Daily Current Affairs Notes for 09 March 2023

Veteran actor-director Satish Kaushik passes away

Satish Kaushik, a seasoned actor, writer, and director, has died at the age of 67. He was born on April 13, 1965, in Haryana, and had graduated from the National School of Drama (NSD) and the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Kaushik launched his film career in the early 1980s and was known for his versatility as an Indian actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, and producer. Before making his mark in Bollywood, he honed his craft in theatre.

Career of Satish Kaushik 

• Although his directorial efforts with Sridevi's movies "Roop Ki Rani, Choron Ka Raja" and "Prem" failed to succeed, he eventually achieved a breakthrough with the hit movie "Hum Aapke Dil Me Rehte Hain" and went on to direct several other successful films, including "Tere Sang."
• Satish Kaushik made a name for himself as a film actor, particularly for his portrayals of memorable characters such as Calendar in the 1987 superhero flick "Mr India," Pappu Pager in "Deewana Mastana" (1997), and Chanu Ahmed in the critically acclaimed British film "Brick Lane" (2007), which was directed by Sarah Gavron.
• In addition to his impressive acting career, Satish Kaushik also received recognition for his comic timing, winning the Filmfare Best Comedian Award in 1990 for his role in "Ram Lakhan" and again in 1997 for "Saajan Chale Sasural."
• Satish Kaushik is widely recognized for his contributions to the iconic 1983 film "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron," for which he wrote the dialogues that garnered a cult following over the years. He also made a name for himself with his comedic performances, portraying memorable characters such as 'Calendar' in "Mr. India" and 'Pappu Pager' in "Deewana Mastana," among others. Additionally, he delivered impressive acting performances in other notable movies, including "Ram Lakhan" and "Saajan Chale Sasural."

Conrad Sangma sworn-in as Meghalaya Chief Minister

In the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Conrad Kongkal Sangma was sworn in for his second consecutive term as the chief minister of Meghalaya. The oath of office was administered by Governor Phagu Chauhan to Sangma, as well as his two deputies, Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar, and nine other ministers. As per the data released by the Election Commission of India on March 2, Sangma emerged victorious from the South Tura constituency, defeating Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bernard N Marak by a margin of 5,016 votes.

The pro-tem speaker, Timothy D Shira, administered the oath of office and secrecy to 58 newly elected MLAs, who have now become assembly members. The new government, known as the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance 2.0, includes one female minister, M Ampareen Lyngdoh, along with Rakkam A Sangma, Marcuise M Marak, AT Mondal, and Comingone Ymbon, all of whom belong to Conrad Sangma's National People's Party (NPP).

The United Democratic Party (UDP) emerged victorious with 11 seats in the assembly polls, as announced on Thursday. The Congress secured five seats, while the Trinamool Congress, which had inducted all Congress MLAs in the previous assembly, also won five seats. Additionally, seven MLAs from the National People's Party (NPP), two from UDP, and one each from BJP and HSPDP, were sworn in as members of Sangma's cabinet by Governor Phagu Chauhan at Raj Bhavan.

On March 6, 2023, the 5th ASEAN-India Business Summit was held in Kuala Lumpur. Speakers and participants from both ASEAN and India gathered to discuss ways to strengthen business linkages, connectivity, and supply chain resilience through deeper ASEAN-India cooperation. The Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology delivered a speech at the summit.

About the ASEAN-India Business summit:

The ASEAN-India Year of Friendship is being commemorated in Kuala Lumpur, which includes the 5th ASEAN-India Business Summit as one of its events. This year marks over three decades of engagement between India and the 10-member bloc.

Key facts about ASEAN:

• The group is a part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and was founded in 1967 with the signing of the Bangkok declaration.
• The founding members of the group are Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
• Currently, the ASEAN group consists of ten member states, which are Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
• The ASEAN group aims to foster intergovernmental cooperation and promote integration in various areas such as economic, political, security, military, educational, and sociocultural fields among its member states as well as other countries in Asia.

Malaysia: FAST FACTS:

This Southeast Asian country consists of two regions separated by the South China Sea.

• FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Federal constitutional monarchy
• CAPITAL: Kuala Lumpur
• POPULATION: 32,400,000
• OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Malay
• CURRENCY: Ringgit
• AREA: 127,355 square miles (329,847 square kilometers)
• MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Main, Crocker, Bintang, Hose, Iran
• MAJOR RIVERS: Rajang, Sugut, Pahang, Klang