Chief guest for Indian Republic Day 2023
- Egyptian President Abdel Fateh el-Sisi will be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations in January 2023.
- Both countries, India and Egypt are celebrating the 75th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations in the year 2022.
- Egypt and India were founding members of the movement for non-alignment in international affairs during the 1950s.
About Egypt
- Capital – Cairo
- President – Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
- Prime Minister – Moustafa Madbouly
- Currency – Egyptian pound
Bihar launches scheme to provide piped Ganga water to every household
- Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched the ambitious Har Ghar Gangajal scheme, under which piped Ganga water will be supplied to every household, at Rajgir in Nalanda district.
- Har Ghar Gangajal scheme is a part of the Bihar government’s Jal, Jivan aur Hariyali mission.
- In the first phase, two districts of Nalanda and Gaya will be covered.
- In the second phase, Nawada district will be covered.
About Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)
- JJM is envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.
- JJM was launched on August 15, 2019.
- 100 % tap connectivity are accomplished in Goa, Telangana and Haryana among the states and Puducherry, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu among the UTs (Union Territories)
- Tamil Nadu has 39.28 % tap connectivity.
Mahatma Gandhi’s bust to be inaugurated at UNHQ
- A bust of Mahatma Gandhi will be inaugurated as a gift from India to the United Nations during India’s presidency of the Security Council.
- It will be installed at the headquarters in New York.
- The bust was made by renowned Indian sculptor and Padma Shri awardee Ram Sutar, who also designed the Statue of Unity in Gujarat.
Note
- Another gift from India which is on display at the UN Headquarters is an 11th century blackstone statue of ‘Surya’, the Sun God, dating from the late Pala period, was donated on July 26, 1982, by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
About UNSC
- One of the six organs of the UN.
- Formation – 24 October 1945
- Membership – 15 countries (5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members)
- The permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
- 10 non-permanent members are elected for a term of two years.
- India is a non-permanent member whose tenure ends in December 2022.
India’s first Buddhist varsity
- The foundation stone will be laid for the International Buddhist University at Manu Bankul in Sabroom of South Tripura district, near Agartala in Tripura.
- The Dhamma Dipa International Buddhist University (DDIBU) is expected to become the first Buddhist-run university in India to offer Buddhist education.
About Tripura
- Capital – Agartala
- Chief Minister – Manik Saha
- Governor – Satyadev Narayan Arya