1. PM flags off the world’s longest river cruise – MV Ganga Vilas in Varanasi through video conference
The Prime Minister , Shri Narendra Modi , flagged off the world’s longest river cruise – MV Ganga Vilas in Varanasi through video conference and inaugurated the tent city . He also signed several other inland waterway projects worth over Rs.1000 crores.inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of In line with the Prime Minister’s endeavor to promote river cruise tourism, the launch of this service will begin to tap the vast untapped potential of river cruise and usher in a new era of river cruise tourism for India. Starting its journey from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, MV Ganga Vilas will travel approximately 3,200 km in 51 days crossing 27 river systems in India and Bangladesh to reach Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh. MV Ganga Vilas has three decks with all luxury amenities, 18 suites with a capacity of 36 tourists. In the first trip, 32 tourists from Switzerland are going for the entire trip. The MV Ganga Vilas Cruise has been designed to showcase the best of the country to the world. World Heritage Sites, National Parks, River Ghats and Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, The cruise is planned for 51 days visiting 50 tourist destinations including major cities like Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Guwahati in Assam. The trip will give tourists a wonderful experience and an opportunity to indulge in the art, culture, history and spirituality of India and Bangladesh. To tap the potential of tourism in the region, a tent city has been envisaged on the banks of river Ganga. This project has been developed facing the ghats of the city which will provide convenience of living in Varanasi especially after the inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath Dham and will cater to the increasing number of tourists. It has been developed by the Varanasi Development Authority in Public Private Partnership mode. The Prime Minister inaugurated the Haldia Multi Modal Terminal in West Bengal. Developed under Jal Marg Vikas Project, The Haldia Multi Modal Terminal has a cargo handling capacity of approximately 3 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) and the berth is designed to handle vessels up to approximately 3000 deadweight tonnage (DWT). The Prime Minister also inaugurated four floating community jetties at Saidpur, Chochakpur, Jamania in Ghazipur district and Kanspur in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh. In addition, the foundation stone of five community ghats was laid by the Prime Minister at Digha, Nakata Diyara, Barh, Panapur in Patna district in Bihar and Hasanpur in Samastipur district of Bihar. The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Maritime Skill Development Center for the North East in Guwahati. This will help in tapping the rich talent pool in the North Eastern region and provide better employment opportunities in the fast growing logistics industry. In addition to these, The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of a ship repair facility and an elevated road at Pandu Terminal in Guwahati. The ship repair facility at Pandu Terminal will save precious time, as it takes more than a month to transport a ship to the Kolkata repair facility and back.
2. Union Labor and Employment Minister Shri Bhupendra Yadav inaugurates EPFO Regional Office in Alwar District, Rajasthan
Union Minister for Labor and Employment, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Shri Bhupendra Yadav inaugurated the Regional Office of Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) in Alwar district of Rajasthan .inaugurated. About 2 lakh employees, 12,000 establishments and 8500 pensioners of Alwar and neighboring Bharatpur and Dholpur districts will be benefited by the opening of this regional office. The major industrial areas served by the regional office are Bhiwadi, Khushkheda, Tapukda, Karauli, Neemrana, Behror, Gheelot, Khairthal. Earlier, the workers of the above three districts had to travel for more than 150 kms to the Regional Office, Jaipur for their EPF related work as their problem could not be resolved due to limited work in the District Office, Alwar. After upgrading the District Office at Alwar to Regional Office, these workers will be able to enjoy all kinds of services including claim settlement at Alwar, thereby eliminating the need for them to travel to Jaipur and bringing EPFO closer to its stakeholders.
3. Session of Environment Ministers of ‘Voice of Global South Summit’ concludes
The Environment Ministers’ session was held virtually as part of the two-day ‘ Voice of Global South Summit ‘. The theme of the summit was “ Balancing development with an eco-friendly lifestyle ”. The session was attended by ministers from fourteen countries of the Global South. All the countries congratulated India for the G20 chairmanship and hoped for a positive outcome on topics related to blue economy, circular economy and land degradation. The Ministers noted that the problem of climate change is common to all countries, developed or developing, but the solution is not easy for developing countries because they lack technical and financial support. They underlined the role of South-South cooperation in tackling the challenges of climate change.
4. India’s first Center of Excellence in Online Gaming to be set up in Shillong – Minister of State Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar
The Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the Digital India Startup Hub , through the Software Technology Park of India, will set up India’s first Center of Excellence in Online Gaming in Shillong by March 2023 . The establishment of the Center of Excellence in Shillong is likely to encourage startups and entrepreneurs from across the North East region to build the next generation online gaming ecosystem.
5. Uttarakhand passed the Women’s Reservation Bill
Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Gurmeet Singh has approved a bill providing for 30% horizontal reservation for domiciled women citizens of the state in public services and posts . The bill known as the Uttarakhand Public Services (Horizontal Reservation for Women) Bill 2022 was passed by the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly on November 30 during the winter session. This step is an important step in the state government to ensure gender equality and social justice. The Bill provides for 20% horizontal reservation for direct recruitment to public services and posts in vacancies to be filled up to July 24, 2006. Thereafter, 30% horizontal reservation will be given in favor of women candidates permanently domiciled in Uttarakhand.
6. WEF released Global Risks Report 2023
The World Economic Forum ‘s annual ‘ Global Risks Report ‘ has highlighted the cost of living crisis as the biggest short-term risk, with climate change the biggest long-term threat. This year’s edition has been produced in association with professional services firm Marsh McLennan and Zurich Insurance Group . This report states that Russia’s war in Ukraine and the Kovid-19 epidemichas propelled the energy crisis, food shortages and inflation as the most pressing global issues. Governments are now working towards mitigating the impact of the crisis on the cost of living, while also trying to protect against rising inflation and reduce historically high debt burdens. The report states that the world must cooperate more effectively on climate mitigation and adaptation over the next decade to avoid “ecological breakdown” and continued global warming. Other risks include natural disasters, geo-economic conflicts, erosion of social cohesion, widespread cybercrime, large-scale involuntary migration, and natural resource crises, along with climate change. Cybercrime and migration also appeared as long-term risks.
7. World Bank released ‘Global Economic Prospects’ report
The World Bank has released its ‘ Global Economic Prospects ‘ report, which focuses on a variety of factors, including high inflation, high interest rates, low investment, and disruption caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The report warned that any additional negative events, such as a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic or rising geopolitical tensions, could push the global economy into recession. According to this report, the global economy is projected to grow by 1.7% in 2023 and 2.7% in 2024. Over the next two years, per capita income growth in emerging markets and developing economies is projected to average 2.8%.
8. Vidisha becomes the first district in India to deploy innovative 5G use cases proposed by startups on the ground
Vidisha , an aspirational district in Madhya Pradesh , is the first district in India to deploy innovative 5G use cases proposed by startups on the groundhas been made. It is a joint initiative of Vidisha District Administration and Center for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), Department of Telecom under the guidance of Additional Secretary (Telecom) and Administrator USOF. To accelerate the digital transformation across socio-economic verticals, the Department of Telecom, under the Telecom Startups and MSME Mission (TSUM) and 5G Vertical Engagement Partnership Program (VEPP), has launched digital communication technology- startups and SMEs to potential user communities i.e. State Governments, Smart The city, aspirational district, is facilitating support to vertical industries. Center for Development of Telematics (C-DOT-), Department of Telecom is a pioneer in emerging digital communication technologies, pioneer of “5G Use Case Incentive Pilot” and focusing on health, agriculture, dairy, education and skill development Vidisha (Aspirational District), to benefit the Vidisha community at large.
9. Indian Railways to start ‘Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist Train’ between Ayodhya to Janakpur
In order to realize the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical sites to the people of India and the world, Indian Railways will launch its Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist Train “ Shri Ram-Janki Yatra: Ayodhya to Janakpur Tak is going to embark on a very special journey that covers Ayodhya and Janakpur, two of the most important pilgrimage sites in the neighboring countries of India and Nepal . This tourist train February 17, 2023This initiative will start from New Delhi and this initiative will strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries and also promote cultural relations between the two countries. This tourist train will also include travel to Nandigram, Sitamarhi, Kashi and Prayagraj as additional attractions. There will be two nights stay in hotels in Janakpur and Varanasi respectively, while day halts will include travel to Ayodhya, Sitamarhi and Prayagraj towards the destination.
10. Indian Railways to run two Hockey Special trains in Odisha
Indian Railways will run two Hockey Special trains in view of the Men’s Hockey World Cup being held in Odisha . One train will run from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela and the other from Puri to Rourkela . Both the trains will run till 31st of this month.
11. Gujarat government announces a new policy to regularize unauthorized constructions inside GIDC industrial estates
The state government has announced a new policy to regularize unauthorized constructions inside industrial estates of the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation-GIDC . About 70 thousand industrial units will benefit from this. Industries Minister Balwant Singh Rajput has said that any unauthorized construction of micro, small and medium units on plots allotted in GIDC can be legalized by paying a specific fee. However, this will not be applicable to risky and objectionable industrial units. The fee for regularizing unauthorized residential construction between 50 to 300 square meters will be between Rs 3,000 and Rs 18,000. The rates for regularization of non-residential constructions will be doubled.
12. KVIC is organizing National Khadi Festival-2023 at Bhopal
In line with PM Modi ‘s vision to popularize Khadi , the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is organizing the National Khadi Festival-2023 in Bhopal . From 13 to 23 January in BhopalIn the ongoing National Khadi Festival, the materials of Khadi, Village Industries, Matikala and Banskala produced by different states will be available at one place. In the festival, products of weavers, weavers and other artisans working in the field of Khadi and village industries will be seen in the exhibition. About 90 units in the field of Khadi and village industries of Madhya Pradesh and 11 other states of Rajasthan, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu-Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat are participating in the Khadi Utsav. Different types of Khadi cloth, Mulberry silk, Muslin Khadi, Bhagalpuri silk, Matka silk, Kosa silk sarees and cloth, shawls, suits and readymade garments of all types of Khadi cloth will be available.
13. Anurag Kumar appointed CMD of Electronics Corporation of India Limited
Anurag Kumar was appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director of Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) . The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Kumar to the post up to the date of his superannuation i.e. 31.01.2026. According to an order issued from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Kumar has been appointed as CMD, ECIL, with effect from the date of his assumption of charge till the date of his superannuation. January 31, 2026 or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
14. Shanti Kumari appointed first woman Chief Secretary of Telangana
Following the Telangana High Court order, senior IAS officer A. Shanti Kumari was appointed as the Chief Secretary of Telangana . She is an IAS officer of 1989 batch. Shanti Kumari has become the first woman Chief Secretary of Telangana . After taking charge, the woman IAS officer (Ias Santhi Kumari) Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (Kcr) met. While earlier Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar has been sent to Andhra Pradesh. Prior to his appointment as Chief Secretary, IAS officer A.K. Shanti Kumari was holding the post of Special Chief Secretary, Forest.
15. Prince Harry releases his memoir titled “Spare”
Prince Harry , Duke of Sussex, a member of the British royal family , has released his memoir titled ” Spare “. The book was written with the assistance of American novelist J.R. Moehringer. The book is published by Transworld Publishers Ltd., a division of Penguin Random House.
16. Avani Chaturvedi will be the first woman pilot to participate in any aerial exercise on foreign soil.
For the first time , women fighter pilots of the Indian Air Force will be part of the Indian contingent for an aerial exercise outside the country . Avani Chaturvedi will be the first Indian woman pilot to participate in any aerial exercise on foreign soil . Squadron Leader Avani Chaturvedi is a Sukhoi-30 pilot and is part of the Jodhpur-bound contingent. By the way, two women fighter pilots of the country have conducted maneuvers with the army of many countries including the French Air Force. This is the first time for a woman air force to go abroad for maneuvers. These maneuvers are being conducted at the Hyakuri air base in Japan .
17. France captain Hugo Lloris retires from international football
France football team captain Hugo Lloris has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 36 . They have taken this decision three weeks after losing the final against Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Lloris made his international debut in November 2008 at the age of 21 in a friendly against Uruguay. He is also the most capped player for France in the World Cup. She surpassed Lillian Thuram’s record of 142 matches. Lloris was part of the France team in 145 matches including landing in the final. In the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, France lost the match to Argentina in a penalty shootout after a 3–3 draw through full time and then extra time. Argentina won the shootout over France 4–2.
18. Defense Ministry approves procurement proposals worth Rs 4,276 crore
The Central Government took a major decision to strengthen the combat capabilities of the armed forces along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China . Ministry of Defense has launched Helina Anti-Tank Guided Missile at a cost of Rs 4,276 crore.including approved three purchase proposals. Of these, two proposals are for the Army and the third for the Navy. The Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the proposals. The Defense Ministry said that the Defense Acquisition Council has given its consent for the procurement of Anti-Tank Guided Missile – HELINA, Launcher and other associated accessories, which will be fitted on the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH). The missile is an essential part of the process of arming the ALH to counter enemy threats. Its induction will strengthen the combat capability of the Indian Army.
19. Adar Poonawala honored with Dr. Patangrao Kadam Award
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis lauded vaccine maker Serum Institute of India (SII) and its CEO Adar Poonawalla for their contribution in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the country . Fadnavis said this at the inauguration of Bharti Super Specialty Hospital at Bharti Vidyapeeth . During this, Poonawala was first awarded the Dr. Patangrao Kadam Memorial Award .
20. Dhoni released Prof KK Abdul Ghaffar’s autobiography ‘Anjan Sakshi’
Former captain of the Indian cricket team Mahendra Singh Dhoni released the autobiography ‘ Anjaan Sakshi ‘ by renowned technocrat and educationist Professor KK Abdul Ghaffar . Incidentally, the book covers the disappearance of P. Rajan, an engineering student of Kozhikode REC, during the emergency period and the pressure exerted on him by the government and the police to influence him as a witness in the case. has been mentioned. The book contains many details about the case, both known and unknown to the society of Kerala.
21. BharatPe gets RBI nod for online payment aggregator
Fintech platform BharatPe said it has received in-principle authorization from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as an online payment aggregator (PA) , as it along with its former co-founder and managing director Ashneer Grover He is fighting a court battle in a Rs 88.6 crore fraud case. The company said that in-principle approval has been given to Resilient Payments Pvt Ltd, a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of Resilient Innovations Pvt Ltd (BharatPe).
22. National Human Trafficking Awareness Day 2023: 11 January
Every year January 11 is observed as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day . The day is meant to create awareness about human trafficking. The day aims to raise awareness of the plight of human trafficking victims and to promote and protect their rights. Although the entire month of January is already recognized as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, this day is specifically dedicated to awareness and prevention of the illegal practice.
23. Indian classical singer Pandit Mani Prasad passed away
Renowned Indian classical singer Pandit Mani Prasad has passed away. He was born on 4 November 1930 in Wardha, Maharashtra . Pandit Mani Prasad started his career from a musical family. He has been ranked as a top grade ‘ A Class ‘ artist by All India Radio and has also been a television artist in Doordarshan . In recent years, he was serving as a guru at Dr. Gangubai Hangal Gurukul in Hubli, Karnataka , where he was invited by the Government of Karnataka. He was awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in the year 2019 , Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Akademi Award ,Honored with Swarmani Award and other awards.
