PM Narendra Modi Launched ‘Mera Yuva Bharat’ Platform for Youths of India
On 31st October 2023, on the occasion of National Unity Day 2023, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi
launched the ‘Mera Yuva Bharat’ (MY Bharat) platform for the youth of India during the program held in
Kartavya Path in New Delhi, Delhi.
The MY Bharat platform encourages youth participation in nation-building efforts, fostering a sense of
responsibility and engagement.
The program marked the culmination of the
“Meri Maati Mera Desh”
campaign’s Amrit Kalash Yatra.
It also marked the closing ceremony of
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and marks the
beginning of Amrit-kaal.
Key Points:
- MY Bharat is an autonomous body under the
Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth
Affairs and Sports(MoYAS), Government of
India (GoI).
- It serves as a comprehensive government
platform for the youth of India, aligning with the
GoI’s goal to offer equitable opportunities to the nation’s youth.
- It will benefit the youth in the age group of 15-29 years as “active drivers”, in line with the definition of
‘Youth’ in the National Youth Policy.
- This is a ‘Phygital Platform‘ (physical + digital) which offers physical activity along with an opportunity
to connect digitally
- MY Bharat will serve as a comprehensive, tech-driven platform for India’s youth, fostering their growth
and contribution to ‘Viksit Bharat’
MoRTH Report Road Accidents in India-2022: States & UTs reported around 4 lakh
Road Accidents in 2022
- According to “Road Accidents in India-2022”, the annual report published by the Ministry of Road
Transport and Highways(MoRTH). The States
and Union Territories (UTs) of India reported a
total of 4,61,312 road accidents during 2022
- The accidents occurred during 2022 have claimed
around 1,68,491 lives and caused injuries to
4,43,366 persons.
- Compared to 2021, the records show an increase
of 11.9% in accidents, 9.4% in fatalities, and
15.3% in injuries
- Tamil Nadu (TN) tops the list of States in
Number of Accidents for the 5th consecutive
year. TN has reported 64,105 (13.9%) accidents
in 2022.
About Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways(MoRTH):
Union Minister– Nitin Jairam Gadkari (Constituency- Nagpur, Maharashtra)
Minister of State– General (Retd.) Vijay Kumar Singh (Constituency- Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh)
Exercise KAZIND-2023: A Joint Military Exercise between India & Kazakhstan Begins
at Otar, Kazakhstan
Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) participates in the Joint Military ‘Exercise KAZIND-2023’ at Otar,
Kazakhstan. The 7th edition of the KAZIND, an annual bilateral exercise between India and Kazakhstan, is
being held from 30th October till 11th November
2023.
Key Points:
- The Indian and Kazakhstan forces
conduct Counter Terrorism operations in a subconventional environment under the United
Nations(UN) mandate.
- The exercise includes rehearsal of various tactical
drills including Raid, Search, and Destroy
Operations, Small Team Insertion, and Extraction
Operations.
- It also includes the conduct of Counter
Unmanned Aerial System Operations.
- This exercise also develops the necessary skills, resilience, and coordination to conduct joint military
operations in Semi-Urban and Urban environments.
- It acts as a forum to learn mutually from each other and strengthen the bond between the two armies
About Kazakhstan:
Prime Minister(PM)– Alikhan Smailov
Capital– Astana
Currency– Kazakhstani Tenge
2 Indian Cities Gwalior and Kozhikode Named in UNESCO Creative Cities Network
on World Cities Day 2023
- On the occasion of World Cities Day (31 October 2023), 55 cities joined the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Creative Cities Network (UCCN). The list
featured 2 Indian Cities namely Gwalior
(Madhya Pradesh) and Kozhikode (Kerala).
- Gwalior has been designated as the UNESCO
‘City of Music’ and Kozhikode as the UNESCO
‘City of Literature’.The newly recognised cities highlight their
dedication to integrating culture and creativity
into their developmental frameworks.
- The cities demonstrate exceptional proficiency in
human-centered urban planning.
About United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
Director-General– Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters– Paris, France
Established in– 1945
Collins Dictionary Named ‘AI’ as Word of the Year 2023
Collins Dictionary, a printed and online English dictionary published by HarperCollins in Glasgow,
Scotland, has named “AI” abbreviation for Artificial Intelligence,
as the “Word of the Year 2023”.
‘AI’, the uncountable noun, describes ‘the modelling of human
mental functions by computer programs’.
Key Points:
- Lexicographers (a person who compiles dictionaries) of Collins
Dictionary stated that the use of the term “AI” has increased and
dominated the conversations of 2023.
- The word of the year is chosen from the spoken material from
radio, TV and everyday conversations.
- The use of the word is monitored through our Collins Corpus.
India-born UK-based Writer Nandini Das won the British Academy Book Prize 2023
for “Courting India”
- India-born author Nandini Das, based in the United Kingdom(UK), has
been named the winner of the 11th British Academy Book Prize for
Global Cultural Understanding (2023), for her debut book titled “Courting
India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire”
- The announcement was made by the Chair of the Book Prize judging
panel, Professor Charles Tripp, Fellow of the British Academy (FBA), at
an event at the British Academy, London, UK.The award carries a cash prize of 25,000 pounds sterling.
Key Points:
- Nandini Das, Born in Kolkata, West Bengal, is a professor of Early
Modern Literature and Culture in the English faculty at the University of
Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- She also worked as a Professor of English Literature at the University of
Liverpool (UK) until 2019. She then assumed roles as a fellow in English at
Exeter College (UK).
- She is project director for the “Travel, Transculturality, and Identity in
Early Modern England” (TIDE), funded by the European Research Council.
- As a BBC New Generation Thinker, she actively presents television and radio programs in England (UK).
Koppu Sadashiv Murthy Appointed as CMD of BHEL
Koppu Sadashiv Murthy has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) with effect
from 1st November 2023 till the date of his
superannuation (28th February 2027) or until further
orders.
Koppu Sadashiv Murthy, Executive Director at BHEL,
will succeed Nalin Shinghal, who has been the CMD of
BHEL since July 2019.
Prior to his appointment as CMD, he served as the
Executive Director of the Corporate Operations
Management group at BHEL.
Key Points:
- Koppu Sadashiv Murthy joined BHEL in 1989 at its
Jhansi manufacturing unit in Uttar Pradesh(UP).
- He also held additional charge of CMD of Bharat Pumps and Compressors Limited (BPCL).
- He has also worked in BHEL’s Corporate Office in New Delhi, Delhi and various manufacturing units
such as Hyderabad(Telangana), Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh), Jhansi, and Varanasi(UP).
About Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL):
Chairman & Managing Director(CMD)– Koppu Sadashiv Murthy
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Established in 1964
World Vegan Day 2023- November 01
- World Vegan Day is annually observed across the globe on 1
November to spread awareness among people about the
benefits of a vegan diet on health and well-being.
- The day aims to encourage and motivate people to avoid the
utilisation of animal-based products and the killing of animals
for selfish motives and to prevent the exploitation of animals.
- The day provides a global platform for vegans and vegan
organizations to promote the positive ethical, environmental,
and health impacts of the vegan diet.