National
INS NIREEKSHAK awarded the 'On-The-Spot' Chief of the Naval Staff Unit Citation
⇒ The Chief of the Naval Staff Adm R Harikumar visited INS Nireekshak at Kochi on 20 February 2023.
He interacted with the diving team of the ship involved in the salvage operations at a depth of 219 meters in the Arabian Sea and commended the ship on the safe and successful conduct of the operations under most challenging circumstances. This is the deepest salvage carried out in the country’s waters.
INS NIREEKSHAK was awarded the ‘On-The-Spot’ Chief of the Naval Staff Unit Citation for deep sea diving and undertaking salvage OPS under the most challenging circumstances.
- The CNS awarded ‘on the spot’ Unit Citation to the ship, a first in Indian Navy.
- He also awarded commendations to the crew involved in the salvage ops.
About Nireekshak:
- Nireekshak had also recently completed a solemn dive off Gujarat coast to pay homage by laying wreath at 80 m depth, the resting site of erstwhile Khukri which sank during 1971 war.
- INS Nireekshak is a Dive Support and Submarine Rescue Vessel of Indian Navy.
- Built by Mazgaon Shipbuilders in 1985, the ship has been in service with the Navy since 1989 and was commissioned in the year 1995.
- INS Nireekshak has been part of various diving operations and holds the record for the deepest dive carried out in the country to a depth of 257 m.
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav visits Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre, Pinjore
⇒ Minister of Labour & Employment and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India Shri Bhupender Yadav, visited the Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre, Pinjore on 20 February 2023.
The Minister assured technical and financial support for the development of the Jatayu Vulture Breeding Centre.
» It is proposed to release Oriental white-backed Vultures during the year 2023-24 in the wild.
- The released birds will be monitored closely for atleast a year with satellite transmitters and will look for any behaviour problems to make sure that they adjust well to the wild conditions and there is no mortality due to diclofenac poisoning. Thereafter the birds would be released regularly in the wild every year.
About JCBC:
- The Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre (JCBC), was established to investigate the dramatic declines in the population of the three India’s Gyps species of vultures, the Oriental white-backed, Long-billed and Slender-billed vultures, from looming extinction.
- It is a collaborative initiative between the Haryana Forest Department and Bombay Natural History Society.
- The main objectives of the centre were to establish a founder population of 25 pairs of each of the 3 species of vultures and to produce a population of at least 200 birds, in 15 years of each species to be reintroduced to the wild.
International
2nd G20 Culture Working Group Meeting
⇒ The 2nd Culture Working Group Meeting under India’s G20 presidency was organised in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, from May 14 – 17, 2023.
- The meeting was attended by delegates from G20 members, guest nations, and several international organisations.
- The meeting offered an opportunity to discuss pressing issues facing the culture sector to further deliberate in-depth work towards tangible, action-oriented recommendations.
The 2nd CWG meeting was built on the momentum gained from the 1st Culture Working Group meeting held in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, which was followed by in-depth expert-driven Global Thematic Webinars held over the past two months.
The meetings of the Culture Working Group focus on 4 key priority areas articulated under the Culture Track of India’s G20 Presidency. The 4 priority areas are:
- Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property;
- Harnessing Living Heritage for a Sustainable Future;
- Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries and Creative Economy; and
- Leveraging Digital Technologies for the Protection and Promotion of Culture.
Day 1:
The Minister for Culture, Tourism and DoNER, Shri G. Kishan Reddy and Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai graced the inaugural session of the meeting on the first day.
The agenda of Day 1 of the meeting included two sessions on Shaping Action-Oriented outcomes for:
- Priority Area 1: Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property
- Priority Area 2: Harnessing Living Heritage for a Sustainable Future
» Session 1 witnessed the delegates focusing on the recommendations that emerged from the global thematic webinars, based on the priority areas of the Working Group. The way forward on the drafting & finalisation of the G20 Culture Ministers’ Declaration was also presented.
- Taking up the first priority area of the Culture Working Group, delegates deliberated in detail on how the G20 can strengthen the global commitment to prevent illicit trafficking and facilitate the return & restitution of cultural property.
» Focusing on harnessing living heritage to build a sustainable future for all, the deliberations at the 2nd CWG Meet focused on the promotion of culturally grounded practices & knowledge systems as an effective means of addressing crucial development & environmental challenges.
» Later in the day, an exhibition on ‘Sustain: The Craft Idiom’ was inaugurated by the CM of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy and Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai.
Day 2:
On Day 2, delegates participated in the discussion sessions focusing on the 3rd and 4th priority areas outlined by the CWG: ‘Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries and Creative Economy ’and ‘Leveraging Digital Technologies for the Protection and Promotion of Culture’.
- The discussions offered valuable insights, which are expected to culminate into tangible and action-oriented recommendations that have the potential to shape the cultural sector and concerning policy frameworks globally.
- The first two sessions of the CWG meeting witnessed the delivery of statements by the delegates, followed by an open discussion on the third and fourth priority areas.
» Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs, Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi concluded the second session of the day with a special address.
- The concluding session outlined details and the timeline concerning the working process of the Culture Working Group going forward.
Sports
2023 Ibrahim Moustafa Wrestling Tournament- 2nd Ranking Series
⇒ The 2023 Ibrahim Moustafa Tournament was a wrestling competition held between 23 and 26 February 2023 in Alexandria, Egypt.
It was held as the 2nd of the ranking series of United World Wrestling in 2023.
India’s Participation:
» The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) ‘s Oversight Committee had cleared a contingent of 43 members including 27 wrestlers to participate in 2nd Ranking Series ‘Ibrahim-Moustafa’ tournament.
- The Indian team consisted of 9 Freestyle Wrestlers, 8 Women Wrestlers, and 10 Greco-Roman Wrestlers along with 16 coaches and support staff.
Indian won 2 bronze medals in 2023 Ibrahim Moustafa Wrestling Tournament.
- India’s 19-year-old Greco-Roman wrestler Ankit Gulia won a bronze medal in men’s 72kg.
- Young Indian wrestler Reetika won a bronze medal in the women’s freestyle 72kg category.
Champions:
- Freestyle: United States (Total Medals- 4 Gold, 5 Silver, 4 Bronze)
- Greco-Roman: Georgia (Total Medals- 4 Gold, 4 Silver, 5 Bronze)
- Women: Ukraine (Total Medals- 3 Gold, 5 Silver, 4 Bronze)
Important Day
World Social Justice Day 2023
⇒ World Social Justice Day is celebrated every year on 20 February.
This is the day is marked to raise voices against social injustice and remove barriers regarding gender, race, inequality, religious discrimination, etc. It also highlights the social injustice done throughout the world and looks into the solutions and improvements.
World Social Justice Day 2023 Theme: “Overcoming Barriers and Unleashing Opportunities for Social Justice”
This year’s theme focuses on the recommendations of Our Common Agenda to strengthen global solidarity and to re-build trust in government by “Overcoming Barriers and Unleashing Opportunities for Social Justice”.
History:
- At its sixty-second session, in November 2007, the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed 20 February as World Day of Social Justice.
- The day was observed for the first time in 2009.