• India on the occasion of its 76th Independence Day will hand over maritime surveillance aircraft Dornier 228 to Sri Lanka on a gratis basis for two years.
• The aircraft is being provided for an interim period of two years till a plane being manufactured in India for Sri Lanka is ready. The aircraft comes as a sequel to the dialogue between India and Sri Lanka that took place on January 9, 2018 in New Delhi, when the Sri Lankan government sought the possibility of obtaining two Dornier Reconnaissance Aircraft from India.
• Notably, handing over of the Dornier aircraft by India comes a day before the Chinese ship ‘Yuan Wang 5’ will dock at the southern port of Hambantota.
• Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Minister confirmed that the Chinese vessel ‘Yuan Wang-5’, widely believed to be a spy ship, has been given clearance to arrive at Hambantota Port on August 16, 2022.
• Hambantota port, located around 250 kms from Colombo was built with high-interest Chinese loans. The Sri Lankan government struggled to repay the debt they had taken from China following which the port was handed over to the Chinese on a 99-year lease.
• The Indian Naval Dornier (INDO – 228) is basically a Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL), multirole light transport aircraft used by the Indian Navy for electronic warfare missions, maritime surveillance, disaster relief and other work with a turboprop twin-engine, produced since 1981.
• The Sri Lankan Air Force intends to effectively employ the Dornier aircraft specifically to conduct Maritime and Coastal Surveillance Operations within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Search and Rescue Operations (SAR), Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) and Maritime Pollution Monitoring and Control within Sri Lankan Search and Rescue Region (SRR) to attain SLAF ultimate vision of “Ensuring the National Security through Effective Employment of Airpower” within Sri Lankan Airspace.

• The controversial Chinese research ship Yuan Wang 5 arrived and docked at Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port.
• The vessel is capable of tracking satellites and intercontinental missiles.
• The research and survey vessel, which has been dubbed as ‘spy ship’ was earlier scheduled to dock at the Chinese-leased Hambantota Port on August 11.
• But after India raised its concerns, Sri Lanka confirmed that it has communicated to China to defer the visit of the Yuang Wang 5 vessel to Hambantota Port.
• India had expressed its security concerns over the docking of the vessel at the Sri Lankan port as it was shown as a research vessel with the capability of mapping the ocean bed, which is critical to anti-submarine operations of the Chinese Navy.
• The ship could conduct satellite research in the north western part of the Indian Ocean region, prompting security concerns for India.
• Designated as a research and survey vessel, Yuan Wang 5 was built in 2007 and has a carrying capacity of 11,000 tonnes.
• Hambantota Port, located around 250 km from Colombo was built with high-interest Chinese loans.
• The Sri Lankan government struggled to repay the debt they had taken from China following which the port was handed over to the Chinese on a 99-year lease.

• On India’s 76th Independence Day Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on the people of India to take “panch pran” (five pledges) for a developed nation and aim to fulfil the dreams of the freedom fighters by the year 2047- the 100th year of India’s Independence.
• He mentioned these ‘pran’ while addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort and talked about the five pledges the country needs to focus on for the next 25 years.

The Five Pledges:

1. The first pran is to move forward with bigger resolves and resolve of developed India.
2. The second pran is to erase all traces of servitude. Even if we see the smallest things of servitude, inside us or nearby us, we have to get rid of them.
3. The third is to take pride in our legacy.
4. Four is the strength of unity for our dreams of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.
5. The fifth pran is the duties of citizens which include the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers also.

• This is a big pranshakti for fulfilling the dreams of the country in the next 25 years.

• In the renewed effort to reach out to more children in the 0-5 age group under the Bal Aadhaar initiative, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has enrolled more than 79 lakh children during the first four months (April-July) of the current financial year.
• As per government officials, the Bal Aadhaar initiative will help parents and children avail multiple benefits. While 2.64 crore children in the 0-5 age group had Bal Aadhaar by March 31, 2022, this number has increased to 3.43 crore by the end of July 2022.
• Bal Aadhaar registration is progressing very well, with increased speed across the country. Enrolments of children in the 0-5 age group in states like Himachal Pradesh and Haryana have already covered more than 70 per cent of the targeted age group.
• Registration of children (0-5 age group) has also done exceedingly well in several other states and UTs including Jammu and Kashmir, Mizoram, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Lakshadweep.
• Over all, the Aadhaar saturation at present is around 94 per cent. Aadhaar saturation among adults is almost 100 per cent. Aadhaar is now a catalyst of both, ease of living and ease of doing business.
• UIDAI and its regional offices have been constantly encouraging residents to come forward and register their children under Bal Aadhaar initiative. Bal Aadhaar works as a facilitator in availing several welfare benefits, and also works as a digital photo identity for children right from birth.
• Aadhaar enrolment of children in the age group of 0-5 years are carried out based on facial image of the child, and biometric authentication of the parent/guardian (having a valid Aadhaar).
• A proof of relationship document (preferably birth certificate) is collected at the time of enrolment for Bal Aadhaar.
• To differentiate the Bal Aadhaar from normal Aadhaar, it is issued in blue colour, with a remark that this is valid till the child attains the age of 5 years.

• A high-powered meeting was held to deliberate and facilitate an eco-system for Container production under Make in India programme.
• Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister Mansukh Mandaviya attended the meeting held in New Delhi.
• In a move to make India Atmanirbhar in its requirement for containers, the high-powered meeting deliberated various aspects in this regard.
• It was decided that with cluster base manufacturing in focus, the CONCOR will be working closely with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW).
• The meeting also discussed how the availability of Make in India containers might open up the avenue for domestic cargo transportation using the vast expanse of inland waterways of India.
• In the meeting, the ministers also discussed the possibility of moving bulk cargos like cement, food grains, fertilisers etc., through coastal and inland waterways in containerised form.
• This move will contribute to a reduction in the cost of logistics and handling charges as it will be through an economical, ecological and easier mode of transportation.
• Earlier, a committee was formed comprising of Joint Secretary (Ports), Joint Secretary (Customs), Joint Secretary (Logistics), Joint Secretary (Steel), and a representative from CONCOR and NICDC to assess the demand for containers in domestic trade, EXIM trade as well as the problem faced in the domestic manufacturing of containers.
• The MoPSW also interacted with the representatives from CONCOR, the Association of Container Train Operators (ACTO), steel manufacturing companies, container manufacturers, and the Container Shipping Line Association (CSLA).
• “In the EXIM segment, container availability and space onboard vessels are consistently improving. In the domestic segment, CONCOR has a requirement for approximately 50,000 containers in the next three years,” MoPSW said.

About the Company

• The Container Corporation of India Ltd. (CONCOR), was incorporated in March 1988 under the Companies Act, and commenced operation from November 1989 taking over the existing network of 7 ICDs from the Indian Railways.

• Three-day tribal festival began with great fervour at Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district. Technical Education Minister Ram Lal Markanda inaugurated the event.
• Lahaul and Spiti is abuzz with tourist activity after the opening of the Atal tunnel. Organising such events play a crucial role in attracting tourists and enable them to have a glimpse of the Lahauli culture.
• The festival also provided an opportunity to local ‘Mahila mandals’ to promote local cuisines.
• The government was making efforts to promote Himachali culture and tradition even outside the state.

• According to the meteorological department low-intensity earthquake shook Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district on 15th August 2022.
• According to officials, there was no report of any casualty or damage to property.
• The epicentre of the earthquake of magnitude 2.5 was at a depth of 10 km in Chamba district.

• World Sanskrit Day is celebrated on SawanPoornima in the Hindu calendar. As per the calendar, August 12 marks the occasion. World Sanskrit Day honours the Sanskrit language and promotes its global acceptance. 

History

• Sanskrit language is said to have originated in India around 3,500 years ago. World Sanskrit Day or Sanskrit Diwas was first observed in 1969. The day aims to spread awareness about and promote the revival of Sanskrit. It acknowledges the place Sanskrit holds in Indian history and culture.
• Sanskrit, in literary terms. is divided into two different periods- the Vedic and Classical. Vedic Sanskrit is mainly a part of the Rig Veda, the Upanishads and the Puranas. The Vedas were composed from 1,000 to 500 BCE.
• Centuries later, some Europeans were impressed by Sanskrit. Among them was Sir William Jones, an English scholar who visited India in 1783 as a judge of the British Supreme Court in Calcutta. He later founded the Asiatic Society.

Significance

• The language still holds a very prominent position in Hindu religious rituals and practices. Most of the Hindu rituals are performed in Sanskrit only. Many Sanskrit institutions and universities have been opened and consequently many young students have been learning Sanskrit.

• The Ministry of Ayush multi-aspirational project namely ‘Ayush grid’ is going to be digitally upgraded very soon. Under the Ayush Grid project, Ayush sector will be digitalised to bring all the services on one platform. This will be technically supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Technology.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for providing technical support for digitalisation of Ayush Sector under the Ayush Grid project for a period of 3 years. This MoU is a continuation of the earlier MoU signed in the year 2019.
• As per the earlier signed MoU, organisations under MeitY like NeGD supported for development of Ayush Sanjivani mobile application, monitoring dashboard, BISAG-N for development of Ayush GIS, Ayush education related modules, DIC for development of Ayush Information Hub, website of the Ministry, Ayusoft, C-DAC for imparting training to Ayush doctors.
• The NeGD and BISAG-N provided valuable inputs in finalization of various technical documents like technical solution design & DPR of the Project.
• A high-level advisory committee (HLAC) chaired by Secretary Ayush and co-chaired by Secretary MeitY was constituted to provide advisory inputs on the Ayush Grid project.
• A working group was also constituted under the chairmanship of Sh. J. Satyanarayana (Former Secretary MeitY & Chairman UIDAI) with other experts from NITI Aayog, NHA, MeitY etc. for giving expert inputs on right architecture, identify core building blocks, leveraging development under ABDM, understanding requirement of building public private ecosystem and various technical and strategy matters for Ayush Grid project. This helped the Ministry to shape the technical construct of the project.

What is ‘Ayush Grid’?

• The Ministry of Ayush has conceptualised the ‘Ayush Grid’ Project as part of the Digital India Programme, which leverages ‘Information and Technology’ to transform operational efficiency, improve service delivery and enhance quality of services.
• The Ayush Grid platform is envisaged to be the IT backbone allowing integration of all stakeholders and functions or services related to Ayush systems of health care.
• From a user’s perspective, the Ayush Grid is the proposed Central IT platform offering multiple IT services for all systems of medicines under Ayush i.e., Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homeopathy across functional areas, namely, healthcare delivery, education, research, capacity building, drug licensing and standardization along with media outreach.

• The 150th birth anniversary of Aurobindo Ghose was observed on 15th August.

About Aurobindo Ghose

• Birth:  August 15, 1872.
• Popularly known as yogi Rishi Aurobindo. He was a revolutionary, nationalist, poet, educationist and philosopher.
• He became a state service officer on his return to India in 1893. He worked as a professor at Baroda College.
• He also joined a revolutionary society and took a leading role in secret preparations for an uprising against the British Government in India.
• He was the first political leader in India to openly put forward, in his newspaper Bande Mataram, the idea of complete independence for the country.
• He was the first proponent of ‘Purna Swaraj’ more than 20 years before the Indian National Congress’ declaration in 1930.

Literary works: 

• He was also a journalist and his first philosophical magazine called Arya was published in 1914.
• Among his many writings are The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga and Savitri.
• Death: Aurobindo Ghose died on December 5, 1950.