Month: December 2022

Vadnagar town, Modhera Sun Temple, Unakoti sculptures added to UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites

India now has 52 sites on UNESCO’s tentative list, an inventory of properties which each state party intends to consider for nomination.

Gujarat’s Vadnagar town, the iconic Sun Temple at Modhera, and the rock cut sculptures of Unakoti in Tripura have been added to the tentative list of UNCESO World Heritage Sites.

The UNESCO tentative list is an “inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to consider for nomination”.

“With this, India now has 52 sites on UNESCO Tentative List. The list indicates rich cultural and natural wealth of India and shows huge diversity of our heritage. With PM Narendra Modi’s dynamic vision and leadership, India is committed to add more sites on the World Heritage List,” Union Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy tweeted.

“I congratulate ASI [Archaeological Survey of India] for their role in identifying more monuments and places for the world heritage nomination,” he said.

The ASI shared his tweet and said that the step will provide a big boost to India’s cultural heritage.

The Sun Temple, Modhera dedicated to Surya Dev, is the earliest of such temples which set trends in architectural and decorative details, representing the Solanki style at its best.

Vadnagar is a municipality under Mehsana district of Gujarat. A multi-layered historic town, the history of Vadnagar stretches back to nearly 8th century BCE. The town still retains a large number of historic buildings that are primarily religious and residential in nature.

Unakoti, located in the northeastern region of Tripura, is known as an ancient holy place associated with Shaiva worship. The site is a massive gallery set in a forested area displaying a number of towering low relief images in a unique style, making it a masterpiece of human creative genius.

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Fifth Scorpène-class submarine Vagir delivered to Navy

It is scheduled to be commissioned into service in January.

The fifth Scorpène-class conventional submarine,  Vagir, was delivered to the Navy by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai on December 20. It is scheduled to be commissioned into service next month, a Navy official said.

“It is a matter of great pride that Vagir has completed all major trials including the weapon and sensor trials in the shortest time in comparison to the earlier submarines,” the Navy said in a statement. A notable achievement is that this is the third submarine delivered to the Navy in a span of 24 months, it added.

Vagir was launched into water on November 12, 2020 and commenced sea trials on February 1, 2022.

The sixth and last of the Scorpène-class submarines,  Vagsheer, was launched into water in April 2022 and is expected to be delivered to the Navy by end 2023.

Six Scorpene submarines are being built under Project-75 by MDL under technology transfer from Naval Group of France under a $3.75 billion deal signed in October 2005. The project is about four years behind schedule.

The first submarine INS  Kalvari was commissioned in December 2017, second submarine INS  Khanderi in September 2019, third one INS  Karanj in March 2021 and the fourth one INS  Vela joined service in November 2021.

Parallelly, the tender to build six more advanced conventional submarines under Project-75I is in the Request For Proposal (RFP) stage but has suffered delays.

With delays in submarine induction, the SSKs – 209s (German HDWs) and EKMs (Russian Kilo’s), are being put through the Medium Refit Life Certification (MRLC) process which will give them additional life of 10 to 15 years.

The Navy currently has 15 conventional and one nuclear submarine in service. It includes seven Russian Kilo class submarines, four German HDW submarines, four Scorpene class submarines and the indigenous nuclear ballistic missile submarine INS  Arihant.

The Navy has drawn up plans to install Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) modules on all Scorpene submarines as they go for their refit beginning with INS Kalvari in the next couple of years to enhance their endurance. Development of an indigenous AIP module developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is in advanced stages.

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India jumps from 7th to 3rd global ranking in scientific publications

India has jumped from 7th to 3rd global ranking in scientific publications. This was informed by the Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh on Sunday after a review meeting with the senior official of Department of Science & Technology in New Delhi.

Lauding the consistent efforts of India’s scientific fraternity, Dr Jitendra Singh gave all credit to an enabling milieu and freedom of working provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said, the very fact that such quantum leaps in India’s scientific pursuits are happening only in the last few years is a testimony to the push given by PM Modi both in terms of the ease of policy as well as his personal indulgence and prioritisation.

Quoting the report of National Science Foundation (NSF)’s Science & Engineering Indicators 2022 of the United States, the Minister said India’s scholarly output has also increased from 60,555 papers in 2010 to 1,49,213 papers in 2020.

Dr Jitendra Singh also took pride that India now ranks 3rd in terms of number of PhDs in science and engineering.

He was also apprised that the number of patents granted to Indian scientists at India Patent Office (IPO) during the last three years has also increased from 2511 in 2018-19 to 4003 in 2019-20 and 5629 in 2020-21.

The National Science Foundation is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering.

Mr Singh added that India’s research performance in science and technology has improved significantly over the past few years which is visible through a large amount of scientific knowledge in terms of research publications, development of technologies and innovations contributing to overall development.

newsonair.gov.in

Indian Women’s Hockey Team beat Spain 1-0 to lift FIH Nations Cup in Valencia

In Hockey, the Indian Women’s Hockey Team defeated Spain 1-0 in the Final to win the FIH Women’s Nations Cup 2022 in Valencia, Spain yesterday.

Indian remained undefeated during the tournament and also got promoted to the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Women’s Pro League.

This was the inaugural season of the Women’s FIH Nations Cup, with a promotion to next year’s Women’s Pro League hockey up for grabs for the winner.

For India, Gurjit Kaur scored the winning goal of the match in the first quarter.

Hockey India has announced Rs 2 Lakh for each player and 1 Lakh rupees for each support staff of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team that won the FIH Women’s Nations Cup 2022.

newsonair.gov.in

New Delhi hosts first India-Central Asia meeting of NSAs ; asserts connectivity with Central Asian countries remains key priority for India

National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval on Tuesday said that connectivity with Central Asian countries remains India’s key priority.

Speaking at the first India-Central Asia meeting of the National Security Advisers, in New Delhi, Mr Doval said, peaceful, secure and prosperous Central Asia is in our common interest.

He added that countering terror financing should be everyone’s equal priority and urged all UN members to refrain from providing support to entities involved in terrorist acts.

He also spoke on the security situation in Afghanistan and said that it is an important issue concerning us all.

This is the first time India is hosting a conclave of top security officials from Central Asian countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan focussing on the evolving security situation in Afghanistan and ways to deal with the threat of terrorism emanating from that country.

In an apparent message to Pakistan, Doval said that India should appeal to all UN members to fulfill obligations enshrined in relevant counter-terror conventions. 

newsonair.gov.in

World Ayurveda Congress: Experts pitch for innovations and research in Ayurveda

Anirudha Joshi said he was envisaging developing wearable devices that could provide vital information about anatomy.

Ayurveda has an enormous potential for innovation but that requires an extensive technology-based research and a concrete roadmap to make it a global brand and its products effective and successful, said experts at the 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) here.

“There are great possibilities of innovations in Ayurveda. There are challenges to develop techniques more advanced than supercomputers. We will have to work on those areas of computing which have not been heard of,” Padma Bhushan Vijay Bhatkar said, while chairing a plenary session on ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurs in Ayurveda’.

Anirudha Joshi, who is credited with developing award-winning ‘Nadi Tarangini’, an Artificial Intelligence-based instrument for pulse-reading, said he was envisaging developing wearable devices that could provide vital information about the human body.

“It will be very helpful if we can develop wearables which can do ‘Astha-vidha-pariksha’. Our vision is to go into prediction of different stages of a disease so that we can defer a disease if we cannot prevent it,” he explained.

In his concluding remarks, Mr. Bhatkar said, “There is a need to develop new devices like `Nadi Tarangini’. We will have to think of ways of marketing, packaging, advertising our products and how they can be shown to the world.’‘ According to Kartikeya Baldva, CEO, Ixoreal Biomed Inc, Ayurveda, a traditional wellness system, had finally arrived but there was still a long way to go.

“It is very important to ensure the success of products but that would require quality, efficacy, branding, marketing and innovation,” he emphasised.

Ajit Kolatkar, Founder- Director of Pune- based Gastrolab India Pvt Ltd, said Ayurveda had to move in such a fashion that a doctor could diagnose the ailments of a patient by using minimum devices.

”We will have to start with fundamental research from Ayurvedic perspective. There has to be a concrete roadmap. There is a need to revisit Ayurveda in the context of contemporary science,” he said, adding there were many key areas where Ayurveda could contribute significantly.

Rishabh Chopra, founder of Ayurveda Experience, an Ayurvedic health and wellness platform, said ‘Ashwagandha’ had now become a popular product in the West.

However, there were several challenges to make Ayurvedic products globally acceptable. He also said Ashwagandha, turmeric and Yoga were some of the most online searched words in the West.

“Our vision is to go into prediction of different stages of a disease so that we can defer a disease if we cannot prevent it”Anirudha JoshiInventor,  ‘Nadi Tarangini’

thehindu.com

India restoring Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia: Jaishankar

‘Today, we are restoring and renovating the temples in Angkor Wat. These are contributions which we are making outside because the civilisation of India has gone beyond India’.

The Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia is being restored by India because our civilisation is not limited to India, but is spread across countries, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday said.

Addressing the Kashi Tamil Sangamam on the subject ‘contribution of temples in society and nation building’ being held here, Mr. Jaishankar said, “There are temples not only in India, not only in the Indian subcontinent, but in many regions beyond.”

“I had gone with the Vice President to see the biggest temple in the world—the Angkor Wat temple complex. Today, we are restoring and renovating the temples in Angkor Wat. These are contributions which we are making outside because the civilisation of India has gone beyond India,” he said.

“So, today when we are restoring, rebuilding, and re-energising Indian civilisation, our task is not only in India. Our task is all over the world. But, it is not only where our civilisation went, it is also where our travellers went, our traders went, our people of faith went,” he said.

Recalling his days as India’s ambassador to China, the minister said, “Some of you know that for many years, I have been an ambassador to China. I have seen the remnants of Hindu temples even in China on the east coast.” He said that there is a very special connection between Ayodhya and Korea, whose people want to be associated with the developments in Ayodhya, he said.

He also mentioned that Shrinath jee temple in Bahrain, and said, “All these were established by our people, when they went out. It is a matter of pride for us that we are building a temple in UAE, that we got approval to built a temple in Bahrain. We have done a lot of work in Vietnam.”

“So, how do we today take our culture out, take our values, our philosophy, our way of life and share it with the rest of the world through activities outside. We are very committed in the foreign ministry to doing that. We also support what people of India are doing outside … There are more than 1,000 temples in the US,” he said.

He said that there are 3.5 crore Indians and people of Indian origin abroad, who have taken Indian culture with them abroad. “So, it is also our efforts today to support them, and we do it in different ways.” Mr. Jaishankar also informed the audience that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged ₹200 crore to build a Ramayan Circuit into Nepal, “so that all of us will have an opportunity to visit our heritage in close quarters.”

“Even in Sri Lanka, we restored the Thiruketheeswaram Temple in Mannar. This temple was closed for 12 years. So the fact that we took interest, made efforts, has made it possible for the revival of that temple,” he said.

Thiruketheeswaram Temple, one of the five sacred Ishwarams dedicated to Lord Shiva, is venerated by Shaivites throughout the subcontinent and the temple was testimony to the most difficult period in the history of Sri Lanka as it was closed for 12 years during the armed conflict and reopened in 2002.

The minister also said that in Nepal after the 2015 earthquake, many temples were damaged because they were old. “We have committed $50 million for restoration of cultural heritage in Nepal.”

thehindu.com

India test-fires Agni-V ballistic missile having range of 5,000 km

The development comes amid lingering border row with China.

India on Thursday successfully test-fired nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni-V that can strike targets at ranges up to 5,000 km, marking a significant boost to the country’s strategic deterrence, people familiar with the development said.

The test-firing of the missile from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast came amid India’s lingering border row with China.

The Agni-V project is aimed at boosting India’s nuclear deterrence against China which is known to have missiles like Dongfeng-41 having ranges between 12,000-15,000 km.

Agni-V can bring almost the entire Asia including the northernmost part of China as well as some regions in Europe under its striking range.

The Agni 1 to 4 missiles have ranges from 700 km to 3,500 km and they have already been deployed.

The Agni-V missile has been successfully test-fired, two people familiar with the matter said.

There is no official word on the night trials of the missile.

The people cited above said the test validated a number of critical aspects of the weapon.

India carried out a similar test of the missile in October last year as well.

The successful test-firing of the missile paves way for its induction into the Strategic Forces Command that takes care of India’s strategic assets, the people cited above said.

The missile has a very high degree of accuracy to hit targets. It has a height of 17 metres and it is capable of carrying a 1.5-tonne warhead.

In June, India successfully carried out a night launch of the nuclear-capable Agni-4 ballistic missile, in a boost to India’s military capabilities.

Following the test, the Defence Ministry had said that it reaffirmed India’s policy of having a ‘credible minimum deterrence capability.” India has been steadily enhancing its overall military might in the last couple of years.

It has carried out successful tests of a number of missiles during the period.

In May, the extended range version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was test-fired from a Sukhoi fighter jet.

It was the first launch of the extended range version of the BrahMos missile from a Su-30MKI aircraft.

An anti-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired jointly by the Indian Navy and the Andaman and Nicobar Command in April.

thehindu.com

India launches ‘Group of Friends’ to promote accountability for crimes against peacekeepers

India, Bangladesh, Egypt, France, Morocco and Nepal are co-chairs of the ‘Group of Friends to Promote Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers’.

India has launched a ‘Group of Friends’ to promote accountability for crimes against peacekeepers, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announcing that New Delhi will soon have a database that will record all crimes against the Blue Helmets.

India, Bangladesh, Egypt, France, Morocco and Nepal are co-chairs of the ‘Group of Friends to Promote Accountability for Crimes Against Peacekeepers’ launched on Thursday during India’s current presidency of the U.N. Security Council.

“UN Peacekeeping today has become more challenging than ever before. Peace operations are also being conducted in an ambiguous and complex environment,” Mr. Jaishankar said in his keynote address at the launch of the Group of Friends.

“Today’s peacekeeper is not mandated to keep the peace but to take on robust mandates in extremely hostile conflict zones. The involvement of armed groups, terrorists and transnational organised crime has adversely impacted their operations,” he said.

Mr. Jaishankar said that the Group of Friends represents the “political will” of member states, particularly of the troop and police contributing countries, to champion the implementation of the provisions of U.N. Security Council resolution 2589, which was adopted in August last year under India’s Presidency of the Council.

Resolution 2589 had called upon member states, hosting or having hosted United Nations peacekeeping operations, to take all appropriate measures to bring to justice perpetrators of the killing of, and all acts of violence against United Nations personnel, including, but not limited to, their detention and abduction.

The resolution had also called on member states to take all necessary measures to investigate such acts and arrest and prosecute perpetrators of such acts in line with their national law, consistent with applicable international obligations, including under international humanitarian law.

Mr. Jaishankar said the UNSC resolution was co-sponsored by more than 80 member states and unanimously adopted by the Council.

“It is, therefore, very befitting that this ‘Group of Friends’ being launched today under India’s ongoing Presidency of the UNSC, will seek to promote accountability in practical terms both within and outside the UNSC,” he said.

He noted that technology can be a force multiplier in achieving these goals. Comprehensive databases and analytical tools for recording and assessing crimes against peacekeepers will be key to addressing impunity.

“India has facilitated the launch of a database that will record all crimes against UN peacekeepers. I am glad to note that it will soon be ready for launch as well,” he said. Mr. Jaishankar said that upholding accountability for crimes against U.N. peacekeepers is a “multi-stakeholders” task.

“It is also a fact that in some cases, the host States do not have the political will or the necessary capabilities to ensure such accountability when crimes are committed against Peacekeepers.” Mr. Jaishankar cited data that shows that in the last three years alone, 68 peacekeepers belonging to 20 countries have lost lives for the cause of peace.

India, among the largest troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping, has lost 177 of its peacekeepers in the line of duty, the largest by far from any troop-contributing country.

Mr. Jaishankar also voiced concern that disinformation campaigns about peacekeeping missions and their mandates have also led to an increase of risks for peacekeepers.

“All these factors have seen an exponential increase in the number of crimes committed against peacekeepers in recent years,” he said.

“Peacekeeping is one of the key tools available with the Security Council to maintain international peace and security, to practically stabilise conflict zones and move towards peace building.”

“Peacekeepers from across the world contribute to this endeavour. They venture forth into hostile conflict zones to protect those who are unable to protect themselves. As those member states, who send them in that cause, it is our solemn duty to ‘Protect the Protectors’,” he said.

A concept note on the Group of Friends said that it will seek to facilitate the promotion of accountability for all acts of violence against United Nations peacekeepers; seek facilitation of capacity building and technical assistance to the host state authorities.

It will actively engage and share information with the Secretary-General and assist the member states hosting or those who have hosted peacekeeping operations, in bringing to justice the perpetrators of such acts; serve as an informal platform at the United Nations to exchange information, share best practices and mobilise resources directed at facilitating accountability for crimes committed against peacekeepers; and monitor progress on bringing accountability for crimes against peacekeepers.

The Group of Friends will convene two meetings of its members per year, organise and host one event per year involving Permanent Missions and other stakeholders, designed to inform and galvanise support for promoting accountability for crimes against peacekeepers; and organize and hold other meetings, briefings, and events as needed, based on the annual work plan and developments relevant to safety and security of peacekeepers.

The Group will convene and be moderated by representatives of the Permanent Missions of Bangladesh, Egypt, France India, Morocco and Nepal as co-chairs and include all interested Member States and United Nations partners.

thehindu.com

India’s Sargam Koushal wins Mrs World 2022, crown back in India after 21 years

Mrs. Polynesia was named the first runner-up, followed by Mrs. Canada as the second runner-up.

Sargam Koushal was named Mrs World 2022, beating contestants from 63 countries to bring the title back to India after 21 years.

Mrs World 2021 Shaylyn Ford of the U.S. presented the crown to Mumbai-based Mrs. Koushal at a ceremony held at Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino on Saturday evening.

Mrs Polynesia was named the first runner-up, followed by Mrs Canada as the second runner-up. The Mrs India pageant announced the winner on its official Instagram page on Sunday.

“The long wait is over, it’s after 21 years we have the CROWN back!” read the post. “We’ve got the crown back after 21-22 years. I’m so excited. Love you India, love you world,” Mrs. Koushal said. Sargam Koushal was named Mrs World 2022, beating contestants from 63 countries to bring the title back to India after 21 years. Mrs World 2021 Shaylyn Ford of the U.S. presented the crown to Mumbai-based Mrs. Koushal at a ceremony held at Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino on Saturday evening. Mrs Polynesia was named the first runner-up, followed by Mrs Canada as the second runner-up.

The Mrs India pageant announced the winner on its official Instagram page on Sunday. “The long wait is over, it’s after 21 years we have the CROWN back!” read the post. “We’ve got the crown back after 21-22 years. I’m so excited. Love you India, love you world,” Mrs. Koushal said.

Aditi Govitrikar, the actor-model who brought the Mrs India crown to India in 2001, also shared a congratulatory message on the unverified page of the Mrs World pageant.

Tagging Koushal, Govitrikar wrote: “Heartiest congratulations @sargam3 @mrsindiainc so happy to have been part of the journey.. it was time the crown came back after 21 years.” <MA>For the final round, Koushal wore a pink centre slit glittery gown designed by Bhawna Rao and was mentored for the runway by pageant expert and model Alesia Raut.

Mrs World is the first beauty pageant for married women, launched in 1984.

thehindu.com