United Nations (UN) Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)
United Nations (UN) Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) will be organized in Gandhinagar, Gujarat begins 17 Feb and will conclude on February 22.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the United Nations (UN) Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) through video conferencing
Topics such as the impact of infrastructure development on the migratory patterns of animals will be discussed in the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS COP13).
Pakistan launches nationwide anti-polio campaign
Pakistan on February 17 launched a countrywide anti-polio campaign to vaccinate about 39.6 million children under the age of five in the country as the government appealed to the people for their support to eradicate the crippling disease.
According to the World Health Organisation, Pakistan is one of the three countries, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, where polio is still endemic.
Attempts to eradicate the disease have been seriously hampered by deadly targeting of vaccination teams in recent years by militants, who oppose the drives, claiming the polio drops cause infertility.
The Kashi Mahakal Express
The Kashi Mahakal Express that links three Jyotirlingas in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
It was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi
It had a seat reserved for Lord Shiva.
The train will cover 1,131 km between Varanasi and Indore via Lucknow
Isro plans to launch 10 surveillance satellites in 2020-21
With the country’s security in mind, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is gearing up to launch an unprecedented 10 earth observation satellites with space surveillance feature during 2020-21
to keep an eye on terror launchpads along the borders, checking infiltration and keeping an eye on China’s naval activities in the Indian Ocean Region
The 10 earth observation (EO) satellites include the high-tech Geo Imaging Satellite Gisat-1 that has the capability to do real-time earth imaging
The other EO satellites include highly advanced radar imaging satellites RISAT-2BR2, RISAT- 1A and 2A (with high agility X-band synthetic aperture radar), Oceansat-3 and Resourcesat-3/3A & SA. Risat satellites with high-spatial resolution will provide all-weather, day and night imaging services from space.
14 MoUs for military spares and support signed
14 MoUs were signed between Indian and Russian companies for setting up joint ventures covering a range of equipment from modern T-90 tanks to legacy Pechora air defence systems.
development, production and manufacture of small spacecraft for remote sensing
air defence missile systems like Tunguska, Kavadrat, the OSA-AKA, Pechora air defence system as well as the Shilka self-propelled air defence gun system
U.N. chief Antonio Guterres’ Kashmir mediation offer rejected by India
India has rejected the latest offer by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, saying that it would only discuss the matter bilaterally.
Mr. Guterres will also travel to the Kartarpur gurudwara and see the pilgrim corridor with India, which he described as a “unique experiment in cross-border ties”.
Munich security conference 2020
The world’s leading forum for debates on international security policy
The 56th Munich Security Conference took place from February 14-16, 2020 at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday met U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference and discussed bilateral relationship ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to India this month.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa of Portugal state visit to India.
India and Portugal on signed seven agreements to boost cooperation in areas of investment, transport, ports, culture and industrial and intellectual property rights.
Prime Minister Modi visited Portugal in June 2017 during which 11 agreements were signed covering a large number of areas including space, avoidance of double taxation, nano-technology, biotechnology and higher education.
Portugal and state of goa will sign an MoU on augmenting water supply and sewerage management.
World’s first yoga university outside India
The Vivekananda Yoga University (VAYU) has established its initial campus in Los Angeles with a budget of $5 million.
VAYU would facilitate collaborative research, credit transfers and joint programmes with multiple premier universities across the world.
Remote voting system
Election Commission of India working on remote voting system with IIT-Madras to be providing the technology.
The model of an Aadhaar-linked electronic voting system that would enable electors to cast their votes from any part of the country — irrespective of where they are registered to vote — or even abroad, is being prepared for the Election Commission of India by the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M)
It will be a system for two-way remote voting in controlled environment using blockchain technology. The system can’t work in isolation. It will have to be integrated with our ERO Net so if a person votes remotely, the electoral roll will reflect that
The ECI had used a one-way electronic system for service electors for the first time in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Centre working to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025
The Centre is working to eliminate tuberculosis from the country by 2025 and Mission Indradhanush is already operational for the purpose
Launched in 2014, Mission Indradhanush is a health mission of the central government seeking to drive towards 90 per cent immunisation coverage in the country.
By the end of 2022 centre propose to set up 1.5 lakh health and wellness centre all over the country.