1 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi started Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra from Visvema village in Kohima, Nagaland.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra from Visvema village in Kohima , Nagaland . Shri Rahul Gandhi paid floral tributes and paid tribute to the soldiers martyred during the Second World War in Nagaland while on duty at the Kohima battle site. At High School Junction Kohima, Shri Gandhi said that considering the importance of North-East in the country, Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra has been started from here. On this occasion, he also expressed his gratitude to the people of North-East.
2. The 7th India-International Ramayana Fair will be organized from 18 to 21 January in the Old Fort complex of Delhi.
The 7th India-International Ramayana Fair will be organized from 18 to 21 January in the Old Fort complex of the capital . This festival is based on the theme ‘ Connecting the world through Ramayana ‘. Various performances will be staged by Indian and international dance-drama troupes in this four-day festival. Organized by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the festival will include various exhibitions to showcase the rich traditional and handicraft artisans of India.
3. Record one crore pilgrims participated in Gangasagar fair
Gangasagar Mela in West Bengal will end on January 17 . So far this year, a record number of one crore pilgrims have participated in the Gangasagar Fair. January 16 is the first day of Magh according to the Bengali calendar. Local people are participating in Gangasagar bath.
4 Meghalaya awarded National Startup Award for Top Performing State for 2022
Meghalaya has been awarded the National Startup Award for Top Performing State for 2022 . This award was given to Meghalaya at the National Startup Day function. Last year also the state had received this award. A few years ago, Meghalaya was facing two adverse situations. On one hand, 72 percent of the state’s population was below 35 years of age, on the other hand, there was a lack of employment providing industries. Due to the visionary leadership of the Chief Minister, the state has created a unique identity in the startup eco system.
5 Global Cooperation Barometer Report 2024 released
The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently published a report on global cooperation trends in five key areas, including health and well-being. released a report assessingThe report found that before 2020, global health cooperation indicators were slowly but steadily improving . However, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic , global cooperation on health has begun to decline. Life expectancy at birth declined from 72.8 years in 2019 to 71 years in 2021 . This reversal has been largely attributed to COVID-19-related deaths as well as the diversion of health care resources. For example, less attention to malaria prevention and treatment programs led to an estimated 14 million more malaria cases and 69,000 more malaria deaths in 2020 than in 2019. After decades of improvement, the maternal mortality rate rose for the first time in 2020 to 152 deaths per 100,000 live births. 70% of estimated global maternal deaths that year occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. The increase in maternal mortality has been linked to disruptions in reproductive health services during the pandemic.
6 Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2023
The Government has launched the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration 2023 Scheme which is designed to acknowledge, recognize and reward the exemplary work done by civil servants across the country. The Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration Scheme has been amended to recognize the contribution made by civil servants in the overall development of the districts under the following schemes for the year 2023.
Category 1 – Overall development of districts under 12 priority sector programmes , 10 awards will be given in this category.
Category 2 – Innovative work in Central Ministries/Departments , States, Districts , 6 awards will be given in this category.
Registration for registration and submission of nominations on the PM Awards web portal has started on January 3, 2024. The last date for nomination will be 31 January 2024.
7 Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh launches MPLADS e-Sakshi mobile application for revised fund flow process under MPLADS scheme
Rao Inderjit Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MOSPI) launched MPLADS e-Sakshi mobile application for the revised fund flow process under MPLADS Scheme at Khurshid Lal Bhawan, New Delhi . The objective of the MPLAD Scheme is to enable Members of Parliament (MPs) to recommend works of developmental nature with emphasis on creation of durable community assets based on locally felt needs. The revised set of guidelines aims to broaden the scope of the scheme so that MPs are able to recommend developmental works as per the changing needs of the community; Emphasis was laid on improving the functioning, implementation and monitoring of MPLAD scheme.
8 Vice Admiral A N Pramod takes charge as Director General of Naval Operations
Vice Admiral AN Pramod took over as the Director General of Naval Operations (DGNO) on 15 January 2024 . AN Pramod, an alumnus of the 38th Integrated Cadet Course, Naval Academy, Goa, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 July 1990. The Flag Officer is a Cat ‘A’ Sea King Air Operations Officer and a communications and electronics warfare expert. He underwent Staff Course at DSSC Wellington (Nilgiris) and Naval Higher Command Course at NWC, Goa.
9 India signs an agreement for lithium exploration and mining project in Argentina
Ministry of Mines, Government of India has signed a contract with Mineral Videsh India Limited (KABIL) and Catamarca Minera y Energetica Sociedad del Estado (CAMYEN SE), a state owned enterprise of Catamarca Province , Argentina . signed an agreement on 15 January 2024 between Mineral Videsh India Limited (KABIL) and Catamarca Minera y Energetica Sociedad del Estado (CAMYEN SE), Catamarca, Argentina, a state An important achievement has been achieved by signing. The agreement was signed by Catamarca Governor Lic Raul Jalil, Catamarca Vice Governor Engr. It was signed in the presence of Ruben Dusso and His Excellency Marcelo Murua, Minister of Mines of Catamarca and His Excellency Dinesh Bhatia , Ambassador of India to Argentina.
10 Union Commerce and Industry Minister Shri. Piyush Goyal announces start of work on Trade Connect e-platform
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal chaired the second meeting of the reconstituted trade body held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi . He announced the launch of work on Trade Connect e-Platform , an intermediary platform that facilitates connecting Indian exporters and entrepreneurs with various stakeholders in international trade. The e-platform provides convenience for new and interested exporters to access markets, sectors, export trends, information on various regulations, information on benefits under free trade agreements, access to sector specific programs as well as trade related queries. It is expected to provide information related to.
11 Center constituted Unlawful Activities Tribunal to give decision in the case of declaring Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Jammu and Kashmir as an illegal organization.
The Center has constituted the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal to adjudicate on the case related to declaring Tehreek-e-Hurriyat , Jammu and Kashmir as an unlawful organisation. The tribunal headed by Delhi High Court judge Justice Sachin Dutta will look into whether there are sufficient grounds to declare the organization illegal. A notification in this regard has been issued by the Union Home Ministry. Recently the Ministry has declared Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Jammu and Kashmir group as an illegal organization.
Last year, more than 96 thousand tourists visited historical places of India through 12 Bharat Gaurav trains.
Last year , more than 96 thousand tourists got the opportunity to see India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places through Bharat Gaurav trains . Indian Railways has started operating tourist trains on theme-based circuits under the banner of ‘ Bharat Gaurav ‘ Tourist Rail. The journey coverage of these trains includes major tourist circuits like Shri Ram-Janaki Yatra: Ayodhya to Janakpur, Shri Jagannath Yatra, Garvi Gujarat Yatra, Ambedkar Circuit and North East. Under this scheme, the Ministry of Railways has emphasized on promoting domestic tourism through rail-based tourism with better quality coaches. It is also in line with the Government of India’s ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ and ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ initiatives to encourage domestic tourism.
13 World Economic Forum: Smriti Irani and Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurate V0 Lead Lounge in Switzerland
Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated the WeLead Lounge on Women Leadership during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos , Switzerland . On this occasion, Smriti Irani said that the Government of India has ensured women-led development in the country through its various schemes. Shri Puri said that India has now moved from a women-centric to a women-led development model and this development model is very favorable for GDP. The 54th edition of the annual meeting began yesterday amid growing concerns over global conflicts, climate change and deep-fakes.
14 The government has set a target of reducing road accident deaths by 50 percent by 2030.
The government has set a target of reducing the number of deaths due to road accidents by 50 percent by 2030. Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said this while addressing a national conference on road safety organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry – CII in New Delhi . He said that every hour 53 people get injured and 19 die in road accidents . Shri Gadkari said that road safety is the top priority of the government. The government has taken several steps to improve road safety. He talked about running a campaign to make people aware about road safety and bring about change in people’s behaviour.
15 Government imposed 50 percent export duty on sugarcane molasses, current rates of import duty on edible oils remain intact.
The government has imposed 50 percent export duty on sugarcane molasses . Molasses is a by-product of sugarcane, which is used in the production of alcohol . The Union Finance Ministry has issued a notification regarding imposition of export duty on this, which will come into effect from Thursday. The strategic step of imposing export duty has been taken so that the supply and demand of these materials can be regulated and domestic availability can be ensured. The Ministry has also retained the current rates of import duty exemption on crude and refined edible oils for one year till March 31, 2025. Basic import duty on refined soybean oil and sunflower oil was reduced from 17.5 percent to 12.5 percent. The aim of reduction in import duty on edible oils is to ensure their availability to consumers at affordable prices.
16 Vadnagar: India’s oldest living city
A joint study was conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (Kharagpur) and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), according to which even after the fall of Harappa , archaeological evidence of cultural continuity has been found in Vadnagar , Gujarat . This study challenges the notion of a ” Dark Age ” by providing archaeological evidence of cultural continuity in Vadnagar even after the decline of the Harappan civilization . Studies reveal evidence of ancient human settlement in Vadnagar as far back as 800 BC. As a result, it is being considered to be of the post-Vedic/pre-Buddhist Mahajanapada or elite republic period.