LEGION OF MERIT- TO INDIAN PRIME MINISTER

• The President of the United States conferred the Legion of Merit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The award was received by the Ambassador of India to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu on behalf of the Prime Minister.

About Legion of Merit

• The Legion of Merit is a military award of the United States.
• It is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements, and loyalty.
• It is issued to the eight uniformed services of the United States and also to the Heads of foreign Governments.
• It is one of the two United States military decorations that is issued as a necklet. The other is the Medal of Honour.
• A necklet is a type of decoration designed to be worn and displayed around the neck of the person.
• The Legion of Merit is the seventh in the order of precedence of all the United States military awards.

GOLDEN PEACOCK ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT AWARD

• Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has been awarded the Golden Peacock Environment Management award for the year 2020 in the steel sector.
• The award was given for its efforts in adopting various environmental measures like upgrading pollution control facilities, treatment and recirculation of wastewater from individual units and outfalls, enhancement in green cover and efficient solid waste management.
• SAIL has received the award for 2 consecutive years.

About the Golden Peacock Environment Management Award

• The golden Peacock Environment Management Award is a prestigious award that was instituted by the World Environment Foundation in 1998.
• The award encourages corporates to enhance their environmental performances.

Achievements of SAIL

• The Environment Management Division of SAIL was established in 1989.
• The major activities of the Environment Management Division of SAIL are as follows
  • Solid waste management initiatives, water conservation efforts and plantation.
  • Environmental auditing and environmental accounting.
  • Organising workshops and training programmes.
  • Coordination with Steel plants for environmental compliance
  • Environmental appraisal of projects

Gwalior, Orchha included in world heritage cities list of UNESCO

Madhya Pradesh state government informed on December 7, 2020, that the historical fort cities of Orchha and Gwalior have been included in the world heritage cities list of UNESCO under its urban landscape city programme.

The project by UNESCO will be an example for South Asia. Under the plan, UNESCO will also be providing and guiding with perfect measures and resources for the development of Orchha and Gwalior under the Historic Urban Landscape recommendations.

About Gwalior & Orchha:

Gwalior state in Madhya Pradesh established in the 9th century is known for its palaces and temples, which include the intricately carved Sas Bahu ka Mandir Temple. It was ruled by Tomars, Gurjar Pratihar Rajvansh, Baghel Kachvaho, and Scindias. The work of art left by these dynasties can be found in abundance in forts, memorials, and palaces in the area.

Orchha was the capital of the Bundela Kingdom in the 16th century and is popular all over the country for its temples and palaces. The famous spots to look at in Orchha are Jehangir Mahal, Raj Mahal, Rai Praveen Mahal, Ramraja Temple, Laxminarayan Mandir, and Rai Praveen Mahal.