PIB Summary- 21th September, 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Nuakhai Juhar

Context
Recently, the Prime Minister of India greeted the people on the auspicious occasion of Nuakhai Juhar.

Nuakhai Juhar: A Festival Celebrating New Rice Harvest

• Nuakhai Juhar is a significant social festival celebrated in Western Odisha and parts of Simdega in Jharkhand.
• The term “Nuakhai” consists of “nua,” meaning new, and “khai,” meaning food.
• Purpose: This agricultural festival is observed to welcome the arrival of the new rice crop of the season.
• Nuakhai falls on the fifth day of the lunar fortnight in the month of Bhadrapada or Bhadra (typically August-September). It follows the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

Rituals

• Nuakhai encompasses nine colors, leading to the observance of nine sets of rituals leading up to the main day of celebration.
• People offer the freshly harvested crop, known as “Nabanha,” to their respective deities.
• Following the offering of Nabanha, individuals enjoy various delicacies prepared from the newly harvested crop.
• A key ritual of Nuakhai is the “Nuakhai Juhar,” which holds special significance during the festival.

SIMBEX 23

Context
Indian Naval Ships Ranvijay and Kavaratti and submarine INS Sindhukesari arrived in Singapore to participate in the 30th edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX).

About SIMBEX 23

• Annual Bilateral Naval Exercise: SIMBEX 23 is an annual bilateral Naval exercise conducted between the Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).
• Longstanding Tradition: This exercise has been conducted since 1994 and holds the distinction of being the longest continuous naval exercise that the Indian Navy has conducted with any other country.
• Two Phases: SIMBEX-2023 is being conducted in two phases. It commences with a Harbour Phase held in Singapore from September 21 to 24, 2023, followed by a Sea Phase.
• Participating Assets: In addition to naval vessels like Ranvijay, Kavaratti, and Sindhukesari, the exercise also includes the participation of the Long-Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8I.
• Harbour Phase: The Harbour Phase of SIMBEX 23 focuses on a wide range of professional interactions, cross-deck visits, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE), and sports fixtures. These activities are designed to enhance interoperability and mutual understanding between the two navies.
• Sea Phase: The Sea Phase involves complex and advanced air defense exercises, gunnery firings, tactical maneuvers, anti-submarine exercises, and various other maritime operations. This phase aims to hone the war-fighting skills of both navies and consolidate their capability to undertake multi-discipline operations jointly in the maritime domain.