Fostering maritime collaboration, two scientists from Mauritius and one from Bangladesh have joined the 43rd Antarctic expedition of India, led by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research in Goa. The scientists boarded the vessel in Cape Town on December 20, 2023, marking a significant stride in international cooperation in polar research.

This collaborative effort stems from the maiden Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) Oceanographers and Hydrographers conference held in Goa and Hyderabad in November 2022. The conference laid the foundation for scientific partnerships among the CSC nations, facilitating joint initiatives for oceanographic and hydrographic studies.

Previously, scientists from the CSC nations embarked on a month-long scientific expedition in the Indian Ocean Region in June 2023 aboard the 'Sagar Nidhi,' further strengthening the bonds of collaboration.

The Wings India 2024 event is all set to take flight from January 18 to 21 at Begumpet Airport, showcasing an array of new-generation aircraft displays, allied aviation services, auxiliary unit industries, and advancements in the tourism sector.

Organized by the Airports Authority of India in collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, this four-day extravaganza is anticipated to be Asia’s largest congregation.

The event is scheduled to hold conference sessions on January 18 and 19, serving as a specialized platform for industry professionals and experts to engage in insightful discussions and presentations. Business visitors are welcome throughout the entire four-day event.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) today said that global unemployment rate is expected to inch up to 5.2 percent this year primarily because of a rise in joblessness in advanced economies.

ILO's 2024 'World Employment and Social Outlook' report forecasts that the number of unemployed people will rise by 2 million, lifting the global unemployment rate to 5.2 percent from 5.1 percent in 2023.

ILO, a United Nations agency, said that after a short growth spurt as countries recovered from the pandemic, aggregate labour productivity growth had quickly returned to the low pace seen over the previous decade. The report also said, the situation is particularly concerning in high-income countries, where employment growth is expected to turn negative in 2024 and only modest improvements are anticipated in 2025.

In a first, India is set to chair and host UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in New Delhi from 21st to 31st July 2024, Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO, Vishal V Sharma said on 9 January.

As UNESCO's official statement, “At its 19th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2023), the World Heritage Committee decided that its 46th session will take place in India."

“Following a proposal by the authorities of the State Party of India, and in consultation with the UNESCO Director-General, the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee will take place from July 21 to 31, 2024 in New Delhi, India," the statement added.

Senior IAS officer Samir Kumar Sinha has been appointed as Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisition) in the Defence Ministry, as part of a bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre.

Sinha, a 1994-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, is currently working in his Assam-Meghalaya cadre.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment as Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisition), Department of Defence, a Union Personnel Ministry order said.

Bharat Harbanslal Khera, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Monday launched Ugram, a state-of-the-art assault rifle of the 7.62 x 51 mm calibre, which has been indigenously designed, developed and manufactured in collaboration with a private industry partner. The assault rifle has been designed for the operational requirements of armed forces, paramilitary and state police entities.

The first operational prototype of the rifle, which has been named Ugram, which means ferocious, was unveiled at the hands of Dr Shailendra V Gade, Director General, Armament and Combat Engineering Systems of the DRDO on Monday in Pune.

The rifle has an effective range of 500 metres and weighs less than four kilograms and has been developed by DRDO’s Pune-based facility Armament Research and Development Establishments (ARDE) in collaboration with Hyderabad-based Dvipa Armour India Private Limited.

Microsoft has announced the launch of an initiative called AI Odyssey today to train 100,000 developers in India in AI tools and applications. The month-long program is open to all AI enthusiasts regardless of their background or experience in the industry.

Interested participants can register for free on aka.ms/AIOdyssey to access the learning modules and resources online. The program comprises two levels that have to be finished by January 31, 2024.

The first level of the course shows how Azure AI services can be used to build and deploy AI products and solutions for various use-cases. Participants will have access to resources like code samples and guides to develop their practical skills. In the second level, they will be tested via an online assessment with interactive lab tasks that will earn them Microsoft Applied Skills credentials.

India, UAE on Tuesday signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

An MoU was signed between India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and UAE's Ministry of Investment on Investment Cooperation in Renewable Energy Sectors

Another MoU was signed between India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and UAE's Ministry of Investment on Investment Cooperation in Innovative Healthcare Projects.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated Malkangiri Airport on Tuesday. "CM Naveen Patnaik visited Malkangiri district and inaugurated Malkangiri Airport on Tuesday. The runway was constructed on 233 acres of land at ₹ 70 crore. Malkangiri got the air services," the Chief Minister's Office said.

The Chief Minister's Office added that CM Patnaik also approved the Govindapally Irrigation Project across the Saptdhara River in Malkangiri District.

"4,000 crore will be spent on this project. 92,815 acres of farmland will be irrigated. During the visit of 5T Chairman Karthik Pandian to Malkangiri in March, he received proposals for the project from the public," the Chief Minister's Office added.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has said his government has set a target to contribute 10 per cent to India's GDP and become a ₹500 billion economy by 2026-27.

Gujarat contributes 8.3% to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Mr. Patel said in an email interview to PTI ahead of the tenth Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. "With 5% of the population, Gujarat contributes over 8.3% to the national GDP. In the previous year, the state accounted for a remarkable 33 per cent of India's total merchandise exports," he said.

The summit will showcase Gujarat's futuristic projects and investments (DREAM City, GIFT City, Dholera SIR, Ahmedabad-Mumbai High-Speed Rail), encompassing new and emerging sectors such as semiconductors, renewable energy, electric vehicles, green hydrogen, aerospace and defence, plug-and-play parks, artificial intelligence, smart greenfield cities to name a few, he said.