Daily Current Affairs 08 October 2023 – IAS Current Affairs
Current Affairs 08 October 2023 focuses on the Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :
6th India-Ethiopia Joint Trade Committee
Source: PIB
GS II: International Relation
Overview
- News in Brief
- How it helps
Why in the News?
6th Session of the India-Ethiopia Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 6-7 November 2023.
News in Brief
- The Economic Advisor, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, and the Lead Executive of the International and Regional Trade Integration, Ministry of Trade & Regional Integration, Ethiopia, co-chaired the meeting.
- The Ambassador of India to Ethiopia and senior officials from both sides also participated in the JTC.
What are the outcomes of the meeting?
- Both sides agreed to expeditiously address all issues impeding bilateral trade and facilitate trade promotion between the two countries.
- The Indian side invited the Ethiopian side to collaborate on the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) of India with Ethswitch of Ethiopia.
- Further, the Indian side also urged Ethiopia to explore the possibility of settlement of trade transactions in local currency which will help boost bilateral trade and conserve foreign exchange.
- The deliberations of the 6th Sessions of India-Ethiopia JTC were cordial and forward-looking, reflecting the traditionally friendly and special relations between the two countries.
- Both sides identified several areas of focus for enhancing both bilateral trade as well as mutually beneficial investments.
- These include health and pharmaceuticals, automobiles, textiles, infrastructure projects, food and agro-processing and so on.
- Both sides also reviewed the progress of ongoing discussions for Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) in the field of Standardization and quality assurance and Customs procedure and agreed to conclude them expeditiously.
- The Indian side also requested the Ethiopian side to expedite the early finalization of the Bilateral Investment Treaty.
About the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
- Fastest growing economies in the African region.
- It has an estimated growth of 6.4% in the year 2021-22.
- Bilateral trade between India and Ethiopia stood at USD 642.59 million in 2022-23.
- India is the second largest exporter to Ethiopia.
- Indian companies are among the top three foreign investors in Ethiopia with existing Indian investment of USD 5 billion of which, about USD 3-4 billion is estimated to be on the ground.
- Indian companies have invested in various sectors like agriculture and floriculture, engineering, plastics, manufacturing, cotton and textiles, water management, pharmaceuticals and healthcare.
Bordering Countries
- Eritrea to the north
- Djibouti to the northeast
- Somalia to the east and southeast
- Kenya to the south
- South Sudan to the west
- Sudan to the northwest
UNESCO Declares Gwalior City Of Music
Source: PIB
GS II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate
Overview
- News in Brief
- Gwalior City of Music
Why in the News?
Recently, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, was granted membership in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network, specifically being designated as the City of Music.
News in Brief
- This acknowledgement highlights Gwalior’s steadfast dedication to utilizing creativity and culture.
- In addition, Kozhikode in Kerala was recognized as the City of Literature.
Gwalior City of Music
- Gwalior has a long and illustrious history in Indian music, closely linked to royal patronage. Because many of the city’s leaders were also musicians, they helped create an atmosphere supporting the arts.
- Remarkably, Raja Man Singh Tomar fostered the growth of the Gwalior Gharana, the earliest Hindustani classical music group, during the 15th century.
- Man Singh was a king who loved music and is credited with creating the traditional form of dhrupad and popularizing Indian music by substituting songs in basic Hindi for Sanskrit melodies.
- Renowned artists like Bade Inayat Hussain Khan, Vasudeva Buwa Joshi, and Balakrishnabuwa Ichalkaranjikar are descended from Gwalior.
Gwalior Gharana
- Before dividing Hindustani classical music into different gharanas, Gwalior became the first legitimate gharana during the Mughal era.
- With early ustads like Naththan Khan and Naththan Pir Baksh, the Gwalior gharana was crucial in developing khayal singing, which included aspects of qawwali.
- Persian terms were included in compositions, and artists such as Ustad Naththan Pir Baksh, who established the systematic method of presenting a raga called khayal, contributed to the gharana’s continued impact.
- Gwalior’s protégé Mian Tansen developed the Gwalior gharana style while studying under Muhammad Ghous and Swami Haridas.
- He gained prominence in King Ram Chandra Singh of Rewa’s court and, later, in Akbar’s court due to his musical prowess.
- Tansen’s impact grew, and via the influential Gwalior-based musician Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan, the Bangash Gharana was founded.
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