The Daily Brief – 20th January 2020

Gujarat acquired the first rank while Delhi was placed the last position (41) on efficiency targets in the review of state and Central government water departments by the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Among the seven central government departments, Survey of India topped the list while the Central Pollution Control Board received the lowest rank. In 2018, Telangana had been on the top and Gujarat was at seventh position. Among the states that significantly improved its ranking was Tamil Nadu which stood at 13^th compared to 33^rd in 2018.

The Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Home Minister Amit Shah, which was constituted to strengthen the legal framework to prevent sexual harassment at the workplace, has finalised its recommendations. The GoM was constituted first in October 2018after the #MeToo movement but was reconstituted in July 2019. The recommendations include addition of new provisions to the Indian Penal Code. The amendments would be largely based on the Vishaka Guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in 1997, on which the Sexual Harassment of Women and Workplace, 2013 Act was based.

Indian National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit DovaL meeting Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Indian National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on 19^th January, 2020 met Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and discussed setting up of a maritime research coordination centre in Sri Lanka. Both countries vowed to strengthen military ties and widen maritime links with neighbours after security talks. The two countries also discussed closer military and coastguard cooperation.

National Immunization Day (NID) was observed all over India on 19^th January, 2020 with an aim to maintain the ‘NO POLIO’ status in the country. President Ram Nath Kovind launched the Pulse Polio Programme 2020 by administering Polio drops to children below the age of five at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The two types of vaccines that are being administered in the country are IPV (Inactivated Polio Vaccine) and OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine). Pulse Polio Immunization programme, launched in 1995, caters to around 172 million children every day. India has eradicated polio completely in 2012.

World Gold Council (WGC) on 15^th January, 2020 released its report “World Gold Outlook 2020”. Gold had its best performance since 2010, rising by 18.4% in terms of US dollar in 2019. According to the WGC, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) currently holds 625.2 tonnes of gold that is 6.6% of the country’s foreign exchange and ranks sixth in the world among other central banks. In 2019, the largest gold sellers were Uzbekistan and Venezuela. Founded in 1987, WGC is the market development organisation for the gold industry with headquarters in London.

Myanmar and China signed 33 bilateral deals on 18^th January, 2020 during the two day visit by the Chinese President Xi Jinping to Myanmar. Most of these deals are related to the implementation of the China Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) launched by China. The two countries signed a concession agreement and shareholders’ agreement for the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ) deep seaport project. The port will link the land locked Yunnan province of China directly to the Indian Ocean allowing China to bypass the strait of Malacca through which it imports a sizeable amount of oil and gas.

Union Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Prakash Javadekar inaugurated ELECRAMA 2020, at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh on 18^th January, 2020. ELECRAMA is the flagship showcase of the Indian electrical industry and a platform to connect the world with Indian industry in respect of technology, new trends and innovation for future energy transition. India is the third largest producer and consumer of electricity. ELECRAMA is organized by Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA). The current president of IEEMA is R K Chugh.