Tsunami waves observed after powerful pacific quakes: US Monitor

India received the highest ever Foreign Direct Investments of over USD 67 billion for the first nine months of a financial year, last year. During the period of April to December 2020, FDI equity inflow grew by 40 per cent as compared to the corresponding period in the last financial year.As per Ministry of Commerce & Industry, these trends are an endorsement of India’s status as a preferred investment destination amongst global investors. Measures being taken by the Government on the fronts of policy reforms, investment facilitation and ease of doing business have resulted in tremendous FDI inflows into the country.

-Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed the need for the education system to overcome linguistic barriers so that talent from rural areas gets the opportunity to flourish. He said, the new National Education Policy will be implemented on a mission mode towards this purpose. Addressing a webinar on effective implementation of the provisions in the Union Budget for the education sector, Modi said academics and experts of every language should make available the best content in the country and the world in Indian languages.He said, it is necessary to produce content in Indian languages for every area of expertise, be it medical, engineering, technology or management.Asserting that there is no dearth of talent in the country, Mr Modi said those living in villages and the poor, who do not know any language other than their local language, have no shortage of talent. We should not let the talent of our villages, our poor die due to language difficulties, he said.

-Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley has lauded India for providing COVID-19 vaccines. In a tweet, she said Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it possible for more than 40 thousand people in Barbados and tens of thousands elsewhere, to receive their 1st dose of COVISHIELD via Vaccine Maitri before receiving his. Ms Mottley called it a genuine demonstration of generosity.

-In a major boost to India’s rice exports potential, the first consignment of ‘red rice’ was flagged off on Thursday to the US. Iron rich ‘red rice’ is grown in Brahmaputra valley of Assam, without the use of any chemical fertilizer. The rice variety is referred as ‘Bao-dhaan’, which is an integral part of Assamese food. The Commerce and Industry Ministry said the growth in exports of ‘red rice’ would enhance incomes of farming families of the Brahmaputra flood plains.

-Evacuations from coastal areas were ordered in New Zealand, New Caledonia and Vanuatu Friday as tsunami waves were observed following a cluster of powerful South Pacific earthquakes, authorities said."Tsunami waves have been observed," the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, revealing ocean gauges had picked up small waves near the Tonga capital Nuku'alofa measuring about three centimetres. Tsunamis become more powerful as they travel across the ocean and the centre has warned some areas including Vanuatu and the French territory of New Caledonia could be hit by waves of up to three metres after three major quakes, the largest at 8.1 magnitude.