March Week 22March To 28March 1 of Madhya Pradesh in Khajuraho, Madhya Arts and Culture Pradesh on March 25, 2021. ‘Chhatrasal Convention Centre’ was also Moitree: launched at Khajuraho which has been developed under Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism. The event will mark Keynote sessions and Panel discussions on Responsible Tourism, Iconic Destination and India as a MICE Destination industry experts and senior Government officials. MICE Roadshow- Meet in India: On the occasion of the birth centenary of the ❖ MICE Roadshow-Meet in India will founding father of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur be organised at Chhatrasal Convention Rahman, renowned vocalist Pandit Ajoy Centre, Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh Chakrabarty has composed a new Raag named from March 25 to March 27, 2021. ‘Moitree’ as a tribute to the Bangabandhu. ❖ This event is being organized with the • The new Raag is dedicated to Banga- objective of promoting India as MICE bandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with Destination (Meetings, Incentives, elements of ‘maitree’ or India Bangla- Conferences and Exhibitions). desh friendship. ❖ It is being organized by Ministry of • It is a newly composed Raag incorpo- Tourism in association with Madhya rating the classical rules for the com- Pradesh Tourism and India Conven- position of Raag. tion Promotion Bureau. • Three compositions will be presented ❖ This event is an effort under Aatma- which are written in Sanskrit, Hindi nirbhar Bharat to realize MICE poten- and Bengali languages tial of India. ❖ It provides an opportunity to focus on Government’s initiatives for develop- 'MICE Roadshow – Meet in India'; ing India as MICE destination. ‘Meet Chhatrasal Convention Centre: in India’ is the distinct sub-brand un- der ‘Incredible India’ in achieving the objective of event. Significance of the Event: ❖ The event will deliberate a draft Mas- ter Plan which was prepared by Minis- try of Tourism to develop Khajuraho as Iconic Destination. “MICE Roadshow Meet in India” Brand and ❖ Several hard and soft interventions Roadmap for Promotion of India as MICE have been proposed to develop Khaju- raho. Destination were launched by Chief Minister www.civilserviceindia.com 2 ❖ This event will provide a huge boost The winners of the 67th National Film Awards to Khajuraho as an iconic tourist des- are listed below: tination. ❖ It will help in promoting MICE poten- ❖ Most film-friendly state award was tial of Khajuraho. given to Sikkim ❖ Development of Iconic Tourist Desti- ❖ Best Book on Cinema award was giv- nations Scheme: en to “A Gandhian Affair: India’s Cu- ❖ This central sector scheme has been rious Portrayal of Love in Cinema” by framed by Ministry of Tourism to de- Sanjay Suri. velop nineteen identified iconic desti- ❖ Best Film Critic was given to Sohini nations across country in a holistic Chattopadhyay. manner. ❖ In the non-features film category, the ❖ Identified tourist destinations will be Best Narration award was given to developed as iconic destinations under Wild Karnataka by Sir David Atten- the scheme. borough ❖ Some of the identified destinations are ❖ Best Editing award was given to‘Shut Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Ajanta Up Sona’ by Arjun Gourisaria. Caves, Ellora Caves, Humayun’s ❖ Best Audiography was conferred to Tomb, Red Fort and Qutub Minar, Radha (Musical), Allwin Rego and Colva Beach, Amer Fort, Somnath, Sanjay Maurya. Dholavira, Statue of Unity, Khajuraho, ❖ Best On-Location Sound Recordist Hampi, Mahabalipuram, Kaziranga, award was conferred to Rahas (Hindi) Kumarakom, Konark and Mahabodhi by Saptarshi Sarkar. Temple. ❖ Best Cinematography award was giv- en to Sonsi by Savita Singh. 67th National Film Awards: ❖ Best Direction award was given to Knock Knock Knock (Eng- lish/Bengali) by Sudhanshu Saria. ❖ Best Short Fiction Film award was given to Custody. ❖ Special Jury Award was given to Small Scale Societies. ❖ Best Animation Film award was given to Radha (Musical). The Jury for the 67th National Film Awards 66th National Film Award announced the winners for the year 2019. The announcement of the awards was delayed by The National Film Awards celebrate the almost a year because of the pandemic. excellence in films. The ceremony is organised every year. In the year 2019, 66th National In the year 2021, there were a total of 461 Film Awards were organized. In the 66th films in the Feature Film category and 220 edition, Uri: The Surgical Strike movie had films in the Non-Feature Film category. The won four awards. entries were from the 13 states in the most film-friendly states. Highlights: Winner List: ❖ The National Film Awards ceremony is organized on May 3 every year. www.civilserviceindia.com 3 ❖ However, the ceremony was not or- The Opposition in Bihar has called a ganised in the year 2020. statewide bandh on March 26 to protest the ❖ The winners were finally announced Bihar Special Armed Police Bill, 2021 bill by on March 22 during a press conference the Bihar Assembly. at the National Media Centre in New Delhi. Highlights: About National Film Awards: • The bill aims to develop the Bihar Military Police into a well-trained and ❖ Established in 1954, National Film fully equipped armed police force with Awards has been administered by the multi-domain expertise to cater to the Indian government's Directorate of development needs and the larger in- Film Festivals since 1973. terest of the state. • Currently, the Bihar Military Police is Books and Authors: entrusted with the security of the Ma- habodhi Temple in Gaya, the Dar- bhanga airport, and other industrial and commercial establishments. • The new Bill renames the Bihar Mili- tary Police as the Bihar Special Armed Police, and gives the force more teeth, on the lines of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), so it can better secure the commercial and industrial Hamnet: Maggie O’Farrell’s “Hamnet,” an assets of the state. imagined take on the death of Shakespeare’s • Mandate of the force will be the son from the bubonic plague, has won the “maintenance of public order, combat- National Book Critics Circle prize for fiction ing extremism, ensuring the better pro- in US. Tom Zoellner’s “Island on Fire: tection and security of specified estab- lishments in such manner as may be The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British notified and perform such other duties, Empire” won for nonfiction. as may be notified.” • It empowers Special Armed Police of- Defence ficers to carry out searches and arrests without warrant, and courts being able National to take cognizance of certain offences Bihar Special Armed Police Bill, 2021 by the officers only after government sanction. • The mahagathbandhan in Bihar has 50 New Kendriya called the Bill “draconian”. Vidyalaya to be setup Indo-Korean Friendship Park: through the country The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Primewww.civilserviceindia.com Minister Narendra Modi has approved the setting up of 50 new 4 Indian Coast Guard Ship INS Vajra was recently commissioned to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) by Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, at Kattupalli in Chennai. About INS Vajra: • INS Vajra is sixth in series of seven India’s First Indo-Korean Friendship Park was Offshore Patrol Vessel. recently inaugurated at Delhi Cantonment on • It was constructed by M/s Larsen & 26 March 2021. Toubro Ltd at Kattupalli. • It is a 98-meter ship and is fitted with Key Points: state-of-the-art Navigation & Com- • The Park was jointly inaugurated by munication Equipment, machinery and Mr Suh Wook, Minister of National Sensors. Defence, Republic of Korea and • It has been designed to carry one twin- Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh. engine helicopter and four high speed • It is in Delhi Cantonment. boats. • The park's significance is not only be- • It also carries two Rigid Hull Inflata- cause of it being a symbol of strong ble Boats for swift Boarding Opera- India-South Korea friendly relations, tions. but also as a monument to India’s con- • Vajra will be commanded by Deputy tributions as part of 21 countries Inspector General Alex Thomas and is which participated in Korean war based at Tuticorin under the Opera- 1950-53, under the aegis of the United tional and Administrative Control of Nations. Coast Guard District (Tuticorin). • The park has been developed in joint Significance of INS Vajra: consultation with Ministry of Defence (MoD), Government of India (GoI), • INS Vajra can be used in Search & Indian Army, Delhi Cantonment Rescue operations, Law Enforcement Board, Embassy of Korea and Korean and Maritime Patrol. War Veterans Association of India. • The ship is also capable of carrying • One of the pillars in the park encom- Pollution Response Equipment for oil passes Nobel Laureate Gurudev spill response at Sea. Rabindranath Tagore’s narration of • It will be deployed to conduct surveil- Korea as “The Lamp of the East” lance in exclusive economic zones of which was published in Korean daily Indian Coastal region. “Dong-A-llbo” in 1929. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): INS Vajra: • EEZ is prescribed by United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982. • It is an area of sea in which sovereign state enjoys special or ‘sovereign’ rights of exploring & using marine re- www.civilserviceindia.com 5 sources and producing energy from • All companies will now have to dis- water & wind. close the following in their statutory • EEZ stretches from baseline to 200 financial filings to the RoC: nautical miles (nmi) from the coast of • Any profit or loss on transactions in- the state. volving cryptocurrency, • It is also called as maritime continen- • The amount of cryptocurrency held on tal margin. the reporting date, and • It does not include territorial sea or • Any deposits or advances received continental shelf beyond 200 nmi. from anyone for the purpose of invest- • United Nations Convention on the ing in crypto currencies or virtual cur- Law of the Sea (UNCLOS): rencies.