India
PM addresses the rally of NCC in New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the rally of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) at Cariappa Ground in Delhi on January 28, 2021. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and the Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force were present on the occasion.
Indo-French year of Environment launched
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on January 28, 2021 launched the Indo-French year of Environment with his French counterpart Barbara Pompili. The basic objective is to strengthen Indo-French cooperation in sustainable development, increase the effectiveness of actions in favor of global environment protection and give them greater visibility.
National Marine Turtle Action Plan launched
Considering the need to have a conservation paradigm for marine mega fauna and marine turtles, the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has released ‘Marine Mega Fauna Stranding Guidelines’ and ‘National Marine Turtle Action Plan’ in New Delhi January 28, 2021.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan addresses WEF’s event on Restoring Cross Border Mobility
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare addressed the event on Restoring Cross Border Mobility by World Economic Forum’s Common Trust Network on January 28, 2021 through video conference. The purpose of the event was to discuss the policies, practices and partnerships needed to reopen borders and enable essential travel, tourism and commerce in a safe and sustainable way.
India, Japan review progress of projects in Northeastern region
India and Japan on January 28, 2021 reviewed progress of various ongoing projects in the Northeastern region in areas of connectivity, hydropower, sustainable development and harnessing of water resources. The review was carried out at the fifth joint meeting of the India-Japan Act East Forum. The meeting was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Japanese Ambassador Suzuki Satoshi.
NSA Ajit Doval, his US counterpart Jake Sullivan held discussions
Indian National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and his American counterpart Jake Sullivan discussed continuing close co-operation in the Indo-Pacific region and promoting regional security, according to the White House.
PM Modi addresses WEF’s Davos Dialogue virtually
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Davos Dialogue via video conferencing on January 28, 2021.
Economy & Corporate
National Informatics Centre Services Inc. celebrates 25 years of its establishment
National Informatics Centre Services Incorporated (NICSI), a Public Sector Enterprise under National Informatics Centre (NIC), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), celebrated 25 years of its establishment on January 28, 2021. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice attended the event as the Chief Guest.
Suspension of scheduled international passenger flights extended till Feb 28
The coronavirus-induced suspension of scheduled international passenger flights has been extended till February 28, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on January 28, 2021. Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. But special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May and under bilateral “air bubble” arrangements with selected countries since July.
World
NZ and Vietnam top COVID-19 “performance index”
New Zealand and Vietnam were ranked the best performing countries in their response to the pandemic according to a COVID-19 “performance index” put together by the Lowy Institute, an Australian think-tank, which sought to assess the impact of geography, political systems and economic development in assessing outcomes. India ranked 86 out of 98 countries.
NZ and Denmark top Corruption Perception Index
India’s rank has slipped six places to 86th among 180 countries in corruption perception index (CPI) in 2020. For 2020, Transparency International (TI)’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) was released on January 28, 2021. The index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and business people. New Zealand and Denmark were ranked first.
World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day to be observed on Jan 30
January 30, 2021 will mark the second annual World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day, highlighting the global community’s commitment to ending Neglected Tropical Diseases that cause immeasurable suffering among the world’s most marginalized communities. India joins the world to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases. On this day the Qutub Minar will be lit up along with other landmarks across the world.
Oscar-winning actress Cloris Leachman passes away at 94
Cloris Leachman, an American actress whose career spanned more than seven decades, died on January 27, 2021 at the age of 94. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ‘The Last Picture Show’ in 1971.
