- Indian Heritage
- Culture
Ministry of Culture to organize “India Art, Architecture & Design Biennale” at Red Fort to provide a global platform for the promotion of arts and the artist fraternity
exhibitions along with Panel Discussions, Workshops and Art Bazaar to be held from 9th to 15th December and will be open to public
Pavilions set up as part of Biennale to remain on display till 31st March 2024
The Ministry of Culture is organizing India Art, Architecture and Design Biennale 2023 at Red Fort, to be inaugurated on 8th December 2023. Following the Inaugural & VIP preview, the exhibitions along with panel discussions, workshops and the art bazaar will be held from 9th to 15th December and will be open to public. The keynote addresses by international artists, architects, and designers, public art installations, art bazaar and cultural programs are the major attractions of the Biennale. The pavilions set up as part of the Biennale will be on display till the 31st of March 2024.
Building on the success of past events like the International Museum Expo & Festival of Libraries, the Biennale seeks to create a prominent global cultural event, comparable to those in Venice, Sao Paulo, and Dubai. Inspired by the Prime Minister’s directive to establish five cultural spaces in India, including one at the Red Fort, IAADB’23 is an innovative initiative to highlights India’s diverse art, architecture and design.
Addressing a curtain raiser press conference at National Museum, here today, Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi said that the biennale showcases a diverse range, including traditional artisans, contemporary designers, curators, and thought leaders. The Biennale is an innovative initiative tocelebrate the rich tapestry of our country’s artistic heritage, spanning ancient, modern, contemporary and tech-driven art, architecture and design, said the Minister.
The week-long event is organised around daily themes, each aimed at showcasing different aspects of India’s rich cultural heritage. Seven esteemed curators are involved in IAADB’23, ensuring a captivating experience that combines physical and digital exhibitions, interactive installations, sessions and panel discussions. Expertly curated catalogues will accompany each exhibition along with a comprehensive coffee table book for the entire event.
he curated pavilions at the event offer a fascinating journey through diverse aspects of India’s cultural heritage. Mr. Aditya Arya guides visitors through “Pravesh“ exploring the symbolism of doors and gateways. Ms. Anjchita B Nair curates “Bagh-e-Bahar,” a pavilion delving into the concept of gardens as universes. Mr. Amit Pasricha takes on “Sthaypatya” exploring the timeless design and architectural resilience of temples. “Sampravah” is curated by Mr. Ratish Nanda and Mr. Vikramjit Rooprai, focusing on Baolis in India. Ms. Shikha Jain and Ms. Adriana A. Garreta present “Vismaya” a pavilion celebrating India’s post-independence architectural splendour. Mr. Anubhav Nath brings forth “Deshaj”: exploring folk art and design traditions. Finally, Ms. Swati Janu curates “Samatva” an exploration of women’s contribution to architecture.
In addition to the above, the Ministry also invited artists and curators to submit their work for IAADB’23 through an open call on social media. The Ministry received 560 queries and 260 submissions of which 150 entries were selected and will be on display at the venue. In conjunction with the IAADB’s mandate for inclusivity, a Student Biennale is also being organised from the 9th of December at the Lalit Kala Akademi and will serve as a platform for emerging talent to showcase creativity and imagination.
The India Art, Architecture & Design Biennale is set to be a unique event that aims to mobilise the community of artists and designers by providing a platform for both established and emerging artists. Its goal is to energize cultural and creative industries by fostering dialogue among practitioners in art, architecture, and design.
- Modern Indian history
- The Freedom Struggle
- Post-independence
- Indian Society
A. population and associated issues
B. poverty and developmental issues
C.urbanization
7. Geographical features
8.Indian Constitution
9. Polity
10. Governance
A. institutions
B. regulatory
Aeronautical Society of India
Brief History
The Aeronautical Society of India was founded in 1948. It was inaugurated by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India on 17 November 1948. He was also the first Patron-in-Chief of the Society. The Society Headquarters Building at 13 – B, Indraprastha Estate, New Delhi – 110 002 was also inaugurated by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru in 1963.
In these illustrious traditions, Dr. S Radhakrishnan, Smt. Indira Gandhi, Shri Rajiv Gandhi, Shri P V NarasimhaRao, Shri H D Deva Gowda,Shri I K Gujaral and Dr. Manmohan Singh were the successive Patrons-in-Chief of the Society. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam guided the society as its President 1992-94.
Objectives
The objective of the Society is to promote the advancement and diffusion of the knowledge of aeronautical sciences and aircraft engineering as well as elevation of the aeronautical profession.
Organization
Over the years, the Society has grown into a major professional body in the field of aeronautics, aviation and aerospace. The Society has 19 Branches at all the important centers of aviation in the country viz., Agra, Bangalore, Calcutta, Chandigarh, Chennai, Goa, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Kochi, Mumbai, Nasik, Nagpur, Pune, New Delhi, Sunabeda and Thiruvananthapuram, KanyaKumari & two special centers CFD Division & Design Division at Bangalore.
Its membership of more than 14,000 is drawn from all major aeronautical establishments such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, DGCA, Defence Research and Development Establishments, Academic Institutions, Aeronautical Development Agency, Indian Air Force, Indian Space Research Organization, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, National Airport Authority of India, Air India, Pawan Hans and aero industry in private sector. The Society has 63 Corporate Members from both national and international sectors.
Management
The Society is managed by a Council consisting of a President, President – Elect, seven Vice Presidents, the Honorary Secretary General, Honorary Treasurer and fifteen members, twelve of whom are elected and the other three nominated to represent special interests.
Activities of the Society
(a) The Society’s activities include fraternization amongst professionals, promotion of aeronautical activities and policy and increased awareness of indigenous/ international information/events through lectures, workshops and seminars on subject of interests.
(b) The Society encourages young professionals in pursuance of their efforts in attaining excellence and get financial support to enable them to participate in high tech seminars at international levels.
(c) The student members are encouraged and awarded with cash prizes for outstanding performance in the Associate Membership Examination.
(d) The Society provides, centralized library facilities to its members and student members at its Headquarters and number of Branches.
(e) The Society publishes a quarterly Journal titled Journal of Aerospace Sciences & Technologies having Research and Technical papers on various facets of aeronautical sciences and monthly newsletter. The Journal is of a very high standard and is rated world class. It reflects variety and depth of topics of technical papers authored by specialists/experts in their respective areas.
(f) The Society encourages and promotes writing of books on aeronautical/ aerospace science subjects by Indian authors. Adequate financial support is provided for writing, publishing and marketing of these books.
(g) The Society conducts Annual Essay Competition to recognize and encourage talent amongst students, engineers and scientists and prizes are awarded to the winners.
(h) The Society confers number of prestigious awards for outstanding contributions/achievements made by individual or team of individuals in fundamental/applied research in the field of aviation and aerospace, every year.
Contribution
Technology continues to be one of the most significant drivers for growth in the century. In aerospace engineering, India has great opportunity to leverage technology to generate economic growth and development. The Aeronautical Society of India endeavours its members to understand, appreciate and further develop these opportunities to the advantage of the country and the mankind. The contributions of The Aeronautical Society is well appreciated and recorded in successes made by the country in all its national aero projects like LCA, ALH, Space programs, and Guided Weapons Systems.
C. Government policies
D. role of NGOs
E. measures
11. Social Justice
A. Welfare schemes
B Health
C. Education
Making Human Resources Future Ready’
NEP 2020 is a philosophical document, which can act as a template for emerging economies
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, chaired the Education Ministers’ Session at 2nd Voice of Global South Summit held today in New Delhi. The summit, operating under the theme ‘Together for everyone’s growth, with everyone’s trust,’ addressed critical issues, particularly in the field of education. The Education Ministers deliberated on the theme of ‘Making human resources future-ready’.
Ministers/ Dignitaries of 14 countries from the Global South – Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Georgia, Tunisia, Iran, Lao PDR, Malawi, Myanmar, Republic of Palau, Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, Albania, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, Cameroon – participated virtually in the session and shared their insights.
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, in his opening remarks, welcomed the participating Ministers and reaffirmed India’s commitment to champion the voice of the Global South under leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
Highlighted India’s pivotal role in leading discussions on these issues at the G20 Education Minister’s Meeting, Shri Pradhan emphasised on the significance of collaborative efforts in developing a resilient, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable education and skilling ecosystem. The G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration acknowledged the importance of investing in human capital development.
Shri Pradhan informed the participating Ministers on how India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, being implemented under the leadership of the PM Shri Narendra Modi, is bringing holistic transformation to India’s learning and skilling landscape. He also remarked that NEP as a philosophical document can act as a template for emerging economies towards developing comprehensive strategies and agile policies. Stressing on the importance of shared aspirations, Shri Pradhan, called for common strategies, leveraging the twin pillars of education and skill development.
Other Ministers in their address, shared success stories, challenges faced and strategies to address them. They unequivocally commended India’s effort to strengthen cooperation in the fields of education and skilling among the countries of the Global South.
The Education Ministers from the participating countries agreed on the need to work together for an accessible, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future through quality education. Underlining the importance of investing in human capital development and to address the global skill divide, the Ministers agreed on the need to provide skilling, reskilling and upskilling opportunities to create a future-ready workforce aligned to the demands of the industry.
The Education Ministers also reiterated shared commitment to overcome the digital divide for all learners by addressing the barriers to technological infrastructure and work collectively to develop technology ecosystems and learning resources, including in local languages that are affordable and easily accessible. They underlined the central role of all teachers and education staff all over the world in promoting education and the need to foster an environment including through capacity building and exchange programmes that will enable teachers and staff to thrive in their profession.
The Ministers agreed to encourage collaborative solutions, innovations, sharing of best practices to promote quality teaching, learning and skilling as well as foster academic collaborations among educational institutions as well as encouraging student and faculty exchange programs.
Appreciating the fellow Ministers for their valuable ideas, Shri Pradhan expressed his confidence that with collective efforts, the South-South cooperation will grow from strength to strength. India will work ‘Together for Everyone’s Growth, With Everyone’s Trust’ for global well-being, an equitable world order and for a brighter global future, he added.
The summit builds upon the foundation laid during the Inaugural Voice of Global South Summit in January 2023, which focused on uniting voices and purposes from 125 countries of the Global South, reflecting India’s commitment to addressing key priorities of the developing world, particularly in education and skill development.
The 2nd Voice of Global South Summit aims to serve as a platform to share the outcomes of various G20 meetings, sustain momentum generated from the previous summit, and discuss ways to achieve shared aspirations for inclusive and equitable international development. Deliberations will also focus on harnessing digital technologies to bridge the digital divide and strengthening cooperation in developing life, technical, and vocational skills. The outcomes of the summit are expected to inform the deliberations at the upcoming G20 Virtual Summit hosted by India on 22nd November 2023.
There are 8 Ministerial sessions during the Summit. The Summit, with the theme ‘Together, for Everyone’s Growth, with Everyone’s Trust’ would focus on sharing with countries of the Global South the key outcomes achieved in various G20 meetings over the course of India’s Presidency. Key ideas and suggestions emerging from the members of the Global South at the 2nd VOGSS will also be informed during the next G-20 Virtual Summit, to be hosted by India on 22 November 2023.
D. Human Resources
E. poverty and hunger
12. International relations
A. India and its neighbourhood
Raksha Mantri holds talks with Minister of Defence of Timor-Leste in Jakarta
Assures India’s continued support for development needs of Timor-Leste in defence sector
n the second and final day of his engagements in Indonesia, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, on November 17, 2023, held a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Defence of Timor-Leste Rear Admiral Prof Dr Donaciano Do Rosario Da Costa Gomes in Jakarta. During the meeting, the Raksha Mantri assured India’s continued support for the development needs of Timor-Leste, particularly in the defence sector. The two Ministers discussed potential areas for future collaboration including supply of Made-in-India defence equipment, capacity building and training.
The Timorese counterpart welcomed India’s decision to open an Embassy in Timor-Leste, and offered his Ministry’s support. He also thanked Raksha Mantri for India’s support to Timor-Leste’s efforts for becoming a full member of ASEAN.
Later, Shri Rajnath Singh interacted with the members of the diverse and vibrant Indian community in Jakarta, including the leaders and members of various Indian organisations in the country. He appreciated their deep-rooted and close connect with India and highlighted Government of India’s achievements in past decade namely Digital India, New Education Policy, Women empowerment, Jal Jeevan Abhiyaan, Rural road connectivity, Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana- Gramin etc. He also visited Shiva Temple at Pluit, Jakarta and offered prayers.
On November 16, 2023, the Raksha Mantri had attended the 10th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in Jakarta
B. groupings and agreements
Voice of Global South Summit 2023
India hosted a two-day Voice of Global South Summit on 12-13 January 2023. The Summit was held in virtual format, with 10 sessions in total. It saw participation of Leaders and Ministers from 125 countries of the Global South. The list is appended.
2. India convened this one of a kind Summit to focus international attention on priorities, perspectives and concerns of the developing world.
3. This is particularly relevant as the world passes through a difficult period marked by challenges to health, food security, affordable access to energy, climate finance and technologies, and economic growth.
4. This Summit is a timely reminder of what is at stake for over three fourths of the planet’s population that is most vulnerable to the deleterious impact of the several interlinked risks we confront.
5. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi presided over the Inaugural Leaders’ session on 12 January. This was followed by eight Ministerial-level thematic segments dedicated to addressing the most pressing concerns of the developing world. The Summit wrapped up on 13 January with a Concluding Leaders’ Session also hosted by Prime Minister.
6. The participating Leaders appreciated and congratulated the leadership of Prime Minister in hosting the Summit at a crucial juncture. They expressed hope that the Summit would serve as a catalyst for building a prosperous and inclusive future for the world that takes into account the needs of the Global South.
7. In his inaugural remarks, Prime Minister framed the key issues at stake for the developing world. He highlighted the opportunity for uplifting societies and economies of the Global South through a shared vision and agenda for change. In this endeavour, he offered to share India’s experiences through simple, scalable and sustainable solutions. He highlighted India’s achievements in vaccine development, biometric based identification, digital public goods, financial inclusion, satellite technology, digital governance, last mile connectivity, etc. He also spoke about the need for the developing world to have access to technology, knowledge and critical resources. His call for a new human centric development paradigm received widespread support from participating Leaders.
8. During the Concluding Leaders’ session, Prime Minister announced a number of new initiatives by India in connection with the Voice of Global South Summit. These include:
· Aarogya Maitri
· Global South Centre of Excellence
· Global South Science and Technology Initiative
· Global South Young Diplomats Forum
· Global South Scholarships
9. In the Finance Ministers’ session, Ministers exchanged views on financing the development needs of the Global South, achieving financial inclusion, implementation of digital public goods in the financial sector, and development partnerships that are outcome-oriented and financially sustainable.
10. The Environment Ministers’ session focused attention on balancing growth with sustainability, sharing of best practices in ecological conservation, and the importance of LiFE, or lifestyle for environment launched by Prime Minister in October 2022.
11. Ministers also called for accelerated climate action and delivery of climate finance and loss and damage funding to deal with growing climate impacts, in accordance with the principles of Equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC).
12. In the Foreign Ministers’ session, Ministers expressed concern over the increasing fragmentation of the international landscape, and exchanged perspectives on how to create a conducive environment for the development priorities of the Global South. Ministers urged the international community to address the triple challenge of food, fuel and fertilizer shortages. They also called for renewed and inclusive multilateralism that reflects contemporary realities. The need to raise their collective voice against the scourge of terrorism was underlined.
13. The Energy Ministers’ session emphasized the criticality of energy security for global growth and human development. Access to energy amidst increasing instability, ensuring energy affordability through diversification of energy sources, sharing best practices to develop renewables and alternate energy, and harnessing the potential of biofuels were the main themes of interaction.
14. In the Commerce/Trade Ministers’ session, Ministers shared strategies on improving the business and investment climate in developing countries; upgrading connectivity and commerce; ensuring access to critical technologies and resources; fostering grass-roots innovation and sharing of best practices; and diversification of supply chains. Ministers agreed that a sustainable post pandemic recovery would be contingent on simplifying procedures, implementing technology based solutions, investing in infrastructure and ensuring equitable access to global markets.
15. In the Health Ministers’ session, participants emphasized the need to adopt an inclusive approach to global health security. Ways and means to develop digital public goods in healthcare, promote traditional medicine, build public capacities and develop regional networks, and knowledge sharing were discussed. Ministers were particularly appreciative of India’s Vaccine Maitri initiative during the Covid pandemic, as a substantive reflection of South-South cooperation.
16. In the Education Ministers’ session, ideas to transform developing countries into knowledge based societies that can create future ready workforces were shared. Ministers spoke about the need to share best practices in vocational training, capacity building and use of technology to provide equity and quality in education. India shared its National Education Policy built on the foundational pillars of access, equity, quality, affordability and accountability.
17. In the session dedicated to sharing ideas for India’s G20 Presidency, External Affairs Minister shared India’s key priorities for its G20 presidency and also assured that India would work to ensure that the valuable inputs generated from partner countries in the Voice of Global South Summit receive due cognizance globally, including in G20 deliberations.
18. Participating countries recognized with appreciation that the Summit produced fruitful conversations and charted a new path through an action oriented agenda that strives to address their priorities and challenges. They underscored the agenda and quest for solutions to global challenges must include the voices of its biggest stakeholders, the Global South.
Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII)
- The India – Middle East – Europe Economic Corridor, launched during the event. An agreement formalising this project was signed by the EU, the United States, India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Corridor will link the three regions through state-of-the-art connectivity infrastructure, helping to bring the economic relationship between them to a new level and providing improved access to goods, energy and data to citizens and businesses. In particular, the project will:
- Integrate railway lines and port connections from India to Europe, across UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel, leading to smoother and faster transit of goods;
- Develop energy infrastructure and enable the production and transport of green hydrogen to all partners;
- Strengthen telecommunications and data transfers thanks to a new undersea cable connecting the region.
- The Trans-African Corridor will enhance the transport connections between the Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the so-called “Copper Belt” in Zambia, to Lobito port in Angola. The Corridor will help foster investment in local value chains to transform the extracted raw materials, access to world markets for the products from these regions, and greater mobility opportunities for citizens. The EU is joining forces with the US to promote this Corridor (see separatejoint statement by the EU and the US).
Background
Both projects are a tangible illustration of the EU’s deep commitment to enhancing critical infrastructure across the globe. They are a further step in the PGII process launched last year by President von der Leyen, President Biden and the President of Indonesia Joko Widodo during the G20 summit in Bali.
The EU is a key actor in PGII through its flagship Global Gateway programme. Global Gateway will activate 300 billion of investments in critical connectivity projects during the period 2021-2027, half of which is destined for Africa.
C.Indian diaspora
13. Economic Development
A. Government Budgeting
B. industrial
E.issues
14. Technology
Future is Bright, Future is DIR-V for India
nationwide Roadshow on Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Program. This roadshow is being jointly organized by C-DAC, IEEE India Council and Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) on 17-18 November 2023, with participation from global leaders in the RISC-V design area.
s part of the Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) program announced by Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar in 2022, successful tapeouts were carried out for – (a) 32-bit/ 64-bit SHAKTI Processors at 180nm (SCL foundry) and 22nm (Intel foundry) by IIT Madras, (b) 32-bit AJIT Processor at 180nm (SCL foundry) by IIT Bombay, and (c) 32-bit VEGA Processors at 130nm (Silterra foundry) and 64-bit VEGA Processors at 180nm (SCL Mohali) by C-DAC.
C-DAC has now created a series of ARIES Development Boards based on VEGA Processor Chip viz. ARIES Micro, ARIES V2, ARIES V3, ARIES IoT and ARIES DOT. These development kits are fully indigenous and ‘Made in India’ products targeted for learning, embedded system design, and IoT applications. The boards, built upon the RISC-V ISA-compliant VEGA Processor, come with easy-to-use hardware and software.
According to Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, this program is playing a pivotal role in realizing the vision laid by PM Modi of creating and adoption open-source technologies.
Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “Our prime focus is to enable the growth of the DIR-V ecosystem, aiming for India to emerge as a leading nation in innovating around the DIR-V family of chips and systems. This program will play a pivotal role in realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji’s vision of creating and adopting open-source technologies. Start-ups, students, and entrepreneurs will play crucial roles in developing DIR-V-based chips and systems, ultimately contributing to India becoming a Semiconductor Nation,”
The Minister also highlighted how this program will ensure DIR V-based chips and systems are integrated into various digital products we use daily. “In the last 50 years, computer processors have evolved with many ideas, eventually settling on one main design that everyone adopts. Now, our focus is on the DIR-V program, envisioning a future where DIR V-based chips and systems are integrated into various digital products we use daily. India has also embraced RISC-V in flagship government projects, witnessing growth in startup research and innovation around RISC-V. India hosts several startups working on RISC-V-based designs, which are also part of MeitY’s futureDESIGN initiative. For instance, Incore Semiconductors is developing configurable RISC-V processor cores, Mindgrove Technologies is working on fault-tolerant systems, and Morphing Machines is developing multi-core reconfigurable systems,” the Minister further added.
The roadshow aims to provide 1500 participants with valuable insights into the DIR-V VEGA series of processors and their ecosystem, covering both theoretical and practical aspects, including the use of development boards, SDK, and application development. Hands-on sessions will be conducted using the ARIES development boards, which are Arduino-compatible. It will also feature addresses by prominent global leaders, including Prof. Krste Asanovic, Chief Architect at SiFive & Professor at UC Berkeley; Calista Redmond, CEO of RISC-V International; Balaji Baktha, CEO of Ventana Micro Systems; Prof. Kamakoti, Director at IIT Madras and Chief Architect of the DIR-V Program.
This event is being concurrently held at 15 academic institutions across India namely: Alliance University – Bangalore, Amrita University – Bangalore, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani – Hyderabad, Chandigarh University – Punjab, Cochin University of Science and Technology – Kerala, Guru Tegh Bahadur Institute of Technology – Delhi, Indian Institute of Information Technology – Madhya Pradesh, KIET Group of Institutions – Ghaziabad, Koneru Lakshmaiah University – Andhra Pradesh, Mody University of Science and Technology – Rajasthan, Netaji Subhash Engineering College – West Bengal, PSG College of Technology – Tamil Nadu, Thakur College of Engineering and Technology – Maharashtra, Vardhaman College of Engineering – Telangana and Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) – Tamil Nadu.
15. Environment
16. Security
17. Disaster Management