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By admin: Aug. 29, 2022

National Sports Day

Tags: Sports Important Days Sports News

India celebrates National Sports Day on 29 August every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyanchand.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The day raises awareness about physical activity, sports and overall health.

• The day is also dedicated to the eminent sports persons and sports champions of India, who have made a significant contribution to the sport to make the country proud.

• The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will organize the 'Meet the Champion' initiative in 26 schools across the country on the occasion of National Sports Day.

• Some prominent athletes including Commonwealth Games and World Championships gold medalist Nikhat Zareen, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games medalist Bhavna Patel, Tokyo Olympic and Commonwealth Games medalist Manpreet Singh will be part of the initiative.

• Theme of 2022 - 'Meet the Champion' 

History of the day :

• The first National Sports Day was celebrated in India on 29 August 2012.

• Major Dhyan Chand, widely known as 'Hockey Wizard' and 'The Magician', was born on August 29, 1905 in Uttar Pradesh and National Sports Day is celebrated to commemorate his birthday.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Significance of the day :

• Its primary objective is to promote awareness about the importance of sports in the daily life of all citizens and to be physically active.

• Various programs, seminars etc. are also organized by the government to increase awareness about the importance of physical activities and sports in life.

• The day is used as a platform to launch various sporting schemes.

About Major Dhyan Chand :

• He was a member of the Indian Men's Hockey team.

• He was born in Allahabad (Prayagraj) in Uttar Pradesh on August 29, 1905.

• He was instrumental in helping India complete its first hat-trick of Olympic gold medals with victories at the 1928, 1932 and 1936 Summer Olympics.

Sports Ministry to organise 'Meet the Champion' initiative in 26 schools

Tags: Sports Sports News

The Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry will organise - 'Meet the Champion' initiative in 26 schools across the country on the occasion of National Sports Day 29 August.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• Some of the prominent athletes will be a part of this initiative. These are Commonwealth Games and World Championships Gold Medalist Nikhat Zareen, Paralympics and CWG medalist Bhavina Patel, Tokyo Olympics and CWG medalist Manpreet Singh among others.

• The Sports Authority of India is also celebrating this year's National Sports Day as part of the Fit India campaign.

• Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Nishith Pramanik will hold a special virtual interaction with some of the country's sports and Fit India fitness icons on the importance of fitness and sports in India.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

What is 'Meet the Champions' Initiative? 

• It is a unique school visit campaign that was kicked off by Olympic Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra in December 2021. 

• This campaign has reached different parts of the country in the last few months.

• During the school visit, the champion athlete shares her experiences, life lessons and tips on eating right and provides an inspiring boost to school children as a whole.

Defence Minister approves 'indigenisation list' to promote domestic defence industry

Tags: Defence

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on August 28 approved a fresh list of 780 components and sub-systems that will be procured from the domestic industry after restrictions on their imports under a time-frame of about six years.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• This step has been taken to promote self-reliance in defence manufacturing and to reduce imports by Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).

• The Defence Ministry has set a specific time frame for the import ban of goods in the period from December 2023 to December 2028.

• This list is in continuation of two similar positive lists brought out in December 2021 and March 2022.

• Indigenization of these items will be done through various routes under 'Make' category.

• The 'Make' category aims at achieving self-reliance by involving greater participation of Indian industry in defence manufacturing.

• Projects related to the design and development of equipment, systems, major platforms or their upgrades by the industry can be taken up under this category.

• Indigenous development of these items will boost the economy and reduce the import dependence of DPSUs.

• DPSUs will soon issue Expression of Interest (EoI) and Request for Proposal (RFP).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

What is a positive indigenization list ?

• A positive indigenization list means that the armed forces will procure the listed items only from domestic manufacturers.

• Manufacturers can be private sector players or Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).

Govt Initiatives for indigenisation in defence sector :

• The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit under the automatic route in the defence sector has been increased from 49% to 74%.

• In October 2021, the government dissolved the four-decade-old Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and merged 41 factories of seven new state-owned companies to manufacture defence hardware ranging from munitions to heavy weapons and vehicles.

• India has inaugurated two defence industrial corridors, one in Tamil Nadu and the other in Uttar Pradesh, to promote the flagship "Make in India" programme.

• According to an estimate, the Indian Armed Forces are projected to spend around USD 130 billion in capital procurement over the next five years.

Supertech's 40-storey Twin Tower in Noida demolished due to violation of construction laws

Tags: National National News

After a nine-year-long legal battle, the Supertech Twin Towers of Noida Sector-93 were turned into rubble on August 28.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• It is part of the Emerald Court project of Supertech Ltd. Several violations were found regarding the construction of the tower and hence they were demolished.

• It is the tallest structure in India which is about 100 meters taller than Qutub Minar, comprises about 850 flats and is located in Sector 93A near the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.

Why were Noida’s Supertech twin towers demolished ?

• In November 2004, the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (Noida) allotted a plot of land to Supertech in Sector 93A for the construction of a housing society, known as Emerald Court.

• The building construction plan was approved in 2005 under the New Okhla Industrial Development Area Building Regulations and Directions, 1986.

• The building plan allowed builders to construct a total of 14 towers with ten floors each within a height of 37 meters.

• Following revised regulations in December 2006, a new and revised plan was approved, which now includes the construction of two additional floors for the towers and a shopping complex.

• The authorities had now approved 16 towers and a shopping complex.

• As of 2009, 14 towers had been built.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Court's Order :

• In 2014, the Allahabad High Court ruled that the towers were illegal and ordered its demolition.

• Challenging this order, Noida Authority and Supertech approached the Supreme Court.

• On August 31, 2021, the apex court upheld the judgement of the Allahabad High Court and ordered the demolition of the buildings.

• The Supreme Court found the construction of the twin towers to be a violation of the minimum distance requirement.

• The court observed that the towers were constructed without complying with the building rules and fire safety norms.

First convocation of National Forensic Science University

Tags: National National News

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah attended the first convocation of the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) in Gandhinagar on 28 August.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• More than one thousand students were awarded master's degrees during the ceremony.

• He also laid the foundation stone of the new southern campus of the university.

• He also inaugurated the Training and Skill Development Centre, an International Guest House at NFSU and three Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security, DNA Forensics and Investigative and Forensic Psychology.

• The three Centres of Excellence that have been set up will strengthen the students as well as the judicial system.

• These three centres will become major centres of research and development as well as teaching, training and consultancy and India will be the centre of the world in forensic science research.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

National Forensic Science University, Gandhinagar :

• The Gandhinagar campus is the first campus of the National Forensic Science University in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

• It has the status of Institute of National Importance, the first and only university in the world dedicated to forensic science.

• Gandhinagar Campus has the following Centres-

1. Center for International Relations Cyber Defence Center (CDC)

2. Cyber Defence Centre (CDC)

3. Center of Excellence for Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS)

4. Ballistics Research & Testing Centre

5. International Centre for Humanitarian Forensics (ICHF)

6. Centre for Futuristic Defence Studies

7. Forensic Innovation Centre

8. Buddha Psychological Centre