Battle of Haifa

 India and Israel commemorated the Battle of Haifa recently.

Background:-

Every year on September 23, diplomats from India’s Embassy in Israel and Israeli government officials representing the municipality of the northern port city of Haifa gather at the Haifa War Cemetery to pay respects to the Indian soldiers who were killed and wounded in battle, on foreign soil.

About the Battle of Haifa:-

The 23rd of September is designated as ‘Haifa Day’.

It commemorates the city’s capture following a daring cavalry action by the 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade during World War I.

Haifa Day commemorations were initiated in 2010.

Teen Murti Chowk in India was renamed Teen Murti Haifa Chowk in honour of the Battle of Haifa’s centenary.

Historical background:-

The Battle of Haifa was fought during the First World War as a part of the Sinai and Palestine campaigns.( India, Israel, and Palestine)

The 5th Cavalry Division comprising the 13, 14, and 15 Cavalry Brigades were tasked with capturing Haifa.

The 15 Cavalry Brigade comprised the Jodhpur Lancers and the Mysore and Hyderabad Lancers.

The British Empire, the Kingdom of Italy, and the French Third Republic, fought alongside the Arab Revolt, in opposition to the Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the German Empire.

The Indian Cavalry Brigade, played a decisive role, leading to the capture of Haifa and Acre from the Ottoman Empire.

Significance:-

The Battle of Haifa is a testament to the valour of Indian soldiers, including Sikhs and Rajputs, in global conflicts.

It highlights India’s contributions during the First World War.

It adds a historic significance in strengthening India-Israel relations.( 15th India-Israel Joint Working Group)

Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award

Waheeda Rehman will be honoured with the 53rd Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2023.

About Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award:-

Established: 1969.

Presented at the National Film Awards ceremony.

Presented by: President of India.

First awardee: Devika Rani.

Naming: This award commemorates Dadasaheb Phalke.

Dadasaheb Phalke was the director of India’s inaugural full-length feature film, “Raja Harishchandra,” in 1913.

He is known as the “Father of Indian Cinema”.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award is India’s highest cinema honour.

It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals.

The award is presented by the President of India in the presence of the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, the Chairpersons of the juries, the representatives of the Film Federation of India, and the Confederation of All India Cine Employees among senior officials.

It is awarded for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2020 was accorded to legendary actress Ms Asha Parekh.

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)

Recently, Punjab submitted the State Action Plan and District-wise Action Plans for tackling the problem of stubble burning to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

Background:-

The Action Plans commit to an overall reduction of more than 50% in paddy stubble burning incidents this year as compared to 2022.

About Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM):-

Establishment: 2020.

It is a permanent body. (Air pollution)

The Commission has been set up for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas.

It aims for better coordination, research, identification, and resolution of problems surrounding the air quality index and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

It is a statutory mechanism to coordinate and oversee diverse efforts to improve air quality in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and UP, with the underlying remedial approach.

CAQM will supersede all existing bodies, including the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), as well as state governments in matters of air pollution mitigation.

Significance: The establishment of CAQM has the potential to address the problem of air pollution but an institution by itself is not a solution.

Functions and Power of the Commission:-

The Commission will provide the mechanism and the means to implement in the NCR and around, the National Clean Air Programme, the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme, and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

It is tasked with laying down parameters of air quality.

The Commission has the right to prohibit activities that are likely to cause or increase air pollution in the NCR.

The Commission can take up matters suo-motu or on the basis of complaints from individuals and organizations.

It will submit to the Centre an annual report which will be laid before both houses of the Parliament.

Every regulation and order of the Commission will be placed before Parliament.

The Commission would specifically monitor measures taken by the states to prevent factors causing air pollution like stubble burning, industrial emissions, road dust, vehicular pollution, construction activities, biomass burning, and other major sources of air pollution.

Composition of CAQM:-

Chairperson: It will have a full-time chairperson.

It will be one “who is or has been Secretary to the Government of India or Chief Secretary to the Government of a state”.

The chairperson will hold the post for three years or until s/he attains the age of 70 years.

State Representatives: The Commission will also have five ex officio members who are either Chief Secretaries, or Secretaries in charge of the department dealing with environment protection in the States of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

Experts: Three full-time independent technical members with “specific scientific knowledge and experience in matters relating to air pollution”; a technical member each from the CPCB and nominated by ISRO, ex officio.

Civil Society: Three representatives of NGOs with experience in combating air pollution.

Others: It will have members from Niti Aayog and several Ministries.

MS Swaminathan

Agricultural scientist Dr MS Swaminathan, known as the father of India’s Green Revolution, passed away in Chennai.

He was 98 years old.

About MS Swaminathan:-

Birth date: August 7, 1925.

Birth Place: in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu.

Swaminathan brought a social revolution through his policies to rescue India from famine-like circumstances in the 1960s.

He was called the ‘Father of the Indian Green Revolution’.

Early life and education:-

Initially, aiming for a career in civil services he switched to agriculture due to his passion, inspired by the Quit India Movement and the Bengal famine of 1942–43.

He enrolled in the Agriculture College in Coimbatore to pursue his interest in agriculture.

Swaminathan held various significant positions related to agriculture, both in India and abroad.

Contributions to the Green Revolution:-

Swaminathan’s contributions to agriculture in the 1960s and ’70s transformed India’s farming landscape, ushering in an era of food security.

He worked on enhancing crop varieties, particularly rice and wheat.

He pioneered the development of semi-dwarf wheat varieties to boost yields.

Collaboration with Norman Borlaug resulted in the introduction of dwarfing genes into wheat varieties.

Swaminathan organized hundreds of exhibitions in the northern portion of the country in 1965 to teach small-scale farmers how genetically engineered grains might enable them to grow higher yields in the same land.

These demonstrations were game-changing since the crop tripled prior output levels in the first year of the Green Revolution era.

Swaminathan trained farmers to use these new approaches, overcoming the illiteracy barrier.

Because of his efforts, the average agricultural production increased from 12 million tonnes to 23 million tonnes in just four crop seasons.

Roles:-

His roles included Independent Chairman of the Food and Agricultural Organization Council (1981–85).

President of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (1984–90)

President of the World Wide Fund for Nature (India) from 1989–96.

He also served as the Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

He founded the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation.

He played a vital role in developing high-yield variety seeds of wheat, which led to the green revolution in India.

Awards:-

Albert Einstein World Science Award in 1986.

He won the first World Food Prize in 1987.

Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement in 1991.

Planet and Humanity Medal of the International Geographical Union in 2000.

He was conferred with Padma Shri (1967), Padma Bhushan(1972), and Padma Vibhushan(1989).

Global Innovation Index 2023

The Global Innovation Index 2023 was released recently.

Background:-

India has retained 40th rank in the Global Innovation Index 2023.

About Global Innovation Index 2023 rankings:-

Publication: annual.

Published by: World Intellectual Property Organization.

WIPO is a self-funding agency of the United Nations, with 193 member states.

Edition: 16th edition.

The Global Innovation Index is a leading reference for measuring an economy’s innovation ecosystem performance.

It is also a valuable benchmarking tool used by policymakers, business leaders, and other stakeholders to assess progress in innovation over time.

The 2023 edition of the Global Innovation Index (GII) takes the pulse of global innovation trends against the background of an economic environment fraught with uncertainty.

Global Innovation Tracker 2023 captures key trends in innovation investments and measures the pace of technological progress and adoption, as well as the resulting socioeconomic impact.

The index reveals the ranking of this year’s most innovative economies in the world amongst 132 economies.

Key highlights:-

Most innovative economies in 2023:-

For the 13th year in a row, Switzerland is the most innovative economy in 2023 followed by Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore.

The top Science and Technology innovation clusters in the world in 2023 are: –

Tokyo–Yokohama, followed by Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou, Seoul, Beijing and Shanghai-Suzhou.

China now has the largest number of clusters in the world, overtaking the United States.

India’s performance:-

India retained the 40th rank out of 132 economies.

Over the past few years, India has consistently climbed the ranks in the GII, rising from 81st place in 2015 to its current position.