Rapid Fire Current Affairs | 07 Jan 2023

India and U.N. Peacekeeping Mission

India will deploy an all-woman platoon of peacekeepers as part of a battalion to the United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei (on the border between South Sudan and Sudan).

This will be India’s largest single unit of women peacekeepers in a U.N. mission since the deployment of the first-ever all-women’s contingent in Liberia in 2007.

India is one of the largest troop-contributing nations to the U.N. peacekeeping missions.

Read More: U.N. Peacekeeping Mission

Rajasthan’s ‘Tree Teacher’

A primary school teacher in Rajasthan’s Barmer district has achieved a record in the family forestry campaign by planting four lakh trees and connecting 1.2 lakh people with his drive during the last 24 years.

Fondly called a “tree teacher”, Bheraram Bhakhar works to prevent desertification in western Rajasthan through his diligent work. Harit Pranam (green salutation) introduced by the environmentalist-teacher has become popular among the people for greetings.

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Global South Summit

India will host a special virtual summit, the Voice of Global South summit, on January 12 and 13.

The summit under the theme ‘Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose’ envisages bringing together countries of the Global South to share their perspectives and priorities on a common platform. More than 120 countries are being invited to participate in this Summit.

Global South refers to the developing and the less-developed countries of the world. India’s ongoing Presidency of the G20 provides a special and strong opportunity for those countries that are not part of the G20 process to share their ideas and expectations from the G20.

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World's First Palm-leaf Manuscript Museum

Recently, Asia's first Palm leaf Manuscript Museum was inaugurated in Kerala.

The Museum is a repository of the administrative, socio-cultural and economic facets of the Travancore kingdom spanning a period of 650 years (till the end of 19th century). It has 187 manuscripts one of which accounts for the famous Battle of Colachel (1741) wherein the Travancore king defeated the Dutch East India Company at Colachel (TN).

The museum has eight galleries representing many segments: 'History of Writing', 'Land and people', 'Administration', 'War and peace', 'Education and Health', 'Economy', 'Art and culture' and 'Mathilakam Records'.