By: D.K Chaudhary
1. PM Modi Inaugurates 1st PIO Parliamentary Conference in Delhi
i. PM Narendra Modi inaugurates the first Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) Parliamentary Conference in Delhi on the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The day is celebrated every year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India.
ii. It also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9 January 1915. In the Conference, the biggest delegation was from Guyana with 20 members of parliament and three mayors.
- This year a special regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to commemorate 25 years of partnership between India and the Association of South East Asian Nations Submit (ASEAN) is being held in Singapore.
- Established in 2003, and sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is held from 7-9 January every year.
2. India’s 1st Multi-Petaflop Supercomputer ‘Pratyush’ Dedicated to Nation
i. Union Minister of Earth Sciences Dr Harsh Vardhan dedicated India’s fastest and first multi-petaflops supercomputer named ‘Pratyush’ to the nation in Pune. It is established at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune.
ii. It will be a national facility for improving weather and climate forecasts and services under the umbrella of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
3. In a First, Delhi Government Launches Common Card for Bus & Metro Rides
i. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launched a common card for rides on public buses and the metro. Delhi is the first city in the country to have a common mobility card.
ii. The card, which will function like a debit card, will be operational in all DTC and cluster buses from April 2018.
- Transport Minister of Delhi- Kailash Gahlot.
- Lieutenant Governor of Delhi- Anil Baijal.
4. Indian Railways Launches Transparent and Efficient “New Online Vendor Registration System”
i. Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO), the research arm of Ministry of Railways, has launched “New Online Vendor Registration System”.
ii. Public access to the information, expeditious process completion with defined timelines, simplification of procedures, round-the-year services, availability of all related information on RDSO Website, constant monitoring at all levels, reduction in cycle timelines, regular updating of online data, user-friendly interface etc. are the hallmarks of the new system.
- Research Designs & Standards Organisation headquartered in Lucknow.
- Minister of Railways & Coal- Shri Piyush Goyal.
