PIB Summary- 25th January, 2024 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Bharat Ratna To Karpoori Thakur

Context
Karpoori Thakur, a prominent Gandhian socialist leader and former Bihar chief minister will be awarded the ‘Bharat Ratna’ posthumously.

About Bharat Ratna

• Highest Civilian Award: Bharat Ratna, instituted in 1954, stands as the highest civilian award in India.

Eligibility:

• Inclusive Criteria: The award is open to any individual without distinction of race, occupation, position, or gender. While predominantly awarded to India-born citizens, exceptions include the naturalized citizen Mother Teresa and non-Indians such as Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Nelson Mandela.

Special Considerations:

• Posthumous Awards: Originally, posthumous awards were not permitted, but the statutes were amended in 1955 to allow them. Lal Bahadur Shastri became the first posthumous recipient.

Recognition Criteria:

• Exceptional Service: Conferred in recognition of exceptional service or performance of the highest order across any field of human endeavor.

Nomination Process:

• Prime Minister’s Recommendation: The Prime Minister recommends the awardees to the President, and no formal recommendations are required.

Limitations:

• Annual Cap: The number of awards is capped at a maximum of three per year.

Award Components:

• Recognition: Recipients receive a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion. However, the award does not carry any monetary grant.

National Girl Child Day

Why in News?
Nation Celebrates National Girl Child Day every year on 24th of January.

About National Girl Child Day:

• National Girl Child Day is celebrated in the country on January 24 every year
• It was first initiated in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• Gender discrimination is a major problem that girls or women face throughout their life.

Objective:

• To provide support and opportunities to the girls of India.
• To support the girl child of the nation and remove gender-based biases.
• To promote awareness about the inequalities that a girl child faces and educate people about girl’s education.
• The main focus is on changing society’s attitude towards girls, decrease female feticide and create awareness about the decreasing sex ratio.

Aim:

• To promote awareness about the rights of the girl child
• To increase awareness on the importance of girl education, and their health and nutrition.