By: D.K Chaudhary
1. 8th National Voters’ Day- 25th January
i. The Election Commission of India celebrated the 8th National Voters’ Day across the country on 25th January for enhanced participation of citizens in the electoral process. The National level function was held in New Delhi.
ii. President Ram Nath Kovind gave away awards for best electoral practices to District Collectors, Superintendents of Police and other functionaries involved in election management.
- 1st Chief Election Commissioner of Independent India- Sukumar Sen.
- 21st Chief Election Commissioner of India- Achal Kumar Joti.
- Om Prakash Rawat has been appointed as the next (22nd) chief election commissioner (CEC) of India.
2. PM Modi Holds Bilateral Talks with 3 ASEAN Leaders
i. On the eve of the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit to celebrate 25 years of India-ASEAN partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had separate bilateral meetings with leaders of three ASEAN nations – Myanmar, Vietnam and Philippines in New Delhi.
ii. The PM first met his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc and held talks with on issues of mutual interest. Next, he met the Philipino President Rodrigo Duterte and covered a wide range of subjects. Myanmar’s State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi also met the PM later in the evening.
- Myanmar Capital- Naypyidaw.
- Vietnam Capital- Hanoi.
- Philippines Capital- Manila.
3. Ministry of Road Transport & Highways Signs MoU with IL&FS for Construction of Zojila Tunnel
i. An MoU was signed between National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, and M/S IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd for construction of the 14.150 km long, 2-lane bi-directional Zojila Tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir.
ii. This would be India’s longest road tunnel and the longest bi-directional tunnel in Asia. The construction of this tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh. The total capital cost of the project is Rs 6808.69 crore. The construction period of the project is seven years.
- Minister of Road Transport & Highways- Nitin Gadkari.
4. NSIC Inks Pact with Malaysia’s SME Corporation
i. National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) signed an MoU with SME Corporation Malaysia for exchange of information and cooperation in areas such as policies to aid development of small and medium businesses (SMBs) in the two countries.
ii. Besides, three other agreements were also signed between Indian and Malaysian entities to strengthen cooperation among smaller businesses in these countries.
- Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister- Giriraj Singh.
5. India Ranks 177th in Environmental Performance Index
i. India ranks 177 among 180 countries in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2018, according to a biennial report by Yale and Columbia Universities along with the World Economic Forum. India ranked 141 in 2016 report.
ii. The report was released on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Switzerland leads the list, followed by France, Denmark and Malta.
- Capital of Switzerland- Bern, Currency- Swiss franc.
- The founder and Chairman of WEF- Klaus Schwab.
