National
Chief Justices of High Courts
⇒ In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, appointed Judges as Chief Justices of High Courts.
The following Judges have been appointed as the Chief Justices of High Courts:
Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court:
» Ms. Justice Sonia Giridhar Gokani, Judge, Gujarat High Court: Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court
- Justice Sonia Gokani was sworn in as the 28th Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court on February 16, 2023 becoming the first woman judge to be elevated to the post at the high court, just a few days before her retirement on February 25.
» Justice Ashish Jitendra Desai is currently the Acting Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court since 26 February.
Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court:
» Shri Justice Sandeep Mehta, Judge, Rajasthan High Court: Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court
- Justice Sandeep Mehta was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court on 15 February 2023.
Chief Justice of Tripura High Court:
» Shri Justice Jaswant Singh, Judge, Orissa High Court: Chief Justice of Tripura High Court
- Shri Justice Jaswant Singh was appointed as the Chief Justice of Tripura High Court on 15 February 2023. He retired on 22 February 2023.
» After that, Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, Judge of the Jharkhand High Court has been appointed as the new chief justice of the Tripura High Court.
- Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh was sworn-in as the 8th Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court on 17 April 2023.
Chief Justice of High Court of J&K and Ladakh:
» Shri Justice N. Kotiswar Singh, Judge, Gauhati High Court: Chief Justice of High Court of J&K and Ladakh
- Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh was sworn in as the chief justice of the high court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh on 15 February 2023.
Chief Justice of the Patna High Court:
» Justice Krishnan Vinod Chandran, judge of the High Court of Kerala, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court.
- Justice K. Vinod Chandran took oath as the 44th Chief Justice of Patna High Court on 29 March 2023. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered him the oath at Raj Bhawan.
Prestigious President's Colour Award to Haryana Police
⇒ Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah presented the ‘President’s Colour’ to the Haryana Police in Karnal, Haryana on 14 February 2023.
» In his address, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the President’s Colour is presented only after a careful examination of the courage, bravery and dedication during the 25 years of continuous service.
- It is a matter of pride for a robust police force like Haryana Police, the people of the state as well as for the entire country, to be presented with this prestigious honour.
- Haryana Police is known for being vigilant. The police force has showcased valour, patience and courage in every field by maintaining law and order, ensuring public safety, and making life easier for the citizens.
Key Points:
- The President’s Colour is a rare and prestigious honour, awarded by the President to armed forces that have rendered exceptional service to the nation.
- The award serves as recognition of the sacrifices made by police personnel in the line of duty, and as a tribute to their commitment to protecting its people.
Cyclathon at Lady Hardinge Medical College
⇒ Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare organised a Cyclathon with the theme, ‘Cycle for Health’ at Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) on 14 February 2023.
Key Points:
- Faculty, staff and students participated with great fervour and in huge numbers. Such rallies are organised to promote physical and mental well-being and inform our citizens about environment friendly conveyance.
- Mega cycling events in the form of Cyclathon, Cycle Rally or Cycle for Health were organised in all 1.56 lakh Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) on 14th February.
- These activities were undertaken as part of the ongoing “Swastha Mann, Swastha Ghar” year-long campaign launched in November last year which aims to promote and enhance awareness surrounding healthy living.
International
Partnership between Air India and Airbus
⇒ Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in a video call with President of France Mr Emmanuel Macron, Shri Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons, Shri N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of the Board, Tata Sons, Mr Campbell Wilson, CEO, Air India and Mr Guillaume Faury, CEO Airbus on the occasion of the launch of a partnership between Air India and Airbus.
Key Points:
- Air India and Airbus have signed a contract for the supply of 250 aircraft, 210 single-aisle A320neos and 40 widebody A350s to Air India.
- This commercial partnership between these two players of the aviation sector also displays the strength of the India-France Strategic Partnership, which marks its 25th anniversary this year.
G20 EMPOWER Inception Meeting
⇒ The G20 Alliance for the Empowerment and Progression of Women’s Economic Representation (EMPOWER) is an alliance of G20 business leaders and governments that aims to accelerate women’s leadership and empowerment in the private sector.
The G20 EMPOWER 2023, under India’s Presidency, has prioritised the shift from women’s development to women-led development. The Summit is aimed at providing an opportunity to develop the roadmap and policies and mobilise common strengths toward promoting equality and women-led development.
Its three focus areas under India’s G20 Presidency are:
- Women’s Entrepreneurship: A win-win for Equity and Economy
- Women’s Partnership: promoting women’s leadership at all levels
- Women’s Education: key to women’s empowerment and equal workforce participation
The G20 EMPOWER Inception Meeting was hosted in Agra on 11th and 12th February 2023 at the Taj Convention Hotel.
Theme:
The two-day inception meeting was themed around – ‘Empowering Women to Lead Across Sectors: Role of Digital Skilling and Future Skills’ with the overall focus areas under India’s G20 Presidency.
Inaugural Session:
Shri Indevar Pandey, Secretary of the Ministry of Women & Child Development delivered the welcome address. Shri Indevar Pandey also highlighted several women-centric initiatives taken by India.
DAY 1
Plenary Session: Women-led Development: Redefining Women’s Leadership through Digital Skilling
- The panel consisting of Ms. Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women and Ms. Vaishali Sinha, Co-Founder and Chairperson Sustainability, ReNew Power; Chair ReNew Foundation discussed the digital disruption as a big enabler, opening multiple avenues of development for women.
1st Panel Discussion: Role of Digitalization and Future Skills in Empowering Women
- The panel discussion was with panelists from ISRO, World Bank, and G20 Empower Member delegates from Japan and Bangladesh.
2nd Panel Discussion: Enhancing Women’s Participation in Non-Traditional Workforce: Institutionalized Support for Introducing Gender Equitable Opportunities in STEM and AI
- The second-panel discussion was with panelists from Sea6 Energy, Microsoft, Wequity, APAAACI, and G20 Empower member delegates from France.
3rd Panel Discussion: Advancing Partnerships and Resourcing for Adoption of Best Practices of Women-Led Entrepreneurship
- The day ended with the final panel discussion.
DAY 2
Session: Art, Culture and a Better World
- The session was moderated by a delegate from Avanee Foundation and was attended by Dr. SandhyaPurecha, Chair W20, and Chairperson, SangeetNatakAkademi, and artists from various genres of art.
Closing Plenary Session: Establishing Actions across G20 EMPOWER Priorities and Identifying Key Outcomes
- The G20 Empower Chair, Dr. Sangita Reddy, chaired the closing plenary session.