National News
1. Andhra Pradesh Assembly passes resolution to abolish Legislative Council
The Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly unanimously passed a resolution on January 27, 2020 to abolish the state legislative council. The state cabinet had approved the resolution earlier in the day. The proposal will now be sent to the centre for further action.
The one-line resolution to abolish the state council was passed in the assembly by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. The resolution was passed with 133 members voting in favour of it. This was announced by assembly speaker Tammineni Sitaram.The state legislative council of Andhra Pradesh was also abolished previously in 1985 and was revived again in 2006.
The proposal to abolish the legislative council has been adopted by the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. The move came after Reddy’s government failed to pass two crucial bills in the upper house of the legislature. The bills were related to the government’s plan of having three different capitals for the state- Legislative, judicial and executive capitals.
The Legislative Council is the upper house in the state legislature. Similar to the Rajya Sabha, the council is a permanent house, which means that it cannot be dissolved. Only the state legislative assembly can be dissolved.
Assam was the first state to abolish its state legislative council.
2. Maharashtra Government launches 'Shiv Bhojan' scheme
The Maharashtra government launched the ‘Shiv Bhojan’ scheme on January 26, 2020. The scheme aims to provide a meal to the poor at subsidized rates.Under the scheme, the Shiv Sena-led state government will provide a meal to the poor for just Rs 10. The scheme has been currently launched on a pilot basis. Under the Shiv Bhojan scheme, lunch plates or thalis will be made available to the poor at designated canteens and centres during a particular time in all districts of the state. At least one 'Shiv Bhojan' canteen will be opened at the district headquarters.
The 'Shiv Bhojan' scheme aims to provide affordable and quality food to all people, irrespective of their religion, caste, creed or financial status.
3. India’s first underwater metro in Kolkata started
The City of Joy, Kolkata, saw the inauguration of India’s first underwater metro today, by Railway Minister Piyush Goel.This marked the debut of the second metro line in the city.
The metro line runs between Salt Lake Sector V and Howrah, which is known as the East-West Corridor in Kolkata.
The underground metro stretches from Phoolbagan station up to Howrah Maidan, and has a total of six stations in between, including Phoobagan, Sealdah, Esplanade, Mahakaran, Howrah, and Howrah Maidan.It spans a total of around 16 km, with a part of it (around 10 km), running underwater in River Hooghly.While underwater, the train runs at a depth equivalent to a ten-storey building.The underwater stretch for train comprises of twin tunnels of 1.4 metres made with wide concrete rings that have been further fitted with hydrophilic gaskets to prevent water from entering the tunnels.The first of its kind in the country, the metro train is said to be at par with the likes of Eurostar that connects London and Paris.A staggering ₹8,500 million is said to be the cost of this pathbreaking metro project.It is estimated that this metro will play around one million passengers daily and will cut down the travel time between Salt Lake to Howrah from an hour to less than 30 minutes.
4. Kerala: India's First Super Fab Lab That Can Produce 'Almost Any Machinery' Inaugurated In Kochi
India's first Super Fab Lab was inaugurated in Kochi, Kerala by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.The lab is built in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) and is spread across an area of 10,000 sq ft. The Super Fab Lab will have state-of-the-art machines worth more than ₹7 crore, enabling researchers, innovators and developers to go beyond the scope of existing fab labs in the state.Fab Labs are fabrication laboratories that offer digital fabrication and computation. At present, Kerala has two electronic Fab Labs - one at Thiruvananthapuram and the other at Kochi. The Super Fab Lab inaugurated at the Integrated Startup Complex(ISC) of the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) is the only such facility outside of the US.The Fab Labs programme was set up by the state government to encourage startups in printed electronics and related fields. The Super Fab Lab will allow the state to produce machines locally and will give India's hardware industry a giant leap.
Fab Labs was set up by Dr Neil Gershenfeld, the Director of MIT Centre for Bits and Atoms, in the US around 17 years ago. He spent nearly a week in the state to supervise the setting up of the Super Fab Lab.
5. India plans to produce 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022
The Government of India has set a target of installing of installing 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by the year 2022, which includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from bio-power and 5 GW from small hydro-power.The Ministry of Urban Development had requested all States & UTs, in 2014 to issue necessary directives to all State Government Departments for using rooftop of buildings under their control for solar power generation on mandatory basis and also to local bodies under their jurisdiction to incorporate the similar provision in their building bye-laws so that installation of Roof Top Systems (RTS) on rooftops of all types of buildings in their jurisdiction may become mandatory. Further, the Ministry of Urban Development also issued Model Building Bye-Laws, 2016, in which suitable provisions for installation of RTS on buildings have been incorporated. Four States/UTs viz. Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have already issued mandatory notifications for installation of RTS in different categories of buildings.
6. Supreme Court notice to Centre on plea against transgender act
The Supreme Court issued a notice to the central government on a petition alleging that a legislation drafted to protect transgender persons was violative of their rights.The plea filed by advocate and trans activist Swati Bidhan Baruah challenged the validity of the Transgender Persons (Protections of Rights) Act, 2019, arguing that it treats the trans community with suspicion and reinforces prejudices against them.The petitioner said the Act, instead of furthering or protecting the rights of transpersons, violates their right to equality, life and privacy under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.Sections 4 to 6 of the Act provides for a method of state identification of transpersons by a process of certification by a district magistrate.This, the petitioner submitted, is violative of rights to self-identification of gender, which is part of right to life under Article 21 as recognised in the 2014 judgment of the Supreme Court in NALSA v Union of India.
Sections 4 to 6 violate the right to equality under Article 14 since a non-transperson is not required to go through the process for certification of gender identity.Further, the petitioner argued that the provisions in the Act intended to grant protection against non-discrimination are completely toothless since no remedy has been provided in case of violation of those provisions.
Section 18 of the Act, which prescribes punishment for offences against transgender persons, was criticised on the ground that it clubs dissimilar offences together, and prescribes a common punishment for the same.In 2014, the Supreme Court, in a landmark judgment in NALSA v. Union of India, ruled that discrimination against transgender persons is in violation of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution.
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act was passed by the Lok Sabha in August 2019, and Rajya Sabha in November 2019. It received the presidential nod on December 5, 2019.
7. SC allows introduction of African cheetah in India
The Supreme Court allowed the Centre to introduce the African cheetah to a suitable habitat in India.Stating that the rare Indian cheetah is almost extinct in the country, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had filed an application seeking permission for the introduction of the African cheetah from Namibia.
The apex court set up a three-member committee, comprising former director Wildlife of India Ranjit Singh, DG of Wildlife of India Dhananjay Mohan, and DIG, Wildlife, Ministry of Environment and Forests to guide the NTCA in taking a decision on the issue.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant said that the apex court will monitor the project and the committee will submit its report every four months.
The top court also said the decision for relocation of the African cheetah will be taken after a proper survey and the action of introduction of the animal will be left to the NTCA’s discretion. The NCTA will be guided by the committee of experts who will carry out a survey for the best location.It was submitted before the apex court that the African cheetah will be introduced on an experimental basis in the best suitable habitat to see whether it can adapt to Indian conditions.
8. 10 more wetlands from India get the Ramsar site tag.
In a major recognition towards the Government of India’s effort towards conservation, restoration and rejuvenation of its wetlands, Ramsar has declared 10 more wetland sites from India as sites of international importance. The Ramsar Convention signed on February 2, 1971, is one of the oldest inter-governmental accord signed by member countries to preserve the ecological character of their wetlands of international importance.
The aim of the Ramsar list is to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits. Wetlands declared as Ramsar sites are protected under strict guidelines of the convention. With this, the numbers of Ramsar sites in India are now 37 and the surface area covered by these sites is now 1,067,939 hectares. Maharashtra gets its first Ramsar site (Nandur Madhameshwar) , Punjab which already had 3 Ramsar sites adds 3 more (Keshopur-Miani, Beas Conservation Reserve, Nangal) and UP with 1 Ramsar site has added 6 more (Nawabganj, Parvati Agra, Saman, Samaspur, Sandi and SarsaiNawar).
9. "Samvidhaan" Is Oxford Hindi Word Of 2019
Oxford University Press (OUP) named "Samvidhaan'' (Constitution) the Oxford Hindi Word of 2019, saying it received widespread attention in the year which was witness to the spirit of the Indian Constitution being embraced across segments of the society.It said the word was chosen as 2019 saw the values of democracy, secularism, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity being tested on the touchstone of the Constitution or "Samvidhaan''.
The word "Samvidhaan'' first received widespread attention in August 2019, with the abrogation of two key constitutional provisions - Article 370 and Article 35(A) of the Indian Constitution, on August 5, which effectively removed the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir.
10. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches virtual police station
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a virtual police station along with two other transformational projects of the Odisha Police with an aim to reduce human interface with government offices.The three projects include Virtual Police Station, Road Accident Case Documents Module and Medico Legal Opinion System, read a statement.
This is the first transformation project under 5T initiative which the police department is going to implement. One of the main objectives under the 5T is to reduce the necessity for the public to go to government offices. The Virtual Police Station that has been inaugurated today is a huge step in this regard.
The Virtual Police Station is an online mechanism established at the State Crime Records Bureau in Bhubaneswar. It will facilitate online registration of FIR in unknown motor vehicle theft cases. If a case remains undetected for 21 days, final form shall be auto generated at CCTNS. It will benefit citizens for claiming insurance in motor vehicle theft cases. A citizen can also file FIR through citizens portal or Sahayata mobile app. The Road Accident Case Documents Module is a web-based application. It will help insurance companies or the victims in downloading the required documents like FIR, final form, spot map, MVI report, inquest, post-mortem report, driving license, registration certificate among others.
11. Cabinet okays bill to raise upper limit for abortions to 24 weeks
The Union cabinet approved a bill that proposes to permit the termination of pregnancy up to 24 weeks from the existing 20 weeks. The bill will be introduced in the ensuing budget session of Parliament.The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 aims to expand access of women to safe and legal abortion services on therapeutic, eugenic, humanitarian or social grounds. The proposed amendments include substitution of certain sub-sections and insertion of certain new clauses under some sections in the existing Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971, with a view to increase the upper gestation limit for termination of pregnancy under certain conditions and to strengthen access to comprehensive abortion care, under strict conditions, without compromising service and quality of safe abortion.
The bill will strengthen reproductive rights of women. They should have a decision of their own if they want to take their pregnancy to full term or not. Other amendments proposed in the bill are the requirements for opinion of one doctor for termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks of gestation, and introducing the requirement of opinion of two doctors for termination of pregnancy of 20-24 weeks of gestation.The bill also proposed enhancing the upper gestation limit from 20 to 24 weeks for special categories of women, which will be defined in the amendments to the MTP Rules and would include vulnerable women including survivors of rape, victims of incest and other vulnerable women (like differently-abled women, minors) etc. Upper gestation limits will not apply in cases of substantial foetal abnormalities diagnosed by the Medical Board. The composition functions and other details of the Medical Board is to be prescribed subsequently in Rules under the Act. Name and other particulars of a woman whose pregnancy has been terminated shall not be revealed except to a person authorized in any law for the time being in force.
12. Andhra Pradesh’s Fruit Trainflagged off from Tadipatri Railway Station
A ‘fruit train’, said to be the first of its kind in the country, was flagged off from Tadipatri Railway Station in Andhra Pradesh carrying a load of 980 metric tonnes of locally grown bananas to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai. This is the first time in India that an entire train is being sent to the gateway port (JNPT) for export.
This helps save both time and fuel as 150 trucks would have been required to send a consignment of this size by road to JNPT, which is over 900 km away, before the temperature-controlled containers are loaded on ships.
13. NCRB Launches two online national level services related to Search of Missing Persons and to Generate Vehicle NOC; starts CCTNS Hackathon & Cyber Challenge.
National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) launched Police related Citizen centric services on CCTNS platform. These online services will help Citizens in Searching their Missing Persons and Generating Vehicle NOC. The services can be accessed through ‘digitalpolicecitizenservices.gov.in’ portal or through a link in the existing ‘Digital Police Portal’. So far such services are being provided through the state citizen portals and it is the first time that these are being launched centrally. Two citizen services namely ‘Missing Person Search’ and ‘Generate Vehicle NOC’ will now be available online to Citizens. The Citizens can search for their missing kins against the national database of recovered unidentified found person/unidentified dead bodies from their homes. This will hugely benefit relatives of missing persons and save them from running around pillar to post, as all such details including photos are available in the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System and will now be accessible to citizens through this portal at their convenience.
14. Near Hyderabad, ‘world’s largest meditation centre’, inaugurated by President Kovind
The Kanha Shantivanam is ‘world’s largest meditation centre’ and is located about 11 km from the Hyderabad-Bangalore national highway, or about 50 km away from the city. It was inaugurated on January 28 in the presence of President Kovind.
On a campus spread across 1,400 acres, the Heartfulness meditation centre occupies 30 acres, making it what Shantivanam authorities claim the “world’s largest meditation centre”. Comprising a central hall and eight secondary halls, the centre can accommodate over one lakh meditative practitioners at a time.
Heartfulness is a raja yoga system of meditation which is also known as ‘Sahaj Marg’ or the ‘Natural Path’. It originated at the turn of the 20th century and was formalised with the founding of Sri Rama Chandra Mission in 1945 in India.With over 4 million practitioners in 160 countries and over 13,000 trainers across 132 countries, Heartfulness movement offers meditative practices and training for free. The centre near Hyderabad goes beyond just offering a space to meditate, though. Of its massive area, while 350 acres are dedicated to the ashram itself, the rest is being developed as a ‘Heartful community’, which would house 1,500 flats and 3,000 plots eventually.
15. First case of coronavirus confirmed in India; student tested positive in Kerala
The first confirmed case of Novel Coronavirus has been reported from Kerala where a student studying in Wuhan University, China, has been tested positive with the deadly virus. The patient has tested positive for Novel Coronavirus and is in isolation in the hospital. The patient is stable and is being closely monitored.Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei province, is the centre of the Coronavirus outbreak. The virus has now spread in many parts of the world. Nationwide death toll from China's novel coronavirus epidemic has jumped to 170, with 38 fatalities reported in the Hubei province.
ABOUT CORONA VIRUS
Coronavirus virus has the spike proteins on the surface of the avian infectious bronchitis virus virion. It creates an effect resembling the solar corona on total eclipse. As per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), seven kinds of coronavirus can infect people, which include 2019-nCoV, and other viruses that cause Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).The coronavirus, which was first discovered in the city of Wuhan in December, has spread to every province in China. The new coronavirus-named 2019-nCoV-is thought to have originated in the food market of the central China metropolis and has since infected more than two thousand people.
According to the World Health Organisation, the common symptoms of the virus strain include respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
The specific modes of transmission of the virus is not clear yet since it is a novel virus. This virus probably originally emerged from an animal source but now seems to be spreading from person-to-person. It's not clear yet how easily 2019-nCoV spreads from person-to-person. It is thought to have happened mainly when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread.
16. Madhya Pradesh Government to roll out 365 day work scheme with 5,000 stipend
The MP government launched on January 31, 2019, guaranteeing 100 days of work and pay to unemployed youth who have registered themselves with the Madhya Pradesh government. The stipend has been hiked by Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 per month. On the lines of MNREGS, the government is ready to extend the guarantee of 100 workdays to 365 days of temporary employment a year The government's decision came after a review of a year of the scheme feedback was accepted, and the government decided to relaunch it.
The government will make a special allocation for it in the state budget to make it more useful and practical relaunch aims to generate 25,000 new jobs at the expense of Rs 200 crore. The urban development department has prepared a plan to select registered unemployed youths for temporary employment as per their qualification and provide them with ten days of training. The scheme is part of Nath's attempt to generate employment and boost the economy. The number of registered educated unemployed in MP in October 2018 was 20.77 lakh and in October 2019. Seven Hundred forty jobs created with the setting up of 25 new industries in MP, which topped the list in unemployment for 15 years.
17. Fundamental rights not for OCI card holders: Govt to Delhi HC
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders do not enjoy fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, including the right to freedom of speech and expression, the government told the Delhi High Court. It is a statutory right and not a fundamental or a constitutional right. The grant of the limited right is by the Central government by notification under Section 7B of the Citizenship Act. Therefore, what right is granted depends on the policy of the Central government.
International News
1. Britain unveils 50 pence coin minted to mark Brexit
Britain has unveiled a new 50 pence coin minted to mark the country's departure from the European Union. The coin bears the inscription "Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations". About three million of the coins will be distributed from banks, post offices and shops from January 31, the day when BREXIT will be done.
2. China to launch its first Mars probe mission in July 2020
While NASA is preparing to send its Mars 2020 rover to explore the red planet, China also announced its plan to launch its first Mars mission probe in July this year. The Mars probe of China will be launched in July onboard the Long March-5 Y4 carrier rocket.
The Long March-5 Y4 rocket recently completed a 100-second test for its high thrust hydrogen-oxygen engine. The test is the last engine examination before the final assembly.
3. Brexit Day: Britain bids farewell to the European Union after nearly 50 years
Britain on 31st Jan ends almost half a century of integration with Europe, finally making its historic departure from the EU to begin a new — uncertain — future, with emotions running high following years of wrangling and several false starts. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a figurehead in the 2016 referendum vote, has promised to unite the island nation in a new era of prosperity, forging new links from home.
People in News
1. Senior bureaucrat B Anand appointed secretary of National Commission for Minorities
Senior bureaucrat B Anand was appointed as the secretary of National Commission for Minorities, according to a personnel ministry order.Anand, a 1987-batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, is at present additional secretary and financial advisor, the department of science and technology.
He is also holding additional charge of financial advisor, department of biotechnology and ministry of earth sciences.His batchmate from Madhya Pradesh cadre, Sanjay Kumar Singh, has been appointed as additional secretary, department of agricultural research & education and secretary, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the order said.Singh is currently additional secretary, the ministry of panchayati raj.Neelam Shammi Rao will be director general (training), the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship.Rao, a 1992-batch IAS officer, is working in her cadre state Madhya Pradesh.
2. EU names ambassador to post-Brexit Britain
Vale de Almeida, a 62-year-old Portuguese national, is "the first head of the future EU delegation to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The European Union named an ambassador to post-Brexit Britain, to take up his duties on February 1, the United Kingdom's first day outside the bloc. The nomination of Joao Vale de Almeida, previously Brussels' top envoy to the UN and to the US, came after top EU officials signed BREXIT papers.
The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced in a statement that the appointment of an ambassador was necessary because, from February 1, "the United Kingdom will be a third country". As a consequence, the EU will maintain in the UK a "delegation" -- analogous to an embassy -- just as it does in other non-EU countries such as Turkey, the US or Australia.
3. Taranjit Sandhu appointed India’s ambassador to US, Shringla foreign secretary
Senior Indian Foreign Service officer (IFS) Taranjit Sandhu has been appointed as India’s ambassador to the United States (US), Ministry of External Affairs. Sandhu, currently India’s high commissioner to Sri Lanka, will succeed Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who will take charge as the country’s new foreign secretary.Sandhu’s appointment comes at a time when New Delhi is looking to balance its strategic ties with the US amid tricky trade relations.
4. Sheikh Khalid appointed as new Prime Minister of Qatar
Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani was appointed as the new Prime Minister of Qatar on January 28, 2020. Sheikh Khalid was appointed by Qatar’s ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani through a royal decree after the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah was accepted.
Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani is a close associate of Qatar’s ruler. He has been chosen for the influential role to ensure that the emir’s writ runs throughout the Gulf State’s administration.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah announced his resignation from the position on January 28, 2020. He was also Qatar’s interior minister. His successor Sheikh Khalid will now take on both the roles. Sheikh Khalid is known to have deep experience in the royal court.
Qatar’s emir also appointed Abdulaziz bin Faisal bin Muhammad Al Thani as the new commander of the nation’s internal security forces. Other key cabinet positions such as foreign, energy, finance, defence and trade ministries remained unchanged. Qatar is a part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which is a political and economic alliance of six Middle Eastern countries. However, three of these nations- Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain have cut off their diplomatic ties with Qatar. Only Kuwait and Oman remain neutral in the issue. Besides these countries, Egypt, Yemen, the Maldives, Mauritania and Comoros have also cut off their diplomatic relations with Qatar.
Qatar is, however, a close ally of the United States. It hosts thousands of American troops at the al-Udeid air base, which serves as the headquarters of the US military’s Central Command. Qatar also shares close ties with Iran. It shares a massive underwater gas field with the nation.
The current changes in Qatar are significant, as the nation is gearing up to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which is expected to boost the nation’s economy and its international influence.
5. Irish conductor the first woman to lead orchestra at Oscars
Galway woman Eímear Noone will become the first female orchestral conductor to perform during an Oscars television broadcast.Noone thanked the producers and music directors at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for inviting her to perform in Hollywood on February 9th.Noone conducted performances of games music with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. She also co founded Dublin International Games Music Festival along the way.Noone is married to a US composer, Craig Stuart Garfinkle, and the couple have two children; they live in Malibu
6. India’s Gita Sabharwal appointed UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand
India’s Gita Sabharwal has been appointed by the United Nations as its Resident Coordinator in Thailand. She was appointed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres with the host Government’s approval on January 29, 2020.The UN Resident Coordinators are the highest-ranking representatives of the UN’s country-level development system. The Resident Coordinators are designated representatives of the UN Secretary-General and they report directly to him.The resident coordinators have the responsibility of leading UN country teams and coordinate support for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The UN Resident Coordinator (RC), the highest-ranking UN representative at the country level, is responsible for leading the UN teams and coordinating UN support for the smooth implementation of the 2030 agenda. The resident coordinators are chosen based on their experience and expertise from a variety of backgrounds. The UN resident coordinators are responsible for coordinating and facilitating UN support to help countries achieve their respective Sustainable Development Goals at the national and local level, leaving no one behind. They are designated representatives of the UN Secretary-General to enable development at the country level. They are required to coordinate with various UN Sustainable Development Group agencies for funds and implementation of development programmes.
7. Indian-origin Arvind Krishna elected new CEO of IBM
Indian-origin technology executive Arvind Krishna has been named as the Chief Executive Officer of American IT giant International Business Machines (IBM) after a "world-class succession process", succeeding Virginia Rometty, who described him as the "right CEO for the next era at IBM" and "well-positioned" to lead the company into the cloud and cognitive era.The IBM Board of Directors elected Krishna as company CEO and member of the Board of Directors effective April 6. Krishna is currently IBM Senior Vice President for Cloud and Cognitive Software and will succeed Rometty, 62 who will retire after almost 40 years with the company at the end of the year.
8. Deaf woman, 60, rows Atlantic Ocean in world first
Mo O’Brien , a 60-year-old pharmacy worker has become the first deaf person on record to row an ocean by finishing a 3,000-mile journey across the Atlantic, reports BBC.
Mo O’Brien and her fellow crew members, including her daughter, landed on the Caribbean island of Antigua 49 days after setting out from the Canary Island of La Gomera in December.
Their arrival late makes them the fastest female trio to complete the challenge. O’Brien said she felt “relieved”. The Ocean Rowing Society, which is responsible for monitoring ocean rowing records, confirmed the world first.
O’Brien, from Bojewyan Stennack in Cornwall, rowed almost 3,000 miles (4,800km) of the Atlantic Ocean with her daughter Bird Watts, 32, from Mevagissey in Cornwall, and their friend Claire Allinson, 45, from Exmouth, Devon.
The trio rowed in pairs for four-hour shifts, then had two hours of rest, on a constant cycle for the entirety of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.
Economy, Business and Defence News
1. Operation Vanilla: All You Need to Know about Indian Navy’s support to Madagascar
The Indian Navy launched ‘Operation Vanilla’ on January 28 to provide relief and assistance to the cyclone-hit population of Madagascar. INS Airavat arrived at Madagascar's Port Antsiranana on January 30 with the relief material. INS Airavat, deployed in the Southern Indian Ocean, was diverted to Madagascar as a part of Indian Navy's 'Operation Vanilla' to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to the people in the cyclone-ravaged areas of Madagascar.
The Indian naval ship carried relief material comprising blankets, food, clothing and medicines. The material was handed over to local Madagascar authorities on February 1, 2020. Besides this, medical and disaster relief teams from the ship were deployed in the affected areas. The Indian navy continues to monitor the situation in the nation.
Madagascar is a country located in the Indian Ocean, about 400 kms away from the coast of East Africa. Madagascar is the world’s second-largest island country after Greenland. It was severely affected by cyclone Diane recently. Around 92,000 people were affected due to floods in the country.
2. Indian Railways to run 100% on electricity by 2024: Piyush Goyal
Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said that the Indian Railways is expected to switch entirely to electricity by 2024, as it is already shunting diesel locomotives gradually out of service. It will be the first railway network in the world to be run fully on electricity.
The Union Minister further said that India is also planning to make the entire railways network a "net-zero emission network" by 2030.
3. ‘GATI’ portal launched to speed up and monitor Rs 3 lakh crore road projects
The Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari recently launched the online Web Portal ‘GATI.’ It has been prepared by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) after taking inspiration from PMO’s PRAGATI portal.One can reach the GATI portal via NHAI website or it can be directly used. People can raise projects or construction-related issues on this portal. Not only this, the problem raised will be monitored daily by a team of officers in NHAI.
4. Indian Railways commissions first Waste to Energy Plant in Bhubaneswar
Indian Railways has commissioned the country's first government Waste to Energy Plant, having capacity of 500 Kg waste per day, in Mancheswar Carriage Repair Workshop at Bhubaneswar in East Coast Railway. This Waste to Energy Plant, a patented technology called POLYCRACK, is first-of-its-kind in Indian Railways and fourth in India. It is the world's first patented heterogeneous catalytic process which converts multiple feedstocks into hydrocarbon liquid fuels, gas, carbon and water. Polycrack Plant can be fed with all types of Plastic, Petroleum sludge, Un-segregated MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) with moisture up to 50%, E–Waste, Automobile fluff, Organic waste including bamboo, garden waste etc., and Jatropha fruit and palm bunch. Waste generated from Mancheswar Carriage Repair Workshop, Coaching Depot and Bhubaneswar Railway Station will be feeder material for this plant.
The process is a closed loop system and does not emit any hazardous pollutants into the atmosphere. The combustible, non-condensed gases are re-used for providing energy to the entire system and thus, the only emission comes from the combustion of gaseous fuels. The emissions from the combustion are found to be much less than prescribed environmental norms. This process will produce energy in the form of Light Diesel Oil which is used to light furnaces.
This process has been awarded with the Best innovation Gold Medal in 2007 by Lockheed Martin, Dept of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, FICCI; Best Innovation Gold Medal 2007; Best Innovation Gold Medal 2008; Best Innovation Gold Medal 2009; Nominated for Tech-Museum Awards 2008; Frost & Sullivan – Global Innovation and Leadership Award -2011 and IGCW-2011 – Best Green Chemistry Innovation Award.
5. First Tri-Service Vic Formation on Republic Day 2020
For the first time ever, a tri-service formation, comprising three ALH (Advanced light helicopters), took place on Republic Day. It was a Vic formation. This formation was devised during World War 1. Three or more aircraft fly in close formation with the leader at the apex and the rest flying to left and right. The entire arrangement looks like a V.
Wing Commander SK Chauhan led the formation. All three were Dornier aircraft. The other two were flown by Squadron leader Vikas Kumar and Squadron leader Abhishek Vashisht.
The tri-service formation is significant as India got the post of Chief of Defence Staff — a tri-service chief looking after the Navy, Army and Air Force.
6. Central Banks approve reduced fees for UPI RuPay Payment
Central Banks in India approve that they will not charge a part of the fees on Unified Payments Interface UPI and RuPay card transactions as long as the merchant discount rate MDR remains zero following the government announcement. The move was discussed and approved in the NPCI steering committee meeting.
NPCI to remove multiple charges like interchange fees, payments service provider (PSP) fee, and switching fees.A bank, which used to get MDR from merchants for facilitating the payments, would pay interchange fees to the issuer bank and then pay a switching fee to the network NPCI along with a price to PSPs like PhonePe or Google-Pay. Most banks have stopped ATM expansion and might also allocate less money towards POS (point-of-sale) expansion. The MDR became zero, it was inevitable that the interchange fee also became zero, industry experts.
Unified Payments Interface Is an instant real-time payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India facilitating inter-bank transactions.
7. BSF to soon be armed with anti-drone system for border near Jammu and Kashmir
BSF troops guarding the 200-km-long International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir will soon be armed with an anti-drone system. Anti-drone systems will soon be put in place along the IB in Jammu-Samba-Kathua belt to foil any attempt by Pakistan to effect a drone intrusion in future.
The system should be capable of detecting a lone suspicious flying object or group of UAVs (swarm attack) from a distance and should be capable of detecting a target within 10 seconds.
8. India-Bangladesh joint military exercise begins in Meghalaya
As part of the ongoing Indo-Bangladesh defence cooperation, a joint military training exercise Sampriti-IX has been started in Meghalaya. The ninth edition exercise is scheduled to be conducted at the state-of-the-art Joint Training Node at Umroi Cantonment, about 25 km from Shillong, and will conclude on February 16.
The exercise Sampriti is an important bilateral defence cooperation endeavour between India and Bangladesh and will be the ninth edition of the exercise which is hosted alternately by both countries.The main aim of the 14-day long exercise is to train counter terrorism to armies of the both countries. The training will culminate with a final validation exercise in which troops of both armies will jointly practice a Counter Terrorist Operation in a controlled and simulated environment.
9. Pensioners can submit life certificates from home at nominal rates
The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has instructed all pension disbursing banks to provide the facility of submission of life certificate through a chargeable doorstep service. In order to avail this service, senior citizens will have to pay ₹60. These instructions were issued in a circular dated 17th January. This step is in addition to the order issued dated 18 July 2019 in which all pensioners aged 80 years and above have been given an exclusive window to submit their life certificate w.e.f. 1st October every year instead of 1st November every year.
Government pensioners are required to submit life certificate in November every year in order to continue getting their pension.In order to ensure that no pensioners are left out, the government has directed all banks to make a list on 1st December every year of those pensioners who fail to submit their life certificate and issue another SMS/Email to them for submitting the life certificate. Further while sending the reminders, the bank will also ask such pensioners through SMS/Email as to whether they are interested in submission of life certificate through a chargeable doorstep service.The Department has issued directions to all the pension disbursing banks to send SMSs/Emails to all their pensioners on 24th October, 1st November, 15th November and 25th November every year reminding them to submit their Annual Life Certificates by 30th November.
The Central Pension Processing Cells (CPPC) of the Pension Disbursing Banks shall now be duty bound to submit a report to DoPPW in the month of January, February & March respectively, indicating the total number of pensioners who have not given their Life Certificate along with a breakup of the Certificates submitted physically and through Digital means.
In addition to it, the pensioners can also submit a Digital Life Certificate or Jeevan Pramaan every year by 30 November. Digital Life Certificate or Jeevan Pramaan is a biometric-enabled digital service for pensioners. This service can be availed without being physically present at the pension disbursing agency or have the Life Certificate issued by the authority.
10. Gadkari launches special edition Khadi watches by Titan
Union minister Nitin Gadkari launched the limited edition of Khadi wrist watches manufactured as part of a joint initiative by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission and Titan.
Priced at Rs 5,000 apiece, the watch sports a silver dial displaying the Charkha with the hand woven signature fabric in the background and on the straps. The grey-black texture of the watch depicts the timeless significance of the watch.
11. Revival in sight: Economic Survey pegs FY21 GDP growth at 6-6.5%
The 2019-20 Economic Survey forecast real gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 6-6.5 per cent for the fiscal year 2020-21 (FY21), saying growth has been rebounding from the second half of FY20, and will continue to be on the uptick in the coming year.The Survey said the Centre will have to relax the fiscal deficit target for FY20.
The Survey was tabled in Parliament a day before Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the 2020-21 Union Budget. It was drafted by Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian and team. These figures were first reported by Business Standard in December.
12. Drone census conducted in India
The Ministry of Civil Aviation had conducted the 1st-ever drone census in India. The scheme ‘Voluntary Disclosure of non-compliant Drones Flying in India’ was opened till Jan 31. Now, only authorised retailers are allowed to sell drones after uploading buyers’ KYC and sale invoice. The exercise aims to give the government a picture of who owns what kind of drone in which part of the country.
13. IAF AN-32 Lands at LEH with Indigenous Bio-Jet Fuel
IAF achieved a milestone, when an AN-32 aircraft of the Indian Air Force, powered with a 10% blend of Indian bio-jet fuel, took-off from Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport, Leh. It is the first time that the bio-jet indigenous fuel-powered both engines of the aircraft. The aircraft was flight tested, and its performance was validated at Chandigarh Air Base before undertaking the operational flight to Leh.
This successful test flight demonstrates IAF’s capabilities to absorb newer technology while sponsoring indigenization. The technology to produce this fuel was developed by CSIR-IIP in 2013 but could not be tested and certified for commercial use due to a lack of concurrent aviation test facilities in the country. In 2018, the IAF sponsored this project and channelized its human and material resources for the complete range of fuel testing. Bio-jet fuel is produced from non-edible ‘Tree Borne Oils,’ grown and procured from the tribal areas of Chhattisgarh state. IAF’s efforts would assist in reducing carbon footprint and India’s dependence on crude imports.
Awards
1. Republic Day: Jammu and Kashmir Police gets maximum 108 gallantry medals, CRPF 76
The Jammu and Kashmir Police has been given the maximum number of gallantry honours with 108 medals, followed by the CRPF 76, on the occasion of the 71st Republic Day. The Union Territory police, thickly involved in counter-terrorism operations in the Kashmir Valley, has also bagged three top President's Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) while one has been accorded to the CRPF (posthumously). A total of 105 Police Medals for Gallantry (PMG) and three PPMG have been given to the JKP followed by 75 PMG to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) that is also deployed in the UT for counter-terror duties.
Jharkhand Police has been given 33 PMG.The medals are declared biannually on the eve of Republic Day and Independence Day.
2. Padma Awards 2020 Announced
Padma Awards - one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; ‘Padma Bhushan’ for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.
These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March/ April every year. This year the President has approved conferment of 141 Padma Awards including 4 duo cases (in a duo case, the Award is counted as one) as per list below. The list comprises 7 Padma Vibhushan, 16 Padma Bhushan and 118 Padma Shri Awards. 33 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 18 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 12 Posthumous awardees.
3. Padma Shri awardee Rani Rampal 1st hockey player in world to win 'World Games Athlete of the Year' award
Indian women's team captain Rani Rampal became the first-ever hockey player worldwide to win the prestigious 'World Games Athlete of the Year' award.The World Games announced the winner after 20 days of polling by sports fans worldwide. Last year, India won the FIH Series Finals, and Rani was named Player of the Tournament. Under Rani's leadership, the Indian women's team qualified for just the third Olympic Games in its history.
4. Assam tableau won first prize at 71st Republic Day parade
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh gave away Best Tableaux awards for Republic Day Parade 2020. The event took place in New Delhi. Assam's tableau, which portrayed the unique craftsmanship and culture of the state chosen as the best tableau, followed by Odisha and Uttar Pradesh tied for the second position. The Assam tableau showcased various dance forms of the country, especially the Bhortal dance of Assam.
Events
1. Nagoba Jatara Concludes In Telangana
The month-long Nagoba jatara festival concluded in Telangana’s Adilabad district. It is an annual tribal festival celebrated by Mesaram clan of Gond tribes who assemble at Keslapur village temple in the Adilabad district of Telangana from other parts of the state and from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha, Chattisgarh, and Jharkhand.
It is the second-largest Adivasi festival in Telangana after Sammakka Sarakka Jatra which is a biennial festival organized at Medaram.
The members of the Meshram clan perform holy rituals to the sacred deity of Nagoba during the Jatara.
Before the puja, Gonds purify the temple with Ganga Jal or Godavari water from a spot called Hasina Madugu which is believed to be the site where Nagoba deity quenched his thirst after consuming naivedyam.
An important part of the celebrations is called ‘bheting’, through which new brides are incorporated into the clan. All those who are married into the clan during the last year need to meet clan deities through Bheting to be able to enter the deity’s temple.
Gusadi dance performed by Gondi dancers during the celebrations is a major attraction.
The thanksgiving and the ceremony of betel (which involves the performance of martial arts using swords) mark its conclusion.
Gond tribes
These are one of the largest tribal groups of India numbering over 13 million, spread across various states in the mainland.
They are subdivided into several regional clans and speak mostly Gondi language which is a part of the Dravidian group of languages.
Madhya Pradesh has the largest population of Gondi people.
They are designated as Scheduled tribes in most of the states.
Rankings
1. West Bengal emerges at the top in vegetable production
West Bengal has emerged as the top state in the country in vegetable production in 2018-19, according to horticulture production data released by the Central government recently. West Bengal witnessed a production of 29.55 million tonne (MT) of vegetables during 2018-19 which was the maximum in the country in that period, said the state-wise horticulture production data.Uttar Pradesh was in the second place with 27.71 million tonne of vegetable production in the same period.
2. China Ranked World’s Second Largest Arms Producer Trailing Behind US
In a new report, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), said that China is now the world’s second-largest arms producer, ranking behind the United States and ahead of Russia. And in 2014-18, the five largest arms exporters were the United States, Russia, France, Germany and China—in that order.At the United Nations, China is a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, along with the US, UK, France and Russia.
According to SIPRI, China has invested considerably in the modernization of its arm industry since the 1960s, and particularly since 1999.
One of its primary aims is to be self-reliant in the production of advanced weapons and technologies for its armed forces. Based on estimated arms sales in 2015–17, SIPRI has identified four major Chinese arms companies as the front-runners.The four have been identified as Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO), China Electronics Technology Group Corporation CETC) and China South Industries Group Corporation (CSGC).
These companies are ranked behind the world’s four biggest arms producers: Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon—all based in the US.
3. Bengaluru has the worst traffic in the world: Report
Bengaluru is the world's most traffic congested city. According to a report by TomTom, the Netherlands-based global provider of navigation, traffic and map products, India’s startup hub beat 415 other cities across 57 countries to earn the title in 2019.The live tracking system indicated there are currently 291 traffic jams in the city, running up to 145.7 km. In 2019, a commuter spent an additional 243 hours in traffic while driving during peak hours. The report said during the time spent on roads, these people could have planted 244 trees, watched 215 episodes of Game of Thrones or watched 139 football matches.
Manila in the Philippines came a close second, with a similar average time spent by commuters in traffic.Mumbai, Pune and New Delhi were the other Indian cities that also featured in top 10, taking fourth, fifth and eighth places respectively.
4. Assam tops in best budgetary practices followed by Odisha,AP & Manipur at bottom: TII survey
According to the survey 3rd edition “Transparency In Budgetary Process Report” conducted by Transparency International’s India (TII), Assam tops in the ranking of best practices followed by states in budget formulation with a score of 70.Assam was followed by Odisha (2nd with the score of 66) & Andhra Pradesh (AP) (3rd with the score of 64).While Manipur ranked bottom with the score of 25.This survey is based on four parameters which includes public disclosure, budgetary process, post budget fiscal management and efforts to make budget more transparent and citizen friendly.The survey classified the states in various categories including opaque (0-45 score), low level of transparency (46-60), medium level of transparency (61-75), transparent (76-90) and highly transparent (91-100).The survey also recommends to enhance the budget transparency and accountability in state-wise. They include better use of information, communication & technology for transparent financial management, strengthening institutions involved in the budgetary process, formulate plans for citizen’s engagement in budgetary processes among others.
Sports News
1. Meet Bala Devi, India’s First Woman Footballer To Bag A Professional Contract
Ngangom Bala Devi, the star player from the Indian women’s football team, became the first Indian woman footballer to bag a professional contract with the Scottish club Rangers FC. The 29-year-old who hails from Irengbam, a small village near Imphal, created history by becoming the first Asian international to join Rangers Women FC. The move was facilitated by the Indian Super League club Bengaluru FC.
2. Goa 2020 National Games unveils 'Rubigula' as mascot
'Rubigula', Flame-Throated Bulbul, has been unveiled as the official mascot for the Goa 2020 National Games. The Flame-Throated Bulbul is the state bird of Goa.Goa will be hosting the 36th edition of the National Games from 20th October to 4th November 2020.The event will see participation by 36 states and union territories, 12,000 + athletes, officials and will host 37 sports disciplines across 24 venues in Goa.
the 36th National Games will begin in Goa from October 20 to November 4. More than 12,000 athletes, as well as officials, will participate in the tournaments.
