Current Affairs - Places

The 20th session of the UNESCO Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is scheduled to be held at the Red Fort in New Delhi, a site that holds immense historical and cultural significance for India. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Red Fort serves not only as a symbol of India's architectural legacy but also as a backdrop that links the country’s tangible heritage with global efforts to preserve living cultural traditions. Hosting the session here highlights India’s growing leadership in cultural diplomacy, its commitment to heritage preservation, and its active involvement in promoting global cooperation through UNESCO’s cultural initiatives.

The 7th India International Seaweed Expo & Summit, scheduled for January 29–30, 2026, will take place in Kochi, a city emerging as a major center for India’s blue economy initiatives. The event will bring together global delegates, research institutions and industry leaders to discuss innovations in seaweed farming, processing, and value addition. With participation from countries such as Brazil, Sri Lanka, Sweden and the Netherlands, the summit aims to strengthen collaboration and support coastal livelihoods. Hosting the expo enhances Kochi’s position as a hub for marine research, sustainable aquaculture and industrial applications tied to the growing seaweed sector.

The 3rd RESOLVE–2025 international convention on insolvency resolution and valuation was organized by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in Mumbai. This event brought together more than 40 speakers across 19 sessions and attracted over 500 participants, making it one of the largest gatherings in India focused on insolvency, resolution, and valuation. The convention emphasized global best practices, future strategies, and the theme of enabling resolution while maximizing value. Hosting the event in Mumbai, a major financial hub, provided an ideal environment for professionals and experts to collaborate, exchange insights, and strengthen the insolvency ecosystem.

The CII IndiaEdge 2025 Industry Forum on Reforms & Sustainable Growth took place in New Delhi, bringing together key industry leaders, policymakers and experts to discuss a wide range of reforms essential for the country’s economic progress. The discussions focused on labour reforms, sustainable growth initiatives, and measures to boost competitiveness across vital sectors. Ministers Mansukh Mandaviya and Bhupender Yadav emphasised the significance of new labour codes, social security expansion and gig-worker welfare. Additionally, the forum highlighted the importance of tourism, skill development and modernisation as drivers of employment and long-term economic resilience.

The Regional AI Impact Conference 2025 took place in Shillong, Meghalaya, as part of a nationwide series of events leading up to the India–AI Impact Summit 2026. The conference focused on expanding AI access across India through the IndiaAI Mission, which has invested over ₹10,300 crore to build AI infrastructure, including onboarding 38,000 GPUs and establishing more than 600 AI and data labs across the country. Shillong’s selection underscores the government’s commitment to decentralizing AI development and ensuring that regions like the Northeast benefit from enhanced computing resources, skill-development initiatives, and emerging AI-driven opportunities.