The Daily Brief – 10th May 2019

Basava Jayanthi was observed on birthday of Basavanna (May 7), a Hindu Kannada poet of 12th century. It was traditionally observed by the Lingayats (also called Virashaiva, are devotees of Shiva in southern India). It was celebrated across states like Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. He is also known as Bhaktibhandari or Basaveswara. On 14 November 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inaugurated statue of Basavanna along bank of river Thames at Lambeth in London, UK.

Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu commenced his four-day official visit to Vietnam on 9 May 2019. His visit comes after a series of high-level exchanges between India-Vietnam in 2018 which include visit of Vietnamese Prime Minister in January and President in March to India. The Vice President will participate in 16th United Nations Day of Vesak (UNDV) in northern Ha Nam province of Vietnam. This visit is expected to enhance India’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Southeast Asian nation, Vietnam.

India’s Jagjit Pavadia was re-elected to International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) for another five-year term beginning 2nd March, 2020. She has been member of INCB since 2015 and her current term will expire in 2020. She has held many senior positions in Indian Revenue Service (IRS) for 35 years in Government of India (GoI). Established in 1968, INCB is an independent and quasi-judicial monitoring body. Its secretariat is located at Vienna, Austria.

Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), under Ministry of Finance is organising a meeting of Asia Pacific Region of World Customs Organisation (WCO) in Kochi (in Kerala) from 8th to 10th May, 2019. As India currently holds seat of Vice Chairperson of Asia Pacific region (assumed on 1 July 2018) for a two-year period, it is hosting this meeting. Pranab Kumar Das, Chairman of CBIC will chair the meeting.

Team Caeli emerged as the first runner-up in Microsoft’s Imagine Cup World Championship final held in Seattle, USA. The team comprising of three Indian students – Bharat Sundal, Aakash Bhadana and Vasu Kaushik – won the second spot for developing “Caeli”, the world’s first smart automated anti-pollution and drug delivery mask.

India was re-elected as an Observer to the intergovernmental forum Arctic Council at the 11th Arctic Council ministerial meeting held at Rovaniemi in Finland. The Arctic Council was established in 1996, with headquarters in Tromso, Norway and comprises of eight member nations. The Council is a high level intergovernmental forum which address issues faced by Arctic States (Russia, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Canada and US), its indigenous people and its other inhabitants.

INS Kolkata and INS Shakti carried out a 6-day long ‘Group Sail’ with naval ships from the USA, Japan and Philippines in the South China Sea. The objective of the ‘Group Sail’ was to deepen existing partnerships and fostering mutual understanding.

According to UN findings based on a report, climate change and rising sea levels may eventually wipe out the Sunderbans – the world’s largest and last tiger strongholds. If the greenhouse gas emissions continued at the current rate, the atmosphere would warm as much as 1.5C by 2040.

Dr. NR Madhava Menon, a pioneer of Indian legal education passed away. He was considered as the Father of Modern Legal Education and was the pioneer in establishment of National Law Schools in India, most notably known as the founder director of National Law School of India University (NLSIU) IN 1987. He also conceptualized establishment of a five-year integrated LLB course, in place of a 3-year course. ‘The Story of a Law Teacher: Turning Point’ is his autobiographical narrative.