Global Innovation Index (GII)

Why in NEWS?

• India is now among the top 50 countries in the global innovation index for the first time, moving up four places to the 48th rank (from 50 th last year) and keeping the top position among the nations in central and southern Asia.

About

• The rankings show stability at the top but a gradual "eastward shift in the locus of innovation" as Asian economies like China, India, the Philippines and Vietnam have advanced considerably in the innovation ranking over the years.
• Switzerland, Sweden, the US, the UK and the Netherlands lead the innovation ranking, and the top 10 positions are dominated by high-income countries.
• India has become the third most innovative lower middle-income economy in the world, thanks to newly available indicators and improvements in various areas of the GII.
• India ranks in the top 15 in indicators such as ICT (Information and Communication Technology) services exports, government online services, graduates in science and engineering, and R&D-intensive global companies.
• A total of 131 countries were analysed under the GII before arriving at the rankings.

Global Innovation Index

• The theme of this year's GII - Who Will Finance Innovation? - is timely given the human and global economic damage wreaked by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
• It is published annually by Cornell University, INSEAD and the UN World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
• The GII relies on two sub-indices-

1. Innovation Input Sub-Index
2. Innovation Output Sub-Index.

• These sub-indices are built around several key pillars namely , Input pillar and Output pillar--
• Input pillars capture elements of the national economy that enable innovative activities

1. Institutions
2. Human capital and research
3. Infrastructure
4. Market sophistication
5. Business sophistication

• Output pillars capture actual evidence of innovation outputs-

1. Knowledge and technology outputs
2. Creative outputs

World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)

• It is a UN specialized agency created in 1967 to promote intellectual property (IP) protection and encourage creative activity all over the world.
• WIPO is basically a global forum for IP policy, services, information and cooperation.
• WIPO is a self-funded agency of the United Nations.
• With 192 members, WIPO’s motto is to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world.
• It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Water Heroes Contest 2.0

Why in NEWS?

• Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched the ‘Water Heroes: Share Your Stories’ contest from September 1, 2020.

About

• The aim of the contest is to reach out to people on the important subject of water conservation and management.
• The participants who want to participate will have to post their success stories on water conservation through a specially made video of 1-5 minutes depicting the efforts and significant contributions to conserve and manage water resources along with a write-up of up to 300 words and some photographs/pictures.
• This series of Contest will end on 31st August 2021.
• Every month (from September, 2020 onwards) entries would be invited for consideration of awards.
• Every month a maximum of 10 entries can be considered for the awards. All selected entries will be awarded a cash prize of Rs. 10,000 each and a certificate.

Jal Shakti Ministry

• Ministry called ‘Jal Shakti’ has been created by merger of Ministries of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation along with Drinking Water and Sanitation.
• ‘Nal se Jal’ scheme to provide piped drinking water to every household will be a component of government’s Jal Jivan Mission.
• The ministry will roll out government’s ambitious plans to provide piped water connections to every household in India by 2024.
• It will also address international and inter-states water disputes and the Namami Gange project which is the flagship initiative to clean the River Ganga, its tributaries and sub-tributaries.