PIB Summary- 20th February, 2022 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Context

The President of India in a recent event said that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has a special place among those saints who promoted Bhakti-Marg.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

• Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is a 15th-century Indian Saint.
• He was born in Nabadwip (in present-day West Bengal) in 1486.
• His mode of worshiping lord Krishna with ecstatic song and dance has a great influence on Vaishnavism in Bengal.
• He was the chief proponent of the Vedantic philosophy of Achintya Bheda Abheda Tattva.
• Mahaprabhu founded Gaudiya Vaishnavism (Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya).  
• The tradition of worshiping God with Bhakti-Bhav (devotion) has been significant in India and Sri Chaitanya is a saint who has practiced selfless worship, inspiring a large number of people to choose the path of Bhakti.
• He expounded Bhakti yoga and popularized the chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra.
• He has composed the Shikshashtakam (eight devotional prayers).

Revamping of the Department of Commerce

Context

The Minister of Commerce and Industry chaired a meeting focused on the revamping and fortification of the Department of Commerce.

Department of Commerce

• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry administers the Department of Commerce.
• Vision: To make India a major player in world trade and assume a role of leadership in the international trade organizations.
• Functions:
  (i) The Department formulates, implements and monitors the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) which provides the basic framework of policy and strategy to be followed for promoting exports and trade.
  (ii) The Trade Policy is periodically reviewed to incorporate changes necessary to take care of emerging economic scenarios both in the domestic and international economy.
  (iii) The Department is also entrusted with responsibilities relating to multilateral and bilateral commercial relations, Special Economic Zones, export promotion and trade facilitation.

Revamping of the Department of Commerce

• Need: Several emerging opportunities in global trade due to shifts in global trade dynamics like rapid growth of services and disruptive potential of climate change.
• Aim: The revamping of the Commerce Department is aimed at further building on its strategic direction and aspirations for the next decade
• It is to enable the creation of the ecosystem to achieve robust and sustained export growth.
• It aspires to achieve a mix of talent with specialists and generalists sourced from across private and government sectors.

Key Recommendations

• A Trade Promotion Body to drive overall promotion strategy, export targets and execution is to be set up.
• Strengthening Negotiations through multi-skilled negotiation teams and separation between bilateral and WTO negotiations has been envisioned.
• It has proposed to set up a ‘Trade Remedies Review Committee‘ Including the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Finance and line ministries for transparency in investigations outcomes.
• Centralization and digitization of trade facilitation processes have been recommended to drive ease of compliance and scheme administration.

International Mother Language Day

Context

Under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, on the occasion of International Mother Language Day, the Ministry of Culture is organizing a two-day event.

International Mother Language Day

• In November 1999, the UNESCO General Conference approved the declaration of February 21 as International Mother Language Day, in response to the declining state of many languages.
• It has been held every year since 2000.
• Aim: To promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism and the preservation and protection of all languages used by people of the world. 
• Every year a unique theme is chosen by UNESCO to celebrate this special day.
• The Theme for International Mother Language Day, 2022 is “Using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities”.

Lavender Cultivation under Aroma Mission

Context

A key decision was taken during a recent meeting to commence the Purple Revolution in Ramban District by encouraging Lavender Cultivation under the CSIR-IIIM’s Aroma Mission through the Ministry of Science and Technology. 

Details

• Considering that similar climatic and geographic conditions exist in Doda and Ramban, Lavender cultivation can be started in Ramban to increase income sources for the youth of the district.
• About 500 youth had benefited from the purple revolution and increased their income many-fold. 
• Even some of the Engineering graduates had given up their jobs and taken to lavender cultivation which offers a lucrative avenue and is fetching the youth with appreciable profits. 
• It will help in providing means of livelihood to budding farmers and agri-entrepreneurs and give a boost to the Start-Up India campaign and promote a spirit of entrepreneurship in the region.

Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate

Context

As part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Government’s various science and technology organisations are celebrating a week-long programme called Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate.

Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate

• A programme titled Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate is being held to celebrate the S&T achievements of India over the past 75 years.
• It is being held at 75 locations across the length and breadth of the country 
• As a part of the program, a science & technology mega expo and National Science Book Fair is being held in New Delhi. 
• This program is jointly organised by the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Indian Council of Medical Research, All India Council for Technical Education, and Defence Research Development Organisation. Under the leadership of the office of the Principal Scientific Officer to the Government of India and the Ministry of Culture.
• Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous organization of DST, is the coordinating agency.

The aim of the program 

• To inspire India’s youth into building a progressive nation.
• Reinforce the commitment of the scientific community towards the economic and social development of the country.
• Present the awe-inspiring futuristic mega-science projects embarked by the nation and highlight the work being done by R&D organizations from across the country.
• The event would display the country’s scientific legacy and technology prowess in various sectors like defence, space, health, agriculture, astronomy, and others.

The themes of the program

• From the annals of the history of S&T – This section traces the contributions of founders of modern science and institutions of national importance to nation-building.
• Milestones of Modern S&T – Highlight critical discoveries, innovations, or inventions that made a mark in the global science or India’s development story.
• Swadeshi Paramparik Inventions and Innovations – showcase inventions that made India achieve the goal of self-reliance by drawing upon the reservoir of traditional knowledge systems.
• Transforming India – Will look at the path ahead for the next 25 years of Indian S&T.