Daily News Digest:13 January 2021

ISRAEL ANNOUNCES NEW ILLEGAL SETTLER HOMES IN OCCUPIED WEST BANK

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister has ordered the construction of approximately 800 homes for illegal Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.

West Bank is a landlocked territory near the Mediterranean coast of Western Asia, bordered by Jordan and the Dead Sea to the east and by Israel to the south, west and north.

51ST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TO HELD FROM 16 JAN

51st International Film Festival will be starting at Goa on January 16, 2021. Bangladesh announced to be the country of focus at the 51st International Film Festival.

HARVEST FESTIVAL CELEBRATED IN COUNTRY

The harvest festivals like Lohri, Makar Sankranti and Pongal celebrated all across the country.

Makar Sankranti denotes the entry of the sun into the zodiac sign of Makara (Capricorn) as it travels on its celestial path. The day marks the onset of summer and the six months auspicious period for Hindus known as Uttarayan – the northward movement of the sun.

HENLEY PASSPORT INDEX 2021 RELEASED

Japan has topped the list of being the most powerful passport in the world, for the third consecutive year. Japanese citizens can travel to as many as 191 countries visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 191 destinations around the world.

Henley & Partners released this index based on the exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). India ranked 85 among 110 countries with a visa-free score of 58.

MOU BETWEEN INDIA AND UAE FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION

Union Cabinet gave its approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Scientific and Technical Cooperation between National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) India. The MoU provides for sharing of knowledge, data and operational products for meteorological, seismological and oceanic services, such as Radar, Satellite, Tide gauges, seismic and Meteorological stations.

INDIA PROPOSES 8 POINT AGENDA AT UNSC OPEN DEBATE TO COMBAT TERRORISM

At the open debate on ‘International Cooperation in combating terrorism 20 years after the adoption of 1373’, the union minister proposed an eight-point action plan for addressing the menace of terrorism. This was also the first time that the minister made an intervention at the UN Security Council after India assumed its membership on January 1, 2021.

CENTRE RELEASES MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION (MEE) OF 146 NATIONAL PARK & WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Prakash Javadekar released Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of 146 National Park and Wildlife Sanctuaries in the country. The assessment process of India’s National Park and Wildlife Sanctuaries adopted from IUCN WCPA (World Commission on Protected Areas) framework of MEE.

At present, India has a network of 903 Protected Areas in the country covering about five per cent of the total geographic area of the country.

NEW FOREIGN TRADE POLICY TO COME INTO EFFECT FROM APRIL 1

India''s new Foreign Trade Policy, under formulation, will come into effect from April 1, 2021, for five years. The policy will strive to make India a leader in the area of international trade and channelize the synergies gained through merchandise and services exports for growth and employment with a goal to make India a 5 trillion dollar economy.