NATIONAL NEWS
India Withdraws MFN Status to Pakistan
Following the Pulwama terror attack, India withdrew the 'most-favoured nation' status to Pakistan, a move which would enable India to increase customs duty on goods coming from the neighbouring country. After the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the most-favoured nation (MFN) status to Pakistan stands revoked.
- India granted the MFN status to Pakistan way back in in 1996, but the neighbouring country has not yet reciprocated. The MFN status was accorded under WTO's General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Both India and Pakistan are signatories to this; and are members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which means they have to treat each other and the other WTO member countries as favoured trading partners in terms of imposing customs duties on goods.
PM Modi flags off 'Vande Bharat' semi-high speed train
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the maiden run of India's first semi-high speed train 'Vande Bharat Express' from New Delhi Railway Station. Vande Bharat Express can run up to a maximum speed of 160 kmph and has travel classes like Shatabdi Train but with better facilities in a bid to provide a totally new travel experience to passengers.
- The train, which is being seen as the next major leap for Indian Railways in terms of speed and convenience, will cover the distance between New Delhi and Varanasi in 8 hours taking stops at Kanpur and Allahabad.
Government launches PMAY-U mobile application
Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep S Puri said the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban (PMAY-U) Mobile App will allow beneficiaries to capture and upload high resolution photographs of completed houses along with their families. The App will also allow uploading of selfies of beneficiaries with their house and a 30 - 60 seconds video clip where beneficiaries share their stories of owning a house under PMAY (U).
- These stories would be an emotional recount of experiences such as increased self-esteem, sense of pride and dignity, improved social status, safety and security for the family, protected environment for the girl child, children’s education among others.
Jaitley resumes charge as Finance Minister
Union Minister Arun Jaitley resumed charge as finance minister after his return from the US. He attended the Cabinet Committee of Security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Pulwama terror attack.
- Arun Jaitley had stopped attending office last month and had gone to New York for medical treatment.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal was temporarily given charge of the finance and corporate affairs ministry.
Chandigarh's Hina Jaiswal becomes 1st Indian Woman Flight Engineer
Flight Lieutenant Hina Jaiswal from Chandigarh scripted history by becoming the first Indian Woman Flight Engineer to be inducted by the Indian Air Force. As a Flight Engineer, Hina would be posted to operational helicopter units of the IAF.
- On January 5, Hina was commissioned in the engineering branch of the IAF, where she served as the Chief of firing team and battery commander in a frontline Surface to Air Missile squadron.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Governor of West Bengal, Keshari Nath Tripathi launches book dedicated to Swami Pragyananandji at the Kumbh Mela
Famous industrialist and philanthropist Dinesh Shahra's book, 'Simplicity & Wisdom' was launched at Parmarth Ashram in the ongoing Kumbh Mela. The book is dedicated to Late eminent Vedanti Swami Pragananandji. The book was formally launched by Keshari Nath Tripathi, Governor of West Bengal, and Swami Chidanand Saraswati, Head of Parmarth Ashram.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
World Bank extends $40 mn loan for Shimla water supply
The Indian and Himachal Pradesh governments and the World Bank signed a $40 million loan agreement to help provide clean and reliable drinking water to the Greater Shimla area which has been facing severe water shortages and water-borne epidemics over the last few years.
- The Shimla Water Supply and Sewerage Service Delivery Reform Programmatic Development Policy Loan is expected to improve water supply and sanitation services in and around the iconic hill city of Shimla. The $40 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a four-year grace period and a maturity of 15.5 years.
SPORTS
Derrick Pereira named coach of India U-23 football team
Derrick Pereira was named head coach of the India U-23 team for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qualifiers slated to be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from March 22.
- Pereira, who is the technical director of Indian Super League (ISL) club FC Goa, will be in charge of the preparatory camp in Goa which kicks-off from March 2.
APPOINTMENTS
Indian appointed to high-level accounting post at UN
Chandramouli Ramanathan has been appointed as the world body's controller by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Ramanathan will simultaneously be the Assistant Secretary-General for Programme Planning, Budget and Finance in the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance.
- While serving as the Assistant Secretary-General for Enterprise Resource Planning, he was concurrently made the acting controller in September when Bettina Tucci Bartsiotas of Uruguay left the position.
P C Mody takes charge as new CBDT chief
Pramod Chandra Mody took charge as the new Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the apex policy-making body for Income Tax Department. So far, he was CBDT Member (Administration).
- Mody belongs to the Indian Revenue Service (batch 1981) and takes over from Sushil Chandra, who has been appointed as an Election Commissioner ahead of the general elections.
OBITUARIES
Manfred Eigen, German Nobel Prize winning Chemist passes away
Manfred Eigen, who shared the 1967 Nobel Prize in chemistry for showing how to measure the speeds of reactions that had seemed impossibly fast passed away. He was 91.
- Dr. Eigen was sometimes said to have measured the immeasurable. He was credited with helping to reveal the intimate details of chemical reactions that occur within time periods so brief as to seem all but nonexistent.
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