9^th February 2015

1- PM NarendraModi constitutes 3 sub-groups of CMs within NITI Aayog

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has constituted three

NITI Aayog | Divided in 3 Sub Group

sub-groups of Chief Ministers within National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog.

It was announced by PM while he was chairing the first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog in New Delhi.

• First sub-group-It will study the 66 centrally-sponsored schemes and recommend which schemes should continue, which should be transferred to states, and which to discontinue.
• Second sub-group-It will focus on skill development and creation of skilled manpower within states.
• Third sub-group-It will decide on the institutional mechanisms to be evolved for Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, so that cleanliness becomes a part of life in perpetuity.

Key highlights of first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog

• In this meeting, Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and Lt Governors of Andaman and Nicobar and Delhi, and the Chief Ministers of the rest of the states participated.
• PM has asked all the states to create two task forces under the aegis of the NITI Aayog, one to focus on poverty alleviation, and the other to focus on future development of agriculture in the states.
• First meeting also focused on issues related to growth, investment, decentralization and poverty alleviation.
• PM also stressed on the role of the states and emphasized how Jan Dhan Yojana and Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan had become successful with cooperation of the states.

2- Adidas India appoints Damyant Singh as Brand Director

German sportswear major Adidas Group has appointed Damyant

Damyant Singh |  Adidas

Singh as its Brand Director in India.

He will succeed Tushar Goculdas, who was recently appointed as the Brand Director-Adidas Emerging Markets.

Damyant Singh has rich experience as marketing professional and has broad and strong knowledge of the Adidas brand, the Indian sports market and consumers.

About Adidas

Adidas is Herzogenaurach, Bavaria based German Multinational Corporation that designs and manufactures sports shoes, clothing and accessories.

It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe and the second biggest in the world, after Nike.

Adidas India is subsidiary of Adidas Group which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, Taylor Made-Adidas golf company (including Ashworth), Rockport, and 9.1% of Football Club Bayern Munich.

3- Journalist Vinod Mehta awarded Yash Bharti Samman by UP Government

Distinguished journalist Vinod Mehta has been conferred Yash

Memoir Lucknow Boy

Bharti Samman by Uttar Pradesh Government.

Yash Bharti Samman is Uttar Pradesh’s highest civilian award.

About Vinod Mehta

• Vinod Mehta was born in in Rawalpindi, in West-Punjab region of undivided India.
• He is one of India’s most influential editors and has launched a number of successful publications such as the Sunday Observer, Indian Post, The Independent, The Pioneer (Delhi edition) and Outlook.
• He has authored a biography of Meena Kumari (movie actress and poet) and Sanjay Gandhi- The Sanjay Story(2012).
• His other acclaimed work includes memoir Lucknow Boy published in 2012, Mr Editor, how close are you to the PM? (1999) and Bombay: A Private View (1971).
• Currently, he is editorial chairman of the Outlook Group

About Yash Bharti Samman

Yash Bharti Samman is conferred by the Uttar Pradesh Government for excellence in literature, fine arts, folk and classical music and sports.

The award was instituted by Mulayam Singh Yadav Government in 1994. It was discontinued by the BahujanSamaj Party Government from 2007-2013, but later it was revived after a gap of six years.

4- 68th BAFTA Awards 2015

The 68th British Academy of Film and Television Arts

68th BAFTA Awards 2015

(BAFTA) held at the Royal Opera House in London.

This year the BAFTA awards were conferred for the outstanding performances in films and documentaries screened at British Cinemas in 2014.

Winners of the 68th Annual BAFTA Awards

• Best Film: Boyhood
• Outstanding British Film:The Theory of Everything.
• Best Director:Richard Linklater (Boyhood).
• Best Actor:Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything).
• Best Actress:Julianne Moore (Still Alice).
• Best Supporting Actor: Simmons (Whiplash).
• Best Supporting Actress:Julianne Moore (Still Alice).
• Best Original Screenplay:The Grand Budapest Hotel.
• Best Adapted Screenplay:The Theory of Everything.
• Best Editing: Whiplash
• Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki (Birdman).
• Best Production Design:The Grand Budapest Hotel.
• Best Costume Design:The Grand Budapest Hotel.
• Best Original Music: The Grand Budapest Hotel.
• Best Makeup and Hair: The Grand Budapest Hotel.
• Best Sound: Whiplash.
• Best Visual Effects: Interstellar
  
• Best Film Not in the English Language: Ida
  
• Best Animated Film:The Lego Movie
• Best Documentary: Citizenfour
• Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer:Stephen Beresford (Writer) and David Livingstone (Producer).
• Best British Short Film:Boogaloo and Graham
• Best British Short Animation:The Bigger Picture
• The EE Rising Star Award:Jack O’Connell
• Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema:BBC Films
• Most awards:The Grand Budapest Hotel (5).
• Most nominations:The Grand Budapest Hotel (11).

About British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)

• Formed: 1947.
• Headquarters: London.
• Purpose: To supports, promotes and develops the art forms of the moving image – film, television and video games – by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public.

5- 57th Annual Grammy Awards 2015

The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were announced at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

Indian’s in 57th Annual Grammy Awards

This year two Indians have won Grammy Awards. They are

• Ricky Kej- His collaborated album Winds of Samsara won the Best New Age Album Trophy.
• NeelaVaswani- She won award in Children’s Album category for her album I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up For Education And Changed The World (MalalaYousafzai).

About Grammy Awards

Grammy Awards (originally were called Gramophone Awards) are the recording industry’s most prestigious award presented annually by National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) of the United States. It should be noted that NARAS is also known as The Recording Academy.

They are awarded to artists and technical professionals for their outstanding achievements in the music industry.

The awards are presented to recipients at the annual presentation ceremony which features performances by prominent artists, and the presentation of those awards that have a more popular interest.

The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on 4 May 1959.

6- Adani Enterprises Ltd, Rajasthan Government inks MoU to develop 10,000 MW solar parks

Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) and Rajasthan

10,000 MW solar parks | Rajasthan

Government have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for developing solar parks in state with a capacity of 10,000 MW.

In this regard, both AEL and state owned Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Limited (RRECL) have agreed to form a joint venture (JV) to develop these solar parks in state within next ten years. Of these, solar parks of 5,000 MW capacity will be developed in the next five years.

JV of both companies will set up the solar parks, which will include generation projects and a manufacturing unit for solar module, parts and equipment.

Once set up, these solar parks will include solar power projects and manufacturing unit for solar module, parts and equipment in Rajasthan.

After completion, these solar park will produce clean & green energy of approximately 16,644 million units, furthering India’s goals for clean, renewable energy independence and reduce carbon footprint by approximately 16.2 MT.

7- China launches first Maritime Silk Road cruise liner

China has launched first cruise liner to sail via its ambitious

Maritime Silk Road (MSR) | Initiative

transcontinental initiative Maritime Silk Road (MSR).

The cruise liner sailed off from the Beihai port located in southwest China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

On its maiden voyage, cruise liner will visit three South-East Asian nations including Malaysia, Vietnam and the Gulf of Thailand.

This cruise liner is 135-metre-long 20-metre-wide ship and can accommodate about 400 people. It also equipped with wireless Internet access.

About Maritime Silk Road (MSR)

• The 21st century MSR project is an initiative by China to resurrect the ancient maritime Silk Road. It is perceived to be an attempt by China to ameliorate relations with South and Southeast Asia- in this case the focus is on maritime trade security.​
• The project will prioritize construction ports and infrastructure, industrial parks in strategically significant countries in Southeast Asia, the Mideast, Africa, Europe and the Indian Ocean region, which includes Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
• China has already begun building of port projects in Gwadar (Pakistan), Hambantota (Sri Lanka) and Chittagong (Bangladesh) respectively.
• China has announced a USD 40 billion Silk Road fund which became operational in February 2015 for attracting small countries in the projects.

8- Australian PM Tony Abbott survives confidence vote on leadership in Liberal party

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has survived a spill vote

Tony Abbott | Australian PM

of confidence on his leadership in the Liberal Party.

In a Liberal party room voting, the ruling Liberal Party voted to defeat the leadership spill motion by 61 to39 votes. The party decided to not open up the top positions to contenders.

Tony Abbott was elected as the Prime Minister of Australia in September 2013.

Background

Earlier in first week of February, some MPs from Abbott’s Liberal Party openly had called a spill vote of confidence after his decline in popularity and poor ratings due to series of policy backflips.

The main aim of motion was to declare vacant the positions of party leader and deputy leader- currently occupied by Abbott and Deputy Prime Minister Julie Bishop.

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