World
The 9th BRICS Summit's first
Sherpas Meeting will be held in Nanjing (Capital city of Jiangsu province of
People's Republic of China), from tomorrow.
The 2-day meeting will attract more than 100
participants, including coordinators from all sides, foreign diplomats, and
representatives from the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB).
Important Points to Note :
The Sherpas Meeting, as a major channel to push
forward BRICS cooperation, aims at political preparation for the leaders'
meeting.
It is also routine for the BRICS chairmanship to
hold several Sherpas Meetings before the summit.
The 9th BRICS Summit will be held in Xiamen in
southeast China's Fujian Province.
Pakistan's top Shariat court has
legalised using 'test tube baby' method of conceiving for married couples with
medical complications.
It is lawful only if the sperm belongs to the
actual father and the egg of the actual mother and the child is born by the
actual mother, the court added.
The court further declared the practice of
surrogacy as "un-Islamic".
Turkey's army is lifting a
historic ban on female officers wearing the Islamic headscarf in the officially
secular country.
This move applies to female officers working in
general staff, command headquarters and branches.
Canada's second most populous city Montreal has
voted unanimously on a legislation to declare itself a sanctuary city to allow
undocumented immigrants access to city-funded services such as shelters,
housing and food banks.
India
Indian Navy's aircraft carrier INS Viraat will be decommissioned from service on March 6.
Indian Navy's aircraft carrier INS Viraat will be decommissioned from service on March 6.
Viraat is the oldest surviving aircraft carrier in
the world, and holds a Guinness world record for the same.
INS Viraat was first commissioned in the Indian
Navy on May 12, 1987, and had previously served the United Kingdom Royal Navy
for 27 years.
The decommissioning ceremony will be attended,
among other dignitaries, by defence minister Manohar Parrikar.
The Supreme Court today ordered
the state governments and local bodies to stop electricity supply to polluting
industries that fail to set up an effluent treatment plant.
The court gave authorities six months to set up
effluent plants for industrial areas.
The state pollution control boards should inspect
the status of the plants after three months, it added.
The government has launched free
anti-virus softwares for smartphones and personal computers named 'Mkavach' and
'Samvid' respectively.
Another software named 'USBPratirodh' has been
launched to control the unauthorised usage of removable USB storage devices.
The launches are a part of government's new 'Cyber
Swachhta Kendra' project where it will spend ₹90 crore over five years on cyber
security.
The 1st heliport in India was inaugurated by Civil
Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju in North Delhi.
The heliport, built by
state-owned Pawan Hans, consists of a terminal building, nine parking bays and
four hangars with a parking capacity of 16 helicopters.
It was built at an investment of ₹100 crore.
The Jammu and Kashmir government
has put a cap on the number of guests for a daughter's wedding at 500, and for
a son's wedding at 400 starting April 1.
The number of guests has been restricted to 100 for
smaller functions like engagements.
The state government has also banned sending sweets
or dry fruits with wedding invitation cards.
Punjab Government has banned the
manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of gutkha, pan masala,
processed/flavoured/scented chewing tobacco and any other food products
containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients for a period of one year.
Business & Economy
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has introduced a Common Form to let people make different types of money withdrawals from their PF account.
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has introduced a Common Form to let people make different types of money withdrawals from their PF account.
Fund subscribers will no longer require filing
documents like marriage invitation cards for taking advances.
The forms, besides the ones for advances and
withdrawals, have been replaced with a single page Composite Claim Form
(Aadhaar).
The government today approved a 900 MW hydropower
project worth ₹5,723.72 crore to be set up in Nepal's Sankhuwasabha
district.
An MoU for the project, to be
implemented within five years, was signed in 2008.
It would be implemented by a subsidiary of the
state-owned SJVN, which is a joint venture between the Centre and the Himachal
Pradesh government.
Awards & HonorsPM
Narendra Modi has become the most followed world leader on Facebook, with
nearly 40 million followers, according to PR firm Burson-Marsteller which
studied world's 169 governments.
People in News
Irom Sharmila-led PRJA party has fielded the first-ever Muslim woman candidate for Manipur, Najima Bibi, in the forthcoming Assembly elections.
Irom Sharmila-led PRJA party has fielded the first-ever Muslim woman candidate for Manipur, Najima Bibi, in the forthcoming Assembly elections.
She is an active advocator for women's rights.
Deaths
Vitaly Churkin, who had served as Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations since 2006 died of heart attack.
Vitaly Churkin, who had served as Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations since 2006 died of heart attack.
He had earlier served as the ambassador to Belgium,
Canada and Liaison Ambassador to NATO and Western European Union.
General Knowledge
Bengali was announced as an official language in the west African nation of Sierra Leone to recognise the contributions of the Bangladeshi peacekeeping forces in the country's civil war.
Bengali was announced as an official language in the west African nation of Sierra Leone to recognise the contributions of the Bangladeshi peacekeeping forces in the country's civil war.
Bangladeshi forces, which constituted the largest
part of the UN Mission, played an important part in fighting the rebels during
the civil war, which lasted from 1991 to 2002.
Science & Technology
Scientists are embarking on an expedition to the Arctic to better understand climate change.
Scientists are embarking on an expedition to the Arctic to better understand climate change.
The MOSAiC mission starting in 2019, would be the
first in over a century after Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen crossed the
polar ice cap in 1894.
During the year-long 2500-km trip, scientists would
locally study the atmosphere, ice, and ocean via drones, remote stations, and
satellites.
New Appointments
Shurhozelie Liezietsu was today sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Nagaland by Governor PB Acharya.
Shurhozelie Liezietsu was today sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Nagaland by Governor PB Acharya.
The 81-year-old scholar had begun his political
career as a member of Nagaland Legislative Assembly in 1969 from northern
Angami-I under Kohima district.
He has served the office eight times, holding
different portfolios, including education and planning.
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev today appointed
his wife Mehriban Aliyev as the First Vice President of the country.
The position was created after a constitutional referendum
in September last year.
According to Azerbaijan's constitution, the First
Vice President takes over the country's presidency if the president is unable
to perform the duties.
Virat Kohli and Alia Bhatt will
participate in Centre's gender equality campaign, 'WeAreEqual' on International
Women's Day (8th March).
The campaign will help highlight the need for an
equal opportunity for women in the field of education, health, safety and
dignity.
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