Table of Contents:
1. Indian - English Poet Jayanta Mahapatra Passes Away 
2. Bhaderwah Rajma and Ramban Sulai Honey of Jammu and Kashmir Get GI Tag 
3. Rajasthan’s Priyan Sain Crowned Miss Earth India 2023 
4. Kashmir to Host Miss World 2023  
5. World's First Ethanol Powered Car is Unveiled in India 

Indian - English Poet Jayanta Mahapatra Passes Away 

Renowned Indian English Poet, Jayant Mohapatra passed away at the age of 95. He is the first Indian poet to win a Sahitya Akademi award for English poetry. 

Born in Cuttack, Odisha, India, on October 22, 1928, Mohapatra's literary journey spanned over 50 years, during which he made a lasting impact with his writings. He received his education from Ravenshaw College in Cuttack and later from Delhi University. In 1971, he published his first collection titled 'Swayamvar and Other Poems', a turning point that marked the beginning of his poetic journey. 

He wrote 27 books of poems, of which seven are in Odia and the rest in English. It includes "Indian Summer" and "Hunger", which are regarded as classics in modern Indian English literature. He was part of a trio of poets who laid the foundations of Indian English Poetry, which included A. K. Ramanujan and R. Parthasarathy. 

He was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour of India in 2009, but he returned the award in 2015 to protest against rising intolerance in India. 

Bhaderwah Rajma and Ramban Sulai Honey of Jammu and Kashmir Get GI Tag 

Bhaderwah Rajma and Ramban Sulai honey of Jammu and Kashmir were granted Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Jammu started the GI tagging process for these products. 

Premium Bhaderwah rajmash of Jammu is a red kidney bean that is smaller and distinct in texture. It has a sweet nuttier taste and is used to make a lot of delicious recipes. It is grown as an intercrop with maize in Chinta Valley of Doda district. Sulai honey, is a premium exotic vairety of honey in Ramban which is extracted from Sulai plants grown on the Himalayas of Ramban, Doda. It is famous for its taste 

A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign given to products coming from a specific geographical location. GI tag provides exclusive use rights to authorized users while preventing unauthorized exploitation. This recognition is expected to increase exports, increase brand presence internationally and prevent misuse. The GI tag is set to benefit local economies and promote socioeconomic development for producers. 

Rajasthan’s Priyan Sain Crowned Miss Earth India 2023 

Priyan Sain clinched the title of Miss Earth India 2023 during the Miss Divine Beauty 2023 national final held on August 26 in New Delhi. The 20-year-old student, dancer, and taekwondo player from Jaipur, Rajasthan succeeds last year’s winner Vanshika Parmar, and will now prepare to represent India at the Miss Earth 2023 pageant in Vietnam this December. She received her crown from reigning Miss Earth from Korea Mina Sue Choi who was invited as a special guest along with Miss Earth Air from Australia Sheridan Mortlock. 

Kashmir to Host Miss World 2023  

The 71st Miss World 2023 contest is set to be held in Kashmir later this year with 140 participating countries. This was disclosed at a press briefing, attended by Miss World, Karolina Bielawski, Miss India, Sini Shetty, Miss World Caribbean, Emmy Pena, Miss World England Jessica Gagen, Miss World America Shree Saini and Miss Asia Pricilia Carla Saputri Yules, in Srinagar 

Miss World America, Shree Saini and Julia Morley, chairperson and CEO of the Miss World Organisation have joined the pageant winners’ Kashmir tour. India would be hosting the pageant after nearly three decades. The last time the country hosted the event was in 1996. 

World's First Ethanol Powered Car is Unveiled in India 

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari unveiled the world's first car that runs entirely on ethanol in New Delhi, marking a historic moment for India's energy landscape. The car is the first Stage-II BS-VI electrified flex-fuel vehicle, which runs entirely on ethanol as a fuel source. 

Currently, India's oil import bill stands at Rs 16 lakh crore, which highlights the need to curb this expenditure. 

Addressing environmental concerns, Minister Gadkari underlined the need for sustainable solutions, stressing that 40 percent of pollution is generated from the transport sector. 

Ethanol blending not only reduces pollution but also has the potential to increase India's agricultural growth by 12 to 20 percent, thereby creating several employment opportunities.