HIMACHAL PRADESH
Schools in Himachal Pradesh to partially open from February
The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to partially open schools from next month by strictly following standard operating procedures in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
Classes 5 and 8-12 in schools in the plains that have summer vacations will open from February 1, while those in the hilly areas having longer winter vacations will start February 15, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Bhardwaj said.
Industrial training institutes, and polytechnic and engineering colleges will also open from February 1. The decision to reopen these institutions was taken in the cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Jairam Thakur after reviewing the current coronavirus situation in the state.
INTERNATIONAL
North Korea unveils new submarine-launched ballistic missile
North Korea has unveiled a new submarine-launched ballistic missile described by state media as the world’s most powerful weapon.
Pyongyang unveiled the missile during a military parade.
The weapon’s actual capabilities remain unclear, as it is not known to have been tested.
The photos show that the SLBM is labelled Pukguksong-5, which means it’s an upgrade to the Pukguksong-4 unveiled in the military parade in October, 2020.
NATIONAL
India Meteorological Department (IMD) celebrates its 146th Foundation Day
India Meteorological Department (IMD) celebrated its 146th Foundation Day on 15th January 2021.
IMD has been continuously redefining its focus for accurate Prediction of Monsoon and cyclones as our GDP is mainly based on agriculture.
It has succeeded in minimizing loss of lives from various extreme events like cyclone, heavy rain, thunderstorm, heat wave and cold wave etc. in the recent years with its precise forecasting and timely warnings.
Petroleum & Natural Gas Ministry launches SAKSHAM campaign to spread awareness about green energy
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry launched a month-long mass awareness campaign ‘SAKSHAM’ to spread awareness about green and clean energy.
The pan-India campaign will focus on adoption of cleaner fuels.
The campaign will spread awareness about seven key drivers that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently mentioned.
They include moving towards a gas-based economy, cleaner use of fossil fuels, greater reliance on domestic sources to drive bio-fuels and increased use of electric vehicles.
India Ranked 85th in Henley Passport Index
India takes the 85th position in the most powerful passport report “Henry Passport Index 2021”. The Henry Passport Index is ranking of all passports in the world based on the number of destinations that the holder can enter without a prior visa.
The Henry Index is an original ranking of all passports in the globe based on the number of destinations that the holder can enter without a prior visa.
Henry Passport Index was launched in 2006 and includes 199 different passports.
Japan continues to rank first in the index, and passport holders can enter 191 destinations in the world visa-free.
Singapore ranked second (with a score of 190), and South Korea tied for third with Germany (with a score of 189).
Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan continue to be the countries with the worst passport holdings, with passport scores of 29, 28 and 26 respectively.
India took 85th position with a visa-free score of 58. Indian passports rank higher in 2020 (84th) and 2019 (82nd). Pakistan ranks 107th and Nepal ranks 104th.
Railways Ministry Approved A New Iron Ore Policy
The Ministry of Railways approved a new iron ore policy. This policy will take effect on February 10, 2021. The iron ore policy governs the distribution and transportation of iron ore.
The rake distribution system module will be updated by the Centre Railway Information System (CRIS).
The policy will give priority to shipping iron ore to domestic manufacturing. In the domestic movement, steel, sponge iron, pig iron, pellets or sinter plants with customers will be given higher priority and special sliding will be carried out at the loading and unloading end. These customers will follow closely, relying on private residences to slide on their own.
The policy classifies the flow of iron ore based on the availability of railway infrastructure developed by customers. Similarly, the essence of movement will be to maximize the railway movement of iron ore.
Iron ore is the second most important traffic flow for Indian Railways. Iron ore and steel together account for more than 17% of the total freight volume of Indian railways (data for 2019-20).