NATIONAL:
1. National Biodiversity Congress 2017 held in Kerala
•Third National Biodiversity Congress (NBC) 2017 held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. To identify practical evidence based case studies at regional level to support the plan of action.
•Biodiversity is the lifeline of a nation and to retain pulses is the responsibility of every individual and society with the support of science and technology and through sustainable development CM Pinarayi Vijayan stated.
•Theme of National Biodiversity Congress 2017 is “Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Sustainable Development”.
2. Cabinet approvals: 23 February 2017
i. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Australia for promotion and development of cooperation in civil aviation security
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Australia for promotion and development of cooperation in civil aviation security.
ii. Cabinet approves signing of Air Services Agreement between India and Greece
Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the signing of Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Greece.The Agreement has the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchange between the two countries bringing it in tune with the developments in the civil aviation sector. It will provide enabling environment for enhanced and seamless connectivity while providing commercial opportunities to the carriers of both the sides ensuring greater safety and security.
iii. Cabinet approves signing of an Agreement between India and Poland on cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing of an Agreement between India and Poland on cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.
3. 2 Centre clears Rs 5,700-crore hydro power project to be set up in Nepal
•The government on Wednesday approved a 900 MW hydro power project to be set up in Sankhuwasabha district of Nepal at a cost of Rs 5,723.72 crore.
The decision to approve the Arun-III project was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Wednesday.
"The Cabinet today approved setting up of Arun-III project at an estimated cost of Rs 5,723.72 crore. The project is expected to achieve financial closure by September this year. The projected will be implemented within five years," power minister Piyush Goyal told reporters at a briefing here.
The project is being implemented by a 100 per cent subsidiary of state-run SJVN Ltd.
SJVN Ltd is joint venture between Central and Himachal Pradesh governments with shareholding of 64.46 per cent and 25.51 per cent, respectively.
"Union Cabinet has approved the project and its investment. It was awaited. The project is being implemented by 100 per cent subsidiary of SJVN Ltd," SJVN Ltd chairman and managing director RN Misra said.
The subsidiary SJVN Arun-3 Power Development Company Pvt Ltd (SAPDC) was incorporated and registered on April 25, 2013 as a private limited company under Nepal's Companies Act.
•The memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the project was signed with the Government of Nepal on March 2, 2008.
•The project is located in the Sankhuwasabha district of Nepal, 657 km from Kathmandu via Birat Nagar.
•The survey licence for generation was issued by Government of Nepal during July 2008. Survey and investigation works were completed in January, 2011.
•The DPR (detailed project report) was vetted by Central Electricity Authority on June 9, 2014.
INTERNATIONAL:
4. Pakistan Army Launches Nationwide Anti-terror Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad
Pakistan army on Wednesday launched nationwide military operation 'Radd-ul-Fasaad' to eliminate terrorists and consolidate gains of counter-terrorism operations made so far, days after a suicide bomber killed 88 people at the Sufi shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sindh.
'Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad' which translates roughly to 'elimination of discord' has been launched across the country, the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement.
According to the statement, the operation aims include the elimination of the residual and latent threat of terrorism, consolidating gains of operations made so far and ensuring the security of Pakistan’s borders.
"The Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Civil Armed Forces as well as other security and law enforcement agencies will continue to actively participate and support the efforts of the Pakistan Army to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country," the statement said.
The operation will entail conduct of broad spectrum security and counter-terrorism operations by Rangers in Punjab, continuation of ongoing operations across the country and focus on more effective border security management.
It will also include a countrywide de-weaponisation and explosive control as additional cardinals of the effort, the statement said, adding that the hallmark of the operation will be pursuance of the National Action Plan.
The decision to launch operation came after army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa held a high-level security meeting in Lahore which was attended by all Corps Commanders in Punjab province, DG PR Punjab, and intelligence officials.
Pakistan army had launched 'Operation Zarb-i-Azb' in North Waziristan along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in 2014 to flush out the militants from the area. The army launched 'Operation Rah-i-Rast', commonly known as Swat Operation in 2009 and 'Operation Rah-i-Nijat' in South Waziristan in the same year.
The crackdown comes in the wake of a series of suicide attacks across Pakistan last week, killing dozens.
BUSSINESS:
5. SBI to merge with associates from April 1
(SBI) will merge its five associate banks with itself from April 1, in the largest consolidation exercise in the banking history of India. After the government notified April 1 as the effective date of merger, SBI today said in a regulatory filing, “The assets of State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ), State Bank of Mysore (SBM), State Bank of Travancore (SBT), State Bank of Patiala (SBP) and State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH) will be transferred to SBI from April 1, 2017.” Merging of another state-run lender Bhartiya Mahila Bank into SBI hasn’t been finalised yet. With the merger of all the five associates, SBI is expected to become one of the top 50 banks in the world with a balance sheet size of over Rs 32 lakh crore (about USD 500 billion), 22,500 branches and 58,000 ATMs. It will have a customer base of over 50 crore. Following the SBI merger, officers and employees, with the exception of the board of directors and executive trustees of the associate banks, will become employees of SBI. SBI will soon start the process of data integration, streamlining its IT (information technology) platform, rationalise 20 percent of its branches, integrate its five treasury operations into one and getting the employees on the SBI payscale among other things. The integration should be completed in the first half of FY18.
SPORTS:
6. India to host 2019 Combined World Cup for shooting
India will be hosting the Combined World Cup for shooting in 2019, a qualifying event for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which will further boost the country's profile as a global shooting destination.
The National Rifle Association of India's (NRAI) bid was approved by the International Shooting Sport Federation's Executive Board in its meeting held in New Delhi.
Combined World Cup comprises all the three categories -- shotgun, rifle and pistol -- and at stake in the 2019 edition will be a number of quota places for the Tokyo Games.
The tournament will be one of the last few events heading into the quadrennial extravaganza in the Japanese capital.
"Yes, India has been awarded the hosting rights of the 2019 Combined World Cup by the ISSF Executive Board. The decision to allot India the top tournament was unanimous," a well-placed NRAI source said.
ISSF delegates are in the city for the season's first World Cup, to be held at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range from February 22 to March 4, and are holding its executive committee and administrative council meetings.
NRAI President Raninder Singh had on Monday said they were looking at the upcoming World Cup as a stepping stone to prepare a strong bid for hosting a qualifying event for the Games.
With the decision coming through smoothly, it can be assumed that the ISSF brass is impressed with the existing infrastructure at the range.
In the upcoming tournament, a total of 50 countries will be represented by 452 athletes and among them will be reigning and former Olympic champions, world champions and continental champions lining up against India's top guns.
