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By admin: Jan. 21, 2023

India's deepest metro station to be built at Pune Civil Court

Tags: State News

The city of Pune will soon hold the distinction of having the country's deepest underground metro station.

An overview of the news

• Pune's Civil Court interchange station will be 108.59 feet deep with a ceiling of 95 feet.

• It will be used as an interchange facility for an underground station on the Pimpri-Chinchwad-Swargate route and one elevated route on Vanaz-Ramwadi route and Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar line. 

• The metro will be completed in February 2023 and will start in March.

• The ceiling of the station will be so high that natural sunlight will fall on the floor of the station. Civil Court Station would be the only station with such a unique feature.

• The station is being developed as a commercial complex which will also have a bus station and other facilities.

• The station will be so large that 18 escalators will be required to cover it completely.

• Seven entry-exit gates will be installed at Pune Metro Civil Court station.

• Apart from the railway line, the headquarters of Pune Metro will also be built at the station.

Indian Embassy in Kathmandu organises 5 km marathon 'Run for Life' with theme of 'lifestyle for Environment'

Tags: National National News

With the theme of 'lifestyle for Environment', 5 km marathon 'Run for Life' was organised by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu on 21 January. 

An overview of the news

• Hundreds of college going students, human trafficking survivors, sportspersons, doctors and children participated in the marathon to promote running as a healthy lifestyle.

• On the occasion of Amrit Mahotsav celebrations of Independence in Nepal, Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava emphasised on adopting a healthy lifestyle.

• The Run for Life Marathon celebrates the diplomatic relations between India and Nepal as well as 75 years of India's independence.

• The marathon started from Pashupatinath temple complex and covered 5 km back to Pashupatinath in a duration of one hour.

• The Marathon winner was awarded a gold medal after completion of the marathon. 

• The Embassy of India in Kathmandu also organised a music concert 'Sangeet Sukoon'.

• The event was attended by Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

State DGPs and IGPs annual Conference

Tags: Summits National News

The three-day conference of heads of all state police forces and paramilitary organisations began in New Delhi on January 20.

An overview of the news

• PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval addressed the conference.

• Cyber security, war on drugs, and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir were among the top agenda items of the conference.

• Apart from this, border management, cross-border threats and maritime security were also discussed in the annual meeting.

• Other issues discussed included threat from Khalistani extremists, threat to economy, cryptocurrency, Maoist violence and Northeast insurgency.

• Around 350 top police officers of the country in the rank of Director General (DG) and Inspector General (IG) attended the conference. 

About the conference

• Till 2013, the annual meet was held in the national capital, in 2014, when the Modi government came to power, it was decided to hold the event outside Delhi.

• In 2014, the conference was held at Guwahati, Rann of Kutch in 2015, National Police Academy, Hyderabad in 2016, BSF Academy, Tekanpur in 2017 and Pune in 2019.

• Due to the Covid epidemic, in 2020 it was held virtually while in 2021 the conference was held in Lucknow.

G20's First Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) Meeting to be held in Bengaluru

Tags: Summits National News

The first G-20 Environment meeting under the G-20 India Presidency will be held at the Taj West End in Bengaluru during February 9 -11.

An overview of the news

• It has scheduled four meetings of the Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG), which will be hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

• India will chair the G-20 for one year till 30 November 2023.

• The forum will bring together G-20 member states, guest countries and international organisations invited by India.

• Through the Sherpa Track, 13 working groups and 2 initiatives will meet under the chairmanship of India to discuss priorities and provide recommendations.

Agenda of the meeting

• Promotion of Blue Economy along with Coastal Sustainability 

• Restoration of Degraded Lands and Ecosystems’ and ‘Enhancement of Biodiversity

• Strengthening of Circular Economy

17th Annual Education Report (ASER), 2022

Tags: Reports

Recently the 17th Annual Education Report (ASER), 2022 was released by NGO Pratham, which highlights the impact on education during the pandemic.

An overview of the news

• This survey has been conducted on such a large scale after the year 2018 by the Pratham Foundation.

• ASER has been conducted every year since 2005 in all rural districts of India. It is the largest citizen-led survey in India.

Key Findings of the Report

Enrollment Figures

• As per ASER 2022, the number of children enrolled in government schools is expected to increase from 65.6% in 2018 to 72.9% in 2022.

• The overall enrollment figure for the age group of 6 to 14 years is expected to increase from 97.2% in 2018 to 98.4% in 2022.

• Girls enrolled in school (age group 11-14) who do not go to school have also decreased. The number of such girls is expected to decrease from 4% in 2018 to 2% in 2022.

Literacy level

• The percentage of children in Grade 3 in public or private schools who were able to read at the Grade 2 level fell from 27.3% in 2018 to 20.5% in 2022.

• The percentage of children enrolled in grade 5 in public or private schools who can read at least a grade 2 level text fell from 50.5% in 2018 to 42.8% in 2022.

• According to the report, the percentage of students in classes 1-8 taking tuition classes is 30.5% in the year 2022, while this figure was 26.4% in the year 2018.

Basic Education and Arithmetic Skills

• In India, there is a decline in basic learning and arithmetic skills of young children in grade 3 and grade 5.

• Nationally, the proportion of children who can do splits is projected to increase from 44.1% in 2018 to 44.7% in 2022.

Other findings of the report

• According to the report, the average teacher attendance has increased from 85.4% in 2018 to 87.1% in 2022.

• The number of schools with girls' toilet facilities has increased from 66.4% in 2018 to 68.4% in 2022.

• There has been an increase in the number of schools having drinking water availability.

UNESCO dedicates International Day of Education 2023 to Afghan girls, women

Tags: Important Days International News

UNESCO has decided to dedicate the International Day of Education to be celebrated on January 24, 2023, to Afghan girls and women.

An overview of the news

• UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said that no country in the world should prevent women and girls from getting education and it is a universal human right that should be respected.

• The international community has a responsibility to ensure that the rights of Afghan girls and women are restored without delay.

• UNESCO and other international organisations should take concrete steps to address the issue of women and girls in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

• According to UNESCO, currently around 80 percent of Afghan girls and young women of school-age are out of school under Taliban rule, as they are denied access to secondary schools and universities.

• Since 15 August 2021, Afghanistan has barred girls from attending secondary school, restricted the freedom of movement of women and girls, and excluded women from most areas of the workforce.

About UNESCO

• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN).

• It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture.

• It is also a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), a coalition of UN agencies and organisations aimed at fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Headquarters: Paris, France

• Director General: Audrey Azoulay

• Founded: 16 November 1945 in London, United Kingdom

• The organisation has 193 members and 11 Associate members.

India surpasses China to become most populous country in the world

Tags: Reports International News

According to projections by the World Population Review (WPR), India has surpassed China as the world’s most populous nation.

An overview of the news

• As per WPR, India’s population was 141.7 crore as of the end of 2022.

• According to official announcements, India's population is a little over 5 million, compared to 141.2 million declared by China on 17 January.

• As per WPR estimates, India's population has increased to 142.3 crore as of January 18.

• India, with 50 percent of its population below the age of 30, is poised to be the fastest growing major economy in the world.

• According to WPR, although India's population growth has slowed down, it will still increase till at least 2050.

• India, the third largest economy in Asia, is currently self-sufficient in food production.

• India ranks second in terms of production of rice, wheat and sugar.

• Apart from being a major importer of edible oils, India is also the largest consumer of sugar.

• India is the third largest market for the purchase of crude oil, the second largest consumer of steel and gold.

• In addition, India is the third largest domestic aviation market in the world.

IIT incubated firm develops indigenous Mobile Operating System

Tags: Science and Technology National News

An IIT Madras incubated firm has developed an indigenous mobile operating system  'Bharos’ that can benefit India's 100 crore mobile phone users.

About Mobile Operating System 'Bharos’

• The software, named 'Bharos', can be installed on commercial off-the-shelf handsets.

• It was developed by JandK Operations Pvt Ltd (JandKops), a company set up by the IIT Madras Innovative Technologies Foundation.

• It provides a secure environment for the users and is a significant contribution towards 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.

• It provides access to trusted apps from organisation-specific Private App Store Services (PASS).

• A PASS provides access to a curated list of apps that have been thoroughly tested and have met certain security and privacy standards of organisations.

• Its users can be rest assured that the apps they are installing are safe to use.

• It comes under No Default Apps (NDA). That means users can't be forced to use apps they don't know about or can't trust.

• Bharos provides 'Native Over The Air' (NOTA) updates that can help keep devices secure.

• NOTA updates are automatically downloaded and installed on the device without the user needing to manually initiate the process.

Dhaka Marathon: Kenyan Stanley Bett Champion in male category, Bangriya Bharatsinh from India wins in South Asian category

Tags: Sports Sports News

The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Dhaka Marathon 2023 was held in the capital city Dhaka on 20th January.

An overview of the news

• The marathon was inaugurated by Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan. 

• Among the elite runners, 21 men and 17 women participated in the full and half marathon.

• Kenyan runner Stanley Kiprotich Bett became the champion of the marathon with a timing of 2 hours 8 minutes and 10 seconds. 

• He was followed by another Kenyan runner, Joseph Kayengo Muniwoki, who finished second with a timing of 2 hours 8 minutes and 50 seconds.

• In the women's sprint category, Bashanke Imoshe Billo (Ethiopia) emerged champion with a timing of 2:35:25 while Tekla Kirongo of Kenya came second in 2:35:29.

Indian performance

• Indian marathon runner Bangaria Vikram Bharatsingh clocked 2:18:28 in the South Asian men's section.

• He was followed by Anil Kumar Singh (India) with a timing of 2 hours 20 minutes and 30 seconds.

• In the South Asian female marathon runner category Pushpa Bhandari from Nepal came on top with a timing of 2 hours 48 minutes and 2 seconds while Mahamarakkalage Sujani Piumika Madumali Perera from Sri Lanka came second with 2 hours 48 minutes and 22 seconds. 

Full marathon, half marathon

• Runners cover a distance of 42.19 kilometres for a full marathon while a distance of 21.09 kilometres is required to be completed for the half marathon.

IPA, RIS sign agreement to set up Centre for Maritime Economy and Connectivity

Tags: National News

Recently an agreement was signed between the Indian Ports Association (IPA) and the Research and Information System (RIS) for Developing Countries to set up a center for maritime economy and connectivity.

An overview of the news

• The agreement was signed in the presence of the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal.

• The proposed Transshipment Port at Galathea Bay in Greater Nicobar in Andaman and Nicobar Islands will be beneficial for BIMSTEC nations.

• Thus the Prime Minister's Gati Shakti initiative will go beyond the shores of India where ports of neighbouring countries can also benefit.

Indian Ports Association (IPA)

• It was formed in 1966 under the Societies Registration Act.

• It functions under the supervisory control of the Ministry of Shipping.

• Its main task is to develop all the major ports.

Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS)

• Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) is a New Delhi based autonomous policy research institute.

• It specialises in issues related to international economic development, trade, investment and technology.

• It is envisioned as a forum for fostering effective policy dialogue and capacity-building among developing countries on global and regional economic issues.

Nick Walker is the new CEO of Vedanta Cairn Oil & Gas

Tags: Person in news

Cairn Oil & Gas, a Vedanta group company, announced the appointment of Nick Walker as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

An overview of the news

• Prior to this appointment, Nick Walker was President and CEO of Lundin Energy, one of Europe's leading independent E&P companies.

• Walker has more than 30 years of international experience, serving as a technology, commercial and executive officer in companies such as BP, Talisman Energy and Africa Oil.

Cairn Oil & Gas Company

• The Vedanta Group, led by industrialist Anil Agarwal, bought the company in 2011 from UK-based oil and gas exploration company Cairn Energy Plc (now Capricorn Energy Plc).

Vedanta Group

• It is a multinational company headquartered in London, England.

• Vedanta Limited is an Indian subsidiary of Vedanta Resources, the holding company of the Vedanta Group.

• It is into the business of Zinc-Lead-Silver, Iron Ore, Steel, Copper, Aluminium, Power, Oil and Gas.

• Chairman of Vedanta Group: Anil Agarwal

Wayanad becomes the first district in the country to provide basic documents to all tribals

Tags: State News

Kerala's Wayanad district has become the first district in India to provide basic documents and facilities like Aadhaar card, ration card, birth/death certificate, election ID card, bank accounts and health insurance to all tribals.

An overview of the news

• Wayanad district administration has achieved this feat by providing 1,42,563 services to 64,670 tribal beneficiaries as part of Akshaya Big Campaign for Document Digitization (ABCD) campaign.

• Ration cards to 15,796 families, Aadhaar cards to 31,252, birth certificates to 11,300, voter ID cards to 22,488 and digital lockers to 22,888 individuals have been provided through the ABCD campaign.

• The campaign was launched in November 2021 with the objective of ensuring basic documents for all citizens of Scheduled Tribe communities from Thondarandu Gram Panchayat.

Kerala first in other areas too -

• Recently Kerala was declared as the first state to enable digital banking service.

• Recently Dharmadum constituency of Kerala has become the first full library constituency in India.

• Recently Kollam district of Kerala has become the first constitution literate district in the country.

• India's first carbon neutral farm at Aluva in Ernakulam district of Kerala.

• Recently, Kerala has become the first state in India to implement a uniform price of gold across the state.

• Recently Kerala has become the first and only state in the country to have its own internet services.

Goa Manohar International Airport wins Best Sustainable Greenfield Airport Award

Tags: Awards

Goa Manohar International Airport (MIA) has been awarded the prestigious "Best Sustainable Greenfield Airport" award under Aviation Sustainability and Environment at the ASSOCHAM 14th International Conference.

An overview of the news

• The award was presented for "outstanding initiatives" taken by Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL) in implementing sustainability.

• The awards were presented to senior officials of GGIAL by Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Goa Manohar International Airport

• Goa Manohar International Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 11 December 2022

• Commercial operation was slated for January 5, 2023.

• The Union Cabinet on 04 December 2022 approved the renaming of the Greenfield International Airport at Mopa as 'Manohar International Airport - Mopa' in memory of late Manohar Parrikar, former Defense Minister and four-time Chief Minister of Goa.

Reliance Jio among the top 25 strongest brands in the world

Tags: Reports INDEX

Reliance Jio, India's leading private sector telecom service provider, has been included in the world's top 25 strong brands.

An overview of the news

• According to the latest 'Global 500-2023' report released by Brand Finance, Jio has emerged as the strongest brand in India and is ranked 9th among the 25 strongest brands in the world.

• Jio has been given a score of 90.2 in the Strong Brand Index.

• Brands like EY, Coca Cola, Accenture, Porsche and Google precede Jio in the list. Whereas giants like Apple, Amazon, Alibaba and Pepsi have been left behind by Reliance Jio.

• The index is prepared on the basis of certain parameters such as marketing spend, awareness, consideration, trust and market share.

Reliance Jio India's largest network

• With over 400 million subscribers, Reliance Jio is the largest mobile operator in India and the third largest in the world.

• Jio formally launched its 4G services on 5 September 2016.

• Chairman - Akash Ambani

• Headquarters - Mumbai

Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh constituted a seven-member committee to probe the allegations of sexual harassment

Tags: committee National News

A seven-member committee has been constituted by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to probe allegations of sexual harassment leveled by prominent wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

An overview of the news

• The Indian Olympic Association took the decision at its executive council meeting, which was attended by IOA president PT Usha and joint secretary Kalyan Choubey, besides sportspersons like Abhinav Bindra and Yogeshwar.

• The seven-member committee constituted by the IOA includes veteran women boxer MC Mary Kom, wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, archer Dola Banerjee and Indian Weightlifting Federation president Sahdev Yadav, besides two lawyers Talish Ray and Shlok Chandra and former shuttler Alaknanda Ashok.

What is the matter ?

• 30 wrestlers of India along with Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik made many serious allegations against the President of the Wrestling Association, Brij Bhushan Singh.

• Wrestlers have made many serious allegations against Brijbhushan like running the wrestling association in an arbitrary manner and not sending coaches with wrestlers in many competitions and threatening to protest.

• Vinesh Phogat has accused Brij Bhushan of exploiting girls.

• Wrestlers staged a sit-in at Delhi's Jantar Mantar for several days demanding formation of a committee to investigate the WFI president.

Wrestlers demand

• Urges IOA to immediately set up a committee to look into complaints of sexual harassment

• Demand to dissolve WFI.

• Wrestlers demand sacking of WFI president

• A new committee should be constituted in consultation with the wrestlers to look after the functioning of WFI.

Foundation Day of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura

Tags: State News Important Days

The foundation day of the three northeastern states Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya is being celebrated on 21st January.

An overview of the news

• Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya were granted full statehood on January 21, 1972 under the North Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.

Merger of Manipur with India:

• Manipur became a part of India from 15 October 1949 after the merger treaty on 21 September 1949.

• Manipur was made a Union Territory in 1956.

Merger of Tripura with India:

• Tripura was a princely state until its merger with the Indian Union on 15 November 1949.

• After the death of Bir Bikram Singh, the last Maharaja of Tripura on 17 May 1947, Maharani Kanchan Prabha (wife of Maharaja Bir Bikram) represented the state of Tripura and merged it with India.

Merger of Meghalaya with India:

• The rulers of the Garo and Khasi regions acceded to the Indian Union in the year 1947.

• Meghalaya was created as an autonomous state within Assam under the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act, 1969.