List of 20 Smart cities from 11 states announced by Union Govt.
- 1st batch of 20 smart cities announced under the Smart Cities Mission.
- 20 cities were selected through the Smart City Challenge competition that saw the participation of 1.52 crore citizens from 97 cities and towns.
- 20 winning cities and towns have proposed a total investment of 50802 crore rupees over five years with all the cities proposing Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) as a major vehicle of resource mobilization.
Global Skill Summit will be hosted by Kerala
- Kerala will host a three-day ‘Nypunyam International Skill Summit and Skill Fiesta 2016’ next month with a view to bridging the gap between the job market requirement and the skill level of available workforce.
- The event will unfold on February 5, according to Tom Jose, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Labour and Skills, Kerala.
- The focus will be on improving the skill levels and bringing them up to world standards in tune with the Prime Minister’s initiative for skilling 500 million young people by 2020.
Ministry of Culture released commemorative coin of Rs 150/- & circulation coin of Rs 10/- on Lala Lajpat Rai.
- Commemorative Coin of 150 rupees is made of Quaternary alloy with diameter of 44 mm and weight of 35 grams.
- The Circulation coin of 10 rupees is made of bi-metallic material with diameter of 27 mm and weight of 7.71 grams.
- The coin was released by Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of state (Independent charge) Minister of Tourism & Culture at New Delhi on the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai.
Gurdeep Singh is new CMD of NTPC
- He will be the first person to be appointed to the top job at a Maharatna company through a search committee route.
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the appointment of Singh for a period of five years from the date of assumption of charge of the post.
- Post of CMD at NTPC fell vacant after Arup Roy Choudhury completed his five year term on 31 August 2015.
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ADB sign $80 million loan agreement to improve infra in Agartala, Aizawl.
- The loan is the third tranche of $200-million financing facility under the North Eastern Region Capital Cities Development Investment Program.
- This will be used for investments in water supply, solid waste management and sanitation in the two cities.
- The loan will also support urban reforms, benefiting nearly a million people.
Iran signed deal with Airbus to buy 118 Airbus planes.
- Iran and Airbus on 28 January 2016 signed two agreements covering new aircraft orders and a comprehensive civil aviation co-operation package. The agreement includes purchase of 118 new Airbus aircrafts.
- A comprehensive co-operation agreement to modernize the civil aviation sector of Iran was inked.
William E. Colby Award for Best Military Book won by Nisid Hajari.
- Nisid Hajari won the 2016 William E. Colby Award for his book, Midnight’s Furies: The Deadly Legacy of India’s Partition.
- He will be presented with the award and honorarium at Norwich University, the USA in April 2016.
Sanjay Mishra appointed as UP Lokayukta
- His appointment was approved by the Supreme Court.
- It was the first time that apex court exercised its powers to appoint a Lokayutka, after repeated orders to the constitutional authorities of state that it must appoint a new person in the position.
Austrailia Open Women’s Doubles Tennis Title 2016 : Sania Mirza, Martine Hingis wins.
- Indo-Swiss pair defeated seventh seeded Czech duo Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka to win the title at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia.
- It was their maiden Australian Open title and the third successive Grand Slam doubles title after their victories in the 2015 Wimbledon and US Open.
Navneet Kaur and Santosh Kadale win Gold in Senior National Rowing Championship.
- Punjab’s Navneet Kaur won two gold medals in the 34th Senior National Rowing Championship at Hussainsagar Lake, Hyderabad.
- It was her maiden gold at the country’s highest level in the senior category.
- In the men single scull, Nasik’s Santosh Kadale won his maiden national gold.
