Daily Current Affairs Notes for 06 March 2023

Santosh Trophy 2023

After a 54-year-long wait, Karnataka finally won the Santosh Trophy national football championship by defeating Meghalaya 3-2 in a thrilling final held at King Fahd International Stadium in the capital of Saudi Arabia. In the playoff for third place, Services defeated Punjab 2-0 with goals from PP Shafeel and Christopher Kamei in each half. Services, who had emerged victorious in five out of the last ten editions, took an early lead in the seventh minute when Shafeel scored a long-range effort, followed by Kamei's left-footed attempt from outside the box.

Karnataka scored three goals through Sunil Kumar in the 2nd minute, Bekley Oram in the 19th minute, and Robin Yadav in the 42nd minute, while Meghalaya managed to score two goals through Brolington Warlarpih in the 19th minute and Sheen Stevenson Sphktung in the 60th minute.

About the Santosh Trophy

• The football tournament known as the National Football Championship for Hero Santosh Trophy, which is named after its sponsor Hero MotoCorp, is also referred to as the Hero National Football Championship or simply the Santosh Trophy. It is a state-level national football competition that is organized by the state associations and government institutions affiliated with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which serves as the governing body for football in India.
• Prior to the inception of the National Football League (NFL) in 1996, the Santosh Trophy was regarded as the most prestigious domestic accolade in India. Numerous players who have represented India at the international level have participated in and earned recognition through the Santosh Trophy. The competition is conducted annually and involves eligible teams that are categorized into zones. These teams must compete in the qualifying round, and the successful teams progress to the main tournament.
• In 1941, the Indian Football Association (IFA), which was the de facto governing body of football in India at the time, established the tournament and named it after the former president of the IFA, Sir Manmatha Nath Roy Chowdhury, who was also known as the Maharaja of Santosh. Sir Chowdhury had passed away at the age of 61 in 1939. Later, the IFA donated the Santosh Trophy to the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which had become the official governing body of football in India, and the AIFF has been organizing the tournament since then.
• Dr. S.K. Gupta, who was the president of the Indian Football Association (IFA) at the time, donated the trophy for the runner-up of the tournament. This trophy was named the Kamala Gupta Trophy, in honor of Dr. Gupta's wife.
• The Karnataka State Football Association (which was previously known as the Mysore Football Association) donated the third-place trophy for the tournament. This trophy was named the Sampangi Cup, in memory of a celebrated footballer named Sampangi, who hailed from Mysore.
• Previously, the tournament was organized as an independent competition until 2018. However, in 2021, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) rebranded it as the men's senior tier of the National Football Championship for regional teams of various age groups. In September 2022, it was announced that the tournament will now be organized based on zones.

International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness

On 5th March every year, the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness is commemorated to raise awareness among the global public about the contribution of disarmament efforts in enhancing peace and security, preventing and resolving armed conflicts, and mitigating human suffering caused by weapons. The objective of the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness is to foster greater awareness and comprehension of disarmament issues among the public, particularly young people.

The possession of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, remains a significant concern due to their destructive potential and the threat they pose to humanity. The excessive accumulation of conventional weapons and the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons undermine international peace, security, and sustainable development, while the use of explosive weapons in populated areas is endangering civilians. Recently, the international community has shown growing concern about new and emerging weapon technologies, such as autonomous weapons, which pose a challenge to global security.

By adopting resolution A/RES/77/51, the General Assembly urges all Member States, United Nations agencies, civil society, academia, the media, and individuals to observe the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness by conducting various educational and public awareness-raising initiatives.

2023 PEN/Nabokov Lifetime Achievement Award

Vinod Kumar Shukla has been awarded the PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature, which is one of the most esteemed literary prizes globally and recognizes lifetime achievements in literature. Shukla, who has received critical acclaim for his novels such as Naukar Ki Kameez (1979) and poetry collections like Sab Kuch Hona Bacha Rahega (1992), was honored with this award by PEN America.

The PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature, which carries a cash prize of USD 50,000, was established in 2016 by PEN America in partnership with the Vladimir Nabokov Literary Foundation. This award recognizes living authors who have demonstrated exceptional mastery in the fields of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and/or drama, and whose works, written in or translated into English, exhibit enduring originality and unparalleled craftsmanship.

About Vinod Kumar Shukla:

Vinod Kumar Shukla, born on January 1, 1937, in Chhattisgarh, is a renowned author who has written novels, poetry, and short stories in Hindi as well as in translation. Shukla is also a post-graduate in agriculture from Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya in Jabalpur and has worked as a lecturer there. His literary works often deal with themes of social class and wealth, portraying the struggles of the poor in navigating a capitalist society.

Vinod Kumar Shukla's recent works include Blue is like Blue (2019), a collection of stories translated by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra and Sara Rai that delves into the lives of characters living in one-room apartments, dealing with the fear of being cheated by electric companies. His latest work, Mahavidyalaya (2022), explores the conflict between nature and humanity and the power of literature to heal both. A Silent Place (2021), translated by Satti Khanna, is a novel that tells the story of a forest silenced by exploitation and a group of children who strive to bring it back to life.

Vinod Kumar Shukla's literary journey began with the publication of his poetry collection Lagbhag Jai Hind (1971), followed by Vah Aadmi Chala Gaya Naya Garam Coat Pehankar Vichar Ki Tarah (1981). His first novel, Naukar Ki Kameez, which narrates the story of a clerk in a government office who wears the shirt of a domestic help who has run away from his employer’s house, was highly acclaimed and was even adapted into a Hindi film in 1999 by Mani Kaul.

Awards:

Born on January 1, 1937 in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh (then Madhya Pradesh), Vinod Kumar Shukla is a renowned author whose works often incorporate magic-realism elements. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Sahitya Akademi award and the Atta Galatta–Bangalore Literature Festival Book Prize. In 2019, he also won the Atta Galatta–Bangalore Literature Festival Book Prize for "Blue Is Like Blue: Stories", and in 2020, he received the Mathrubhumi Book of the Year award for the same work.