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Monday, September 26, 2022

Daily Current Affairs, 26th September 2022

19:11

 


1)  International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons 2022

•The United Nations observes 26 September every year as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. The aim of the day is to enhance public awareness about the threat posed to humanity by nuclear weapons and the necessity for their total elimination. It provides an opportunity to educate the public and their leaders about the real benefits of eliminating such weapons, and the social and economic costs of perpetuating them.


2)  World Contraception Day 2022 observed on 26th September

•World Contraception Day is marked on September 26 with a focus on creating awareness about contraceptive knowledge and family planning. To educate the younger generation about contraceptive measures. In this program, people are told about the prevention of conception. It is a global campaign held annually to shed light on birth control methods by asserting the importance of reproductive health. World Contraception Day has become an important event to highlight the need for population control. The day underlines the need for better family planning which can indirectly also help families to lift themselves out of poverty.


3)  India’s first avalanche-monitoring radar installed in Sikkim

•The Indian Army and the Defence Geoinformatics and Research Establishment (DGRE) have jointly installed the Avalanche Monitoring Radar, the first of its kind in India, in north Sikkim. Besides being used for the detection of avalanches, this radar can also be employed to detect landslides. The avalanche radar was made operational by the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s wing DGRE, which is involved in forecasting and mitigating of avalanche hazards faced by the Indian Army in the Himalayan region.


4)  Government’s Flagship Programme ‘Make in India’ Completes 8 years

•Make in India, the flagship program of the Government of India that aspires to facilitate investment, foster innovation, enhance skill development, and build best-in-class manufacturing infrastructure, completes 8 years of path-breaking reforms on 25th September 2022.  Launched in 2014 under the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, ‘Make in India’ is transforming the country into a leading global manufacturing and investment destination. The initiative is an open invitation to potential investors and partners across the globe to participate in the growth story of ‘New India’. Make In India has substantial accomplishments across 27 sectors. These include strategic sectors of manufacturing and services as well.


5)  Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel launched ‘Hamar Beti Hamar Maan’ campaign

•Chhattisgarh government has decided to launch a campaign on women’s safety titled ‘Hamar Beti Hamar Maan’ (our daughter, our honour). The focus of the campaign is creating awareness on safety measures among school- and college-going girls and prioritising registration and investigation of women-related crimes. The launch of the campaign was announced by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.


6)  Centre to Rank 131 Cities Based on Actions to Improve Air Quality

•The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) will launch the ‘Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan’ programme under National Clean Air Programme 2019 (NCAP) to rank cities based on their actions to improve air quality. The ranking will be based only on the actions taken by the cities to improve the air quality in different domains and not on the measurement of the air quality parameters to rank the cities.


7)  India to Invest $30 billion for 4G, 5G Connectivity to Every Village

•IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the government is investing nearly $30 billion to ensure last-mile network accessibility for 4G and 5G in every village across the country and build a robust digital infrastructure in the rural areas. Speaking at the ‘Global Fintech Fest 2022‘, Vaishnaw said the government has reached out to over 1.5 lakh gram panchayats to date.


8)  Dr. Rajiv Bahl named as Director General of ICMR

•Dr Rajiv Bahl has been appointed as the new director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-cum-secretary of the department of health Research for a period of three years. Bahl currently heads the research on maternal, newborn child and adolescent health cum-newborn unit on maternal, Department of Maternal Newborn Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, at the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva.


•His predecessor, Dr Balram Bhargava’s extended tenure as director general of ICMR and secretary of the Department of Health Research ended in July. Bhargava was appointed to the post on April 16, 2018, for four years. The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Dr Rajiv Bahl.


9)  Appointment of Sanjai Kumar as new Chairman & MD of Railtel

•As the new Chairman and Managing Director of RailTel, Sanjai Kumar is in charge. Sanjai Kumar previously held the position of Director (Network Planning & Marketing/NPM) at RailTel, along with the added responsibility of Director (Project, Operations & Maintenance/POM). The University of Allahabad awarded Kumar a Bachelor of Technology in Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering, while the Management Development Institute in Gurugram awarded him a Post Graduate Diploma in Management.


10)  Dr. M Srinivas named as new Director of AIIMS Delhi

•The dean of Employees’ State Insurance Company (ESIC) Hospital and Medical College, Hyderabad, Dr M Srinivas has been appointed the director of New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), nearly six months after the tenure of the previous director, Dr Randeep Guleria, formally ended. The appointment is for a period of five years with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post, or till attaining the age of 65 years, or until further orders, whichever is the earliest, according to the order.


•Srinivas was on deputation at the ESIC Hospital and continues to be a professor of pediatric surgery at AIIMS. Including Guleria, AIIMS has had 15 directors so far since its foundation in 1956. All former directors have been employees at the institute at the time of their appointment.


11)  Jagdeep Dhankhar released a book titled “Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay – Jeevan Darshan Aur Samsamyikta”

•The Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar has released the book titled “Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay – Jeevan Darshan Aur Samsamyikta” (five volumes) in New Delhi and on this occasion highlighted the importance of Pt Deendayal’s thoughts in contemporary times. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, former Union Minister Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and other dignitaries were among those attending the event.


•The Vice President appreciated the efforts of the Chief Editor of the book, Dr Bajrang Lal Gupta and his team for coming out with these well-researched five volumes on one of the foremost leaders of modern India. He also thanked Shri Rajnath Singh and Dr Murli Manohar Joshi for their insightful speeches on the life and work of Pt Deendayal Upadhyay on the occasion.


12)  Breakthrough Prize 2023 in Mathematics awarded to Daniel Spielman

•The 2023 winners of the Breakthrough Prizes, dubbed the “Oscars of Science,” were announced and will split a total of more than $15 million. 2023 Breakthrough Prize laureates, recognized for their game-changing discoveries in Fundamental Physics, Life Sciences and Mathematics, along with early-career scientists who have made significant contributions to their fields. Daniel A. Spielman has been honoured with the 2023 Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics for multiple discoveries in theoretical computer science and mathematics.
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The HINDU Notes – 26th September 2022

15:59

 


📰 When are the new ICC rules coming into play?

Will ‘mankading’ no longer be considered unfair? What about the use of saliva to polish a ball? What are some other key changes? Can hybrid pitches be used for all matches now?

•The International Cricket Council (ICC) has come up with a host of changes in the rules on playing conditions of cricket. The changes will come into effect on October 1. The ICC Chief Executives’ Committee has ratified the recommendations from the Men’s Cricket Committee, led by former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly.

•The practice of ‘mankading’— a batter being run out by the bowler while backing up too far from the non-striking end — has been destigmatised. It has been moved from the section on Unfair Play to the one on Run Out.

•Hybrid pitches which are made of natural grass (predominantly) and artificial fibre could now be used for ODIs and T20Is, for both men and women if both the rival teams agree.

The story so far:

•The International Cricket Council (ICC) has come up with a host of changes in the rules on playing conditions of cricket. The changes will come into effect on October 1. The men’s T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia from October 16 to November 13, will be played in accordance with the new rules. The ICC Chief Executives’ Committee has ratified the recommendations from the Men’s Cricket Committee, led by former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly. The changes were approved by the Women’s Cricket Committee too.

What are the significant changes?

•The practice known as ‘mankading’— a batter being run out by the bowler while backing up too far from the non-striking end — has been destigmatised. It has been moved from the section on Unfair Play to the one on Run Out. ‘Mankading’ became a topic of discussion after R. Ashwin ran Jos Buttler out in such a manner during an IPL match at Jaipur three years ago. It has been considered against the spirit of cricket, a game which has traditionally valued ethics highly, sometimes at the cost of losing a considerable advantage or even a match. West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh had famously refused to run Pakistan’s Saleem Jaffar out by ‘mankading’ in a match at the 1987 World Cup in Lahore. The host had needed two off the last ball when Walsh stopped and warned Jaffar. ‘Mankading’ is once again dividing opinions after India’s Deepti Sharma ran England’s Charlie Dean out in the third Womens One Day Internationals (ODI) at Lord’s on Saturday.

•Other changes include the banning of the use of saliva to polish the ball. The ban had already been in place, as a temporary measure, following the COVID-19 outbreak. Additionally, some part of the batter or the bat has to remain within pitch. If the batter goes beyond the pitch, the umpire could call it a dead ball. Conversely, if a ball forces the batter to leave the pitch, it will be a no-ball.

•Also from now on the new batter, coming in at the fall of a wicket, should be ready to face the music from ball one: it doesn’t matter if the batters have swapped ends before the catch is taken. Earlier, if the batters had crossed, the new batter would have walked up to the non-striking end. In precarious situations, the previous rule would have made life a little easier, especially for a tail-end batter. The new batter will also have a little less time to reach the middle. The time to take strike has been reduced, for Tests and ODIs, to two minutes, from three. The 90-second deadline stands for T20 Internationals, though. A penalty of five runs will be awarded to the batting side for an unfair and deliberate movement while the bowler is running in to bowl. Besides, that ball will be called a ‘dead ball’. The ball can now also be deemed dead when a bowler attempts to run down the striking batter who comes down the wicket before the former enters the delivery stride.

What about the use of hybrid pitches?

•The hybrid pitches could now be used for ODIs and T20Is, for men and women if both the rival teams agree. At present it is used only in women’s matches. The hybrid pitches are made of natural grass (predominantly) and artificial fibre.

What about penalising a team for poor over-rate?

•The penalty already in force in T20Is since January this year will be adopted in the ODIs as well, but only after the completion of the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League (2020-2023), which is part of the qualification process of the 2023 World Cup (ODI). If a team fails to bowl its overs in the given time, an additional fielder will have to be placed inside the 30-yard circle, for the remaining overs. That could make saving runs tougher for the fielding side.

📰 Shifting monsoon patterns

Why are certain regions of the country experiencing higher rainfall than normal? How is the triple dip El Nina effect contributing to this change? Do these changes affect the sowing of the summer crop?

•The IMD counts the rainfall between June 1 and September 30 as monsoon rainfall. This doesn’t mean that the monsoon system ceases from October 1. In fact, monsoon-related rain can continue well into the first fortnight of October and only really retreats from India by late October. It is then replaced by the retreating, or northeast monsoon in November.

•Central India and the southern peninsula were expected to get 6% more than their historical average but what we’ve seen are rains far in excess of this. These heavy rains are premised on a La Nina, characterised by cooler than normal sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific. La Ninas indicate surplus rainfall. India is seeing an extended spell of the La Nina, called a ‘triple dip’ La Nina which is a phenomenon lasting across three winter seasons in the northern hemisphere.

•On the other hand, large parts of U. P., Bihar and Odisha have seen large deficits. The east and northeast of India have reported a 17% shortfall and the northwest 2%. This has impacted sowing of the kharif, or summer crop.

The story so far:

•The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the monsoon has begun to retreat from Rajasthan.

What is the monsoon withdrawal?

•The monsoon is a sea-breeze that has consistently landed in the Indian sub-continent for thousands of years. It enters mainland India between the last week of May and the first week of June — though June 1 is its official onset date over Kerala. The IMD only counts the rainfall between June 1 and September 30 as monsoon rainfall. This doesn’t mean that the monsoon system ceases to pour rain over India from October 1. In fact, monsoon-related rain can continue well into the first fortnight of October and only really retreats from India by late October. It is then replaced by the retreating, or northeast monsoon in November which is the key source of rainfall for several parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and north interior Karnataka.

When does the monsoon withdraw?

•The monsoon begins its withdrawal from the last State it reaches, which is Rajasthan. Around September 15, cyclonic systems from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal that fuel the monsoon from June-September are replaced by an ‘anti-cyclone’ circulation which means dry, windless conditions start to prevail over western and northern India. More technically, withdrawal is a cessation of rainfall activity over northwest India for five straight days, an anticyclone establishing itself in the lower troposphere and a marked reduction in moisture content. A day after the IMD announced the withdrawal, torrential rains began in several parts of north India.

How has the monsoon been this year?

•Monsoon rainfall in India has been surplus by around 7% this year though with extreme inequity. Central and southern India saw a sharp surge in rainfall. Rains in Central India were surplus by 20% and in southern India by 25%, with the last month seeing several instances of flooding in Kerala, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. On the other hand, large parts of U. P., Bihar, Odisha have seen large deficits. The east and northeast of India have reported a 17% shortfall and the northwest 2%. This has impacted sowing of the kharif, or summer crop. Paddy planting has been impacted with sown area 5.51% lower than last year, according to the Agriculture Ministry. The Centre is expecting a minimum of six-million tonne shortfall in rice production and this is likely to elevate inflation.

What led to excessive rains in southern and central India?

•In April, the IMD had forecast ‘normal’ rains over India but by May-end indicated it to be above normal. Central India and the southern peninsula were expected to get 6% more than their historical average but what we have seen are rains far in excess of this. These heavy rains are premised on a La Nina, the converse phenomenon of the El Nino and characterised by cooler than normal sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific.

•While, El Ninos are linked to reduced rains over India, La Ninas indicate surplus rainfall. India is seeing an extended spell of the La Nina, called a ‘triple dip’ La Nina which is a phenomenon lasting across three winter seasons in the northern hemisphere. This is only the third time since 1950 that a triple dip La Nina has been observed. This, in part, is why for the third year in a row, India is seeing surplus rain in September, a month that usually marks the retreat of the monsoon.

Are monsoon patterns changing?

•Since 2019, monsoon in India has returned surpluses, barring a slight dip last year. The June-September rainfall in 2019 was 10% more than the 88 cm that India usually gets. Though June saw deficit rain, the months of July and August returned extra rain, with September registering 52% more rain than normal. In 2020, India saw 9% more rain with August registering 27% more rain and September 4% more than its usual quota. The rainfall over the country as a whole, in 2021, was 1% less than normal though rainfall in September was a remarkable 35% above what is usual. This year the monsoon is already in surplus by about 6% and a vigorous September is likely to see India post yet another year of surplus rain. Three years of above normal rain in a block of four years is unprecedented in more than a century of IMD’s record keeping, data suggests.

📰 Soft power, the new race every country wants to win

•“Soft power”, as American political scientist Joseph Nye Jr. said in the late 1980s, is a “power of attraction through culture, political ideas, and policies rather than coercion” that military hard power exhibits. This is now being reflected in increased interest, especially by smaller nations in the world, in investing more and doing well in elite sports as it is thought that success in international sporting events boosts a nation’s chances of attaining soft power.

•So, it can be said that the golden period of Indian sports may have begun — the Tokyo Olympics and then the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG) are examples of a good performance. Neeraj Chopra who won an Olympic gold medal in men’s javelin throw is now a household name. At the CWG 2022, Indian athletes won 61 medals, including 22 golds. These medals not only provide pride to every Indian citizen but also demonstrate the country’s soft power on the global stage and encourage working towards the status of a great “geopolitical actor”.

A survey

•Until recently there has been no empirical evidence whether performance in the Olympics or other world championships improved soft power or not.

•When Dongfeng Liu (International Professor of Sport Management for the Shanghai campus of the Sport Business School) surveyed French citizens in 2020 (he was also International Professor, Sport Business School, France) on China’s performance in the Olympics and their impressions about China based on its rising medal count, he found that a country’s Olympic achievement has a positive effect on its national soft power.

•He issued a caveat: as China is a communist country, there tends to be a prejudiced view of its human rights record and the standing of its minorities, which does not result in a positive perception of China, or for that matter, even Russia or North Korea. It is very difficult for these countries to build “branding” for themselves. As India is a democratic country it may not have to worry about such factors. Even so, it might yet learn lessons from China’s case.

•China uses its superiority in elite sports to build “people-to-people” relations with other countries. For example, athletes from African countries such as Madagascar are trained in swimming, badminton, table tennis, etc. in China, which helps Beijing create a positive impact on a wider population and result in better formal relations as well. There is also China’s memorandum of understanding with countries such as Kenya so that Chinese runners can train with Kenyan athletes, as they are among the best in the world when it comes to long-distance running.

India’s tortoise-like walk

•India’s medal tally in the Tokyo Olympics Games — seven — was its most decorated Olympic Games in Indian history. But there is no hiding the fact that India has one of the world’s poorest population-to-medal ratios when it comes to the Olympics. An article, “Indian Olympic medal winners: A comprehensive list” shows that India has won 35 medals at the Olympics since the 1900 edition. With a population of 1.3 billion-plus people, there are various reasons for India’s disappointing performance. Professional engagement in sports is hampered by the relatively low and scant exposure of Indians to sports at the elementary school level.

•In September 2014, the Ministry of Sports launched the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) to improve India’s performance at the Olympics and Paralympics — there is extra monetary assistance and training from the best national and international coaches. India’s gradual success in sporting events is being attributed to these “policies.”

•In 2016, a NITI Aayog report came up with a 20-point plan to improve India’s Olympics performance. The report said India still lacks a favourable atmosphere for sports to polish the skills of early-stage athletes. It recommended efforts to be made at the family, community to school, regional academies, State and national levels to improve things. Ensuring competent coaches, and having adequate funding and more sports academics still remain major issues even decades later. A reply in Parliament (2018) said that India spends only three paise per day per capita on sports. In contrast, China spends ₹6.1 per day per capita.

•Mega sporting events generate viewership in their billions. So they provide a platform for countries to showcase their culture, values and tradition.

•The International Olympic Committee (IOC) claimed that the Tokyo Olympic Games was watched by over 3.05 billion people, ‘a 74 per cent increase in digital viewers from Rio 2016’. This proves that there is a great opportunity for India to use such events as a platform to enhance its soft power that relies on its cultural heritage.

•The Government must also move quickly to separate politics from sports. Former players, rather than politicians, should be chosen to lead sports organisations.

Marching forward

•Here are some recommendations for the Indian government to increase the country’s sporting performance and soft power.

•First, India should concentrate on forging MoUs with nations that excel in specific sports. The aim should be to train Indian players overseas. For example, Australia and the United Kingdom can assist us in swimming given their standing here. When it comes to running, negotiating collaborative training agreements with African countries such as Kenya would be ideal. There should be no politics in seeking or even offering assistance. Take this example too: China has requested Indian assistance in improving cricket development in China (Chongqing city).

•Second, TOPS — China too also had a similar scheme — has demonstrated that focusing on a few sports is beneficial for a country such as India, which is striving to enhance its sporting abilities and standing. India needs to boost the number of athletes under TOPS — at least 500 athletes should train under the scheme to foster a competitive climate, in turn aiding performance.

•Third, private investment needs to be harnessed to develop infrastructure. The better a country performs in sporting events the greater a sports person’s interest in their sports atmosphere. This also creates a huge market for private players to invest in. For example, leading corporate houses in India have already shown how their active participation and investment can improve sporting performance as a result of unique corporate sports programmes. The Government should also work on a public-private partnership (PPP) model to create basic sporting infrastructure, as recommended by NITI Aayog, at the district level so that talent can be captured at an early stage. Soft power is not an end but a means to an end.

📰 A ground plan for India’s reformed multilateralism
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UPSC Mains Optional Paper 2 Question Paper 2022 PDF

07:14

UPSC Mains Optional Paper 2 Question Paper 2022 PDF

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THE HINDU NEWSPAPER IMPORTANT ARTICLES 26.09.2022

07:05
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Sunday, September 25, 2022

UPSC Mains Optional Paper-1 Question Paper 2022 PDF

15:39

UPSC Mains Optional Paper-1 Question Paper 2022 PDF

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UPSC CSE Mains 2022 Indian Language Paper Download PDF

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Saturday, September 24, 2022

Daily Current Affairs, 24th September 2022

18:48

 


1)  National Cinema Day 2022 observed on 23rd September

•The National Cinema Day was previously announced to be held on September 16, however, on request from various stakeholders and in order to maximize participation, it was rescheduled to September 23. The day has been scheduled by the Multiplex Association of India (MAI). Over 4,000 screens at multiplexes from across the country, including PVR, INOX, Cinepolis, Carnival, and Delite, have teamed up to offer a “celebratory admission price” of Rs 75 to mark National Cinema Day.


2)  Nation Observes Antyodaya Divas 2022: 25 September

•Antyodaya Diwas is celebrated annually on 25th September in India. It marks the birth anniversary of Indian leader Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and is celebrated in his honour to remember his life and legacy. He was one of the most prominent personalities in the history of Indian politics. This year, the Antyodaya Diwas marks the 105th birth anniversary of Upadhyaya. He was the co-founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) and a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) thinker.


3)  J&K Observes Holiday On Birth Anniversary Of Maharaja Hari Singh

•The Jammu and Kashmir administration has decided to declare Maharaja Hari Singh’s birth anniversary a public holiday. The announcement was made by lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha following his meeting with a delegation comprising prominent political leaders, members of the Yuva Rajput Sabha, civil society members, including head of J&K transport union.


4)  India’s under-5 mortality rate declines by 3 points; largest drops in UP and Karnataka

•India’s under-5 mortality rate declines by 3 points: According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2020, India’s under-5 mortality rate has dramatically decreased from 35 per 1,000 live births in 2019 to 32 per 1,000 live births in 2020, with the largest fall observed in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Karnataka. Towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets by 2030, the country has been experiencing a progressive decline in infant mortality rate (IMR), under 5 mortality rate (U5MR), and neo-mortality rate (NMR), according to a report released by the Registrar General of India, said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.


5)  Palm oil Alliance formed by 5 South Asian Countries

•Edible oil trade associations from five palm oil importing countries in South Asia – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, announced the setting up of Asian Palm Oil Alliance (APOA). The idea is to gain collecting bargaining power and make imports sustainable.


6)  G-4 Countries Reiterates UNSC Reform

•The G4 grouping comprising India, Japan, Germany and Brazil expressed their concern over lack of any “meaningful” forward movement on long-pending reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and demanded “urgency” on the issue.


7)  VP Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated Lok Manthan programme

•Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar will inaugurate the third edition of the Lok Manthan program at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati. The event will be facilitated by the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sharma.


•This year’s theme for the Lok Manthan is Lokparampara (Lok Traditions) which will emphasize that the Lok Traditions have kept our culture and heritage alive and intact, and has strengthened our feelings toward National Selfhood.


•The Chief Guest of the Lok Manthan will be the Governor of Kerala Arif Muhammad. The Lok Manthan is an occasion where artists, intellectuals, and academicians from different parts of the country converge and brainstorm on the topics that come out of the society to reshape the narratives of people and lead the nation to play its civilizational roles. The Lok Manthan will be a three-day event, and then it will focus on serious discussions, seminars, cultural events, and exhibitions that showcase the rich diversity of the nation.


8)  UCO Bank becomes first lender to get RBI’s approval for rupee trade

•UCO Bank has received the approval of the Reserve Bank of India to open a special Vostro account with Gazprom Bank of Russia for trade settlement in Indian rupees. UCO Bank which is a Kolkata-based lender is the first bank to receive the regulator’s approval following the decision of RBI to allow Indian Banks to settle trade in Indian currency in July.


9)  Nirmala Sitharaman to launch e-learning platform Bharat Vidya

•Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman will launch the Bharat Vidya, which is an online learning platform for Oriental and South Asian Studies. The Bharat Vidya is designed and developed by the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI).


•Bharat Vidya is a first-of-its-kind online platform, which will offer both free and paid courses covering various aspects of Indology about art, architecture, philosophy, language, and science. The Bharat Vidya will have six courses at the beginning including Veda Vidya, Bharatiya Darshanshastra, Sanskrit learning, 18 Parvas of Mahabharata, Fundamentals of Archaeology, and Kalidasa and Bhasha. BORI will collaborate with Indian and Foreign universities for awarding credits for its courses. During the inaugural event, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman announced that the courses offered complied with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020.


10)  M Venkaiah Naidu released a book on PM Modi’s selected speeches

•Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu released a collection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s selected speeches at Akashvani Bhawan in New Delhi. The book titled “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas” Prime Minister Narendra Modi Speaks (May 2019-May 2020)’ was released in the presence of Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan at a function here organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. During the release of the book, former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said that the book gives the readers a glimpse into PM Narendra Modi’s vision for India’s future and a clear roadmap of journey ahead, through his speeches on diverse topics of national importance.
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The HINDU Notes – 24th September 2022

11:31

 


📰 In Odisha’s Nayagarh, a data-driven solution to child marriage

•With the aim of eradicating child marriage, Nayagarh, a tiny Odisha district, has adopted a unique initiative by scrupulously recording information on all adolescent girls in the district.

•From birth registration date to Aadhaar number, from family details to skill training, information of 48,642 adolescent girls can be found in registers named Aliva.

•Nayagarh, with a population of 9,62,789, has a skewed sex ratio at 855. Child marriages the district are still considered a part of their social life.

•Observing that child marriages are solemnised in the age group of 14-19 and dropouts among girls’ students continued to be high, the district administration launched the Aliva programme in January this year. Anganwadi workers had been asked to identify every adolescent girl in their jurisdiction and keep tabs on them. There are 1,584 registers available in 1,584 Anganwadi centres of the district.

•The 100-page register maintains a record of the girl, along with the name of her father. From the third page onwards, each page contains data of the adolescent girl, including address, education status, birth registration date, Aadhaar Card Number, contact details and family details. The age of the girl is approved by the local school headmaster, father, supervisor and child marriage prohibition officer (CMPO). Towards the end of the register, information about child marriage, educational progress, skill training status and health issues of the adolescent girls is available. Nayagarh district has decided to maintain the record for a period of 10 years — 2020 to 2030. As per Odisha’s child marriage prevention strategy, the State aims to eradicate child marriage by 2030.

•The register has been useful for law enforcement agencies, as parents lie about the age of their girls. “When tipped off, district administration and the police refer to registers for ascertaining proof of girls’ age,” said Ipsita Agarwal, district coordinator of ActionAid, a non-government organisation, which works closely with district administration to prevent child marriages. Though different districts have come up with other innovative ideas, the Aliva registers are by far the most comprehensive ones that keep tabs on girls’ lives. Ganjam district is maintaining register of every marriage to prevent child marriages.

📰 G4 countries highlight ‘urgent need’ for reform in UN Security Council

Germany, Brazil, Japan and India reiterate support for each other’s bids to become permanent members of the UNSC, and for representation of African countries

•Reform of the United Nations has been a central theme of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to the United Nations this week, and on Thursday, he met with his counterparts from Germany, Brazil and Japan under The Group of Four (G4) banner following the BRICS meeting. The group is primarily focused on UN Security Council (UNSC) reform, and permanent membership for G4 members. On Thursday, they reiterated their commitment to pushing forward reform and expressed dissatisfaction at the lack of progress.

•“Reiterated our joint commitment to work towards text based negotiations that leads to Reformed Multilateralism. Will continue our cooperation towards this goal,” Mr. Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting. India is currently a non-permanent member of the Council.

•In addition to reiterating their support for each other’s bids to become permanent members of the UNSC, the G4 also reiterated its support for African countries being represented in a permanent and non-permanent capacity. The G4 felt that the UN decision making bodies needed to be urgently reformed as global issues were increasingly complex and interconnected, a joint press statement from the group said. The “inability” of the UNSC to “effectively” address these problems “vividly demonstrate[s] the urgent need” for UNSC reform, the statement said.

•U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized its support for expanding permanent and non-permanent seats on the Council, during his UNGA address on Wednesday. However, State Department spokesperson Ned Price had said in 2021 that the U.S. supports expansion of body provided it “does not alter or expand the veto”.

•On Thursday, the G4 ministers expressed concern that the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly did not make “meaningful progress” in the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN), which, according to the G4, was constrained by a lack of transparency.

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