GoI designates October 5 as National Dolphin Day
The Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change has designated the 5th of October to be celebrated as National Dolphin Day every year as a historic step in creating awareness for the conservation of Dolphins, beginning from 2022. This information was given by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav on March 25, 2022, during the 67th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wild Life in New Delhi.
Dolphins act as ideal ecological indicators of a healthy aquatic ecosystem and conservation of the dolphins will, therefore, benefit the survival of the species and also, the people dependent on the aquatic system for their livelihood.
Cochin International Airport bagged ‘Covid champion’ award at Wings India 2022
The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has won the ‘Covid champion’ award at Wings India 2022. The Covid champion award was received by CIAL Managing Director S Suhas IAS from Civil Aviation Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia. CIAL has been awarded for the successful implementation of a meticulous project named ‘Mission Safeguarding’ during the pandemic time to ensure safe travel at Kochi Airport.
Other awardees:
- The Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru won two the ‘Best Airport’ under the General Category and the ‘Aviation Innovation’ Award at the event.
- Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) won the ‘Aviation Sustainability & Environment’ award by Wings India Awards 2022 for its efficient green practices. The accolade comes as a recognition of CSMIA’s commitment and relentless efforts towards implementing sustainable initiatives as well as inching closer to being one of the country’s most eco-friendly airports.
About the Wings India:
Wings India is Asia’s largest event on civil aviation, including Commercial, General and Business Aviation. The programme has been organised jointly by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and FICCI in collaboration with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at the Begumpet airport in Hyderabad from March 24 to 27, 2022.
Related news:
Smriti Irani inaugurates ‘Bharat Bhagya Vidhata’ mega Red Fort Festival
Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani has inaugurated the ten-day mega Red Fort Festival, ‘Bharat Bhagya Vidhata’ at Red Fort in Delhi. The Red Fort festival has been organised by the Union Ministry of Culture, as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. The ministry has collaborated with the Dalmia Bharat Group (DBG) to organise the event as DBG has adopted the Red Fort as its Monument Mitra. The festival will commemorate the heritage, culture and diversity of every part of India.
The festival aims to commemorate the heritage of the country and the culture of every part of India. The festival Bharat Bhagya Vidhata will help everyone to appreciate the diversity of India. More than 70 master craftsmen have displayed their craftsmanship at the venue.
IPL Winners List & Runner-up List (2008 to 2021)
The Indian Premier League is one of the largest cricket game events which are organized annually in India. IPL (Indian Premier League) was founded in 2007 by the BCCI committee. The chairman of the Indian Premier League was Lalit Modi. 2007-2008 was the launching season for the Indian Premier League.
Here, we present the list of IPL winners in the table which includes Year, winner, runner-up, and venue.
IPL Winners & Runners List (2008 to 2021):
| Year | Winner | Won by | Runner up | Venue |
| 2008 | Rajasthan Royals | 3 wickets | Chennai Super Kings | Mumbai |
| 2009 | Deccan Chargers | 6 runs | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Johannesburg |
| 2010 | Chennai Super Kings | 22 runs | Mumbai Indians | Mumbai |
| 2011 | Chennai Super Kings | 58 runs | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Chennai |
| 2012 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 5 wickets | Chennai Super Kings | Chennai |
| 2013 | Mumbai Indians | 23 runs | Chennai Super Kings | Kolkata |
| 2014 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 3 wickets | Kings XI Punjab | Bangalore |
| 2015 | Mumbai Indians | 41 runs | Chennai Super Kings | Kolkata |
| 2016 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 8 runs | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Bangalore |
| 2017 | Mumbai Indians | 1 run | Rising Pune Supergiants | Hyderabad |
| 2018 | Chennai Super Kings | 8 wickets | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Mumbai |
| 2019 | Mumbai Indians | 1 run | Chennai Super Kings | Hyderabad |
| 2020 | Mumbai Indians | 5 wickets | Delhi Capitals | Dubai |
| 2021 | Chennai Super Kings | 27 runs | Kolkata Knight Riders | Dubai |
| 2022 | — | — | — | — |
IPL Winners List with Captain, Man of the Match and Player of the Series:
| Year | Winner | Captain | Man of the Match | Player of the Series |
| 2008 | Rajasthan Royals | Shane Warne | Yusuf Pathan | Shane Watson |
| 2009 | Deccan Chargers | Adam Gilchrist | Anil Kumble | Adam Gilchrist |
| 2010 | Chennai Super Kings | MS Dhoni | Suresh Raina | Sachin Tendulkar |
| 2011 | Chennai Super Kings | MS Dhoni | Murali Vijay | Chris Gayle |
| 2012 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Gautam Gambhir | Manvinder Bisla | Sunil Narine |
| 2013 | Mumbai Indians | Rohit Sharma | Kieron Pollard | Shane Watson |
| 2014 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Gautam Gambhir | Manish Pandey | Glenn Maxwell |
| 2015 | Mumbai Indians | Rohit Sharma | Rohit Sharma | Andre Russell |
| 2016 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | David Warner | Ben Cutting | Virat Kohli |
| 2017 | Mumbai Indians | Rohit Sharma | Krunal Pandya | Ben Stokes |
| 2018 | Chennai Super Kings | MS Dhoni | Shane Watson | Sunil Narine |
| 2019 | Mumbai Indians | Rohit Sharma | Jasprit Bumrah | Andre Russell |
| 2020 | Mumbai Indians | Rohit Sharma | Trent Boult | Jofra Archer |
| 2021 | Chennai Super Kings | MS Dhoni | Faf du Plessis | Harshal Patel |
Most IPL Win:
Mumbai Indians is the most successful IPL team, having won the tournament five times. Chennai Super Kings is the other team to have lifted the IPL title on four occasions while they have finished second once. Check out the name of the IPL teams with the most IPL trophies.
| IPL Team | IPL Trophy | IPL Winner |
| Mumbai Indians | 5 times | 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 |
| Chennai Super Kings | 4 times | 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 2 times | 2012, 2014 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 1 time | 2016 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 1 time | 2008 |
| Deccan Chargers | 1 time | 2009 |
IPL Final Winners List All Seasons in detail:
1. Rajasthan Royals (2008)
This was the first season held among the above teams. This season’s final was held in India on 18 April. The IPL 2008 final match was played between Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals (Winner), at DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai. With 34226000 audiences, the stadium was full of crowds. Shawn Marsh had got an orange cap as the highest run-scorer, and Sohil Tanvir had owned a purple cap as the highest wicket-taker. Shane Watson was the player of the series.
2. Deccan Chargers (2009)
This was the second season of IPL 2, the first time outside India held in South Africa. In this season, the IPL 2009 final match was held between Deccan chargers (Winner) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore. Mathew Hayden had got an orange cap as the highest run-scorer, and RP Singh had got a purple as the highest wicket-taker. Over 200 million viewers from India had viewed this match.
3. Chennai Super Kings (2010)
This was the third season of IPL 3. It was held in India. In this season, the IPL 2010 final match was held between Chennai Super Kings (Winner) vs Mumbai Indians at Mumbai. Sachin Tendulkar (612) had got the orange cap as the highest run-scorer, and Pragyan Ojha had got a purple cap as the highest wicket-taker. There were 200 million viewers in this season also.
4. Chennai Super Kings (2011)
This was the fourth season of IPL 4 held in India. This season was played between 10 teams divided into two groups. New teams from Pune and Kochi were added. A page play-off system was introduced. In this season, the 2011 final IPL match was held at Chennai between Chennai Super Kings (Winner) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore. This time Chris Gayle had got an orange cap as the highest run-scorer and Lasith Malinga had got a purple cap as the highest wicket-taker.
5. Kolkata Knight Riders (2012)
This was the fifth season of IPL held in India between 8 teams. In this season, the IPL 2012 final match was held between Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders (Winner). Chris Gayle had got an orange cap as the highest run-scorer, and Morne Morkel had got a purple cap as the highest wicket-taker. The player of the match was Sunil Narine.
6. Mumbai Indians (2013)
This was the sixth season of PepsiCo IPL 6 and it was held in India. In this season, IPL 2013 final match was held between Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians (Winner). Michael Hussy had got an orange cap as the highest run-scorer, and Morne Morkel had got a purple cap as the highest wicket-taker. Shane Watson from RR was declared as the man of the series.
7. Kolkata Knight Riders (2014)
This was the seventh season of IPL 7 held in India. In this season, IPL 2014 final match was held between Kolkata Knight Riders (Winner) vs Kings XI Punjab. Robin Uthappa had got an orange cap as the highest run-scorer, and Mohit Sharma had got a purple cap as the highest wicket-taker. Among eight teams, Gellen Maxwell was the leading player of the series.
8. Mumbai Indians (2015)
This was the eighth season of IPL held in India. In this season, IPL 2015 final match was held between Mumbai Indians (Winner) vs Chennai Super Kings. David Warner had got an orange cap as the highest run-scorer, and Dwayne Bravo had got a purple cap as the highest wicket-taker. The player of the match was given to Andre Russell.
9. Sunrisers Hyderabad (2016)
This was the ninth season of IPL 9, and it was held in India. In this season, IPL 2016 final match was held between Sunrisers Hydrabad (Winner) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore. Both teams, Chennai and Rajasthan Royals, were excluded from participating in this season. Virat Kohli had got an orange cap as the highest run-scorer, and Bhuvaneshvar Kumar had got a purple cap as the highest wicket-taker. The player of the match was Virat Kohli (RCB).
10. Mumbai Indians (2017)
This was the tenth season of the IPL held in India. In this season, 2017 IPL final match was played between Mumbai Indians (Winner) vs Pune. David Warner had got an orange cap as the highest run-scorer, and Bhuvaneshva Kumar had got a purple cap as the highest wicket-taker. Ben Strok (Pune) was the player of the tournament.
11. Chennai Super Kings (2018)
This was the 11th season of the IPL held in India. In this season, IPl 2018 final match was played between Mumbai Indians (Winner) vs Chennai Super Kings. Kane Williamson had got an orange cap as the highest run-scorer, and Andrew Tye had got a purple cap as the highest wicket-taker. The player of the match was Sunil Narine.
12. Mumbai Indians (2019)
In this season Mumbai Indians had achieved one more victory. It was the most active team in the past of the Indian Premier League. Mumbai Indians had won against the Chennai Super Kings for the fourth time in the Indian Premier League final. Out of the last three events, Mumbai had created 2-1 record defeating the competition in 2013, 2015, and losing the tournament once in 2010. IPL 2019: Orange Cap: David Warner; Purple cap: Imran Tahir.
13. Mumbai Indians (2020)
IPL 2020 was a huge successful season for the Indian cricket board. IPL 2020 was held at Abu Dhabi, Dubai from September to November. Mumbai Indians won the IPL 2020 title by defeating Delhi Capitals in the night of the finals. MI won the title for the 5th time. Mumbai Indians team was led by Rohit Sharma and they dominated throughout the season. Mumbai and Delhi clashed 4 times in IPL 2020 and all 4 times MI defeated DC. Ishan Kishan scored the most runs for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2020. He showed highly reliable performance. Kagiso Rabada won the purple cap in IPL 2020 and Orange Cap in IPL 2020 won by KL Rahul.
14. Chennai Super Kings (2021)
In the 14th version of the Indian Premier League, Chennai Super Kings lifted the trophy 4th time by defeating the Kolkata Knight Riders, previously they have done this feat in the year 2010, 2011, and 2018 (Check the table above). The final competition of the IPL 2021 was held at the Dubai International Stadium on Oct 15, 2021, and this was the fourth occasion when CSK became the champions of IPL. Ruturaj Gaikwad took home the Orange Cap as the CSK smasher hammered 635 runs. Harshal Patel bagged the Purple Cap as the pacer claimed a staggering 32 wickets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1.Who has won IPL in all years?
Ans. IPL is being played from . In 2008, it was won by Rajasthan Royals, then in 2009 by Decaan Chargers, CSK won it in 2010 and 2011, then KKR in 2012, Mumbai Indians in 2013, KKR again 2014, Mumbai Indians again in 2015, Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016, Mumbai Indians again in 2017, CSK in 2018, Mumbai in 2019 and 2020, and finally depending champions CSK in 2021.
Q2.How many times teams have won IPL?
Ans. Mumbai Indians have won it 5 times, CSK has won it 4 times, KKR 2 times, SRH once and Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals once.
Q2.Who won most IPL?
Ans. Mumbai Indians led by Rohit Sharma has won the IPL tiltes 5 times, the most by any IPL franchise.
Q3.Who is the winner of the first edition of IPL?
Ans. First edition of IPL was held in 2008 and was won by Rajasthan Royals.
Oscars Awards 2022: 94th Academy Awards 2022 announced
The 94th Academy Awards returned to the Dolby Theater in Hollywood as the top films from the last year were honoured by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The show was hosted by Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes, the first time the award ceremony has had multiple hosts since Anne Hathaway and James Franco co-hosted the 83rd instalment in 2011.
Key points:
- The 94th Academy Awards are honouring the films released between January 1 and December 31, 2021. The nominations were announced on February 8, by actors Tracee Ellis Ross and Leslie Jordan.
- Netflix’s The Power of the Dog leads the race with 12 nominations followed by sci-fi epic Dune, with 10 nods. Indian documentary Writing With Fire is also nominated for Best Documentary (Feature).
- Awards will be presented across 23 categories, which are determined based on voting by members of the Academy.
- This time, there are two new categories- Oscars Fan Favorite Award and Oscars Cheer Moment, which will be decided by fan voting, which was done online between February 14 and March 3, 2022.
Check out the full list of winners
- Best Actor in a Leading Role: Will Smith, “King Richard”
- Best Actress in a Leading Role: Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye)
- Best Picture: CODA
- Best International Feature Film: Drive My Car
- Documentary Short Subject: The Queen of Basketball
- Best Directing: Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)’
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Troy Kotsur (CODA)
- Best Makeup & Hairstyling: The Eyes of Tammy Faye
- Best Cinematography: Dune
- Best Original Score: Hans Zimmer (Dune)
- Best Visual Effects: Dune
- Best Animated Feature Film: Encanto
- Best Animated Short Film: The Windshield Wiper
- Best Costume Design: Cruella
- Best Original Screenplay: Kenneth Branagh (Belfast)
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Sian Heder (Coda)
- Best Live Action Short Film: The Long Goodbye
- Best Sound: Dune
- Best Documentary Feature: “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)”
- Best Original Song: “No Time To Die” from “No Time to Die,” music and lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell
- Best Production Design: Dune
- Best Film Editing: Dune
An auspicious celebration of spirit of the Tribe culture: Aadi Bazaar
In keeping with the sequence of Aadi Bazaars – A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Culture and Cuisine, a new one opened on March 26th, 2022 in Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, Statue of Unity in Gujarat’s Narmada district. The 11-day exhibition, which began on March 26 and ended on April 5, was inaugurated by Smt. Nimishaben Suthar, Minister of State for Tribal Development, Health, Family Welfare, and Medical Education, Government of Gujarat, in the august presence of Dr. Kuberbhai Manshukhbhai Dindor, Minister of State for Higher and Technical Education, Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Gujarat; Shri Ramsinh Rathwa, Chairperson, TRI
KEY POINTS:
- More than 100 exhibitors will represent more than 10 states from throughout the country at the bright 11-day exhibition offering organic tribal goods and handcrafted wares at the landmark monument, Statue of Unity.
- The efforts of Bharat Ratna Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s First Deputy Prime Minister, are largely responsible for the country’s unity. As a result, one of his key goals for the country was for it to be inclusive and united.
- This magnificent monument, the world’s tallest statue, is a homage to the values that Sardar Patel preached and upheld. In addition, this district is predominantly a tribal region.
Western Naval Command conducts security exercise ‘Prasthan’ in Mumbai Offshore
The Western Naval Command of the Indian Navy organised an offshore security exercise, ‘Prasthan’ in the Offshore Development Area (ODA) off Mumbai. This exercise is conducted after every six months, to ensure offshore security. Apart from the Naval forces, the exercise saw participation from the Indian Air Force, Coast Guard, ONGC, Mumbai Port Trust, Jawahar Lal Nehru Port Trust, Customs, state fisheries department, Mercantile Marine Department and the Marine Police.
The day-long exercise resulted in improving standard operating procedures (SOPs) and response-actions to a number of contingencies in the Offshore Defence Area off Mumbai.
About the exercise:
The exercise was conducted on the B-193 platform of ONGC located about 38 nm west of Mumbai. Contingencies such as terrorist intrusion, bomb explosion, casualty evacuation, search and rescue, man overboard, major fire, oil spill and mass evacuation were exercised. The exercise provided all stakeholders a realistic experience to assess their readiness to respond and combat contingencies in the Western ODA, as also to operate together in a coordinated and synergised manner.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral R Hari Kumar;
- Indian Navy Founded: 26 January 1950.
Pmgkay Scheme: PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana extended by half a year
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has extended the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) scheme for another six months, till September 2022, in order to show care and compassion towards the underprivileged and vulnerable parts of society (Phase VI).
KEY POINTS:
- The PM-GKAY scheme’s Phase-V was set to finish in March 2022. It should be noted that the PM-GKAY has been in effect since April 2020, making it the world’s largest food security programme.
- So far, the government has spent over Rs. 2.60 lakh crore, with another Rs. 80,000 crore set to be invested over the next six months through September 2022, bringing the total expenditure under PM-GKAY to roughly Rs. 3.40 lakh crore.
- This will benefit over 80 million people across India and, like before, will be totally sponsored by the Indian government.
- Despite the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has largely subsided and economic activity is picking up, this PM-GKAY extension would ensure that no impoverished family goes to bed hungry during this period of recovery.
In addition to his normal NFSA quota of foodgrains, each beneficiary under the extended PM-GKAY will receive an additional 5 kg free ration per person each month. This means that each disadvantaged family would receive roughly double the usual allotment.
UNEP Report: Dhaka is world’s most noise polluted city
Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, has been ranked as the most noise polluted city globally, according to the recent ‘Annual Frontier Report, 2022’ published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). As per the report, the city recorded noise pollution of 119 decibels at its highest (dB) in 2021.
Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad came second in the list with noise pollution of 114 decibels. Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan is third, with maximum noise pollution of 105 dB.
Important points of the report:
- The quietest cities in the world as per the report are Irbrid at 60 dB, Lyon at 69 dB, Madrid at 69 dB, Stockholm at 70 dB, and Belgrade at 70 dB.
- The other four most noise polluted cities in India in the list are Kolkata (89 dB), Asansol (89 dB), Jaipur (84 dB), and Delhi (83 dB).
- A total of 61 cities from around the world have been ranked in the report, out of which 13 cities are from South Asia, while 5 among them are from India.
Guidelines of WHO:
The WHO guidelines state that sounds with a frequency of over 70 dB are considered harmful to health. For residential areas, the sound limit of 55-dB are standard, while for traffic and business sectors, this limit is 70 dB.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- UNEP Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya.
- UNEP Head: Inger Andersen.
- UNEP Founder: Maurice Strong.
Swiss Open Badminton title 2022: PV Sindhu won the title
India’s P.V. Sindhu has defeated Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand to win the women’s singles title at the Swiss Open Super 300 badminton tournament. Playing her second successive final in the tournament, Sindhu, a double Olympic medallist, took 49 minutes to get the better of the fourth-seeded Busanan 21-16, 21-8 at the St. Jakobshalle.
In the men’s singles title of the Swiss Open Super 300 badminton tournament, Indian badminton player HS Prannoy lost to Jonatan Christie (Indonesia). However, Prannoy suffered a 12-21, 18-21 defeat against Asian Games gold medallist and fourth seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in a 48-minute summit clash to finish runner-up.
Prof Wilfried Brutsaert bags Stockholm Water Prize 2022
Professor Emeritus Wilfried Brutsaert has been named as the Stockholm Water Prize Laureate 2022. He has been awarded for his groundbreaking work to quantify environmental evaporation. Wilfried Brutsaert is Professor in Engineering Emeritus at Cornell University, USA. His innovative works on Evaporation and Hydrology are of lasting theoretical and practical importance, particularly in view of climate change. In addition, Wilfried Brutsaert has pioneered novel approaches to understanding changes in groundwater storage.
About the award:
- The Stockholm Water Prize is the world’s most prestigious water award and is often described as the Nobel Prize of water.
- The prestigious Prize has been awarded since 1991 to people and organizations for extraordinary water-related achievements.
- The Prize is awarded by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) in cooperation with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- SIWI Headquarters location: Stockholm, Sweden;
- SIWI Executive Director: Torgny Holmgren;
- SIWI Founded: 1991.
Rashtriya sanskriti mahotsav 2022’s 11th edition successfully held
Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav 2022 was started in Arts College Ground, RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM, Andhra Pradesh by Governor of Andhra Pradesh Shri Biswabhusan Harichandan, in the presence of Union Minister for Culture, Tourism, and DoNER G. K Reddy, as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
KEY POINTS:
- The two-day Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav will be conducted on the grounds of the Government Art College in Rajahmundry on March 26th and 27th, 2022. The first Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav was held in 2015, and it received a positive response from the media and the general public, prompting the organisation of a series of festivals.
- The Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see all of India’s folk, traditional, tribal, classical, and popular art forms under one roof, with over 1000 artists performing.
- Aangans are put up to represent regional cultures and to showcase traditional Arts & Crafts, with craftsmen setting up stalls to sell their items and demonstrate their excellent skills.
Apart from folk groups:
The Mahotsav has featured prominent Padma and Sangeet Natak Akademi-awarded classical artists among many genres every year. The Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav takes special effort to select musicians who reflect the regional flavour of the state in which it is held. Events under the Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav will be held in Warangal on March 29th and 30th, 2022, and in Hyderabad for three days from April 1st to 3rd, 2022.
Ukraine-Russia Conflict: Involvement of NATO 2022
The role of NATO is at the forefront as Russia continues its war on Ukraine. Putin has stated that he considers Ukraine to be a part of Russia. Ukraine has not joined NATO, primarily because of Russia’s opposition and the potential for conflict if it did. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also concerned that if Ukraine joins NATO, the alliance will arm Ukraine and place it within striking distance of Moscow. Estonia and Latvia are two of the countries bordering Russia that are already members of NATO. Lithuania and Poland share a border with Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave on the Baltic Sea.
NATO has been assembling battalion-sized combat units in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, which are on the alliance’s eastern border. These combat-ready troops are led by the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and the United States, accordingly. The alliance has sent planes and ships to NATO‘s eastern and southeastern European territories, and Romania maintains a multinational brigade.
To ensure Euro-Atlantic security, Ukraine must be sovereign, independent, and stable, with a strong commitment to democracy and the rule of law. NATO and Ukraine have had a relationship since the early 1990s, and it has grown into one of NATO’s most important relationships. In the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2014, collaboration has been stepped up in key areas.
Ukraine has also received massive numbers of weapons and equipment from the alliance. However, the United States has equipped Ukraine with anti-aircraft weapons that can be used to shoot down planes and cruise missiles. NATO is assisting Ukraine in coordinating its aid requests and assisting Allies in delivering humanitarian and non-lethal aid. Individual NATO member countries are supplying guns, ammunition, medical supplies, and other critical military equipment to Ukraine, especially in areas like cyber security and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats. They are also assisting Ukraine financially with millions of euros. Many Allies are also assisting people with humanitarian aid and housing millions of Ukrainian refugees.
NATO‘s efforts are defensive in nature, with the goal of preventing conflict rather than provoking it. The Alliance must ensure that the conflict does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine, since this would be much more terrible and deadly. Enforcing a no-fly zone would pit NATO forces against Russian forces. This would greatly exacerbate the conflict, resulting in increased human misery and destruction in all affected countries.
Formation of NATO:
North Atlantic Treaty Organization is the full form of NATO. It is a military and political coalition that was established in 1949 in response to Soviet Union initiatives. According to Jim Townsend, who spent 30 years at the Pentagon, it was clear from the start of the Cold War that Russia would be aggressive. As a result, the European allies banded together and invited the United States to join a new alliance.
NATO Member Countries:
In 1949, the alliance had 12 founding members: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The alliance has grown through time, and there are now 30 members. Greece, Turkey, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia are the other nations. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Ukraine are three other nations that have expressed interest in joining the alliance.
The multinational Response Force of NATO is made up of troops from member countries. Individual military units are led by leaders from the home countries of the troops, who wear their own country’s uniform.
Russia-NATO relationship:
According to Townsend, there was a time in the 1990s when it was assumed that Russia may join NATO at some point, as countries like the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland were ready to join. But, in the 2000s, Russia’s direction shifted, and it never happened.
When Russia illegally took Crimea in 2014, NATO’s relations with Russia deteriorated. Since then, practical collaboration between the alliance and Russia has ceased, while political and military channels of contact have remained open.
SAFF U-18 Women’s Championship title 2022 won by Indian women’s team
India has been declared the winner of the 3rd edition of the SAFF U-18 Women’s Football Championship. The 2022 edition of the international football competition for women’s under-18 national teams was held in Jharkhand at JRD Tata Sports Complex, Jamshedpur. The valuable player of the tournament and the highest goal scorer was Lynda Kom who scored five goals in total.
Although India lost to Bangladesh, 0-1 in the final league match, but still emerged champions of the tournament on account of better goal difference. India enjoyed a better goal difference of +11 in comparison to +3 of Bangladesh.
Mahatma Gandhi’s grand daughter launched a Website ‘Modi Story’
The granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi ‘Sumitra Gandhi Kulkarni’ has inaugurated the web portal ‘Modi Story’. The Modi story website is a volunteer-driven initiative which aims to bring together “inspiring” stories related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from those who have interacted with him during his life journey over the decades. The portal can be accessed at modistory.in
Any person who has closely witnessed the Prime Minister’s life can submit write-ups, audio or visual stories of any such experience or anecdote along with photos with PM Modi, letters or personal memorabilia associated with him. The website has several stories shared by the people who crossed paths with the Prime Minister at some point in his life.
‘Ishan Manthan’ Festival organised in New Delhi
Union Minister for Culture, Tourism & DONER, G Kishan Reddy has inaugurated the three-day North-East festival called ‘Ishan Manthan’ at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in New Delhi. The three-day Ishan Manthan programme will celebrate the rich ethnicity and colours of North East India, from March 25 to 27, 2022. The event will give an opportunity to know about the culture, art, music, folk dances, handicrafts and traditional cuisines of Northeast India.
Ishan Manthan is an attempt to celebrate the plural expressions of northeast India. It can be understood as “North East Brainstorming”. The inaugural session also witnessed the release of two books titled ‘Lok Beyond Folk’, a book on the Lok Culture which was edited by Shri J Nandalumar and ‘Jewels of North East India’.
President Kovind presents President’s Colour to INS Valsura
President of India, Ram Nath Kovind has presented the prestigious President’s Colour to Indian Naval Ship (INS) Valsura at Jamnagar in Gujarat. The ‘Nishan Adhikari’ Lt Arun Singh Sambyal received the President’s Colour on behalf of the unit, for its 80 years of exceptional service. INS Valsura is a premier training facility of the Indian Navy established on December 05, 1942, in Jamnagar of Gujarat, to provide training in the domain of Torpedo handling (Underwater missile) and operations.
About the President’s Colour:
The President’s Colour is bestowed upon a military unit in recognition of exceptional service rendered to the Nation, both in peace and in war. The Indian Navy was the first Indian Armed Force, to get President Colour by then President Dr Rajendra Prasad on 27 May 1951.
