Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated the exhibition on Indian Heritage in Digital Space:
Union MoS Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated the exhibition on Indian Heritage in Digital Space and First International Heritage Symposium at National Museum, New Delhi The exhibition will be open till 15 February 2020.
Organized by:
The exhibition was organized by Ministry of Culture and Tourism in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi.
Indian Heritage in Digital Space:
♦ The visitors will be able to see the recreations of the socio-cultural life and traditions of Hampi, architectural and conjectural reconstructions of several important structures and experience demystification of many murals in the exhibition.
♦ The initiative of the use of technology in heritage is very important as it should not be limited to research only
♦ The exhibition aims to reach people in a way that they get a chance to know and understand the unseen aspects of heritage sites easily.
♦ It also introduces the history and features of heritage through the use of technology.
♦ A person who comes to the museum is guided by the use of technology so that it enriches their experience of the visit.
♦ This special exhibition showcase adaptation and infusion of technologies being developed under the Indian Digital Heritage (IDH) initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India in the cultural heritage domain of the country.
SC refuses to stay operation of CAA; asks centre to file reply within 4 weeks:
Supreme Court has refused to stay the operation of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde said that it cannot grant any stay on CAA without hearing Centre. The apex court asked the Centre to file its reply within 4 weeks on petitions challenging the CAA. The apex court also said that it will constitute a larger constitution bench to hear the matter. Appearing for the Centre, Attorney General KK Venugopal said that the government has been given copies of around 60 petitions out of the 143 and it needs time to respond to pleas which have not been served on it. Some of the petitioners urged the apex court to put on hold operation of CAA and postpone exercise of National Population Register (NPR) for time being.
The CAA seeks to grant citizenship to migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi communities who came to the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before December 31, 2014.
President Ram Nath Kovind gave assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on December 12, turning it into an Act.
Cabinet approves agreement between India and Brazil on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters:
PM Shri Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet approved the Agreement between India and the Federative Republic of Brazil on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters has to be signed.
Agreement Provision:
♦ The Agreement aims to enhance the effectiveness of both the countries in investigation and prosecution of crime through cooperation and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.
♦ The Agreement will provide a broad legal framework for bilateral cooperation with the Federative Republic of Brazil in investigation and prosecution of crime and in tracing, restraint and confiscation of proceeds and instruments of crime and the fund meant to finance terrorist acts.
Current AffairsGujarat ranked top for water efficiency, Delhi among worst performing states:
Gujarat has been ranked the best for parameters on efficiency targets in the review of state and Central government water departments by the ministry of Jal Shakti. Rajasthan is the third best and Delhi is among the worst performing states, according to the ranking for 2019 circulated to different state governments recently.
Among the seven Central departments reviewed, the Survey of India has got the top billing followed by the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) and Central Water Commission. The Central Pollution Control Board, the country’s pollution watchdog, has got the lowest rank, in the ranking for the year 2019.
Nationwide programme to administer polio drops to children organized on National Immunization Day:
The National immunization day was observed on Jan 19th 2020. With an aim to maintain the `NO POLIO` status, a nationwide programme to administer polio drops to children below 5 years was organized throughout the country.
President Ram Nath Kovind launched the Pulse Polio Programme for this year by administering Polio drops to children below the age of five at Rashtrapati BhavanAround 82,000 children were administered polio drops through 452 centres throughout the union territory.
Government mandates hallmarking of gold jewellery:
The government has notified that it is to mandate hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts with effect from 15 January 2021. The jewellers have been given time for the implementation of this notification. Jewellers who violate this will be punished under the provisions of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016.
New rules:
♦ The notification state that only registered jewellers will be allowed to sell the hallmarked gold articles through certified sales outlets.
♦ As per the notifications, the registered jewellers will be allowed to sell jewellery and artefacts only in three grades of gold, 14, 18 and 22 carat, instead of ten grades earlier.
♦ The mandatory hallmarking is not required for gold that is meant for exports.
♦ The new rules are not applicable to any article which is intended to be used for dental, medical, veterinary, scientific or industrial purposes
Gold hallmarking:
Gold hallmarking is a purity certification of the gold and is voluntary in nature at present. Since April 2000, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is already running a hallmarking scheme for gold jewellery. Also, around 40% of gold jewellery is currently being hallmarked.
Hallmarked gold jewellery will have four components namely BIS mark, purity in carat and fineness, assaying and hallmarking centre`s identification mark/number, and jeweller`s identification mark/number.
Dr. M M Kutty inaugurated fuel conservation mega campaign Saksham in New Delhi:
Secretary, Petroleum and Natural Gas Dr. M M Kutty inaugurated fuel conservation mega campaign `Saksham` in New Delhi on 16 January 2020. The campaign was organized by the Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA). The campaign will be held for a month.
Aim:
The annual event of Saksham aims at creating mass awareness among the public about conventional fuel conservation.
Saksham:
♦ GoI has set to double to 11% by 2040.
♦ The campaign is aimed to address the target and India`s share of primary energy demand not only petroleum conservation but the creation of a sustainable development model.
♦ It highlights the major advantages of fuel conservation, and help in a progressive reduction of carbon footprint
♦ The campaign leads to fulfilling government`s commitment to a greener environment.
♦ The Secretary also flagged-off the publicity vans of PCRA which will visit states and spread the message of fuel conservation.