CURRENT GK
1.Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh reviews Border Area Projects :-
The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh along with Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju reviewed the Border Area Projects, here today.
Union Home Secretary, Shri Rajiv Mehrishi, OSD, MHA, Shri Rajiv Gauba, Heads of Border Guarding Forces and Senior Officers from different Organizations were present in the meeting.
The status of Border Roads, flood lights, Border Outposts (BOPs) and Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) along the International Borders was reviewed in the meeting. Major impediments hampering the development of Border Infrastructure were also discussed.
2.3rd National Handloom Day celebrated across the country :-
Union Minister of State, Textiles, Shri Ajay Tamta said that the Government of India is taking various initiatives for the welfare of handloom weavers.
Presiding over the main event of the 3rd National Handloom Day celebrations in Guwahati, the Minister said that he not only appreciates but also salutes the handloom weavers for their commitment, dedication and skill.
3.Economist Rajiv Kumar appointed as Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog :-
The Union Government has appointed economist Rajiv Kumar as the new vice-chairman of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog
Rajiv Kumar will succeed Arvind Panagariya. As Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog he will hold cabinet minister rank. Prime Minister is ex-officio Chairperson of the Aayog.
4.Government to launch AGRI UDAAN-Food and Agribusiness Accelerator 2.0 programme :-
The Union Government is going to launch AGRI-UDAAN Food and Agribusiness Accelerator 2.0 programme in an attempt to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture.
It will mentor startups and help them connect with potential investors.
5.India’s first private missile production facility unveiled in Hyderabad :-
India’s first private sector missile sub-systems manufacturing facility Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems (KRAS) plant was inaugurated near Hyderabad, capital of Telangana .
It is 51:49 joint venture between India’s Kalyani Group and Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd. It has been established line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative and Government’s policy to encourage private sector participation in defence production.
6.India-Afghan air trade facing tough times :-
Weeks after the India-Afghanistan air corridor trade project was launched, the project has run into rough weather, with fruit exporters complaining that procedural delays, particularly a shortage of cargo planes, are causing them major losses.
Matters came to a head last week, when tonnes of fresh fruits, including apricots and melons, were left rotting at the Kabul airport. The flight chartered by Afghanistan’s national carrier, Ariana airlines, on July 20 failed to arrive on time, and the fruits were not moved to cold storage.
7.Dhaka to open diplomatic station in Chennai :-
Bangladesh will soon open a new diplomatic station in Chennai. Official sources from Bangladesh said on Monday that the new post was likely to focus on medical tourism and educational centres that drew thousands of Bangladesh citizens to India every year.
“The main focus of the new diplomatic station in Chennai will be to address the needs of Bangladeshi citizens who visit India for medical and educational purposes.
8.Chinese defence ministry meets visiting Indian media at the height of Doklam crisis :-
The Chinese defence ministry on Monday opened its doors to a visiting Indian media delegation, to reinforce its position that Indian troops must leave the Doklam plateau to resolve the crisis in the Sikkim section of the China-India frontier.
Defence Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang signalled that China was puzzled by the movement of Indian troops, in view of the interaction between the two militaries on two occasions prior to the crisis.
9.Arjuna Ranatunga laments the state of Sri Lankan cricket :-
Countering diverse challenges and uttering cheeky one-liners come naturally to Arjuna Ranatunga.
The former Sri Lanka captain, who held aloft the World Cup after humbling Australia at Lahore in 1996, remains a busy man.
Currently the minister of petroleum resources development in the Sri Lankan Government, Ranatunga keeps a reluctant-eye on cricket.
