Month: January 2022

** Celebrated IAS officer Guruprasad Mohapatra, who succumbed to COVID-19, conferred with Padma Shri

Guruprasad Mohapatra despite his own illness continued to work on distribution of oxygen when the pandemic was at its most dreadful.

Guruprasad Mohapatra, a senior bureaucrat known for his administrative acumen who succumbed to COVID-19 last year, was conferred with Padma Shri on Tuesday.

“I am very grateful that the government has recognised his contribution. I am very humbled by the gesture. There is sadness mixed with happiness on this occasion,” Anjali Mohapatra, the wife of the senior officer, told The Hindu.

** India celebrates its 73rd Republic Day

President Ram Nath Kovind honoured the proud winners of the highest gallantry, including the winners of Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra

The national flag was unfurled on 73rd Republic Day at Rajpath followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute on Wednesday.

According to the tradition, the 21-gun salute was presented by the ceremonial battery of 871 field regiment.

The ceremonial battery was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Jitender Singh Mehta.

* Bengaluru doctor writes crucial chapter in Comprehensive Textbook of Clinical Radiology

A doctor from a government medical college in the city has written an important chapter on ‘Imaging of Spleen’ in ‘Comprehensive Textbook of Clinical Radiology’, a first-of-its-kind reference book in the country, brought out by the National Indian Radiological and Imaging Association (IRIA).

Dr KR Vijaykumar, Professor and Head of the Department of Radiology, Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, told The New Indian Express that it is a lifelong reference book for radiologists and was published recently by the prestigious Elsevier Publications in six volumes.

** Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve bags TX2 award

Recognition given for doubling the tiger population

Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Erode district has been given the prestigious TX2 award after its tiger numbers doubled to 80 since 2010. Apart from the STR, the Bardia National Park in Nepal has won this year’s TX2 award for doubling the population of wild tigers.

The awards are presented by the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CA|TS), Fauna and Flora International (FFI), Global Tiger Forum (GTF), IUCN’s Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme (ITHCP), Panthera, UNDP, The Lion’s Share, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and WWF. They celebrate the 10thanniversary of all 13 tiger range countries committed to doubling the global population of wild tigers by 2022. The award acknowledges the efforts by the State governments and the local communities which have played one of the most important roles to turn a relatively new tiger reserve into one of the source populations of tigers in India.

** Govt. announces Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar for 2022

The central government has instituted the annual award to recognise and honour the invaluable contribution and selfless service rendered by individuals and organisations in India in the field of disaster management.

The Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM) and Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority’s Vice Chairman Vinod Sharma have been selected for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar for 2022 for their excellent work in disaster management.

** Ex-Japan PM Shinzo Abe given Netaji Award 2022

Consul General of Japan in Kolkata Nakamura Yutaka received the honour on behalf of Mr. Abe

Former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was conferred with the Netaji Award 2022 by Netaji Research Bureau on January 23.

Consul General of Japan in Kolkata Nakamura Yutaka received the honour on behalf of Mr. Abe at a function at the Elgin Road residence of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary.

** All tunes of Indian origin at Beating Retreat in 75th year of Independence, says Government

16 marching contingents to take part in Republic Day parade

Responding to criticism over the dropping of the hymn ‘Abide with me’ from ‘Beating Retreat’ this year, government sources said this year being the 75th year of Independence, playing of Indian tunes is considered more appropriate.

“This year, only Indian origin/indigenous tunes are on the list,” a government source said on Sunday. ‘Abide with me’ will not be played this year so as to include the maximum number of Indian tunes, the source said.

Republic Day parade

At the Republic Day parade this year, there will be a total of 16 marching contingents, six from the Army, one each from the Navy and Air Force, four contingents from the Central Armed Police Forces, two from the National Cadet Corps, one from Delhi Police and one from the National Service Scheme, said Major General Alok Kackar, Chief of Staff, Delhi Area, in a briefing on the Army’s participation at the parade.

Due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation, like last year, this year too, the parade will end at the National Stadium and not go up to the Red Fort, as is usually done, he stated.

** CBI bags 29 President’s medals on Republic Day

Police Medals for Distinguished Service, and Meritorious Service, to be awarded on Republic Day

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has bagged 29 President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service, and Police Medal for Meritorious Service, to be awarded on Republic Day 2022.

The President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service has been conferred on Joint Director Ramnish Geer; Additional Superintendents of Police Satish Kumar Rathi and Anil Kumar Yadav; Deputy Superintendent of Police Nat Ram Meena; Assistant Sub-Inspector Bansidhar Bijarnia; and Head Constable Mehboob Hasan.

Among those who have been awarded the Police Medial for Meritorious Service are Deputy Inspectors General Akhilesh Kumar Singh and Nitin Deep Blaggan; Additional Superintendent of Police Arvind Kumar Upadhyay; Deputy Superintendents of Police Ananda Krishnan T.P., Sanjay Kumar Gautam, Vikash Kumar Pathak and Alok Kumar Shahi; Additional Legal Advisor Subramanyam Devendran; Inspectors Nakul Singh Yadav, Amit Kumar, Rakesh Ranjan and Mahesh Vijay Parkar.

Sub-Inspector Anil Kumar; Assistant Sub-Inspector Dharminder Singh; Head Constables Chander Pal, Loganathan Rengasamy, K.V. Jagannath Reddy, Harbhan Singh and Mahesh Madhavrao Gajarlwar; Constable R. Jaisankar and Kaushliya Devi; Office Superintendent Om Prakash Naithani; and Crime Assistant Satyabrata Saha have also been conferred the Police Medal for Meritorious Service.

** India to extend immediate relief assistance to Tonga

Expressing ‘deep sympathy’ to the tsunami-hit Kingdom of Tonga, India extended an immediate relief assistance of $200,000

India on Tuesday expressed “deep sympathy” to the tsunami-hit Kingdom of Tonga in the Pacific Ocean and extended an immediate relief assistance of $200,000 to deal with the disaster that was triggered by the explosion of a massive underwater volcano.

Tonga is a member of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) and bilateral relations between the scenic archipelago nation and India has been warm in recent years. “India has firmly stood by Tonga during times of crisis and devastation caused by natural disasters, as during Cyclone Gita in 2018. Disaster Risk Reduction and Management is an important pillar of India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI) announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2019,” said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement.

** HAL signs contract for export of Advanced Light Helicopter to Mauritius

ALH Mk III is a multi-role, multi-mission helicopter in 5.5 tonne category in extensive use by the Indian armed forces

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a contract with the Government of Mauritius (GoM) for export of one Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH)-MkIII for the Mauritius Police Force, it said on Wednesday.

Mauritius already operates a ALH and Dornier Do-228 aircraft built by HAL.

“With this contract, HAL and Government of Mauritius have further strengthened the long-standing business relations spanning over three decades,” a HAL statement said.

The contract was signed by B.K. Tripathy, General Manager, Helicopter Division-HAL and O.K. Dabidin, Secretary of Home Affairs, Prime Minister’s Office, Government of Mauritius, recently at HAL’s Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur