11-Jan-2023: Cabinet approves ex post facto renaming of National Centre for Drinking Water, Sanitation & Quality at Joka, Kolkata as ‘Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institution of Water and Sanitation (SPM-NIWAS)

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given ex post facto approval for renaming of National Centre for Drinking Water, Sanitation and Quality, Joka, Kolkata as ‘Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation (SPM-NIWAS)’.

The Institute has been set up on 8.72 acres of land at Joka, Diamond Harbor Road , Kolkata, West Bengal.  The Institute is envisaged as a premier institute to develop capacities in states/UTs in the field of public health engineering, drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene through training programmes.  Such capacities are envisaged for not only the front-line workforce engaged in implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission and Jal Jeevan Mission, but also for the representatives of local bodies, both rural and urban.  Accordingly, suitable infrastructure has been developed, including training infrastructure, and R& D Block and a residential complex.  Working and miniature models of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) technologies are also installed to facilitate the training at the institute.

Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, one of the most deserving sons of West Bengal and a front-runner in national integration, inspiration for industrialization, was also an eminent scholar and academician and the youngest Vice Chancellor of University of Calcutta. Naming the Institute by Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee's name shall inspire the whole set of stakeholders to honour him by adopting his values of honesty integrity, and commitment in work ethos of the Institute.  The Institute has been inaugurated by the Prime Minister in December, 2022.

  1. 2G2BT - too good to be true
  2. AFAIK - as far as I know
  3. AKA - also known as
  4. ASAP - as soon as possible
  5. ATM - automated teller machine
  6. B4 - before
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  28. FWIW - for what it's worth
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  31. HTH - hope that helps
  32. ICYMI - in case you missed it
  33. IDC - I don't care
  34. IDK - I don't know
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  36. IMHO - in my humble opinion
  37. IMO - in my opinion
  38. IRL - in real life
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  46. M8 - mate
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  48. NFW - no freaking way
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  56. PLS - please
  57. POS - parents over shoulder
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  59. QT - cutie
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  69. TMI - too much information
  70. TTYL - talk to you later
  71. TY - thank you
  72. U - you
  73. WTF - what the f***
  74. WYSIWYG - what you see is what you get
  75. YOLO - you only live once
  76. YW - you're welcome

5-Dec-2022: New Design of The PRESIDENT’S STANDARD AND COLOUR, and the INDIAN NAVY CREST Unveiled

The Hon’ble President of India has approved introduction of a new design for the President’s Standard and Colour and Indian Navy Crest for the Indian Navy, which were unveiled at Visakhapatnam on Navy Day on 04 Dec 2022.

Resonant to the ongoing National endeavour to move away from the colonial past, the Naval Ensign was amended to a new Design that draws inspiration from our history where in the Red Horizontal and Vertical Lines on the White Ensign were replaced with an Blue Octagon with Twin Golden Borders encompassing the National Emblem atop a clear anchor and ‘National Emblem ‘Satyamev Jayate’ inscribed on the stock of the Anchor. Further, the National Flag was retained on the upper left canton.

The erstwhile design of the President’s Standard and Colour for the Indian Navy was instituted on 06 Sep 2017. The design comprised one each horizontal and vertical red bands intersecting at the centre and the National Emblem inserted at their intersection. The National Flag was at the upper left canton adjacent to the staff and a Golden Elephant was at the lower right canton on the fly side. This design was inspired from the erstwhile Naval Ensign.

The Indian Navy adopted a new Naval Ensign on 02 Sep 2022, and the new design of the President’s Standard and President’s Colour awarded to the Indian Navy incorporates this change. The new design of the President’s Standard and Colour comprises three main constituents - the National Flag in the upper left canton adjacent to the staff, the State Emblem underscribed with ‘Satyamev Jayate’ in Golden Colour on the upper right canton on the fly side, and a Navy Blue - Gold Octagon below the Golden State Emblem. The Octagon has twin golden octagonal borders, encompassing the golden National Emblem (Lion Capital of Ashoka – underscribed with ‘Satyamev Jayate’ in blue Devnagri script) resting atop an anchor; and superimposed on a shield. Below the shield, within the octagon, in a golden bordered ribbon, on a Navy Blue background, is inscribed the motto of the Indian Navy ‘Sam No Varunah’ in golden Devanagari script. The Golden State Emblem signifies ‘Power, Courage, Confidence and Pride’ whilst the Navy Blue – Golden Octagon shape draws inspiration from Shivaji Maharaj Rajmudra or the Seal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and represents the eight directions (four cardinal and four inter cardinal), symbolising the Indian Navy’s maritime outreach. The new design of President’s Standard and Colour highlights India’s glorious maritime heritage and also symbolises a powerful, courageous, confident and proud Indian Navy.

The Indian Navy Crest has been amended to replace the foul anchor with a Clear Anchor. The clear anchor depicts steadfastness of the Indian Navy to deter any challenge in maritime domain, and represents clarity in vision, mission and aspirations of its sailors. The Clear Anchor also depicts Indian Navy’s commitment towards securing the Coast and Maritime Interest of India.  The change would imply removal of the symbolic nautical rope in the Crest Designs. The Modified Indian Navy Crest has been introduced with effect from 04 Dec 22 on the occasion of the Navy Day 2022.

The New Naval Crest has a traditional naval clear anchor below the Ashoka Lion Head with ‘शं नो वरुणा:’ inscribed below it, which is an invocation from the Vedas meaning ‘May the Ocean God be Auspicious unto us’. The phrase was adopted as the motto of the Indian Navy on the suggestion of Shri Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, the first Indian Governor General of Independent India.  The National Motto ‘सत्यमेव जयते’ meaning ‘Truth Always Triumphs’  is inscribed on the Stock of the Clear Anchor.

In line with the change in the Indian Navy Crest, minor amendment to the Crest of the Indian Naval Command Headquarters (which has the Indian Navy Crest in the inset) has also been approved by the Hon’ble President of India.

The President’s Standard and President’s Colour are awarded to static and mobile formations of the Indian Navy respectively, to acknowledge their distinguished and meritorious service to the Nation. The Indian Navy was the first among the three Services to be awarded the President’s Colour on 27 May 1951 by the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad. In the Indian Navy, the President’s Colour has been awarded to the Western, Southern, and Eastern Naval Commands, both Western and Eastern Fleets, the Submarine Arm, the Naval Air Arm, INS Shivaji, INS Valsura and the Indian Naval Academy. The 22nd Missile Vessel Squadron was the first Naval Combatant Squadron to be honoured with the President’s Standard.