India Launches Official Website and Theme of SCO 2023

India Launches Official Website and Theme of SCO 2023

• India has launched the official website of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as it will host the next SCO summit as a chairman of organisation in 2023. The website highlights the events that will be undertaken under the chairmanship of India next year.
• The theme of the event is “For a SECURE SCO”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had floated the concept of SECURE at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China in 2018. 
• Explaining the SECURE concept, the Prime Minister said ‘S’ for security for citizens, ‘E’ for economic development, ‘C’ for connectivity in the region, ‘U’ for unity, ‘R’ for respect of sovereignty and integrity, and ‘E for environment protection.
• India received the SCO rotating presidency in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. India will hold the presidency of the grouping for a year until September 2023.

Tripura CM Dr Manik Saha launched ‘Amar Sarkar’ portal

• Tripura chief minister Dr ManikSaha his government is working to ensure all central and state-sponsored schemes reach every doorstep and launched a new portal, ‘Amar Sarkar’, to act as a bridge between the people and the government. 
• A total of 78 departments, including the panchayat department, has been included in the webportal. The portal will help people to register their problems and complaints through village committee officials. 
• It is worthy to mention here that various problems and complaints of the people will be registered through the village and village committee level workers in this URL https://amarsarkar.tripura.gov.in/.
• Earlier in September, the state government had launched the ‘Har Ghar Sushasan’ initiative to mark the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which ensured door-step delivery of major central and state government-run schemes in a mission mode.

PM Modi Inaugurated Arunachal’s first Greenfield Airport Donyi Polo Airport

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first Greenfield airport in Arunachal Pradesh — the Donyi Polo Airport at Itanagar — and dedicated the 600 MW Kameng Hydro Power Station to the nation. Northeast India will now have 16 airports.
• The foundation stone for this airport was laid by the PM in 2019. The airport, which has been developed in an area of over 690 acres, at the cost of more than Rs 640 crore is expected to play a major role in improving connectivity and will also contribute to the growth of trade and tourism in the region.
• The Donyi Polo airport will be the third operational airport in Arunachal Pradesh and the first in its capital city Itanagar, taking the total number of airports in the Northeast to 16. Arunachal Pradesh currently has two airports, one at Pasighat and the other at Tezu.

India won Excellence in Family Planning Leadership (EXCELL) Award

• India became the only country to receive the Leadership in Family Planning (EXCELL) Awards 2022 in the ‘country category’ at the International Conference on Family Planning held in Thailand. 
• India’s efforts in improving family planning demonstrate the progress the country has been making toward achieving the SDG targets on women and maternal health.
• The adoption of modern contraceptive methods and significantly reducing the unmet needs for family planning.
• India has been making progress in improving access as well as in the adoption of modern contraceptive methods enabling couples to make informed choices about family planning.
• The total demand satisfied for family planning among currently married women aged 15-49 in India increased from 66 percent in 2015-16 to 76 percent in 2019-21.
• The overall Contraceptive Prevalence Rate has increased substantially from 54 percent to 67 percent in the country.

India has given $15 soft loans to neighbours

• The volume of India’s soft loans to neighbouring countries has increased from about $3 billion to almost $15 billion in the last eight years, former foreign secretary and G20 chief coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla said.
• Speaking at the Purvottar Swabhiman Utsav organised by the Army in Guwahati on Sunday, Mr.Shringla said India has significantly ungraded investment in terms of outreach to the neighbours and beyond to the east of thecountry.