UN Public Service Day 2023

• On 20 December 2002, the General Assembly designated 23 June as Public Service Day.
• As part of efforts to emphasize the significance of public service, the United Nations introduced the UN Public Service Awards (UNPSA) program in 2003.
• This program was subsequently reviewed in 2016 to align with the goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• The purpose of UN Public Service Day is to commemorate and honour the importance and noble nature of public service in society.
• It aims to emphasize the significant role played by public service in the process of development, as well as to acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of public servants.

NHAI Launches ‘Knowledge Sharing Platform’

• NHAI has introduced a 'Knowledge Sharing' platform to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and innovative best practices.
• This initiative, accessible on the NHAI website, enables collaboration between the authority, experts, and citizens interested in sharing insights and expertise in areas like road design, construction, road safety, and environmental sustainability.
• By encouraging the sharing of global best practices, this platform will contribute to the comprehensive development of the National Highway infrastructure in the country.
• The best practices can be uploaded on the NHAI web portal https://ksp.nhai.org/kb/ in the form of video clips, power point presentation and .PDF files. The uploaded information on this platform will be reviewed by NHAI officials and will be evaluated for implementation.

'Polytechnic Chalo Abhiyan'

• The UP government launched ‘Polytechnic Chalo Abhiyan’ to motivate youths to pursue technical education and take admission in polytechnic institutes.
• The primary objective of this campaign is to attract and enrol a large number of youths in government, aided, and private polytechnic institutes annually.
• The initiative aims to create opportunities for aspiring students to acquire skills and knowledge in the field of their interest.

UNDP Join Hands with DAY-NULM to Empower Women Entrepreneurs

• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) have formed a collaborative partnership with the objective of empowering women to make informed career choices in the field of entrepreneurship.
• This partnership aims to offer support to women who aspire to start or expand their own enterprises, with a specific focus on sectors such as the care economy, digital economy, electric mobility, waste management, food packaging, and more.
• Focused on fostering entrepreneurship development and accelerating enterprise growth, the three-year project, extendable beyond 2025, will cover eight cities in the initial phase.

Indian Navy form 'Ocean Ring of Yoga'

• The Indian Navy announced that naval ships stationed in the Indian Ocean region are currently visiting ports in friendly foreign countries as part of their activities on the International Day of Yoga.
• The purpose behind this initiative is to promote the idea of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' and establish an 'Ocean Ring of Yoga'.
• Various events and activities related to Yoga Day are taking place on Indian naval vessels such as Kiltan, Chennai, Shivalik, Sunayna, Trishul, Tarkash, Vagir, Sumitra, and Brahmaputra, all of which are currently deployed in the Indian Ocean Region.