1. PM flags off Vande Bharat Express train connecting Secunderabad to Visakhapatnam through video conference
The Prime Minister , Shri Narendra Modi , flagged off the Vande Bharat Express train connecting Secunderabad to Visakhapatnam through video conference . This train will be the eighth Vande Bharat Express to be introduced by the Indian Railways and the first to connect the two Telugu speaking states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh , covering a distance of about 700 km . It will have stoppages at Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry and Vijayawada stations in Andhra Pradesh and Khammam, Warangal and Secunderabad stations in Telangana.
2. India to set up a ‘Global South Center of Excellence’ to research development solutions for developing countries
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India will set up a ‘ Global South Center of Excellence ‘ to research development solutions for developing countries . He also called for human-centred globalization to address the concerns of these countries. The announcement was made during his opening remarks at the concluding session of the Voice of Global South Virtual Summit. In his address, Prime Minister Modi acknowledged that the challenges of COVID-19, rising prices of fuel, fertilizers and food grains and rising geopolitical tensions have adversely affected developing countries. He said these countries desire a globalization that does not create a climate crisis, a debt crisis, or trigger unequal distribution of vaccines or highly concentrated global supply chains.
3. Entire country to be covered by Doppler Weather Radar Network by 2025: Dr.Jitendra Singh
Union Earth Sciences Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has said that by the year 2025, the entire country will come under the purview of Doppler Weather Radar Network, through which accurate forecast of difficult weather conditions can be made. 148th Foundation Day of Indian Meteorological Department in New DelhiOn the occasion, Dr. Singh said that in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government, the Meteorological Department has taken active steps to increase the radar network in the last ten years and today its number has increased from 15 to 35. He informed that 25 more radars would be installed in the next two-three years. Dr. Singh inaugurated four Doppler systems for Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand block. He also inaugurated two hundred agricultural meteorological stations. Dr. Jitendra informed that 660 agricultural meteorological centers will be established by 2025 under agricultural meteorological services.
4. Two-day meeting of the G-20 Basic Working Group under the chairmanship of India in Pune
The first meeting of the G-20 Infrastructure Group begins in Pune . The theme of the two-day meeting is – Financing the Cities of Tomorrow for Inclusive, Robust and Sustainable Growth . In this meeting, the member countries of the Infrastructure Group, special invitees and international organizations will discuss issues related to basic facilities. The 2023 agenda for basic amenities will also be discussed under India’s chairmanship of G-20. 66 delegates from more than thirty countries are participating in the meeting. The meeting has been organized by the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
5. Think-20 meeting of G-20 begins at International Convention Center in Bhopal
The two-day Think-20 meeting of the G-20 begins at the International Convention Center in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh . Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will inaugurate the first Think-20 meeting in Madhya Pradesh . Global governance and life values will be discussed in the meeting.
6. India has announced to donate 12 thousand five hundred doses of pentavalent vaccine to Cuba.
India has announced to donate 12 thousand five hundred doses of pentavalent vaccine to Cuba . The pentavalent vaccine protects the child against 5 life-threatening diseases (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B and Hib). Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi made this announcement during her official visit to Cuba from 12th to 14th of this month. This was his first visit to Cuba. During the visit, Smt. Lekhi had productive talks with the Speaker of the Cuban Parliament, Esteban Lazo Hernandez. Both the leaders discussed development of indigenous vaccine for Covid and women empowerment.
7. The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum will begin on Monday in Davos, Switzerland.
The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum-WEF will begin on Monday in Davos, Switzerland, which will continue till the 20th of this month. The theme of this year’s Forum meeting is Cooperation in a Divided World, The meeting will bring together experts, academics, investors, political and business leaders to brainstorm solutions to the world’s complex problems. In these Russia Ukraine crisis, global inflation, climate change and efforts will be made to find innovative solutions to all these problems. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, South African President Cyril M. Ramaphosa, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Swiss President Several world leaders are participating, including President Alain Berset and Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin.
8. Culture Minister handed over 9th to 10th century Nataraja idol to the Archaeological Department at Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthan
Union Culture Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal has handed over the 9th to 10th century Nataraja idol to the Archaeological Department at Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthan . He told that till the year 2013 only 13 idols of ancient importance could be brought to India but after 2014 the Narendra Modi government has brought back 229 idols to India. The idol of Nataraja was stolen in the year 1998 from the Shiva temple at Baroli in Rawatbhata of Chittorgarh district. This idol is situated in the main temple of Barauli temple group Ghateshwar Mahadev .Was engaged in the lateral part of. In the year 2020, this statue was brought back to India from a private museum in London after a long legal process. Mr. Meghwal has also assured the construction of a ropeway on Chittorgarh Fort and connecting Chittorgarh with Bharatmala Yojana.
9. Brazil appoints Sonia Guajara as the first minister of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples
Brazil ‘s President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced Sonia Guajara as the first minister of the new Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, with a mandate to oversee policies ranging from land demarcation to health care . Sonia Guajajara is widely known as the leader of the main group of indigenous tribes of Brazil and a member of the Amazon Guajajara. He was also included in Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
10. America’s 28-year-old R Bonnie Gabriel crowned Miss Universe 2022
R’Bonnie Gabrielle of USA has won the 71st Miss Universe title . India’s Harnaaz Sandhu crowned her. The first runner up was Amanda Dudamel from Venezuela and the second runner up was Andrina Martinez from the Dominican Republic . This pageant took place in the city of New Orleans , USA . In this, 25-year-old Divita Rai represented India, who could not reach the top 5. She was eliminated in the evening gown round. 86 beauties from all over the world participated in this pageant. Karnataka25-year-old Divita Rai, a resident of Mumbai, is a model by profession. He has studied Architect. Presently she lives in Mumbai. Divita won the title of Miss Diva Universe 2022 on 28 August 2022 . R Bonnie Gabriel, 28, is a model, fashion designer and sewing instructor who makes the environment a priority in her work. She is the first American of Filipino descent to win Miss USA .
11. SBI in association with NeSL launches e-Bank Guarantee facility
State Bank of India (SBI) in association with National e-Governance Services Limited (NeSL) has launched e-Bank Guarantee (e-BG) facility . India’s largest lender said the facility will bring about a revolutionary change in the banking ecosystem, where bank guarantees are often used in large volumes. Using NeSL’s platform, bank customers and other beneficiaries will get e-Bank Guarantee instantly without additional verification.
12. COP28 Summit: UAE appoints Sultan Al Jabir as President of 28th Climate Conference
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has nominated Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber as the President for the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) . The conference will be held in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December this year. Sultan Ahmed’s appointment, following the direction of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan , comes at a time when the world is facing difficulties related to energy, food and water security. The announcement reflects the UAE’s leadership in climate action in the region and its work as a global proponent of renewable energy.
13. Non-residents of 10 countries, including the US, Canada and the United Arab Emirates, are allowed to transfer money using UPI.
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has allowed expatriates from ten countries, including the US, Canada and the United Arab Emirates, to transfer funds (digitally) from NRE (Non Resident External) or NRO (Non Resident Ordinary) accounts using UPI . Is allowed. NPCI said in a circular that it has been receiving requests to allow expatriates to use international mobile numbers for transactions in UPI (Unified Payments Interface).
14. Tripura State Government launches “Saharsh” special education program
Tripura State Government has launched “ Saharsh ” special education program to promote social and emotional learning . It was started as a pilot program in 40 schools in the state in August 2022, now it will be made available to all government and aided schools in the state. Its objective is to enable children to study with joy and enthusiasm. As per the Performance Grading Index, Tripura currently comes under Grade-I group. The state government has already trained 204 schools for the Saharsh curriculum while 200 more schools will be trained soon. Thirty assistant principals from different districts of Tripura were also happily selected to act as implementation ambassadors.
15. ICG Ship ‘Kamala Devi’, the last ship of the FPV series, was commissioned
Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ICG ship ‘ Kamala Devi ‘ was commissioned on 12 January in Kolkata , the capital of West Bengal . The Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) was designed, built and delivered by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Limited to the Indian Coast Guard. A passenger-cum-cargo ocean going ferry ‘ MV Ma Lisha ‘ built by the shipyard for the Republic of Guyana was also flagged off. This is the first such ship built by a Defense Public Sector Shipyard for export to a Latin American country.
16. 2022: World’s fifth hottest year
According to US scientists , the world’s average global temperature is now 1.1C to 1.2C higher than in pre-industrial times . Last year was the joint fifth warmest on record . This puts the 2015 Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5C at serious risk . NASA reports that temperatures are rising by more than 0.2C per decade, putting the world on track to exceed the 2015 Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C to avoid the most catastrophic consequences. The changing climate is set to fuel extreme weather across the planet in 2022. Europe suffered its hottest heat wave on record, while floods in Pakistan killed 1,700 people and ruined infrastructure.
17. India beat Sri Lanka by 317 runs to register biggest win in ODI history
India beat Sri Lanka by 317 runs in the third and final ODI in Thiruvananthapuram to clinch the series 3-0. This is the biggest win in the history of ODI cricket so far . In response to the target of 391 runs, the Sri Lankan team was reduced to just 73 runs in 22 overs. Mohammad Siraj took four wickets for India. Earlier, electing to bat after winning the toss, India scored 390 runs for five wickets in fifty overs. Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 166. This is Kohli’s 46th ODI and overall 74th century. Shubman Gill scored his second career century by scoring 116 runs. Kohli was adjudged Player of the Match and Player of the Series.
18. Indian Meteorological Department Foundation Day: 15 January
January 15, 2023 is the 148th Foundation Day of the Indian Meteorological Department . It started in 1875 . Ministry of Earth Sciences on this dayThe Indian Meteorological Department functions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The Indian Meteorological Department performs important work in weather forecasting services in the country, which is very important for the country’s agriculture and horticulture. Five observatories of the Indian Meteorological Department have been recognized by the World Meteorological Organization, these observatories are located in Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram and Panjim. Apart from this, the Indian Meteorological Department was praised globally for the accurate forecast of cyclone named Fani. In August, 2019 CDES (Centralised Data Entry System) replaced DATEN9 software. 91 observatories and 40 airports are using this system.
19. Army Day: 15 January
January 15 is celebrated as Army Day in India . On the occasion of this day, honor is given to the contribution of martyr brave soldiers working in the defense of the country. Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa took over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher (the last British Commander-in-Chief of India) on 15 January 1949 , hence Army Day is celebrated on 15 January. 75th Army Day celebrations were held in Bengaluru . This is the first time that the event was organized outside the national capital.
