PM Modi To Flag Off Luxury Cruise MV Ganga Vilas' On January 13

PM Modi To Flag Off Luxury Cruise MV Ganga Vilas' On January 13

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Friday flag off the world's longest river cruise 'MV Ganga Vilas' from Varanasi, which will cover 3,200 kilometers across 27 river systems in five states in India and Bangladesh in 51 days.
• The cruise is planned with visits to 50 tourist spots, including World Heritage Sites, National Parks, river ghats, and major cities like Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh, and Guwahati in Assam.
• The cruise will begin its journey from the famous 'Ganga Aarti' in Varanasi and cover Sarnath, a place of great reverence for Buddhism; Mayong, known for its 'tantric' craft; and Majuli, the largest river island in the world and hub of Vaishnavite in Assam.
• The travellers will also visit the Bihar School of Yoga and Vikramshila University.
• CJI DY Chandrachud to be Conferred with “Award for Global Leadership”
• The Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession (HLS CLP) has announced Chief Justice of India Dr. DY Chandrachud as the 2022 recipient of its “Award for Global Leadership” in recognition of his lifetime service to the legal profession in India and across the world.
• The “Award for Global Leadership” is the Centre’s highest Professional Honor. The award will be presented to him in a virtual event on 11th January 2023.
• The Centre brings together leading academics, legal practitioners, and thought leaders to honor and recognize individuals whose achievements have been impactful to the legal profession.
• It has praised Justice Chandrachud’s contribution to issues such as the mental health and well-being of lawyers.

Nation celebrates 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas on 9th January 2023

• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas or NRI Day is formally observed on 9 January to celebrate the day when Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa to Mumbai, India. 
• The day is celebrated to acknowledge the contribution of the non-resident Indian community in helping in the development of the country.
• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2023 will be conducted in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, from 8–10 January 2023. It is important to note that this is the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas or NRI Day.
• The official theme of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2023 is “Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal.” The theme focuses on the importance of the Indian diaspora in the development of the country. 

Jaish affiliate PAFF declared a terrorist group

• THE PEOPLE’S Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), believed to be an affiliate of the Pakistani terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), was declared a terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• According to a notification issued by the MHA, the PAFF emerged in 2019 as a proxy outfit of JeM, a proscribed terrorist organization.
• The PAFF regularly issues threats to Indian security forces, political leaders, and civilians working in Jammu and Kashmir from other states. 
• The PAFF along with other organisations is involved in conspiring pro-actively physically and on social media to undertake violent terrorist acts in J&K and other major cities in India.

Navy signs contract for autonomous armed boat swarms

• The Indian Navy has signed an agreement with Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt. Ltd for armed autonomous boat swarms under ‘SPRINT’, an initiative to promote the development of niche defense technologies by domestic companies.
• This is the 50th contract under ‘SPRINT’, which aims at the development of 75 indigenous technologies by the industry for the Navy.
• Sagar Defence Engineering has the know-how to create the nation’s first armed autonomous unmanned boat with swarming capabilities.
• ‘SPRINT’ stands for Supporting Pole-vaulting In R&D through Innovations for Defence Excellence (IdeX), Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) and Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC). It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last July.