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- The fifth edition of the Asia Pacific Drosophila Research Conference (APDRC5), a biennial conference to promote the interaction of Drosophila researchers in the Asia-Pacific region with their peers in the rest of the world, is being organised by the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Pune from 6th to 10th January, 2020. It will bring together scientists from all over the world who use the fruit fly, Drosophila, as a model organism to address basic and applied questions. It is the first time the conference is being organised in India.
- Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) released a report on the intake of added sugar in metropolitan cities of India on 5th January, 2020 based on the survey conducted jointly by ICMR and National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) Hyderabad. The first-of-its-kind survey was sponsored by International Life Science Institute of India (ILSI). The average daily intake of added sugar in all metro cities was 19.5 grams/ day, lower than the ICMR recommended level of 30 grams/day. The mean intake of added sugar is least in Hyderabad. As per the survey, women take around 20.2 grams of added sugar in a day while men’s intake of added sugar is 18.7 grams per day.
- Government of India in consultation with Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) released new standards for the performance of air conditioners. As per the new standards, all AC manufacturers shall ensure the default setting of temperature in the room air conditioners at 24 degrees Celsius, with effect from 1st January, 2020. According to BEE, the total air conditioner capacity of India is 80 million tonnes of refrigeration and is estimated that this will increase to 250 million by 2030.
- Iran on 5th January, 2020 declared that it will no longer abide by any of the restrictions imposed by the 2015 nuclear deal– Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The move comes after the US troops killed General Qassem Soleimani. According to the deal, Iran curbed its nuclear programme in exchange to relief from sanctions. The US had unilaterally abandoned the JCPOA on 8th May, 2018.
Launch of National Stock Exchange (NSE) Knowledge Hub - Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on 6th January, 2020 inaugurated the National Stock Exchange (NSE) knowledge Hub, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered learning ecosystem that will assist insurance, banking and financial services, in New Delhi. It will help academic institutions in preparing future ready talent for the financial services industry.
- The third international symposium on Marine Ecosystems Challenges and Opportunities (MECOS-3) will be held in Kochi from 7th to 10th January, 2020. Organised by the Marine Biological Association of India (MBAI), the symposium will provide a platform for discussion on a wide range of topics, including impact of climate crisis in marine ecosystems and unusual warming of the Arabian sea.
- Gujarat government launched ‘Study in Gujarat’ campaign with an aim to make the state an educational hub at national and international level. As a part of this campaign, a high level delegation will hold road shows in 10 cities of India as well as in western Asian countries. As many as 22 private and government universities and 4 colleges of the state are participating in the campaign.
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