July 9
India gets G20 nation’s praise on startup funding
Acknowledging steps being taken by India for sustainable and inclusive growth as well as support to global economy, the G20 has praised the initiatives in the country for promoting ease of doing business, startup funding and labour reforms.
In its Hamburg Action Plan, adopted at the G20 Summit of leaders from the world’s 20 largest economies, the group also noted that “in the financial sector, India is popularising a number of derivative instruments in exchanges or electronic trading platforms” as part of measures to enhance resilience of its economy.
It further said India is facilitating external commercial borrowings (ECBs) by startups in order to encourage innovation and promote ease of doing business, as part of the efforts being taken by the G20 members this year for maintaining momentum on structural reforms and sustainable growth.
India emerging as front-runner in fight against climate change: World Bank
According to the World Bank, India is emerging as a front runner in the global fight against climate change, with a sweeping commitment to solar power, innovative solutions and energy efficiency initiatives to supply its people with 24×7 electricity by 2030.
India is contributing to global efforts to save the planet from the effects of climate change with its conscious choice to use significantly more clean energy to fuel its growth.
India has also walked away from plans to install nearly 14 GW of coal-fired power plants.
The Indian government is setting ambitious targets that include 160 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar by 2022.
India to join new Global foreign exchange committee
India will soon get a seat on the Global Foreign Exchange Committee (GFXC), a newly-constituted forum of central bankers and experts working towards promotion of a robust and transparent forex market.
The committee was set up in London during a meeting in May 2017 of public and private sector representatives from the foreign exchange committees of 16 international forex trading centres.
The Financial Stability Board (FSB), an international body for global financial system, in a progress report on ‘reducing misconduct risks in the financial sector’.
FACTFILE: Global Foreign Exchange Committee (GFXC)
- The Global Foreign Exchange Committee was established in May 2017 as a forum bringing together central banks and private sector participants with the aim to promote a robust, fair, liquid, open, and appropriately transparent Foreign Exchange (FX) market in which a diverse set of participants are able to confidently and effectively transact at competitive prices.
- It will now also include representatives from existing, or soon to be established FXCs or similar structures in China, India, Brazil, Korea, Mexico, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland.
- The committee has been set up under guidance of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), an international financial organisation.
- It is a newly-constituted forum of central bankers and experts working towards promotion of a robust and transparent foreign exchange (Forex) market.
July 10
Bogibeel Bridge to be completed during 2017-18: Prabhu
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has assured that construction of the Bogibeel Bridge would be completed during 2017-18.
The Governor had earlier written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting the PMO’s intervention in expediting the construction of the Bogibeel Bridge.
Prabhu mentioned that all the 42 well foundations and piers of the main bridge have been completed. Work of both north and south guide bunds, of rail link from Chaulkhowa to Moranhat, along with connectivity on North and South banks have also been completed, he said. Presently, the work of main bridge superstructure is in progress and 35 girders out of 41 have already been launched.
The Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge project was a part of the Assam Accord. The bridge project was sanctioned in the year 1997 and was declared as a National Project in 2007. The total project cost is estimated at around Rs 5,000 crore.
India to import crude oil from US for first time
India will be going to import crude oil from US and the shipment is expected to touch Indian shores in October for the first time in history. It has been announced on 10th of July 2017.
India has bought 2 million barrels of crude oil from North America comprising 1.6 million barrels of US Mars crude and 400,000 barrels of Western Canadian Select.
US Mars is a heavy, high-sulphur grade which will be processed at IOC’s newest refinery at Paradip in Odisha.
IOC had to take special permission from the shipping ministry for importing crude from the US.
Indian government policy provides for purchases of crude oil to be made on condition that the shipping will be done by the Indian carriers. The buyer arranging for ships to ferry the oil.
Asian Athletics Championships 2017 Overview – India tops medals tally
The 2017 Asian Athletics Championships was the 22nd edition of the Asian Athletics Championships. It was held from 6 to 9 July 2017 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India. Bhubaneswar was the third Indian city to host Asian Championships. Around 800 athletes from 45 countries attended the event.
India with 12 gold, managed 29 medals.
This time India created history by topping medal tally at Asian Athletics.
The mascot of Championship was Olly, the Olive Ridley sea turtle.
The Asian Athletics Championships is an event organized by the Asian Athletics Association.
July 11
Assam govt mulls migration register
The State government will soon start maintaining a migration register as a measure to check incidents of human trafficking, even as the district anti-trafficking units of Assam Police have been put on alert to keep a tab on large-scale flood-induced displacement.
The introduction of the migration register would give the much-needed fillip to the anti-trafficking measures, especially during humanitarian crisis following floods and ethnic violence, when victims are mostly coerced by the well-oiled network of human traffickers.
The migration register, according to sources at the State Secretariat, would get the nod at the policy level soon, which would necessitate registration of people moving out of the State due to work or any other purposes.
The register once introduced would compliment effective implementation of other relevant laws, including the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979, the Immoral Trafficking (Prohibition) Act along with the child labour laws.
Rishi Kant of Shakti Vahini, an NGO working on human trafficking issues, has welcomed the initiative and said that maintenance of a migration register is slowly fetching good results in Jharkhand, a hotbed for traffickers.
Police in the last six years has registered nearly 800 cases of human trafficking, arresting around 600 accused and rescuing over 600 victims.
India will be the largest milk producer in 2026 – OECD & FAO Report
OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2017-2026, released by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) of the United Nations, mention that India will be the world’s largest milk producer by 2026 and the biggest increase in wheat production will be in India. From 2017-2026, milk production in India will grow 49%; in 2026, India will be the world’s largest milk producer.
World’s population will increase from 7.3 to 8.2 billion over the course of the next decade with India and Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 56% of total population growth.
Global production of wheat is projected to increase by 11% from 2017-2026, while the wheat area will increases by only 1.8%. Rice production is expected to grow by 66 Mt from 2017-2026 and will be almost exclusively driven by yield growth, which will accounts for 93% of additional production.
World Population Day observed on July 11 2017
World Population day is observed every year on July 11th 2017 to raise awareness of global population issues since 1989. This year’s theme is ‘Family Planning: Empowering People, Developing Nations‘.
It aims to raise awareness on various population issues such as the importance of family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health and human rights.
It was first started in the year 1989 by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Shri J P Nadda launches new family planning ‘Mission Parivar Vikas’ initiatives on World Population Day, to focus on 146 high fertility districts in 7 states with high TFR on World Population Day celebration. This new initiative conceived by the Ministry with a strategic focus on improving access through provision of services, promotional schemes, commodity security, capacity building, enabling environment and intensive monitoring.
July 12
Border Security Force and Border Guards Bangladesh meet gets underway
A four-day Border Coordination Conference between Border Security Force and Border Guards Bangladesh began at BSF’s Meghalaya Frontier headquarters.
The meeting is being held at the Inspectors General level between the two border troops. The Indian side is being headed by BSF Inspector General UC Sarangi while BGB is being led by Md Zahid Hasan, Additional Director General, Region Commander, North East Region.
The conference is held biannually between the two border guarding forces to discuss the issues related to peace and tranquillity along the border. The last such conference was held at Sylhet, Bangladesh in November 2016.
The two sides would discuss on a wide ranging topics that includes infiltration by militants and anti-socials, smuggling, confidence building measures and other bilateral issues, officials said.
NGT blames State Govt for wildlife deaths on Kaziranga roads
The Government of Assam faced severe criticism of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for death of several animals in road accidents in the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) and was directed to ensure their safety, especially during monsoons.
Expressing concern over growing wildlife deaths in road accidents in the national park that is home to the world famous one-horned rhinos, a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the State government to take urgent steps to protect animals during the floods.
The State government’s counsel told the NGT that not even a single animal has died on the stretch, where sensor-operated automated traffic barriers have been installed. Three interceptor vehicles are operating round the clock on the 66-km stretch of the highway to book vehicles exceeding the 40-km speed limit, he added.
The State government’s counsel told the NGT that not even a single animal has died on the stretch, where sensor-operated automated traffic barriers have been installed. Three interceptor vehicles are operating round the clock on the 66-km stretch of the highway to book vehicles exceeding the 40-km speed limit, he added.
Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma launches LIFE programme
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has launched the ambitious flagship programme titled “Livelihood Intervention and Facilitation of Entrepreneurship” (LIFE) at Songsak in East Garo Hills on 12th of July 2017.
In 2017-18, the programme aims to reach out to additional 2144 villages. CM urged the people to form SHGs in their area and under LIFE different activities would be started to ensure that people are able to generate income and eradicate poverty. To bridge the economic disparity and ensure progress, LIFE will be implemented across the state, so that there is inclusive development.
The LIFE programme will focus on capacity building, under the programme every 10 SHGs will be motivated to act like a bank and help each other. It aims to bring all the poor and vulnerable women into the SHGs movement. The programme will be implemented in the line with National Rural Livelihoods Mission.