National
68th Railway Week Central Function – Ati Vishist Rail Seva Puraskar-2023
⇒ The Union Minister of Railways, Communications & Electronics and Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw conferred Award/ Shields to best performing Railway personnel for promoting best practices among Railway employees at the 68th Railway Week Central Function – Ati Vishist Rail Seva Puraskar-2023.
- The function was organised on December 15, 2023 at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Ati Vishist Rail Seva Puraskar-2023:
- Altogether, 100 Railway Employees from various Zonal Railways, Production Units & Railway PSUs all over the country were awarded for their outstanding services along with 21 Shields.
- 21 Shields were presented to Zonal Railways/ PSU’s for best performance in particular field.
About Railway Week:
» Every year, Railway Week is celebrated from 10th to 16th April to commemorate the running of the first train in India on 16 April 1853.
- During Railway Week, functions are organised all over Indian Railways.
Central Universities (Amendment), Bill, 2023
⇒ Rajya Sabha on December 13, 2023 passed the Central Universities (Amendment), Bill, 2023 on December 13, 2023. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on 7th December, 2023.
» After assent of the President of India on December 17, 2023, this Act may be called the Central Universities (Amendment) Act, 2023.
» The Central Universities (Amendment), Bill seeks to amend the Central Universities Act, 2009 for establishment Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University at Mulugu in the State of Telangana.
About University:
- The University has been named “Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University” on the mother and daughter, Sammakka and Saralamma (commonly known as Sarakka), who are believed to be manifestations of Adi Parashakti sent to protect the tribal communities of Telangana.
- The University will be established at a cost of Rs 889.07 crore.
- In the University, there will be graduate, postgraduate and Doctoral level courses under the five schools having 11 departments.
- A total of 2790 UG and PG students are proposed for the initial seven years of operation of this Tribal University.
The establishment of this University will create direct employment in the form of faculty and non-faculty positions. Besides, it will also create employment avenues through outsourcing/ contractual basis. It will result in developing surrounding areas through several services and commercial activities which in turn will generate indirect employment opportunities.
Guiness World Record of largest reading activity at SP College, Pune
⇒ The National Book Trust, an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Education, has organised an event organised that has created a Guinness Book of World Records for the largest reading activity.
- The Guiness World Record for the largest reading activity was created on 14 December 2023 at SP College, Pune, where 3066 parents read to their children to promote reading culture in the society through storytelling.
- The activity was held by the National Book Trust in association with the Pune Municipal Corporation.
8th India Water Week – 2024
⇒ Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched the 8th India Water Week – 2024, an international level mega event, on 14 December 2023.
- The 8th India Water Week was launched during the 37th Annual General Meeting of NWDA Society and 21st Meeting of Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers (SCILR).
» The 8th India Water Week will be held from 17th to 21st September, 2024 in New Delhi.
Theme:
The theme of 8th India Water Week is “Partnerships and Cooperation for Inclusive Water Development and Management”.
Sub-themes and Topics for Seminar / Panel Discussion:
- Collaboration and Cooperation for Water Security
- Integrated Water Resources Development & Management
- Challenges in Water Sector Infrastructure
- Risk and New Approaches to Climate Resilience
- Ground Water Sustainability and Management
- Water governance and financing
- Water related Disasters and its Management
Organised by:
The IWW – 2024 will be organised by the DoWR, RD & GR, Ministry of Jal Shakti, in association with Nodal Ministries/Departments viz. Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of Rural Development, related State Government departments, associated expert organizations, key international bodies, private and public business groups etc.
Knowledge Partners:
The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, The World Bank, India Water Foundation, Council on Energy, Environment, and Water and Indian Chamber of Commerce agreed to join as Knowledge Partners for the 8th India Water Week-2024.
» The event will serve as a global platform to elicit ideas and opinions from global level decision-makers, politicians, researchers, experts, planners, innovators, students and stakeholders in the field of water resources from across the world.
About India Water Week:
- The Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India is organizing the India Water Week biannually.
- It is a 5-day conference and exhibition which is India’s international water resources event.
- It was conceptualized and organized for the first time in 2012.
37th Annual General Meeting of NWDA Society and 21st Meeting of Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers (SCILR):
» The Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat chaired the 37th Annual General Meeting of NWDA Society and 21st Meeting of Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers (SCILR) at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi on 14 December 2023.
- During the meeting, a detailed presentation was made on the agenda items of 37th Annual General Meeting of NWDA Society and 21st Meeting of Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers (SCILR) by Director General, NWDA.
- The status of various works and the pending issues/bottlenecks etc. for Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) projects, Annual Report & Audited Accounts for the year 2022-23 of NWDA and Intra State links were discussed at length.
International
Prime Minister of Poland
⇒ The new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his Cabinet were sworn in by the president Andrzej Duda on 13 December 2023.
Key Points:
- The Polish parliament gave former Prime Minister Donald Tusk a mandate to form a new coalition government.
- The grouping comprises three parties, Mr Tusk’s Civic Coalition (KO), the Third Way and the Left.
- October’s elections saw his pro-EU coalition win a majority of seats with a record turnout of more than 70%.
» Mr Tusk was previously prime minister of Poland between 2007 and 2014, later becoming European Council president.