1. India, UK sign MoU in the field of public administration and governance reforms

       1.  The
Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for the MoU signed  in
November, 2015 between India, and the UK for cooperation in public                 administration and governance reforms.

      2. The
two countries will cooperate in areas like sharing good governance     practices
in public administration, user-led service design, reducing bureaucracy in
service delivery, government process re-engineering, building staff
capability, public grievance redress mechanism,

      3.  Few
other areas of cooperation include, local government reforms, reforms           towards bolstering social security, promotion of ethics in government,           collaboration between government and industry on staff management,
mechanism for public engagement, crisis and disaster management and
digital transformation of government.

2.
Cabinet approves setting up of 5,000 MW of grid-connected solar PV
power projects

1. The
   Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for setting
   up over 5,000 MW of grid-connected solar PV power projects on
   build-own-and-operate basis.
2. This
   would enable creation of additional 5000 MW capacity of grid-connected
   solar PV power generation projects in four trenches, each of 1,250 MW
   capacity during four financial years, namely 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and
   2018-19.
3. Total
   investments expected under this scheme is about Rs.30,000 crore. It will
   help create employment for nearly 30,000 people and will also help reduce
   carbon dioxide emissions every year.
4. The
   tenders for the projects will be based on specific demands of states/UTs.
   The Installation will generate around 8,300 million units per year,
   which will satisfy power needs of around 2.5 million households.
5. The
   Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) was launched in January
   2010 with a target to setup 20,000 MW grid connected solar power projects
   by 2022. The target has been raised to 1,00,000 MW.

3.
UNWTO releases World Tourism Barometer

1. The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has released the World
   Tourism Barometer, which reviews trends in tourism at the regional and
   global level.
2. It is aimed at tracking the short-term evolution of tourism.
3. As per the publication, international tourist arrivals grew by 4.4%
   in 2015 to reach a total of 1184 million. In numbers, around 50 million
   more travelers were recorded in 2015 vis-a-vis 2014.
4. 2015 marks the 6th consecutive year of above-average growth, with
   international arrivals increasing by 4% or more annually since the
   post-crisis year of 2010.
5. These trends were influenced by exchange rates, oil prices and
   natural and man-made crises across the world.
6. China continued to lead global outbound
   travel, increasing cash inflow into Japan and Thailand as well as the US
   and other European destinations.

4.
India among
top 5 most promising markets globally

1. As per PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) annual
   global CEO survey, India has emerged as the fifth most promising market
   for businesses globally as it offers one of the best opportunities for
   domestic as well as global firms.
2. The US takes the first place in this regard,
   followed by China, Germany and the UK.
3. A total of 1,409 CEOs from 83 countries participated in the survey,
   which points out that though Indian CEOs have become less confident about
   their companies’ growth, their confidence level continues to be higher
   than the global average.
4. Only
   27% of the respondents believe growth would pick up over the next one year
   as against 37% in 2015. However, 39% of Indian CEOs expect an improvement
   in global growth.
5. PwC
   India CEO, Deepak Kapoor said, “Recent policy reforms and a consequent
   pick up in investment and the government’s aim to boost infrastructure are
   also playing a role in boosting CEO confidence”.

5.
Renowned danseuse Mrinalini Sarabhai passes away

1. Noted
   danseuse Mrinalini Sarabhai passed away in Ahmedabad, aged 97.
2. She was educated at Shantiniketan under
   Rabindranath Tagore and was formally trained in Bharatanatyam, Kathakali
   and Mohiniyattam.
3. Besides being a classical dancer, she was a poet, writer and
   environmentalist and played a crucial role Ahmedabad’s social and art
   scene.
4. A recipient of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, she was married to
   physicist and educationist Dr Vikram Sarabhai and is survived by danseuse
   and activist daughter Mallika Sarabhai and environmentalist son Kartikey
   Sarabhai.

6.
2015
was Earth’s warmest year since 1880

1. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the
   National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have reported that
   2015 was Earth’s warmest year since 1880.
2. According to the report, “During 2015, the average temperature
   across global land and ocean surfaces was 1.62 Fahrenheit (0.90 Celsius)
   above the 20th century average”. Compared to 2014, the year 2015, was 0.29
   Fahrenheit (0.13 Celsius) warmer, the “largest margin by which the
   annual global temperature record has been broken.”
3. NASA stated that the temperature changes are largely caused by
   increased carbon dioxide and other man-made emissions.
4. Hot temperatures were observed almost everywhere in the world and
   in large parts of the northeastern and equatorial Pacific the effect was boosted
   by the El Nino weather phenomenon.
5. Resultantly, melting ice sheets and warming oceans will lead to
   rising seas in the coming years, storms may become more severe as the
   globe heats up and cold snaps may become rarer.

7.
Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra to endorse Incredible India

1. Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra have been
   declared the new brand ambassadors for the Incredible India campaign,
   replacing Aamir Khan.
2. The duo will be part of the campaign without charging any fee and
   have been appointed for a three-year time period.
3. The appointment was finalised after the Centre decided to terminate
   the contract of actor Aamir Khan due to his remarks on perceived
   intolerance in India.

8.
SoftBank invests additional Rs 100 crore in Housing.com

1. Japan-based SoftBank has invested an additional Rs.100 crore in
   realty portal Housing.com.
2. As per Housing.com’s statement the infusion
   will well-capitalise the company in order to give impetus to its growth
   plans.
3. Established in 2012, Housing.com had raised so far over $100
   million in capital from leading investors, including SoftBank, Nexus
   Ventures, Falcon Edge and Helion Ventures.
4. SoftBank has hitherto invested around $70 million in the realty
   portal and holds 30% stake in the same.

9.
Pearson to cut 4,000 jobs due to weak earnings

1. British education publisher Pearson plans to
   reduce 10% of its workforce or 4,000 employees, hold its dividends after
   weak earnings forecast for 2015 and 2016.
2. It plans to spend 320 million pounds ($453 million) this year in
   restructuring.
3. The publisher now will now focus on fewer and bigger opportunities
   in order to rebuild the company. It also aims at savings across the board
   in technology, HR, finance and across its property portfolio.

10.  ISRO signs MoU with Kuwait on cooperation in
space exploration

1.
Recently, the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) signed a MoU with the Kuwait Institute of Scientific
Research (KISR) on cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for
peaceful intents.

2.
The
MoU will enable KISR to use data from Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites
for research purposes, besides facilitating building and launching of remote
sensing and communication satellites on commercial terms.

3.
The
MoU will promote research in the field of remote sensing of the earth,
satellite communication, satellite navigation, space science, etc. The overall
aim is to enhance joint activity in the application of space technology for the
welfare of mankind.

11. Maharashtra first state to grant 180
days maternity leave in surrogacy cases

1.
The
Maharashtra government became the first to issue a resolution, which states
that women employees in government jobs can get up to 180 days’ maternity leave
while having a baby through surrogacy.

2.
They
will have to submit certificates provided by the authorities as per the
surrogacy guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research.

3.
The
leaves will be valid from the date of the baby’s birth and will be granted only
once in the employee’s tenure. Women employed in public educational
institutions and universities will also benefit from this decision.

12. 
World Economic Forum’s annual meeting commences in Davos

1.
The World Economic Forum’s 2016 annual
meeting commenced in Davos, Switzerland. The official theme of the meeting is “mastering
the fourth industrial revolution”, which in other words means “fusion of
technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital and
biological spheres”.

2.
 Several issues will be addressed in the
meeting including terrorism and migrant crisis, stock market chaos, climate
change, European debt crisis, wealth inequality, medicinal advancements and
cybercrime and civil liberties.

3.
While top executives Satya Nadella
of Microsoft and Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook will discuss the positive effects
of the new industrial revolution on industry and society, the conference will
also witness debates on threat to white collar jobs, how intelligent automation
may lead to a world without work, etc.

13.  Barcelona joins Real Madrid and Manchester
United in 500 million euros club

1. Spanish football club Real Madrid topped
the Deloitte Football Money League list for the 11th consecutive year
with revenue amounting to €577 million.

2. Barcelona rose up from the fourth
to the second spot with revenues to the tune of €560.8 million due to its
success in La Liga, Spanish Cup and Champions League. England-based Manchester
United was placed in the third place with €519.5 million, followed by Paris
Saint-Germain (€480.8 million) and Bayern Munich (€474 million).

3. For the first time, the top three
clubs in the Football Money League have crossed the €500 million revenue mark.

14.  India ranked
89th in GTC index

Recently, India was ranked 89th
on the Global Talent Competitiveness Index released by INSEAD business school
in association with Adecco Group and Singapore’s Human Capital Leadership
Institute. Switzerland has topped the list followed by Singapore, Luxembourg,
the US and Denmark.

The index measures a nation’s
competitiveness based on the quality of talent it can produce, attract and
retain.

India has slipped 11 places as
compared to 2015. Its ranking is the worst among BRICS nations while China is
much ahead with a rank of 48.

Skill shortage in vocational talent
is a major problem in South Africa, India and China. It is also difficult for
countries like China and India to attract talent from abroad, particularly as
large number of high-skilled people emigrated in the past.

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