Rapid Fire Current Affairs

Bal Gangadhar Tilak Birth Anniversary

Recently, the Prime Minister of India has paid tributes to Bal Gangadhar Tilak on his Jayanti on 23rd July,2023.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, born on 23rd July 1856, was a freedom fighter, lawyer, and educationist known as Lokmanya Tilak.
Founder of the Deccan Education Society in 1884, he also established the Fergusson College in 1885.
Tilak emphasized the need for self-rule or swarajya and popularized the slogan "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!"
Tilak joined the Indian National Congress in 1890 and played a significant role in the Surat Split in 1907, advocating complete independence or swarajya.
He propagated the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement to promote Indian self-reliance.
Tilak founded the All-India Home Rule League in April 1916, aiming for Hindu-Muslim unity through the Lucknow Pact in 1916.
Known for his newspapers Kesari (Marathi) and Mahratta (English) and authored books like Gita Rhasya and Arctic Home of the Vedas.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak passed away on 1st August 1920, leaving behind a significant contribution to India's freedom movement.

Pratihara Ruler Mihir Bhoja

A controversy surrounding the unveiling of a statue of Samrat Mihir Bhoj, a 9^th-century ruler, in Kaithal district, Haryana, has led to a significant boycott by the Rajput community.

Mihir Bhoja or Bhoja I (836 - 885 CE) is the greatest ruler of the Pratihara Dynasty.
Mihir Bhoj had made Kannauj his capital. He was a devotee of Vishnu, so in honor of Vishnu, he had assumed titles like Varaha and Prabhas.
The achievements of Mihir Bhoj have been described in his Gwalior Prashasti inscription.

Read more: Pratihara Ruler Mihira Bhoj

The Cannabis Medicine Project

Government of India recently announced the Cannabis Medicine Project. This research project, undertaken by CSIR-IIIM Jammu, is the first of its kind in India, and it represents a collaboration between the Indian government and a Canadian firm.
- It aims to explore the medicinal potential of cannabis, benefiting patients with neuropathies, cancer, and epilepsy.
Besides the therapeutic implications, the project will also boost investment in Jammu and Kashmir, creating a positive impact on the region's economy.

Read More: Neuropathies, Cancer, Epilepsy

Chandra Shekhar Azad

On July 23^rd, we commemorate the birth anniversary of Chandra Shekhar Azad, an iconic and fearless freedom fighter of India.
Born in Bhabhra village (now in Alirajpur District of Madhya Pradesh) in 1906, Azad joined Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation movement at a young age of 15 and adopted the name "Azad" as a symbol of his defiance against British rule.
He became a prominent member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), a revolutionary group dedicated to armed struggle against the colonial government.
- Azad was also involved in daring acts of resistance, including the Kakori train robbery.
Known for his organizational skills and mastery of disguise, he pledged to never be captured alive. Tragically, he lost his life on February 27, 1931, in a fierce gunfight with the police.