PIB Summary- 29th May, 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Khelo India University Games 2023

Why in News?
Recently, the Prime Minister virtually inaugurated the 3rd edition of Khelo India University Games (KIUG) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, marking the beginning of a new era for sports in India.

Khelo India University Games 2023

• Mascot: The mascot for the 3rd edition of Khelo India University Games (KIUG) is called Jitu, representing the Swamp Deer (Barasingha), which is the state animal of Uttar Pradesh.
• Previous Editions: The first edition of KIUG was held in Odisha in 2020, while the second edition took place in Bangalore, Karnataka in 2022. The second edition was rescheduled from 2021 to 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Participants: More than 4750 athletes from over 200 universities will be participating in KIUG 2023. The games will feature competitions in 21 sports categories.
• Host Cities: The competitions will be held across multiple cities, including Varanasi, Lucknow, Gautam Buddha Nagar, and Gorakhpur.
• Unity and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat: The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of such events in fostering unity among participants and promoting the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ (One India, Great India).

About Khelo India Programme

• The Khelo India programme has been introduced to revive the sports culture in India at the grass-root level by building a strong framework for all sports played in our country.
• It is implemented by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
• Under the scheme, the talented players identified in priority sports disciplines at various levels (by the High-Powered Committee) will be provided annual financial assistance of INR 5 lakh per annum for 8 years.

Objectives

• Conduct structured annual sports competition and encourage Mass participation of youth.
• Identify talent through these competitions.
• Guidance and nurturing of the talent through the existing and new infrastructure
• Creation of Sports infrastructure at various levels.

Four components

• Competition: Sports competition would be held at Block/District/State and National level.
• Sponsorship: Under Khelo India Scheme, the funding for sports promotion and development has switched from centrally aided scheme to Central Sector Scheme.
• Talent: Talented sportspersons among the participants form the competitions conducted are identified and are eligible for scholarships or admission into SAI (Sports Authority of India) Centres and Sports Academies. Sporting talent selected for Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) receive financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh per annum.
• Infrastructure: Infrastructure is being developed both in the existing SAI Centres as well as identifying new spaces for sports infrastructure.

Veer Savarkar

Why In News?
On 28th May, India paid tribute to the freedom fighter, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (Veer Savarkar) on his birth anniversary.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar 

• Period: 28 May 1883 – 26 February 1966
• Cause of Death: Fasting (Sallekhana Prayopavesa)
• He was commonly known as Veer Savarkar (“brave” in his native Marathi language)
• He was an Indian independence activist, politician, lawyer and writer.

Nationalism and social reforms

• Savarkar formed a youth organization known as Mitra Mela, this organization was put into place to bring in national and revolutionary ideas.
• He was against foreign goods and propagated the idea of Swadeshi. In 1905, he burnt all the foreign goods in a bonfire on Dussehra.
• He championed atheism and rationality and also disapproved orthodox Hindu belief. In fact, he even dismissed cow worship as superstitious.
• He also worked on abolishment of untouchability in Ratnagiri. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar also compared his work to Lord Buddha.
• In Pune, Savarkar founded the “Abhinav Bharat Society”.
• He was also involved in the Swadeshi movement and later joined Tilak’s Swaraj Party. His instigating patriotic speeches and activities incensed the British Government. As a result, the British Government withdrew his B.A. degree.
• He founded the Free India Society. The Society celebrated important dates on the Indian calendar including festivals, freedom movement landmarks, and was dedicated to furthering discussion about Indian freedom.
• He believed and advocated the use of arms to free India from the British and created a network of Indians in England, equipped with weapons.

Related Organisations and Work

• Founded a secret society called Abhinav Bharat Society.
• Went to the United Kingdom and was involved with organizations such as India House and the Free India Society.
• Involved in the formation of Hindu Mahasabha.
• He was the president of Hindu Mahasabha from 1937 to 1943.
• Savarkar wrote a book titled ‘The History of the War of Indian Independence’ in which he wrote about the guerilla warfare tricks used in 1857 Sepoy Mutiny.
• He also wrote the book ‘Hindutva: who is hindu?’.

Abhinav Bharat Society (Young India Society)

• It was a secret society founded by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and his brother Ganesh Damodar Savarkar in 1904.
• Initially founded at Nasik as Mitra Mela, the society was associated with several revolutionaries and political activists with branches in various parts of India and London.

Hindu Mahasabha

• It was a political party formed in 1933.
• It was founded by Veer Damodar Savarkar, Lala Lajpat Rai, Madan Mohan Malviya.
• The organisation was formed to protect the rights of the Hindu community, after the formation of the All India Muslim League in 1906 and the British India government’s creation of separate Muslim electorate under the Morley-Minto reforms of 1909.

Free India Society

• It was a political organization of Indian students in England, committed to obtaining the independence of India from British rule.
• Initially an intellectual group, it became a revolutionary outfit under its founding leader, Madam Bhikaji Cama.

Exercise Al Mohed Al Hindi 23

Why in News?
The second edition of the bilateral exercise ‘Al Mohed Al Hindi 23’ between the Indian Navy and the Royal Saudi Naval Force (RSNF) took place.

• The sea phase of the exercise was held from 23 to 25 May 2023 off Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

Details of the Exercise

• From the Indian side, INS Tarkash, INS Subhadra, and Dornier Maritime Patrol aircraft (MPA) participated in the exercise.
• The RSNF was represented by HMS Badr and Abdul Aziz, MH 60R helo, and UAV.

Activities

• The three-day exercise involved a wide spectrum of maritime operations.
• The exercise concluded with a debrief at sea, followed by a traditional steam past.

Achievements

• The successful conduct of ‘Al Mohed Al Hindi 23’ demonstrated a high level of professionalism, interoperability, and the exchange of best practices between the two navies.
• The bilateral exercise accomplished all its objectives.
• Both sides intend to progress to more advanced exercises in the next edition.