The Daily Brief – 26th January 2020

President Ram Nath Kovind presented Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG), President’s Police Medal (PPM) for Distinguished Services and Police Medal (PM) for Meritorious Services on the occasion of Republic Day 2020 in Delhi. Police Medal for Gallantry was awarded to 286 police personnel while 93 personnel were awarded President’s Police Medal (PPM) for Distinguished Service. A total 657 personnel received Police Medal for Meritorious Service.

Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro with Prime Minister Narendra Modi

India and Brazil on 25^th January, 2020 signed 15 agreements in various fields including cyber security, bioenergy, social security and health and medicine, after bilateral talks between Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The two also countries signed an investment cooperation and facilitation treaty that provides a framework to increase trade and investment in high growth areas. Bolsonaro is the chief guest in India’s 71st Republic Day celebrations.

Secretary & Financial Adviser of Ministry of Tourism Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi inaugurated the Bharat Parv 2020 that will be held from 26^th to 31^st January, 2020 in Delhi. The objective of Bharat Parv is to encourage people to visit different tourist places of the country and to inculcate the spirit of ‘Dekho Apna Desh’. The theme of this year is ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ and ‘Celebrating 150 Years of Mahatma Gandhi’. Bharat Parvis a five-day festival organised annually at the end of January by Ministry of Tourism to showcase the cuisine and culture of different states of India.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Sunil Arora took over as the Chairman of Forum of the Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of South Asia (FEMBoSA) for the year 2020 from outgoing Chair K.M.Nurul Huda, CEC of Bangladesh on 24^th January, 2020 at the10th Annual Meeting of FEMBoSA held in New Delhi. Established in May 2012, FEMBoSA is a regional association of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of SAARC Countries and has eight members.

World Archery has conditionally lifted the suspension of the Archery Association of India (AAI) following elections in New Delhi on 18^th It instructed AAI to update its constitution, to clarify athlete membership, develop a strategic plan and resolve other governance issues. AAI had been suspended since 5^th August, 2019, with the Indian athletes only allowed to compete under a neutral flag at events that directly affected their qualification chances for the Olympics. India currently has three men’s and one women’s quota place at Tokyo 2020. Founded on 8^th August, 1973, AAI is the national governing body of archery in India.

The first war memorial for animals in India will be set up at the Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC) Centre, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. It will feature those animals that have lost their lives in counter-insurgency operation, mainly in Kashmir. Granite tablets with names and service numbers of more than 300 dogs, 350 handlers and a few horses’ mules will be inscribed at the memorial.

Government of India, Government of Maharashtra and the World Bank on 24^th January, 2020 signed a loan agreement of USD 210 million for Maharashtra Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project. The project aims to support smallholder farmers participate in competitive agriculture value chains, facilitate agri-business investments, increase market access and productivity in focus commodities and build resilience of crops to recurrent floods or droughts in Maharashtra.