PIB Summary- 3rd July, 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

 Industrial Park Rating System

Why in News?
Recently, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) successfully organized the National Workshop on Industrial Park Rating System in New Delhi.

About the Industrial Park Rating System (IPRS)

• The IPRS was launched by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in 2018 with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• It is an extension of the India Industrial Land Bank (IILB) platform, which contains information on over 4,500 industrial parks.
• The IPRS is a GIS-enabled database that helps investors identify suitable locations for investment.
• The objective of the IPRS is to rate industrial parks and special economic zones (SEZs) in the country.
• Industrial parks are assessed based on four pillars: internal infrastructure and utilities, external infrastructure and facilities, business support services, and environmental and safety management.
• The industrial parks and SEZs are categorized into three groups: Leaders, Challengers, and Aspirants.
• The IPRS portal is integrated with the industry-based GIS systems of states and union territories, ensuring real-time updates on plot-wise information.
• In October 2021, the DPIIT introduced ‘IPRS 2.0’ as an enhanced version based on the findings of the pilot and a review of global approaches, frameworks, and guidelines.
• The development of IPRS 2.0 drew inspiration from globally recognized frameworks such as the International Guidelines for Industrial Park (IGIP) by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Eco-Industrial Park (EIP) framework developed by UNIDO and the World Bank.

India-France Maritime Partnership Exercise

Why in News?
Recently, Indian Naval ships INS Rana and INS Sumedha undertook a Maritime Partnership Exercise with French Navy ship FS Surcouf in the Bay of Bengal.

India-France Maritime Partnership Exercise

• The India-France Maritime Partnership Exercise is a joint naval exercise between the Indian Navy and the French Navy.
• The Indian Navy participated with INS Rana, a guided missile destroyer, and INS Sumedha, an indigenously built offshore patrol vessel.
• The French Navy was represented by the La Fayette class frigate Surcouf.
• The exercise took place in the Bay of Bengal.
• The activities during the exercise included tactical manoeuvres, replenishment at sea approaches, air defense against fighter aircraft, and cross-deck helicopter operations.
• This maritime partnership exercise highlights the strong navy-to-navy links, interoperability, and bonds between the Indian Navy and the French Navy.
• In addition to the maritime partnership exercise, India and France also conduct other joint military exercises such as VARUNA for naval exercises, FRINJEX for military exercises, and GARUDA for air force exercises.