National
Legal Aid Clinic for Women
⇒ National Commission for Women (NCW) in collaboration with Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) has launched a legal aid clinic which will act as a single-window facility for resolving grievances of women by offering them free legal assistance.
Objective:
The objective of the Legal Aid Clinic is to provide free legal assistance and counseling to women in distress.
» The legal aid clinic will operate out of the Commission’s office in New Delhi.
- Any woman will be able to walk-in to the facility for accessing free legal advice and counseling where legal services advocates in the panel of DSLSA will help women.
» NCW is also planning to set up similar legal services clinics in other State Commissions for Women.
Contract between MoD and BEL, Bengaluru
⇒ The Ministry of Defence and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bengaluru on 29 March 2022 concluded a Contract for supply of Advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) suite for Fighter aircraft of Indian Air Force. The overall cost of the contract is estimated to be Rs 1993 Cr.
The supply of advanced EW systems will significantly enhance the battle-survivability of IAF fighter aircraft while undertaking operational missions against adversaries’ ground-based as well as airborne fire control and surveillance radars.
» The EW suite has been indigenously designed & developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Mumbai International Cruise Terminal
⇒ Shri Rajiv Jalota, Chairperson, Mumbai Port Authority addressed the media in Mumbai on the occasion of completion of 7 years of Sagarmala – Government of India’s flagship programme for port-led development of the nation.
He briefed about various projects:
Mumbai International Cruise Terminal:
- The Mumbai International Cruise Terminal, the iconic sea cruise terminal coming up at BPX-Indira Dock, is expected to be commissioned by July 2024.
- The terminal will have a capacity of handling 200 ships and 1 million passengers per annum.
- Out of the total project cost of Rs.495 crore, Rs.303 crores will be incurred by Mumbai Port Authority and the remaining by private operators.
- The first-of-its-kind iconic sea cruise terminal in India with a total construction area of 4.15 lakh sq. ft. will have 22 Elevators, 10 Escalators and multi-storied car parking for 300 cars.
- Two cruise ships will be able to berth at a time on the dock.
Kanhoji Angre Lighthouse Development:
- Kanhoji Angre Island is being developed under the Lighthouse Tourism scheme, with the aim to enhance the scope of cruise tourism and to attract international passengers.
- The work order for the project has been issued and it should be completed by March 2023.
- Its estimated cost is 50 crores.
- The island will have facilities for trekking, sit-outs, viewing galleries, interesting pergolas and resting benches, out- door restaurants, performances, overnight camping, etc.
- The scheduled date of commercial operation will be March, 2023.
About Sagarmala:
- Sagarmala is an ambitious national initiative aimed at bringing about a step change in India’s logistics sector performance, by unlocking the full potential of India’s coastline and waterways.
- The vision of Sagarmala is to reduce logistics cost for both domestic and EXIM cargo with optimized infrastructure investment.
International
3rd Indo-Uzbekistan Joint Field Training Exercise “EX DUSTLIK”
⇒ The 3rd edition of Joint Field Training Exercise between Indian and Uzbekistan armies, EX-DUSTLIK commenced on 22 March 2022 at Yangiarik, Uzbekistan. Indo-Uzbekistan Joint Field Training Exercise “EX DUSTLIK” concluded on 29 March 2022.
» The Indian contingent which comprised of a platoon strength of Grenadiers Regiment departed for the exercise area on 22 March 2022 and joined the Uzbekistan Army contingent represented by troops of the North Western Military District.
Focus:
The joint exercise was focused on Counter Terrorism operations in semi-urban terrain under a United Nations Mandate.
The joint exercise provided an opportunity for both the contingents to train in Counter Terrorism operations in an semi-urban environment.
Aim:
» The exercise aims at enhancing understanding, cooperation and interoperability between two armies.
- “Exercise DUSTLIK” will enhance the level of defence cooperation between both the Armies and will act as a catalyst for many such joint programs in future to further consolidate the traditional bond of friendship between India and Uzbekistan.
» The last edition of DUSTLIK was conducted in Ranikhet (Uttarakhand) in March 2021.
World Press Photo Award 2022
⇒ Madurai-based photographer, R. Senthil Kumaran won the World Press Photo Award 2022 under the long-term projects category in the Asian region. Senthil Kumaran won the award for his submission titled ‘Boundaries: Human-Tiger Conflict’.
» The annual World Press Photo Contest recognizes and celebrates the best photojournalism and documentary photography produced over the last year.
Four Global winners of World Press Photo Contest 2022:
World Press Photo of the Year: Kamloops Residential School by Amber Bracken, Canada, for The New York Times
World Press Photo Story of the Year: Saving Forests with Fire by Matthew Abbott, Australia, for National Geographic/Panos Pictures
World Press Photo Long-Term Project Award: Amazonian Dystopia by Lalo de Almeida, Brazil, for Folha de São Paulo/Panos Pictures
World Press Photo Open Format Award: Blood is a Seed by Isadora Romero, Ecuador