NATIONAL NEWS
Govt releases report on State of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
The Economic Advisory Council to PM of India recently released a report on the State of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in the country. The elaborate report has been prepared by the Institute for Competitiveness. As per the report released by the Economic Advisory Council, access to education demands appropriate action on the part of the states as the performance of the larger states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Bihar are below average while the North-Eastern states have the highest score. The report further explained that the states have performed poorly in the Governance pillar and also added that some of the states might serve as role models for others. The Foundational Literacy and Numeracy skills refer to the basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills. Falling behind in the years of foundational learning will further make children more vulnerable.
Metro Man E Sreedharan quits active politics
Metro Man E Sreedharan announced on December 16, 2021, that he has decided to quit active politics. He had contested assembly elections from the Palakkad constituency as a BJP candidate. However, he lost the election. E Sreedharan announced the decision of quitting active politics at a press conference in Malappuram. While addressing the conference he also said his advanced age has been preventing him from engaging in active politics. E Sreedharan also termed Kerala Government’s recently proposed semi-speed Silverline rail project as ill-conceived and badly planned. Metro Man argued that it will further burden Kerala Govt’s exchequer which is already under huge budget. He added that its environmental impact will also be enormous.
Road Transport Ministry directs for removal of accident spots on National Highways
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued letters to the Chief Secretaries of all the States for the removal of accident spots on the National Highways. The Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, while replying to a question in Lok Sabha, said that in order to prevent road accidents the ministry has decided to take proactive action by studying the reasons for accidents for all such locations. The Union Minister also informed that in case there are non-engineering reasons for the accidents that need attention, the analysis will be sent to the concerned district magistrate for necessary action.
ISRO signs 6 agreements with 4 nations to launch foreign satellites
The Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space Dr. Jitendra Singh informed that the Indian Space Research Organisation signed 6 agreements with four nations for the launch of foreign satellites during the time period of 2021-23. The Union Minister also said that about 132 million euros will be earned through the launch of these foreign satellites on a commercial basis. Starting from the year 1999, India has successfully launched a total of 342 foreign satellites belonging to 34 nations on a commercial basis.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Letter of Intent to establish partnership in Digital Media signed between India and Vietnam
A letter of intent for establishing a partnership in Digital Media was signed between India and Vietnam. The document envisages sharing of experiences and information in establishing the policies and regulatory framework on the digital media and social networks. As per Union Minister Anurag Thakur, the meeting between India and Vietnam shaped the bilateral cooperation in the field of new technologies which all the countries were grappling with during pandemic. The agreement will also facilitate conducting capacity building and training programs for media professions in India and Vietnam.
French defence minister Florence Parly to arrive in India today, will hold talks with Rajnath Singh
French defence minister Florence Parly is scheduled to arrive in India on Thursday on a two-day visit that is aimed at further strengthening the already close bilateral strategic ties, people familiar with the developments said. Parly will hold wide-ranging talks with her Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on Friday to enhance defence and security ties between the two countries besides delving into pressing regional issues, they said. The recent developments in Afghanistan and the situation in the Indo-Pacific region are likely to figure in the talks. It will be Parly’s fourth visit to India since 2017. She had visited India in September last year primarily to attend a ceremony in Ambala that was held to induct the first batch of five Rafale jets into the Indian Air Force. In 2016, India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 of the aircraft for ₹59,000 crore. The ties between India and France are on an upswing in the last few years with cooperation witnessing a significant expansion in key areas. The areas of defence and security, civil nuclear cooperation and trade and investment constitute the principal pillars of the Indo-French strategic partnership. In addition, India and France are increasingly engaged in new areas of cooperation such as in the Indian Ocean region, climate change and sustainable growth and development. The two countries share a close degree of convergence on a range of regional and global issues as well including ways to deal with terrorism and eextremism
Kim Jong Un’s policy of a complete but isolated 10-yr-rule in North Korea
Since assuming power 10 years ago, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ruled the isolated country with absolute power, significantly expanded its nuclear arsenal and become the North’s first ruler to hold a summit with a sitting US president. But now, he’s hunkering down and struggling to revive a dilapidated economy battered hard by pandemic-related border shutdowns, toughened UN sanctions and mismanagement. When he inherited power upon the death of his father and longtime ruler Kim Jong Il, there were questions about the future of North Korea. Little was known about the then-27-year-old son who was taking his family’s dynastic rule into a third generation. But Kim Jong Un quickly consolidated his power by orchestrating a spate of brutal purges and executions that removed his potential rivals including his own powerful uncle. With a firm grip on power, Kim has carried on his family’s nuclear ambitions and diverted much of his country’s scarce resources toward programs to build nuclear-tipped missiles capable of reaching the US mainland. His provocative run of nuclear and missile tests in 2016-17 placed North Korea a step closer to its goal of possessing such functioning intercontinental ballistic missiles, but they also led North Korea to face stricter UN sanctions and deepened international isolation.
