National
Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for 2019, 2020 & 2021
⇒ The General Council meeting of Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama was held on 6-8 November 2022 at New Delhi.
» The General Council of Sangeet Natak Akademi unanimously elected 10 eminent personalities in the field of performing arts as Akademi Fellows.
- The Fellowship of the Akademi is a most prestigious and rare honour, which is restricted to 40 at any given time. With the election of ten (10) Fellows, there are presently (39) Fellows of Sangeet Natak Akademi.
» The General Council also selected the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for the years 2019, 2020 & 2021.
- The General Council selected 128 artists from the field of Music, Dance, Theatre, Traditional/Folk/Tribal Music/Dance/Theatre, Puppetry and Overall contribution/scholarship in the Performing Arts for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards. These 128 artists include three joint awards.
» The honour of Akademi Fellow carries a purse money of Rs 3,00,000 (Rupees three lakh) while the Akademi Award carries a purse money of Rs 1,00,000 (Rupees one lakh), besides a Tamrapatra and Angavastram.
Background:
The eminent artists cover the entire gamut of the performing arts such as vocal music, both Hindustani and Carnatic; instrumental music, both Hindustani and Carnatic including Flute, Sitar and Mridangam; Sugam Sangeet as well as Harikatha; the major forms of Indian dance such as Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Sattriya, Mohiniattam as well as Contemporary Dance; the different specializations of theatre such as playwriting, direction, acting, make-up, lighting, stage design; the other major traditions of theatre like Isai Natakam; the folk and tribal arts as well as the arts of puppetry and instrument making.
Complete list of awardees (Official Link)
Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for the years 2019, 2020 & 2021
⇒ Sangeet Natak Akademi selected 102 (Including three joint Awards) artists of India who have made a mark as young talents in their respective fields of the performing arts for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for the years 2019, 2020 & 2021.
The Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, selected the awardees in the meeting of its General Council held from 6-8 November 2022 in New Delhi.
» The North-eastern States of the country have also been adequately represented with 19 artists from the North-east selected for the Award from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
About Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar:
- The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar is given to artists below the age of 40 years.
- The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar was introduced with the objective of identifying and encouraging outstanding young talents in diverse fields of performing arts and giving them national recognition early in their life, so that they may work with greater commitment and dedication in their chosen fields.
- The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar carries a purse money of Rs 25,000 (Rupees twenty-five thousand only).
Complete details of awardees (Official Link)
International
8th edition of bilateral joint training Exercise GARUDA SHAKTI
⇒ As part of military-to-military exchange programs, a bilateral joint training Exercise GARUDA SHAKTI between Indian Special Forces troops and Indonesian Special Forces was conducted at Sangga Buana Training Area, Karawang, Indonesia.
- Exercise GARUDA SHAKTI was the eighth edition of the series of bilateral exercises under this banner, which commenced on 21 November 2022.
- The exercise culminated in a 48-hour long validation exercise.
Aim:
The aim of the exercise was to enhance understanding, cooperation and interoperability between the Special Forces of both armies.
Scope:
» The scope of the joint exercise included orientation to advance special forces skills, sharing of information on weapon, equipment, innovations, tactics, techniques & procedures and lessons learnt from various operations undertaken, Special Forces Operations in Jungle terrain, strikes on terrorist camps and a validation exercise integrating basic and advance special forces skills apart from gaining an insight into the lifestyle and culture of both countries to foster military cooperation.
- The joint training also focused on a high degree of physical fitness, tactical drills, techniques and procedures for which a comprehensive 13-day training programme was worked out.
Significance:
- The joint exercise facilitated both armies to know each other better, and share their wide experiences and combat experience on countering terrorist operations, Regional Security Operations & Peace Keeping Operations in an international environment.
- The exercise proved to be another significant milestone in ensuring cordial relations between the two countries and another step forward towards ensuring regional security.
India-GCC decide to pursue resumption of Free Trade Agreement Negotiations
⇒ Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution and Textiles and Dr Nayef Falah M Al-Hajraf, Secretary General, Gulf Cooperation Council, held a Joint Press Conference, in New Delhi on 25 November 2022.
- They announced the intent to pursue negotiations on the India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) FTA.
» With forward-looking and solution-oriented deliberations, bilateral engagements witnessed significant progress on all matters of mutual interest across the entire gamut of bilateral economic relations between India and the GCC nations.
- Both sides agreed to expedite conclusion of the requisite legal and technical requirements for formal resumption of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.
- The FTA is envisaged to be a modern, comprehensive Agreement with substantial coverage of goods and services.
- Both sides emphasized that the FTA will create new jobs, raise living standards, and provide wider social and economic opportunities in India and all the GCC countries.
- Both sides agreed to significantly expand and diversify the trade basket in line with the enormous potential that exists on account of the complementary business and economic ecosystems of India and the GCC.
Background:
- The GCC is currently India’s largest trading partner bloc with bilateral trade in FY 2021-22 valued at over USD 154 billion with exports valued at approximately USD 44 billion and imports of around USD 110 billion (non-oil exports of USD 33.8 Billion and non-oil imports of USD 37.2 Billion).
- Bilateral trade in services between India and the GCC was valued at around USD 14 billion in FY 2021-22, with exports valued at USD 5.5 Billion and imports at USD 8.3 Billion.
- GCC countries contribute almost 35% of India’s oil imports and 70% of gas imports.
- India’s overall crude oil imports from the GCC in 2021-22 were about $48 billion, while LNG and LPG imports in 2021-22 were about $21 billion.
- Investments from the GCC in India are currently valued at over USD 18 billion.