National
Lokayukta of Delhi
⇒ Retired Jharkhand High Court judge Harish Chandra Mishra was sworn in as the Lokayukta of Delhi on 23 March 2022. The oath of office was administered by Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal at a solemn ceremony held at the Raj Niwas.
- Mishra will hold office for a term of five years from the date of his joining.
» Mishra was also the Acting Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court.
Kozhikode has been proposed as the ‘City of Literature’
⇒ Kozhikode was proposed by the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) to be branded as a ‘City of Literature’ with the help of UNESCO.
- It is among the six places that the KILA plans to develop as ‘Creative Cities’.
- Thiruvananthapuram is vying for the title ‘City of Peace’, Kollam ‘City of Biodiversity’, Kochi ‘City of Design’, Thrissur ‘City of Learning’, and Kannur ‘City of Craft and Folk Arts’.
About:
- UNESCO’s City of Literature programme is part of the wider Creative Cities Network.
- The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.
- The Network covers 7 creative fields- Literature, Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Media Arts, and Music.
INAS 316
⇒ Indian Naval Air Squadron 316, Indian Navy’s second P-8I aircraft squadron has been commissioned into the Indian Navy on 29 March 2022.
About INAS 316:
» INAS 316 has been christened ‘Condors’ which are one of the largest flying land birds with a massive wingspan.
- The insignia of the squadron depicts a ‘Condor’ searching over the vast blue expanse of the sea.
- ‘Condors’ are known for excellent sensory capabilities, powerful and sharp talons and large massive wings symbolising the capabilities of the aircraft and envisaged roles of the squadron.
» INAS 316 will operate the Boeing P-8I aircraft, a multi-role Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti-Submarine Warfare (LRMR ASW) aircraft, that can be equipped with a range of Air-to-Ship Missiles and Torpedoes.
International
CEPA between India and the United Arab Emirates
⇒ Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles, Government of India, announced the unveiling of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Shri Goyal made the announcement in a press conference held during his visit to UAE on 28 March 2022.
- The India-UAE CEPA was signed on 18 February 2022 during the India-UAE Virtual Summit in New Delhi.
Salient features of India-UAE CEPA:
- The India-UAE CEPA is the first deep and full free trade Agreement to be signed by India with any country in the past decade.
- The comprehensive agreement will cover- Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin, Trade in Services, Technical Barriers to Trade, Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures, Dispute Settlement, Movement of Natural Persons, Telecom, Customs Procedures, Pharmaceutical products, Government Procurement, IPR, Investment, Digital Trade and Cooperation in other Areas.
- CEPA provides for an institutional mechanism to encourage and improve trade between the two countries.
- The CEPA between India and the UAE covers almost all the tariff lines dealt in by India (11,908 tariff lines) and the UAE (7581 tariff lines) respectively.
Sports
58th All India Railway Road Cycling Championship
⇒ The 58th All India Railway Road Cycling Championship was held at Bikaner from 21 March to 23 March, 2022. The Championship was organized by North Western Railway Sports Association.
Winners:
» South Western Railway (SWR) Cycling Team has won the Championship clinching One Gold and Four Silver medals.
- Shri Venkappa K (Ticket Examiner – Hubballi Division) clinched the Gold medal, Shri Anil Manglaw (Ticket Examiner – Hubballi Division) bagged the Silver in 100 km Road race.
- In the 50 km Criterium race category, Shri Sachin Desai (Ticket Examiner – Hubballi Division) bagged Silver medal.
- Shri Venkappa K (Ticket Examiner – Hubballi Division) bagged Silver in 40 km Individual Time Trials.
- The team comprising of Shri Anil Manglaw (Ticket Examiner – Hubballi Division), Shri Venkappa K and (Ticket Examiner – Hubballi Division), Shri Raju Bati (Ticket Examiner – Hubballi Division) and Shri Vishwanath G (Probationary Commercial Clerk- Zonal Training Centre, Dharwad) won the Silver Medal in 60 km Team Time Trials.
Important Day
World Theatre Day 2022
⇒ World Theatre Day is observed every year on 27 March.
Theme:
The theme for World theatre Day 2022 is ‘Theatre and a Culture of Peace’. The theme remains the same every year.
About WTD:
- World Theatre Day was initiated by the International Theatre Institute (ITI).
- Since 1962 World Theatre Day has been celebrated by ITI Centres, ITI Cooperating Members, theatre professionals, theatre organizations, theatre universities and theatre lovers all over the world.
Abhinaya Bharati Award for 2022:
Theatre activist Shripad Bhat was presented the annual Abhinaya Bharati award for the year 2022 for his contribution to the development of theatre at Suvarna cultural complex in Dharwad to mark World Theatre Day.