NATIONAL NEWS

AP CM Jagan to Unveil 125-ft Statue of Ambedkar in Vijayawada

Andhra Pradesh CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy unveiled the 206 feet tall statue of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar at Swaraj Maidan in Vijayawada on 19 January 2024.

The world's tallest statue of BR Ambedkar is in Vijayawada.

Ambedkar's 206 feet Mahashilapam, built by the Andhra Pradesh government in Vijayawada, is a symbol not only for the state but also for the country.

The world's tallest statue of Dr. Ambedkar unveiled in Vijayawada has been named 'Statue of Social Justice'.

It will be included in the list of top 50 tallest statues in the world.

The construction of this statue has been completely done under the Made in India project. It is constructed using approximately 400 tons of steel.

The tallest statue of Dr. Ambedkar outside India is in Washington, America. It was unveiled last year in 2023, which was named 'Statue of Equality'.

Boeing India Engineering and Technology Center Campus

Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the new state-of-the-art Boeing India Engineering and Technology Center (BIETC) campus in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Built with an investment of Rs 1,600 crores, the 43-acre campus is Boeing’s largest such investment outside the USA.

The Prime Minister also launched the Boeing Sukanya Program which aims to support the entry of more girl children from across India into the country’s growing aviation sector.

The Prime Minister took a walkthrough of the Experience Center and interacted with Sukanya beneficiaries.

The Prime Minister inaugurated the new state-of-the-art Boeing India Engineering and Technology Center (BIETC) campus in Bengaluru. Built with an investment of Rs. 1,600 crores, the 43-acre campus is Boeing’s largest such investment outside the USA.

Boeing’s new campus in India will become a cornerstone for partnership with the vibrant startup, private and government ecosystem in India, and will help develop next-generation products and services for the global aerospace and defence industry.

Prime Minister Lays Foundation Stone for Eight Projects Maharashtra

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of 8 AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) projects worth around Rs. 2,000 crores in Solapur, Maharashtra.

Shri Modi dedicated to the nation more than 90,000 houses completed under PMAY-Urban in Maharashtra and 15,000 houses of Raynagar Housing Society in Solapur, whose beneficiaries comprise thousands of handloom workers, vendors, power loom workers, rag pickers, Bidi workers, drivers, among others.

He also initiated the distribution of 1st and 2nd instalments to 10,000 beneficiaries of PM-SVANIDHI in Maharashtra during the programme.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Vice-Chair of UN FAO Committee on Fisheries

India has been elected as the Vice-Chair of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Committee on Fisheries (COFI) Management.

India's role in this committee as a representative of least developed and developing countries in the field of fisheries and management will determine the direction of the sector.

India will serve as a member of the global Bureau of Fisheries and Management for the first time in 57 years.

This will prove especially important in the case of artisanal and small scale fisheries.

The embassy also said that India will work as a member of the FAO Fisheries Bureau on ‘Capture Fisheries’ for the first time in 57 years.

India Launches Global Good-Gender Equity and Equality Alliance

India launched Global Good Alliance for Gender Equity and Equality, at the World Economic Forum Summit at Davos, Switzerland, held from 15 to 19 January 2024.

At the World Economic Forum's annual meeting, India participated in the spirit of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", ready to shape a common future marked by global cooperation,

The theme of the WEF summit is 'Rebuilding Trust'.

The idea of this new alliance emerged from the presidency of G20 India and its abiding commitment to the cause of women-led development as propounded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This new Alliance aims to bring together knowledge sharing, global best practices and investments in the identified areas of women's education, health, and enterprise.

The World Economic Forum came on board as a 'Network Partner' and Invest India as an 'Institutional Partner'.

This 'Alliance for Global Good- Gender Equity and Equality' is poised to be a force to reckon with on all gender-related issues given India's abiding commitment to Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – 'One Earth, One Family, One Future' along with its continued efforts towards "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Prayas".

 

BANKING

ICICI Bank Canada Launches ‘Money2India (Canada)’ Mobile Banking App

ICICI Bank Canada, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ICICI Bank Limited, has introduced its latest mobile banking app, ‘Money2India (Canada),’ providing Canadian customers with a seamless platform for 24/7 fund transfers to any Indian bank without the necessity of opening an account with ICICI Bank Canada.

The app offers a user-friendly interface for customers across Canadian banks, enabling instant and round-the-clock money transfers to any bank in India.

Users can send amounts of up to CAD 30,000 in a single transaction, enhancing flexibility and catering to various transaction needs.

The innovation streamlines cross-border transactions, offering convenience without the need for account opening, specifically with ICICI Bank Canada.

Customers of any bank in Canada can utilize the app, using their Visa or Mastercard debit cards for instant money transfers to India.

 

AWARDS & PRIZES

SCOPE Excellence Award for Digitalization

REC Limited, a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power and a leading NBFC, has been honored with the prestigious Scope Excellence Award in the category of Special Institutional Category (Digitalization).

The award acknowledges REC Limited's unwavering commitment to the digitalization of its workplace and the promotion of best practices in establishing a paperless office.

The award was presented by the Vice President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

Director (Finance), Shri Ajoy Choudhury and Executive Director (BDM), Shri Saurabh Rastogi of REC Limited graciously accepted the award from the Vice President of India at the ceremony.

This accomplishment underscores REC Limited's dedication to embracing technological advancements and fostering a culture of innovation within the organization.

The SCOPE Excellence Award recognizes and commemorates exemplary performances of Public Sector Enterprises.

Airport of the Year Award 2024

Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) Bengaluru was awarded the Best Airport of the Year award at the Wings India Awards 2024.

The award was given jointly to KIA Bengaluru and Delhi International Airport Limited.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia presented the awards.

Delhi International Airport (Indira Gandhi) was also recognised as the best airport in the civil aviation sector in the 4th edition of "Wings India Awards".

Mumbai and Delhi airports emerged as "Innovation" and "Sustainability Champions" respectively.

Apart from airports, awards were also given to airlines, with Vistara-Tata SIA Airlines Limited receiving the coveted title of Airline of the Year.

'Air India' topped for international connectivity, while 'IndiGo' was given the award in the domestic category.

‘Alliance Air’ was awarded the top honor for regional connectivity. While the Innovation Champion Award was given to: ‘Vistara’.

Air India Express wins award for sustainability.

 

DEFENCE

NATO's Biggest War Exercise- Steadfast Defender 2024

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is going to start its biggest exercise since the Cold War in the fourth week of January 2024.

This exercise named 'Steadfast Defender 2024' will be conducted till May 2024.

The main objective of this NATO exercise is to ensure that the US military can help its European allies in the event of a major war with Russia.

This exercise is especially important for the countries bordering Russia and the eastern part of NATO.

The main attractions of this great exercise of NATO include 90 thousand soldiers, 50 warships, 80 fighter jets, helicopters and drones and 1100 combat vehicles, 133 tanks and 533 infantry fighting vehicles.

The massive "Steadfast Defender" exercise will take place across multiple countries, underscoring NATO's commitment to collective defense and regional security.

 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Indian Immunologicals Launches Indigenous Hepatitis-A Vaccine

Indian Immunologicals Ltd. has launched the country's first indigenously developed Hepatitis A vaccine named 'Havisure'.

Indian Immunologicals Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

Vaccine HeaviSure represents an important step in the country's fight against hepatitis A.

The Havisure vaccine is at par with the world's leading vaccines sold by multinational companies.

Havisure is a two-dose vaccine. The first dose is given at the age above 12 months. Whereas the second dose is given at least 6 months after the first dose.

The Hyderabad-based company's vaccine approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) is effective in preventing the disease. It is recommended for children in routine vaccination.

The vaccine is also recommended for individuals who are at risk or traveling to areas with high Hepatitis A prevalence.

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