OCTOBER 2020 TEACHER REFERENCE PRESENTATION CLASS 7 onwards TABLE OF CONTENTS OCTOBER 2020 CLASS 7 onwards Pick of the Month Gap Profiles Global Updates ❖ Indian Air Force ❖ Pranab Mukherjee ❖ Fastest Human calculator ❖ Joe Ruby no more Discover India Around the World ❖ S. S. Kalpana Chawla ❖ Cheraw Dance ❖ Petra Snippets ❖ Discovery of star galaxy Born This Month Gappenings ❖ 2020 International Booker Prize ❖ 2020 US Open Indian Air Force Pick of the Month The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air wing of the Armed Forces of India. Also known as ‘Bharatiya Vayu Sena’, the IAF is among the largest air forces in the world. Its motto is ‘Touch the Sky with Glory’. The headquarters of the Indian Air Force is located in New Delhi. The Chief of Air Staff, an Air Chief Marshal, commands the Indian Air Force. Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria is the current Chief of the Air Staff. IAF Flag The IAF flag is blue in colour, containing the Indian National Flag in the first quadrant and a roundel, consisting of the colours of the Indian National Flag. A roundel is a circular logo on the Indian Air Force planes and flag. Indian Air Force Pick of the Month Brief History of IAF The Indian Air Force was officially established on 8 October, 1932, during the British rule in India. King George VI conferred the prefix ‘Royal’, in 1945. Thereafter, the IAF was referred to as the Royal Indian Air Force. However, when India became Republic in 1950, the prefix ‘Royal’ was removed. IAF’s Role The IAF, which is one of the most powerful armed forces in the world, has gone through extreme modernisation and expansion over the decades. The IAF has fought numerous wars shielding India against its neighbours and safeguarding the country and its people from all threats, along with the support of the other branches of the armed forces, the Indian Army and the Indian Navy. The IAF’s key role is to keep the Indian aerospace resistant to attacks and manage aerial warfare during conflict. Indian Air Force Pick of the Month IAF role during natural disasters The Indian Air Force plays a pivotal role during natural calamities like earthquakes, floods, etc. Their duties include evacuation by airlifting, search and rescue operations and airdropping relief supplies such as food and medicines. IAF’s Fleet The IAF aircraft fleet consists of combat aircraft, transport carriers and choppers. Some of the current fighter aircraft are Sukhoi 30MKI, Mirage 2000, Jaguar, LCA Tejas, MiG-21, and MiG-27, to name a few. The IAF formally inducted the Rafale jets, produced by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, in September 2020. The Rafale jets, known for their precision strikes, are India’s first major acquisition of fighter planes in over 2 decades after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia. The Rafale jet is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons. Indian Air Force Pick of the Month IAF’s Aerobatic teams The ‘Surya Kiran’ (meaning ‘Sun Rays’) is an aerobatics demonstration team of the IAF, that is known for its dazzling and thrilling air formations. The ‘Sarang’ meaning ‘peacock’, is the helicopter display team of the IAF. Did You Know: Indian Air Force ❖ Indian Air Force Day is observed on 8 October, annually. It is celebrated at various airbases across India and showcases air display by various aircrafts during the Air Force Day Parade. ❖ Its motto, ‘Nabham Sparsham Deeptam’ has been taken from the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, the discourse given by Lord Krishna to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, during the Great War of Mahabharata. ❖ The IAF’s ‘Operation Rahat’, was a rescue operation mission to evacuate civilians affected by the 2013 North India floods. It is believed to be the biggest civilian rescue operation in the world carried out by any air force using helicopters. ❖ Apart from conflicts, the IAF has been an active participant in United Nations Peacekeeping missions. ❖ The IAF has a base in Tajikistan named Farkhor Air Base. This is IAF’s first air base outside India. ❖ The ‘Marshal of the Indian Air Force’ is the highest achievable rank in the IAF and is conferred as an honorary recognition. ❖ The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Air Force. Indian Air Force Pick of the Month What is the ‘Garud Commando Force’ of the Indian Air Force? The ‘Garud Commando Force’, also known as ‘Garud’, is a special forces unit of the You could start the topic by Indian Air Force. Founded in 2004, it has asking students to name the the longest training course among all the branches of the Indian Armed other Indian special forces. The Garud Forces and then divert the topic to the Indian Air Force that was personnels are trained to protect airfields formed on 8 October 1932. from enemy and terrorist attacks, carry out hostage rescue operations, providing Highlight on some points about aid during natural calamities and special the IAF such as its role, the military operations. The unit derives its current chief, the fighter name from ‘Garuda’, a divine bird-like aircrafts and so on. creature from Hindu Mythology. Pranab Mukherjee Gap Profiles Pranab Mukherjee was one of India’s renowned parliamentarians, who served as the country’s President. Early Life Pranab Mukherjee was born in 1935, in a village in West Bengal. His father was a freedom fighter and active in politics. As a child, Pranab Mukherjee preferred outdoor games to being confined in a classroom. He spent his childhood in the village playing games, climbing trees, or running along with grazing herds of cows. In 1946, however, he was enrolled at the Kirnahar Shib Chandra High English School in Class V, which was 2.5 km from his house. He had to walk barefoot, and during the monsoon swim across an overflowing river, to reach school. He completed his master’s in political science and history from the University of Calcutta (now Kolkata). He also earned a degree in law from the same university. He eventually followed in his father’s footsteps and ventured into politics. Pranab Mukherjee Gap Profiles Political Career He ventured into politics in 1969, when he became a member of the Rajya Sabha. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi recognised his potential and helped him join her party, the Indian National Congress (INC). He got his first ministerial post in Indira Gandhi’s cabinet, in 1973. This marked the beginning of a fruitful career. As a senior leader of the INC, he served on various ministerial posts. He has the rare distinction of having served as foreign, defence, commerce, and finance minister at different times over his long and illustrious political career. As a President Mukherjee took over as the country’s 13th President on 25 July 2012. As the head of the state, he launched many initiatives and programmes. He was among the sharpest minds in his field, with an understanding of politics, economic policies as well as strategic issues. Pranab Mukherjee Gap Profiles He was instrumental in spearheading critical decisions on a range of issues such as administrative reforms, Right to Information, Right to Employment, Food Security, energy security, Information Technology and telecommunication, to name a few. At the end of the 5-year tenure as President, in 2017, he did not run for re- elections. He ended a spectacular political career spanning over 5 decades with the post of President of India. Laurels He was bestowed with several prestigious honours including the Bharat Ratna, in 2019. In 2008, he was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award of India. He was named ‘Finance Minister of the Year for Asia’ by ‘Emerging Markets’, the daily newspaper of record for the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in 2010. He was also bestowed with several honours from foreign countries including Bangladesh's second highest award for his valuable contribution to the country's liberation war, in 1971. Death The veteran leader died in August 2020 after being ill for a long period of time. He was aged 84. Pranab Mukherjee Gap Profiles Did You Know ❖ During his years in politics, Pranab Mukherjee was affectionately called ‘Pranab Da’. ❖ As a child, he was lovingly called ‘Poltu’ by family and friends. ❖ He worked as a teacher, a journalist, and a lawyer before joining politics. As an Assistant Professor of Political Science, he joined Vidyanagar College, Kolkata in 1963. And as a journalist, he also worked for Desher Dak (Call for Motherland). ❖ He was a powerful orator and an excellent negotiator. His sharp memory, quick wit and persuasive skills were widely respected. ❖ During his tenure as a President, the Rashtrapati Bhavan opened to the public as a tourist destination. ❖ He had the habit of writing diaries. He wrote it from the time he entered politics till the last days of his life. ❖ Other than politics, he was interested in reading, gardening, and listening to music-especially Rabindra Sangeet. ❖ He was awarded several honorary doctorates by various universities of the world. ❖ He did away with the colonial era words like ‘His Excellency’ used for addressing the President. ❖ He became the first Indian president to teach school children inside the Rashtrapati Bhavan. ❖ Av avid reader, he has also authored several books. Some of them are ‘The Turbulent Years’, ‘The Coalition Years’, and ‘Saga of Struggle and Sacrifice’, to name a few. Pranab Mukherjee Gap Profiles What number was believed to be lucky to former President of India, Pranab Mukherjee? Use this story to educate Former President Pranab Mukherjee the kids on some interesting believed the number ‘13’ to be lucky for him.