Today’s Highlights: Sri Ramanuja, Beating Retreat Function,Sela Pass Tunnel, Chakmas and Hajongs

Thought for the Day “Weaknesses are just strengths in the wrong environment.”

Today in History (01.03.2022) Ø World Civil Defence Day & Zero Discrimination Day Ø 1640: Britain got permission to open a trade center in Madras. Ø 1872: Yellowstone National Park, the world’s first national park,was established. Ø 1893: Nikola Tesla demonstrated the first radio. Ø 1907: Establishment of the Tata Iron and Steel Company at Jamshedpur. Ø1919: Mahatma Gandhi announced to launch Satyagraha against Rowlatt Act. Ø 1924, 1 March: Gopinath Saha was hanged in Alipore Central jail. Ø 1927: Ratnagiri Gandhiji met Savarkar and discussed it. Ø 1947: The International Monetary Fund began its operations. Ø 1948: Established of the Guwahati High Court. Ø1998: South Indian singer M. S. Subbalakshmi was awarded the Bharat Ratna.

Birth Anniversaries: Ø 1683: Tsangyang Gyatso, the 6th Dalai Lama. Ø 1955: S. D. Shibulal, Co-founder of the Infosys. Ø1983: Mary Kom, an Indian amateur boxer.

Death Anniversaries: Ø 1994: Manmohan Desai, a veteran Indian film producer, and director. Ø 2011: Fateh Singh Rathore, an Indian tiger conservationist.

Today in History (02.03.2022) Ø 1919: The first meetingof the International Marxist Partytook place in Moscow. Ø 1952: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated a fertilizer factory at Sindri. Ø1956: Morocco gained independence from France. Ø 1992: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, San Marino, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan joined the United Nations.

Birth Anniversaries: Ø1902: Surya Narayan Vyas, an Indian astrologer, and diviner from Ujjain. Ø 1931: Mikhail Gorbachev, a Russian and former Soviet politician. The eighth and last leader of the Soviet Union. Ø 1933: Anandji Virji Shah, an Indian music director. Together with his brother, he formed the Kalyanji-Anandji duo.

Death Anniversaries: Ø1546: Mirabai, a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet, and devotee of Lord Krishna. Ø1700: Rajaram Bhosle I, the younger son of Maratha ruler Shivaji. Ø1949: Sarojini Naidu, an Indian political activist, and poet.

Build a Better Vocabulary 1. DEFY (VERB): (अवज्ञा करना): disobey Synonyms: go against, flout Antonyms: obey Example Sentence: A woman who defies convention is considered amoral. 2. UNDERMINE (VERB): (क्षीण करना): subvert Synonyms: sabotage, threaten Antonyms: enhance Example Sentence: Your mistakes could undermine years of your hard work. 3. DISQUIET (NOUN): (बेचैनी): unease Synonyms: uneasiness worry Antonyms: calm Example Sentence: There is disquiet in public about elections. 4. IMPLICATION (NOUN): (नननितार्थ): suggestion Synonyms: inference, insinuation Antonyms: explicit statement Example Sentence: The implication is that no one person at the bank is responsible. 5. DISPARATE (ADJECTIVE): (असमान): contrasting Synonyms: different, differing Antonyms: homogeneous Example Sentence: They inhabit disparate worlds of thought.

Current Affairs · China’s Long March-8 Rocket Launches 22 Satellites Into Space · Prof Deepak Dhar Became The First Indian Selected For BoltzmannMedal · Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s Autobiography “Ungalil Oruvan” Launched · 31st Southeast Asian Games To Be Held In Vietnam · World Civil Defence Day Observed On 1st March 2022 · First ‘Smart Managed EV Charging Station’ Commissioned ByBSES · Bank Of Maharashtra Launches “Project Banksakhi” In Odisha · Google Starts ‘Play Pass’ Subscription In India · Quantum Key Distribution Tech Tested By DRDO Successfully Between Vindhyachal & Prayagraj

Knowledge Update

Sri Ramanuja Ramanuja or Ramanujacharya (1017–1137 CE) was a philosopher, Hindu theologian, socialreformer, and one of the most important exponents of Sri Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism. · His philosophical foundations for devotionalism were influential to the Bhaktimovement. His works · Ramanuja’s philosophical foundation was qualified monism and is called Vishishtadvaita in the Hindu tradition. · His ideas are one of three subschools in Vedanta, the other two are known as Adi Shankara’s Advaita (absolute monism) and Madhvacharya’s Dvaita(dualism) · Important writingsinclude: 1. Vedarthasangraha (literally, “Summary of the Vedas meaning”), 2. Sri Bhashya (a review and commentary on the Brahma Sutras), 3. Bhagavad Gita Bhashya (a review and commentary on the Bhagavad Gita), and · The minor works titled Vedantapida, Vedantasara, Gadya Trayam (which is a compilation of three texts called the Saranagati Gadyam, Sriranga Gadyam and the Srivaikunta Gadyam), and Nitya Grantham.

Statue of Equality · The ‘Statue of Equality’, as it is called, is being installedto mark the 1,000th birth anniversary of Sri Ramanuja. · It was built of panchaloha, a combination of gold, silver,copper, brass and zinc, by the Aerospun Corporation in China and shipped toIndia. · It is the second largest in the world in sitting position of the saint. · The monument will be surrounded by 108 “Divya Desams” of Sri Vaishnavite tradition (model temples) like Tirumala, Srirangam, Kanchi, Ahobhilam, Badrinath, Muktinath, Ayodhya, Brindavan, Kumbakonam and others. · The idols of deities and structures were constructed in the shape at the existing temples.

Beating Retreat function · ‘Beating Retreat’ marks a centuries old military tradition, when the troops ceased fighting, sheathed their arms and withdrew from the battlefield and returned to the camps at sunset at the sounding of the Retreat. · The military tradition began in 17th century England, when King James II ordered his troopsto beat drums, lower flags and organisea parade to announce the end of a day ofcombat. · The ceremony was then called ‘watch setting’ and took place at sunset after firing a single round from the evening gun. · The ceremony is currently held by Armed Forces in the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and India, among others. How did it begin in India? · Beating the Retreat’ has emerged as an event of national pride when the Colours and Standards are paraded. · The ceremony traces its origins to the early 1950s when Major Roberts of the Indian Army indigenously developed the unique ceremony of display by the massed bands. · Section D (Ceremonials) at the Ministry of Defence conducts the event. · The ceremony consists of musical performances by the bands, who each year play Indian and westerntunes. Sela Pass Tunnel Project · The tunnel covers a total distance of 12.04 kms which consist of two tunnels of 1790 metres and 475 meters. · It is being built at an estimated cost of ₹687 crores by the Border Roads Organisation. · It aims to provide all weather connectivity to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh — an area claimed entirely by China — and other forward areas. · Once built it will cut travel time to Tawang by at least an hour for Indian troops stationed in adjoining Assam’s Tezpur town — the headquarters of the Indian army’s IV Corps.

Strategic Importance

· The lack of motorable roads and rail connections in India’s northeast and Arunachal Pradesh in particular were seen as distinct disadvantages for India vis a vis China in the region.

· Analysts had been warning of China buildinginfrastructure including accessroads right up to the Indian border that would give it a strategic advantage in any conflict with India.

· Once completed this would result in all-weather connectivity to Tawang and forward areas and reduction in more than one hour of travelling time from Tezpur to Tawang.

Chakmas and Hajongs

· The Chakmas and Hajongsof Arunachal Pradeshare migrants from the Chittagong Hill Tracts of erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.

· Displaced by the Kaptai dam on the Karnaphuli Riverin the 1960s, they sought asylum in India.

· They settled in relief camps in the southern and south-eastern parts of Arunachal Pradesh from 1964 to 1969.

· A majority of them live in the Changlang district of the State today.

· Mizoram and Tripura have a sizeable population of the Buddhist Chakmas while the Hindu Hajongs mostly inhabit the Garo Hills of Meghalaya and adjoining areas of Assam.

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