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By admin: Jan. 6, 2023

Odisha won the UN-Habitat's World Habitat Awards 2023 for Jaga Mission

Tags: Government Schemes State News

Odisha won the UN-Habitat World Habitat Awards 2023 for the state's 5T (Transparency, Technology, Teamwork, Time, Transformation) initiative Jaga Mission.

An overview of the news

• Jaga Mission is a land ownership and slum upgradation program aimed at empowering the lives of slum dwellers.

• Under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the Odisha government has set an ambitious target of becoming the first slum-free state in India.

• The state of Odisha is spearheading the Jaga Mission program to upgrade all 2,919 slums.

• The initiative has provided land patta security to 1,75,000 families in the last five years.

• 100 percent households in 2,724 slums have been provided with piped water connections, 707 slums have been converted into fully livable housing, 100 percent households in 666 slums have individual toilets and 8 cities have become slum-free.

• Earlier in 2019, Odisha's Jaga Mission received the World Habitat Award for its success in providing land security for slum dwellers.

• World Habitat is a charity organisation recognized by the United Nations Department of Public Information.

The world's first museum of palm leaf manuscripts established in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

Tags: State News

Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, recently opened the world's first museum of palm leaf manuscripts, enriching the state culturally and educationally.

An overview of the news

• The museum has 187 manuscripts, based on primary sources.

• These documents are written on clean and clear palm leaves, which are furnished in the record rooms.

• In that period these palm leaves were treated before writing the description.

• The museum houses a collection of popular tales of Travancore, thefirst kingdom in Asia to defeat European powers on Indian soil.

• The museum gives a glimpse of the administrative, socio-cultural and economic aspects of the Kingdom of Travancore, which ruled for about 650 years till the end of the 19th century, with the boundaries of Kochi in the centre of the state and Malabar in the north.

• Apart from increasing the cultural wealth of the state, this museum is also important for academic and non-academic scholars.

• Apart from manuscripts, the museum also has information about the famous Battle of Colachel, in which the heroic king Anijam Tirunal Marthanda Varma (1729-58) of Travancore defeated the Dutch East India Company.

• The museum provides information on the complex land management of the Kingdom of Travancore, historical declarations and international agreements.

• Colachel is located 20 km north-west of present-day Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.

• Dutch expansion in India was halted by the victory of the Raja of Travancore in 1741, and under Marthanda Varma, Travancore became the first state in Asia to stop the expansionist thinking of a European power.

Anurag Thakur launches the themes of the Y20 summit, logo, and website

Tags: National National News

Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur launches the themes of the Youth 20 summit, logo, and website in New Delhi on 6 January in the curtain raiser event of Y20 Summit India. 

An overview of the news

• India is hosting the Y20 summit for the first time.

• In the Youth 20 Engagement Group, India's main focus is to bring together young leaders from around the world to discuss ideas for a better tomorrow and create an agenda for action.

• Activities to be undertaken by Y20 during India's presidency will focus on global youth leadership and partnerships.

About Youth 20 (Y20)

• Youth 20 (Y20) is the official youth engagement group of the G20.

• It provides a platform for youth to express their vision and views on G20 priorities.

• It is a process that brings together young leaders from around the world to discuss and debate global challenges.

• The list of policy recommendations is known as a communiqué, which is publicly announced at the Y20 summit and presented to world leaders as part of the official G20 summit.

India deploys a platoon of women peacekeepers to the UN Mission in Sudan

Tags: International News

India deployed a platoon of women peacekeepers in the Abyei region of Sudan on 6 January as part of the Indian battalion in the United Nations Interim Security Force (UNISFA).

An overview of the news

• It is India's largest single contingent of women peacekeepers in a UN mission since it deployed its first all-women contingent to Liberia in 2007.

• In 2007, India became the first country to deploy an entirely women contingent for a UN peacekeeping mission.

• Police units formed in Liberia provided 24-hour guard duty, night patrols in the capital Monrovia, and helped increase the capacity of the Liberian Police.

• The Indian contingent, comprising two officers and 25 other ranks, will form part of an engagement platoon and specialise in community outreach; they will also undertake extensive security work.

United Nations Interim Security Force (UNISFA)

• The United Nations Security Council responded immediately to the deteriorating situation in the Abyei region of Sudan by establishing UNISFA by its resolution 1990 of 27 June 2011.

• The UN Security Council was deeply concerned by the violence, rising tensions and population displacement.

• UNISFA was established after the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) reached an agreement in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

About UN Peacekeeping

• UN peacekeeping began in 1948 when the UN Security Council authorised the deployment of UN military observers in the Middle East.

• It helps to bring countries from conflict to a difficult path of peace.

• It deploys soldiers and police from all over the world for peacekeeping.

• India is one of the largest military and police contributors to UN peacekeeping operations.

• There are currently more than 5,700 Indian peacekeepers deployed in nine of the 12 UN peacekeeping missions.

India's first Inclusion Festival, Purple Fest begins in Goa

Tags:

Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr Virendra Kumar inaugurated 'Purple Fest: Celebrating Diversity', India's first festival of inclusion, in Goa on 6 January. 

An overview of the news

• It aims to showcase how we can come together to create a welcoming and inclusive world for everyone. 

• Purple Fest will feature a variety of exciting live performances, sports events, grand exhibitions, immersive experience zones, accessible movie screenings, and discussions on important topics such as inclusive education, tourism, employment and independent living.

• As part of the festival, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in association with the Office of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) has organised a two-day sensitization workshop on January 6 and 7 in Goa.

• The workshop will be inaugurated by Dr. Virendra Kumar, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment and Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant will be present as the Guest of Honour.

Aim Of The Purple Fest 2023

• Purple Fest is the first festival of its kind in Goa.

• It is an inclusive event that aims to highlight how we can work together to make the world a welcoming and inclusive place for all.

• The event includes panel discussions, artistic live performances, large displays, immersive experience zones and other activities.

Parshottam Rupala inaugurates 29 Mobile Veterinary Units and Centralised call centre in Thiruvananthapuram

Tags: Government Schemes State News

Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Purushottam Rupala inaugurated 29 Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs) and Centralised Call Center in Thiruvananthapuram on 5 January.

An overview of the news

• It is a major step for the benefit of the livestock farmers in Kerala. Kerala is deploying 50 MVUs in different districts.

• It will help transform the dairy sector from subsistence-based agricultural livelihood to a commercially viable enterprise, resulting in gainful employment for the youth of Kerala.

• These MVUs will be operated through a centralised call centre with a common helpline number - 1962.

• It will receive calls from herders/cattle owners and the vet will prioritise all the cases based on emergency nature and forward them to the nearest MVU for attending at the doorstep of the farmer.

• The MVUs will act as one-stop centres for resolution of veterinary issues and dissemination of information in remote areas of the country.

• The MVUs will provide diagnosis treatment, vaccination, artificial insemination, minor surgical intervention, audio-visual support to animal owners in far flung areas.

• In the current financial year, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Govt of India has sanctioned 4332 MVUs across the country.

Background

• MVUs are components under the Livestock Health and Disease Control (LH&DC) scheme.

• Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided to States/UTs for delivery of veterinary health services at the doorstep of farmers by providing 1 MVU per 1 lakh livestock population.

• The scheme provides 100% financial assistance towards non-recurring expenditure (@Rs.16.00 lakh/1MVU) on purchase and adaptation of Mobile Veterinary Units (MVU).

• Central share (100% for UTs, 90% for NE & Hilly States and 60% for all other States) towards recurring expenditure ( @ Rs.18.72 lakh/1 MVU)  on running of these MVUs.

Government declares The Resistance Front, TRF as a terrorist organisation

Tags: National National News

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has declared The Resistance Front (TRF) as a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. 

An overview of the news

• The Home Ministry's notification states that "the activities of the TRF are prejudicial to the national security and sovereignty of India."

• As per the Home Ministry notification, The Resistance Front (TRF) is recruiting youth through online medium for furthering terrorist activities, recruiting terrorists, infiltrating terrorists and smuggling arms and narcotics from Pakistan into J&K.

• The ministry also designated Sheikh Sajjad Gul, a commander of the TRF, as a terrorist under the Fourth Schedule of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967.

• The government also designated Mohammad Amin alias Abu Khubaib, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir but currently lives in Pakistan as a terrorist.

• For some years TRF was behind most of the attacks on civilians including Kashmiri Pandits and migrant workers as well as security forces in Kashmir.

The Resistance Front (TRF) 

• TRF came into existence in the year 2019 as a proxy organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

• It is a banned terrorist organisation listed at serial number 5 of the first schedule under UAPA.

• The TRF, an offshoot of the Lashkar led by Hafiz Saeed, was formed with the support of the Pakistan Army and the ISI.

• It was formed in response to the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir by India.

• It is headed by TRF Commander Sheikh Sajjad Gul.

• A large number of cases have been registered against members/associates of TRF related to planning to kill security force personnel and innocent civilians of J&K.

Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, (UAPA) 1967

• It is a preventive detention Act aimed at preventing activities directed against the integrity and sovereignty of India. 

• It was enacted by the Parliament in 1967.

• Unlawful activity refers to any action taken by a person or association with the aim of disrupting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of India.

India’s ‘2023 Science Vision’

Tags: Science and Technology National News

Briefing the media about the '2023 Science Vision', Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said, "The future belongs to those who have innovative ideas and out-of-the-box goals, and the conviction and courage to achieve them." He said this on the occasion of the Indian Science Congress.

108th Indian Science Congress

• The 108th Indian Science Congress is being held on January 3-7, 2023 at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj (RTM) Nagpur University in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the Indian Science Congress on January 3. 

• He talked about the achievements India has acquired in Science and Tech.

• The theme of this year’s Indian Science Congress is “Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment.”

2023 Science Vision

• The development of science, technology and innovation is the only way for sustainable development.

• The Prime Minister said in ISC 2023, in 2015 India was ranked 81st in the Global Innovation Index of 130 countries, but has reached 40th position in 2022.

• Most of the major S&T companies around the world are being headed by people from India.

• India has been a staunch supporter of promoting scientific temper in daily life. "Science, technology and innovation will define India@100 in 2047.

The first-ever “National Genome Editing & Training Centre” inaugurated at Mohali

Tags: Science and Technology State News

Union Minister of State for Science and TechnologyDr Jitendra Singh on 5 January inaugurated “National Genome Editing and Training Centre (NGETC)” at National Agri-food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) Mohali in Punjab.

An overview of the news

• He also inaugurated the 4-day International Conference on Food and Nutrition Security 2023.

• He said that Agri-tech start-ups have a unique potential in India and more awareness is needed to make it successful.

National Genome Editing and Training Centre (NGETC)

• It is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and is a suitable platform for adoption of various genome editing methods including genome modification and to meet regional needs.

• The center will also help in improving crops in present climate scenarios and making them more tolerant to changing environmental conditions.

• NGETC will cater to the regional needs for adoption of various genome editing methods.

• It will also empower young researchers by providing them training and guidance regarding its application in crops.

What is Genome Editing?

• Genome editing, also known as gene editing, is a group of different technologies that provide scientists with the ability to alter the deoxy-ribonucleic acid (DNA) of an organism.

• These technologies allow genetic material to be added, removed, or changed at particular locations in the genome.

Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council elects Saiyam Mehra as chairman

Tags: Person in news

The members of the All India Gem and Jewelry Domestic Council (GJC) on January 5 elected Sayam Mehra as the chairman and Rajesh Rokade as the vice-chairman of the body for a period of two years (2023-24).

An overview of the news

• GJC represents over 6,00,000 industry players including manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, distributors, laboratories, gemologists, designers and allied service providers.

• Saiyam Mehra, known for his vision to set benchmarks in the gold jewellery business, has been associated with GJC for the past several years.

• Being the convener, he ably led GJC's biggest B2B expo - GJS and chalked out its roadmap for the years to come.

• He has also headed PMI and has been instrumental in taking it to newer heights.

• The board also appointed Rajesh Rokade as the Vice Chairman, who is a thought leader and has been instrumental in promoting GJC initiatives.

• All India Gem and Jewelry Domestic Council is a national trade association for the promotion and development of the gems and jewellery trade across the country.