- Rhodamine-B: Recently, the Tamil Nadu government banned the sale and production of cotton candy in the state after it was found that the chemical Rhodamine-B was being used for making it. It is a water-soluble chemical compound.
While it appears green in powder form, it turns vivid fluorescent pink when it comes in contact with water. It is a chemical commonly used for dyeing in the textile, paper, leather, and paint industries as a colouring agent that helps in attaining the red and pink spectrum.” As per the Food Safety Standards Act, 2006, preparation, packaging, importing, selling and serving food items with Rhodamine-B in wedding ceremonies and other public events is a punishable offence. It is an industrial dye which is not allowed in food anywhere in the world as it is toxic.
- IBSA Fund: India has contributed USD 1 million to a fund established by India, Brazil and South Africa. It was established in 2004 and became operational in 2006.
The IBSA countries – India, Brazil and South Africa – each contribute one million dollars annually to the Fund in a spirit of partnership and support for Southern-led, demand-driven, transformational projects in developing countries It includes promoting food security, addressing HIV/AIDS, and extending access to safe drinking water all to contribute to the achievement of the SDG. The UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) serves as the Fund Manager and Secretariat of the IBSA Fund.
It is a unique Forum which brings together India, Brazil and South Africa, three large democracies and major economies from three different continents, facing similar challenges.
The grouping was formalised and named the IBSA Dialogue Forum when the Foreign Ministers of the three countries met in Brasilia on 6 June 2003 and issued the Brasilia Declaration. Five IBSA Leadership Summits have been held so far. The 5th IBSA Summit was held in Pretoria on 18 October 2011.India was the IBSA Chair under the theme “Democracy for Demography and Development in 2021. Brazil assumed on March 2, 2023, the rotating presidency of the India, Brazil, South Africa Dialogue Forum – IBSA.
- Raisina Dialogue: It is an annual conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, which aims to address the most challenging issues faced by the world. It is held annually since 2016 in New Delhi. The conference is attended by people from political, business, media, and civil society backgrounds. The Dialogue is structured as a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral discussion, involving heads of state, cabinet ministers and local government officials, who are joined by thought leaders from the private sector, media and academia.
It is organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The theme of the 2024 edition is “Chaturanga: Conflict, Contest, Cooperate, Create. Six “thematic pillars”. These include:
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- Tech Frontiers: Regulations & Realities
- Peace with the Planet: Invest & Innovate
- War & Peace: Armouries & Asymmetries
- Decolonising Multilateralism: Institutions & Inclusion
- The Post 2030 Agenda: People & Progress
- Defending Democracy: Society & Sovereignty,
