PIB Summary - 4th June 2025 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

India to Build First-Ever Polar Research Vessel (PRV) as GRSE Signs MoU with Norway’s Kongsberg

Context: India’s First-Ever Polar Research Vessel (PRV)

• MoU Signed: GRSE (Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd., Kolkata) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Norway’s Kongsberg to build India’s first indigenously developed Polar Research Vessel (PRV).
• Significance:
  • Enhances India’s capabilities in polar and ocean research.
  • Supports the ‘Make in India’ initiative by constructing a high-tech vessel domestically.
  • Designed to meet the requirements of the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCOPR).
• Capabilities: Equipped with advanced scientific tools for oceanographic, climatological, and polar studies, enabling exploration of deep-sea and polar ecosystems.
• Strategic Relevance:
  • Contributes to climate change research and Antarctica policy objectives.
  • Demonstrates India’s growing strength in shipbuilding and scientific research.

Relevance: GS 2 (International Relations)  , GS 3 (Infrastructure) 

MAHASAGAR Vision & Maritime Diplomacy

From SAGAR to MAHASAGAR:

• SAGAR: Security and Growth for All in the Region.
• MAHASAGAR: Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security Across the Regions – an expanded vision aimed at enhancing international maritime cooperation.

Key Pillars of MAHASAGAR:

• Economic cooperation and regional connectivity.
• Disaster response and maritime security.
• Environmental sustainability and green shipping.

Sagarmala 2.0:

• Focuses on addressing infrastructure gaps in ports, shipbuilding, ship repair, recycling, and enhancing maritime trade capacity.

Bilateral Engagement with Norway

Roundtable with Norwegian Shipowners’ Association (NSA):

• India invited increased investment from Norway in ports, shipbuilding, and logistics.
• Emphasized India’s role as a trusted, sustainable, and cost-effective shipbuilding hub.

Strategic Highlights:

• Indian shipyards contribute 11% of NSA’s global order book.
• India ranks second in supplying seafarers to NSA fleet.
• Proposed expansion in shipbreaking (HKC-compliant yards) and recruitment partnerships.

Green Maritime Vision:

• Promotion of green fuels (e.g., hydrogen), green ports, IMO compliance, and digital shipping platforms such as ONOP and MAITRI.
• Proposed establishment of India-Norway green shipping corridors.

Global Maritime Leadership

Ministerial Discussion on Shipping & Ocean Business:

• India aligned with global objectives for decarbonised, inclusive, and future-proof ocean trade.
• Participating countries included Brazil, Japan, US, China, Norway, and representatives from the UN.

India’s Position:

• Emerging as a maritime power with innovation-driven growth and regional leadership.
• Strong commitment to sustainability, shipbuilding, and global maritime governance.

Overall Impact:

•  Reinforces India’s scientific, strategic, and diplomatic outreach in the maritime sector. 
•  Showcases the synergy between indigenous capacity-building and international cooperation. 
•  Enhances India’s readiness to address challenges related to climate change, Arctic geopolitics, and maritime trade realignment. 
•  Strengthens India-Norway relations based on shared goals of sustainability and innovation. 

Election Commission to upgrade VTR sharing process

Objective & Context

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) is enhancing the Voter Turnout Reporting (VTR) system to enable quicker, more precise, and transparent sharing of voter turnout information.
• This upgrade is part of ECI’s larger objective of real-time public communication and integrating technology into election management.

Key Features of the New System

ECINET App Introduction

• Presiding Officers (PROs) will input voter turnout data directly into the new ECINET App every two hours on polling day.
• After the polls close, PROs will enter the final turnout data before leaving the polling station.

Automatic Aggregation

• Data will be automatically aggregated at the constituency level.
• Real-time updates will be visible on the updated VTR App.

Offline Support

• The app will allow offline data entry, which will sync once network connectivity is restored.
• This feature ensures the inclusion of remote and rural polling stations.

Improvements Over Old System

Previous System

• Relied on manual data collection by Sector Officers, transmitted via phone, SMS, or messaging apps.
• Approximate turnout figures were often delayed by 4 to 5 hours or more.
• Final data sometimes arrived late at night or the next day.

New System Advantages

• Reduces delay and boosts accuracy.
• Eliminates misinformation or speculation due to delayed updates.
• Strengthens data transparency and voter trust.

Legal Compliance

• Rule 49S, Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961: The legal requirement for PROs to furnish Form 17C to polling agents remains unchanged.
• VTR updates will continue to be a non-statutory, facilitative measure for public information.

Rollout Timeline & Pilot

• The new system is expected to be fully integrated with ECINET before the Bihar elections.
• It aims to become a standard protocol for all future elections.

Significance

•  Enhances electoral transparency and improves public confidence. 
•  Aligns with the Digital India mission and e-Governance practices. 
•  Reinforces ECI’s role as a technologically adaptive and citizen-centric institution.