India, Japan sign MoUs on civil nuclear energy, high speed rail
India
and Japan have signed an MoU on cooperation and assistance in the
Mumbai – Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project, Bullet Train project. The
two countries have also entered into two comprehensive technological
cooperation agreements for modernization and upgradation of Indian
Railways.The MoU was signed in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in New Delhi. Japan has
offered an assistance of over Rs.79,000 crore for the project. The loan
is for a period of 50 years with a moratorium of 15 years, at an
interest rate of 0.1 per cent. The project is a 508 Kilometer railway
line costing a total of Rs. 97,636 crore, to be implemented in a period
of seven years. India and Japan also signed a pact on civilian nuclear
cooperation after five years of negotiations. Under the pact both sides
have confirmed cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
Dilip Kumar conferred with Padma Vibhushan
Legendary
actor Dilip Kumar (93) has been conferred with the prestigious Padma
Vibhushan, country’s second highest civilian award. It was bestowed upon
him by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Maharashtra Chief Minister
Devendra Fadnavis at his residence in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Union
Government had selected veteran actor for the Padma Vibhushan on the eve
of 66th Republic Day. He is famously known as Tragedy King. He also won
the Padma Bhushan (1991), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1994), Pakistan’s
highest civilian award Nishan-e-Imtiaz (1998) and Guinness World Record
for winning the maximum number of awards by an Indian actor.
Ahmad Javed appointed as Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Mumbai
Police commissioner Ahmad Javed has been appointed Ambassador to Saudi
Arabia, which has a 2.8 million-strong Indian community. He is expected
to take up his assignment shortly as Javed is scheduled to retire on
January 31, 2016. Ahmad Javed is the IPS officer of 1980 batch from
Maharashtra Cadre. He had recently replaced Rakesh Maria as the Mumbai
Police commissioner.
UNFCCC adopted Paris Agreement on Climate Change
Conference
of the Parties 21 (COP 21) under the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on 12 December 2015 adopted the
Paris Agreement on Climate Change which was attended by 192 parties.
India was represented by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and
Climate Change Prakash Javadekar. The primary objective of the protocol
is to limit the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above
pre-industrial levels. Efforts will be made to limit the temperature
increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels so that it will be
possible to reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. Developed
countries will raise finances to the tune of 100 billion US dollars per
year as the floor by 2020, to help developing nations in both mitigation
and adaptation activities. And, other nations are encouraged to provide
funding voluntarily. The Conference of the Parties serving as the
meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement shall undertake its first
global stock take in 2023 and every five years thereafter.