- ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement: The 3rd meeting of AITIGA Joint Committee for undertaking the review of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) was hosted by India in Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi. It is a trade deal between the ten member states of ASEAN and India.
This agreement was signed at the 7th ASEAN Economic Ministers-India Consultations in Bangkok, Thailand in 2009. The agreement, which came into effect in 2010, is sometimes referred to as the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement. The Agreement covers trade in physical goods and products; it does not apply to trade in services. ASEAN and India signed a separate ASEAN-India Trade in Services Agreement in 2014.
- Rubber Board: Recently, the government has increased the allocation for Sustainable and Inclusive Development of the Natural Rubber Sector by 23% for the next two financial years and the scheme is run by the Rubber Board. It is a statutory organisation constituted under the Rubber Act, 1947.It functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.It is responsible for the development of the rubber industry in the country by assisting and encouraging research, development, extension and training activities related to rubber.It also maintains statistical data of rubber, takes steps to promote marketing of rubber and undertake labour welfare activities.
A crucial function of the Rubber Board is issuing licences to rubber producers, manufacturers, and exporters/traders. This licence, known as the “Rubber Board licence/registration,” is mandatory for anyone involved in rubber manufacturing and export
It is headed by a Chairman appointed by the Central Government. It has 28 members representing various interests of the natural rubber industry.
Headquarters: Kottayam, Kerala.
- Mission Aspides: The European Union recently launched Mission Aspides to protect commercial vessels in the Red Sea from attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. It is a European Union (EU) naval mission to protect cargo ships in the Red Sea from attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
It will send European warships and airborne early warning systems to the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters. So far, France, Germany, Italy and Belgium have said they plan to contribute ships.
Aspides vessels, whose operational command centre will be in the Greek city of Larissa, will have orders to fire on the Houthis only if they attack first and will not be authorised to shoot pre-emptively. The mission is planned for one year but may be renewed.
- U.S.-India Defense Accelerator Ecosystem (INDUS-X): It was launched in June 2023 during the state visit of the Prime Minister of India to the US. The objective is to expand strategic technology partnerships and defence industrial cooperation between governments, businesses, and academic institutions in India and the US. INDUS X will be a defence innovation bridge, which will inter-alia, include Joint Challenges, Joint Innovation Fund, Academia engagement, Industry-startup connect, investment by private entities in defence projects, mentoring by experts and niche technology projects etc. It will focus on advancing high-tech cooperation and fostering joint research, development, and production opportunities in the defence sector. The initiative aims to explore possibilities for co-producing jet engines, long-range artillery, and infantry vehicles. India’s Innovations for Defense Excellence (iDEX) and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), US, are leading INDUS-X activities.
