Focus Merit

Category: National Current Affairs

Greenpeace report: Jharia most polluted city, Delhi reduces air pollution

January 22, 2020

According to a Greenpeace India report – Jharia, the coal-belching town in Jharkhand continues to be the most polluted city in India, while Delhi has made marginal improvement in reducing its air pollution level.

Jharkhand’s Dhanbad, known for its rich coal reserves and industries, is the 2nd-most polluted city in India while Delhi is the 10th-most polluted city in India

Six of the top-10 polluted cities are in Uttar Pradesh — Noida, Ghaziabad, Bareilly, Allahabad, Moradabad and Firozabad. Mizoram’s Lunglei is the least polluted city in the country.

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.

‘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.

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.

12th National Tribal Youth Exchange Programme to begin in Puducherry.

January 19, 2020

A week-long National Tribal Youth Exchange Programme will begin in Puducherry. The 12th edition of National Tribal Youth Exchange Programme being arranged with a view to ensure development and empowerment of the tribal youths.

Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Director of NYKS N. Nataraj informed that two hundred youths from Naxal-affected districts of Chattisgarh will be taking part in the programme. Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Dr Kiran Bedi will inaugurate this Programme.

The programme is being jointly organized by the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and Puducherry Government. They will be visiting many places to know about the language, customs, culture, arts, dressing patterns, food pattern and other aspects of Puducherry.

NIC sets up ‘Centre of Excellence in Blockchain Technology’ in Bengaluru

January 19, 2020

National Informatics Centre (NIC) has set up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Blockchain Technology in Bengaluru, which will provide Blockchain as a service and allow stakeholders to benefit from shared learning, experiences and resources. The Union Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has stated that the country is witnessing digital transformation as most of the State Governments are adopting technologies widely in their governance.

The Centre for Excellence will provide world-class blockchain services to government by identifying and sharing suitable data for the use of government departments. Around 16,000 courts have been transformed as e-courts in India and technologies related to Direct Benefit Transfer and e-scholarship developed by NIC have been widely accepted by people as they are user-friendly.

New Delhi: CM releases ‘Guarantee card’ ahead of Assembly Polls

January 19, 2020

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday released a “guarantee card” listing 10 promises, including free bus rides for students and deployment of ‘mohalla marshals’ for women’s safety, that his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will fulfil if it is re-elected in Delhi.

The card, “10 guarantees of Kejriwal“, also promises to continue the scheme for free electricity up to 200 units, free health facilities, to plant two crore saplings, clean Yamuna river and reduce pollution in Delhi over the next five years.

He will launch a comprehensive manifesto in 7-10 days which will have more things specifically for students, teachers, among others. The “guarantee card” also promises more than 11,000 buses and to increase the length of the Delhi Metro network to over 500 km.

National Immunization Day observed in India

January 19, 2020

On January 19, 2020, the National Immunization Day (NID) was observed all over India as a part of Pulse Polio Programme, 2020. Around 17.4 crore children of age less than 5 years were administered polio drops to sustain polio eradication in India. India has eradicated polio completely in 2012.

The National Immunization Day are one of the four strategies that are recommended by the WHO to eradicate polio completely. According to WHO, the NID has to be conducted twice a year at a gap of 2 to 4 weeks. The next round of National Immunization Day is to be held in March 10.

RBI Ranks 6th among central banks in buying gold abroad in 2019: WGC Report

January 19, 2020

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was the sixth largest gold buyer abroad in the year 2019, as per the World Gold Council (WGC) report titled, “World Gold Outlook 2020”. The RBI currently holds 625.2 tonnes of gold, which is 6.6 percent of its forex reserves.

RBI bought 7.5 tonnes of gold in October 2019, to increase its foreign exchange reserves to $450 billion. The central banks of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Poland bought more than India in 2019 respectively.

The report is a compilation of lists that rank 28 cities around the world to purchase luxury goods and services. Out of 28 cities, Mumbai was ranked as the cheapest city for purchasing luxury goods and services, while Hong Kong was found to be the most expensive.

New Delhi: President launches Pulse Polio Programme for 2020

January 18, 2020

President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday launched the Pulse Polio program by administering polio drops to children below five years at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The Pulse Polio programme will be held across the country on Sunday.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda was also present on the occasion. The president has appealed all the parents to administer the pulse polio drop to their children to keep them safe from the disease.

Polio booths have been set up across all states which will remain open from 9 am to 4 pm. The programme is a part of immunization drive of the Central Government to sustain polio eradication from the country.