KERALA
- Panel to seek opinion on reservation norms
- The commission constituted by the State government for identifying the economically weaker sections among non-reserved communities is gearing up to elicit the views of stakeholders as well as those who have opted to remain casteless, transgenders and other similar groups.
- Opinions and suggestions of all economically weaker sections, mainly among the forward communities, as well as those who do not figure on the lists of Scheduled Castes, Tribes and Other Backward Communities will be secured for the framing the quota guidelines.
- As per the Central notification, the annual family income in this segment has been pegged at ₹8 lakh. Going by this, even a family earning a monthly income of ₹65,000 would become eligible for the quota.
- The Central notification has said that a family owning up to 5 acres of agriculture land is eligible for reservation benefit.
- The norm that those having a two-cent plot in urban areas and 4.1 cents in panchayats too are eligible does not suit the social conditions in the State.
- For, those who got land holdings as per the Kerala Land Reforms Act, 1963, had got 10 cents in rural and 5 cents each in the urban areas.
INTERNATIONAL
- International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released its updated report
- International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the leading wildlife conservation body, has recently released its updated its assessment onvarious species from the canopies of tropical forests to the ocean floor. It warned the global countries as mankind’s destruction of nature has driven species to the verge of extinction at an unprecedented rate. It said that the species that are targeted by humans for food tend to become endangered much more quickly. Severe habitat loss is also a major cause for the destruction.
- More than 7,000 animals, fish and plants has been added to it endangered Red List.
It stated that105,732 species have been moved from least concern category to critically endangered and extinct category.
- The study said that around28,000 species are at the risk of extinction.
More than 90% of marine fish stocks are either overfished or fished to the limit of sustainability.
NATIONAL
- Uttarakhand to host the first ever Himalayan states conclave in Mussoorie
- Uttarakhand State governmentis to host the first-ever Himalayan states’ conclave on July 28 in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. The prime focus of the meeting will be on sustainable development.
- The Conclave would focus on theenvironmental protection, Himalayan culture, and economic development. It will also focus on solving the Himalayan states’ problems. It is expected that this will pave the way for making financial resources available for the Himalayan states in the future.
- Ministry of power happroved proposal by CERC for transmission schemes for 66.5 GW RE generation
- Union Ministry of power has approved proposal by Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) for transmission schemes for5 GW renewable energy (RE) generation.
- The Ministry plans to achieve the targets in consultation with the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and Central Transmission Utility (CTU).It has identified transmission schemes for around5 GW of RE generation. It comprises of 28 GW under Phase-I and around 38.5 GW under Phase-II. It will be a part of National Renewable Energy Mission of setting up of 175 GW of RE capacity.
- India has agreed to Paris Agreement on Environmentthat the country will set up 175 GW of REcapacities by 2022 under the Nationally Determined Contribution. About 80 GW of RE generation has already been commissioned in May 2019. Rest of the balance, 95 GW, has been planned to come up in the next three years.
- Indian Navy signed a major deal worth $50 million with ISI to supply MSRAM systems
- Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)has signed a major deal worth USD50 million with Indian Navy. The agreement aims to supply complementary Naval Medium Range Surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) systems to the Indian Navy and the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders.
- According to the agreement, the IAI will provide complementary systemsfor the air defence system (ADS). It involves follow up order for a range of maintenance and other services for various sub-systems of IAI’s advanced MRSAM ADS.
Significance of the deal: The agreement is a major breakthrough as has advanced from system development and delivery to looking after the operational needs of the customers.
- MRSAM system is equipped with a modern ground-based multi-function 3Drotating active phased array radar. The radar provides high-quality Air Situation Picture (ASP) and weapon support under adverse operational and environmental conditions. It has an intercept range between 70-100 km. MSRAM is capable of operating at the extreme condition of -30deg C and an altitude of 3.5 km.
- Soon, only digital toll payments on all national highways
- Beginning December 1, commuters will need to use FASTAG to pay toll across national highways in the country, or pay double if they use cash.
- FASTAG, a radio frequency identification (RFID) sticker typically fixed to a vehicle’s windscreen, lets toll booths wirelessly and automatically deduct the fee, thereby not requiring a vehicle to stop.
- At present, most toll plazas have dedicated FASTAG lanes, and if a vehicle enters it without the tag, the a penalty equivalent to the toll is added to the charges.
- The transaction time for FASTAG is usually in microseconds. If all vehicles adopt it, waiting time at toll plazas will be negligible, leading to a lot of savings to the economy in terms of fuel and will bring a lot of transparency,
- India has topped the championship by securing top the medals tally in the ISSF Junior World Cup
- Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar won gold in the men’s rifle in the ISSF Junior World Cup 2019 in Suhl, Germany. His win has made India to top the medals tally in the ISSF Junior World Cup.
- India has topped the championship by securing 10 gold, 9 silver and 5 bronze with a total of 24 medals.
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