1. “Virasat” – Handloom Home Decor Festival
Tags: National News
The Ministry of Textiles will organise a special handloom exhibition “VIRASAT” - from 20-30 January 2023 at Handloom Haat, New Delhi to showcase home decor products made from handlooms.
News Overview
The special handloom saree exhibition “Virasat” – a celebration of 75 handwoven sarees of India was organised by the Ministry of Textiles in two phases from 16 to 30 December and 3 to 17 January 2023 at Handloom Haat, Janpath, New Delhi.
The Sari Mahotsav was inaugurated by Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman on 16 December 2022.
In which 160 participants from different parts of the country displayed famous hand made sarees.
A social media campaign was also launched on the occasion under a common hashtag #MySariMyPride to support handloom weavers.
2. Think-20 group meeting concludes in Bhopal
Tags: Summits National News
A two-day meeting of the Think-20 group was organised under the G-20 on 16-17 January 2023 in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Think-20 was launched by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
An Overview of the news
Under the Think-20 grouping of the G-20, the overarching theme of the meeting is "Global Good Governance with an Environment-Friendly Lifestyle, Moral Values and Well-Being".
A program of two plenary sessions and round table meetings was organised on the topics to be taken up in Think-20.
In the first plenary session, the topic 'Role of Triangular Cooperation in Localization of SDGs' was discussed, while in the second plenary session, the topic 'New Complementaries in Trade and Value Chains' was discussed.
Along with this, a round table meeting was also organised on 'Global South and Global Governance for Life'.
After the conclusion of the meeting on January 17, the representatives of the G20 countries visited the world-famous tourist destination Sanchi in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh.
3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the second phase of Sansad Khel Mahakumbh 2022-23
Tags: Sports News National News
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the second phase of Sansad Khel Mahakumbh 2022-23 organised in Basti (Uttar Pradesh) district through conferencing on 18 January 2023.
Sansad Khel Mahakumbh is being organised from the year 2021 by Mr. Harish Dwivedi, Lok Sabha MP from Basti.
The first phase of Sansad Khel Mahakumbh 2022-23 was organised from December 10 to December 16, 2022 and the second phase will be organised from January 18 to January 28, 2023.
Both indoor and outdoor sports events like Wrestling, Kabaddi, Kho Kho, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Volleyball, Handball, Chess, Carrom, Badminton, Table Tennis etc. are organised during Sansad Khel Mahakumbh.
Apart from this, competitions for essay writing, painting, making Rangoli etc. are also organised.
The objective of this unique initiative is to provide an opportunity and platform to the youth of Basti district and surrounding areas to showcase their sporting talent and also motivate them to take up sports as a career option.
Through this, efforts are also being made to inculcate discipline, team spirit, healthy competition, self-confidence and sense of nationalism among the youth of the region.
4. B-20 inception meeting to be organised in Gandhinagar from January 22
Tags: National News
As part of India's G-20 chairmanship, a Business-20 (B-20) founding meeting will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from January 22 to 24.
An overview of the news
The main program of the B-20 Founding Meeting prepared by the B-20 India Secretariat in accordance with the theme of the conference "R.A.I.S.E: Responsible, Accelerated, Innovative, Sustainable and Equitable Businesses".
The meeting will be held to prepare policy recommendations to be presented to the G20 ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit.
This will be the first of 15 events that the other country is set to host as part of India's G20 presidency.
The opening ceremony of the B-20 founding meeting will be attended by Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Ashwini Vaishnav, state Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, India's Sherpa to G-20 Amitabh Kant and Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran.
The inaugural meeting will be participated by more than 150 policy-makers, business executives, CEOs and senior executives representing enterprises from G-20 countries.
Issues to be discussed
Climate change,
Digital collaboration across borders in times of wars and pandemics,
Sustainable and flexible value chain,
Innovation among netizens,
Financial Inclusion to Empower Communities in Different Socio-Economic Conditions
5. Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc resigns amid allegations of corruption and scandals
Tags: Person in news International News
Vietnam's President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has submitted his resignation on January 17 after the ruling Communist Party found him responsible for corruption, scandals and wrongdoings.
An overview of the news
The anti-corruption campaign has led to the sacking of several ministers in Vietnam.
Earlier, two deputy prime ministers who served under President Phuc had quit.
The resignation of the President requires approval from the National Assembly.
Former Prime Minister Phuc had assumed the office of President from 2021.
Phuc, 69, served as Vietnam's prime minister from 2016 until April 2021, when he was elected president.
Vietnam is a country with single party rule and any political changes are very carefully managed for political stability and continuity.
However, it is not clear who will be the new President.
About Vietnam
It lies in South East Asia and it is a member of Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN)
Capital: Hanoi
Currency: Dong
6. India-South Korea holds 5th Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue
Tags: International Relations International News
Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), made an official visit to South Korea and co-chaired the 5th Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue (FPSD) with his Korean counterpart Cho Hyundong.
An overview of the news
During the two-day talks that ended on January 17, the two sides agreed to deepen cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, security and defence, science and technology as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
India and South Korea agreed to work to make global supply chains more resilient and robust.
Both the countries agreed to take bilateral trade to US$ 50 billion by 2030 from an all-time high of US$ 28 billion at present.
Both sides also discussed opportunities for cooperation in new and emerging technologies.
India has offered investment to Korean companies in manufacturing, infrastructure and other sectors.
About South Korea
South Korea is a country located in East Asia that is known as the 'Land of Quiet Mornings'.
The Korean peninsula was divided into communist Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and Republic of Korea (South Korea) after the Korean War in 1953.
The nation's capital, Seoul, is the world's second largest metropolitan area and a major global city.
North Korea is the only country bordering this country.
Martial arts Taekwondo originated in Korea.
President- Yoon Suk-yol
Currency- South Korean won
7. India-South Korea holds 5th Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue
Tags: International Relations International News
Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), made an official visit to South Korea and co-chaired the 5th Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue (FPSD) with his Korean counterpart Cho Hyundong.
An overview of the news
During the two-day talks that ended on January 17, the two sides agreed to deepen cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, security and defence, science and technology as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
India and South Korea agreed to work to make global supply chains more resilient and robust.
Both the countries agreed to take bilateral trade to US$ 50 billion by 2030 from an all-time high of US$ 28 billion at present.
Both sides also discussed opportunities for cooperation in new and emerging technologies.
India has offered investment to Korean companies in manufacturing, infrastructure and other sectors.
About South Korea
South Korea is a country located in East Asia that is known as the 'Land of Quiet Mornings'.
The Korean peninsula was divided into communist Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and Republic of Korea (South Korea) after the Korean War in 1953.
The nation's capital, Seoul, is the world's second largest metropolitan area and a major global city.
North Korea is the only country bordering this country.
Martial arts Taekwondo originated in Korea.
President- Yoon Suk-yol
Currency- South Korean won
8. Environment Ministry included Neelakurinji in the list of protected plants
Tags: Environment National News
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) has listed Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) in the list of protected plants under Schedule III of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
An overview of the news
According to the Environment Ministry, those who uproot or destroy the plant will be fined Rs 25,000 and imprisoned for three years.
Cultivation and possession of this plant is not allowed.
Neelakurinji has been included in the list after the Center expanded the earlier protected list of six plant species to 19.
About Neelakurunji
Neelakurinji is a tropical plant species and is native to the shola forests in the Western Ghats.
It is also found in Shevaroy Hills in the Eastern Ghats, Annamalai Hills in Kerala and Sanduru Hills in Karnataka.
It grows on mountain slopes at an altitude of 1300 to 2400 meters to a height of 30 to 60 cm.
The flowers of Neelakurinji are violet-blue in colour and bloom once in 12 years. The flower has no scent or any medicinal value.
Because of these flowers, the Nilgiri hills at the southern end of the Western Ghats are called the Blue Mountains.
It is one of the rarest plant species that grows in the Western Ghats and does not grow in any other part of the world.
It is classified as an endangered species.
9. British home secretary Suella Braverman clears Sanjay Bhandari’s extradition
Tags: Person in news International News
Two months after a Westminster court in London ordered the extradition of fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari to India, British Home Secretary Suella Braverman has given her approval on the matter.
An overview of the news
It is noteworthy that on November 7, District Judge Michael Snow ordered Bhandari's extradition which was sent to Home Secretary Suella Braverman for approval.
Bhandari, 60, has been under investigation since 2019 for corruption in a Rs 2,985-crore deal in 2009 to buy 75 PC-7 trainer aircraft from Swiss aircraft maker Pilatus Aircraft.
He is also facing a probe for alleged money laundering in properties linked to Robert Vadra, son-in-law of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi in London.
What is Extradition?
Extradition is the formal process of surrendering a person from one state to another.
The purpose of this process is the prosecution or punishment for offences committed by a person within the jurisdiction of the requesting country.
The extradition of a fugitive criminal to India is regulated under the Indian Extradition Act, 1962.
The Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV) Division, Ministry of External Affairs is the central/nodal authority to administer the Extradition Act.
Extradition process can be initiated in case of under-investigation, under-trial and convicted criminals.
10. National Council of Education Research and Training notified India's first National Assessment Regulator "PARAKH"
Tags: National News
Recently the National Council of Education Research and Training has notified India's first National Assessment Regulator "PARKH" with the aim of setting up assessment guidelines for all boards.
What is PARAKH?
PARAKH stands for Performance Appraisal, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development.
It will act as a component of NCERT.
It is also entrusted with the task of conducting periodic learning outcome tests like National Achievement Survey (NAS) and State Achievement Survey.
This framework will also act to check the emphasis on rote learning as envisaged by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Its team comprises prominent evaluation experts with a deep understanding of the education system in India and internationally.
Objective of PARAKH:
Uniform Norms and Guidelines: To lay down norms, standards and guidelines for student assessment and assessment across all recognized school boards in India.
Improvement in assessment pattern: It will act to encourage school boards to change their assessment pattern towards meeting the skill requirements of the 21st century.
Reducing disparity in evaluation: This will bring uniformity across state and central boards that currently follow different standards of evaluation, leading to wide disparities in marks.
Benchmark Assessment: The benchmark assessment framework will address the issues contained in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
