DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: Feb. 21, 2023

Eknath Shinde-led Sena faction gets ‘bow and arrow’ symbol

Tags: National News

The Election Commission of India on 17 February ordered the Eknath Shinde faction to be renamed the Shiv Sena, the commission also said that the arrow and bow would be retained as election symbols by Eknath Shinde's party.

An overview of the news

• Both the Shiv Sena factions (Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray) are fighting for the party's bow and arrow symbol after Shinde (the current chief minister of Maharashtra) rebelled against Thackeray last year.

• The Election Commission, in its 78-page order, said the current constitution of Shiv Sena is "undemocratic".

• Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister of Maharashtra before Shinde rebelled and took over in June 2022.

• Both the factions are fighting to keep the original name and symbol of the party to represent the "real" Shiv Sena.

• Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray said the Election Commission's order recognizing the Eknath Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena was "dangerous for democracy", and he would challenge it in the Supreme Court.

How does EC decide who gets the symbol?

• The question of a split in a political party outside the legislature is decided by para 15 of the Emblems Order, 1968.

• Accordingly, the Election Commission of India (ECI) may take into account all available facts and circumstances and conduct a majority test.

• The decision of the Election Commission shall be binding on all such rival sections or groups that have emerged after partition.

• This applies to disputes between recognized national and state parties.

• For splits in registered but unrecognised parties, the Election Commission usually advises the two factions to resolve their differences internally or approach the court.

Election Commission of India

• It is a permanent and independent body established by the Constitution of India to ensure free and fair elections in India.

• It was established as per the Constitution on 25 January 1950.

• It administers the elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Assemblies, State Legislative Councils and the President and Vice President of the country.

• It has nothing to do with elections to panchayats and municipalities in the states. For this the Constitution of India provides for a separate State Election Commission.

• Basically there is only one Chief Election Commissioner in the Election Commission.

• Currently it consists of two Election Commissioners.

• The President appoints Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.

• They have a tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65 years.

Govt forms cabinet secretary-led panel to monitor Mission Karmayogi

Tags: committee National News

Anapex panel comprising seven secretaries has been constituted under the leadership of Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba to oversee the implementation of the Karmayogi programme, the government's ambitious mission for training government employees.

An overview of the news

• It is the coordination committee of the Cabinet Secretariat that will oversee Mission Karmayogi.

• It will review the progress of the program and guide the government to train and upgrade the competencies of all civil servants to match the role.

• A Cabinet Secretariat Coordination Unit (CSCU) was recently set up under the National Program for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB) or Mission Karmayogi.

• The CSCU will have nominees from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Secretary (Coordination), Cabinet Secretariat, Department of Personnel and Training Secretary, Home Secretary, Expenditure Secretary, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Secretary, Higher Education Secretary and Revenue Secretary as members.

About Mission Karmayogi Scheme

• Mission Karmayogi Yojana was launched on 2nd September 2020.

• This scheme is operated under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

• The main objective of the Mission Karmayogi scheme is to develop the capabilities of government employees.

• Under the Mission Karmayogi scheme, a budget of Rs 510.86 crore has been set by the government for a period of 5 years for about 46 lakh central employees.

• For the successful operation of the scheme iGOT Karmayogi platform has also been formed through which online contact is made available.

Former Gujarat governor O P Kohli passes away

Tags: Person in news

Former Gujarat governor and veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Om Prakash Kohli passed away on 20 February. He was 87.

An overview of the news

• He held the responsibility of many posts including the President of Delhi Pradesh BJP.

• Apart from being a Rajya Sabha member, he was the 19th Governor of Gujarat from 2014 to 2019.

• Kohli began his political career as a volunteer of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and held various positions with the ABVP, the Delhi University Students' Union and the Delhi University Teachers' Association.

• In January 1991, Kohli entered the political arena and took over as the President of the Delhi BJP.

• He held the office of president thrice and represented Delhi in the Rajya Sabha.

• As a member of the National Executive of the BJP, he also held the organisational charge of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana.

Pangong Tso lake marathon registered as world's highest Frozen Lake Marathon in the Guinness Book

Tags: National National News

The Frozen Lake Marathon at Pangong Tso Lake in the Union Territory of Ladakh has been officially included in the Guinness Book of World Records as the Highest Frozen Lake Marathon for the first time.

An overview of the news

• It was organised on 20 February at the world-famous Pangong Lake, situated at an altitude of 4,350 metres above sea level.

• The Frozen Lake Marathon is being organised for the first time in the country and is considered to be one of the toughest because of the high altitude and cold.

• The theme of this marathon is 'The Last Run' and it is organised with the aim of creating awareness about climate change in Ladakh and promoting border tourism.

• It was organised under the Vibrant Village Program to accelerate the pace of development in border villages.

• The 21 km long marathon that started at Luking village was organised by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councilin association with the Adventure Sports Foundation of Ladakh.

Pangong Tso lake

• It is a long narrow, deep landlocked lake situated at an altitude of over 14,000 feet in the Himalayas.

• The western end is located 54 km to the south-east of Leh.

• This salt water lake freezes in winter.

• It is about 135 km long, of which more than two-thirds is under Chinese control.

• The Line of Actual Control passes through the middle of this lake.

India and Singapore launch joint digital payment mechanism

Tags: Economy/Finance International News

India and Singapore on 21 February launched a joint digital payment mechanism to enable residents of both countries to make easier and faster cross-border transactions.

An overview of the news

• The facility was jointly launched by Shaktikanta Das, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and Ravi Menon, Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

• India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Singapore's PayNow have entered into an agreement in this regard to facilitate these transactions.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong participated in the virtual launch of Real Time Payment Linkage.

• This will add a new chapter in fintech connectivity. Now people can make cost effective and fast money transfers from their mobile phones.

• This real-time payment system will help the Indian diaspora in Singapore, especially migrant workers and students.

International Mother Language Day

Tags: Important Days

International Mother Language Day is celebrated on 21 February to spread awareness of linguistic, and cultural diversity, and to promote multilingualism.

An overview of the news

• India is home to hundreds of languages and thousands of dialects, making its linguistic and cultural diversity one of the most unique in the world.

• Language is not only a means of communication but it also represents a diverse cultural and intellectual heritage.

• The theme for 2023 International Mother Language Day is “Multilingual Education – a necessity to transform education”.

• This theme is in line with recommendations made during the Transforming Education Summit, where emphasis was also placed on the education and languages of indigenous peoples.

Background of the day

• UNESCO announced this day on November17, 1999, and since 2000, this day has been celebrated all over the world.

• The day also marks the long struggle put up by Bangladesh to protect its mother tongue, Bangla.

• The suggestion to celebrate 21 February as International Mother Language Day was made by Rafiqul Islam, a Bangladeshi living in Canada.

• He proposed this date to remember the 1952 killings in Dhaka during the Bangla language movement.

The Kashmir Files wins best film at Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards

Tags: Awards

The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival awards were announced on 20 February with The Kashmir Files winning the Best Film award.

An overview of the news

• Alia Bhattalso won the Best Actress award for Gangubai Kathiawadi and husband Ranbir Kapoor won the Best Actor award for Brahmastra.

• Anupam Kher received the Most Versatile Actor of the Year award for The Kashmir Files.

• Actor-filmmaker Rishab Shetty won the Most Promising Actor award for his Kannada film Kantara.

• Varun Dhawan also won the Critics Best Actor Award for his film Bhediya.

• In the television category, Rupali Ganguly-starrer Anupama won the Television Series of the Year award.

Winners list of Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Awards - 2023

• Best Film: The Kashmir Files

• Best Director: R Balki for Chup: Revenge of The Artist

• Best Actor: Ranbir Kapoor for Brahmastra: Part 1

• Best Actress: Alia Bhatt for Gangubai Kathiawadi

• Most Promising Actor: Rishab Shetty for Kantara

• Best Actor In A Supporting Role: Manish Paul for Jugjugg Jeeyo

• Outstanding Contribution In The Film Industry: Rekha

• Best Web Series: Rudra: The Edge of Darkness

• Critics Best Actor: Varun Dhawan for Bhediya

• Film of The Year: RRR

• Television Series of The Year: Anupamaa

• Most Versatile Actor Of The Year: Anupam Kher for The Kashmir Files

• Best Actor In A Television Series: Zain Imam for Fanaa- Ishq Mein Marjawaan

• Best Actress In A Television Series: Tejasswi Prakash for Naagin

• Best Male Singer: Sachet Tandon for Maiyya Mainu

• Best Female Singer: Neeti Mohan for Meri Jaan

• Best Cinematographer: PS Vinod for Vikram Vedha

• Outstanding Contribution In The Music Industry: Hariharan

About Dadasaheb Phalke Award

• Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in the field of cinema.

• Rajinikanth was honoured with this award in 2019.

• The award is given in the memory of Dadasaheb Phalke, who is regarded as the 'Father of Indian Cinema'.

• He made the first Hindi movie, Raja Harishchandra.

Northern India’s first nuclear plant to come up in Haryana’s Gorakhpur

Tags: State News

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on 19 February said that North India's first nuclear power plant is being set up in Gorakhpur, Haryana, about 150 km north of the national capital.

An overview of the news

• The Center has approved the setting up of 10 nuclear reactors to increase India's nuclear capacity.

• The Department of Atomic Energy has also been permitted to form joint ventures with Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) for resources to set up nuclear power plants.

• Nuclear power plants were earlier mostly confined to southern states such as Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and western Maharashtra but will now be developed across the country.

About first nuclear plant in Haryana’s Gorakhpur

• Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Project (GHAVP) consists of two units of 700 MW each.

• Each of these has indigenously designed Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR).

• It is under implementation near Gorakhpur village of Fatehabad district in Haryana.

• So far, an amount of ₹4,906 crore has been spent out of the total allocated amount of ₹20,594 crore.

Union Minister of Food Processing Industry inaugurates India Pavillion at Dubai

Tags: International News

India Pavilion’ at Gulfood, Dubai was inaugurated by Pashupati Kumar Paras, Minister of Food Processing Industries, Government of India in the presence of Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to the UAE on 20 February.

An overview of the news

• The 'India Pavilion' is the largest pavilion at Gulfood 2023.

• The 'India Pavilion' has 306 companies, including leading SMEs and startups, participating on one platform.

• Indian companies are exhibiting in all sectors of Gulffood including beverages, pulses, cereals, food, meat and poultry, dairy, fats and oils etc.

• Major Indian companies participating include Amul, MDH, Parle, Rasna, Bikanerwala, Bikaji, Everest Foods, Markfed, Safal and Red Fort.

• In the 'India Pavilion', special promotion and branding of millets superfoods will be done as the United Nations celebrates the International Year of Millets 2023.

• APEDA will sign an MoU with Lulu Group International for in-store promotion of millets in its supermarkets in the UAE.

Food Processing Industry of India

• India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables, rice, fish and tea.

• India ranks first in terms of production of milk, millets, spices, pulses.

• India has agricultural exports of US$ 46.1 billion and 23 operational mega food parks and 12 agro-processing clusters.

• India has shown renewed interest in millets because of their nutritional value and sustainability.

India to host Permanent Mission Roundtables at UN Head Quarter as Chair of G- 20

Tags: National National News

India as the Chair of the G-20 will host the Permanent Mission Roundtable at the UN Headquarters ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit to be held in New York this year.

An overview of the news

• A series of round table conferences have been lined up for the next few months.

• A roundtable titled ‘Gandhian Trusteeship: A panel discussion on Sustainable Lifestyles and Enduring Pace’ will be held.

• This will be followed on March 9 by a roundtable on 'The world we women and girls want: Technology-driven social and economic advancement'.

• On March 16, a roundtable on ‘Grassroots leadership and transformation: Charting the path of empowerment through technology and skill development’ will take place.

• A special program has been planned to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar on 14th April.

• During the event, the focus will be on India's growth story and achievements.

• The 2023 SDG Summit will be held in September 2023 under the auspices of the United Nations General Assembly.

BVR Subrahmanyam appointed new CEO of Niti Aayog

Tags: Person in news

The government on 20 February approved the appointment of BVR Subrahmanyam as the CEO of NITI Aayog. He will be the fourth CEO of NITI Aayog.

An overview of the news

• Subrahmanyam will replace Parameswaran Iyer, who has been appointed as the Executive Director of the World Bank for a period of two years.

• Prior to this, he was the former Commerce Secretary to the Government of India.

• Subramaniam, a 1987 batch IAS officer of Chhattisgarh cadre, was appointed as the chairman and managing director of ITPO on a two-year contract after his superannuation on September 30.

• Subramaniam has also been the personal secretary of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

NITI Aayog

• It is the apex public policy think tank of the Government of India and responsible for bringing ideas and focus to key areas through policy formulation.

• It is also responsible for promoting cooperative federalism in the country through the participation of state governments in the economic policy-making process.