BIMSTEC Youth Summit 2025

Context: The BIMSTEC Youth Summit 2025, organized by the Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India was inaugurated on 8th February 2025.

About the BIMSTEC Youth Summit 2025

• Key Features of the Summit
  • Participation: 70 youth delegates comprising 10 from each BIMSTEC member country.
  • Theme: “Youth as a Bridge for Intra-BIMSTEC Exchange”.
  • Cultural and Educational Visits:
    • Dandi Kutir and Sabarmati Ashram : Learning about Mahatma Gandhi’s life and principles.
    • Sabarmati Riverfront and GIFT City :  Experiencing India’s financial and technological innovations.
• Objectives of the Summit
  • Facilitating Youth Exchange: Encouraging collaboration among young leaders from BIMSTEC nations.
  • Addressing Global Challenges: Engaging youth in discussions on economic, social, and strategic issues.
  • Promoting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Aligning youth initiatives with the UN’s SDG 2030 agenda.
  • Encouraging Innovation and Leadership: Generating ideas for a brighter and more sustainable future.

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India – U.K. Defence Agreements

Context: The United Kingdom has announced a new initiative, Defence Partnership–India (DP-I), to strengthen defence ties with India.

About Defence Partnership–India” (DP-I)

• It is a dedicated cell within the U.K. Ministry of Defence for deepening cooperation with India.
• This office will act as a central hub for all defence-related collaborations between both countries.

Defence Agreements Signed at Aero India 2025

• Missile Production and Defence Technology:
  • Agreements were signed for the manufacturing of Man Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS) and Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM) in India.
  • A new facility for assembling and testing Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (ASRAAM) will be set up in Hyderabad.
• Naval Defence Collaboration:
  • A Statement of Intent (SoI) was signed to design and develop an Integrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP) system for the Indian Navy’s future warships.
  • General Electric (GE) Vernova and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) will work on India’s first maritime Land-Based Testing Facility, aiming to launch new Landing Platform Docks (LPDs) by 2030.

Global Engagement Scheme

Context: The Government of India, has taken steps to implement a global engagement scheme to promote Indian art, culture, and heritage both in India and abroad.

About Global Engagement Scheme

• This scheme promotes India’s cultural heritage worldwide.
• It provides Indian artists with opportunities to perform abroad under the ‘Festival of India’ initiative.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Culture
• Various art forms included under the scheme:
  • Folk music, folk dance, folk theatre, puppetry
  • Classical and traditional dance
  • Contemporary and experimental dance
  • Classical and semi-classical music
  • Theatre
• Grant-in-Aid to Indo-Foreign Friendship Cultural Societies
  • This grant helps cultural societies strengthen ties between India and other countries.
  • It provides financial support for organizing cultural events and activities abroad.

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e-NAM Platform

Context:  e-NAM Platform expanded to boost agricultural trade with addition of 10 New commodities and their tradable parameters.

• It aims to increase the coverage of agricultural commodities and offer more opportunities for farmers and traders to benefit from the digital trading platform
• Number of commodities on e-NAM platform reaches 231.
• 10 New commodities: Dried Tulsi Leaves, Besan (Chickpea Flour), Wheat Flour, Chana Sattu (Roasted Chickpea Flour), Water Chestnut Flour, Asafoetida, Dried Fenugreek Leaves, Water Chestnut, Baby Corn and Dragon Fruit.

e-NAM Overview

• National Agriculture Market (eNAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal which networks the existing APMC mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
• Implementing Agency: Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) under the aegis of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.

PM-VIKAS SCHEME

Context: Information on the implementation of The Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) Scheme  was provided by the Union Minister of Minority and Parliamentary Affairs in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

• The PM VIKAS scheme is yet to be implemented

About The PM VIKAS Scheme

• It is a skilling initiative focussing on the skilling, entrepreneurship and leadership training requirements of the minority and artisan communities across the country
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Minority Affairs
• Umbrella Scheme: It converges five erstwhile schemes viz. ‘Seekho Aur Kamao’, ‘Nai Manzil’, ‘Nai Roshni’, ‘Hamari Dharohar’ and ‘USTTAD’
• Focus: It focuses on upliftment of six notified minority communities through skill development; entrepreneurship and leadership of minority women
• Components:
  • Skilling and Training Component:
    • Traditional Training (earlier known as USTTAD and Hamari Dharohar): It trains minority artisan communities and their family members who are engaged in traditional arts and crafts including languishing art forms in need-based courses 
    • Non-traditional Skilling(earlier known as Seekho aur Kamao): It would impart skill training to minorities and artisan families, in NSQF compliant job roles in sectors having linkages with arts and crafts
  • Leadership and Entrepreneurship Component (earlier Nai Roshni): To promote leadership development and basic entrepreneurship primarily among youth from minority communities and artisan families through focused modules.
  • Education Component (earlier Nai Manzil): To provide education bridge program to school dropouts from minority and artisan communities for pursuing open schooling in class 8th, 10th, and 12th with certificates through National Institute of Open School (NIOS)
• Features: 
  • Convergence: The scheme is intended to be implemented in convergence with the ‘Skill India Mission’ through integration with the Skill India Portal (SIP).
  • Credit Linkages: The scheme is to facilitate credit linkages by connecting beneficiaries with loan programs offered by the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC). 
  • Market linkages: Beneficiaries would also be supported for market linkages through EPCH (Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts) to enhance their livelihood.

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Preservation of Indigenous Languages and Cultural Heritage

Context: The Government of India, through its autonomous institutions under the Ministry of Culture is actively engaged in promoting and preserving India’s indigenous languages and cultural heritage.

Institutions Preserving Indigenous Languages and Cultural Heritage

• Sahitya Akademi:
  • Bhasha Samman:  It recognizes contributions to unrecognized and tribal languages and supports them via writer exchanges, publications, book exhibitions, and the Annual All India Tribal Writers’ Meet.
  • Outreach Programs : It also operates centers for folk and tribal literature and conducts programs like Loka: The Many Voices and Gramalok.
• Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA): 
  • Kala Deeksha program and the Guru-Shishya Parampara: It imparts training to individuals in 100 dying art forms.
  • National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH): It maintains ICH
    • 15 elements from India are inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of ICH of Humanity.
• The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA): 
  • Aim: To undertake documentation, digitization, research, and awareness programs to safeguard India’s linguistic and cultural heritage.
  • Key Initiatives:
    • The National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM) is documenting regional languages, art forms, and customs while mapping 6 lakh villages nationwide.
    • National Manuscripts Mission (NMM) for preserving ancient manuscripts focusing on the unique linguistic and cultural heritage. 
    • Bharat Vidya Pariyojana (BVP) for Indigenous knowledge systems and The Vedic Heritage Archive for Vedic texts
    • The Adi Drishya Programme studies Indigenous languages and rock art
    • Kala Nidhi Digital Library preserves rare manuscripts and ethnographic records.
    • The North-East India Documentation Project records oral histories and linguistic structures of communities like the Nagas, Bodos, Mizos, and Khasis.
• The Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA):
  • Public Art of India (PARI) Project: It featured folk and tribal artists from across the country during the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) conference in Delhi
  • It focuses on tribal visual arts through exhibitions, art camps, and workshops
  • It also offers gallery spaces to connect artists with buyers and collectors.

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