,000
crore that align with India‟s maritime blue economy.
 The maritime conference is expected to witness about 300
Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth more than
₹7 lakh crore for global and national partnerships.
 The first Maritime India summit was held in 2016 in
Mumbai while the Second Maritime Summit was held
virtually in 2021.

Focus on key issues

 The summit will discuss and deliberate key issues of the maritime sector including:
o Ports of the future
o Decarbonisation
o Coastal shipping and inland water transportation
o Shipbuilding, repair and recycling
o Maritime clusters and maritime tourism
 The summit will see participation of ministers from across the globe representing countries from Europe,
Africa, South America, and Asia (including central Asia, Middle East and BIMSTEC region).
 The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Tuna-Tekra all-weather deep-draft terminal, to be built
at a cost of more than Rs 4,500 crore at Deendayal Port Authority in Gujarat.

08 7TH EDITION OF THE INDIA MOBILE CONGRESS (IMC)

Context
 The Prime Minister of India inaugurated the 7th Edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2023 at
Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

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Aim
 With the theme 'Global Digital Innovation,' the IMC 2023 aims to strengthen India‟s position as a
developer, manufacturer, and exporter of key cutting-edge technologies.
 The IMC 2023 aims to strengthen India‟s position as a developer, manufacturer, and exporter of key
cutting-edge technologies.
 The vision of Digital India and Make in India has led to significant advancements in digital
infrastructure.
 India has emerged as a manufacturing nation, especially for digital infrastructure, with various
companies involved in manufacturing at a large scale.

'5G Use Case Labs'

 The Prime Minister awarded 100 '5G Use Case
Labs' to educational institutions across the
country.
 The „100 5G labs initiative‟, is an endeavor to
realize the opportunities associated with 5G
technology by encouraging the development of
5G applications which cater, both to India‟s
unique needs as well as the global demands.
 The unique initiative will foster innovation across
various socioeconomic sectors like education,
agriculture, health, power, transportation etc, and
propel the country into the forefront of usage of 5G technology.
 The initiative is also a pivotal step for building a 6G-ready academic and start-up ecosystem in the
country.

09 AI SAFETY SUMMIT 2023

Context
 Recently, United Kingdom prime minister hosted Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Summit where more
than 100 representatives from the worlds of business and politics discussed the potential and pitfalls of
artificial intelligence.

First ever AI Safety Summit

 The summit was held at Bletchley Park near London, the once top-secret base where codebreakers
cracked the German 'Enigma Code,' accelerating the end of World War II.
 The two-day summit that has drawn in global leaders, computer scientists, and tech executives.
 Twenty-eight major countries, including the United States, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, France,
India, and the European Union, agreed to sign a declaration emphasizing the necessity of global action to
address the potential risks of AI.

Bletchley Declaration
 The Bletchley Declaration offers a comprehensive snapshot of the global understanding of artificial
intelligence‟s promises and risks.

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 The central objective of the Bletchley Declaration is to address risks and responsibilities associated with
frontier AI in a comprehensive and collaborative manner.
 Furthermore, it acknowledges the potential for severe, even catastrophic, harm caused by AI, whether
intentional or unintentional.
 The declaration, which was also endorsed by Brazil, Ireland, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and the
United Arab Emirates.

Significance
 It highlights the importance of safeguarding human rights, transparency, explainability, fairness,
accountability, regulation, safety, human oversight, ethics, bias mitigation, privacy, and data
protection.
 The new rule seeks to codify the use of watermarks that alert consumers to a product enabled by AI,
which could potentially limit the threat posed by content such as deepfakes.

Different Countries, Varied Approaches

 European Union: The EU has proposed a stringent AI Act categorizing artificial intelligence based on use-
case scenarios, considering invasiveness and risk levels.
 United States: The US approach aims to define AI regulations, building on the White House Office of
Science and Technology Policy's Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights unveiled in October 2022.
 China: China has released its own set of measures to regulate AI.
 India: The government of India noted that the weaponisation represented by social media must be
overcome, and steps should be taken to ensure AI represents safety and trust.
 India has been progressively pushing the envelope on AI regulation.

10 6TH SESSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE ASSEMBLY

Context
 The Sixth Assembly of the International Solar Alliance
(ISA) was hosted at Bharat Mandapam, in New Delhi.
 The International Solar Alliance (ISA), consisting of 116
member countries, will publish its inaugural 'global solar
stocktake report,' aiming to boost worldwide solar
technology adoption.

Focus area
 The ISA, which is steered by India and France, is
scheduled to hold its sixth annual meeting in New Delhi.
 The 6th Assembly of International Solar Alliance
Assembly decides to increase Viability Gap Funding Cap for solar projects from 10% up to 35% of
project cost.
 A key focus area for the organisation is expanding solar installations in Africa and to that end the
organisation has set up the Global Solar Facility.
 The aim is to boost the scale of solar investment there and following that expand to West Asia, Latin
America, and the Caribbean.

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Financial funds
 The Global Solar Facility will have three funds:
o Payment guarantee fund
o Insurance fund to mitigate project risks
o Investment fund for technical assistance

Global Stocktake
 This is inspired by the first ever „Global Stocktake‟ of the United Nations Conference of Parties, scheduled
to be held in Dubai later this year.
 The stocktake will also look at ways to broaden manufacturing of solar energy equipment, which is
currently concentrated in China.
 The Global Stocktake follows from the Paris Agreement signed in 2015 and is expected to be held once in
five years.
 The International Solar Alliance will meet in November 2023 in New Delhi.

11 NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR GREEN SHIPPING

Context
 During the INMEX SMM India 2023 conference, the Director General of Shipping highlighted that the
National Action Plan for Green Shipping encourages environmentally friendly practices in the
maritime industry.

India‟s maritime sector

 India has a vast coastline of approximately 7,500 kilometers, making it one of the largest maritime
nations in the world.
 The country has 12 major ports and around 200 notified minor and intermediate ports.
 India's maritime sector contributes significantly to the economy, handling about 95% of the country's
trade by volume and 70% by value.
 India‟s maritime sector will play a pivotal role in achieving a $20 trillion economy by 2047.

National Action Plan for Green Shipping

 The National Action Plan for Green Shipping promotes:
o Eco-friendly practices and incentives for low emission ships
o Positioning India's maritime sector for a
prosperous and environmentally responsible
future
 The recent achievements in the shipping sector
include doubling major ports' capacity,
substantial waterway growth, increased cruise
passengers and seafarers, expanded solar
power, and lighthouse tourism.
 This progress is fueled by transformative reforms
like Sagarmala and digitization initiatives.

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12 TRAJECTORY CORRECTION FOR ADITYA-L1

Context
 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) shared an update on Aditya-L1 and said that it
successfully performed Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM).

About Aditya-L1
 India‟s first solar observatory mission, Aditya-L1, was
successfully launched on September 2 from Satish
Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota.
 The spacecraft, after traveling about 1.5 million km
from the Earth over 125 days, is expected to be placed
in a Halo orbit around the Lagrangian point L1 which
is considered closest to the Sun.
 Among others, it will send pictures of the sun for
scientific experiments.

Status of Aditya-L1 spacecraft

 The Aditya-L1 spacecraft is headed to the Lagrangian-1 (L1) point between sun and earth.
 According to ISRO the spacecraft is healthy and on its way to Sun-Earth L1.
 L1 is about 1.5 million km from earth and the distance of L1 from earth is approximately 1% of the earth-
sun distance.
 Aditya-L1 continues to move ahead, the magnetometer payload will be turned on again within a few
days.

Aim and significance

 The Aditya L-1 payloads are expected to provide crucial information to understand the problem of:
o Coronal heating
o Coronal mass ejection
o Pre-flare and flare activities and their characteristics
o Dynamics of space weather
o Propagation of particles and fields etc.

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News in Brief
Operation Ajay
 India had recently launched Operation Ajay to bring back Indians from Israel as the conflict escalated
with Israel retaliating against Hamas's attack.
 Operation Ajay is not technically an evacuation operation.
 It is an operation to repatriate its citizens from Israel.
 Indians in Israel who wish to return will be facilitated in this operation.
 There are around 18,000 Indians in Israel, including students, professionals and traders.

India‟s first Regional Rapid Transit System

 The Prime Minister will inaugurate India‟s first Regional Rapid
Transit System (RRTS) as priority section of Delhi-Ghaziabad-
Meerut RRTS Corridor.
 The RRTS is developed by the National Capital Region
Transport Corporation (NCRTC), a joint venture of the
Government of India and governments of Delhi, Haryana,
Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
 The total length of the Delhi-Meerut corridor is 82 kilometers
which will be covered in just an hour.
 Delhi-Meerut RRTS comprises of 24 stations.

37th National Games in Goa

 The Prime Minister inaugurated the 37th National Games at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in
Margao, Goa.
 The 37th National Games are the first to be held in Goa
 The Games was scheduled from 26th October to 9th November.
 Over 10,000 athletes from across India are participating in the 37th National Games, competing in over 43
sports disciplines at 28 venues.

Astra BVR air-to-air missile

 The Indian Air Force (IAF) has placed two contracts with Bharat Dynamics
Limited (BDL) for the indigenous Astra Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air
to Air Missile.
 Astra is a state-of-the-art BVR air-to-air missile with a range of over 100
km designed to engage and destroy highly maneuverable supersonic aerial
targets.
 It is designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development
Laboratory (DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and other DRDO
laboratories.
 Astra, an indigenous Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile, being
test-fired by TEJAS Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
 Astra is fully integrated on the Su-30MKI.

ECI‟s National Icon for Voter Awareness

 The Election Commission of India (EC) appointed actor Rajkummar Rao as its 'National Icon' for the
forthcoming assembly elections in five states and the 2024 general elections.

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 An MoU was signed with the “Newton” star for a period of 3 years at an event organized at New Delhi
in the presence of Chief Election Commissioner.
 Youth is one the biggest stakeholder in this democratic process and urged them to become agents of
positive transformation through their vote.

Bilateral Agreements and Summits

India, UK FTA trade pact
 The India-UK proposed FTA pact which is the most comprehensive trade agreement signed by India.
 Of the 26 chapters, in-principal agreement or broad consensus has been reached on 24 chapters
Proposed FTA
 The proposed FTA negotiations between India and UK which were started in January of 2022 covers 26
chapters of policy areas.
 Majority of chapters are closed or are in advanced stages of negotiations.
 Protracted negotiations are still on issues of interest to India like greater access for its skilled professionals
from sectors like IT, and healthcare in the UK market, besides market access for several goods at nil
customs duties.
 On the other hand, the UK is seeking a significant cut in import duties on goods such as scotch whiskey,
automobiles, lamb meat, chocolates and certain confectionary items.
Bilateral trade
 The UK is an important trade and investment partner for India.
 The bilateral trade between India and the UK increased to $ 20.36 billion in 2022-23 from $17.5 billion in
2021-22.
 UK is also looking for more opportunities for UK services in Indian markets in segments like
telecommunications, legal and financial services (banking and insurance).

MoU between India and France

 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister has approved the signing of the Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Republic of
India and the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty of the French
Republic on cooperation in the field of Digital Technologies.
Aim
 The MoU intends to promote closer cooperation and exchange of information pertaining to the digital
technologies and will mutually support each Participant‟s goal to promote access to digital Technology
in their country in accordance with the MoU.
Major Impact
 Both G2G and B2B bilateral Cooperation in the field of Digital technologies will be enhanced.
 MoU envisages improved collaboration leading to employment opportunities in the field of IT.
 The cooperation under this MoU will start on the dated of its signature by both Participants and will last
five (5) years.

Japan-India Semiconductor Supply Chain Partnership

 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister has approved a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC)
between India and Japan on developing a semiconductor supply chain partnership.

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Strengthening Cooperation
 The MoC intends to strengthen cooperation between India and Japan towards enhancement of
semiconductor supply chain, recognizing the importance of semiconductor for the advancement of
industries and digital technologies.
 The MoC shall come into effect from the date of signature of the Parties and shall be remain in force for
a period of five years.
 Both G2G and B2B bilateral Cooperation on opportunities to advance resilient semiconductor supply
chain and leverage complementary strengths.

Joint Working Group Trade between India and Bangladesh

 The 15th Meeting of the Joint Working Group on Trade (JWG) between India and Bangladesh was held
in September, 2023 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
 The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and
Industry, Government of India.
Focus Area
 The 15th meeting of Joint Working Group on Trade (JWG) discussed a host of bilateral issues such as:
o Removal of port restrictions
o Ground work on commencement of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
Harmonization of standards
o Mutual recognition of standards
o Supply of essential commodities to Bangladesh
o Development of road and rail infrastructure
o Regional connectivity through multi-modal transportation and creation/ strengthening of
infrastructure in Land Customs Stations/ Integrated Check Posts, border haats, etc.
Key trade issues
 The India-Bangladesh Joint Working Group on Trade (JWG) Meetings are held on an annual basis to
discuss key trade related issues and explore opportunities for economic and technical collaboration,
promotion, facilitation, expansion and diversification of trade between the two countries on the basis
of equality and mutual benefit.

India-UAE High Level Joint Task Force on Investments

 The Eleventh meeting of the UAE-India High Level Joint Task Force on Investments („the Joint Task
Force‟) was held in Abu Dhabi.
 The Joint Task Force was established in 2013 to promote trade, investment and economic ties between
India and the UAE.
Opportunities & prospects
 The Joint Task Force has provided an effective mechanism for discussion on opportunities & prospects for
investments in both countries as well as resolution of issues faced by investors of the two countries.
 The CEPA was a landmark agreement designed to spark a new era of cooperation between two nations,
strengthening the long-standing cultural, political and economic ties.
 The Joint Task Force delegations discussed the status of negotiations for the India-UAE Bilateral
Investment Treaty, underscoring the need to accelerate the bilateral discussions for an early conclusion of
a balanced agreement that benefits both countries and their investors.

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Military Exercises and Initiatives

SAMPRITI 2023
 India and Bangladesh commenced the 11th edition of annual joint military exercise, SAMPRITI on 03rd
October 2023 in Umroi, Meghalaya.
 This exercise, alternatingly organised by both countries, signifies strong bilateral defence cooperation
initiatives.
 SAMPRITI-XI, scheduled for 14 days, will engage approximately 350 personnel from both sides.
 The exercise underscores the importance of enhancing interoperability between the two armies, sharing
tactical drills, and promoting best practices.
 SAMPRITI-XI promises to further enhance defence cooperation between India and Bangladesh, fostering
deeper bilateral relations, cultural understanding, and mutual benefits from shared experiences in Sub
Conventional Operations.

Exercise Sagar Kavach

 A two-day comprehensive Coastal Security Exercise Sagar Kavach 02/23 involving all maritime security
agencies was conducted by the Indian Navy in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and the UT of Puducherry.
 The exercise aimed to assess the efficacy and robustness of the coastal security mechanism while dealing
with asymmetric threat emanating from the sea.
 The exercise was closely monitored at Joint Operations Centre (East) at Visakhapatnam which is the nodal
hub for all coastal security operations and exercises in the area of operations.
 The exercise witnessed close coordination and synergy among all coastal security stakeholders.
 Lessons learnt from the exercise would be incorporated to strengthen the coastal security architecture.

Multilateral Naval Exercise 2024

 The Mid Planning Conference (MPC) of MILAN 24 (Multilateral Naval Exercise - 2024), was hosted by
the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam was conducted by the Eastern Naval Command (ENC).
 The Flagship event, MILAN is a biennial multilateral naval exercise, which was incepted by the Indian
Navy in 1995.
 Originally conceived in consonance with India's 'Look East Policy, MILAN expanded in ensuing years
with the Govt of India‟s 'Act East policy'.

Project UDBHAV
 Recently, Defence Minister launched a Project UDBHAV that aims to promote indigenous discourse in the
Army by integrating India‟s ancient strategic acumen into contemporary military domain with a focus
on making the force” future-ready”.
 Project Udbhav is conducted in collaboration by Indian Army and the United Service Institution of India,
a defense think-tank.
 The project will explore under-explored strategic thinking, statecraft, and warfare from classical texts and
enrich military training curricula like Chanakya‟s Arthashastra (strategic partnerships, diplomacy, soft
power projections, etc.) and Thirukkural (Ethical conduct in warfare).
 The project goes aims to develop an indigenous strategic vocabulary deeply rooted in India's
multifaceted philosophical and cultural heritage.

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 PIB COMPILATION OCTOBER 2023

Exercise Harimau Shakti 2023

 India and Malaysia have initiated "Exercise Harimau Shakti 2023," a joint bilateral training exercise
taking place at Umroi Cantonment in India.
 The exercise is focused on bolstering military capabilities and fostering synergy between the two
nations.
 This joint effort signifies a noteworthy advancement in their ongoing defense cooperation.
 The Exercise will also witness employment of Drones/UAVs & Helicopters.
 Two sides will also practice casualty management and evacuation drills.
 The exercise was aimed to enhance the level of defence co-operation between Indian Army and the
Malaysian Army, which will also foster the bilateral relations between the two nations.

Exercise KAZIND-2023
 Indian Army and Indian Air Force contingent participated in 7th edition of Joint Military „Exercise
KAZIND-2023‟.
 It is a joint military exercise between India and Kazakhstan aimed at improving cooperation and combat
readiness in counter-terrorism operations under the United Nations mandate.
 Indian Army contingent comprises 90 personnel led by a Battalion from the DOGRA Regiment.
 The Kazakhstan contingent is mainly represented by personnel from Regional Command South of
Kazakh Ground Forces.
 The Joint Exercise between India and Kazakhstan was instituted as „Exercise PRABAL DOSTYK‟ in the
year 2016.
 The Exercise has been further upgraded as a Bi-service Exercise this year by including the Air Force
component.
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