Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC)

Recently, the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) recently appealed to diamond industries to stop importing rough diamonds from October 15 to December 15.

Background:-

The decision has been taken due to the lack of demand for polished natural diamonds and studded jewellery in the international market.

In a statement, GJEPC said that the demand for loose polished diamonds and jewellery from large economies like the USA and China has been affected over the last many quarters.

About Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC): –

Establishment: 1966.

HQ: Mumbai.

Ministry: Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

VISION: to make India the preferred source for quality gems and jewellery. (India’s Gems & Jewellery sector )

The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council is the apex body which aims to promote the gems and jewellery products and industry.

It is considered to be one of the leaders in diamond manufacturing and trading.

It is a central administrative and statutory body looking over the gems and jewellery industry in India.

It has regional offices in New Delhi, Kolkata, Jaipur and Surat.

It drives India’s export-led growth in the gem and jewellery sector.

Objectives: –

PROMOTING BRAND INDIA: –

Organizing India’s biggest and second-biggest trade shows, IIJS Premiere and IIJS Signature.

Organizing joint participation in international jewellery shows.

CONNECTING GOVERNMENT & TRADE: –

Facilitating better interaction on trade-related issues between the industry and the Government of India, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of Finance, DGFT, Dept of Commerce, Dept. of Finance.

UPHOLDING DIAMOND INTEGRITY: –

Executing the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme in the country, as the Nodal Agency appointed by the Government of India.

HEALTH AND WELL-BEING:-

Providing health insurance for the employees of the Council’s member companies through the group mediclaim scheme called Swasthya Ratna.

PAYING BACK TO SOCIETY:-

Founded by GJEPC in 2014, Jewellers for Hope has donated Rs.1 crore every year to one or more NGOs/charities doing exceptional work in supporting the underprivileged.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

As per recent reports of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), international Shipping emissions increased by 20% in the last decade.

Key highlights of the report: –

In 2023, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping were 20 per cent higher than 10 years earlier. (Shipping Industry in India)

It advocates for system-wide collaboration, swift regulatory intervention and stronger investments in green technologies and fleets.

It states that full decarbonization by 2050 will require massive investments and could lead to higher maritime logistics costs, raising concerns for vulnerable shipping-reliant nations like small island developing states.

It emphasizes the need to balance environmental goals with economic needs.

It states that beyond cleaner fuels, the industry needs to move faster towards digital solutions like AI and blockchain to improve efficiency as well as sustainability.

In its analysis of global maritime trends, the report highlights shipping’s resilience despite major challenges stemming from global crises, such as the war in Ukraine.

It states that maritime trade is expected to grow 2.4% in 2023 and more than 2% between 2024 and 2028.

It states that balancing environmental sustainability, regulatory compliance and economic demands is vital for a prosperous, equitable and resilient future for maritime transport.

India and Finland

India and Finland recently agreed on cooperation between the two countries in several areas of telecom including the development of Human Resources for the dynamic sector.

About India and Finland:-

Finland and India have traditionally enjoyed warm and friendly relations.

In recent years, bilateral relations have acquired diversity with collaboration in research, innovation, and investments by both sides.

2019 marked 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Economic cooperation: –

Finland sees India as a market for its products and a favourable investment destination for its high-technology industries.

India views Finland as an important member of the European Union and a repository of modern technology.

S&T Collaboration: –

An agreement for Cooperation in S&T was signed in February 2008 for the development of innovation policies, exchange of information and scientists and R&D collaboration.

Both India and Finland are consultative members of the Antarctic Treaty and have active stations in Antarctica.

Finland will be hosting the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) in 2023 and India in 2024.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) have been cooperating in the field of Atmospheric Environment since 2014.

Cultural Relations: –

Indian culture and yoga are very popular in Finland.

Cultural events are organized regularly by Indian Associations and other cultural organizations promoting Indian dance and music.

Environment Relations: –

There have been successful partnerships since 2004 between the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in air quality including capacity building.

Cooperation in Education: –

Finland is a global leader in education scoring consistently on several parameters.

There have been tie-ups between private firms for the exchange of best practices in early childhood and K-12 education.

There is an MoU between a Consortium of ten Finnish Universities and twenty-three Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) for the period 2020-2025 for cooperation in the higher education sector.

National Service Scheme Awards 2021-22

President Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Service Scheme Awards 2021-22 recently.

Background:-

The award was given to 52 persons for their contributions to social services.

About National Service Scheme Awards 2021-22:-

Instituted in 1993-94.

It was instituted on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee Year of the National Service Scheme.

Instituted by: Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry.

Presented by: President of India.

Venue: Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The NSS Awards, are presented every year to the NSS Volunteers, Programme Officers, NSS Units and the Universities/+2 Councils to recognize their voluntary service.

Objectives:-

To encourage young NSS student volunteers to develop their personality through community service.

To encourage the Programme Officers and the Programme Coordinators of NSS for catering for the needs of NSS through the NSS volunteers. (Gandhi as a Political thinker and a Social reformer)

To motivate NSS Volunteers to continue their selfless service towards community work.

About NSS:-

Launched: 1969.

NSS is a central sector scheme.

Objective: to develop the personality and character of the student/youth through voluntary community service.

The ideological orientation of the NSS is inspired by the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.

The motto of NSS is “NOT ME, BUT YOU” In Hindi it is “स्वयंसेपहलेआप”.

NSS volunteers work on issues of social relevance through regular and special camping activities.

World University Rankings 2024

In first, there are a record-breaking number of Indian universities in the recently released, Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings 2024.

Key highlights of the report:-

The University of Oxford tops the ranking for the eighth year in a row.

The US is the most-represented country overall, with 169 institutions, and also the most-represented in the top 200 (56).

With 91 institutions, India is now the fourth most-represented nation, overtaking China (86).

The top university in India, the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

The next highest-ranked universities in India are Anna University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Mahatma Gandhi University, and Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, which are all in the 501-600 band.

Indian universities made significant gains this year, including five of the countries’ top universities.

IISc moved up from 251-300 bands last year to 201-250.

Anna University moved up from 801-1000 band last year to 501-600.

Aligarh Muslim University moved up from 801-1000 band last year to 601-80.

Bharathiar University moved up from the 801-1000 band last year to 601-800.

Malaviya National Institute of Technology entered the ranking for the first time in the 601-800 band.

Two IITs, the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati and the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad, moved up two bands to join the world’s top 800 universities, from 1001-1200 to 601-800.

About World University Rankings 2024: –

Founded in 2004.

Published by: Times Higher Education.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 include 1,904 universities across 108 countries and regions.

These rankings are the most comprehensive, rigorous and balanced global ranking. (QS World University Rankings 2021)

It covers their core missions of teaching, research, knowledge transfers and internationalization.

It assesses research-intensive universities across 18 carefully calibrated performance indicators that measure an institution’s performance across five areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry, and international outlook.

It is trusted worldwide by students, teachers, governments and industry experts.