Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC)

The Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) was launched during Hon'ble Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi's visit to Fiji in November 2014.

FIPIC includes 14 of the island countries – Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Though these countries are relatively small in land area and distant from India, many have large exclusive economic zones (EEZs), and offer promising possibilities for fruitful cooperation. India's focus has largely been on the Indian Ocean where it has sought to play a major role and protect its strategic and commercial interests.  The FIPIC initiative marks a serious effort to expand India's engagement in the Pacific region. At this moment, total annual trade of about $300 million between the Indian and Pacific Island countries, where as exports are around $200 million and imports are around $100 million. In November 2014, when FIPC was launched, India had offered some major assistance projects.  The projects offered include the setting up of a special USD one million fund for adapting to climate change and clean energy, establishing a trade office in India, Pan Pacific Islands e-network to improve digital connectivity, extending visa on arrival at Indian airports for all the 14 Pacific Island countries, cooperation in space technology applications for improving the quality of life of the islands, and training to diplomats from Pacific Island countries.  In addition, India has increased the annual "Grant-in-Aid" from USD 125,000 to 200,000 to each of the 14 Pacific Countries for community projects of their choice, and launched a new Visitors Programme for Pacific Island Countries. The second summit of the Forum for India Pacific Cooperation (FIPIC-2) in Jaipur on 21-22 August 2015 has made significant progress in strengthening India's engagement with the 14 Pacific Island countries.   During the second summit of FIPIC, Hon'ble Prime Minister has announced FIPIC Trade Office at Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) to promote Trade & Investment opportunities between India & Pacific Island Countries. To further strengthen this initiative, FICCI has launched Business Accelerator for Forum for India - Pacific Islands cooperation (FIPIC). The main objectives of the business accelerator are: Provide necessary information and facilitation to businessmen on both sides regarding prospects of Trade and Investment Facilitate meetings between the concerned businessmen from both sides Exchange of business delegations between India and Pacific Islands Countries (PICs) Online & Offline Match Making Services Organising Events/ Trade Fairs

Polavaram Indirasagar Dam Project

Polavaram Project is a multi-purpose irrigation project which has been accorded national project status by the central government.

• This dam across the Godavari River is under construction located in West Godavari District and East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh state and its reservoir spreads in parts of Chhattisgarh and Odisha States also.

Indirasagar Polavaram an interstate project on river Godavari has been conceived as a part of recommendations of Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT).

• GWDT finalized its award in 1980 .The award identifies individual projects that can be taken up by the co-basin states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh (including Chhattisgarh), Orissa, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh (AP) on the main Godavari river as well as its tributaries.
• As a part of the award, the states of Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa executed an agreement dated 02-04-1980 to enable clearance of Polavaram Project to be undertaken by AP. 
• The agreement provides for construction of the project with a Full Reservoir Level of 150 Feet and with a spillway discharging capacity of 36 Lakh Cusecs at pond level of 140 feet and not less than 20 Lakh Cusecs at a pond level of 130 feet.
• In order to protect the lands and properties above level of 150 feet, in Orissa and Chhattisgarh, protective embankments with adequate drainage sluices have been provided at the cost of the project. 

Marrakesh Treaty

On Sep 29th 2016, this year the Marrakesh Treaty came into force, after 22 countries ratified the treaty adopted in 2013 by members of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

What is Marrakesh Treaty?

• Marrakesh Treaty or Marrakesh VIP Treaty is formally known as Marrakesh treaty to facilitate Access to Published works by Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print Disabilities.
• It is also called “Books for Blind” treaty.

Highlights of the treaty:

• The treaty allows for copyright exceptions to help for the creation, export and import, sharing, translation of the books in any format for accessible versions of copyrighted books and other works for the people with impaired visibility.
• The treaty is expected to alleviate the “book famine” experienced by 300 million people suffering from such disability, according to WHO.

Implementation of Treaty

• World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), a United Nations Organisation based in Geneva, administers the Marrakesh Treaty and leads an alliance of private and public partners known as the Accessible Books Consortium (ABC).
• The ABC has established a free centralized electronic database of accessible books produced by libraries for the blind around the world. It is a library-to-library service.

India and Marrakesh Treaty

• India was the first country to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty back in July 2014 and has set an example for other countries to follow.
• India has 63 million visually impaired people, of whom about 8 million are blind, according to WHO.
• India has begun implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty through a multi-stakeholder approach, which includes collaboration among key players such as government ministries, local champions like the DAISY Forum of India, and the private sector.
• In line with Marrakesh treaty, India launched Accessible India Campaign (Sugama Bharat Abhiyan) and has set up Sugamya Pustakalaya, which has 2,00,000 volumes.

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

WIPO is the global forum for intellectual property services, policy, information and cooperation. It is a self-funding agency of the United Nations, with 189 member states. 

• The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. 
• It is headquartered in Geneva.
• WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world".
• Its mission is to lead the development of a balanced and effective international intellectual property (IP) system that enables innovation and creativity for the benefit of all.
• Its mandate, governing bodies and procedures are set out in the WIPO Convention, which established WIPO in 1967.
• The predecessor to WIPO was the United International Bureaux for the Protection of Intellectual Property (Bureaux Internationaux Réunis pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle, with the French acronym for "BIRPI"), which had been established in 1893 to administer the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works and the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
• WIPO was formally created by the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization, which entered into force on April 26, 1970.

Seshachalam Hills

The Seshachalam Hills are hilly ranges part of the Eastern Ghats in southern Andhra Pradesh state, in southeastern India.

• The ranges were formed during the Precambrian era (3.8 billion to 540 million years ago). 
• Minerals contained in these hills include sandstone and shale inter bedded with limestone.
• The ranges are bounded by the Rayalaseema uplands to the west and northwest, and the Nandyal Valley to the north.

• Tirupati, a major pilgrimage town is located in the hills. 
• The hills contain seven peaks namely, Anjanadri, Garudadri, Narayanadri, Neeladri, Seshadri, Venkatadri and Vrishabhadri, the highest at about 600 m (2,000 ft) above sea level.
• The seven peaks are said to represent the seven hoods of Lord Adisesha, the king of serpents in Hindu mythology.
  • The Srivenkateshwara National Park is also located in these ranges.
• The famous Natural Arch, Tirumala Hills is also a part of Seshachalam Hills, which dates back to the period in between Middle and Upper Proterozoic Eon. 
• In 2010 it was designated as a Biosphere Reserve. It has large reserves of Red Sandal wood which is used in medicines, soaps ,spiritual rituals.