- On February 8, 2020, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated the first Disha Police Station. The police station is first of its king in AP. In December 2019, the Andhra Pradesh Government passed the Disha Bill, 2019. The bill aims to complete investigation of cases related to crimes against women within 7 to 14 days. It also prescribes death penalty under Section 376 of IPC (Indian Penal Code). Also, the act punishes crimes against children with 10 to 14 years of imprisonment.
- The India Africa Defence Ministers conclave was recently held along with the DefExpo in Lucknow. India and 50 African countries adopted the ‘Lucknow Declaration’ for enhanced cooperation at India – Africa Defence Minister’s Conclave.
- The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has handed over Sharang, the first 130mm M-46 artillery gun upgraded to 155mm to the Indian Army.It is manuf actured at ODF Kanpur. About Sharang: Sharang is the 130mm artillery gun ‘up-gunned’ to 155mm, 45 calibre up-gunning based on the Army’s tender.The gun’s range has now gone from 27km to over 36km with the upgrade. It also has more explosive capability and hence and more damage potential. This step will reduce the logistic trail of the Army as it does away with the need to carry 130mm shells and support equipment as the mainstay of the Army’s long range artillery is 155mm guns. Other artilleries of Indian Army: After close to three decades, the Army inducted its first modern artillery guns system in November 2018. These include M-777 Ultra Light Howitzers (ULH) from the U.S. and K9 Vajra-T self-propelled artillery guns from South Korea. The Army has the older, battle-proven Bofors 155mm guns in service. The 155mm Dhanush towed gun system, developed based on the Bofors guns by OFB, is under induction. In October last year, the Army procured and inducted 155mm Excalibur precision guided ammunition from the U.S. which gives its 155mm artillery guns extended range and also the ability to hit targets with very high accuracy.
- The Ministry of External Affairs along with FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) recently launched the India-Central Asia Business Council at Delhi. They were joined by 5 countries namely Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyz Republic. The Council will act as a common platform for the businesses of Central Asia and India.
- On February 7, 2020, the most trafficked mammal of Asia, Pangolin was identified as the host of the virus by the researchers of China. According to them, the outbreak that killed around 636 people in China has started from a market in Wuhan city through Pangolin.
- RBI is set to release Digital Payments Index (DPI), which will assess the digitalisation of payments in the country in the coming few months.
- In a major boost to Make in India, a private Indian firm has recently unveiled the indigenous air to ground missile ‘Khagantak’, during the ongoing DefExpo 2020. The firm has manufactured the air to ground missile with a strike range of 180 km. The Managing Director of JSR Dynamics Air Marshal SB Deo announced the missile and said that when released from a height of 12 km, the missile is an air-launch weapon. It can be used as a guide weapon, which also has artificial intelligence (AI) to recognise the targets. Such indigenous missiles are expected to be a boost to the ‘Make in India’ initiative and reduce our dependence on foreign defence manufacturers.
- Coal India’s flagship subsidiary NCL (Northern Coalfields Limited) has set up a centre named SARAS. SARAS stands for Science and Applied Research Alliance and Support. It aims to promote innovation, R&D and skill development along with improving company’s operational efficiency and utilize resources at optimum level. SARAS will help and enable the company in Integration of Innovation and Research for enhancing coal production, productivity, and safety in mines. Besides, the SARAS would also help establish centres of excellence to ensure technical support to R&D along with thrust on quality skill development and employment to local youths in and around company’s operational area.
- Government fixes minimum support prices (MSPs) of 22 mandated crops including paddy, wheat, for every agricultural year and fair & remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane on the basis of recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP), after considering the views of State Governments and Central Ministries/Departments concerned & other relevant factors. In addition, MSP for Toria and De-Husked coconut is also fixed on the basis of MSPs of Rapeseed & Mustard and Copra respectively. While recommending MSPs, CACP considers important factors like cost of production, overall demand-supply conditions, domestic and international prices, inter-crop price parity, terms of trade between agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, the likely effect on the rest of the economy, besides ensuring rational utilization of land, water and other production resources and a minimum of 50 percent as the margin over cost of production in case of MSPs and reasonable margins over cost of production in case of FRP.
- J&K recently renamed its Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control Department as the ‘Jal Shakti Department’.
- Chief Minister of Telangana State Mr. K.Chandrashekhar Rao flagged off new Metro line from Jubilee Bus Station (JBS) to Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station connecting twin cities if Hyderabad and Secunderabad, and the stretch covering of 11-kms(Kilometers) becomes India’s 2nd largest Metro Rail Network of total operational distance of 69.2kms, only next to Delhi Metro Rail Network having an operational distance of 231kms.
- The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), has launched, two Assessment Frameworks, viz. Ease of Living Index (EoLI) and Municipal Performance Index (MPI) 2019 to assess to assess quality of life of citizens in 100 Smart Cities and 14 other Million Plus Cities. This will empower the cities to use evidence to plan, implement them & then monitor their performance.
