The Daily Brief – 14th February 2019

Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released a publication titled “India – Spearheading Climate Solutions” on 12 February, 2019, that mentions India’s key actions taken towards combating and adapting to climate change. India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) has eight major missions on Solar, Enhanced Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Habitat, Water, Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem, Green India, Sustainable Agriculture and Strategic Knowledge on Climate Change.

The life size portrait of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has been unveiled at the Central Hall of Parliament by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind on 12th February 2018. Atal Bihari Vajpayee served three terms as the Prime Minister of India – first term was for a term of 13 days in 1996, second was for a period of 13 months from 1998 to 1999 and the third was for a full term from 1999 to 2004. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2015. On December 18, in a meeting, the Parliament’s Portrait Committee chaired by Sumitra Mahajan decided to install the portrait.

National Productivity Council (NPC) is celebrating National Productivity week from February 12th to 18th, 2019 with the theme “Circular Economy for Productivity & Sustainability”. This theme will help NPC to meet its zero waste goal. Circular Economy system increases the product life span through improved design and servicing and relocating wastes from the end of the supply chain to the beginning. National Productivity Council was established in 1985 with an aim to promote and adopt the new and improved culture of productivity in India.

The CEO and Managing director of Eicher Motors, Siddhartha Lal has been named the EY Entrepreneur of the Year for 2018 on 12th February 2019 in Mumbai. The EOY is held annually in India to honour entrepreneurs who emerged as Builders of a better India with their creative ideas and exceptional enterprises. Mr. Lal will represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award (WEOY) in Monte Carlo from 6 – 8 June 2019. EY (Ernst and Young) is one of the largest professional services firms in the world founded in 1989.

The United States and Thailand are hosting the multi-nation Cobra military exercise this year in the northern Thai province of Phitsanulok. 10000 personnel, 29 nations are taking part as participants or observers. It is one of the Asia-Pacific region’s largest multinational military exercises held in Thailand every year. This Thai-American initiative was first held in 1982 with an aim to improve coordination between the armed forces. India joined this exercise for the first time in 2016.

Indian Army on 12th February 2019 showcased its artillery firepower by using ultra light Howitzers and indigenous Swathi weapon-locating radar at the annual “Exercise Topchi” held at Deolali Camp near Nashik. The aviation and surveillance capabilities were also showcased. Swathi Weapon Locating Radar is a mobile artillery locating phased array radar developed by India.

The Parliament on February 13, 2019 passed the Personal Laws (Amendment Bill), 2018 that seeks to remove leprosy as a ground for divorce as it is now a curable disease as against the earlier notion of it being incurable. In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a Resolution on the ‘Elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members’, which was signed and ratified by India. Hence, Government decided to omit such discriminatory provisions from the Personal Laws.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the CREDAI YouthCon -19 organised by the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (CREDAI) on February 13, 2019 at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi. YouthCon is the annual Youth Conclave of CREDAI which is held to bring together the future of the real estate Industry in India. Established in 1999, CREDAI is the apex body representing real-estate developers from over 200 cities in India.