1. Saraswathi Menon named on Panel to Review UN Peace-Building Architecture
Saraswathi Menon, an eminent Indian academician has been named on advisory panel to Review UN Peace-Building Architecture.
She is among seven experts nominated by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to conduct a policy and institutional review on UN’s peace-building architecture and make recommendations.
The other 6 experts are: Anis Bajwa (Pakistan), Funmi Olonisakin (Nigeria), Sahel Sahara Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah (Mauritania), Charles Petrie (France), Gert Rosenthal (Guatemala) and Edith Grace Ssempala (Uganda).
7 expert’s advisory group function:
It will undertake studies in countries like Burundi, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Timor-Leste in order to conduct a policy and institutional review of the UN peace-building architecture.
It will also develop findings and recommendations based on this work.
The group will submit a report to the General Assembly and the Security Council for further consideration through an inter-governmental process.
2. Jhumpa Lahiri wins DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2015
Indian American Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri has won
prestigious DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2015. Fifth edition of this prize was announced at the Jaipur Literature Festival.
She has received the prestigious $50,000 DSC Prize for her book The Lowland. Her book was chosen by 5 judges from 75 books.
The Lowland is a tale of two Indian brothers during time of 1950’s in Calcutta. It depicts story of both brothers one who get involved in the Naxalite movement in the late 1960s and the other leaves for the United States.
Jhumpa Lahiri
Her original name is Nilanjana Sudeshna.
Works- Her debut short story collection Interpreter of Maladies (1999) has won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Her first novel was Namesake (2003) was adapted in a movie with the same name which was directed by Mira Nair. Suresh Kalpenn acted in this movie. The Lowland (2013).
Currently, she is a member of US President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities.
3. SBI signs 100 mn euro loan pact with EIB
India’s largest bank State Bank of India (SBI), has signed a loan agreement for 100 million euro (about Rs 700 crore) with European Investment Bank (EIB).
This agreement was facilitated by SBI Capital Markets, a subsidiary of SBI.
It is the third tranche of a total sanctioned loan of 200 million euro by EIB to SBI for lending it to private businesses in the country.
SBI will utilize this loan to support the development of private sector in country in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It will be also utilized social and economic infrastructure as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Earlier on 25 June and 28 November 2014, first tranche of Euro 55 and second tranche of Euro 45 million was signed between both banks.
4. Lodha promises fair play
The former Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha, chairperson of the three-member committee appointed by the Supreme Court to clean up the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said on Friday that the panel would ensure that transparency and accountability was the rule and not exception in the administration of cricket in India.
“One of the tasks given to us is to ensure there is transparency and accountability in the game. We know there is huge public expectation resting on us. We will ensure the game is played in its best spirits. We will do our best,” Justice Lodha told
We will complete all our assigned tasks within the six months given to us,” he said. The panel members are the former Supreme Court judges Ashok Bhan and R.V. Raveendran.
5. Thailand impeaches former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra
Thailand’s military-appointed legislature has voted to impeach former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
She was impeached for her role in overseeing a government rice subsidy program that lost billions of dollars.
More than three-fifths i.e. 190 legislatures voted against Yingluck in the legislature of 220 members. It should be noted that, for this impeachment more than three-fifths votes of the legislatures was required.
Most members of the legislature who voted against her are part of the military or political opponents her government and past governments allied with her brother Thaksin Shinawatra (former Prime Minister who was ousted in a 2006 coup).
This impeachment means she will be banned from politics for five years.
While, Thailand’s military government is also planning to indict criminal charges on her for negligence related to losses and alleged corruption in the rice scheme. If she is convicted, she could face 10 years in jail.
6. India, US inks pact to cooperate in ICTE to facilitate Digital India programme
India and United States have agreed to cooperate in the field of Information and Communications Technology and Electronics (ICTE) to facilitate Union government’s ambitious Digital India programme(DIP).
In this regard, Joint Declaration of Intent for cooperation was signed by Secretary in the Department of Electronics and IT- RS Sharma and US Ambassador to India- Richard Rahul Verma.
7. Kerala to get first International Institute of Music
Kerala Culture Minister K C Joseph on 22 January 2015 announced setting up of the International Institute of Music in Kerala. It will be the first international institute in India that is dedicated to music.
A Trust headed by Sarod Maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan has been entrusted with the responsibility to set up the Institute. The government will provide only land and all other infrastructure facilities will be built by a trust managed by Khan's family.
Moreover, Kerala Government also identified the land for setting up the school in Thiruvananthapuram or Kochi or Kozhikode. Now, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan will decide one location out of these.
The school will be under the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi but would have a separate body to govern it. All kinds of music, musical instruments and musical systems will be taught at the Institute.
8. Telugu comedian Mailavarapu Surya Narayana passed away
Tollywood Actor and comedian Mailavarapu Surya Narayana passed away on 23 January 2015 following multi-organ failure. He was 63.
1. Saraswathi Menon named on Panel to Review UN Peace-Building Architecture
Saraswathi Menon, an eminent Indian academician has been named on advisory panel to Review UN Peace-Building Architecture.
She is among seven experts nominated by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to conduct a policy and institutional review on UN’s peace-building architecture and make recommendations.
The other 6 experts are: Anis Bajwa (Pakistan), Funmi Olonisakin (Nigeria), Sahel Sahara Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah (Mauritania), Charles Petrie (France), Gert Rosenthal (Guatemala) and Edith Grace Ssempala (Uganda).
7 expert’s advisory group function:
It will undertake studies in countries like Burundi, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Timor-Leste in order to conduct a policy and institutional review of the UN peace-building architecture.
It will also develop findings and recommendations based on this work.
The group will submit a report to the General Assembly and the Security Council for further consideration through an inter-governmental process.
2. Jhumpa Lahiri wins DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2015
Indian American Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri has won
prestigious DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2015. Fifth edition of this prize was announced at the Jaipur Literature Festival.
She has received the prestigious $50,000 DSC Prize for her book The Lowland. Her book was chosen by 5 judges from 75 books.
The Lowland is a tale of two Indian brothers during time of 1950’s in Calcutta. It depicts story of both brothers one who get involved in the Naxalite movement in the late 1960s and the other leaves for the United States.
Jhumpa Lahiri
Her original name is Nilanjana Sudeshna.
Works- Her debut short story collection Interpreter of Maladies (1999) has won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Her first novel was Namesake (2003) was adapted in a movie with the same name which was directed by Mira Nair. Suresh Kalpenn acted in this movie. The Lowland (2013).
Currently, she is a member of US President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities.
3. SBI signs 100 mn euro loan pact with EIB
India’s largest bank State Bank of India (SBI), has signed a loan agreement for 100 million euro (about Rs 700 crore) with European Investment Bank (EIB).
This agreement was facilitated by SBI Capital Markets, a subsidiary of SBI.
It is the third tranche of a total sanctioned loan of 200 million euro by EIB to SBI for lending it to private businesses in the country.
SBI will utilize this loan to support the development of private sector in country in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It will be also utilized social and economic infrastructure as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Earlier on 25 June and 28 November 2014, first tranche of Euro 55 and second tranche of Euro 45 million was signed between both banks.
4. Lodha promises fair play
The former Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha, chairperson of the three-member committee appointed by the Supreme Court to clean up the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said on Friday that the panel would ensure that transparency and accountability was the rule and not exception in the administration of cricket in India.
“One of the tasks given to us is to ensure there is transparency and accountability in the game. We know there is huge public expectation resting on us. We will ensure the game is played in its best spirits. We will do our best,” Justice Lodha told
We will complete all our assigned tasks within the six months given to us,” he said. The panel members are the former Supreme Court judges Ashok Bhan and R.V. Raveendran.
5. Thailand impeaches former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra
Thailand’s military-appointed legislature has voted to impeach former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
She was impeached for her role in overseeing a government rice subsidy program that lost billions of dollars.
More than three-fifths i.e. 190 legislatures voted against Yingluck in the legislature of 220 members. It should be noted that, for this impeachment more than three-fifths votes of the legislatures was required.
Most members of the legislature who voted against her are part of the military or political opponents her government and past governments allied with her brother Thaksin Shinawatra (former Prime Minister who was ousted in a 2006 coup).
This impeachment means she will be banned from politics for five years.
While, Thailand’s military government is also planning to indict criminal charges on her for negligence related to losses and alleged corruption in the rice scheme. If she is convicted, she could face 10 years in jail.
6. India, US inks pact to cooperate in ICTE to facilitate Digital India programme
India and United States have agreed to cooperate in the field of Information and Communications Technology and Electronics (ICTE) to facilitate Union government’s ambitious Digital India programme(DIP).
In this regard, Joint Declaration of Intent for cooperation was signed by Secretary in the Department of Electronics and IT- RS Sharma and US Ambassador to India- Richard Rahul Verma.
7. Kerala to get first International Institute of Music
Kerala Culture Minister K C Joseph on 22 January 2015 announced setting up of the International Institute of Music in Kerala. It will be the first international institute in India that is dedicated to music.
A Trust headed by Sarod Maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan has been entrusted with the responsibility to set up the Institute. The government will provide only land and all other infrastructure facilities will be built by a trust managed by Khan's family.
Moreover, Kerala Government also identified the land for setting up the school in Thiruvananthapuram or Kochi or Kozhikode. Now, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan will decide one location out of these.
The school will be under the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi but would have a separate body to govern it. All kinds of music, musical instruments and musical systems will be taught at the Institute.
8. Telugu comedian Mailavarapu Surya Narayana passed away
Tollywood Actor and comedian Mailavarapu Surya Narayana passed away on 23 January 2015 following multi-organ failure. He was 63.
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