KERALA
World Bank sanctions $125 million loan to Kerala
As part of the state’s Resilient Kerala Program, the World Bank (WB) has sanctioned 125 million USD to the state to support the state’s preparedness against natural disasters, climate change impacts, disease outbreaks and pandemics.
The Resilient Kerala Program will focus on two key areas. First, it will incorporate disaster risk planning in the master plans of urban and local self-governments to ease financial constraints on the state government when faced with unexpected shocks. Second, it will help make the health, water resources management, agriculture and road sectors more resilient to calamities.
The program is part of a programmatic series of the bank-financed operations in the state.
The first Resilient Kerala Development Policy Operation (DPO) approved in June 2019 had undertaken several initiatives. It had helped the state draft a river basin conservation and management act, which will conserve and regulate water resources and ensure their sustainable management, allocation and utilization. It had also introduced climate-resilient agriculture, risk-informed land use and disaster management planning. The program laid the foundations for a five-year state partnership framework.
The support to key sectors under the program include sustainable fiscal and debt management through establishing a debt management unit in the finance department to support the state’s efforts to scale down its debt-to-GSDP ratio to a sustainable trajectory, providing timely and adequate assistance to vulnerable households, disaster and climate-resilient urban development, create resilient public health systems, ensure an integrated and sustainable water resources management, ensure sustainable and resilient food systems and create a climate-resilient road infrastructure.
INTERNATIONAL
World Brain Day – 22nd July
World Brain Day is celebrated by the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) on July 22 each and every year, focusing on a different theme each year.
Highlights:
Many public awareness programmes and educational & social media activities promote the movement to stop multiple sclerosis, commencing July 22, 2021, & continuing until October 2022. The theme for this World Brain Day is “Stop Multiple Sclerosis”. World Brain Day advocates early diagnosis of this condition that can help improve the patient’s quality of life.
World Fragile X Day – 22nd July
World Fragile X Awareness Day is observed on July 22nd. On this day, various communities around the world illuminate various landmarks and monuments.
Highlights:
World Fragile X Day honours the families affected by Fragile X and raises awareness of the progress of cure-finding research.
Monuments and landmarks around the world are illuminated on World Fragile X Day.
World Fragile X Day began with the FRAXA Research Foundation collaborating with communities all over the world to raise Fragile X awareness while working toward effective treatments and a cure.
NATIONAL
Roadmap of Rural Tourism Development and Draft National Strategy in India
The Ministry of Tourism has requested feedback/comments/suggestions on the draft National Strategy and Roadmap for Rural Tourism Development in India from all State Governments/UT Administrations.
Highlights:
Rural tourism refers to any type of tourism that highlights rural life, art, culture, and heritage in rural areas.
It benefits the local community economically and socially, as well as allowing tourists and locals to interact for a more enriching tourism experience.
Rural tourism can make a significant contribution to Aatmanirbhar Bharat’s mission if it is driven by the spirit of “Vocal for Local.”
The Ministry of Tourism has designated the Rural Circuit as one of the Swadesh Darshan Scheme’s thematic circuits.
Launch of National Logistics Excellence Awards
The government launches the National Logistics Excellence Award
About the National Logistics Excellence Awards:
The awards were created in order to draw attention to the logistics industry.
The awards are divided into two categories: logistics infrastructure/service providers in the first, and various user industries in the second.
The awards will recognise best practises such as consolidation, process standardisation, technological advancement, digital transformations, and sustainable practises.
The awards will highlight efforts in supply chain transformation, supplier ecosystem development, skill development, automation, and other similar endeavours for user industries.
The awards will also be an opportunity to recognise the extraordinary measures taken by organisations to address the deficiencies exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as last-mile delivery start-ups, the development of cold storage facilities, the effective transportation of oxygen, and the continuous supply of essential goods and services to the needy.
Indian Institute of Heritage to be set up in India
The central government has planned to set up the Indian Institute of Heritage at Noida, Gautam Buddha Nagar.
Highlights:
This will impact higher education & research in the field of rich Indian heritage and its conservation, leading to Masters and PhD courses in History of Arts, Conservation, Museology, Archival Studies, Archaeology, Preventive Conservation, Epigraphy and Numismatics, Manuscriptology as well as conservation training facilities to in-service employees and students of the institute.
Startup India Showcase Platform
Nearly 104 start-up companies from different industries have joined the Startup India Showcase Platform.
About the Startup India Showcase Platform:
It is an online discovery platform for the country’s most promising startups.
It is an online platform that showcases the country’s best startups carefully selected through various DPIIT and Startup India programs.
All DPIIT-accredited startups under Startup India are eligible to apply for Showcase. Startups can apply on the Startup India website by filling in forms and uploading their promotional videos and catalogs.
The startups are chosen for the portal by an apex committee appointed by the DPIIT.