PIB Summary- 12th March, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Global Ayurveda Festival

Context: PM addresses fourth Global Ayurveda Festival.

About Global Ayurveda Festival

• The fourth Global Ayurveda Festival (GAF 2021), aimed at the global discussion and development of Ayurveda is being held in March 2021 as a virtual meet.
• The event, which showcases Ayurveda as a global treatment programme, will serve as a meeting place for those working towards this goal around the world.
• The festival was supposed to be held in Angamaly, Kerala in May 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic.
• Led by the Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (CISSA), the Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI), the Ayurveda Hospital Management Association, the meet is being organised in collaboration with 14 organisations.
• The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) is the festival and industry partner.
• The conference (featuring many seminars) will focus on the relevance of Ayurveda in the post-COVID world and the potential of Ayurveda in enhancing immunity.
• This exhibition will be held online and will have stalls of ayurvedic companies from all over the world.

Ayya Vaikunda Swamikal

Context: PM pays respects to Ayya Vaikunda Swamikal.

Details

• Ayya Vaikunda Swamikal (1809-1851) was a great thinker and social reformer of the 19th century.
• According to the PM’s message, Ayya Vaikunda Swamikal’s teachings helped society overcome social barriers and united people.
• He emphasised on equality.
• He lived in the princely kingdom of Travancore in the early decades of the 19th century.
• Being the founder of ‘Samathwa Samajam’, an early socio-reform movement in India (1836), Ayya Vaikundar is considered as the pioneer of such revolutionary movements in India.
• He was the first to install a mirror for worshipping in South India.
• He was the exponent of a new path of spiritual thoughts named ‘Ayya Vazhi’.
• His said, ‘One caste, One religion, One clan, One world, One God’.
• He led an agitation known as the Mel Mundu Samaram.

Atmanirbhar Niveshak Mitra portal

Context: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry is in the process of finalising a dedicated digital portal “Atmanirbhar Niveshak Mitra”.

Details

• The portal is being developed for handholding and facilitation, information dissemination, and facilitation of domestic investors.
• The portal will be launched in May 2021.
• The webpage will also be available in regional languages and mobile App in due course.
• It will digitally support investors throughout their doing business journey in India and help them to get all the information starting from finding an investment opportunity to exploring incentives & taxes applicable to their businesses, information and assistance for doing business in India, sources of funding, information on raw material availability, training, management requirement and tender information.
• Daily updates on policies and new initiatives by the Central and State Government will be made available on the portal.
• It will give information about approvals, licenses, and clearances required for businesses.
• It will also help investors connect to various stakeholders on single platform like Central Ministries, Industry Associations, State Departments.
• This Project is under the “Invest India” agency which was set up in 2009 as a non-profit venture under the DPIIT.

BRICS CGETI

Context: 1st Meeting of the BRICS Contact Group on Economic and Trade Issues (CGETI) held.

Details

• The BRICS Contact Group on Economic and Trade Issues (CGETI) leads held their first meeting under India’s Chairship.
• The theme of BRICS this year is – BRICS@15: Intra BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation, and Consensus.

Mera Ration mobile app

Context: Mera Ration mobile app launched.

About Mera Ration mobile app

• Ration cardholders can use the app to identify the nearest fair price shop, check details of their entitlement and recent transactions.
• This is particularly beneficial for cardholders who move to new areas for livelihoods.
• Migrant beneficiaries can register their migration details through the mobile app. They can register themselves before starting their journey and the system will automatically allocate the entitled food grains.