National:
Republic Day Parade 2021: Best Tableau Prize
Best Tableau Prize:
Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports (I/C), and Minister of State, Minority Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju gave away awards and prizes to participants of the Republic Day Parade 2021 in New Delhi on January 28, 2021.
During the Republic Day celebrations at Rajpath, out of 32 tableaux, 17 tableaux from States & Union Territories (UTs), nine tableaux from various Ministries/Departments and Paramilitary Forces, and six tableaux from the Ministry of Defence included.
First Winner:
Uttar Pradesh was adjudged the best tableau among the 32 tableaux. The tableau of Uttar Pradesh was based on the theme Ayodhya: Cultural Heritage of Uttar Pradesh. The tableau of Uttar Pradesh was given the winner’s prize.
Second Winner:
Tableau of Tripura was adjudged the second best. The tableau of Tripura depicted promotion of eco-friendly tradition for achieving self-reliance (Atmanirbhar) in socio-economic parameters.
Third Winner:
‘Dev Bhoomi’ – ‘The Land of the Gods’, the tableau of Uttarakhand was named third among the states and UTs.
Winner Among Ministries & Forces:
Among the nine tableaux from various Ministries/Departments and Paramilitary Forces and six from Ministry of Defence, the Department of Biotechnology tableau won the top honour. The tableau depicted Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan: COVID, the process of vaccine development through various processes.
Special Prize:
The tableau of Central Public Works Department (CPWD), with the theme ‘Amar Jawan’, bagged the special prize for paying tribute to the fallen heroes of the Armed Forces.
Framework for Strategic Partnership between IEA Members & India:
- The Framework for Strategic Partnership between the International Energy Agency (IEA) members and the Government of India was signed on 27th January, 2021. The agreement will strengthen mutual trust and cooperation & enhance global energy security, stability and sustainability.
With this partnership, member countries will be able to exchange knowledge widely among each other. Also, this agreement will be another step towards India becoming a full member of International Energy Agency.
Kala Utsav 2020:
- Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on 28 January 2021 addressed the Valedictory Function of Kala Utsav 2020.
Kala Utsav 2020 is a national-level arts competition for school students, which was began online on 11th January, 2021 & concluded on 22nd January, 2021.
In the competitions of Kala Utsav 2020 a total of nine art forms are included.
- Classical singing
- Traditional folk song
- Classical instruments
- Traditional/folk instruments
- Classical dance
- Folk dance
- Visual Arts (Two-dimensional)
- Visual Arts (Three-dimensional)
- Local games-toys
Kala Utsav is an initiative of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, to promote arts in education by nurturing and showcasing the artistic talent of school students at the secondary stage in the country.
Official Link to Download Result of Kala Utsav 2020
Technology:
Microsoft's IDC Facility Centre at NCR:
- Microsoft on 28 January 2021 announced the launch of its new India Development Center (IDC) facility at NCR that will serve as a premier hub for driving cutting-edge engineering and innovation.
IDC NCR is Microsoft’s third Development Center in India after Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
The center will provide opportunities for engineering talent in the areas of Business & Productivity tools, AI, Cloud & Enterprise, Core Services, and the new Gaming division.
International:
‘Asia-Pacific Personalised Health Index’ Report by EIU
- Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Report ‘Asia-Pacific Personalised Health Index’: Compares key performance indicators for 11 locations in the Asia-Pacific region.
India has been ranked 10th with a score of 31 out of 11 Asia Pacific countries in a newly-launched Asia-Pacific Personalised health index, to measure the progress towards personalised healthcare. Read More
Death:
- Congress leader and former union minister Captain Satish Sharma died in Goa on 17 February 2021. He was 73.
He was Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas from 1993 to 1996 in the Narasimha Rao government.