National
Sansad Ratna Awards 2023
⇒ The names for the Sansad Ratna Awards 2023 have been released on 21 February 2023. 13th Edition of Sansad Ratna Awards 2023 was held at New Maharashtra Sadan, Delhi on 25th March 2023.
- A total of 13 members of parliament, 2 parliamentary committees and 1 Lifetime Achievement honour have been honoured with the accolade during the 13th edition of Sansad Ratna Awards.
- T K Rangarajan (two-term Rajya Sabha MP and prominent CPI-M leader) has received the Sansad Ratna Lifetime Achievement Award.
Winners of Sansad Ratna Awards 2023:
- Shri. Bidyut Baran Mahato (BJP, Jharkhand – Lok Sabha)
- Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (BJP, West Bengal – Lok Sabha)
- Shri. Kuldeep Rai Sharma (INC, Andaman Nicobar Islands -Lok Sabha)
- Dr. Heena Vijayakumar Gavit (BJP, Maharashtra – Lok Sabha)
- Shri. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (INC, West Bengal – Lok Sabha)
- Shri. Gopal Chinayya Shetty (BJP, Maharashtra – Lok Sabha)
- Shri. Sudhir Gupta (BJP, Madhya Pradesh – Lok Sabha)
- Dr. Amol Ramsing Kolhe (NCP, Maharashtra – Lok Sabha)
- Dr. John Brittas (CPI-M, Kerala – Rajya Sabha)
- Dr. Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD, Bihar – Rajya Sabha)
- Smt. Fauzia Tahseen Ahmed Khan (NCP, Maharashtra – Rajya Sabha)
- Shri. Vishambhar Prasad Nishad (Samajwadi Party, UP – Rajya Sabha)
- Smt. Chhaya Verma (INC, Chhattisgarh – Rajya Sabha)
Standing Committee Awardees:
- The Finance Committee from Lok Sabha: Chairman Shri Jayant Sinha (BJP, Jharkhand)
- Transport, Tourism and Culture Committee from Rajya Sabha: Chairman Shri V. Vijayasai Reddy (YSR Congress, Andhra Pradesh)
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Lifetime Achievement Award:
Shri TK Rangarajan (Former Rajya Sabha MP and Senior CPIM Leader)
Nominations:
- The nominations are based on members’ total performance in Questions, Private Members Bills, and initiated debates from the start of the 17th Lok Sabha until the end of the Winter Session 2022.
- The members’ performance data was obtained from the PRS India, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha Secretariats.
About Sansad Ratna Awards:
- The Sansad Ratna Awards were established at the suggestion of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam to recognise outstanding Parliamentarians.
- In 2010, he hosted the maiden edition of the award ceremony in Chennai. The award has been given to 90 outstanding Parliamentarians to date.
- In 2022, the Foundation and PreSense created a new category called “Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Lifetime Achievement Award” to recognise experienced leaders who have made significant contributions to Indian politics, society, and the people.
- According to the Foundation, the awards is awarded on March 25 on behalf of civil society.
International
INDO-UZBEKISTAN JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE DUSTLIK-2023
⇒ The 4th edition of joint military exercise ‘DUSTLIK’ between the Indian Army and Uzbekistan Army commenced in Foreign Training Node, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand on 20 February 2023.
- As part of a military-to-military exchange program between the Indian Army and Uzbekistan Army, the 4th biennial training Exercise DUSTLIK 2023 concluded on March 5, 2023.
Participation:
- 45 Soldiers each from Uzbekistan and Indian Army participated in this exercise, which is aimed at promoting positive relations between both the armies.
- The Indian Army contingent comprised of troops from an Infantry Battalion from the Garhwal Rifles Regiment.
Highlights:
- The 14 days long joint exercise focused on joint counter-terrorist operations in mountainous and semi-urban scenario under UN mandate and included field training exercises, combat discussions, lectures, demonstrations and culminated with a validation exercise.
- Both sides jointly trained, planned and executed a series of tactical drills for neutralisation of likely threats, while learning to exploit new generation equipment and technology for conducting joint operations.
- Due emphasis was laid on increasing interoperability between forces.
» The bonhomie, espirit-de-corps and goodwill generated during the exercise will go a long way in further strengthening the bonds between both armies by enabling understanding of each other’s organisation and methodology of conducting various operations.
» The first edition of the exercise was held at Uzbekistan in November 2019.
2nd G20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies (FCBD)
⇒ The 2nd G20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies (FCBD) was held from February 22-25, 2023, in Bengaluru.
Co-chaired by:
It was co-chaired by Shri Ajay Seth, Secretary (Economic Affairs), and Dr. Michael D. Patra, Deputy Governor, RBI.
2nd Finance and Central Bank Deputies (FCBD) Meeting
The inaugural address of the 2nd G20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies (FCBD) Meeting was delivered by Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur.
- During his address, the Minister said that the Finance Track is at the core of the G20 process and provides an effective forum for global economic discourse and policy coordination.
- Main workstreams in Finance Track are the global economic outlook and risks, international financial architecture including development finance and global financial safety net, financial inclusion and other financial sector issues, infrastructure development and financing, sustainable finance, global health financing, and international taxation.
Day 1:
Day 1 of the 2nd Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting wrapped up with communique drafting sessions.
Day 2:
Day 2 witnessed several side events to discuss financial issues of global concern.
Side Events:
- Policy Perspectives: Road to Policy Consensus on Crypto Assets
- High-Level Symposium on Digital Public Infrastructure
- Leveraging National Payments Systems to Enhance Cross-Border Payment Arrangements
Symposium on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
The Symposium saw a panel discussion on DPI for Innovative, Resilient, Inclusive Growth and Efficient Governance.
- Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman; Dr. Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Finance, Republic of Indonesia; Mr. Roberto de Oliveira Campos Neto, Governor, Central Bank of Brazil; Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund; and Mr. Agustin Carstens, General Manager, Bank for International Settlements participated in the symposium.
- The panelists discussed their experiences and noted the potential of DPI for leading to the growth and empowerment of people through increased accessibility, inclusion, accountability, and productivity gains. The contribution of DPI to expanding the reach of the government and private sector to the last mile, particularly during the time of the pandemic, was underscored by the panelists.
- To steer the work under this priority, the G20 India Presidency has also constituted a Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure for Economic Transformation, Financial Inclusion, and Development.
- The Task Force is co-chaired by Shri Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa of India, and Shri Nilekani and is constituted to guide the work during the G20 India Presidency.
Important Day
24th edition of International Mother Language Day
⇒ International Mother Language Day is observed every year on 21 February.
International Mother Language Day is to promote linguistic and cultural diversity, multilingualism, and the preservation and protection of all languages, especially endangered ones.
Theme:
The theme of the 2023 International Mother Language Day was “Multilingual education – a necessity to transform education”.
- The theme aligns with recommendations made during the Transforming Education Summit, where an emphasis was also placed on Indigenous people’s education and languages.
International Mother Language Day recognizes that languages and multilingualism can advance inclusion, and the Sustainable Development Goals’ focus on leaving no one behind.
- UNESCO encourages and promotes multilingual education based on mother tongue or first language.
- Multilingual education based on mother-tongue facilitates access to and inclusion in learning for population groups that speak non-dominant languages, languages of minority groups and indigenous languages.
History:
- The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was the initiative of Bangladesh.
- It was approved at the 1999 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) General Conference and has been observed throughout the world since 2000.
- International Mother Language Day was first observed on February 21, 2000.