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Harvest festival ‘Magh Bihu’ celebrated in Assam

January 21, 2020

Magh Bihu, an auspicious harvest festival, is being celebrated in Assam. People begin the day by gathering at a temple and offered prayers, recited mantras and beat up the drums. They also took a walk around the bonfire.

There are three Bihu- Rongali Bihu, Kati Bihu, and Magh Bihu. On this day various special dishes are made to enjoy with families. Magh Bihu falls in the local month of ‘Magh‘ during mid January. It is also called ‘Bhogali Bihu‘ as it is celebrated with community feasts after the annual harvest takes place.

The highlight of this festival is the food, which is made from the abundance of grains after the harvest. The night before Magh Bihu, is called ‘Uruka‘ meaning the night of feasts. The villagers make bamboo huts called ‘Bhelaghor‘ or community kitchen where they begin with the preparations for the festival.

India attracted $49 billion FDI in 2019, among top 10 recipients

January 21, 2020

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on Monday said that India was among the top 10 recipients of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in 2019, attracting $49 billion in inflows, a 16% increase from the previous year, driving the FDI growth in South Asia. The majority went into services industries, including information technology.

China, the second largest recipient, saw zero-growth in FDI inflows. Its FDI inflows in 2018 were $139 billion and $140 billion in 2019. The FDI in the UK was down 6% as Brexit unfolded. The global foreign direct investment remained flat in 2019 at $1.39 trillion, a 1% decline from a revised $1.41 trillion in 2018.

Inflows into Bangladesh and Pakistan declined by 6% and 20%, respectively, to $3.4 billion and $1.9 billion. This is against the backdrop of weaker macroeconomic performance and policy uncertainty for investors, including trade tensions.

Motion to ratify 126th Constitutional Amendment passed by Haryana Assembly

January 21, 2020

Following footsteps of Assam, Bihar, now, the Haryana Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a motion to ratify the 126th Constitutional Amendment to extend reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Punjab for another 10 years.

After passing the ratification, Speaker Gian Chand Gupta adjourned the Vidhan Sabha. The session of the assembly was held to pass a resolution ratifying the bill cleared by both Houses of Parliament.

Not only Assam, the state of Bihar also ratified the Constitution (126th) Amendment Bill, extending quota to SCs/STs in Lok Sabha and state legislatures by another 10 years. Whereas, the state of West Bengal is also looking forward to ratify the bill.

New appointments as Joint Secretaries in various departments

January 21, 2020

The Centre appointed senior bureaucrats Rajeev Singh Thakur and Shantanu as Joint Secretaries in the newly-created Department of Military Affairs headed by Chief of Defence Staff, CDS General Bipin Rawat. Rajiv S Thakur, a 1995 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of Rajasthan Cadre will have a tenure till December 2022 while Shantanu, a 1997 batch Tripura Cadre IAS officer has been appointed to the post till March 2024.

A total of 31 IAS officers have been appointed as Joint Secretaries in different Central Government departments which includes:

  • Odisha Cadre IAS officer Vishal Gagan will be Joint Secretary of Department of Defence for a tenure of five years.
  • Assam Cadre  officer Ashutosh Agnihotri has been appointed Joint Secretary in Home Ministry.
  • Jammu and Kashmir Cadre officer Ashok Kumar Parmar will be Adviser in Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • Bharat Khera, 1995 batch Himachal Pradesh Cadre officer has been appointed Joint Secretary in Cabinet Secretariat. 
  • Vimalendra Anand Patwardhan, an officer of Indian Audit and Accounts Service, has been named as joint secretary and financial adviser in ministry of civil aviation
  • IAS officer Nagaraju Maddirala will be joint secretary in the coal ministry.
  • S Suresh Kumar has been appointed in department of commerce
  • Puneet Agarwal has been appointed as joint secretaries in dept of defence production
  • Vineet Mathur will be Joint Secretary, department of consumer affairs
  • Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officer Sanjukta Mudgal has been appointed as joint secretary in culture ministry.
  • IAS officer Tanmay Kumar has been appointed joint secretary in the power ministry.
  • Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer Hari Ranjan Rao will be joint secretary, department of telecommunications for five years.

Lt General S K Saini Appointed as Vice Chief of Indian Army

January 21, 2020

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Command Lt General Satinder Kumar Saini relinquished the command of Southern Army. He has been appointed the Vice-Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army. The post fell vacant after Lt Gen MM Naravane was elevated to the post of Chief of Army Staff.

The appointment was made by the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) headed by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and this was the first order of a senior military appointment made through DMA.

He had also served as the Deputy Chief Military Personnel Officer in UN Mission in Iraq, attended an exercise on peacekeeping conducted by the Global Peace Operations initiative in Mongolia and a counter-terrorism exercise in Australia.

Besides, the commander has played a crucial role in undertaking massive flood relief and rescue operations in 34 districts spread over five states, including Maharashtra. Over 45,000 people of these states were moved to safe locations during the operations.

Government approves appointment of heads of 4 PSBs

January 21, 2020

The government approved the selection of heads of four public sector banks (PSBs) – State Bank of India (SBI), Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda and Bank of India.

The appointments committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Department of the Financial Services for appointment of Challa Sreenivasulu Setty as the MD of SBI for a period of three years. He is currently serving as the deputy MD of the SBI.

Sanjiv Chadha has been appointed as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bank of Baroda. Chadha, who is at present Deputy Managing Director in State Bank of India, has been appointed to the new post for a period of three years.

Lingam Venkata Prabhakar, Executive Director in Punjab National Bank, will be MD and CEO in Canara Bank. His tenure, from the date of assumption of charge on or after February 1, will be till December 31, 2022.

Atanu Kumar Das has been appointed as the MD and CEO in Bank of India for a three-year term. He is at present working as the Executive Director in the same bank.

IMF cuts India’s growth rate for 2019-20 further

January 21, 2020

The number of agencies revising India’s growth estimate is increasing, with the latest being the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF on Monday slashed India’s GDP growth rate to 4.8 per cent for the current fiscal and 5.8 per cent for 2020-21.

The agency also said that a more subdued growth forecast for India accounts for the lion’s share of the downward revisions in global forecast. In its update to the World Economic Outlook, the agency lowered the growth projection for entire Asia from the October forecast.

The growth markdown largely reflects a downward revision to India’s projection, where domestic demand has slowed more sharply than expected amid stress in the non-bank financial sector and a decline in credit growth.

ECI gets ‘Award of Excellence’ for cVIGIL and Voter Helpline App

January 21, 2020

‘cVIGIL‘ and ‘Voter Helpline App’ — two innovative ICT applications of the Election Commission of India, developed in-house, have won the eGovernance ‘Award of Excellence’ for the year 2019. These awards were given by the Computer Society of India (CSI), Special Interest Group on e-Governance (CSI SIG e-Gov) at KiiT, Bhubaneswar.

Dr Kushal Pathak, Director, ICT and CISO, ECI and Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha, Sushil Kumar Lohani, received the award on behalf of the Election Commission. cVIGIL empowers citizens to report the Model Code of Conduct violations such as bribery, free gift, liquor distribution, playing loudspeakers beyond the permissible time during the elections. Voter helpline App with 16 crore downloads has taken roots as a major tool for citizen empowerment.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw awarded highest Australian civilian honour

January 21, 2020

Biocon chairperson and managing director Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has been awarded the Order of Australia, the country’s highest civilian honour, for her significant contribution towards advancing bilateral relationship with Australia.

The recognition is given to foreign nationals who have made an outstanding contribution to Australia or humanity at large. Ms. Mazumdar-Shaw is the fourth Indian to receive it after master batsman Sachin Tendulkar in 2012, former Attorney General of India, Soli Jehangir Sorabjee in 2006 and Mother Teresa in 1982.

Australia’s High Commissioner to India Harinder Sidhu invested Mazumdar-Shaw as an Honorary Member within the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division at a ceremony in Bengaluru.

India International Leather Fair to be held in Chennai from January 31

January 21, 2020

The 35th edition of India International Leather Fair (IILF) will be held from January 31 to February 3 in Chennai. The event will be organised by the Indian Finished Leather Manufacturers and Exporters Association. It will provide an insight about the latest trends and designs in the industry. The highlight of the event will be the Leather Fashion Show scheduled to be held on February 2.

From raw material to finished products like leather footwear, garments and fashion accessories will be showcased at the event. Stakeholders like raw material suppliers, manufacturing equipment suppliers and tanneries will participate in the event and showcase their products.

About 450 exhibitors will display their products during the show. Apart from public, the fair will provide an exposure to the industry people about the latest technology, equipment and trends in the market.

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren honoured with ‘Champion of Change Award’

January 21, 2020

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was honoured with the “Champion of Change Award-2019” for his work in the Barhait and Dumka assembly constituencies in the state. Former president Pranab Mukherjee gave the award to Soren at a function in New Delhi.

Soren, who had won the Dumka seat in 2009, was defeated in the following assembly elections but regained it in the recently-concluded polls. Soren, who also won the Barhait seat for the second consecutive term, dedicated the award to his father Shibu Soren and the people of Jharkhand.

Book on jurist Nani A Palkhivala released

January 21, 2020

A book of essays and reminiscences on Nani A Palkhivala has been released to mark the birth centenary of the noted jurist and economist. The book was released on January 16.

The book, commissioned by the Nani A Palkhivala Memorial Trust, is published by LexisNexis publicat and edited by senior advocate Arvind Datar. All the royalties from the book will go to the trust.

The book, ”Essays and Reminiscences”, is primarily divided in two parts — essays written in honour of Palkhivala on a variety of subjects and reminiscences of those who knew and interacted with the late jurist closely.

Some of the prominent contributors to the book include former RBI Governor Raghuram G Rajan, industrialist Ratan N Tata, jurists Fali S Nariman, Soli J Sorabjee and K Parasaran and Justice (retired) S Ranganathan.

W.V. Raman released his book ‘The Winning Sixer’

January 21, 2020

Former India cricketer and the current coach of the Indian women’s team, Woorkeri Venkat Raman’s book ‘The Winning Sixer’ was unveiled by Indian cricketer Abhinav Mukund at Higginbothams in Chennai. The book is published by Rupa Publications, India.

Anil Radhakrishna Kumble a former India Captain, P.Madhavan, Executive Vice-President, TVS Tyres and Rahul Dravid (former Indian Cricketer) were also present at the book launch event. Raman revealed that in the book he has focused more on his journey to the top rather than just the winning moments from the lives of successful people.

During a session moderated by cricket journalist V. Balaji, Raman spoke about the leadership potential within every individual. Introspecting his own cricketing life and his interactions with various sportspersons from the yesteryear, the book sees him bring out his perspectives on one’s ability to lead and the importance of leadership.

Veteran Congress leader Shamsher Surjewala passes away

January 21, 2020

Veteran Congress leader Shamsher Singh Surjewala passed away on Monday following prolonged illness. He was 87. Surjewala, father of party leader Randeep Surjewala, breathed his last at the AIIMS hospital in Delhi.

Shamsher Surjewala remained a five-time MLA and one-time Rajya Sabha MP. He was also the former president of the Haryana Congress and a former minister. He was a president of the Haryana Krishak Samaj and fought for the rights of farmers.

14th Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards held in New Delhi

January 22, 2020

President, Ram Nath Kovind, presented the 14th Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards at a ceremony held in New Delhi. The awardees were selected by a jury constituted of members including Tom Goldstein (Professor and Dean, Jindal School of Journalism & Communication, O P Jindal Global University), S Y Quraishi (Former Chief Election Commissioner), Pamela Philipose (journalist and Senior Fellow at the Indian Council of Social Science Research) and Justice B N Srikrishna (Former Supreme Court judge).

The Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award was instituted in 2016. It honours those journalists from print, broadcast and digital media who have maintained the highest standards of their profession and, despite immense challenges, produced work that sustains public trust in the media and impacts the lives of people. The awards are meant to felicitate those who hold their pen for truth.

‘Champions of Change Award’ clinched by Sparsh Ganga initiative

January 22, 2020

Environmentalist and social activist Arushi Nishank was honoured with the Champions of Change Award 2019 in the second edition of the Champions of Change Award held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on January 20. She received the award for her initiative towards cleaning and saving river Ganga, the Sparsh Ganga initiative.

The award is given under the transformation of Aspirational District Program which was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year in January. The program identifies the progress of 115 ‘aspirational’ districts whose development is being monitored by NITI Aayog.

Other recipients of the award were actor Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, actor Suresh Oberoi for Culture and Lok Sabha MP Geeta Koda for Aspirational. Telugu film producer Allu Arvind, Minister of State Finance & Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur and Deepa Venkat of Swarna Bharat Trust (Andhra Pradesh), won the award for Social Welfare.

RBS India appoints Punit Sood as its head

January 22, 2020

Punit Sood has been appointed as the head of RBS India, the technology and operations hub of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). In this role, Punit will be building the organisation’s strategic capabilities, supporting the bank to achieve its goals.

Punit was earlier appointed as the Head of Technology India, where he shaped the India Technology business to function as a centre of excellence for RBS. Previously, he was serving as the advisor of Cornerstone Venture Partners Fund, a technology-focused global VC (Venture Capital) funds.

Bank of England picks Andrew Bailey as new governor

January 22, 2020

The British government on Friday named 60 year old, Andrew Bailey, the head of the Financial Conduct Authority, to be the next chief of the Bank of England. Mr. Bailey, who worked at the central bank for over 30 years before leaving to run the financial watchdog in 2016, will succeed Mark Carney.

As head of the Financial Conduct Authority, Mr. Bailey has extensive oversight experience. The regulator said it was investigating the misuse of a Bank of England audio feed that allowed investors to hear comments from news conferences before they were available to the public.

Mr. Bailey will begin his eight-year term on March 16. Mr. Carney, who had previously said he would leave on Jan. 31, will now stay on until March 15. He will be tasked with keeping the country’s economy on an even keel and responding to the fallout from the departure, known as Brexit.

IIM Kozhikode hosts ‘Globalising Indian Thought’ conclave

January 22, 2020

An International Conclave on ‘Globalising Indian Thought’ was held from 16th to 18th January, 2020. The conclave was hosted by The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM Kozhikode). The three-day Academic conclave was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, through video conferencing, witnessing representations from renowned academicians, public figures and the presentation of more than 100 world-class research papers.

IIM Kozhikode embraced Globalizing Indian Thought as its institutional mission a decade ago. Over the years, the Institute has fostered and nurtured various elements of Indian ethos in management and leadership. The conclave was the perfect platform for the congregation of academics discussing India’s contribution to the world and how India as a country can re-imagine itself and re-shape worldviews in the current context.

Indian flight surgeons to be trained by France for Gaganyaan mission

January 22, 2020

France will train Indian flight surgeons to enable them to monitor the health of astronauts selected for the ambitious human space mission. The two-week training is a critical aspect of the Gaganyaan project that is aimed at sending three Indians to space by 2022. The flight surgeons, who will be Indian Air Force doctors specialising in aviation medicines and responsible for the health of astronauts before, during and after flight, will be shortlisted soon. Those shortlisted will then undergo two weeks training in France.

Brigitte Godard, a flight surgeon with the European Space Agency, was in India in July and August last year to start the training of physicians and engineers. France has a well-established mechanism for space medicine. It also has the MEDES space clinic, a subsidiary of CNES, where space surgeons undergo training. The four shortlisted astronauts — all test pilots from the Indian Air Force — are currently in Russia for an 11-month training programme. India and France share robust ties in the area of space.

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