5 September 2022 – Current Affairs

Hyderabad Liberation Day

Paper 1 – History

Why Should You Know?

Recently, the Government of India has approved the year-long commemoration festival of ‘Hyderabad Liberation Day’.

In details –

• On September 3, the Government of India announced year-long commemoration of the Hyderabad Liberation Day starting from September 17, 2022. In an official press release, the Ministry of Culture said that the inauguration of the program would be done by Home Minister Amit Shah, who will be the chief guest at the inaugural program that is scheduled to take place at Parade Grounds in Hyderabad. Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Telangana and Karnataka have been invited to the program.
• The year-long commemoration will pay tribute to all those who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Samsthan and its merger with the India Union. Notably, it took over a year for Hyderabad to get its independence from Nizam’s rule after the Independence of India. On September 17, 1948, Hyderabad officially joined Indian Union.
• History is replete with illustrations of  struggles  in the entire freedom movement including the struggle of Ramji Gond against the British; the fight of Komaram Bheem; the valour of Turrebaz Khan in 1857 who wanted to hoist the Indian national flag on the residence of the British Resident Commissioner at Koti in Hyderabad city.
• The struggle became vociferous after Indian independence.With the spontaneous participation of people chanting Vande Matram and with the demand of the merger of the samsthan into the Indian union, the struggle transformed itself into a massive people’s movement.
• The liberation of Hyderabad was possible due to the swift and timely action by  first Minister of Home Affairs  of India, Shri Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel under Operation Polo.
• The state of Hyderabad under the Nizam included the whole of current day Telangana, the Marathwada region in Maharashtra that included the districts of Aurangabad, Beed, Hingoli, Jalna, Latur, Nanded, Osmanabad, Parbhani and  districts of Kalaburagi ,Bellary Raichur ,Yadgir, Koppal, Vijayanagara and Bidar in  current day Karnataka.
• The state governments of Maharashtra and Karnataka officially observe September 17 as the Liberation Day.

History –

• When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan was formed, the British gave the remaining princely states a choice to merge with either union or stay independent. One of the largest princely states within the Indian union was Hyderabad, a Hindu-majority region ruled by a Muslim Nizam.
• The Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, was in a dilemma on whether he should join the Indian union or stay independent.
• Initially the Nizam urged the British government to grant Hyderabad the status of an independent monarchy under the Commonwealth of Nations. However, the British did not agree to this proposal of the Nizam.
• Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) at that time had 20,000 Razakars who worked for the Nizam and wanted Hyderabad to be merged with Pakistan or remain independent. The Razakar was a private army meant to maintain the rule of the Nizam. After the refusal of the Nizam of Hyderabad, the then Home Minister of India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel urged him to merge directly with India. But the Nizam, rejecting Patel’s request, declared Hyderabad an independent nation on 15 August 1947.
• Patel was shocked by this move of the Nizam of Hyderabad, located in the heart of India, and he approached the then Governor General, Lord Mountbatten. Mountbatten advised Patel that India should tackle this challenge without the use of force. Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru agreed with Mountbatten’s advice and he also wanted a peaceful solution to the issue.
• After this the Nizam of Hyderabad started trying to buy arms and cooperate with Pakistan.
• By this time the talks between India and Hyderabad had broken down and India had prepared to attack it.

Operation Polo –

• When India was left with no other option, it was decided to take military action on Hyderabad. On 13 September 1948, the Indian Army attacked Hyderabad. This action of the Indian Army was named Operation Polo because at that time Hyderabad had the largest number of polo grounds in the world at 17.
• The Indian Army was led by Major General JN Choudhary. The Indian army had some trouble on the first and second day and then the opposing army conceded defeat. On the evening of 17 September, the Hyderabad army laid down its arms. 1373 Razakars were killed in the action which lasted for five days. 807 jawans of Hyderabad were also killed. The Indian Army lost 66 of its soldiers while 97 soldiers were injured.

Deep Dive Training Programme

Paper 3 – Security

Why Should You Know?

Recently National e-Governance Division and Ministry of Electronics & IT organized Deep Dive Training Program under Cyber ​​Surakshit Bharat Initiative.

In details –

• Cyber Surakshit Bharat initiative was conceptualised with the mission to spread awareness about cyber-crime and build capacities of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT officials, across all government departments, for ensuring adequate safety measures to combat the growing menace, and for organizations to defend their digital infrastructures and become future-ready in tackling cyber-attacks.
• Operating on the principles of awareness, education and enablement, the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), under its Capacity Building scheme, organised the 30th CISO Deep-Dive training programme from August 22-26, 2022.
• Held at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi, the intensive 5-day training programme was designed for designated CISOs from Central and State/UT Governments, subordinate agencies/PSUs, including public sector banks and insurance companies, technical wings of police and security forces, CTOs and members of technical/PMU teams; as well as officers responsible to observe security of IT systems in their respective organisations.

Aim of the Program –

• The deep-dive training specifically aimed at educating and enabling CISOs to understand cyber-attacks comprehensively and thoroughly, get necessary exposure in latest technologies of safeguard, and translate the benefits of a resilient e-infrastructure to individual organizations and citizens at large.
• The training also focussed on providing a holistic view of legal provisions, enabling CISOs to formulate policies in the domain of cyber security and build concrete cyber crisis management plans.

Significance –

• The training programme brought together an array of subject matter experts from the industry, the academia and the government to speak on key domain issues of cyber security, such as, Governance Risk and Compliance, Emerging Cyber Security Trends, Landscape of Cyber Security Products in India, Network Security, Cyber Crisis Workplace Plan, Application and Data Security, Cloud Security, Mobile Security, Cryptography, Cyber Security Testing and Audit, Cyber Security related Provisions of IT Act and ISMS Standards including ISO 27001. An interactive presentation session by towards the programme’s culmination by participants enabled learnings from one another.

Background –

• Launched in 2018, the CISO training is the first-of-its-kind of partnership between the Government and industry consortium under Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
• Since June 2018, these programmes have capacitated 1,224 senior officials to secure digital infrastructure and systems of their respective organizations.

‘Swasth Sabal Bharat’

Paper 2 – Health

Why Should You Know?

The Health Ministry of India launched a national campaign for organ donation.

In details –

• On September 3, 2022 The Health Ministry of India launched a national campaign for organ donation. In Delhi, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the ‘Swasth Sabal Bharat’conference in a virtual way.
• The purpose of this campaign is to remove the feeling of disregard for organ donation among the people, so that by providing organs to the needy people on time, their lives can be saved and they can lead a normal life again.
• On this occasion, more than 60 NGOs and organizations from across the country took a pledge to join this campaign.
• In his address to the audience of the Conclave, the Union Health Minister started off by appreciating the noble cause behind the meet. He stated that “it is in our cultural tradition that we think of not only our own benefit but also that of others, and the issue of organ donation is intricately linked to such a vision”.
• The Union Minister emphasized on “Jan Bhagidari” or people’s movement to encourage people to come forward to donate their organs for humanity. “It is not possible for the government or NGOs alone to convince people for organ donation. It has to be people’s movement for the campaign to be successful”, he stated. 

India is far behind in organ donation –

• Despite having one of the largest populations, India lags far behind other developing countries in terms of organ donation. The main reason behind this could be the lack of public awareness.
• As the C-Voter survey revealed, it is not prejudice or superstition that prevents citizens from considering organ donation as an option.
• It is lack of reliable information and ignorance on this issue. More than 85 per cent respondents in the survey explicitly stated that they did not know about donating organs like kidney, liver, heart, lungs and eyes.
• At this time there is an urgent need for the government, social groups and concerned citizens to come together and spread awareness about organ donation across the country. By which precious lives of many people can be saved.

Report on Organ Donation in India

• Important stakeholders of the health world, NGOs and other organizations also participated in the day-long ‘Swasth Strong India’ conference.
• During this session, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) presented a detailed report on organ donation in India.
• According to their report, there has been a sharp decline in brain-dead donors in 2020. The number of brain-dead donors in 2019 was 715 which decreased to only 315 in 2020. Although this figure improved with 552 registrations in 2021, it was still much lower than the record set in 2019.
• The biggest concern highlighted by (NOTTO) is the very slow improvement in the organ donation rate (ODR). In 2013 it was 0.27 and it increased marginally over a period of eight years, i.e. in 2021 the ODR was 0.4.

Formal announcement of ‘Swasth Sabal Bharat’ campaign

• On this occasion, along with the Union Health Minister, in the presence of Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad Chaurasia, Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi, BJP MP Dr Harsh Vardhan, MP Sushil Modi and others, Dadhichi on organ donation. Formal announcement of ‘Swasth Strong India’ campaign.
• More than 60 NGOs from 22 states, more than 20 professional institutions and other important stakeholders were present on the occasion along with other dignitaries who deliberated on the subject of organ donation.

30th Southern Zonal Council meeting

Paper 2 – Governance

Why Should You Know?

Recently Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah chaired  the 30th Southern Zonal Council meeting in Thiruvananthapuram.

In details –

• On September 3, 2022 The Union Minister for Home and Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, chaired the 30th Southern Zonal Council meeting in Thiruvananthapuram.
• The meeting was attended by the Chief Ministers of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, the Lieutenant Governors of Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Administrator of Lakshadweep, Chief Secretaries of Southern Zonal Council States, Union Home Secretary, Secretary Inter-State Council Secretariat and other Senior officials of State and Central Ministries and Departments.
• The Union Home Minister said that in this meeting 26 issues were discussed, 9 issues were resolved, 17 issues were reserved for further consideration, out of which 9 issues were related to the reorganization of Andhra Pradesh.
• Shri Shah urged Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to settle their pending issues, which will not only benefit the people of their States but will also lead to all-round development of the entire Southern region.
• He called upon all the member States of the Council to find a joint solution to the issues related to sharing of water. Shri Shah said that in the 12th meeting of its Standing Committee, a total of 89 issues were discussed and out of this 63 issues were settled by mutual agreement which is a significant achievement.

Objective –

• The main objectives of the Zonal Council meeting are – amicable settlement of disputes between the Centre and the States and inter-State through mutual agreement, promotion of regional cooperation between States, providing a forum for all States to brainstorm on issues of common national importance and setting up a collaboration system for strengthening cooperation among all stakeholders.

About the Zonal Councils-

•Zonal Councils have been constituted under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
•Zonal councils provide a platform to discuss issues affecting one or more states or issues between the Centre and states in a structured manner.
•Section 15 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 mentions that there shall be a Zonal Council for each of the five regions of the country. The present composition of each Zonal Council is as follows:-
•The Northern Zonal Council consists of union territories of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab , Rajasthan, National Capital Territory of Delhi and Chandigarh;
•The Central Zonal Council consists of the states of Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh;
•The Eastern Zonal Council consists of the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal;
•The Western Zonal Council consists of Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and union territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli •The Southern Zonal Council consists of the Union Territories of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Puducherry.

Functions of Councils –

• Each Zonal Council shall be an advisory body and may discuss any matter on which some or all of the States referred to in that Council, or the Union and multiple States represented in that Council, may have the same interest and may advise the Central Government and each state government concerned to take action on any such matter.
• Without prejudice to the generality of the above provisions, a Zonal Council may specifically discuss and make recommendations in respect of:-
o On a matter of common interest in the field of economic and social planning,
o on any matter relating to border disputes, linguistic minorities or inter-state transport; and
o on any matter relating to or arising out of the reorganisation of States under this Act.

Night Sky Sanctuary

Paper 3 – Science & Tech

Why Should You Know?

India’s first ‘Night Sky Sanctuary’ to be set up in Ladakh.

In details –

• In a unique and first-of-its-kind initiative, the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt of India, has undertaken to set up India’s first-ever “Night Sky Sanctuary” in Ladakh which will be completed within next three months.
• The proposed Dark Sky Reserve will be located at Hanle in Ladakh as a part of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. It will boost Astro tourism in India and will be one of the world’s highest-located sites for optical, infra-red, and gamma-ray telescopes.
• The decision – expected to boost local tourism and economy – was taken after a meeting in Delhi between Ladakh Lieutenant Governor RK Mathur and junior science minister Dr Jitendra Singh.
• The Union Minister informed that a tripartite MoU was signed recently among the the UT administration, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) for launching the Dark Space Reserve.
• The minister said all stakeholders, including the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore, to be involved in the project, will work to preserve the night sky from unwanted light pollution and illumination – a serious threat to natural sky conditions as well as crucial scientific observations.
• The government’s press release said Hanle – the site sought for the project – is considered ‘most suitable’ as it is located in Ladakh’s cold desert region, and therefore has clear sky and dry weather conditions with minimal human interference.
• Hanle is already home to an IIA observatory – a high altitude station atop Mt Saraswati – and is also one of the world’s highest located sites for optical, infrared and gamma-ray telescopes.
• The government also plans to set up a regional branch of the Central Leather Research Institute – headquartered in Chennai – as it believes Ladakh’s rich biodiversity – including the famous pashmina goats – can contribute to the field of leather research.
• The minister announced that a team of scientists will be sent to Ladakh by the end of the year to explore the feasibility of this project.

National Teachers Day

Paper 2 – Education

Why Should You Know?

National Teacher’s Day is celebrated every year in India on 5th September.

In details –

• National Teachers’ Day is celebrated every year on September 5 to commemorate the birthday of The Country’s first Vice President and second President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
• A variety of events are organised in schools and colleges across the country to felicitate teachers to celebrate the day.
• Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on  September 5, 1888, in the then Madras Presidency of British India (now in Tamil Nadu). He was an Indian philosopher and statesman and one of the most renowned scholars in the field of comparative religion and philosophy in India in the 20th century.
• Born in a poor Telugu Brahmin family, Radhakrishnan completed his entire education through scholarships. He possessed a master’s degree in Philosophy and authored the book ‘The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore’ in 1917.
• He also served as the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University from 1931 to 1936 and the Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1939, succeeding Madan Mohan Malviya.
• He had great respect for teachers and always believed that teachers are the real nation builders.
• He was the first Vice President of India (1952-1962), the second President of India (1962 to 1967). He was the first recipient of Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, along with politician C. Rajagopalachari, scientist C.V. Raman. He was also awarded the British Royal Order of Merit (1963).
• It is noteworthy that on the occasion of Teacher’s Day, various programs are organized in schools and colleges across the country. Through this day, teachers are honored for their contribution to the bright future of the students.

History –

• It is said that when Dr Radhakrishan took office of the second President of India in 1962, his students approached him to seek permission to celebrate September 5 as a special day.
• Dr Radhakrishnan instead made a request of them to observe September 5 as Teachers’ Day, to recognise the contribution of teachers to the society.
• Ever since then, September 5 has been celebrated as Teacher’s Day across schools, colleges, universities and educational institutions. Students put on performances, dances and host elaborate shows for their most-loved teachers.

Pineapples Of  Manipur

Paper 3 – Agriculture

Why Should You Know?

Recently the Central Government in collaboration with the Government of Manipur organized an in-store export promotion show for Pineapple in Dubai.

In details –

• In a move towards harnessing export potential of naturally grown, organic certified fresh pineapples of North-Eastern Region (NER), centre, through Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) organized an in-store export promotion programme in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) for Manipur’s pineapples among consumers.
• The ‘in-store promotion show’ of organic certified fibre rich Kwe variety of pineapples from Manipur, was organized at the Lulu hyper market, Dubai’s largest supermarket in association with Manipur Organic Mission Agency (MOMA) of Government of Manipur.
• This event is part of government’s strategy to promote locally produced agricultural products in the international markets.
• Manipur Organic Mission Agency (MOMA) has supported the sourcing of organic certified Kwe variety of pineapples directly from the farmers of Manipur.
• The Manipur pineapple, which is showcased with the support from APEDA, is fibre-rich sweetener from North Eastern Region (NER). The showcased pineapples are procured from Thayong Organic Producer Company Ltd in Imphal East district, Manipur.
• At the in-store export promotion show, consumers were offered Manipur pineapple to taste the sweetness of the fruit.

Production of Pineapples –

• Northeast pineapple is one of the most important tropical fruits grown in the NER and the fibre-rich fruit is cultivated in almost all the region.
• With a production of 134.82 metric tonne (MT) in 2020-21, Manipur ranks sixth in pineapple production having a share of 7.46 per cent in total production in India.

• The top ten importing countries of Indian pineapples are UAE, Nepal, Qatar, Maldives, USA, Bhutan, Belgium, Iran, Bahrain and Oman. A quantity of 7665.42 MT of pineapples valued at USD 4.45 million was exported in the year 2021-22.

Export of Pineapples-

• With the intervention of APEDA, there has been a significant increase in the export of agricultural produce from NE states like Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Meghalaya in the last few years.
• Besides pineapple, the APEDA has also decided to take forward the promotion of other locally grown unique horticultural products from Manipur to the international market.
• The other unique products from Manipur are tamenglong orange, kachai lemon, black rice, etc.
• Tripura’s pineapple was also exported to Bangladesh in 2020. Assam also made a debut in pineapple export to Dubai in 2019.
• The NE region witnessed an 85.34 percent growth in the export of agricultural products in the last six years as it increased from USD 2.52 million in 2016-17 to USD 17.2 million in 2021-22. The major destination of export has been Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Middle East, the UK and Europe.

Export Awareness Programmes –

• In the last three years, APEDA organised 136 capacity building programmes on export awareness across the different parts of NER.
• Highest, 62 capacity building programmes were held in NER in 2019-20, while 21 in 2020-21 and 53 such programmes were organised by APEDA in the year 2021-22.
• Apart from capacity building initiatives, APEDA facilitated 22 International Buyer-Seller Meets as well as trade fairs in NER in the last three years.
• APEDA also organized a conference on the Export Potential of Natural, Organic and Geographical Indications (GI) Agro Products in Guwahati on June 24, 2022 to tap the abundant export potential of organic agricultural products from Assam and neighbouring states of NER.
• APEDA aims at creating a platform in Manipur for the exporters to get the products directly from the producer group and the processors. The platform will link the producers and processors of Assam and exporters from other parts of the country that would expand the base of the export pockets in the North-Eastern states, including Manipur and increase the employment opportunities among the people of the state.

Varieties of Pineapple in India

• Pineapples are available in different shapes and sizes and are cultivated all over the world. Most commercial varieties of pineapple grown in India are Kew, Giant kew, Queen, Mauritius, Jaldhup, and Lakhat.
• Among these varieties, queen, giant kew/ kew is extensively grown in the northeastern parts of India and is preferred by fruit juice manufacturers.

States                                                  Variety of Pineapple

Assam and other Northeast states      Kew,queen, Mauritius

West Bengal                                       Giant kew, Queen

Kerala                                                 Mauritius, kew, queen

Assam                                                 Jaldhup, Lakhat

About Kew (known as King variety) –

• Kew is a late-maturing variety and India’s most popular commercial variety of pineapple in India.
• The fruit is oblong with a slight taper towards the crown and weighs 2-3kg. 
• It has broad and shallow eyes that make it suitable for canning.
• The pineapple is yellow when it is fully ripe and the internal flesh is light yellow.
• The flesh is juicy and fiberless with a TSS content varying from 12-14 brix. The acidity content is between 0.6-1.2%.

Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator

Paper 3 – Science & Tech

Why Should You Know?

Recently ISRO successfully tested the inflatable aerodynamic accelerator to send satellites to Mars and Venus.

In details –

• Indian Space Research Organization – ISRO has developed such a unique technology, which can be used for other missions including Mars and Venus.
• Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator -IAD technology has been developed at Vikram Sarabhai Space Center.

What is IAD?

• Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator or IAD in short is a technique used for an atmospheric entry payload. An inflatable envelope and an inflatant (anything that inflates the envelope, like air or helium) make up the inflatable aerodynamic decelerator.
• While entering the atmosphere, it inflates like a balloon and decelerates the lander.
• The inflatant is designed to fill the inflatable envelope to a condition such that it surrounds the payload meant to enter the atmosphere of a planet or satellite and causes aerodynamic forces to slow it down.
• In simpler words, IAD is designed to increase drag upon entering the atmosphere of any planetary body, like Earth, Mars, or even Moon. Its shape is maintained by a closed, gas-pressured body and the inflatant gas is also generated internally. Some versions also use ram air or both.
• Some space agencies, including NASA, have already successfully tested advanced versions of the technology, including the supersonic and hypersonic variants. However, for near future missions of ISRO, the current version that it tested is perfect.
• Its use was first proposed by NASA more than 50 years ago for planetary entries.

About ISRO’s IAD –

• ISRO’s latest IAD has been designed and developed at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. The IAD tested by ISRO on Sep 3, 2022 was inflated at an altitude of around 84 km, they said and the sounding rocket’s cargo dropped through the atmosphere on it. It is fitted with a booster motor.
• It also has a spin rocket that is ejectable. The inflatable structure is made out of Kevlar fabric, which is a very strong synthetic fibre and also heat resistant to withstand atmospheric pressure and temperature changes.
• On top of it, it’s coated with polychloroprene, an oil and wax resistant rubber, which can also withstand extreme temperatures.
• The Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), an R&D wing of ISRO created the pneumatic inflation system for the IAD system. In the inflation system, it uses compressed nitrogen stored in a bottle, ISRO said.
• It has consistently decreased the payload’s velocity through aerodynamic drag while maintaining the expected trajectory during the test flight.
• The IAD will help ISRO in performing many space tasks effectively including recovery of spent stages of rockets, for landing payloads on missions to other planetary bodies. This is the first instance where an IAD has been specially created for spent stage recovery.
• This demonstration opens a gateway for cost-effective spent stage recovery using the Inflatable Aerodynamics Decelerator technology and this IAD technology can also be used in ISRO’s future missions to Venus and Mars.
• So inter-planetary missions are certainly one aspect that ISRO wishes to explore.

Ramon Magsaysay Award

Paper 2 –  International Awards

Why Should You Know?

Recently Ramon Magsaysay Award 2022 has been announced, it is worth mentioning that this is the 64th Ramon Magsaysay Award.

In details –

• Ramon Magsaysay Award 2022 has been announced. This year’s Ramon Magsaysay Prize will be awarded to Cambodian psychiatrist Sothiara Chhim and Japanese ophthalmologist Tadashi Hattori, Philippine pediatrician Bernadette Madrid and French environmental activist Gary Bencheghi.
• Sothiara Chhim has made a name for itself in treating the persecuted victims under the rule of the Khmer Rouge. His work has also received a lot of appreciation at the international level.
• At the same time, Japanese ophthalmologist Tadashi Hatori has treated thousands of villagers in Vietnam. Most of these people were suffering from eye problems due to bombings during the Vietnam War.
• Gary Bencheghib is a young Frenchman who is on a mission of eradicating marine plastic pollution in Bali, Indonesia one river at a time. He is an anti-plastic pollution warrior from Indonesia who is being recognized for Emergent Leadership for his inspiring fight against marine plastic pollution.
• Bernadette J. Madrid is a Filipino pediatrician who has been championing the Filipino Child’s Right to protection by creating safe spaces for abused children nationwide.

What is Ramon Magsaysay Award?

• Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award that has been established to perpetuate the former President of the Philippines Ramon Magsaysay’s example of integrity in governance, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism in a democratic society.
• Ramon Magsaysay Award was established in April 1957 by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund which is based in New York City with the concurrence of the Government of the Philippines.
• The Ramon Magsaysay Award which is Asia’s premier prize and highest honour, celebrates the greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in Asia.
• Since 1958, Ramon Magsaysay Award has been bestowed upon over three thousand outstanding individuals and organizations. They have been honored for the selfless services that they have offered to their societies in Asia, and for the world’s most successful solutions to some of the most challenging problems of human development.
• It is noteworthy that Vinoba Bhave was the first Indian, who was given the Ramon Magsaysay Award for the first time.

 

36th National Games

Paper 2 – Games

Why Should You Know?

Recently, Home Minister Shri Amit Shah unveiled the anthem and mascot of the 36th National Games.

In details –

• Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah unveiled the anthem and mascot for the 36th National Games at the EKA Arena, TransStadia in Ahmedabad. Gujarat CM Shri Bhupendra Patel and Union Sports Minister Shri Anurag Thakur also graced the event.
• Speaking at the unveiling function, Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that the city of Ahmedabad would soon be developed into the world’s biggest sports city in the world.
• It is noteworthy that the country’s grandest sporting event will run from September 29 to October 12 in six cities of Gujarat.
• Top dignitaries from the world of politics and sport were present on the occasion, including Shri Harsh Sanghavi, Gujarat Minister for Sports and IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta. The mayors of all six host cities, including Kiritkumar J Parmar (Ahmedabad), Hemali Boghawala (Surat), Keyur Rokadiya (Vadodara), Pradip Dav (Rajkot), Kirti Danidhariya (Bhavnagar), Hitesh Makwana (Gandhinagar) were also present.
• The winners of the Khel Mahakumbh, including the top 3 schools, districts and municipal corporations of the state, were felicitated shortly before the launch of the mascot.
• Aptly titled saavaj, lion in Gujarati, the mascot represents India’s cultural heritage while also giving a glimpse of a rapidly growing India which is set to become a global leader again.
• The anthem of the Games, encapsulating the philosophy of Judega India, Jitega India, has been rendered by Bollywood star singer Sukhwinder Singh.
• The lyrics of the national sports festival’s theme song inspire the youth of the country to connect and conquer historic places like the Statue of Unity and Sabarmati. Embellished with impressive sports scenes, the theme song captures the heart of how athletes triumph despite adversity.