The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) recently staged a massive ‘Khadi fashion show’ in India’s Rann of Kutch/Kachchh. This groundbreaking event was the first of its kind from KVIC and aimed to bolster the Khadi brand’s global recognition.
The Rann of Kutch/Kachchh, where this mega event took place, is a salt marsh located in the Thar Desert within the Kutch district of western Gujarat. Positioned between Gujarat in India and Pakistan’s Sindh province, this region is known for its striking white salty desert sand and is notably the largest salt desert globally.
The Kutch inhabitants, known as Kachchi, have their unique language that shares the same name. Hindus, Muslims, Jains, and Sikhs compose most of the population in the Rann of Kutch/Kachchh.
The Hindu Group Recognized by WAN-IFRA
In other news, the Hindu Group has won four awards at this year’s World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) Digital Media South Asia Awards for various products and services. This marks the sixth edition of these digital media accolades for South Asia.
WAN-IFRA, the world press’s global organization, aims to safeguard journalists’ and publishers’ rights worldwide to operate independent media. Its goal is to furnish members with expertise, knowledge, and services to innovate and thrive in the digital landscape while fulfilling their necessary societal role.
IIMR Hyderabad: A Centre of Excellence for Shree Anna
The latest Union Budget 2023 announcement included establishing the Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR) in Hyderabad as a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for ‘Shree Anna.’ This move aims to elevate millet research to the international level and position India as a global hub for millets.
India is the world’s most prolific producer and second-largest exporter of several types of ‘Shree Anna’ (millets), accounting for a 41% share in 2020 according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh lead in production.
This announcement comes as 2023 has been declared the ‘International Year of Millet’ by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The IIMR has played a pivotal role in driving the popularity and consumption of millet-based products in India over the last half-decade.
Extended Emergency Rule in Myanmar
Recently, the junta in Myanmar announced an extension of the country’s state of emergency by another six months. A ‘coup’ typically refers to a sudden, violent, and illegal power seizure from a government.
Suu Kyi’s party, National League for Democracy (NLD), won the majority of seats in November 2020’s parliamentary election. Myanmar’s Parliament, under the 2008 military-drafted constitution, assigns 25% of total seats and numerous key ministerial positions to the military.
However, in 2021, when newly elected lawmakers were due to hold the first parliament session, the military imposed a one-year state of emergency, alleging massive voting fraud in the parliamentary elections.
