1. NITI Aayog Releases Second Edition of India Innovation Index
- NITI Aayog released the second edition of the India Innovation Index on 20 January 2021, along with the Institute for Competitiveness.
- The report examines the innovation capabilities and performance of the states and union territories.
- The innovation index ranking is based on five enabler parameters (‘Human Capital’, ‘Investment’, ‘Knowledge Workers’, ‘Business Environment’, ‘Safety and Legal Environment’), and two performance parameters (‘Knowledge Output’ and ‘Knowledge Diffusion’).
- In the ‘Major States’ category, Karnataka occupied the top position, followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu respectively.
- In UT and city states category, Delhi topped followed by Chandigarh.
- Under the ‘North-Eastern/Hill States’ category, Himachal Pradesh emerged as the top state.
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DRDO Develops Special Motor Bike Ambulance ‘Rakshita’ for CRPF
- The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has launched a bike-based casualty transport emergency vehicle,’RAKSHITA’ for the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
- The specially designed bike has been developed by the DRDO’s Delhi-based laboratory, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS).
- RAKSHITA’ bike ambulance will help the Indian security forces to reach urgent evacuation sites in event of a medical emergency or battle injury, where access through ambulance is difficult and time consuming.
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Flt. Lt. Bhawana Kanth to become the first Woman Fighter Pilot to take part in Republic Day Parade
- Flight lieutenant Bhawana Kanth, who is one of the first women fighter pilots to be inducted in the IAF, will create a historic moment when she will become the first woman fighter pilot to take part in the Republic Day parade on 26 January 2021.
- Kanth will be the part of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) tableau in the parade.
- The IAF tableau will showcase mock-ups of the light combat aircraft, light combat helicopter and the Sukhoi-30 fighter plane.
- Currently Kanth is posted at an airbase in Rajasthan where she flies the MiG-21 Bison fighter plane.
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India & Singapore sign pact on submarine rescue support during 5th Defence Ministers’ Dialogue
- The 5th edition of theDefence Ministers’ Dialogue (DMD) between India and Singapore was successfully held on 20 January 2021 through a video conference, in an effort to deepen military cooperation.
- During the meeting, the ‘Implementing Agreement on Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation’ was signed between the two Navies.
- The agreement was signed between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Singaporean counterpart Dr. Ng Eng Hen.
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15th India Digital Summit 2021 held virtually
- The two-days India Digital Summit 2021, one of the biggest conference for the digital industry, was organised on January 19 and 20, 2021, through virtual platform.
- The 2021 marked the 15th edition of the annual Summit. The event was inaugurated by the honourable Chief Guest Union Minister for Communications, Electronics & IT and Law & Justice, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad.
- The theme of the 2021 Summit was ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat – Start of New Decade’
- India Digital Summit is the flagship event of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
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ICICI Bank launches ‘InstaFX’ mobile app to help customers obtain Forex Prepaid Card swiftly
- ICICI Bank has launched a new mobile application ‘InstaFX’ for authorised money changers, on January 20, to help customers of any bank get ‘ICICI Bank Forex Prepaid Card’ swiftly.
- ICICI is the bank is the first in the country to offer such facility to money changers.
- A money changer is a person or organization whose business is the exchange of coins or currency of one country, for that of another.
- The ‘InstaFX’ app will enable the authorised money changers, who are partners of the Bank, to complete the KYC verification and validation of customers digitally and on a real-time basis.
- The ‘ICICI Bank Forex Prepaid Card’ gets activated swiftly within a few hours, as against the industry practice of up to two-days, thus it will significantly improve customer convenience, even if they are not customers of ICICI bank.
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Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju assigned additional charge of Ministry of AYUSH
- The Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports (Independent Charge) and Minister of State, Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, has been given the additional charge of the Ministry of AYUSH.
- He has been assigned the portfolio on temporary basis till the treatment of the Union Minister Shripad Y Naik, who met an accident on January 11.
- The 68-year-old Shripad Yesso Naik, was holding the portfolio as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH); and Minister of State in Ministry of Defence.
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Goa CM Pramod Sawant releases book ‘Manohar Parrikar – Off The Record’, by author Shri Waman Subha Prabhu
- The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recently released a book titled ‘Manohar Parrikar – Off the Record’ , written by senior journalist Shri Waman Subha Prabhu.
- Through this book, the author narrates the multi-faceted personality of late Parrikar, based on the collection of memories held by Waman Prabhu who happened to be with late Parrikar during the journey of his life.