Current Affairs

TARANG SHAKTI

Why in the News?

India will host its first multinational air exercise Tarang Shakti 2024 in two phases in Sular, Tamil Nadu. Nearly 30 countries will participate and ten out of them will join the exercise with their fighter aircraft. It aims to showcase India’s defence capabilities and enhance cooperation among the participating militaries.

Participants

• Indian Aircrafts: Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) – TEJAS, Mirage 2000, and Rafale
• Foreign Aircrafts: Rafale from France, Typhoon from Germany, F-18 from Australia, F-16 from Greece, C-130J from Bangladesh

Indian Air Force (IAF)

• Founded: 8th October 1932
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Motto: Touch the sky with Glory (Bhagavad Gita - Ch11)
• Chief of the Air Staff: Vivek Ram Chaudhari
• It was established as an auxiliary arm of the Royal Air Force of Britain. This was stipulated by the Indian Air Force Act of 1932.
• The first aircraft flight came into being on 1st April 1933 when its first squadron of 4 Westland Wapiti airplanes was commissioned.
• It is the fourth largest in the world after the USA, China, and Russia.
• According to Article 53, President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
• The Chief of Air Staff, an air chief marshal, is responsible for the air force's operational command.
• Significant Operations
  • Operation Vijay (1961) - To liberate Goa, Daman, and Diu from Portuguese rule.
  • The Second Kashmir War (1965) - India and Pakistan fought over Kashmir which ended with the Tashkent Agreement.
  • The Bangladesh Liberation War (1971) - India supported East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in gaining independence from Pakistan.
  • Operation Poomalai (1987) - Indian humanitarian airdrop to Tamil civilians in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, during the civil war.
  • Operation Cactus (1988)- Intervention to thwart a coup in the Maldives and restore the government.
  • The Kargil War (1999) - India regained control of territories in Kargil infiltrated by Pakistani forces.
  • The Balakot airstrike (2019) - Indian airstrike on a terrorist training camp in Pakistan following the Pulwama attack.

Indian Air Force – Logo

INDIA AND VIETNAM

Why in the News?

India and Vietnam agreed to strengthen their defense cooperation to enhance stability in the Indo-Pacific region. They also pledged to intensify efforts to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, in response to China's assertive actions in the area.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnam Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chinh

About Indo-Pacific Region

• It is a term used to refer to the vast geographic area that encompasses the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, including the seas and straits that connect them.
• It is a region that spans from the eastern coast of Africa to the western coast of the Americas and from the Arctic to the Antarctic.
• It is also home to a diverse array of cultures and ecosystems, including coral reefs, tropical rainforests, and arid deserts.
• Significance
  • Geopolitical: It is home to some of the world's most populous and powerful nations including China, India, Japan, and the United States.
  • Economic growth: It contributes 65 % of the world's population, accounting for 63 % of the world's GDP.
  • Security challenges: Such as territorial disputes, piracy, terrorism, and nuclear proliferation.
  • Environmental concerns: Related to coral reefs, rainforests and biodiversity hotspots.
  • China’s rise and hegemony: China’s rapid economic and military growth has contributed to the shift in global focus towards the Indo-Pacific.

INDIA'S 3^rd MEDAL AT PARIS OLYMPICS 2024

Why in the News?

Swapnil Kusale won India's third medal at the Paris Olympics. The Indian shooter won a bronze in 50m rifle 3 Positions event. This is India's first medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event. This is also the first time that the Indian shooting contingent have won three medals in a single edition of any Olympics.

Swapnil Kusale

About Swapnil Kusale

• He is from Kambalwadi village in Kolhapur district, Maharashtra.
• In 2015, he won a gold medal in the 50m rifle prone 3 event in the junior category at the Asian Shooting Championships in Kuwait.
• He also triumphed at the 59th National Shooting Championship in Tughlakabad, surpassing Gagan Narang and Chain Singh in the 50m rifle prone event.
• Kusale repeated this success at the 61st National Championship in Thiruvananthapuram, winning a gold medal in the 50m rifle 3 position events.

General Knowledge

PINGALI VENKAYYA

• Birth: 2^nd August 1876
• Death: 4th July 1963
• Other Name: Jhanda Venkaiah
• Renowned: Designer of the Indian National Tricolour
• He was born in a Telugu Brahmin family at Bhatlapenumarru near Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
• He was an Indian freedom fighter and a Gandhian and it was upon the request of Mahatma Gandhi that he designed the Indian National Flag with saffron, white and green colours with chakra in the middle.
• A postage stamp was issued to commemorate him in 2009 and in 2011 it was proposed that he be posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna.
• He wrote a book titled National Flag for India in 1916.

PINGALI VENKAYYA

Indian National Flag

• History
  • Arguably the first national flag of India is said to have been hoisted on 7th August 1906 in Kolkata at the Parsee Bagan Square (Green Park).
  • The second Indian flag was raised by Madame Bhikaji Cama in Paris in 1907. She became the first person to hoist the Indian flag in foreign land.
  • In 1917, Dr Annie Besant and Lokmanya Tilak adopted a new flag as part of the Home Rule Movement.
    • It had five alternate red and four green horizontal stripes, and seven stars in the saptarishi configuration.
    • A white crescent and star occupied one top corner, and the other had Union Jack.
  • In 1921, at the Bezwada session of the All India Congress Committee, Pingali Venkayya designed a flag with red and green colors representing Hindus and Muslims.
    • Gandhi suggested adding a white stripe for the remaining communities of India and a spinning wheel to symbolize the country's development.
  • In 1931 a resolution was approved accepting a tricolor flag as our National Flag.
    • This flag had three stripes- saffron, white and green with spinning wheel of Mahatma Gandhi in the middle.
  • In1947, the Constituent Assembly embraced the Indian flag with three trips and Asoka chakra in the middle.
    • Consequently, the tricolor flag of the Congress Party ultimately became the tricolor flag of Independent India.

Evolution of Indian Flag

• Details of National Flag
  • Saffron on top symbolises strength and courage, white in the middle represents peace and truth and green at the bottom stands for fertility, growth and auspiciousness of the land.
  • The Ashok Chakra with 24 spokes replaced the spinning wheel as the emblem on the flag. It is intended to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation.
  • The National Flag should be rectangular with a length to width ratio of 3:2.
• Constitutional and Legal Aspect
  • Part IV-A of the Constitution (which consists of only one Article 51-A) specifies the eleven Fundamental Duties.
  • According to Article 51A (a) - It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem.
  • A person who is convicted for the following offences under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act of 1971 is disqualified to contest in the elections to the Parliament and state legislature for 6 years.
    • Offence of insulting the National Flag,
    • Offence of insulting the Constitution of India,
    • Offence of preventing the singing of the National Anthem.