DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: Feb. 26, 2023

Hari Balakrishnan wins 2023 Marconi Prize

Tags: Awards

Computer scientist Hari Balakrishnan has been awarded the 2023 Marconi Prize. Dr. Balakrishnan is a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

An overview of the news

• The award is given in recognition of the broad impact on society of his fundamental discoveries in wired and wireless networking, mobile sensing and distributed systems.

About Hari Balakrishnan

• Hari Balakrishnan is the Fujitsu Professor of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

• He is also the Founder, Chief Technology Officer, and Chairman of Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT).

• Balakrishnan holds a BTech degree from IIT Madras and a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley.

• He has won the ACM SIGCOMM Award, IEEE Koji Kobayashi Award, Infosys Prize and has been inducted into the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

About the Marconi Prize

• The Marconi Prize is the flagship award of the Marconi Society.

• The award is given annually to innovators who have made a significant contribution to enhancing digital inclusion through the advancement of information and communication technology.

• The award is recommended by an independent selection committee of Marconi Prize recipients and approved by the Marconi Society Board.

India ranks 42 in 55 countries on International IP Index

Tags: INDEX

India has been ranked 42 out of 55 countries in the latest International IP Index report by the US Chamber of Commerce.

An overview of the news

• The United States ranks first in the 2023 index, followed by the UK and France.

• According to the report, India's size and economic influence is growing on the world stage.

• India is poised to become a leader for emerging markets seeking to transform their economies through IP-driven innovation.

• India has taken steps to improve enforcement against copyright-infringement and provides a best-in-class framework to promote better understanding and use of IP assets.

• Creating a new model to address long-standing flaws in the IP framework will be critical to India's continued economic growth, according to the report.

• Continued strong crackdown on copyright piracy through issuance of "dynamic" injunction orders, improved crackdown on online trademark infringement and damages, and generous R&D and IP-based tax incentives are some of India's strong points.

India's Weaknesses

• One of India's key areas of weakness is the 2021 dissolution of the IP Appellate Board.

• Limited framework for protection of biopharmaceutical IP rights and patentability requirements that are outside international standards are other weaknesses in India.

About International Intellectual Property Index

• It is an annual report compiled by the US Chambers of Commerce.

• It evaluates the protection of IP rights in the world's 55 major economies, which represent approximately 90% of global GDP.

• The report covers topics ranging from patent and copyright laws to the potential for monetizing IP assets and the ratification of international agreements.

• The index aims to help guide nations towards a brighter economic future marked by greater innovation, creativity and competitiveness.

Intellectual Property Rights

• Intellectual property rights are the rights given to persons/companies over the creations of their minds.

• They usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his/her creation for a certain period of time. 

• For e.g.  Development of a new software or discovery of new medicine.

PM inaugurates ‘Barisu Kannada Dim Dimava’, Amrit Mahotsav of Delhi-Karnataka Sangha

Tags: Festivals National News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘Barisu Kannada Dim Dimava’ cultural festival at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on 25 February.

An overview of the  news

• The festival is organised under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and celebrates the culture, traditions and history of Karnataka.

• In line with the Prime Minister's vision of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat', the 'Barisu Kannada Dim Dimva' cultural festival is being organized to celebrate the culture, traditions and history of Karnataka.

• Held under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the festival will provide an opportunity to hundreds of artistes to showcase the cultural heritage of Karnataka through dance, music, drama, poetry etc.

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat

• The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme was launched by the Prime Minister Modi on 31st October, 2015 on the occasion of the 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

• This programme is a unique initiative by the Government to promote the spirit of national integration and to strengthen the fabric of emotional bonds between the people of our country.

• Every State and UT in the country would be paired with another State/UT for a time period, during which they would carry out a structured engagement with one another in the spheres of language, literature, cuisine, festivals, cultural events, tourism etc.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz calls on President Droupadi Murmu

Tags: International Relations International News

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on President Draupadi Murmu, in New Delhi on February 25.

An overview of the news

• India and Germany enjoy a long-standing relationship, based on shared values and shared goals for both countries.

• Bilateral relations cover a wide spectrum, reflecting the mutual trust that has been nurtured over the decades.

• Germany is India's largest trading partner in Europe and also among the top investors in India.

• Germany is also India's second largest development cooperation partner and has played an important role in India's development journey.

• In recent years, Germany has emerged as a preferred destination for Indian students and researchers seeking to pursue higher education, especially in science and technology.

• India and Germany also have strong cultural ties, with a long tradition of German Indologists working in India.

• India and Germany share a common objective in maintaining democratic values, rules-based international order, multilateralism, as well as reform of multilateral institutions.

Federal Republic of Germany 

• Germany is also known as Deutschland.

• Capital : Berlin

• Currency : Euro

• President : Frank-Walter Steinmeier

• Chancellor : Olaf Scholz

• The German Chancellor is equivalent to the Prime Minister in India.

Ellora -Ajanta International Festival 2023 begins in Maharashtra

Tags: Festivals State News

After a gap of seven years, the three-day Ellora-Ajanta International Festival began on February 25 at the historic Sonari Palace, located on the campus of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University.

An overview of the news

• Soneri Mahal is decorated with attractive replicas of Ellora and Ajanta. It reflects the rich tradition of Aurangabad.

• The program started with Kathak dance by Mayur Vaidya and Mrinmoyee Deshpande.

• Sitar player Ustad Sujat Hussain, tabla player Amit Choubey and Mukesh Jadhav performed.

• Drum player Padamshri Shiv Mani, Sitar player Ravi Chari, Piano player Sangeet Haldipur, Khanjira player Selva Ganesh, bass guitar player Sheldon DeSilva and Aditi Bhagwat will also perform on kathak dance. 

• Union Minister of State for Finance Dr. Bhagwat Karad inaugurated this festival.

About Ellora -Ajanta International Festival

• Ellora Ajanta Festival An annual festival, where singers and dancers from across the country gather to showcase their talents.

• Indian classical art forms, especially Kathak and Odissi are performed by popular artistes.

• Earlier, all the shows were held at Ellora, in recent times the venue has been changed to Soneri Mahal in Aurangabad.

• The festival is not only for the dance shows but also serves as a platform for many local artists to promote their handicrafts and other amazing art pieces created by them.

• The festival showcases the rich history of India and its cultural traditions to the world in the best possible way.

Other Festivals of Maharashtra

Gudi Padwa

• This festival is generally celebrated by Maharashtrians as Hindu New Year celebrations.

Pola Festival

• It is a harvest festival and is celebrated all over the state of Maharashtra, especially in the rural areas.

Elephanta Festival

• Elephanta festival is held every year in February. Elephanta is a small island near Mumbai.

Kalidas Mahotsav

• The Kalidas Samaroh is held annually in the month of November in Nagpur's Ramtek area, in honour of the famous Sanskrit poet and dramatist Kalidas.

Indian Air Force contingent reaches in UAE to participate in Exercise Desert Flag VIII

Tags: Defence International News

An Indian Air Force contingent of 110 Air Warriors reached Al Dahfra airbase of United Arab Emirates on 25 February for participating in Exercise 'Desert Flag VIII'.

An overview of the news

• Tejas, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) made in India, will make its first appearance at a multinational exercise in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

• The IAF would be participating with five LCA Tejas and two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. 

About Exercise Desert Flag

• It is a multilateral air exercise in which air forces from the United Arab Emirates, France, Kuwait, Australia, United Kingdom, Bahrain, Morocco, Spain, Republic of Korea and the United States will also participate.

• This exercise will run from 27 February to 17 March.

• The objective of the exercise is to participate in multiple combat events and learn from best practices of air forces of different countries.

TEJAS fighter aircraft 

• It is an 'Indigenous Light Combat Aircraft'.

• It has been jointly developed by 'Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA)' and 'Hindustan Aeronautics Limited' (HAL).

• It is the smallest-lightweight single-engine 'Multirole Tactical Fighter Aircraft'.

• It has been designed with an aim to reduce India's dependence on Russia's MiG-21 fighter jets and move towards self-reliance in the field of national security.

• It is designed to carry a range of air-to-air, air-to-surface weapons.

• It is capable of refueling in the sky during the journey and has a maximum payload capacity of 4000 kg.

• It can achieve a maximum speed of Mach 1.8 and has a range of 3,000 km.