National
PM inaugurates year-long celebrations to commemorate the 200th birth anniversary of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the year-long celebrations commemorating the 200th birth anniversary of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi on 12 February 2023.
The government has been committed to celebrating the social reformers and important personalities, especially those whose contributions were not given their due yet on a pan-India scale.
- The Prime Minister also released a logo for commemoration.
Official Logo of Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati 200 Birth Anniversary:
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister called the occasion of the 200th birth anniversary of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati historic, an occasion to create a future and inspiration for the entire world. Referring to Maharishi Dayanand’s ideal of making the world a better place, the Prime Minister said in this era of discord, violence and instability, the path shown by Maharishi Dayanand gives hope.
- The Prime Minister also informed that next year, Arya Samaj will begin its 150th year.
About Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati:
Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, born on 12th February, 1824, was a social reformer who founded Arya Samaj in 1875 to counter then prevalent social inequities.
- Arya Samaj has played a key role in cultural and social awakening of the country by its emphasis on social reforms and education.
2nd Indian Rice Congress
⇒ President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the 2nd Indian Rice Congress at ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack on February 11, 2023.
Speaking on the occasion of inauguration, she said Rice is the cornerstone of food security in India and also a key factor for our economy.
- ICAR-NRRI has developed India’s first high protein rice, called CR Dhan 310 and NRRI has also released a high-zinc rice variety, called CR Dhan 315.
- She said that development of such bio-fortified varieties is an ideal example of science in the service of society.
» The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu was on visit to Odisha from February 10 to 11, 2023.
On February 10, 2023, the President graced the Foundation Day Celebration of Jnanaprabha Mission at Bhubaneswar. On the same day, she also graced the 2nd Convocation of Rama Devi Women’s University, Bhubaneswar.
About 2nd Indian Rice Congress:
The 2nd Indian Rice Congress was held at ICAR-NRRI, Cuttack during February 11–14, 2023 on the topic “Transforming Rice Research: Learning from Recent Scientific Developments and Global Food Crisis”.
Organized by:
The Association of Rice Research Workers is organizing “Indian Rice Congress” at a regular interval of every two years.
The Indian Rice Congress provides a robust global platform for all the stakeholder i.e., researchers, industries, policy makers, extension workers, students and farmers to discuss the national and international developments in rice science.
About ARRW:
- The Association of Rice Research Workers (ARRW) at ICAR-National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), Cuttack; established in 1961, is one of the oldest societies in India.
- The society is working since past 60 years to foster rice research for widening the horizons of rice science and also to increase rice productivity and profitability.
Other Points:
- Rice (Oryza sativa) is an ancient crop and is classified as most important cereal in terms of ecology and economy.
- It is the staple food for many people around the world especially in Asia where half of the global population exists. Globally, the crop is planted in about 160 million hectares with production of 493 million tons of milled rice.
- On the other side, world population is expected to increase by 9.2 billion in the middle of this century and in that situation, it will be extremely challenging to provide enough food for all the people.
- To meet the global demand, rice production will have to be increased to 771.1 m tonnes by 2030.
60th National Conference of the Indian Association of Physiotherapists (IAP)
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 60th National Conference of the Indian Association of Physiotherapists (IAP) in Ahmedabad via a video message on 11 February 2023.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister acknowledged the importance of physiotherapists as providers of solace, symbol of hope, resilience and recovery. A physiotherapist, he said, not only treats physical injury but gives the patient courage to deal with the psychological challenge.
About Conference:
The Indian Association of Physiotherapists, Gujarat Chapter hosted the 60th National Conference of The Indian Association of Physiotherapists on 11th – 12th February, 2023 at Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Gujarat also called the “Jewel of Western India is a flourishing state with cultural diversity. It is vibrant with its true colors of rich heritage and cultural traditions.
Theme:
The 60th National Conference of The Indian Association of Physiotherapists was held on the theme “Workout for Fit India”.
Key Points:
- IAP National conference is an annual event. After 16 years, Gujarat witnessed this grand event where Physiotherapy delegates nationwide participated in huge numbers.
- International guests from across the globe representing Physiotherapy profession in their countries also participated.
- The mega event had various scientific as well as cultural programs, which included the seminars and keynote lectures by international and national speakers, paper and poster presentations.
About IAP:
- The Indian Association of Physiotherapist (IAP), is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that represents the physiotherapy profession at National and international Level.
- The IAP is registered under Indian society act, in the year 1955.
- The Indian Association of Physiotherapists was a member of World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) from 1967, and IAP back in WORLD PHYSIOTHERAPY (WP) from August, 2020.
- IAP is an apex body representing the interests of Indian physiotherapists and their patients.
International
Youth 20 Engagement Group - Inception Meeting
⇒ As part of India’s G20 Presidency, the Youth-20 (Y20) group’s inception meeting was held at Guwahati from February 06-08, 2023.
- Youth-20 (Y20) group’s inception meeting was held to engage with the youth of the nation on ideas for a better tomorrow and draft an agenda for action on five identified Y20 themes.
- This was the first of the various summits to be held on the five Y20 themes at different Universities across the Indian States in a run-up to the final Youth-20 Summit in August 2023.
Started in 2012, the Y20 is the youth version of the G20 Summits and it is the only officially recognized platform for young people to engage with the G20.
Participation:
In the run-up to the event, 10,000 youth in around 36 colleges of Assam participated in seminars, debates, workshops, and quiz competitions on Y20. Over 10 lakh students from around 4000 schools also participated. During the inception meeting, 21 foreign delegates and 200 Indian delegates participated in the main events.
Y20 Engagement Group Themes:
- Peace Building and Reconciliation: Ushering in an Era of No War
- Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability as a Way of Life
- Future of Work: Industry 4.0, Innovation and 21st Century Skills
- Shared Future: Youth in Democracy and Governance
- Health, Wellbeing & Sports: Agenda for Youth
Key Points:
- The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Thakur welcomed the Y20 family and addressed the gathering at the first Inception Meet.
- During the second day a series of panel discussions were organized on five themes with eminent speakers and leaders at IIT Guwahati.
- The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Thakur launched Youth20 White Paper, outlining the vision of G20 India. The White Paper will form the basis of deliberations among global youth at @IndiaY20.
- Addressing the closing ceremony of the Youth20 Inception Meet, Anurag Singh Thakur said that these three days saw invigorating ideation and spirited dialogues and deliberations on some of the most crucial issues humanity is facing.
Union Minister Dr L Murugan was on an official visit to Sri Lanka
⇒ Minister of State Information & Broadcasting, Dr L Murugan visited to Sri Lanka from 9-12 February 2023 to participate in dedication of Jaffna Cultural Centre constructed with Government of India Grant, to the people of Sri Lanka.
- The Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone for the Centre in March 2015.
About Jaffna Cultural Center:
- Jaffna Cultural Center is a magnificent example of India-Sri Lanka development partnership.
- It was conceived as a reconciliation project primarily aimed at expanding cultural infrastructure for people of Northern Province.
- This state-of-the-art facility consists of multiple facilities such as a museum of two floors, an advanced theater style auditorium for more than 600 people, a 11-storeyed learning tower; a public square which could also act as an amphitheater etc.
» During the visit, Dr Murugan visited various sites that underline the scale and extent of Government of India’s people-centric development partnership in Sri Lanka.
- The Minister visited Thalaimannar and Kankesanthurai. Both these places in Sri Lanka are key ferry connectivity points to India and the two countries are working towards early resumption of ferry services.
- He also interacted with a cross-section of leaders and stakeholders during the visit.