Harsh Vardhan inaugurated Doppler Weather Radars at Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand and Kufri, Himachal Pradesh

• The 146th Foundation Day of India Meteorological Department (IMD) was held in New Delhi.

• Harsh Vardhan inaugurated Doppler Weather Radars at Mukteshwar (Uttarakhand) and Kufri (Himachal Pradesh). Doppler Weather Radars in Uttarakhand is 1st of its kind.

• The radar has been installed under the Integrated Himalayan Meteorological Project (IHMP) of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

• It is Uttarakhand's first Doppler Weather Radar (DWR), a device which can read the intensity of precipitation in the air to predict severe weather conditions like storms and heavy rainfall.

• Official e-launched "Online Web Portal of IMD Journal MAUSAM" in collaboration with Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (CSIR-NISCAIR) (http://mausamjournal.imd.gov.in)

• Under the project, two more DWRs will be commissioned in Uttarakhand - one at Surkanda near Mussoorie and the other at Lansdowne in Pauri district.

About India Meteorological Department (IMD):

• IMD's Parent Organization is Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Director General - Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
• Headquarters - New Delhi

Indian Army signs USD 20 Million Contract with ideaForge to Procure SWITCH UAVs

• Indian Army has signed USD 20 Million contract with ideaForge to procure unmentioned numbers of high altitude variant of Indigenous SWITCH UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) over a period of 1 year.

• SWITCH is a Fixed-Wing-Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) UAV and is capable of being deployed at high altitude and harsh environments.

• It is man-portable(capable of being carried by one individual) & has the highest time on target compared to other UAVs in its class.

• With this deal, ideaForge is slated to become the largest manufacturer of india of drones for homeland security, defence & industrial applications.

• It was founded in 2007 by Alumnis of IIT-Bombay, ideaForge is a licensed manufacturer of UAV approved by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

• ideaForge is the first organization to indigenously develop and manufacture VTOL UAVs in India.

About ideaForge:

• Chief Executive Officer - Ankit Mehta
• Location - Mumbai, Maharashtra

India Collected just 10 % of e-waste generated in 2018-19: CPCB report

• According to a report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India generated 771,215 tonnes of Electronic waste (e-waste) in 2018-19, of which only 10% were collected.

• In 2017-18, India generated 7,08,445 Tonnes of which only 3.5% was collected.

• Further the amount of e-waste generated increased by 32% to 1, 014, 961 tonnes in 2019-20.

• In India, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notified the E-Waste Management Rules,2016.

• The rule takes into account 21 types of electrical and electronic equipment such as Discarded computer monitors, mobile phones, chargers, motherboards, headphones, television sets and other appliances

About Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):

• Chairman - Shri Shiv Das Meena
• Headquarters - New Delhi

• NIC, CBSE & AIM, NITI Aayog released e-Book CollabCAD 3D modelling 1.0',

• A comprehensive e-book on CollabCAD 3D modelling 1.0 was launched by National Informatics Centre (NIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Ministry of Education (MoE) along with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog during a virtual event from New Delhi.

• The institutes also provided CollabCAD Software CBSE affiliated Schools

• The event saw the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NIC and CBSE for 'CollabCAD Software Support and Training for Students and Faculty in Engineering Graphics Curriculum for Class X and XII across CBSE affiliated Schools' for a period of 10 years.

• It aims to develop human resources and skills around CollabCAD software and popularize CollabCAD among the students and faculty

CollabCAD Software

• Launched on April 14, 2020, i.e. on the occasion of Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) Community Day, it is the first indigenous tool created by NIC in partnership with Mumbai (Maharashtra) based Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) based Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).

• It is a collaborative network, computer enabled software system, providing a total engineering solution from 2D drafting & detailing to 3D product design.

About National Informatics Centre (NIC):

• Director General-Dr. Neeta Verma
• Parent Ministry- Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (Meity)
• Headquarters- New Delhi

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan Dedicated an Innovation Portal, Developed by NIF - India, to the Nation

• Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences and Health and Family Welfare dedicated the National Innovation Portal(NIP) to the Nation at an event in New Delhi. The portal was developed by the National Innovation Foundation(NIF) - India, an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology(DST), Government of India.

• The innovation portal can be easily accessed by the citizens to know more about the technologies which are available in the database.

• Currently the portal houses around 1.15 lakh innovations scouted from common people of the nations.

• The innovations under the portal cover Engineering, Agriculture, Veterinary and Human Health

About National Innovation Foundation(NIF):

• Chairperson- Dr. P. S. Goel
• Headquarters- Gujarat Established in- March 2000

BDL Signed Teaming Agreement with Thales to Make STARStreak Missile Systems in India

• India's Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) under the Ministry of Defence and the United Kingdom's Thales signed a 'Teaming Agreement' to develop STARStreak Air Defence system in India under the 'Make in India programme. This partnership will be supported by both Governments.

• It should be noted that in 2017 both entities inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the transfer of technology for STARStreak.

STARStreak Missile System

• It is in service in the British Army and has been procured by defence forces worldwide.

• It is the fastest missile in its category.

• The agreement will provide an opportunity for BDL to manufacture 60% of the system in India that will match the immediate air defence needs of the Indian Army and Air force.

About Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL):

• Establishment- 1970
• Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)- Commodore Siddharth Mishra (retd)
• Headquarter- Hyderabad, Telangana

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar Inaugurates India's 1st Air Taxi Service from Chandigarh to Hisar under RCS-UDAN

• Haryana Chief Minister(CM) Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated India's 1st air taxi service from Chandigarh to the newly constructed Hisar airport in Haryana under Regional Connectivity Scheme - Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN) of Govt of India. As part of the inauguration, Haryana CM flagged off the 1st flight from Chandigarh under the scheme.

• It is the first time in India a small aircraft is being used for services in form of an air taxi

• The airline Aviation Connectivity & Infrastructure Developers Pvt. Ltd (Air Taxi) will operate the air taxi services and has become the 1st startup airline of India to assist India with this service.

• This service uses Tecnam P2006T VT aircraft, a twin-engine four-seat plane.

• This flagging off marks operationalization of 54th airport under the UDAN scheme.

• Under the UDAN scheme, till date, 307 routes and 54 airports including 5 heliports and 2 Water Aerodromes have been operationalized

• Air taxi services for Hisar to Dehradun will be started in the 2nd phase

• 2 more routes from Chandigarh to Dehradun and Hisar to Dharamshala will be added in the 3rd phase on 23rd January, 2021

UDAN:

• It is a flagship scheme of Indian government to facilitate / stimulate regional air connectivity across India.

• It is a key component of National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016 released by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

• To provide affordable, economically viable and profitable air travel on regional routes and also to

• develop regional airports in India. AAl is the implementing agency of the scheme

• UDAN 4.0 was launched in December 2019 with special focus on North-Eastern Regions, Hilly States and Islands.

PM Modi launches 8 Trains to Statue of Unity, Kevadiya to Boost Connectivity

• Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi virtually flagged off 8 trains from various parts of India to the Statue of Unity in Kevadiya, Gujarat to boost connectivity and Tourism. The trains will connect Kevadiya to Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Dadar (Maharashtra), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Hazrat Nizamuddin (New Delhi), Rewa (Madhya Pradesh), Chennai (Tamil Nadu) & Pratapnagar (Gujarat).

• PM Modi stated that this is the first in the history of Railways that trains have been flagged off for the same destinations from different parts of the country.

• The connectivity Project was sanctioned at a cost of INR 811 Crores.

• Kevadiya Railway Station is India's First Railway Station to be certified as a Green Building.

• About 8 Trains:
• Kevadiya Varanasi Mahamana Express (Weekly), Dadar Kevadiya Dadar-Kevadiya Express (Daily), Ahmedabad Kevadiya Janshatabdi Express (Daily), Kevadiya H. Nizamuddin Nizamuddin - KevadiyaSamparkKranti Express (Bi-Weekly). Kevadiya Rewa Kevadiya - Rewa Express (Weekly) Chennai Kevadiya Chennai - Kevadiya Express (Weekly) Pratapnagar Kevadiya MEMU train (Daily) ,Kevadiya Pratapnagar MEMU train (Daily)
• Janshatabdi Express has been provided with latest "Vistadome tourist coach", which is first time on Indian Railways. This coach will provide a panoramic view of the skyline.

SPMCIL Paid Rs 215.48 Crore Final Dividend to Government

• The Security Printing & Minting Corporation of India Limited(SPMCIL), paid the final dividend of Rs.215.48 crore to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Government of India for the financial year of 2019-20.

• In the previous fiscal (FY19), SPMCIL had paid dividend of Rs 218.48 crores to the central government. SPMCIL has also achieved Excellent grading for Corporate Governance from Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) for the year 2019-20.

• During the year 2019-20, the revenue from operations of the company stood at Rs 4,966 crore and profit before tax increased to Rs 1,026.79 crore.

About SPMCIL:

• SPMCIL is a Mini Ratna company wholly owned by Government of India, Schedule "A" Company under the administrative control of Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance

• SPMCIL is engaged in manufacture of security paper, minting of coins, printing of currency and bank notes, non- judicial,stamp papers, postage stamps, travel documents.

• CMD- Tripti P. Ghosh
• Headquarters, New Delhi

YES Bank Partners with Aditya Birla Wellness Pvt Ltd

• YES Bank partnered with Aditya Birla Wellness Private Limited to launch 'YES Bank Wellness' and "YES Bank Wellness Plus' Credit Cards. This co-branded wellness themed credit cards encourages self-care and fitness of consumers.

About YES Bank:

• Headquarters, Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO- Prashant Kumar

• Incepted- 2004
• Tagline- Experience our expertise

About Aditya Birla Wellness Private Limited:

• It is the subsidiary company of Aditya Birla Capital, which is the single brand for financial services of Aditya Birla group.

• Headquarters, Mumbai, Maharashtra
• CEO- Mayank Bathwal

Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Re-Elected as President of Uganda for 6th Term

• Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has been re-elected as the president of Uganda for the 6th term. He has been president of the country since 29th January 1986, i.e., for about 35 years and becomes one of Africa's longest-serving leaders. He belongs to the National Resistance Movement(NRM) political party.

• Uganda became the first country to be declared eligible for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, receiving assistance of about US$700 million.

• He received many awards including the Global Peace Award from the Global Peace Foundation.

• He was the first African president to receive the AfrikaVerein Award for excellence in leadership from the German - Africa Business Association

• He was awarded many honorary doctorates, including; Humphrey School of Public Affairs - Minnesota, Latin University of Theology-USA

Justice B L Bhat Gets Another Extension as NCLAT Officiating Chairperson

• The Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India has again extended the tenure of Justice Bansi Lal Bhat Bhat as the officiating Chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal(NCLAT). His tenure has been extended till his attaining the age of 67 or until further orders. His current tenure was scheduled to end on 31st December 2020.

• This is the 4th exertion to Justice Bhat since his appointment as the Chairperson on 15th March 2020 for a period of 3 months.

About NCLAT:

• NCLAT was constituted under Section 410 of the Companies act, 2013 to hear the appeals against the orders of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)
• Headquarters, New Delhi

Goa CM Pramod Sawant Released a Book 'Manohar Parrikar- Off the Record', Authored by Waman Subha Prabhu

• Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of Goa released a book titled 'Manohar Parrikar Off the Record'. It is authored by senior journalist Waman Subha Prabhu.

• The book is a collection of memories of the author who was with late Manohar Gopalkrishna Prabhu Parrikar, former CM of Goa during the journey of his life.

• It portrays the multi-faceted personality of the former CM.

• Manohar Parrikar served as the CM of Goa from 2017 until his death in 2019.

Delhi launches first-of-its-kind Fellowship scheme for Artists

• Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia launched First-of-its-kind "Street Theatre and Performing Arts Fellowship" Scheme for Artists. The fellowship will help artists to showcase their craft, which will help in spreading a taste for art and culture among the people of Delhi.

• It was started by Sahitya Kala Parishad under the Department of Arts, Culture & Languages.

• Around 500 artists from different backgrounds like Theatre, music, dance & fine arts have been selected for the fellowship.

• The artists will perform in a team of 10 every week at public places in Delhi.

About Delhi:

• Governor - Anil Baijal
• Stadium - Feroz Shah Kotla Ground (Cricket)

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Inaugurates State's first Bird Festival Kalrav

• Bihar's 1st state level bird festival 'Kalrav' was held in Nagi bird Sanctuary & Nakti bird Sanctuary, Jamui district, Bihar.

• Bihar's environment, forest and climate change department organised an event at Nagi-Nakti bird Sanctuary on the inauguration day.

• To create awareness about birds especially migratory birds

• During the inauguration of the 3 day festival, bihar CM also inaugurated a 'bird awareness centre at the sanctuary.