- Centre Warns Against Misuse of State Emblem
Recently, the Union Home Ministry has directed State governments to prevent unauthorized and improper use of the State Emblem of India, emphasizing the mandatory inclusion of the motto ‘Satyameva Jayate’ in Devanagari script.
- The Ministry noted that several government agencies are using an incomplete version of the emblem, omitting the motto ‘Satyameva Jayate’ on official materials like stationery, vehicles, seals, and websites.
- The omission of the motto violates the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005, which mandates the emblem’s depiction as per specified guidelines.
- The emblem, derived from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka, features three lions, a Dharma Chakra, a bull, and a galloping horse, with ‘Satyameva Jayate’ inscribed below in Devanagari script.
- The Ministry also highlighted instances where unauthorized individuals and entities are using the emblem, which is legally restricted to specified authorities and purposes under the 2005 Act and the 2007 Rules.
- State governments have been instructed to take strict action against officials responsible for incomplete depictions and individuals or organizations misusing the emblem without authorization.
2.Lt Gen Pankaj P Rao Takes Charge as AFMC Head
On 3rd February 2025, Lieutenant General Pankaj P Rao assumed office as the Director and Commandant of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, succeeding Lieutenant General Sandeep Thareja.
- Lieutenant General Sandeep Thareja, the outgoing Commandant, has been appointed Director General Medical Services (Air) and elevated to the rank of Air Marshal.
- An alumnus of AFMC, Lieutenant General Rao was commissioned into the Indian Army in 1987 and holds advanced surgical qualifications, including fellowships in GI surgery and liver transplantation.
- Over his 38-year career, he has held key academic, clinical, and administrative roles, including Senior Advisor Surgery at Army Hospital (R&R), New Delhi, and Professor & HoD of Surgery at AFMC, Pune.
- He successfully led the liver transplant team at Army Hospital, New Delhi, and played a crucial role in revising the Combat Casualty Care doctrine for the Armed Forces.
Gujarat Declares First Biodiversity Heritage Site
Recently, Guneri village in Lakhtar tehsil, Kutch district, was designated as Gujarat’s first Biodiversity Heritage Site, safeguarding its rare inland mangrove ecosystem.
- The Gujarat government made the declaration based on a recommendation from the Gujarat Biodiversity Board to ensure conservation through a structured management plan.
- A local Biodiversity Management Committee, including representatives from self-governance institutions, will oversee the area’s protection, which previously lacked a formal conservation framework.
- Inland mangroves are an ecological rarity, reported from only eight locations worldwide, and Guneri’s site is the last remaining one of its kind in India.
- Unlike typical mangroves found in coastal sludge, Guneri’s inland mangroves thrive on limestone deposits, located 45 km from the Arabian Sea and unaffected by seawater intrusion.
- The site supports a rich ecosystem, housing 20 migratory and 25 resident bird species, with ongoing efforts to train local communities and forest officials in conservation.