President Droupadi Murmu Gives Assent to Women’s Reservation Bill 2023
- President Droupadi Murmu has granted assent to the Women’s Reservation Bill 2023, which mandates a 33% reservation (one-third of total seats) for women in the Lok Sabha, State Legislative assemblies, and National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. This historic decision was officially approved by the President on September 28, 2023.
- Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairperson, Jagdeep Dhankhar on September 28 signed thewomen’s reservation Bill as passed by Parliament before it was presented to President Droupadi Murmu for her assent.
- Following the President’s assent, this Bill will be recognized as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act.
- The Women’s Reservation Bill 2023, officially titled as The Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023 and commonly referred to as Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, has been introduced in the Indian Parliament.
- This bill, which aims to enhance gender representation, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 19th September 2023 during a special parliamentary session.
- The Women’s Reservation Bill cannot be enacted into law until the year 2026.The bill can only become effective after a process known as “delimitation” is carried out in the country.Delimitation is necessary to allocate seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies in a manner that reserves a specific percentage (in this case, 33 percent) for women
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Launched Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav and Technology & Bharatiya Bhasha Summit
- Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the Ministry of Education(MoE) and the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), launched the Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav and inaugurated the two-day Technology & Bharatiya Bhasha summit in New Delhi, Delhi
- The 2-day summit, held from 30th September to 1st October 2023, was organised as a part of the 75-day Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav that commenced on 28 September 2023 and will conclude on 11 December 2023.
- An exhibition was also set up to showcase Bharatiya Bhasha technology products, and their applications by the industries, government organizations, and start-ups.
About Ministry of Education (MoE):
Union Minister– Dharmendra Pradhan (Rajya Sabha Madhya Pradesh)
Ministers of State– Annpurna Devi (Constituency- Kodarma,Jharkhand); Dr. Subhas Sarkar (ConstituencyBankura, West Bengal); Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh (Constituency- Inner Manipur, Manipur)
SBI Life Insurance & State Bank of Sikkim Sign a Bancassurance Pact to Offer Insurance Products
- SBI Life Insurance Company Limited signed a bancassurance pact with the State Bank of Sikkim (SBS) to make insurance solutions accessible to the residents of Sikkim
- The agreement was signed by P. Wangdi Bhutia, Managing Director, State Bank of Sikkim, and Jayant Pandey, Regional Director- Bengal region, SBI Life Insurance at the SBS’s headquarters in Gangtok, Sikkim
- Bancassurance is an agreement between a bank and an insurance company, through which the insurer can sell its products to the bank’s customers.
- Through this partnership, the State Bank of Sikkim offers SBI Life’s diverse range of protection, wealth creation, and savings insurance products to its customers
Captain Bana Singh PVC Nominated as Ambassador for ‘War Against Waste’ in J&K
- Directorate of Rural Sanitation, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) has nominated Param Vir Chakra(PVC) Awardee Captain Bana Singh as the ambassador for the “War Against Waste”, initiativeto takle sanitation challenges in rural areas of J&K
- The “War Against Waste” campaign attempts to resolve waste management and environmental conservation challenges in rural J&K.
- Captain Bana Singh’s participation in the cause will create awareness, encourage sustainable practices, and inspire local populations to actively participate in waste reduction and the preservation of J&K’s scenery.
- Charandeep Singh, Director of Rural Sanitation of J&K announced the nomination of ambassador at Captain Bana Singh Stadium, R. S. Pura, Jammu during the Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS 2023) campaign.
Key Points:
- The Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS 2023) campaign was celebrated from 15th September to 2nd October 2023 under the joint aegis of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).The theme of SHS-2023 is ‘Garbage Free India’ with a focus on visual cleanliness and the welfare of SafaiMitras(sanitation Workers).
- The campaign aims to mass movement through community participation to reinforce the concept of Sanitation as everyone’s business.
- It also was part of Swachh Bharat Diwas (2nd October) with nationwide participation
About Jammu and Kashmir(J&K):Lieutenant Governor – Manoj Sinha
Dance Forms – Wuegi-Nachun, Bacha Nagma, Bhand Jashan
Festivals – Hemis Festival, Sindhu Darshan Festival, Amarnath Yatra
Mohamed Muizzu Elected as the President of Maldives
Mohamed Muizzu of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) was elected as the New President of Maldives. He is set to be sworn in on 17th November 2023.He defeated the incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (2018 to 2023) of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) by securing 54% of the votes.
Key Points:
- The 45-year-old Mohamed Muizzu is currently serving as the mayor of the capital Male since 2021, and he is the first mayor of Male to be elected by the people
- He had served as the minister of housing and environment from 2012 to 2018 under then-Maldives president Abdulla Yameen.During his tenure as minister, he oversaw the building of the China-Maldives friendship bridge that connects the capital Male’, the international airport on Hulhule, and man-made Hulhumale Island.
- He had also served as the Governor of the Maldives for the Asian Infrastructure Development Bank (AIDB).
About Maldives:
The Maldives is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, comprised of 1192 islands that stretch along a length of 871 kilometers.
President – Mohamed Muizzu
Capital – Male
Currency – Maldivian Rufiyaa
Indian Army celebrated 197th Gunners Day – 28th September 2023
Regiment of Artillery, an operational arm of Indian Army, annually observes September 28th as the “Gunners Day”.The 28th of September 2023 marks the observance of the 197th Gunners day. The day commemorates the raising of 5 (Bombay) Mountain Battery, equipped with 2.5-inch Guns as the 8th Company of the Golandaz Battalion, Bombay Foot Artillery (India’s first Artillery unit), on 28th September 1827.What is Artilley?
Artillery refers to a group of soldiers primarily armed with some form of manufactured weapon or armour.About Regiment of Artillery:
i.The Regiment of Artillery, the second-largest arm of the Indian Army, has been a part of the Indian defence since its independence.
ii.The motto of the Regiment is Sarvatra Izat-o-Iqbal (Everywhere with Honour and Glory)
International Day of Older Persons 2023 – October 1
- United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Older Persons (IDOP) is annually observed across the globe on October 1 to raise awareness of the contributions and achievements of older individuals (defined as those aged 65 years or older) in society, as well as to promote their well-being and inclusion in all aspects of life.
- 1st October 2023 marks the observance of the 33nd anniversary ofthe IDOP.
- Theme: The theme for IDOP 2023 is “Fulfilling the Promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Older Persons: Across Generations.”
- The theme highlights the unique needs of older people globally in terms of their rights and reporting violations, in addition to fostering solidarity through equity and reciprocity between the generations offers long-term solutions to fulfil the Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDG) promise.
International Coffee Day 2023- October 1
- International Coffee Day (ICD) is annually observed across the globe on 1 October to celebrate and promote the global love and appreciation for coffee. This day provides an opportunity to recognize the significant cultural, economic, and social impact of coffee around the world.
- ICD aims to recognise the millions of people across the globe, from farmers to roasters, baristas, coffee shop owners, and more, who work hard to create and serve the beverage
- The 2023 theme of International Coffee Day is, “promoting the right to a safe and healthy working environment in the coffee supply chain”.
- ICD is celebrated by the International Coffee Organisation (ICO), with its 77 Member States and dozens of coffee associations from around the world.
World Vegetarian Day 2023 – October 1
World Vegetarian Day(WVD) is annually observed across the globe on October 1 to promote the joy, compassion and lifeenhancing possibilities of vegetarianism.World Vegetarian Day marks the beginning of Vegetarian Awareness Month, which begins on 1st October and concludes on 1st November, World Vegan Day.
Key Points:
- World Vegetarian Day was formed in 1977 by the North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS).
- The day was endorsed by the International Vegetarian Union (IVU) in 1978.
- As of now World Vegetarian Day is celebrated in more than 180 countries around the world.It is also recognized as a national day in several countries, including India, Brazil, China, France, and Thailand.