• 14 January 2023
  • By GyanOk

Daily Current Affairs Notes for 14 January 2023

7th Armed Forces Veterans Day celebrates on 14 January 2023

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will attend the seventh Armed Forces Veterans’ Day celebrations at Dehradun Cantonment today (Saturday).

He will preside over the event and address a veterans’ rally at Jaswant Ground.

Rajnath Singh will also launch the ‘Soul of Steel Alpine Challenge’, a joint adventure sport initiative of the Indian Army and CLAW Global, by flagging off a car expedition from Dehradun to Ghamshali in the Niti Valley, the Defence ministry said in a statement.

To pay homage to the supreme sacrifice and the dedicated service of India’s armed forces, Singh will dedicate Shaurya Sthal — developed by the Uttarakhand War Memorial Trust, which unanimously decided to hand over its control to the Indian Army — to the armed forces, it said.

This year, the occasion is being celebrated at nine locations — Juhunjhunu, Jalandhar, Panagarh, New Delhi, Dehradun, Chennai, Chandigarh, Bhubaneshwar and Mumbai — by the three Service Headquarters.

The event in Chennai will be presided over by the Minister of State for Defence.

 

 

NPCI Allows NRE/NRO Accounts With International Mobile Numbers To Use UPI

Overview

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has instructed members of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) ecosystem to allow non-resident account types such as non-resident external (NRE)/ non-resident ordinary (NRO) accounts having international mobile numbers to get onboarded and transact through UPI.

This is subject to the fact that the member banks have to ensure such types of accounts are only allowed as per extant Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) regulations and adherence to the guidelines issued by the concerned regulatory departments of RBI from time to time.

The UPI ecosystem members have to comply with NPCI's directions by April 30, 2023.

Also, all necessary anti-money laundering/ combating of financing of terrorism checks and compliance validation as per the rules have to be ensured by the remitter and beneficiary banks.

To begin with, NPCI will be enabling transactions from mobile numbers having country codes of Singapore, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, USA, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, along with the current domestic country code.

NPCI had been receiving requests from the UPI ecosystem as well as customers to allow non-resident accounts to transact through UPI. Hence, they decided to allow this so that the non-resident accounts having international numbers experience a seamless and instant journey of UPI.

75th Indian Army Day observed on 15 January 2023

Indian Army Day is celebrated annually on 15 January to honour the Indian soldiers. On this day, the brave soldiers of the Indian Army are honoured and revered for their service to the country. The celebration of Indian Army Day takes place with many parades and military shows in New Delhi and all the headquarters of the Indian Army.

The Indian Army is one of the most powerful troops in the world, competing with superpowers such as the United States, Russia, and China.

About Army Day

Indian Army Day is observed to celebrate the Indian Army’s selfless service, values of brotherhood, and undying love for the country. This day is celebrated on 15 January every year. The celebrations of Army Day are widespread and include parades, shows, and other honorary events in the Army headquarters, and the capital city.

This year, on 15 January 2023, India will celebrate its 75th Army Day. As much as this day is about celebrating the army, it is also about honouring the soldiers who lost their lives for the country.

Event

Indian Army Day

Date

15 January (annually)

Observed In

India

Significance

To honour and remember the efforts of the Indian Army in keeping the nation safe.

 

When is Army Day?

Army Day is celebrated on 15 January every year. On this day in 1949, Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa (who was then a Lieutenant General) was made the first Commander-in-Chief of independent India. The last British Commander-in-Chief of India was General Francis Roy Bucher, who handed over the position to Cariappa on 15 January 1949.

Indian Army Day is a celebration of the valour displayed by the Indian Army. To honour Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa, parades are held in the Cariappa parade ground in Delhi Cantonment. On Army Day, many medals and awards are also distributed to soldiers.

Indian Army Day 2023 Theme

The theme of Indian Army Day 2023 has not been declared yet. It will likely be declared on the day of the celebration itself. Last year, the Indian Army 2022 theme was "In Stride with the Future", which is a declaration of the increasingly integral role played by niche and disruptive technologies in modern war. Here is more information about the Army Day theme and the celebrations that took place around it -

  • The Indian Army faces an overload of security challenges, traditional and non-traditional.
  • They are examining Artificial Intelligence (AI), 5G, Robotics and Quantum Technology to find creative solutions to such disputes.
  • The Army Day celebrations started with the Wreath Laying ceremony at the National War Memorial, where Service Chiefs paid tribute to the Bravehearts.
  • The Chief of the Army Staff inspected the Army Day Parade and awarded 15 Sena Medals for individual acts of bravery for their admirable performance.
  • The Indian Army Day parade included International Sports awardees and seven marching delegations, including scaled horse cavalry. Hariharan sang a song, 'Maati', dedicated to the nation and Army.

Army Day - History

The history of Indian Army Day can be traced back to 15 January 1949. On this date, the Indian Army welcomed Lieutenant KM Cariappa, the first Army staff member. General (later Field Marshall) KM Cariappa was appointed General Commander of the Indian Army on this day. To remember this event, 15 January is celebrated as National Army Day.

About Lieutenant KM Cariappa

  • He was the first Indian to be appointed Commander-in-Chief. He took charge of the chair from General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British commander of India.
  • The day he took charge of the office is commemorated as Army Day.
  • He propagated the slogan 'Jai Hindi', which means 'Victory of India'.
  • Cariappa led Indian troops on the Western Front during the 1947 war between India and Pakistan.
  • He also held a five-star rank as a Field Marshall.

Army Day - Significance

India will be celebrating its 75th Army Day on 15 January 2023. Here is why the day is considered so significant -

  • It reminds us of the dynamic process of independence - India gained independence in 1947, but the Army was not officially handed over to the Indian Army until 1949, two years later. Army Day reminds us that freedom was not achieved in a day and was part of a long process.
  • Paying homage to the military leaders of the country - Indian Army Day is about paying homage to the soldiers. Indian military leaders bravely fight along the border, keeping the country unharmed.
  • An opportunity to learn about the Army - Even before independence, the Indian Army had a rich history of contributing to international war and security issues. National Army Day is about educating yourself on the efforts of the Army.

How to Celebrate Indian Army Day?

Here are some ways in which you can celebrate Army Day -

  • Watch the Parade - The Indian Army holds a military parade at the Cariappa Parade Ground in Delhi Cantonment and presents gallantry awards on Army Day. The ceremony is broadcast live on the public TV channel Doordarshan, YouTube, and Twitter.
  • Understand India's contribution to the World Wars - Indian Army Day is the perfect opportunity to educate yourself about the Indian Army’s contribution to the World Wars.
  • Read about Indian military history - There is much to discover about India's long military history and its development across civilizations, dynasties, and conquests and Army Day is the perfect time for it.

Quotes for Indian Army Day 2023

It is vital to comprehend Indian Army Day's history and relevance before spreading its awareness. Below are some of the Army Day quotes proposed by the top renowned personalities.

  • "There will be no escape without registered orders, and these orders shall never be published." - Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.
  • "We fight to win and succeed with a knockout because there are no runners-up in war" -General JJ Singh.
  • "I shall not remove an inch but will battle to our last man and our last round." - Major Somnath Sharma.
  • "Some dreams are so worthy, it's magnificent even to fail." - Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey.
  • "If an individual says he is not scared of dying, he is either lying or is a Gurkha." - Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.

UAE Names Oil Chief to head COP28 Climate Talks

The United Arab Emirates on Thursday named a veteran technocrat who both leads Abu Dhabi's state-run oil company and oversees its renewable energy efforts to be the president of the upcoming United Nations climate negotiations in Dubai, highlighting the balancing act ahead for this crude-producing nation.

A Contrasting Appointment:

Authorities nominated Sultan al-Jaber, a trusted confidant of UAE leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who serves as CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. That firm pumps some 4 million barrels of crude a day and hopes to expand to 5 million daily.

Those revenues fuel the ambitions of this federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula — as well as the production of more of the heat-trapping carbon dioxide that the U.N. negotiations hope to limit.

Green Initiatives By UAE:

But al-Jaber also once led a once-ambitious project to have a $22 billion "carbon-neutral" city on Abu Dhabi's outskirts — an effort later pared back after the global financial crisis that struck the Emirates hard beginning in 2008. Even today, he serves as the chairman of Masdar, a clean energy company that grew out of the project.

"Sultan al-Jaber has the credentials and background to lean into trends that are already on going," said Ryan Bohl, a Mideast analyst for a risk-intelligence firm called the RANE Network. "Him being an oilman, I don't think that will be that big of a risk for him."

About CoP28:

The UAE will take over the UN climate talks presidency from Egypt at the end of November next year when it will host the summit on the site of the Dubai Expo. The UAE, the first country in the region to ratify the 2015 Paris Agreement, has committed to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

The COP28 conference will be held from November 30 to December 12.