Om Birla inaugurate the 19th Annual CPA conference in Sikkim

Why In News

·         Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla inaugurated the 19th Annual Zone III Conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region in Gangtok, Sikkim.

Key Points

·         The 19th annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), India Zone-3 conference, will be inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, on February 23 at Gangtok, Sikkim.

·         Governor of Sikkim, Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister of Sikkim, Prem Singh Tamang, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Harivansh, Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India, Members of Parliament, Members of Sikkim Legislature and other dignitaries are scheduled to participate in the event.

·         The two-day Conference will deliberate on many issues ranging from making parliament and assembly more accessible to the public. Drug abuse and the way forward and Cyber Bullying are the core issues, which will be discussed in this conference.

About Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and CPA Zone-III:

·         It is pertinent to note that till now, 18 Zonal Conferences have been held in the North Eastern States that include the Events of North East Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (NERCPA) and CPA Zone-III.

·         The CPA Zone-III comprises of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

·         As CPA Zone-III, two Conferences have been held, i.e. Guwahati, Assam on 8 October 2018 and Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh on 12 and 13 May 2022.

·         The CPA India Region comprises a total of 31 Legislatures, from Assam in the East to Gujarat in the West.

·         After the Africa Region, India has the largest number of member branches of the CPA.

·         Om Birla: CPA India Regional Chairperson:

·         The executive committee of the CPA India Region consists of the CPA India Regional Chairperson and six members. Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla is its current Regional Chairperson.

Administratively, the CPA India Region is divided into 4 zones–

·         Zone -1: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh Uttaranchal, West Bengal (8 Branches),

·         Zone -2: Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry (UT), Tamil Nadu, Telangana (8 Branches),

·         Zone- 3: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura (8 Branches) and

·         Zone- 4: Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan (7 Branches).

Computer scientist Hari Balakrishnan wins 2023 Marconi Prize

Why In News

·         Marconi Prize 2023: Computer scientist Hari Balakrishnan has been awarded the 2023 Marconi Prize.

Key Points

·         Computer scientist Hari Balakrishnan has been awarded the 2023 Marconi Prize. Dr. Balakrishnan has been cited “for fundamental contributions to wired and wireless networking, mobile sensing, and distributed systems”.

·         The Marconi Prize is a top honour for computer scientists and is awarded by the U.S.-based Marconi Foundation.

·         It is given to those “who have made a significant contribution to increasing digital inclusivity through advanced information and communications technology.”

About Hari Balakrishnan

·         Hari Balakrishnan is the Fujitsu Professor of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

·         He is also the Founder, Chief Technology Officer, and Chairman of Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT).

·         He graduated with a computer science BTech from IIT Madras in 1993 and received his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1998.

·         Dr. Balakrishnan has previously won the Infosys Prize (2020) and the IEEE Koji Kobayashi Computers and Communications Award (2021). Previous winners of the Marconi Prize include Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Google cofounder Sergey Brin, and sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke.

International IP Index: India ranked 42 in 55 countries

Why In News

·         India has ranked 42nd among 55 leading global economies on the International IP Index released by the U.S. Chambers of Commerce.

Key Points

·         India has ranked 42nd among 55 leading global economies on the International IP Index released by the U.S. Chambers of Commerce. The United States ranks first in the 2023 index, followed by the UK and France.

·         According to the report, India’s size and economic influence is growing on the world stage. India is poised to become a leader for emerging markets seeking to transform their economies through IP-driven innovation.

·         India has taken steps to improve enforcement against copyright-infringement and provides a best-in-class framework to promote better understanding and use of IP assets.

·         Creating a new model to address long-standing flaws in the IP framework will be critical to India’s continued economic growth, according to the report.

·         Continued strong crackdown on copyright piracy through issuance of “dynamic” injunction orders, improved crackdown on online trademark infringement and damages, and generous R&D and IP-based tax incentives are some of India’s strong points.

India’s Weaknesses

·         One of India’s key areas of weakness is the 2021 dissolution of the IP Appellate Board. Limited framework for protection of biopharmaceutical IP rights and patentability requirements that are outside international standards are other weaknesses in India.

About the International IP Index

·         It is an annual report compiled by the US Chambers of Commerce.

·         It evaluates the protection of IP rights in the world’s 55 major economies, which represent approximately 90% of global GDP.

·         The report covers topics ranging from patent and copyright laws to the potential for monetizing IP assets and the ratification of international agreements.

·         The index aims to help guide nations towards a brighter economic future marked by greater innovation, creativity and competitiveness.

What is Intellectual Property Rights?

·         Intellectual property rights are the rights given to persons/companies over the creations of their minds.

·         They usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his/her creation for a certain period of time. For e.g. Development of a new software or discovery of new medicine.

Daniil Medvedev defeats Andy Murray, wins Qatar Open title

Why In News

·         Daniil Medvedev win Qatar Open title: Daniil Medvedev won the Qatar Open in his professional tennis debut by defeating Andy Murray 6-4, 6-4, in the final game between two former No. 1s.

Key Points

·         Daniil Medvedev won the Qatar Open in his professional tennis debut by defeating Andy Murray 6-4, 6-4, in the final game between two former No. 1s. In every set, Medvedev converted quick beginnings. In the first, he got to 4-1, and in the second, he got to 3-1.

·         Medvedev also triumphed in Rotterdam, extending his winning streak to nine games.

·         Medvedev has now won 18 Tour-level championships after winning in Rotterdam last week as well.

·         He got off to a great start and quickly settled into his baseline rhythm, winning the majority of the extended rallies and taking a 4-1 lead with two breaks of serve.

·         Murray also fell behind in the second set but came back with a break of serve to win it.

·         On Friday, Murray saved five match points against Jiri Lehecka to advance to his 71st ATP final.

·         At 4-4 and 40-0, the three-time grand slam winner from Great Britain appeared to be winning, but Medvedev unexpectedly recovered his brick wall-like fortitude to rattle off five straight games, securing a critical service break as Murray misjudged a volley.

·         In the following game, former US Open winner Medvedev double-failed on his first match point, but when he had another chance against a worn-out Murray shortly after, a fantastic lob sealed the victory.

Trade resumes as Pakistan, Afghanistan reopen Torkham crossing

Why In News

·         The Afghan embassy in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, announced the reopening of the Torkham border, the normal trade and movement of people between Pakistan and Afghanistan fully resumed.

Key Points

·         The normal trade and movement of people between Pakistan and Afghanistan fully resumed after the two sides reopened a key border crossing that was shut nearly a week ago by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, stranding people and thousands of trucks carrying food and essential items.

·         The Afghan embassy in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, announced the reopening of the Torkham border.

·         Pakistani officials and Afghanistan’s Taliban-appointed administrator in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province also confirmed that the border crossing is open to passengers and trade.

·         he announcement sparked a wave of joy among those who had been waiting for the reopening of the international trade route, when Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers closed the crossing.

·         The Taliban had claimed Islamabad was not abiding by an agreement with Kabul to allow sick Afghan patients and their caretakers to cross into Pakistan without travel documents for medical care.

·         Afghan Taliban forces and Pakistani border guards exchanged fire, wounding a Pakistani soldier. Since then, officials from the two sides were in talks to resolve the issue amid demands from people on both sides to immediately reopen the crossing.

·         Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Mohammad Asif, and secret service chief, Lt. Gen. Anjum Nadeem, traveled to Kabul on an unannounced but previously scheduled visit and met senior Taliban officials to discuss the closure and other issues.

·         After the visit, the crossing was briefly reopened by the Afghan Taliban to allow some of the thousands of trucks that had lined up for days at the border — many with vegetables, fruits and other perishable food items — to cross over and ease the backlog. But Pakistan shut the border, saying it needed an explanation from the Afghan side about the abrupt closure of the border.

Torkham border and its Strategic Importance:

·         Although the Torkham border crossing is a vital commercial artery and a trade route to Central Asian countries for Pakistan, the Islamic nation has also accused the Afghan Taliban of providing sanctuary for Pakistani militants whose cross-border attacks have led to a spike in violence in Pakistan.

·         Pakistan recently warned that it has the right to target Pakistani Taliban sanctuaries in Afghanistan if the Afghan Taliban administration fails to rein in the militants, increasing the prospect of more cross-border violence.

·         The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, are a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power more than a year ago as U.S. and NATO troops withdrew from the country after 20 years of war.

 Trade resumes as Pakistan, Afghanistan reopen Torkham crossing

Why In News

·         The Afghan embassy in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, announced the reopening of the Torkham border, the normal trade and movement of people between Pakistan and Afghanistan fully resumed.

Key Points

·         The normal trade and movement of people between Pakistan and Afghanistan fully resumed after the two sides reopened a key border crossing that was shut nearly a week ago by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers, stranding people and thousands of trucks carrying food and essential items.

·         The Afghan embassy in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, announced the reopening of the Torkham border.

·         Pakistani officials and Afghanistan’s Taliban-appointed administrator in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province also confirmed that the border crossing is open to passengers and trade.

·         he announcement sparked a wave of joy among those who had been waiting for the reopening of the international trade route, when Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers closed the crossing.

·         The Taliban had claimed Islamabad was not abiding by an agreement with Kabul to allow sick Afghan patients and their caretakers to cross into Pakistan without travel documents for medical care.

·         Afghan Taliban forces and Pakistani border guards exchanged fire, wounding a Pakistani soldier. Since then, officials from the two sides were in talks to resolve the issue amid demands from people on both sides to immediately reopen the crossing.

·         Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Mohammad Asif, and secret service chief, Lt. Gen. Anjum Nadeem, traveled to Kabul on an unannounced but previously scheduled visit and met senior Taliban officials to discuss the closure and other issues.

·         After the visit, the crossing was briefly reopened by the Afghan Taliban to allow some of the thousands of trucks that had lined up for days at the border — many with vegetables, fruits and other perishable food items — to cross over and ease the backlog. But Pakistan shut the border, saying it needed an explanation from the Afghan side about the abrupt closure of the border.

Torkham border and its Strategic Importance:

·         Although the Torkham border crossing is a vital commercial artery and a trade route to Central Asian countries for Pakistan, the Islamic nation has also accused the Afghan Taliban of providing sanctuary for Pakistani militants whose cross-border attacks have led to a spike in violence in Pakistan.

·         Pakistan recently warned that it has the right to target Pakistani Taliban sanctuaries in Afghanistan if the Afghan Taliban administration fails to rein in the militants, increasing the prospect of more cross-border violence.

·         The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, are a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power more than a year ago as U.S. and NATO troops withdrew from the country after 20 years of war.