Vice President Venkaiah Naidu Inaugurates National Tribal Festival “Aadi Mahotsav” at Dilli Haat

1. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu Inaugurates National Tribal Festival “Aadi Mahotsav” at Dilli Haat

• The Vice President of India Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the National Tribal Festival “Aadi Mahotsav” on 1^st February, 2021 at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi.
• The Aadi Mahotsav 2021 is being organized from February 1-15, 2021.
• The Aadi Mahotsav – A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Culture, Crafts, Cuisine and Commerce – is an annual initiative being organized by TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs since 2017.
• The festival aims to familiarise the people with the rich and diverse craft, culture of the tribal communities across the country, in one place.
• The festival will comprise of display and sale of tribal art and craft, medicine & healers, cuisine and folk performances, in which around 1000 tribal artisans, artists and chefs from more than 20 States of the country shall participate and provide a glimpse of their rich traditional culture.

2. India gets its first Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management in Chennai

• A dedicated Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM) has been established at the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management(NCSCM), Chennai, an institution under the  Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• This was announced by Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Babul Supriyo on the occasion of the World Wetland Day on 2nd February 2021.
• The dedicated CWCM Centre would address specific research needs and knowledge gaps,  give a fillip to capacity development and cutting-edge research on wetlands of India, as well as aid in the application of integrated approaches for conservation, management and wise use of the wetlands.

3. UN World Tourism Organization Confirms 2020 as “Worst Year on Record”

• According to the latest global travel and tourism report ‘World Tourism Barometer’ released by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the year 2020 was the “worst year on record” in which the global tourism suffered the highest.
• The international arrivals in 2020 dropped by -74% year-on-year. This rate can be compared to the -4% decline recorded during the 2009 global economic crisis.
• In 2020, overall destinations worldwide welcomed 1 billion fewer international arrivals compared to 2019, due to the COVID-19 crisis, the related fall in demand and widespread travel restrictions.
• The report states that the collapse in international travel resulted in estimated loss of US$1.3 trillion in export revenues, which is more than 11 times the loss recorded during the 2009 global economic crisis.

4. Indian-Origin Bhavya Lal appointed as Acting Chief of Staff of NASA

• Indian-American Bhavya Lal has been appointed as the new Acting Chief of Staff of the US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
• Dr Lal will also serve as the senior advisor for budget and finance at NASA.
• Prior to this, Lal served as a member of the Biden Presidential Transition Agency Review Team for the agency and oversaw the agency’s transition under the administration of President Joe Biden.

5. Ford joins hand with Google to offer cloud-based data services

• United States-based Ford Motor Co has joined hands with Alphabet Inc’s Google to cooperate in software, artificial intelligence and cloud computing, to develop new consumer services and modernize internal operations.
• The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker has entered into six-year partnership with the tech giant, under which it will incorporate the Android operating system of the Google into its Ford and Lincoln vehicles starting in 2023.
• The customers of the Ford will get built-in Google apps, including its map and voice technology.
• The automaker will deploy Google artificial intelligence technology to improve the efficiency of vehicle development, supply chain and manufacturing operations.

6. Dalai Lama pens new book ‘The Little Book of Encouragement’

• Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has come out with his new book titled  ‘The Little Book of Encouragement’, in which he has shared quotes and words of wisdom to promote human happiness.
• The Little Book of Encouragement contains 130 quotes related to how to deal with the new realities of the panic-stricken world, combat rising extremism, polarity and climate change besides Dalai Lama’s views on Tibet.
• The book has been edited by Renuka Singh and published by Penguin Random House.

7. Former pacer Merv Hughes inducted into Australian Cricket Hall of Fame

• Former right-arm fast bowler Merv Hughes has been inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.
• The 59-year-old played 53 Tests and 33 ODIs for Australia in a career spanning from 1985 to 1994, during which he captured 212 Test wickets and 38 ODI wicket.