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By admin: Sept. 18, 2023

Madhya Pradesh government unveils 108-feet statue of Adi Shankaracharya in Omkareshwar

Tags: State News

On September 18, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveiled a massive 108-feet-tall statue of eighth-century philosopher Adi Shankaracharya in Mandhata town (also known as Omkareshwar) in Khandwa district, about 80 km from Indore.

An Overview of the News

• This event has been named 'Ekatmata Ki Pratima' or 'Statue of Oneness'.

• This statue is located on Mandhata mountain near the holy Omkareshwar temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.

Tribute to Adi Shankaracharya:

• The statue is a tribute to Adi Shankaracharya, an eminent philosopher who visited Omkareshwar at the age of 12 to attain enlightenment on Advaita Vedanta philosophy.

• Adi Shankaracharya spent four years in Omkareshwar studying this philosophy before embarking on a journey to preach Advaita Vedanta across the country.

Chief Minister's Vision:

• Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan mooted the idea of this statue during his visit to Omkareshwar in January 2017.

Sculpture:

• The statue depicts Adi Shankaracharya at the age of 12, the age at which he visited Omkareshwar.

• No photographs or paintings of him existed at the time, so a painter was chosen to create an image based on various ancient literary sources.

• Then the statue was conceptualized and constructed on the basis of this painting.

Development Plans:

• The state government has ambitious plans to develop Omkareshwar as a cultural and spiritual heritage site.

• They are planning to establish 'Advaita Lok', a museum dedicated to preserving and showcasing the philosophical traditions of Advaita Vedanta.

• Additionally, an 'Advaita Van' spread over 36 hectares is being created at Omkareshwar to preserve the natural beauty and sustainability of the area.

Indian Bank launches 'IB Sathi' initiative to promote financial inclusion services

Tags: Economics/Business

Indian Bank launched a new initiative called 'IB Saathi' (Sustainable Access and Aligned Technology for Holistic Inclusion) with an aim to strengthen its efforts towards financial inclusion.

An Overview of the News

• As part of this initiative, Indian Bank is committed to providing basic banking services for at least four hours every day through fixed outlets at all its centres.

• The move aims to ensure wider access to banking services.

• Apart from the fixed outlets, the Bank's Business Correspondent (BC) agents will also provide their services directly at the doorstep of customers.

Expansion Plans:

• Indian Bank has ambitious plans to expand its BC network.

• By March 2024, the bank aims to deploy over 5,000 new BCs.

• Currently, it already has 10,750 BCs and 10 Corporate Business Correspondents (CBCs), and this number will significantly increase to 15,000 BCs and 15 CBCs, thereby expanding the reach and coverage of the bank.

Service Portfolio:

• Indian Bank currently offers 36 different services to customers through its BC channel. However, in the coming years, the bank intends to launch an additional 60 services by FY25.

• This expansion of services will empower customers and promote financial inclusion.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz wins 2023 Singapore Grand Prix

Tags: Sports

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz ended Max Verstappen's 10-win streak and prevented Red Bull from remaining unbeaten at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.

An Overview of the News

• Lando Norris of McLaren took second place in the race.

• Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton took third place on the podium.

• It was the first time since the Brazilian Grand Prix in November last year that Red Bull failed to achieve a podium finish.

• The 2023 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix attracted 264,108 spectators over the race weekend, exceeding expectations. However, it fell short of last year's record attendance of 302,000 and the 2019 edition's figure of 268,000. The Singapore Grand Prix was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

List of Previous Race Winners:-

• Italian Grand Prix 2023: Max Verstappen

• Dutch Grand Prix 2023: Max Verstappen

• Hungarian Grand Prix 2023: Max Verstappen

• British Grand Prix 2023: Max Verstappen

• Canadian Grand Prix: Max Verstappen

• Spanish Grand Prix 2023: Max Verstappen

• Monaco Grand Prix 2023: Max Verstappen

• Bahrain Grand Prix 2023: Max Verstappen

• Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023: Sergio Pérez

• Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2023: Sergio Pérez

Writer and filmmaker Geeta Mehta passes away at the age of 80

Tags: Person in news

Famous writer and filmmaker Geeta Mehta passed away at the age of 80.

An Overview of the News

• Geeta Mehta wrote several acclaimed books, including"Karma Cola," "Snakes and Ladders," "A River Sutra," "Raj," and "Eternal Ganesha."

• His literary works have been translated into 21 languages and achieved bestseller status in Europe, America and India.

• Mehta made significant contributions to the world of television documentaries, producing and directing at least 14 documentaries for UK, European and American networks.

• His notable documentary, "Dateline Bangladesh" featured the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 and was screened internationally, including in India.

Family Relations:

• Geeta Mehta was the elder sister of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and businessman Prem Patnaik.

• Her husband, American publisher Sonny Mehta, died in December 2019.

Recognition and Awards:

• In 2019, he was awarded the Padma Shri award, but decided not to accept it.

India's historic Santiniketan received World Heritage status by UNESCO

Tags: place in news

Santiniketan, located in West Bengal, India, has achieved the prestigious status of being recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

An Overview of the News

• This significant achievement was officially confirmed during the 45th World Heritage Committee meeting held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking Santiniketan as the 41st World Heritage Property in India.

Historical Background:

• Shantiniketan was founded as an ashram by Rabindranath Tagore in 1863.

• In 1901, Rabindranath Tagore converted it into a school and art centre, following the traditional Gurukul system of education.

UNESCO Nomination:

• Shantiniketan has been part of the UNESCO tentative list since 2010, reflecting its potential cultural and historical importance.

• The official nomination document for UNESCO inscription was submitted to the World Heritage Center in January 2021.

Rabindranath Tagore's vision:

• Shantiniketan is a symbol of the visionary work of Rabindranath Tagore.

• Tagore's vision, known as 'Visva Bharati', aimed to promote global unity by incorporating elements of ancient, medieval and folk traditions.

About Rabindranath Tagore

• He was an Indian poet, writer, playwright, musician, philosopher, social reformer and painter.

• He reshaped Bengali literature, music and Indian art with contemporary modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

• Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913, becoming the first non-European and the first lyricist to win the honour.

• His notable works include "Gitanjali," "Ghare-Baire," "Bharto Bhagyo Bidhata," "Gora," "Jana Gana Mana," "Ravindra Sangeet," and "Amar Shonar Bangla."

• He was often called the "Bard of Bengal" and was known by nicknames such as Gurudeb, Kobiguru and Biswokobi.

About UNESCO

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN).

• It is also a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UN SDGs), a coalition of United Nations agencies and organizations that aims to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Headquarters:- Paris, France

• Director General:- Audrey Azoulay

• Founded:- 16 November 1945 in London, United Kingdom

• The organization has:- 193 members and 11 associate members.

Srinivasan K Swamy elected as Chairman of Audit Bureau of Circulation

Tags: Person in news

RK Swamy Hansa Group Executive Chairman Srinivasan K Swamy was elected as the Chairman of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) for 2023-2024.

An Overview of the News

• Srinivasan K Swamy is currently the Chairman of the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations.

• He held leadership roles in various organizations including the International Advertising Association (IAA) and the Advertising Agencies Association of India.

• He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI).

• HormuzdMasani held the position of Secretary General in the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC):-

• Established in 1948

• Headquartered in Mumbai

Major appointments of ABC:

• Vice Chairman: Riyad Mathew

• Secretary: Mohit Jain

• Treasurer: Vikram Sakhuja