August 13
Multi-layered security system to be installed along border
India is deploying along its volatile border with Pakistan a smart Israel-developed fencing system having a ‘quick response team’ mechanism which strikes when the CCTV-powered control room detects an infiltration attempt.
The BSF is implementing an ambitious project called the comprehensive integrated border management system (CIBMS) as part of the Narendra Modi Government’s plan to completely seal the Indo-Pak and India-Bangladesh borders in the next few years.
The BSF is tasked with guarding the over 6,300-km-long two borders and its chief in an interview with this news agency said the new frontier guarding systems will bring a “sea change”, for the first time, in this domain.
The BSF, raised in 1965 for border guarding roles, is running two pilot projects of 5-km each in Jammu in this context and this, the BSF boss said, will subsequently be set up at four more porous patches: One each along the Indo-Pak IB in Punjab and Gujarat and one each at Tripura, West Bengal and Dhubri along the Indo-Bangla border.
Environment Minister launches ‘Gaj Yatra’ to mark World Elephant Day
Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, launched ‘Gaj Yatra’, a nationwide campaign to protect elephants on the occasion of World Elephant Day.
- The campaign is planned to cover 12 elephant range states. The Environment Minister released the All India Census 2017 Report on elephants as also the Agreed Points of Action on Trans-Boundary Conservation of Elephants by India and Bangladesh and a document titled ‘Right of Passage’ on elephant corridors in India.
- The ‘Gaju’ mascot, which was released by the Ministry in 2012, will be helm the campaign. The campaign will be led by the Wildlife Trust of India.
- Actor and wildlife enthusiast, Ms. Dia Mirza, participated in the walk and run event organised on the occasion along with the children.
FACT FILE: World Elephant Day
- World Elephant Day is an annual global event celebrated across the world on August 12, dedicated to the preservation and protection of elephants. African elephants are listed as “vulnerable” and Asian elephants as “endangered” in the IUCN Red List of threatened species.
- The first World Elephant Day was held on August 12, 2012
India one of the most open economies globally for FDI: Survey
According to the Economic Survey, India has now emerged as one of the most open economies in the world for receiving foreign direct investments (FDI), on the back of a host of liberalisation measures.
- In terms of the sectors receiving FDI equity inflows, Services (finance, banking, insurance etc) sector received the highest (19.9%) followed by telecommunications (12.8%) and computer software and hardware (8.4%), the Survey added.
- Mauritius, Singapore and Japan have been top three source countries of FDI inflows to India contributing 36.2%, 20% and 10.8%, respectively, during 2016-17, according to the survey.
David Rasquinha appointed MD of Exim Bank
David Rasquinha appointed as Managing Director of Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank).
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment to the post for three years, an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.
- Rasquinha is at present Deputy Managing Director of the Exim Bank.
FACT FILE:
Export–Import Bank of India is the premier export finance institution in India, established in 1982 under Export-Import Bank of India Act 1981.
Exim Bank of India has been both a catalyst and a key player in the promotion of cross border trade and investment.
August 14
Rail link to mainland snapped
Rail connection between the northeastern region and the rest of the country was severed today after heavy rainfall resulted in inundation of railway tracks at several locations in the Katihar and Alipurduar divisions of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).NFR officials told The Assam Tribune that no trains from the northeastern states and the North Bengal area can move out of the region and none from the other parts of the country can come to this region.
“Since early morning, train services from the Northeast and North Bengal to the rest of the country and vice versa have totally stopped. The situation is very bad and nothing like this has been witnessed in many years,” an official said.
Railway officials said there has been heavy rainfall in the last 48 hours in Assam and other northeastern states, as well as West Bengal and Bihar, and that resulted in railway operations being severely hampered as rain water submerged railway tracks at several places in Katihar and Alipurduar divisions.
“Railway lines were affected at as many as 12 locations initially, of which seven were already repaired and restored. However, the situation aggravated last night when rain water submerged tracks near Dalkhola, Barsoi and Sudhani stations and resulted in the main line connecting the Northeast with rest of the country being blocked with water under a bridge near Kishanganj station flowing over danger level. As a result, a number of trains had to be stopped at various stations and a number of other trains had to be cancelled or rescheduled or short-terminated,” Pranav Jyoti Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer of NFR said.
Some of the trains had to be brought back to originating stations or other convenient stations after attending to watering and taking other measures.
India-ASEAN Youth Summit to be held in Bhopal
The India-ASEAN Youth Summit to began in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh to commemorate 25th anniversary of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)–India dialogue partnership in the on-going year.
The exercise will mark the commemorative year’s theme of “Shared Values, Common Destiny”.
- Madhya Pradesh has been chosen for this event as the Sanchi stupa here strengthens the state’s cultural affiliation with the ASEAN countries.
- Taking into account the “Act East Policy” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the event becomes even more significant. Over 175 delegations of youths from Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and India will attend the Summit.
FACT FILE: Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
- ASEAN regional organisation comprising 10 South east Asian countries that aims to promote intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic integration amongst its members.
- It came into existence on August 8, 1967 after ASEAN declaration (al so known as Bangkok declaration).
- Principal aims of the ASEAN are to accelerate economic growth, intergovernmental cooperation, social progress, and s ociocultural evolution among its members, protect of regional stability and facilitate political, military, educational and cultural integration amongst its members and Asian states.
- Its 10 members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Its motto is “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.
August 15
India celebrated 71st Independence Day
India celebrated its 71st Independence Day. The highlight of the day was Modi’s fourth speech from the 17th century Red Fort where he unfurled the national flag and vowed to build a “New India” minus corruption and terrorism by 2022.
FACTFILE: Independence Day
- Independence Dayis annually celebrated on 15 August, as a national holiday in India commemorating the nation’s independence from the United Kingdom on 15 August 1947.
- the UK Parliament passed the Indian Independence Act 1947transferring legislative sovereignty to the Indian Constituent Assembly.
- India retained King George VIas head of state until its transition to full republican constitution.
- Independence coincided with the partition of India, which caused displacement of nearly 15 million people due to religious violence.
- On 15 August 1947, the Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehruraised the Indian national flag above the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi. On each subsequent Independence Day, the prime minister customarily raises the flag and gives an address to the nation.
World Health Organisation declares Somalia free of polio
The UN World Health Organisation (WHO) said that it had not recorded any case of polio disease in Somalia in the last three years, declaring the country polio free.
The last recorded case of polio was in 2014 in the central part of the country but has since then remained free of the paralyzing disease.
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus.
FACTFILE: Somalia
- Somalia is located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest.
- Somalia has the longest coastline on Africa’s mainland, and its terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains and highlands.
- Capital city : Magadishu
Maharashtra launches ‘Namo Yuva Rojgar Kendra’
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has launched Namo Yuva Rojgar Kendra, a farmers’ market on wheels, which aims at delivering farm-fresh organic produce at reasonable prices.
A total of 125 farm-to-home delivery vans will tour the city to sell the product. The vegetables sold in the mobile vans will be priced 25% lower than the average market rate.
The initiative aims to generate jobs for uneducated youth and women.
Namo Yuva Rojgar Kendra is the brainchild of Prasad Lad, president of Mi Mumbai Abhiyan-Abhiman and Shri Swami Samarth Shetkari Utpadak.
August 16
India moves to revive TAPI gas pipeline
India will host the next steering committee meeting of the proposed 1,814 kilometre-long Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline. The decision was came during the sixth joint Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) meeting on trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation.
The pipeline, that had its ground-breaking ceremony in December 2015, has seen flagging interest since then for a number of reasons. India’s effort is to tap Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh gasfields, which are the fourth largest in the world.
FACTFILE: TAPI
- The Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India Pipeline (TAPI), also known as Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline, is a natural gas pipeline being developed by the Asian Development Bank.
- The pipeline will transport Caspian Sea natural gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan and then to India.
- Construction on the project started in Turkmenistan on December 13th, 2015. The pipeline is expected to be operational by 2019.
Indian Government asks Internet majors to remove Blue Whale Game links
Government has directed internet majors – Google, Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Microsoft and Yahoo – to immediately remove the links of dangerous online game Blue Whale Challenge, which has led to suicide of children in India and other countries.
The Blue Whale Game or “Blue Whale Challenge”, is an Internet “game” allegedly consists of a series of tasks assigned to players by administrators during a 50-day period, with the final challenge requiring the player to commit suicide.
The term “Blue Whale” comes from the phenomenon of beached whales, which is linked to suicide. Blue Whale began in Russia in 2013 with “F57”, one of the names of the so-called “death group” of the VKontakte social network.
Seven Indian companies among 200 in green energy revenues
India is among the top 11 countries as seven of its companies are among a list of the 200 largest publicly traded entities that are making significant revenue from clean energy.
- India ranked fifth after China (68), the US (34), Japan (20) and Germany (nine).
- South Korea, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland and the UK take the spot after India as per their ranking in the list of top 11 countries compiled by As You Sow and Corporate Knights.
- While As You Sow is a non-profit organisation promoting environmental and social corporate responsibility, Corporate Knights is empowering people to harness markets for a better world.
- The seven Indian companies are Suzlon Energy Ltd, Bharat Heavy Electricals, Tata Chemicals Ltd, Exide Industries Ltd, IDFC Ltd, Thermax Ltd and Havells India Ltd.
Assam’s country liquor gets branded, to be flavoured
Assam’s raw and rustic country liquor will now be branded and come in two flavours. To prevent adulteration and revenue leakage, the Assam government has decided that country liquor wouldundergo chemical tests and be branded, making it mandatory for the bottles to sport a hologram as in the case of IMFL.
Earlier, country liquor used to be made from “lali gur” or molasses, but should be grain-based only and limit of the alcoholic content should be below 12 per cent.
The government has also amended excise rules to put in place a scientific system of bottling and trading of the country spirit. The new rules intend to make the entire trade hygienic and transparent, which, in turn, will also augment revenue.
The sale of country liquor in Assam was 63.75 lakh LPL (London proof litres) in 2016-17 and the sale figure is expected to go up in the current fiscal due to the steps to check revenue leakages.
The State has earned a revenue of Rs 966.33 crore in 2016-17 financial year, the department’s target is to earn a revenue of Rs 1,393.72 crore in the current fiscal.
State Excise Ministery has taken several steps to stop revenue leakages in the department and to bring transparency to the system. The Excise Department is also the only State department to have completely gone online in its operations.