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1. Shri Rajnath Singh urges all stakeholders to work towards disaster resilient infrastructure

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the International Workshop on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (IWDRI) here today. The two-day workshop is being organised by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).

Underlining the importance of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Shri Rajnath Singh said that it creates opportunities for economic growth and is at the core of sustainable development. "The way we build our infrastructure today will either build risk or resilience for the future generations. We need to bring to bear tremendous foresight and rigour to ensure that all our new infrastructure is built to withstand the hazards of the present as well as the future."

The Union Home Minister said, “As the infrastructure systems are globally interconnected, disruptions in one part of the world can cause havoc in another part of the world. It is, therefore, important that all stakeholders come together to address the challenges and devise solutions to create resilient infrastructure.”

Reiterating India's commitment towards building resilience and strengthening global cooperation, Shri Rajnath Singh talked about the Prime Minister's 10-point agenda, outlined during the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) held in New Delhi in November 2016. “At that conference, our Prime Minister outlined a ten-point agenda to give a sense of urgency to the implementation of Sendai Framework for DRR. His 1st point emphasized the need for investing in infrastructure in a manner so that it can withstand hazards not only now but also in the future," he said.

2. Education is a national agenda which empowers the individual, family, society and the nation – Shri Prakash Javadekar

The 65th Meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) was held under the Chairmanship of Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar here today.

A number of decisions were taken at the meeting, in part flowing from the agenda, and in part stemming from concerns raised by the State Governments. The following resolutions were adopted:-

i. It would be our endeavour to launch ‘Operation Digital Board’ in all schools in five years. This will be undertaken jointly by Centre, State, CSR, and community. This will improve the quality of education. Students will be empowered with 360 degree information with interesting learning experience and teacher accountability will also increase.

ii. We are committed to ensure Quality, Equity, Accessibility, Accountability and Affordability in education by pro-active action and plan.

iii. We are commited to promote Swacch Bharat, Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat, Padhe Bharat, Sugamya Bharat and physical education.

iv. We resolve to promote human value education, life skill education, experiential learning to bring out good human beings out of the education system.

3. 7th edition of ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-2018’ inaugurated in Karnataka

Addressing on the occasion, Dr Mahesh Sharma said, “We are delighted to bring to you our beloved and Hon'ble PM shri Narendra Modi's vision of Strong and united India with respect and appreciation of multicultural and respect for each other's rich cultural heritage exemplified by Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme through Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav 2018, a cultural festival that will powerfully revive India’s heritage, like never before. The event brought together the art, artisans, dance, handicrafts, flavours and music from different regions, making itself the largest ensemble of Indian culture. While this event introduced and connected country’s youth to the various facets of our rich and vibrant culture, it also gave people from different regions a chance to showcase their talent, artworks and delicacies at a larger-than-life podium”.

Continuing its endeavour to promote India’s Heritage, Ministry of Culture has organised 7 days long diversified cultural carnival ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav - 2018’ in Karnataka. The inaugural day witnessed soulful performances such as Pandvani by Teejan Bai and Vedic chants and Bhajans by Krishna Kant Shukla and fusion performances of more than 350 folk artists, highlighting different dance forms including folk and tribal.

As a part of Rashtriya Sansktriti Mahotsav Dr Mahesh Sharma also inaugurated an exhibition at National Gallary of Modern Art, Bangluru on Nicholas Roerich, a Russian artist, writer, theosophist and archaeologist who lived and died in the Himalayas.

4. Time to plan for Public Art work in Delhi by making it a component of Developmental & Architectural Designs : Puri

Addressing those present, Shri Puri stated that “the intention today is to have an interactive session. This is not intended as a one off meeting but one designed to commence an interactive process. Besides celebrating the nation’s cultural diversity, Public Art should aesthetically celebrate the country’s rich cultural heritage with national, regional and local themes”. In many National Capitals of the world, public spaces are seen as an opportunity for displaying Creative Art Work. Such creative and artistic works not only beautify the city but also capture its soul. They not only enhance the aesthetics of public spaces but also raise the stature of the city in the eyes of the visitors and have great potential to boost tourism. Such public art also strengthens the affinity a resident of the city feels for the city, he further added.

DUAC has come up with guidelines on Public Art which would help in encouraging integration of Art Work with Public Projects. “When we have resolved to further develop Delhi as a world class city with the state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities to boost its potential for tourism as well as for holding world level conferences and seminars, there is no reason why we should not make creative public art as an essential component for all our works. We have a vast reservoir of talent in the form of creative artists, sculptors, painters and designers who have made their name the world over by designing such public art, whenever they have been offered an opportunity to do so. We need to tap this vast potential to beautify Delhi in the first instance and thereafter carry the movement forward to other cities and towns of the country”, Shri Puri said.

5. Bangladesh, India and Nepal agree on operating procedures for movement of Passengervehicles More trial runs to be conducted for cargo vehicle movement

Bangladesh, India and Nepal have agreed on the text of the operating procedures for passenger vehicle movement in the sub-region under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) signed in June 2015, and will soon complete the internal approval processes for signing of the passenger protocol. The participating countries have also agreed to conduct more trial runs for cargo vehicles under the agreement. High-level officials of the three countries discussed the implementation of the MVA at a meeting held on 10-11 January in Bengaluru, convened and chaired by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) of the Government of India.A Bhutanese official delegation also attended the meeting as observers.

The landmark MVA was signed by Transport Ministers of the BBIN countries in Thimphu, Bhutan on 15 June 2015. Trial runs for cargo vehicles under the MVA were conducted along the Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala and Delhi-Kolkata-Dhaka routesin the past. The trials were successful in establishing the Agreement’s economic benefits.Bangladesh, India, and Nepal have already ratified the MVA and have agreed to start implementation of the MVA among the three signatory countries, with Bhutan joining after it ratifies the Agreement.

The Asian Development Bank(ADB) has been providing technical, advisory, and financial support to the BBIN MVA initiative as part of its assistance to the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) program, a projects-based economic cooperation initiative that brings togetherthe BBIN countries, Maldives, Sri Lanka and more recently, Myanmar. ADB is the secretariat of SASEC.