World Hindi Day 2023 observed on 10th January
World Hindi Day or Vishwa Hindi Diwas is celebrated on 10th January every year to promote awareness about the language across the world.
World Hindi Day 2023:
World Hindi Day or Vishwa Hindi Diwas is celebrated on 10th January every year to promote awareness about the language across the world. It is also the day when Hindi, India’s national language, was spoken for the first time in the United Nations General Assembly. It was on this day in 1975 that the first World Hindi Conference was held in Nagpur. Since then, such conferences are organised in different parts of the world every year.
Notably: The language got its name from the Persian term ‘Hind’ which means ‘the land of Indus’. The language is spoken in India, Trinidad, Nepal, Guyana, Mauritius and other countries.
Theme of World Hindi Conference 2023:
The theme this year is “Hindi – Traditional Knowledge to Artificial Intelligence”. This year, the 12th World Hindi Conference will be organised in Fiji by the Foreign Ministry in collaboration with the Fiji government from February 15 to 17. The location for the 2023 event was decided during the 11th World Hindi Conference held in Mauritius last year.
Significance of World Hindi Day 2023
The World Hindi Day or Vishwa Hindi Diwas is commemorated to mark the importance of Hindi as a language. It is considered one of the official national languages in India, especially in the northern part of the country. The day is also celebrated to represent the Hindi-speaking community on a global level. On the occasion of World Hindi Day, the Ministry of External Affairs organises several events around the world to spread more knowledge about Hindi.
History of World Hindi Day
The Union of India adopted Hindi as its official language in 1950. According to Article 343, the Constitution of India states that the official language of India shall be Hindi in Devanagari script. The first World Hindi Conference was envisioned by Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samiti, Wardha in 1973. It was organized in Nagpur on January 10, 1975. Its aim was to promote the language on a global level. The conference saw the participation of 30 countries with 122 representatives.
Vishwa Hindi Diwas was first celebrated in 2006 under the instructions of then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The date of January 10 was chosen as Hindi was spoken for the first time in the United Nations General Assembly on January 10, 1949 . In 1975, the World Hindi Conference was formed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for bringing together Hindi scholars, writers and laureates who have contributed to the development of the language and appreciate their contributions.
India to Host Virtual Summit of 120 Countries of Global South
India will host 'The Voice of Global South' Summit on January 12-13. As many as 120 countries will participate in the summit.
India will host ‘The Voice of Global South’ Summit on January 12-13, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said. As many as 120 countries will participate in the summit. The virtual summit is significant as India currently holds the presidency of the G20 group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier indicated that priorities would be shaped in consultation with developing countries.
Theme of The Voice of Global South Summit:
The ‘Voice of Global South Summit’ under the theme ‘Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose’ envisages bringing together countries of the Global South to share their perspectives and priorities on a common platform.
More About The Summit:
The MEA said that the summit envisages ten sessions, four sessions on January 12 and six sessions on January 13. Each session is expected to witness the participation of leaders or ministers from 10-20 countries.
The inaugural and concluding sessions would be at the head of state or government level and hosted by the Prime Minister. The theme of the Inaugural Leaders’ session is ‘Voice of Global South – for Human-Centric Development’ and that of the Concluding Leaders’ session is ‘Unity of Voice -Unity of Purpose’.
Eight ministerial sessions on the following themes:
• Finance Ministers’ session on ‘Financing People-Centric Development’
• Environment Ministers’ session on ‘Balancing Growth with Environment Friendly Lifestyles (LiFE)’
Foreign Ministers’ session on ‘Priorities of the Global South – Ensuring a Conducive Environment’
• Energy Ministers’ session on ‘Energy Security and Development – Roadmap to Prosperity’
• Health Ministers’ session on ‘Cooperation to Build Resilient Healthcare Systems’
• Education Ministers session on ‘Human Resource Development and Capacity Building’
• Commerce and Trade Ministers’ session on ‘Developing Synergies in the Global South – Trade, Technology, Tourism and Resources’
Foreign Ministers’ session on ‘G-20: Suggestions for India’s Presidency’
What is Global North and Global South:
‘Global North’ refers loosely to countries like the US, Canada, Europe, Russia, Australia and New Zealand, while ‘Global South’ includes countries in Asia, Africa and South America. This classification is more accurate as the countries share similarities in terms of wealth, indicators of education and healthcare, etc.
Some of the South countries like India and China have emerged economically, in the last few decades. The progress achieved by many Asian countries is also seen as challenging the idea that the North is the ideal.
The Global South and Geo-economics:
The South is actively pursuing geo-economics and the fear of the U.S. strategy of freezing dollar reserves has made the South cautious.
The recent announcement by the U.S of its trade policies of ‘re-shoring’ and ‘friend-shoring’ — meaning trade between allies.
It has gradually led the south to find ways of bypassing the dollar in bilateral trade by using local currencies.
Currency swap arrangements are used by China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) + 3 countries; India with Russia and 23 other countries.
India As the Voice of Global South:
Championing the Global South today would demand more active Indian engagement with the messy regional politics within the developing world.
India must also come to terms with the fact that the Global South is not a coherent group and does not have a single shared agenda. There is much differentiation within the South today in terms of wealth and power, needs and capabilities. This demands a tailored Indian policy to different regions and groups of the developing world.
India is eager to become a bridge between the North and the South by focusing on practical outcomes rather than returning to old ideological battles. If India can translate this ambition into effective policy, there will be no contradiction between the simultaneous pursuit of universal and particular goals.
A book titled “Roller Coaster: An Affair with Banking” by Tamal Bandyopadhyay
Journalist Tamal Bandyopadhyay has released his latest book "Roller Coaster: An Affair with Banking" with permission from Jaico Publishing House.
Roller Coaster: An Affair with Banking
Journalist Tamal Bandyopadhyay has released his latest book “Roller Coaster: An Affair with Banking” with permission from Jaico Publishing House. Roller Coaster is a string of such stories and revelations from the country’s foremost banking journalist’s affair with the industry—even though banks were not ideal partners for such liaisons. He has seen the industry and dramatis personae grow over two and a half decades, first as a rookie reporter, then as an editor and a columnist, and, finally, as an author. The book brings to light the lives of India’s commercial and central bankers. But it does not discuss their successes, failures, or the ever-evolving dynamics of monetary and fiscal policies. It’s about their persona, warts and all—how they are as leaders, how they evolved, and how they changed the culture and ethos of the Indian banking sector.
DPIIT to Organize Startup India Innovation Week from 10th to 16th January 2023
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry is organising Startup India Innovation Week from 10th January 2023 to 16th January 2023.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry is organising Startup India Innovation Week from 10th January 2023 to 16th January 2023 to celebrate the Indian Startup Ecosystem as well as National Startup Day (16th January 2023).
Aim of Startup India Innovation Week 2023:
Startup India Innovation Week 2023 aims to engage startup ecosystem stakeholders across the nation during 10th January-16th January 2023 and spur the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation in India.
More About This Development:
Startup India Innovation Week 2023 will include Knowledge Sharing Sessions for entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, and other enablers, involving relevant stakeholders from the startup ecosystem such as government officials, incubators, corporates and investors.
A Wider Coverage:
As a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, various startup related events are being organised in more than 75 places across the country to foster a spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation by involving the startup community across length and breadth of the country.
These events include dedicated workshops for women entrepreneurs, training of incubators, mentorship workshops, stakeholder round tables, conferences, capacity building workshops, startup pitching sessions, amongst others.
National Startup Day:
To commemorate National Startup Day on 16th January 2023, DPIIT is organising the felicitation ceremony for the winners of National Startup Awards 2022, a flagship initiative under Startup India. The ceremony will recognise and reward the excellence exhibited by startups and ecosystem enablers across different sectors, sub-sectors, and categories.
It was also announced that 16th January (Startup India Initiative was launched on this day in 2016) will be celebrated as National Start-up Day, to take the Startup culture to the far flung areas of the country.
Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi released book titled ‘Chief Minister’s Diary No.1’
Former Chief Justice of India and member of the Rajya Sabha Ranjan Gogoi has released a book titled ‘Chief Minister’s Diary No.1’ containing the account of events of the first year in office of Assam.
Chief Minister’s Diary No.1
Former Chief Justice of India and member of the Rajya Sabha Ranjan Gogoi has released a book titled ‘Chief Minister’s Diary No.1’ containing the account of events of the first year in office of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The book featured accounts of daily activities he undertook as a chief minister.
Assam Chief Minister said that without bringing his personal life into the limelight, the book featured accounts of daily activities he undertook as a Chief Minister. His diary essentially featured the growth initiatives that Assam witnessed over the last 11 months.
Notably:
Ranjan Gogoi is presently a member of the Rajya Sabha.
He served as the 46th Chief Justice of India for 13 months from 2018 to 2019.
Recent Book
Fit At Any Age – Launched Retd. Air Marshal PV lyer
Miracles of Face Yoga – Mansi Gulati
Now You Breathe – Rakhi Kapoor
A book titled ‘Ambedkar: A Life – Shashi Tharoor
Forks in the Road: My Days at RBI and Beyond – C. Rangarajan
The Indian Navy@75 Reminiscing the Voyage – Ranjit B Rai and Aritra Banerjee.
Bharat Petroleum launches low smoke superior kerosene oil for the Indian Army
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a Maharatna and a Fortune Global 500 Company, has announced the launch of Low Smoke Superior Kerosene Oil (SKO) for the Indian Army in Jammu.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited:
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a Maharatna and a Fortune Global 500 Company, has announced the launch of Low Smoke Superior Kerosene Oil (SKO) for the Indian Army in Jammu. BPCL has emerged as the first OMC to commence the supply of the new LSLA grade SKO supplies to the Army, which will go a long way in improving the serving environment and alleviate the issues related to smoke and smell in use of SKO.
Why this step taken?
Normal kerosene emits substantial smoke, which poses a health hazard to the Army personnel who use it at higher altitudes, where oxygen level is very low. Hence, the low-smoke kerosene is a big step towards providing a cleaner fuel to our soldiers operating in very tough terrains.
Benefits of this oil:
SKO supply to the Army is vital as it is consumed as fuel in the room heaters (Bukhari) at the high-altitude camps. The Army consumes about 70 TKL/A of SKO for their Northern and Eastern commands. Northern command consumes a higher quantity of about 45 TKL/A.
The low-smoke kerosene is a big step towards providing cleaner fuel. During the product innovation process, BPCL’s Industrial and Commercial (I&C) SBU in association with the Corporate Research & Development Centre (CRDC) and Mumbai Refinery offered the upgraded SKO with tailored parameters related to smoke point and aromatic content and conducted field trials at Karu (Leh -Ladakh) and Gangtok.
Chetan Sharma reappointed as Chairman of BCCI’s selection committee
Chetan Sharma was reappointed as the chairman of the senior selection committee, exactly two months after his entire panel was disbanded by the BCCI.
Chairman of BCCI’s selection committee
Chetan Sharma was reappointed as the chairman of the senior selection committee, exactly two months after his entire panel was disbanded by the BCCI for the Indian team’s semifinal exit in the T20 World Cup. Salil Ankola, Shiv Sunar Das, Subroto Banerjee and Sridharan Sharath are new members of the selection committee. The new committee has been picked by the Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjape and Sulakshana Naik. The committee further recommended Chetan Sharma for the role of Chairman of the senior men’s selection committee.
About the new member
Salil Ankola, the former chief selector of the Mumbai cricket team, played 20 ODIs and 1 Test match between 1989 to 1997. His Test debut came along with Sachin Tendulkar against Pakistan in 1989.
A domestic cricket veteran, Shiv Sundar Das played 23 Tests and scored 1326 runs. He also donned 4 ODI caps. Das finished his first-class career with mammoth 10908 runs in 180 matches. He has worked with the Indian women’s cricket team as the batting coach.
Subroto Banerjee made it to the Indian team in 1991 and made his Test debut against Australia in 1992. He played 1 Test and 6 ODIs. The former right-arm pacer scalped 135 wickets in 59 first-class matches and dismissed 54 batsmen in 49 List A matches.
A domestic cricket giant, Sridharan Sharath remained uncapped in international cricket. He was a mainstay for Tamil Nadu. Sharath scored 8700 runs in 139 matches at a solid average of 51.17.