THE CONTEXT: The 7th edition of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), a biennial event, was hosted by the French Navy at Reunion Island from 28 June to 01 July 2021

Analysis:

• IONS, conceived by the Indian Navy in 2008, seeks to enhance maritime cooperation among Navies of the littoral states of the IOR by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues.
• The chairmanship of IONS has been held by India (2008-10), UAE (2010-12), South Africa (2012-14), Australia (2014-16), Bangladesh (2016-18) and Islamic Republic of Iran (2018-21).
• France has assumed the Chairmanship on 29 Jun 21 for a two-year tenure.
• The Symposium held panel discussions themed on the three IONS working Groups viz., HADR, Maritime Security and Information Sharing & Interoperability.
• IONS Conclave of Chiefs (CoC) is the decision-making body at the level of Chiefs of Navies, which meets biennially
• Owing to the pandemic, the CoC 2021, will be hosted by French Navy later this year.
• Reunion is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately 550 km east of the island of Madagascar and 175 km southwest of the island of Mauritius.

ABOUT IONS

• The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, commonly known as IONS, are a series of biennial meetings among the littoral states of the Indian Ocean region. It provides a forum to increase maritime security cooperation, providing a forum for discussion of regional maritime issues and promote friendly relationships among the member nations.
• Launched in 2008, it is a voluntary initiative, consisting of 32 nations (36 now) , that seeks to increase maritime co-operation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues.
• It is held biennially.
• It is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime co-operation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues.
• It endeavors to generate a flow of information between naval professionals that would lead to a common understanding and possibly cooperative solutions on the way ahead.
• These states are represented by the heads of their navies.
• Under the IONS charter of business adopted in 2014, the forum has working groups on  Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), Information Security and  Interoperability (IS&I) and maritime security (anti-piracy).

THE CONTEXT: Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA), a PSU under the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has invited bids from solar module manufacturers for setting up solar manufacturing units under the central government’ Rs. 4,500 crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme

Analysis:

• MNRE has appointed IREDA as the implementing agency for the scheme.
• The Union Cabinet had earlier approved Rs. 4,500 crore scheme to boost domestic manufacturing of solar Photo Voltaic ( PV) modules.
• The applicants are required to set-up either brownfield or Greenfield manufacturing facility for the entire capacity allotted under the scheme.
• The PLI will be disbursed to the successful applicants annually for a period of five years.
• Solar capacity addition presently depends largely upon imported solar PV cells and modules as the domestic industry has limited operational capacities of solar PV cells and modules.
• The National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules will reduce import dependence in a strategic sector like electricity and as such reinforce the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative

ABOUT IREDA

• Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) was established on 11th March, 1987 as a Public limited Government Company under the Companies Act, 1956 and it promotes, develops and extends financial assistance for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency/Conservation Projects.
• IREDA has been notified as a “Public Financial Institution” under section 4 ‘A’ of the Companies Act, 1956 and registered as Non-Banking Financial Company (NFBC) with Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• The main objectives of IREDA are :
  • To give financial support to specific projects and schemes for generating electricity and / or energy through new and renewable sources and conserving energy through energy efficiency.
  • To maintain its position as a leading organization to provide efficient and effective financing in renewable energy and energy efficiency / conservation projects.
  • To increase IREDA`s share in the renewable energy sector by way of innovative financing.
  • Improvement in the efficiency of services provided to customers through continual improvement of systems, processes and resources.
  • To strive to be competitive institution through customer satisfaction.

National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules

• The Union Cabinet recently approved the Production Linked Incentive Scheme called the National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules.
• The programme aims to achieve manufacturing capacity in Giga Watt scale in high efficiency solar PV modules.
• The total outlay of the scheme has been estimated as Rs 4,500 crores.
• The programme aims to bring additional 10,000 MW capacity of integrated solar PV manufacturing units in India.
• It will bring in direct investment of Rs 17,200 crores in solar Photo Voltaic manufacturing projects.
• It will stimulate research and development that will achieve higher efficiency in solar PV modules.

THE CONTEXT: India has applied to the European Union for protected geographical indication (PGI) status of basmati rice. Pakistan has opposed this move.

Analysis:

• India, the world’s largest exporter of basmati rice, has applied for protected geographical indication (PGI) status from the European Union’s Council on Quality Schemes for Agricultural Products and Foodstuffs.
• This would give it sole ownership of the basmati title in the EU.
• Pakistan, which is the only other basmati rice exporter in the world, has opposed this move as it would adversely impact its own exports, especially as the EU is a major market for its basmati.

Where does basmati actually grow?

• In India, historically, the long-grained, aromatic rice has been cultivated in Indo-Gangetic plains at the foothills of the Himalayas.
• In modern India, this region is spread over Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir.
• Basmati has also been grown for centuries in the Kalar tract, which lies between the Ravi and Chenab rivers in Pakistan’s Punjab province

Why does the basmati title need protection?

• Given the high premium that basmati, an export-oriented product, fetches in the international market, there have been frequent disputes over granting the protected status to rice that may have been bred from basmati varieties and has the same qualities, but isn’t grown in the historical basmati-growing belt.
• In India, for example, the Madhya Pradesh government has been lobbying the central government for its basmati rice varieties to be granted the GI status, even taking the matter to the Supreme Court.
• The All India Rice Exporters’ Association (AIREA) is opposed to this, on the basis that it compromises basmati’s integrity.
• The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) itself had stated that GI status is strongly linked to a particular geographical region.
• Based on this, AIREA has argued that granting MP’s request would open the door to other regions within India as well as rival rice exporters like China and Pakistan to grow basmati varieties anywhere in their territories, thus diluting the power of the basmati brand.

ABOUT PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION

• Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) is a status awarded by the European Commission that protects and promotes named regional food products that have a reputation or noted characteristics specific to that area.
• The PGI framework was launched by the EU in 1993 offering legal protection to recognised products against imitation across the EU.
• It acts in the same way as a Trade Mark, preventing manufacturers from outside a region imitating a regional product.
• Being awarded the status demonstrates that the product is produced and processed to agreed standards and specifications recognised at EU level, and that the product has a defined regional connection.
• The PGI status prevents unfair competition and the misleading of consumers by non-genuine products which may be of inferior quality or different flavor.
• Objectives of PGI:
  • Protect the reputation of the regional food product
  • Promote rural and agricultural activity
  • Help producers to obtain a premium price for their authentic products in return for a “genuine effort to improve quality”
  • Communicate clear messages to consumers about product origin