Notes:
The 3rd edition of the annual Raisina Dialogue 2018 will be held at the Taj Diplomatic Enclave in New Delhi from January 16-18. The theme for the 2018 Conference is “Managing Disruptive Transitions: Ideas, Institutions and Idioms”. This theme is designed to explore the shifting dynamics within the global order; where old relationships need new directions, emerging partnerships face unprecedented constraints and the notions of power and sovereignty are challenged. The 2018 Conference will be inaugurated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will also be a part of the inaugural session of the 3-day-long event, which will see a series of high-powered panel discussions on geopolitical issues. Over 150 speakers from 90 countries expected to take part in the event, which is jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and Observer Research Foundation (ORF).

Notes:
Doodhnath Singh (81), the well-known Hindi writer, critic and poet, has passed away in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh on January 12, 2018. In 2014, the government of Uttar Pradesh honoured him with their Bharat Bharti Samman. He is known for his works like “Sapaat Chehre Wala Aadmi”, “Aakhri Kalaam”, “Nishkaasan”, “Bhai Ka Shok Geet”, “Dharmakshetra-Kurukshetra” and “Surang se Lautate Huye”.

Notes:
12th International Film Festival on Art and Artist, which was presented by the JD Centre of Art (JDCA)’s Film Forum, was held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha from January 12 to 14, 2018. This year’s festival was focused on Films on Arts & Literature. The 3-day non-competitive festival showcased 35-40 selected films and was attended by eminent artists, art lovers and film makers from across the country. The international award winning films like ‘Maya Miriga’, ‘Ahalyara Bahaghara’, ‘Mayurbhanj ra Chhau Nrutya’, ‘Dhauligiri ra Shanti Stupa’ and ‘Pattachitra’ directed by late Nirad Mohapatra, veteran director in Odia cinema, were screened as part of paying tribute to him. The JDCA’s Film Festival is possibly the only film festival in India that is dedicated to Art. Each year the festival features a different focus around which films are curated in addition to its annual celebration of the art and culture of Odisha. The JDCA was established by renowned artist and Padma Bhushan awardee Jatin Das in 2006.

Notes:
Rajnath Singh, the Union Home Minister, has inaugurated a two-day International Workshop on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (IWDRI) in New Delhi on January 15, 2018. The workshop is organized by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). The workshop will bring together countries from different parts of the world – from Chile to Australia and from Japan to Sri Lanka – with different socio-economic backgrounds and geographical features. This will be a great opportunity to learn from their unique experiences in their efforts towards building disaster resilient infrastructure. The workshop will also see multilateral development banks, the United Nations, the private sector and academics coming together to identify best practices in the infrastructure sector, as well as key issues in existing practices and ways to address them.

Notes:
The Army Day is celebrated every year by the Indian Army on January 15 to commemorate the day when General (later Field Marshal) K.M Carriappa took over the command of Army from General Sir Francis Butcher , the last British Commander-in-Chief in 1949 and became the first Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army post Independence. The day is also celebrated to remember the sacrifices made by the gallant soldiers and to pay homage to the martyrs. This year, in 2018, the 70th edition of Army Day has celebrated on Jan 15. On this occasion, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Naval Staff Sunil Lanba and Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa paid tributes at Amar Jawan Jyoti in Delhi.

Notes:
Aishwarya Tipnis, the Delhi-based conservation architect, has been conferred France’s top cultural award ” Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres” for her outstanding commitment to preservation of French heritage in India in Kolkata on January 12, 2018. This prestigious award honours people who have distinguished themselves in the field of art. This year, Tipnis has been associated with the ongoing ‘Bonjour India 2017-18’ as the curator for the multi- faceted ‘Know Your Indo-French Heritage’ in Chandannagar, a former French colony in West Bengal. She is also part of the UNESCO expert team on the preparation of a ‘Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan’ for the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a world heritage, as well as the consultant to the Doon School on the restoration of their historic buildings.

Notes:
NK Trikha (82), the veteran journalist, has passed away at AIIMS in New Delhi on Janauary 15, 2018. Trikha had worked at the Times of India Group’s Hindi newspaper ‘Navbharat Times’ for a long time and was also the editor of its Lucknow edition. He also served as a member of the Press Council of India and he was twice president of the National Union of Journalists (India).

Notes:
Arun Jaitley, the Union Finance Minister, has launched India’s first agri-commodity options contract in guar seeds on the commodity bourse National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX). The purpose of this new initiative is to benefit farmers and ensure better prices in the coming days. The guar seeds options is one of the most liquid contracts on the exchange platform. Around 1.5 million farmers are associated with this commodity. Options are derivatives which give a buyer the right but not the obligation to buy or sell an underlying asset or instrument at a specific price on or before a certain date. NCDEX is the second exchange after MCX to launch options trading in commodities. In October 2017, MCX had launched gold options.

Notes:
Kerala MLA K.K. Ramachandran Nair (65) has passed away in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on January 14, 2018. He had been representing Chengannur constituency in the Kerala state legislative assembly from 2016 until his death. He had started his political life as an SFI worker and had risen to the position of CPI(M) Chengannur area secretary. In the 2016 Assembly election, he had defeated P.C. Vishnunath of the Congress by a margin of 7983 votes.

Notes:
The Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) is an Indian research and teaching institute located in Mysuru, Karnataka. It is part of the Language Bureau of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The aim of the institute is to protect and document minor, minority and tribal languages. It promotes Linguistic harmony by teaching 15 Indian languages to non-native learners. It was founded on 17 July 1969.