President Kovind lays foundation stone to Lakshadweep’s first Super Specialty Hospital at Kavaratti

1.Iran designate US armed forces and Pentagon as ‘terrorist entities’

The Iranian parliament approved a triple-urgency bill which designates the US army and the Pentagon as a terrorist entity.The Bill further requires the government to allocate 200 million euro to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force to take revenge for the US killing of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.

Iran’s IRGC’s Quds Force Commander General Soleimani and Iraq’s Popular Forces Commander Abu Mahdi al-Modandis, as well as eight other military men, were killed by the US Army. 

2.President Kovind lays foundation stone to Lakshadweep’s first Super Specialty Hospital at Kavaratti

President Ram Nath Kovind laid foundation stone to Lakshadweep’s first Super Specialty Hospital at Kavaratti.President who is on two days visit to the union territory assured special focus for the development of Lakshadweep and directed Lakshadweep Administrator to give special attention for the completion of Super Specialty Hospital.

Lakshadweep Administrator Dineshwar Sharma received the President at Agatti Airport.

President received guard of honour from a joint group of 160 different forces.

3.India’s GDP growth rate for 2019-20 estimated at 5%, says NSO

The Indian economy is estimated to grow at 5 per cent in 2019-20 as against 6.8 per cent in the previous fiscal.According to the first advance estimates of national income released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), the decline has been mainly on account of deceleration in manufacturing sector growth, which is expected to come down to 2 per cent in 2019-20 from 6.2 per cent in the year-ago fiscal.

The deceleration was also witnessed in sectors like agriculture, construction and electricity, gas and water supply.

Whereas, some sectors, including mining, public administration, and defence, showed minor improvement.

4.Gujarat to set up Vikram Sarabhai Children Innovation Center in state

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has announced the setting up of the Vikram Sarabhai Children Innovation Center (VSCIC).The aim is to identify, nurture and promote children’s innovation in the state.

As part of it a letter of intent was exchanged between Gujarat University and UNICEF.

Rupani was speaking during the felicitation ceremony of Children’s Innovation Festival (CIF) held at Swarnim Sankul in Gandhinagar.

Children’s Innovation Festival – CIF has been organized by Gujarat University Start-ups and Entrepreneurship Council (GUSEC) – an incubation centre set up by Gujarat University in partnership with UNICEF.

5.31st International Kite Festival launched in Ahmedabad

The 31st International Kite Festival has been launched at Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad.It will continue till 14th January- Makar Sankranti- the festival of Kites in different parts of the state.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has inaugurated the colourful kite festival, which is also attracting large number of foreign tourists in the state.

More than 140 kite flying experts from 40 countries are participating in this event.

International Kite Festival is being organized at nine other places across the state simultaneously including Statue of Unity- Kevadiya, Surat and Vadodara.

6.Delhi goes to poll on February 8

Voting for 70 members Delhi Assembly will be held on the 8th of next month and counting on 11th February.The notification will be issued on the 14th of this month and last date of nomination will be the 21st of January. 

Over 13 thousand polling stations will be set up for more than 1.46 crore voters in the national capital.

The term of current assembly will expire on 22nd of February.

In the 2015 Assembly elections, AAP had won 67 seats with 54.34 per cent vote share, while BJP grabbed 3 seats with 32.19 percent vote share.

7.J&K registers highest Inpatient Department care in country

Jammu and Kashmir has registered the highest Inpatient Department, IPD care in the country.According to the state-wise fact sheets released by National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC), New Delhi, overall all women in J&K are availing Antenatal Care (ANC) services.

As per the report, the 96 percent IPD care in rural areas of J&K is provided by Public Health Facilities which is highest against the country’s average of 85 percent.

8.Uber teams up with Hyundai on electric air taxi

US ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc and South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor have teamed up to develop electric air taxis.Uber and Hyundai, for instance, gave widely different timelines for commercialisation, underlying these challenges.

Hyundai is the first carmaker to join Uber’s air taxi project, which also counts Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences among its partner firms.

Hyundai will produce and deploy the vehicles while Uber will provide aerial ride-share services.

9.Ravindra Nath Mahto elected as Jharkhand Assembly Speaker

In Jharkhand, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislator Ravindra Nath Mahto from Nala constituency was unanimously elected as the new Assembly Speaker.Protem Speaker Stephen Marandi administered the oath to the newly elected Speaker of the State Assembly.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren wished the newly elected Speaker on taking up the new position.

10.First-ever Antar-rashtriya Yoga Diwas Media awards presented to 30 media houses for promoting Yoga

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar conferred the first Antarrashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman to 30 media houses in New Delhi.The Ministry had instituted the award in June last year to mark the contribution of media in spreading the message of Yoga.

Eleven awards were conferred under the category of Best Media Coverage of Yoga in Newspapers.

Eight awards under the category Best Media Coverage of Yoga in Television and 11 awards were conferred under the category Best Media Coverage of Yoga in Radio.