National:
INCOIS Foundation Day:
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Ministry of Earth Sciences, commemorated its 23rd Foundation Day on February 03, 2021.
11th Veturi Literary Award:
- The 11th Veturi Literary award was presented to renowned movie lyricist Bhuvana Chandra, on 29 January 2021.
The award was given jointly by Veturi Sahithi Peetham and Sri Prakash Cultural Association at Tuni.
13th edition of the Bengaluru International Film Festival:
- The 13th edition of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) will be held in the first week of April. It has been postponed to the month of April due to the pandemic.
India's First Igloo Cafe:
- India’s first igloo cafe is located in Gulmarg, Kashmir, and it is part of the Kolahoi Green Group of Hotels and Resorts. The resort is situated in the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas at an altitude of 2,650m.
VIBGYOR App:
- A mobile app called VIBGYOR has been developed by district administration to help tourists explore the hill station of Munnar in Kerala’s Idukki district. The mobile app features seven popular routes in Munnar, each identified by the seven colors of the rainbow.
World Wetlands Day 2021:
- The year 2021 commemorated the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, celebrated annually as World Wetlands Day. World Wetlands Day is to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and our planet.
Theme:
This year’s theme shines a spotlight on wetlands as a source of freshwater and encourages actions to restore them and stop their loss.
Establishment of a Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management:
On the occasion of the World Wetland Day, the Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Babul Supriyo announced the establishment of a Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management as a part of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Chennai. He announced the centre as a part of its commitment towards conservation, restoration and management of India’s wetlands.
Wetlands in India:
India has nearly 4.6% of its land as wetlands, covering an area of 15.26 million hectares and has 42 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites), with a surface area of 1.08 million hectares.
Death:
- Hollywood American actress Cicely Tyson died 28 January 2021. She was 96. She became the first African American woman to receive an honorary Oscar in 2018.