Daily GK Update: 21st February 2024

 Honours & Awards

1. Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2024

• The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2024 was held in Mumbai.
• Best Actor: Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan)
• Best Actress: Nayanthara (Jawan)
• Best Director: Sandeep Reddy Vanga (Animal)
• Jawan hit the theatres last year in September and minted over ₹1000 crore at the worldwide box office.

 Important Dates

2. International Mother Language Day 2024: February 21

• Every year, International Mother Language Day is observed on February 21.
• The genesis of International Mother Language Day traces back not to India, but to Bangladesh, highlighting a pivotal movement in the history of linguistic rights.
• The theme for this year's International Mother Language Day is - Multilingual education – a pillar of learning and intergenerational learning.

 International Affairs

3. Relics of Lord Buddha from National Museum in New Delhi to be Displayed

• Relics of Lord Buddha presently kept in the National Museum in New Delhi will be taken to Thailand.
• They will be displayed in four cities including Bangkok and Krabi.
• The relics are being taken in a special IAF aircraft with an adequate number of security personnel.
• This is for the first time that the revered relics of Lord Buddha, along with those of his disciples, Arahata Sariputra and Arahata Maudgalayana, will be showcased together.

 International Affairs

4. Malta Becomes 119th Country to Join International Solar Alliance

• India has welcomed Malta as the 119th country to join the International Solar Alliance.
• Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ministry, Malta, Christopher Cutajar signed the ISA Framework Agreement in the presence of Head of Depository and Joint Secretary (Economic Diplomacy), Abhishek Singh in New Delhi.
• The International Solar Alliance is an alliance of more than 120 signatory countries.

 National Affairs

5. ICRISAT announces World’s first Pigeon Pea speed breeding protocol

• The Hyderabad-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has come up with an innovation in Pigeonpea breeding and announced the World’s first Pigeon pea speed breeding protocol.
• The new convention promises to substantially cut the time required to develop new Pigeonpea lines with desirable traits, effectively bringing food to dryland communities faster.

 National Affairs

6. Japan Commits 232.2 Billion Yen for Nine Development Projects in India

• The Government of Japan has committed an Official Development Assistance loan of an amount of about 232.2 billion Japanese Yen for nine projects in various sectors in India.
• The road network connectivity projects aim to improve infrastructure development in India’s North East region, while the Chennai peripheral ring road project aims to alleviate traffic congestion and strengthen connections to the southern part of the state.

 National Affairs

7. Seminar on Indian Defence Equipment - SIDE 2024 organised in Dhaka

• The High Commission of India in Bangladesh hosted a Seminar on Indian Defence Equipment - SIDE 2024 in Dhaka.
• The High Commissioner described SIDE 2024 as a reflection of Indian defence industry’s interest in partnering with Bangladesh and to taking India-Bangladesh defence cooperation forward to the next level, including by utilizing the Defence Line of Credit of US$500 million extended by Government of India to Government of Bangladesh.

 National Affairs

8. Centre clarifies, ban on export of onions to continue till 31st of March

• Centre has clarified that the ban on onion export will continue till 31st March.
• Earlier, the export of onion was put under prohibition from 8th December last year till 31st March this year to ensure availability of onion to the domestic consumers at affordable prices.
• Government took the decision taking into account delay in Kharif arrival.
• The quantity of onion exported and global situation such as trade and non-trade restrictions imposed by major suppliers.

 Honours & Awards

9. Shashi Tharoor conferred France’s highest civilian honour

• Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor was conferred France’s highest civilian honour, the Chevalier de la Legion d’ Honneur France, at an intimate ceremony in the French embassy in the national capital.
• Mr. Tharoor was awarded the honour in August 2022, but formal conferring took place yesterday.
• French democracy” as the land where “the people” first replaced “the king” as the nucleus of the nation.

 Sports

10. Indian Premier League is set to begin on March 22

• The much-anticipated Indian Premier League (17th edition) is set to begin on March 22.
• League chairman ArunDhumal said that only the schedule of the first 15 days will be announced at first.
• The roster for the remaining games will be decided after the announcement of the general election dates.
• The entire tournament will be held in India.
• As is the norm, the IPL opener will be played between the last year's finalists and runners-up Gujarat Titans.

 National Affairs

11. PM Modi to inaugurate 9th edition of Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 9th edition of the RAISINA Dialogue in Delhi.
• Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, will join the inaugural session as the Chief Guest, and deliver the keynote address. 
• The theme of this edition is "Chaturanga: Conflict, Contest, Cooperate, Create”.
• The three-day Raisina Dialogue will witness the participation of representatives from over 100 countries.

 Obituaries

12. Senior Supreme Court Lawyer Fali S Nariman Dies At 95

• Eminent jurist and veteran senior Supreme Court advocate Fali Nariman died at his Delhi.
• The noted jurist was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1991 and Padma Vibhusham in 2007.
• Fali Nariman started his practice as lawyer at the Bombay High Court and later moved to Delhi.
• He was appointed the Solicitor General of India in 1972.
• The veteran lawyer was also the President of the Bar Association from 1991 to 2010.