MITRA SHAKTI–2023: 9th Edition of India-Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise
Commenced in Pune
MITRA SHAKTI-2023, the 9th edition of the joint military exercise between the armed forces of India
and Sri Lanka, commenced on 16th November 2023 at the Foreign Training Node in Aundh, Pune,
Maharashtra. The 14-day exercise is set to conclude
on 29 November 2023.
The exercise will foster strong bilateral relations
between India and Sri Lanka
Key points:
- The exercise involves utilisation of Drones,
Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems and
helicopter maneuvers, and practice of tactical
actions like raid, search and destroy missions,
heliborne operations.
- Army Martial Arts Routine (AMAR), combat
reflex shooting and Yoga are also be a part of the
exercise
- Both sides will simulate securing helipads and conducting casualty evacuations during CT operations.
- Both sides will exchange views and practices of joint drills on a wide spectrum of combat skills that will
facilitate the participants to mutually learn from each other
- The Mitra Shakti was started in 2012 as a counter to China’s effort to increase its influence in South Asia
and Indian Ocean Region(IOR).
- Previously the exercise Mitra Shakti was held in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
- The 8th edition of Mitra Shakti was conducted from 4 – 16 October 2021, at Combat Training School,
Ampara in Sri Lanka
Russia Withdraws from Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe
Russia has formally withdrawn from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), a
landmark arms control agreement that sought to limit the
deployment of conventional weapons in Europe.
The exit of Russia is due to North Atlantic Treaty
Organization’s (NATO) eastward expansion as a threat to its
security.
Key points:
- The agreement was signed by 23 participating States –
those belonging to NATO and the Warsaw Treaty
Organization (WTO).
It was signed in 1990 in Paris, France.
- It aims to stop United States of America and Russia (Cold
War rivals) from building up forces that could be used in a
swift assault.
SIDBI Signed MoU with TDB to Support MSMEs
- The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Technology Development Board (TDB) to ease access of credit to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that are attempting to develop and
commercialize indigenous technology or adapt imported technology
for wider domestic applications.
- The MoU was executed by Rahul Priyadarshi, Chief General
Manager, SIDBI and Rajesh Jain, Director, TDB.
- The MoU is signed for the joint initiative by TDB and SIDBI, to
extend financial assistance to eligible MSMEs as per the terms &
conditions of TDB & SIDBI.
Under this MoU, SIDBI and TDB will support MSMEs with respective to core-competencies/expertise.
Maharashtra Govt Honoured Singer Suresh Wadkar with Gansamragini
Lata Mangeshkar Award 2023
Government of Maharashtra honoured veteran
playback singer and Padma Shri awardee Suresh
Ishwar Wadkar with prestigious
‘Gansamragini Lata Mangeshkar Award’ also
known as Lata Mangeshkar Award for the year
2023
Key points:
- The Lata Mangeshkar Award is an annual award
given by the Directorate of Cultural Affairs of the
Maharashtra Government in memory of the
legendary playback singer Lata Mangeshkar.
- The award recognises an artist who has made
consistent and invaluable contributions and achievements in the field of music and singing
- The award includes a cash prize of Rs 5 lakhs, a certificate, and a memento.
Asian Power Magazine: GAIL Bags Two Awards At The Asian Oil And Gas Awards
2023
- Asian Power Magazine presented The 19th Asian
Power Awards, 3rd Asian Oil & Gas Awards, and
inaugural Asian Water Awards in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia on November 2023.
- During this, GAIL India Limited won the
‘Innovation Award – India’ for reduction in LNG
Shipping cost & emissions through Ship-to-Ship
(STS) transfer of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
with backhauling.
- It also won ‘Midstream Project of the Year –
India’ for the installation of the first floating
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) station at
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
- Both Awards by GAIL limited are under the Asian Oil & Gas Awards.
About GAIL India Limited:
GAIL India Limited is a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprises under Ministry of Petroleum and
Natural Gas (MoP&NG)
Chairman and Managing Director– Sandeep Kumar Gupta
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment– 1984
India’s Bina Agarwal & Mexico’s David Barkin won the 2023 Kenneth Boulding Award
- The International Society for Ecological Economics(ISEE) honoured Indian economist & Padma Shri
awardee Bina Agarwal with 2023
Kenneth E. Boulding Memorial Award
for Ecological Economics. Bina
Agarwal is a Professor of Development
Economics and Environment at the
University of Manchester in
Manchester, United Kingdom(UK).
- Along with Bina Agarwal, David
Barkin, a professor at the Metropolitan
University in Mexico City was declared
as the joint recipient of 2023 award.
- The award was presented during the IESS’s 2023 Biennial Conference in Santa Marta, Colombia held
from 23 to 28 October 2023.
- The award recognsies their significant contributions to ecological economics, particularly in exploring
social equity and gender roles in rural societies within developing regions.
Indian Navy’s 4th Anti-Submarine Warfare Craft ‘Amini‘ Launched
Indian Navy (IN) launched ‘Amini‘, the 4th in a series of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water
Crafts (ASW-SWC), at shipbuilding facility of Larsen
& Toubro (L&T) in Kattupalli, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
It is built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers
Limited (GRSE).
The launch ceremony was presided over by Vice
Admiral (VAdm) Sandeep Naithani, Chief of Materiel,
IN.
As per maritime tradition, Mrs. Manju Naithani, wife
of Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani, launched the ship to
the invocation from Atharva Veda.
Key points:
- Amini, a Arnala class ship, is named after
Amini island in Lakshadweep due to its strategic significance
- It is designed for anti-submarine operations in coastal waters and low intensity maritime operations
(LIMO), and mine laying operations
- It is 77-meter ship with a 900-ton displacement, capable of reaching a maximum speed of 25 knots and
covering 1,800 nautical miles
Former Nagaland Governor PB Acharya Passed Away
Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya (PB Acharya or
PB), former Governor of Nagaland(July 2014 –
July 2019) and Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) leader, passed away in Mumbai,
Maharashtra, at the age of 92. He was born on 8th
October 1931, in Udupi, Karnataka.
Key points:
- PB Acharya started his political career in 1951 as
an activist of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
(ABVP)
- He became a member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980
- He served as All India National Secretary of the BJP and in-charge of North Eastern States from
1995-2002.
- He founded Indian National Fellowship Centre (INFC), a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) in 1975,
to strengthen brotherhood/fellowship and Nationalism in the North East region
- He was involved with the Academy for Indian Tribal Dialects(AITD), the publication wing of INFC and
published 10 booklets on Tribal Nationalist leaders like Rani Ma Gaidinlu (Nagaland), U.Tirot Singh and
Jaban Bay (Meghalaya), Dr. Dying Ering and Narottam (Arunachal Pradesh).
International Students’ Day 2023 – November 17
International Students’ Day is annually observed across the globe on November 17 to celebrate
multiculturalism, diversity, and teamwork among students. The day
aims to guarantee that every kid in the world has access to education.
The observance marks the anniversary of the events held after the
Nazi invasion of Charles University in Prague(Czech Republic), in
1939.
17th November 2023 marks the observance 83rd International
Students’ Day.
Key points:
- On 17th November 1939, the Nazis executed nine students and
professors without trial
- Due to this event, the date was chosen to be International Students’
Day
- The first-ever International Students’ Day was observed on 17th
November 1941.
- It was observed by the International Students’ Council in London, The United Kingdom(UK).