NICSI Celebrated 25 years e-Auction India (the electronic forward of Its Establishment and reverse auction requirements of the Government departments and organizations), Work from AnyWhere ( meant to ease and enhance accessibility of key applications to the Government employees), NIC Products Portfolio (for International Offering to augment Digital India branding through promotion of productized software applications at global level) and distributed the Silver Jubilee e-Brochure of NICSI. The Public Sector Enterprise under Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank National Informatics Centre (NIC), Received 'Canada Sahitya Gaurav' Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), National Informatics Centre Services Incorporated (NICSI), celebrated 25 years of its establishment on 28th January 2021. On this occasion Union Minister for Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Education Minister Ramesh launched TEJAS, a Visual Intelligence PokhriyalNishank was honored with Tool ( equipped with the best features international l honour 'Canada Sahitya comparable to market-leading BI tools), Gaurav' for his dedication to literature Page 2 of 47 despite being a popular political leader Markit that started on 1st March and will who has served people as an MLA, an continue till 5th March 2021. The year MP, a chief minister and now a Union 2021 marks the 39th edition of this Minister. This most coveted title was conference and Daniel Yergin is Vice conferred upon him by Hindi Writers' Chairman of IHS Markit as well as the Guild, Canada. Uttarakhand governor conference chair. He praised India's Baby Rani Maurya bestowed this award leadership in meeting climate objectives at the Raj Bhawan. It is worth learning for a sustainable future while ensuring here that Pokhriyal has an honorary universal energy access. He doctoral degree, D.Litt in the field of acknowledged the fact that India has literature by Graphic Era, Deemed to be emerged at the center of global energy University, Uttarakhand. He authored and the environment by paving its path over 75 books on wide ranging issues, which have also been translated into towards economic growth, poverty many national and foreign languages. reduction and a new energy future. Prior to this, in December, 2020, Nishank washonored with 'Watan Chenab Bridge Will Be The Shikhar Samman' by the Watan-UK World's Highest Rail Bridge organisation of London. PM Narendra Modi : The CERAWeek Global Energy & Environment Leadership Awardee The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been chosen for the CERAWeek Global The Konkan Railway Corporation Limited Energy and Environment Leadership (KRCL) has begun construction of the Award for his commitment to Chenab bridge over a challenging 111 sustainability in energy and the km-stretch under the Udhampur- environment in India as well as abroad. Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) He will be honored with this prestigious project that will connect the Valley with award in the ongoing world's preeminent the rest of the country through railways. energy conference, CERAWeek by IHS This Chenab bridge, which is being Page 3 of 47 constructed 359 metres above Chenab’s that the IAF Suryakiran Aerobatic Team river bed will be 35 metres taller than (SKAT) had earlier toured Sri Lanka in the Eiffel Tower (which has a height of 2001 for the 50th-anniversary 324 metre) and thus it will be the world’s celebrations of SLAF. highest railway bridge. This engineering marvel will be 1,315 metres in length The Recognition Of The with 17 spans, among which, the span of Gymnastics Federation of India the main arch across Chenab river will be The Sports Ministry Of India restored the 467 metres. The viaduct portion will recognition of the faction-ridden comprise a straight and curved portion. Gymnastics Federation of India after 10 The curvilinear portion will be located on years, for the period till 31st December a 2.74-degree sharp curve. 2021. It has acknowledged Sudhir Mittal’s election as president in the polls IAF Contingent In Sri Lanka Air held in November 2019. The past reveals Force's 70th Anniversary that the Gymnastics Federation of India Celebrations was de-recognised by the ministry in The Indian Air Force aerobatic display 2011 on account of infighting in the teams, the fixed wing “Suryakiran’ and body, and since then it stood de- rotary wing ‘Sarang’, along with Light recognized. It should be noted that Combat Aircraft Tejas reached Colombo, currently the ministry has taken on Sri Lanka to participate in an Air Show at record the election of treasurer Kaushik Galle Face, Colombo, scheduled from 3rd Bidiwala, while a decision on the March to 5th Mar 2021 as part of the acceptance of Shanti Kumar Singh as 70th anniversary celebrations of the Sri general secretary will be taken after Lanka Air Force (SLAF). On February 28, Manipur High Court’s judgment on a 2021, India described Sri Lanka as pending writ petition. It is worth recalling “Priority One” partner in the defence here that Shanti Kumar was elected as sphere and its participation in the event general secretary in the polls held on will boost the growing cooperation, November 5, 2019, but the ministry had camaraderie and friendship between the objected to his election on the ground of two militaries. It is worth recalling here tenure-rule violation of the Sports Code Page 4 of 47 of 2011. Shanti Kumar had earlier served centres or museums of its own, training a term each as treasurer and general centres and one R & D laboratory, meant secretary, so his re-election as general for coordinating all the informal science secretary for a second term was seen as communication activities in the arena of violation of the Sports Code. museum. The “Birla Industrial and Technological Museum (BITM)” (May NCSM Inaugurates Science 1959) and “Visvesvaraya Industrial & Centre at Udaipur Technological Museum (VITM)” (July The Governor of Tripura, Ramesh Bais 1965) were the first two science centres dedicated the newly inaugurated that came into existence. Udaipur Science Centre, at Udaipur, Tripura to people in presence of Minister Appearance Of A New Mammal of State (Independent Charge) for ‘Himalayan Serow’ In Assam Culture and Tourism, Govt. of India A Himalayan mammal that lies Prahlad Singh Patel, who was the Chief somewhere between a goat and an Guest on the occasion. This Udaipur antelope, has been recently confirmed as Science Centre is the 22nd Science the newest creature to get spotted in Centre which has been developed by Assam. It was spotted in the Manas Tiger National Council of Science Museums Reserve of Assam on 3rd December (NCSM) at the expenditure of Rs 6 crore, 2020. This new mammal is a high- which was funded by both the Ministry altitude dweller which is usually found of Culture, Govt of India and Department around 2000 to 4000 metres above the of Science, Technology & Environment, sea level. It is a subspecies of mainland Tripura Government. Besides this, NCSM serow native to the Himalayas. It was has also established science centres across the north eastern states. It is previously considered its own species as worth knowing here that NCSM is an ‘Capricornis thar’. It is blackish along with organization that has the largest chain of the flanks, hindquarters and its upper science centres or museums which works legs are rusty red in colour while the under a single administrative umbrella lower legs are whitish. The species has across the globe. It comprises 24 science been enlisted in CITES Appendix I. Page 5 of 47 A New Device For Pest Summit 2021’ to visualise a roadmap for Management India’s Maritime sector for next decade Dr.Mayabini Jena, former Principal and work to propel India to the forefront Scientist and Head of Crop Protection of the Global Maritime Sector. Denmark Division, and Dr. Shyamal Ranjan Das is the partner country for the event. Mohapatra, Principal Scientist Organised by the Ministry of Ports, (Entomology) of ICAR- National Rice Shipping and Waterways with EY as the Research Institute, Cuttack devised a knowledge partner and FICCI as the device for pest management called Industrial Partner on a virtual platform ‘Alternate Energy Light Trap (AELT)’ www.maritimeindiasummit.in , the device to help the farmers in identifying summit is making way for and managing the insect types that operationalizing 23 domestic waterways usually lurk in the fields. They have also by 2023. Around 20,000 delegates as got a patent for the invention. Equipped well as 24 partner countries are with a light trap unit in order to attract participating in the event displaying flying insects and a collector unit for more than 400 projects. receiving the lured insects, the device will be able to save crops worth Manpreet Vohra : India’s New thousands of crores as well as lives of High Commissioner to Australia people from pesticides that are used in 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) farmlands for killing insects. The device is officer, Senior diplomat Manpreet Vohra eco-friendly and cost effective, sufficient got appointed as India’s next High enough for handling a large number of Commissioner to Australia. The insects. appointee is currently Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External The ‘Maritime India Summit 2021’ Affairs as well as Ambassador of India to On 2nd March 2021 Mexico. It is worth recalling here that Prime Minister India first established a Trade Office in Narendra Modi Sydney, Australia in 1941, which is inaugurated a three- currently represented by a High day second edition of Commissioner in the embassy at ‘Maritime India Canberra and Consulate generals in Page 6 of 47 Sydney, Perth and Melbourne. And Tarun Bajaj Will Also See Revenue Australia has a High Commission in New The Government of India shared the Delhi, India and Consulates in Mumbai information that 1988 batch Indian and Chennai.