VISIT TO MUARA, BRUNEI BY INDIAN NAVAL SHIP KILTAN

1. Indian Naval Ship Kiltan arrived at Muara, Brunei on 25 May 24, and was accorded a warm welcome by the Royal Brunei Navy.
2. The visit is part of Operational Deployment of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet to South China Sea. This visit is poised to further strengthen the friendship and cooperation between the two maritime nations.
3. The visit by Indian Naval Ship Kiltan is focused on professional interactions, sports fixtures, social exchanges and community outreach reflecting the shared values of both nations and navies.
4. The visit will conclude with a Maritime Partnership Exercise at sea between the Indian Navy and Royal Brunei Navy. The two navies will undertake tactical evolutions which will bolster interoperability and exchange of best practices.
5. INS Kiltan is the third of four P28 Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Corvettes indigenously designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.

Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences to Launches PRAGATI-2024

A Collaborative Initiative by CCRAS to Propel Ayurveda Research and Industry

• The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, is hosting “Pharma Research in AyurGyan and Techno Innovation (PRAGATI-2024)” at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on May 28, 2024. This interactive meeting focuses on exploring research opportunities and fostering collaboration between CCRAS and the Ayurveda drug industry.
• emphasizing the importance of research-based, quality, safe, and effective Ayurveda products. The aim of the meeting is to maximize the potential of Ayurveda stakeholders in drug and device development by connecting researchers and industrial partners involved in manufacturing Ayurveda formulations and technological innovations.
• The primary goal of the meeting is to:

1. Utilize research outcomes and technologies developed by CCRAS.
2. Establish robust networks for collaborative research in quality control, drug standardization, product development, and validation.
3. Identify potential industrial partners with in-house R&D facilities.
4. Explore opportunities for capacity building for researchers in drug manufacturing and product development.
5. Assist Ayurveda professionals in initiating start-ups and incubating centers, promoting entrepreneurship in Ayurvedic pharmaceutics.

The event includes four specialized technical sessions

1. Session One: Highlighting CCRAS’s product development initiatives and strategies to strengthen researcher-industry collaborations, including presentations of all 35 products and instruments, as well as showcasing the five CCRAS laboratories and 25 hospital services nationwide.
2. Session Two: A panel discussion identifying gaps and addressing challenges in regional and global Ayurveda drug development.
3. Session Three: Experience sharing and industry expectations from CCRAS, along with identifying priority areas for collaborations.
4. Session Four: For the first time, focused group discussions will be held on “setting of research priorities” for further CCRAS-industry collaboration.

• The event will see participation from representatives of 35 pharmaceutical companies nationwide, including some CEOs, from renowned firms such as Himalaya, Emami, Baidyanath, Dabur, IMPCL, Arya Vaidya Sala, Oushadhi, and IMPCOPS. Additionally, invited experts from CII, Ayush Excil, PCIMH, and NRDC have registered to join this interactive meeting.
• A dossier detailing all 35 formulations and three instruments developed or in progress by CCRAS, including Ayush 64, Ayush SG, Ayush Gutti, and others, will be presented to the participating industries for discussion and review.
• The expected outcome of PRAGATI-2024 is to identify potential industrial partners willing to collaborate with CCRAS, exchange scientific knowledge, and utilize research outcomes and products in Ayurvedic drug development. This initiative will enhance networking and institutional linkages, ultimately benefiting Ayurvedic clinicians and patients

Ministry of Ayush to organize Sensitization Program for General Insurance Companies and Ayush Hospital Owners

1. To foster a deeper understanding and collaboration between the insurance sector and provide affordable Ayush healthcare to all citizens, Ayush Hospitals & healthcare providers, the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India is organising a sensitisation program specially designed for Executive leadership teams of General Insurance Companies and owners of Ayush Hospitals.
2. The program will take place at on 27^thMay 2024, at All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi. The program intends to not just enhance the accessibility and affordability of Ayush treatments for the public, ultimately promoting holistic health and wellness across the nation, but also facilitate in the empanelment of public and private Ayush hospitals for insurance coverage in India.
3. The program will discuss the regulatory framework and policy support needed to mainstream Ayush treatments in health insurance schemes and facilitate a dialogue between key stakeholders to address both challenges and opportunities.
4. Other key issues of discussion are – Insurance coverage in Ayush Sector, Standard Treatment Guidelines (STG) & ICD Codes for Insurance Sector, Penetration of Ayush in Insurance Sector, Ayush Hospital’s Prospective, Achievements and Success Stories of AIIA, On boarding of Ayush hospitals on ROHINI platform, Empanelment of Ayush hospital for insurance coverage.

WIPO Treaty, a big win for India and Global South

1. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) treaty on intellectual property, Genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, is a significant win for countries of the global South and for India, which is a mega biodiversity hotspot with abundance of traditional knowledge, and wisdom.
2. For the first time the system of knowledge and wisdom which have supported economies, societies and cultures for centuries are now inscribed into the global IP system.
3. For the first time the connection between local communities and their GRs and ATK is recognised in the global IP community.
4. These are historic achievements long championed by India as a provider of traditional knowledge and wisdom and repository of biodiversity.
5. The treaty will not only safeguard and protect biodiversity but will increase transparency in the patent system and strengthen innovation.
6. Through this, the IP system can continue to incentivize innovation while evolving in a more inclusive way, responding to the needs of all countries and their communities.
7. The treaty also marks a big win for India and the global south which has for long been a proponent of this instrument.
8. After two decades of negotiations and with collective support this treaty has been adopted at the multilateral fora,with a consensus among more than 150 countries.

With the majority of the developed countries on board, who generate IP and use these resources and knowledge for research and innovation this treaty paves the way for bridging conflicting paradigms within the IP system and the protection of biodiversity which have existed for decades.

• The treaty on ratification and entry into force will require contracting parties to put in place, mandatory disclosure obligations for patent applicants to disclose the country of origin or source of the genetic resources when the claimed invention is based on genetic resources or associated traditional knowledge.
• This will offer added protection to Indian GRs and TK, which while currently protected in India are prone to misappropriation in countries, which do not have disclosure of obligations. Therefore, by creating global standards on disclosure of origin obligations, this treaty creates an unprecedented framework within the IP system for provider countries of Genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.
• At present, only 35 countries have some form of disclosure obligations, most of which are not mandatory and do not have appropriate sanctions or remedies in place for effective implementation.
• This treaty will require contracting parties, including the developed world,  to bring changes in their existing legal framework for enforcing disclosure of origin obligations on patent applicants.
• The treaty marks the start of the journey to achieve collective growth and deliver the promise of a sustainable future, a cause which India has championed for centuries

INDIAN NAVY’S READINESS FOR CYCLONE REMAL

• The Indian Navy has initiated preparatory actions, following existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), to mount a credible Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) response in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal.

• The cyclone is anticipated to cross the coast on the intervening night of 26/ 27 May 2024. The situation is being closely monitored at Naval Headquarters, with comprehensive preparatory actions being undertaken by the Headquarters, Eastern Naval Command.
• Cyclone Remal, which is expected to intensify into a severe cyclone, is fore casted to make landfall between Sagar Island, West Bengal and Khepupara, Bangladesh. In preparation, the Indian Navy has readied two ships equipped with HADR and medical supplies for immediate deployment to ensure the safety and welfare of the affected populace.
• Additionally, Indian Naval aviation assets, including Sea King and Chetak helicopters as well as Dornier aircrafts, are on standby for rapid response.
• Specialised diving teams with equipment have been stationed in Kolkata to provide prompt assistance. Further diving teams with necessary equipment are on standby in Visakhapatnam, prepared for quick deployment if needed. Two Flood Relief Teams (FRTs), along with HADR and medical supplies, are being positioned in Kolkata. In addition, two FRTs each from Visakhapatnam and Chilka are ready and on standby for deployment at short notice.
• The Indian Navy remains vigilant and is closely monitoring the evolving situation to provide immediate and effective assistance in the wake of Cyclone Remal.

India’s historic show at Cannes- Payal Kapadia wins Grand Prix Award for her film ‘All We Imagine as Light’

 “Sunflowers were the first ones to know” – course end film by FTII student Chidanand S Naik (Director) bags ‘La Cinef’ Award

‘All We Imagine as Light’- an Indo-French co production creates history at Cannes

FTII alumni Santosh Sivan, Payal Kapadia, Maisam Ali, Chidanand S Naik among others, shines at Cannes

India’s performance at 77^th Cannes Film Festival has been phenomenal with 2 filmmakers, an actress and a cinematographer won top awards at the world’s leading film festival. As one of the largest films producing Nation with a thriving Film industry, Indian Film makers have fetched huge accolades at his years’ Cannes.

For the first time in 30 years an Indian film, Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine as Light’ which centers around the lives of two nurses, was nominated for the Palme d’or, the highest award in the festival. Kapadia’s film won the Grand Prix, the second position in the category. With this win Payal Kapadia, a FTII alumnus, becomes the first Indian to bag this prestigious award. This comes after 30 years when Shaji N Karun’s ‘Swaham’ competed for highest honour.

Payal’s film was granted official Indo-French co production status by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, under the signed Audio-Visual treaty between India and France.

Permission for shooting of the film was also granted by the Ministry in Maharashtra (Ratnagiri and Mumbai). The film received Interim approval for 30% of the Qualifying Co-production expenditure under the Incentives Scheme of the Government of India for Official Co-production.

Film and Television Institute of India’s student Chidananda S Naik bagged the first prize in the La Cinef section for “SUNFLOWERS WERE THE FIRST ONES TO KNOW”, a 15-minute short film based on a Kannada folklore.

Another individual who made history at Cannes is Anasuya Sengupta as she became the first ever Indian to win the Best Actress award for her performance in ‘The Shameless’ in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ category.

• Another independent film maker who shines at Cannes was Maisam Ali, also a FTII alumnus. His film “In Retreat” was screened at the ACID Cannes sidebar programme.
• It was the first time an Indian film was screened in the section run by the Association for the Diffusion of Independent Cinema, since its inception in 1993.
• As we witnessed a historic year for Indian Cinema at 77th Cannes Film Festival, Film and Television Institute of India has a special reason for celebrating its accomplishments as its Alumni such as Payal Kapadia, Santosh Sivan, Maisam Ali and Chidanand S Naik shines at Cannes.
• FTII is an autonomous institute under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India and functions as a society with the financial support from Central Government.
• The priority of Central government to promote film sector by way of facilitation through single window clearance, joint production with different countries, supporting education in the field of Cinema through its autonomous institutes such as Film and Television Institute of India and Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute or multi-faceted efforts in establishing India as the content hub of the world all are bringing positive impact at National and International stage.
• Further, this year The Bharat Pavilion set up by NFDC under the aegis of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting at the Cannes Film Festival was the center point of a multitude of activities throughout the festival days.  The Pavilion acted as a platform and a catalyst for Indian filmmakers, producers, film companies to discuss projects with international film corporations, producers and buyers, through a series of meetings and panel discussions. More than 500 B2B meetings were held at the Pavilion through the course of the festival, which hold the promise of future collaborations and co-productions. 
• It was also for the first time that India hosted the Bharat Parv in Cannes, an evening that celebrated India’s presence on the global stage as a content hub and an emerging creative economy. More than 250 delegates from across the world participated in this event that saw the official launch of the 55th IFFI poster.