July 17
Close to 99 pc votes casted in Presidential poll
Close to 99 per cent voting was recorded for electing India’s 14th President, the returning officer for the poll announced. The numbers are staked in favour of the ruling coalition’s nominee Ram Nath Kovind over the opposition’s candidate Meira Kumar.
Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Puducherry recorded 100 per cent voting.
In Parliament House, the voting percentage was 99 per cent, said Lok Sabha Secretary General Anoop Mishra, who is also the returning officer for the polls. He said while the sanctioned strength of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha is 776, 771 MPs were eligible to cast their votes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first person to cast his vote, Mishra said. He also said that except for Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and Tripura, data has been received from all other states which indicates that the voting was “close to 100 per cent”.
Fact File: President Election
- The President of India is indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of the elected members of both houses of parliament, the elected members of the Legislative assemblies of the 29 states and the elected members of the legislative assemblies of the Union Territories of Delhi and Puducherry.
- A total of 4,896 voters – 4,120 MLAs and 776 elected MPs – are eligible to cast their ballot.
- MLCs of states with legislative council are not part of the electoral college.
- The value of an MLA’s vote depends on the population of the state he or she belongs to
- The value of an MP’s vote remains the same at 708.
- The value of an MLA’s vote in Sikkim is seven while in Uttar Pradesh, it is 208.
Tarun Gogoi advocates water treaty with China
Advocating a water sharing treaty with China, former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has urged the Central government to put pressure on the neighbouring country to sign such an agreement. Gogoi said that he has written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj regarding his recent meeting with Chinese Ambassador Luo Zhaohui.
Clarifying that the meeting took place at the request of the Chinese envoy, Gogoi said that he had raised all the contentious issues during his deliberations with Zhaohui. Gogoi said that he had also raised the issue of ULFA(I) chief Paresh Baruah enjoying a free run in China. “I conveyed that we have apprehension that Baruah is operating out of the Chinese territory,” he said.
Tata Motors develops first Bio-Methane Bus
Tata Motors has developed the country’s first bio-CNG (bio-methane) bus on 17th of July 2017. The buses were showcased at the Urja Utsav organised by oil ministry.
Bio-CNG will help in contributing to the smart cities and to keep them clean and is a good option for wet garbage management. Bio-methane bus is aimed to develop environment-friendly vehicles. Bio-methane is produced out of bio-degradable materials like kitchen waste. The gas, which gets produced out of natural degradation process, escapes into the atmosphere unused.
The bio-methane engines (5.7 SGI and 3.8 SGI) will be available on light and medium buses. The lead model Tata LPO 1613 bus, already in operation by Pune Municipal Transport Corporation.
July 18
Rijiju to talk to Tripura tribal party on separate State
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju informed Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar that he will hold talks with a tribal party on Tuesday regarding the demand for a separate tribal State, an official said.
The Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) has been blockading National Highway-8, the lifeline of Tripura, and the lone railway line since July 10, leading to shortages of essential commodities, fuel, food grain and other goods of basic necessities.
The IPFT has been agitating since 2009 for a separate State to be carved out by upgrading the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), which has jurisdiction over two-thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 sq.km. area, housing 12,16,465 (mostly tribals) of the State’s 37-lakh population.
Most political parties, including the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura have rejected the IPFT’s demand, saying it is not practical to divide the already small State.
The IPFT leaders, led by party president Narenda Chandra Debbarma, asserted they would continue with their agitation till the Centre held out a positive assurance on their demand.
India emerges as top trusted government in the world: OECD Report
This year’s OECD’s Government at a Glance report, India has emerged as the most trusted nation with 73 per cent people voting for the current government. The survey test the level trust peoples have on their government.
While the present Indian government has the confidence of 73 per cent Indians, the highest in the world, Greece stands last with 13 per cent.
Matunga becomes India’s first railway station run by women
In a bid to empower women, Central Railway has appointed all women staff at suburban Matunga station, a railway station on the Central line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network, to make it India’s first women special station.
D K Sharma, the General Manager of Central Railway, who floated the idea of all ladies station, said, “We are convinced that there is no tool for development more effective than empowering our women and this special station speaks all about it.”
Federer wins record eighth Wimbledon title
Roger Federer defeated Marin Cilic of Croatia to win 2017 Wimbledon men’s final in straight sets 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 and make his count to eight.
To those that gathered to watch him win, the historical significance of the victory – a 19th Grand Slam, a record eight Wimbledon wins. He won this year’s Australian Open also.
Wimbledon is one of four Grand Slam tennis tournaments. The others are the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open. Wimbledon takes place at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in London.
July 19
India food grain output up 8.7% at record 273.38 MT in 2016-17
India’s food grain production has increased by 8.7% to a record high 273.38 million tonne during 2016-17. India’s previous record output in food grains of 265.04 million tonne during 2013-14.foodgrain production
Rice output increased by 4.5% to a record 109.15 million tonne.
Wheat production was up 5.6% at all-time high of 97.44 million tonne.
Coarse grains production rose 15.2% to highest ever 44.39 million tonne.
Pulses production jumped 37% to 22.40 million tonne.
A record high output of grains, which contribute about 12.4% to the consumer inflation (CPI) basket, will increase supplies and moderate prices in coming months.
AASU demand for shutdown of Ranganadi dam project
The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) called for immediate decommissioning of Ranganadi dam project in Arunachal Pradesh, citing that this project is particularly responsible in causing flood and erosion related deaths and devastation in Lakhimpur and Majuli area.
A state-wide satyagraha was organised to mark the protest. The protester also demanded the scraping of the Subansiri dam project, which is five times bigger in magnitude than the Ranganadi dam. “One can already assess the quantum of damage it could cause when water gets released from this 2,000 MW project. The Centre must immediately put a halt to this threatening project.”
The students’ body has demanded that the Centre to grant special package for the State to mitigate the pain and suffering of the flood and erosion victims.
Fact file: Ranganadi dam
- It’s a concrete-gravity diversion dam on the Ranganadi River in Arunachal Pradesh which serves a run-of-the-river scheme.
- North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited’s (NEEPCO) is the operator.
- Installed capacity 405 MW (3 x 135 MW )
- Stage II of the project will produce an additional 180 megawatts
Subansiri Lower Dam
- Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project(SLHEP), is an under construction gravity dam on the Subansiri River around the border areas of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
- run-of-the-river project by NHPC Limited
- expected to supply power of 2,000 MW ( 8 × 250 MW )
- On completion, it will be the largest hydroelectric project in India
TR Zeliang sworn in as Nagaland CM
TR Zeliang was sworn in as the 19th Chief Minister of Nagaland. The Naga People’s Front (NPF) has expelled Zeliang for six years.
Zeliang was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor PB Acharya at Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan, Kohima. The Governor had asked Zeliang to prove his majority on the floor of the House on or before July 22. The ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) coalition has 47 NPF legislators, four BJP members, and eight Independents.
Australia joins International Solar Alliance led by India and France
Australia became the 35th country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA), an initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The larger aim of ISA is to promote solar power on all fronts – generation and storage.
FACTFILE: International Solar Alliance (ISA)
The International Solar Alliance is an alliance of countries which are located completely or partly between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.
It was jointly launched by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and the then President of France Francois Hollande in November 2015 in Paris, on the side lines of COP21.
PM Narendra Modi, and the then French PresidentFrançois Hollande jointly laid the foundation stone of the ISA Headquarters and inaugurated the International Solar Allianceinterim Secretariat of the ISA at the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) in Gurugram, Haryana, India.
July 20
AASU demands withdrawal of Citizenship Bill
The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) today demanded immediate withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The student body alleged that even though the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which was supposed to visit the NE states to know the opinion of the people of the region, is yet to visit the region, the Union Government has decided to table the above Bill in a conspiratorial manner.
The people of Assam would not accept the extra burden of illegal migrants, irrespective of whether they are Hindus or Muslims. The people of the State accepted the burden of illegal migrants who entered the State till March 25, 1971 as per the provisions of the Assam Accord and hence there cannot be any question of the State accepting any extra burden of illegal migrants.
The AASU raised these points boldly before the JPC, which announced dates of visit to Assam on two occasions. The Chief Minister also announced that the JP would visit the State to know the opinion of the State’s people on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, the student body said.
President inaugurates Bicentenary Celebration of Paika Rebellion
President Pranab Mukharjee inaugurated the bicentenary (200th) celebration of Paika Rebellion (1817) of Odisha organised by the Union Ministry of Culture in New Delhi. Paika rebellion predates the 1857 Revolt i.e. first war of independence. Many scholars, researchers and historians have opined that the Paika Rebellion of 1817 was India’s first organized armed rebellion against British Raj (then British East India Company rule).
First meeting of Integrated Monitoring and Advisory Council held in New Delhi
The first meeting of the newly formed Integrated Monitoring and Advisory Council (IMAC) was held in New Delhi. It was chaired by Union Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan. IMAC is an inter-ministry monitoring and advisory body for policy formulation and implementation of ‘Roadmap to achieve target of 10% reduction in import dependency in oil and gas by 2021-22.