National
Chairman of the Insurance Regulator IRDAI
⇒ The government appointed former financial services secretary Debasish Panda as the chairman of the insurance regulator IRDAI for a period of three years. The post was lying vacant for close to 11 months since the departure of Subhash C. Khuntia.
- Debasish Panda, IAS (Retd), has taken charge as chairman of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India on March 14, 2022.
- Debasish Panda is a 1987-batch IAS officer (Retd) of the Uttar Pradesh cadre.
About IRDAI:
- The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is a regulatory body under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Finance, Govt of India. Its headquartere is in Hyderabad, Telangana.
- It was constituted by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999.
- It is tasked with regulating and licensing the insurance and re-insurance industries in India.
Chairman of Air India
⇒ Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran has been appointed the Chairman of Air India at a board meeting of the airline.
Chandrasekaran also serves as the non-executive chairman of several other Tata Group companies, including Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors, Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals and Tata Consumer Products.
C.V. Kunhiraman literary award
⇒ This year’s C.V. Kunhiraman literary award was presented to writer A Sethumadhavan, popularly known as Sethu.
- The eminent novelist, Sethu was chosen for the award considering his contribution to Malayalam language and literature.
» The C V Kunhiraman award was instituted by the C V Kunhiraman Foundation.
Vishwa Konkani Awards-2021
⇒ Jnanpith award winner and eminent Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo presented the Vishwa Konkani Awards-2021, instituted by the Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation, at a function at the World Konkani Centre, Shaktinagar.
Vimala V Pai Vishwa Konkani Lifetime Achievement Award: Suresh J Borkar, for his language pedagogy, grammar and lexicography
Vimala V Pai Vishwa Konkani Sahitya Puraskar: Antony Barkur
Vimala V Pai Vishwa Konkani Poetry Award: Uday Mhambro
Basti Vaman Shenoy Seva Puraskar: Corrine A Rasquinha, founder-president of White Doves Psychiatric Nursing and Destitute Home, and Padmanabha Kamath, a senior cardiologist of the city, and founder of Cardiology at Doorstep Foundation
International
'Mahatma Gandhi Green Triangle'
⇒ As part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to commemorate India’s 75th year of independence, a “Green Triangle” named after Mahatma Gandhi was jointly inaugurated in Madagascar’s capital Antananarivo.
Mayor of Antananarivo Naina Andriantsitohaina and India’s Ambassador to Madagascar Abhay Kumar inaugurated the green space.
During the inauguration, Abhay Kumar said:
- The word green in the plaque signifies their commitment to sustainable development and saving the environment.
- The naming of this park as Mahatma Gandhi Green Triangle is an apt tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
Important Day
Shaheed Diwas 2022
⇒ Shaheed Diwas is observed every year on 23rd March across the country. It is also known as Martyrs Day or Sarvodaya Day.
It honors the valour and commitment of those who sacrificed their lives for the country. On this day, freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar were hanged to death by the British rulers of India in 1931.
» Besides March 23, the day Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, January 30, is also marked as Shaheed Diwas.
On the occasion of Shaheed Diwas, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated Biplobi Bharat Gallery at Victoria Memorial Hall.
About Gallery:
- The Gallery displays the contribution of the Revolutionaries in the freedom struggle and their armed resistance to British colonial rule. This aspect has often not been given its due place in the mainstream narrative of the freedom movement.
- The purpose of this new gallery is to provide a holistic view of the events that led up to 1947 and highlight the important role played by the Revolutionaries.
- Biplobi Bharat Gallery depicts the political and intellectual backdrop that triggered the Revolutionary movement.
- It showcases the birth of the revolutionary movement, formation of significant associations by revolutionary leaders, spread of the movement, formation of Indian National Army, contribution of Naval Mutiny, among others.