ARTICLE 1

Bettering women’s lives a social investment: Irani at ET GBS 2020

Improving lives of women should be seen as social investment, women & child development and textiles
minister Smriti Irani said in an interaction with ET Now’s Nayantara Rai at The Economic Times
Global Business Summit. Irani stated that earlier, the development of women and children was seen as
social expenditure, but under the PM (Narendra Modi), it has changed. She also said that she would like
it to be seen as social investment. Irani also said in the interview that there has to be a life cycle approach,
starting with the birth of a child, and nutrition, vaccinations are an important part of that. This includes
access to educational institutes and encouraging women to compete with men on an equal footing. This is
what the government is trying to do.
When asked about the big policy reforms, Irani said that the PM wanted them to focus on onestop shelters
for women across the country, and they have actually overshot the target. Regarding the safe working
environment for women, Irani also said that she thinks digital governance, one of their focal points, will
work towards providing safe and secure workplaces for women. Irani also said that there has been a
conscious effort to improve the lives of women and children and they are looking at women-led
development, women as enablers. Irani also thinks that apart from physical security, changes in
legislation, economic empowerment of women is also important.

Comments
The very idea of developing the lives of women and children in India is taking its course. The efforts And
of the government to improve the conditions of women and children has been in the process. The
necessary steps and measures have been taken by the government to ensure that the women and children
are safe and getting adequate care and support. The policy reforms as taken up by the government will
help in the welfare of women and children. We come across news of women being harrassed in their
workplaces, so the focus to ensure a safe and secure workplace for women is a significant step taken up
by the government. Also delivering the message to women about vaccination, nutrition for children is
very important. Earlier the development of women and children were seen as social expenditure but now
gradually it has changed. Nowadays women are encouraged and motivated to see themselves as equal to
men. The efforts are being put by the government to improve the lives of women and children, where
women are getting importance and are looked as enablers. The government is putting forward the idea of
women-led development.
( Source : https://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/bettering-womens-lives-a-social-
investment-irani-at-et-gbs-2020/articleshow/74543850.cms )

ARTICLE 2

India's march towards SDGs anchored in investing in human capital,

inclusive growth: Eco Survey

According to Economic Survey 2019-20, India's development trajectory is critically linked with

investments in social infrastructure and the country's march towards attaining Sustainable
Development Goals is firmly anchored in investing in human capital and inclusive growth. The survey
also stated that to reap the benefits of demographic dividend, the government is committed to improve the
outcomes in education and skilling, and to provide employment and affordable healthcare to all.
Scaling up development programmes for improving connectivity, providing housing and bridging gender
gaps in socio-economic indicators is of paramount importance for sustainable development. The 2030
Agenda for sustainable development calls for global partnership to ensure peace and prosperity for people
and the planet, now and into the future. According to the survey, it is recognised that ending poverty and
other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce
inequality and spur economic growth in a sustainable manner.
The survey also stated that India is committed to achieve these SDGs and a strong social infrastructure is
key to achieve them, and it also added that the government has been focusing on provisioning of assets
such as schools, institutes of higher learning, hospitals, access to sanitation, water supply, road
connectivity, affordable housing, skills and livelihood opportunities. 

Comments
India has been putting efforts on Sustainable Development Goals ( SDG) which is linked to social
infrastructure. The country has also been investing in human capital and growth which will help to attain
Sustainable Development Goals. To ensure the growth and human capital, the government has put efforts
in education, employment and healthcare for the welfare of the people. Eradicating poverty and
deprivations will also result in better growth of the country. India bring a developing country needs more
effort in promoting and improving the infrastructure and growth of the economy in the country. Bridging
gender gap is also another important measure to be taken up to develop the society. Education and
literacy is also yet another important factor to be improved in the country, also providing enough
employment in the country will help in the sustainable development of the country.
( Source : https://m.economictimes.com/news/economy/indicators/indias-march-towards-sdgs-
anchored-in-investing-in-human-capital-inclusive-growth-eco-survey/articleshow/73799438.cms )

ARTICLE 3

India, Norway pledge to address issue of marine plastic litter, microplastics

During the 13th meeting of the Convention on Migratory Species being held in Gandhinagar,
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekarand Norway’s Environment Minister Sveinung Rotevan
kicked of the “super year” for the environment with a joint effort. The two ministers agreed to strengthen
the “mutually beneficial” cooperation on climate and environment, with a specific focus on oceans. With
the understanding that the proper management of oceans holds the key to meeting many of the
2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the two ministers discussed the way forward to achieving a
sustainable blue economy. Taking forward the 2019 decision by Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister
Solberg to set up India-Norway Ocean Dialogue and establish the Joint Task Force on Blue Economy for
Sustainable Development, the two ministers reviewed the progress made under this MoU, including the
establishment of the Marine Pollution Initiative. An important focus on the meeting and the joint
statement was marine plastic litter and microplastics. Both ministers stressed on the shared understanding
of the global and urgent nature of marine plastic litter and microplastics and underlined that this issue
cannot be solved by any one country alone. 
In the context of minimizing marine litter, the two countries focused on the Stockholm Convention on
Persistent Organic Pollutants and the need for sustainable management of chemicals and waste. The two
countries also stressed upon another issue, which is air pollution. They recognized that efforts to reduce
air pollution and target climate change pose a “win-win” situation, and the two issues need to addressed
more aggressively. Norway and India have agreed to explore areas of co-operation in forestry. The two
countries agreed to support and work together with other political leaders to prompt a global and effective
response to curb the direct and indirect drivers of biodiversity loss in order to deliver an ambitious,
strong, practical and effective global biodiversity framework.
Comments
The marine pollution has increased over the years. The most important factor of marine pollution has
been the use of plastics, which resulted to be very harmful for the sea and its creatures. The use of plastics
and micro plastics has resulted in degradation of the climate and environment. There are also several
global efforts aiming at action for reducing and preventing marine litter and for mitigating its impacts. 
The resolution acknowledged marine plastic and microplastic as a rapidly increasing and various
measures have been taken up by different countries to improve health, ecosystem. There has also
been focus on prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse — and sustainable management of oceans.
Regarding the Sustainable Development Goals, the two ministers have decided to take the right measures
for the improvement of the climate and environment. Air pollution has also been another part of
discussion, because air pollution has degraded the climate . Air pollution causes deaths and disabilities
and its close links to climate change is a huge threat. Necessary steps need to be taken to tackle air
pollution and maintain healthy environment and restore the climate. Many of the air pollutants that affect
our health also warm the atmosphere. Some Actions have been taken up to improve air quality such as
switching to cleaner energy, cooking and transport solutions, which will also address the climate
emergency.
( Source : https://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/india-norway-pledge-to-address-
issue-of-marine-plastic-litter-microplastics/articleshow/74170067.cms )

ARTICLE 4

India Strives To Eliminate Poverty, Become Middle-Income Country: President

The president hosted a conference of 46 heads of central universities and institutes of higher learning in
the fields of agriculture, pharmaceuticals, aviation, footwear-design, fashion, petroleum and energy,
maritime studies, planning and architecture, and information technology. President Ram Nath Kovind has
said that India has set itself for sustainable development as it strives to eliminate poverty and become a
middle-income country. Ram Nath has also said that "India has set itself for sustainable development as it
strives to eliminate poverty and become a middle-income country. Each of these institutes will be
instrumental to the realisation of our socio-economic goals. The central agricultural universities can
support our national goal of promoting sustainable agriculture, productivity and supporting our farmers
with useful research." The president said while developing their specialisations, these institutes should
collaborate and learn from each other.

Comments
India strives to eliminate poverty by combining different areas of learning which will be helpful in
organizing and implementing different new techniques and measures to uplift the growth of the country
and to help the people of the nation. As the country’s economy grows, the need to acquire the scale and
efficiency that is greater and better is very important and therefore different institutes such as
pharmaceutical, aviation, oceanography, petroleum and energy, IT, Design, Architecture and others
should learn from each other, raise the bar and put more efforts towards the development of the country’s
economy and welfare of the poor and deprived.
( Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/india-strives-to-eliminate-poverty-
become-middle-income-country-president-ram-nath-kovind-2148853 )

ARTICLE 5

PMO ropes in tech leaders to develop solutions to deal with coronavirus crisis

A high-powered committee comprising government officials and tech leaders, set up by the Prime
Minister's Office, is working on solutions to deal with the coronavirus crisis, including the next version
of Aarogya Setu app, according to a source. The committee has been formed under Principal Scientific
advisor Professor Vijay Raghavan. The committee is said to have been the driving force to develop
coronavirus patient tracker mobile Aarogya Setu. As told by a source, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi has been himself stressing on 'harnessing digital and tech innovation for a healthier planet.’ The
source also said that there is work going on to add health care facilities, remote healthcare and medical
staff support also in the app. According to the source, the committee is also working on to come up with
solutions that can be rolled out across the country expeditiously and in an economical manner. 

Comments
In the need of the hour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been taking efforts to enable citizens tackle
the coronavirus. After developing the app “Aarogya Setu” , there has been efforts to come up with
another version of the app which will include healthcare facilities, remote healthcare and medical staff
support in the app. The best efforts has been initiated by the Prime Minister of India to tackle the dealy
virus and to ensure that through technology and developing apps, people will be alerted and will be able
to keep themselves safe.
( Source : https://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/pmo-ropes-in-tech-leaders-to-
develop-solutions-to-deal-with-coronavirus-crisis/articleshow/75126609.cms )

ARTICLE 6

Niti Aayog to hold consultation on population policy and family planning

programme

Niti Aayog held a national consultation with top policy makers, experts and specialists to brainstorm on
ways and means of strengthening India’s population policy and family planning programme. The
Aayog has partnered with the Population Foundation of India to bring the best minds together for
discussion. The proposals will form part of the NITI Aayog working paper that will outline the roadmap
to help achieve India’s vision of attaining population stabilization, as voiced by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi in his Independence Day speech this year. 
As addressed by Niti, "The working paper is expected to address key gaps in India’s family planning
programmes,". The Aayog is hoping that the discussion will address some of the key issues like
increasing the basket of contraceptive choices, addressing social determinants of health such as age at
marriage and sex-selective pracoces, strengthening quality of care, including counseling services,
managing side effects and family planning support, increasing budgetary allocations for family planning,
besides addressing existing socio-cultural barriers towards contraception and fostering inter-departmental
convergence, making population stabilisation a national priority. According to Niti, for India to realize
its sustainable development goals and economic aspirations, it is important to ensure that people have
informed access to contraception and quality family planning services.

Comments
Family planning has always been an important factor for the rise of population growth in India. Family
planning programme is very important in a country like India to control the population growth. Though
birth rates are falling in India yet the population continues to grow and India being the second largest
population in the world needs to stabilize the population growth. The importance of family planning
needs to be addressed to the people in order to help them in using measures for family planning. The main
objective of population policy is to achieve a stable population at a level consistent with the requirements
of sustainable economic growth, social development, and environmental protection by addressing the
unmet needs for contraception, health care infrastructure, etc., and to provide service delivery for basic
reproductive and child health care. Family Planning has been a key priority area of the Government and
therefore certain necessary measures are being addressed to the citizens for birth control and such so that
people can choose the best measure accordingly.

( Source : https://m.economictimes.com/news/economy/policy/niti-aayog-to-hold-consultation-on-
population-policy-and-family-planning-programme/articleshow/72887400.cms )

ARTICLE 7

Have advised states to charge water fee for infra upkeep:

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat feels the Jal Jeevan Mission will not only provide piped
water supply to 18 cr rural households but also generate 12 lakh jobs. Gajendra Singh also said that they
have proposed a nominal fee model to all states and requested them to bring in user charges. States have
to decide how much they should charge, as water is a state subject. Their ‘Jal Se Nal’ scheme is so
designed that there is public ownership built in. The states have been told that up to 10% of the total
expenditure on piped connectivity in a general village, and up to 5% in an SC/ST village, should be raised
by them. Sustainable development goals apart, consider the huge opportunity the Jal Jeevan Mission
offers for business and for employment. In 6 lakh villages, ensuring drinking water supply will generate
new employment as plumbing will be required everywhere. Singh expects direct employment for over
12 lakh people at least. Then, creation of infrastructure, cement tanks, PVC pipes, will also show a big big
boom in the rural economy within the next two quarters. The immeasurable impact is on the quality of life
of the women walking miles to bring water and the health improvement that will come with supply of
clean drinking water. 
At the Centre, we are committed to sustainability of water source and grey water use which are an integral
part of the Jal Jeevan mission. The idea is to create a model where grey water can be treated and used as a
source of revenue –– for horticulture/agriculture or ground water recharge. 

Comments
Initiative taken by Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh shows us that water supply can be proved difficult
for some families, especially women who walks miles to fetch water. The idea of generating 12 lakh jobs
is also a great step taken by the Jal Jeevan Mission. It will not only help people to get employment but
also help them to earn their livelihood. Generating of jobs will boost rural economy whereas help
individuals to get employment. The growth of rural economy has also been addressed for the welfare of
the people. Lack of jobs and water supply affects the rural areas and it’s people drastically. Initiatives
taken by the Jal Jeevan Mission to help improve the economy and the water system of the rural areas will
result in the betterment of the rural areas and it’s people.

( Source : https://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/have-advised-states-to-charge-
water-fee-for-infra-upkeep-gajendra-singh-shekhawat/articleshow/71931760.cms )

ARTICLE 8

Facebook Announces Project17 Initiative With Aim to Close

Gender Data Gap
Facebook has announced a new initiative with the aim of helping close the gender data gap as a lack of
access to real-time and representative data is regarded as one of the biggest barriers to achieving the 17
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including gender equality. The new initiative called Project17 takes
a partnership approach to help drive progress on the SDGs.

Saying that its first area of focus is gender equality, Facebook has also revealed that it is working with
gender equality organisations and experts to increase the availability and use of gender data, which is critical
to guiding the development of inclusive policies, programmes and services, and for tracking progress on
achieving gender equality. Marne Levine, VP of Global Partnerships, Business and Corporate Development
at Facebook stated that Missing or unavailable data around women's experiences creates gender data gaps.

Facebook said it will work with development organisations, experts and other trusted partners to leverage
Facebook's dataset to bridge gender data gaps, answer research questions, and help drive progress on gender
equality.

Comments

Gender inequality has always prevailed. In order to bridge the gender gap,the initiative taken by Facebook
shows that gender equality is an important part of our society. To understand gender data needs and
constraints, Facebook has taken up initiatives which will result in the closing the gender gap. Also, the
measure taken up by Facebook to close gender data gap will also help strengthen the gender data ecosystem.
Also, Facebook has taken up initiatives to develop educational tools to share information on how
unconventional datasets could be used in gender and development projects. This will help in
eliminating gender bias and help improve in bridging the gender gap.

( Source : https://gadgets.ndtv.com/social-networking/news/facebook-announces-
project17-initiative-with-aim-to-close-gender-data-gap-2193515 )