Bihar's Industries Minister and JD(U)'s national general secretary Shyam Rajak was sacked from the state cabinet and expelled from the party.
Shyam Rajak has been sacked from the state cabinet and he has also been expelled from the party for six years for his anti-party activities
The JD(U) giving more weightage to party leader Arun Manjhi who is touring the Phulwari Sharif assembly segment that Rajak represents is said to have miffed him.
He was apprehensive that the JD(U) may not give him the nomination in the state polls due later this year.
Rajak, who also served as a minister in the RJD government, had left the Lalu Prasad-led party in 2009 to join the JD(U).
Nepal and India Hold High-level Talks Amidst Border Row
Senior diplomats of India and Nepal held a virtual meeting to review the progress made on various India-aided developmental projects being implemented in the Himalayan nation.
The meeting came days after Nepal Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli telephoned his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to greet him on India's 74th Independence Day, in the first high-level contact after bilateral ties came under severe strain following the issuance of a new political map by Nepal in May.
The meeting held virtually assessed the progress made on various India aided development projects being implemented in Nepal.
The ties between India and Nepal came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand in May 2020.
Atal Innovation Mission, NASSCOM Launches ATL AI Step Up Module for School Students
NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission in collaboration with NASSCOM was launched the 'ATL AI Step Up Module' for students. The move is to drive AI education and innovation to the next level in schools across the country. The module is the next step in bringing Artificial Intelligence to classrooms and is a successor to the AI Base module launched in February this year, according to NITI Aayog.
After a successful launch of a unique initiative to take Artificial Intelligence (AI) to schools through 'ATL AI Modules' in February this year, this module is the next step in bringing AI to Indian classrooms. The module will provide a comprehensive set of learning it yourself Advanced modules to those who wish to expand their knowledge base after becoming familiar with the basics of the AI discipline through the AI base module.
With this new launch, through hands-on projects and activities, the step-up module encourages a deeper understanding of AI which can be applied in the real world. The module is designed in an attractive graphical manner that is comprehensible for all students belonging to rural and urban areas.
The step-up module needs no previous knowledge and introduces the concepts to students from the basics using interactive tools and activities so as to keep their attention undivided.
Ajay Maken New Rajasthan Congress Incharge
Two days after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government won the trust vote, the Congress has given Ajay Maken, former Union Minister and trusted confidant of Rahul Gandhi the charge of Rajasthan.
The high command removed Avinash Pande apparently on Sachin Pilot's demand.
Also, the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has constituted a high-powered committee which includes senior leaders Ahmed Patel, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and Ajay Maken. According to the announcement, the committee will look to resolve issues between party leaders in Rajasthan.
The appointments come in the wake of a rebellion in the Rajasthan government with former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs revolting against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Defence Ministry Approves Major Expansion of NCC
National Cadet Corps is all set for a major expansion with a scheme focusing on the border and coastal districts of the country getting approved by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The proposals of the scheme were announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address on 15 August. According Ministry of Defence spokesperson Bharat Bhushan Babu, a total of one lakh cadets from 173 border and coastal districts will be inducted in the NCC. One-third of the cadets would be girls.
As per Mr. Babu added that more than 1000 schools and colleges have been identified in border and coastal districts where NCC will be introduced.
As part of the expansion plan, a total of 83 NCC units will be upgraded (Army 53, Navy 20, Air Force 10), to impart NCC training to the cadets in the border and coastal areas. At present NCC is in 716 of the 718 districts of the country.
NCC DG Lt Gen Rajeev Chopra described the scheme to be farsighted as it will catalyse positive change. "This plan will be implemented in partnership with the States and will help prepare the youth for unique challenges faced in these areas and will integrate them into main stream. Trainers will be holding regular training camps which will lead to availability of trained manpower in cases of national calamity and emergency.
Aug 16, 2020
Uttar Pradesh among the Fastest Growing States in Green Projects
Uttar Pradesh is one of the fastest growing states in terms of green building projects as the state has more than 570 such projects covering over 1,400 million sq ft area, according to the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). The IGBC, formed by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in 2001, said that as on date, India has 5,975 projects, spanning 7.55 billion sq ft of green buildings and green-built environment that are adopting its green rating programmes.
India has also bagged the prestigious distinction of becoming one of the top five countries in the world in terms of built-up area of green projects.
These projects, from both the government and private sector, have adopted IGBC's many rating systems, including homes, new buildings, healthcare facilities, schools, factories, campuses, townships, cities, and others.
All Villages to be Connected with Optical Fibre in 1,000 Days
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15 announced that the task to connect India's over six-lakh villages with optical fibre network will be completed in the next 1,000 days.
Besides, high speed internet connectivity via submarine optical fibre cable will be extended to Lakshadweep in this period.
Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on India's 74th Independence Day, he pointed out that only five dozen panchayats in the country were connected with optical fibre cable before 2014. In the last five years, 1.5 lakh village panchayats have been connected with optical fibre cable.
PM Announces Launch of National Digital Health Mission
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of the National Digital Health Mission under which every Indian will get a health ID that will store the individual's medical records.
The Prime Minister said that the Mission will help reduce problems in getting treatment in various health facilities in the country and herald a new revolution in the sector.
Modi said that the National Digital Health Mission is being launched today. This will bring a new revolution in India's health sector and it will help reduce problems in getting treatment with the help of technology.
The National Digital Health Blueprint of the mission was prepared by a health ministry panel to create a framework for the national health stack proposed in 2018 by the NITI Aayog, the government think tank.
Aug 15, 2020
India Signs MoU with Nigeria on Space Cooperation
Government of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding on space cooperation with the Federal government of Republic of Nigeria at the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.
Over a virtual platform, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology, Federal Republic of Nigeria and Abhay Thakur, Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria signed the MoU on behalf of Nigeria and India respectively.
On the occasion, both sides also agreed to sign a subsidiary MOU between New Space India Limited (NSIL), under ISRO, and Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), under the Federal Ministry of Environment of Nigeria, on cooperation in use of Geospatial Technologies.
Odisha Retains Top Position in Implementation of AMRUT Scheme
Odisha has retained top position in the implementation of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. According to rankings released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Odisha regained its top position by securing a score of 85.67 per cent, followed by Union Territory of Chandigarh (75.08) and Telangana (74.04).
The nine cities of Odisha which are covered under the AMRUT Schemeare Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Baripada, Balasore, Bhadrak, Berhampur and Puri.
Around 400 kilometers of pipeline have been laid/replaced for the Universal Coverage of piped water supply. All the nine AMRUT cities are expected to have 100 per cent network coverage by December, 2020.
Out of the total 191 projects started under the AMRUT scheme, 148 projects have been implemented and other projects are expected to be completed before the deadline in March, 2021.
Under the AMRUT scheme, parks with well-conceived landscaping and rejuvenation facilities, open gyms and jogging trails have been developed.
Gehlot Wins Trust Vote
The Congress government in Rajasthan was marked safe for six months after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot won the confidence vote, ending month-long anxiety triggered by a rebellion.
With 123 MLAs in the 200 member Assembly professing support to Gehlot, the Congress scored an expected victory. Seeing the writing on the wall, Opposition BJP dropped its plan to bring a no-confidence motion against Gehlot.
Gehlot said that winning the trust vote is a message to the forces that are trying to destabilise elected governments in the country. Their tactics failed in Rajasthan. It is the people's unwavering trust in us and unity of our MLAs that have brought this victory.
Aug 14, 2020
Modi Becomes Fourth Longest Serving Indian PM
Narendra Modi has become the longest serving non-Congress Prime Minister and the fourth longest serving overall.
Today, PM Narendra Modi becomes the fourth longest serving PM in the history of India! He now also holds the distinction of being the longest serving non-Congress PM. Vajpayee ji served for 2,268 days, with all his terms put together. Today PM Modi has surpassed that duration," BJP IT department in-charge Amit Malviya tweeted.
Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, all from the Congress, are the three longest serving Indian Prime Ministers in that order.
Goa's Moira Bananas, Harmal Chillies, Khaje Get GI Tag
The Geographical Indications Registry headquartered in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) granted Geographical Indications(GI) to Goa's Harmal Chillies which are grown only in Harmal village and adjacent areas of Pernem taluka (specifically in the coastal village of Arambol), Moira bananas, an unique banana grown in Moira village of Bardez taluka & Bicholim Taluka and Khaje, the traditional state sweet.
Khaje got a GI tag under foodstuffs falling in Class-30 and Moira Banana under Class-31.
The Bicholim- based All-Goa Khaje Producers Association (AGKPA) applied for the GI tag of Khaje through the department of science and technology in 2019.
Myndoli Banana Growers Association, Ibrampur, Pernem applied for the GI tag of Moira bananas.
The Harmal-Pernem Chilli Growers Association had made the application for the GI tag of Harmal Chillies.
India Unveils Economic Aid Package for Maldives
India unveiled a $500-million package to help the Maldives build a connectivity project linking its capital Male with three islands, and provided $250 million as budgetary support to help the Indian Ocean archipelago cope with the Covid-19 crisis.
A new cargo ferry service will be launched between the two countries, and people familiar with developments said this will help India replace other countries to become the Maldives' top trade partner. An air travel bubble between the two sides will become operational from August 18, and India also renewed quotas for supplying essential commodities to the Maldives during 2020-21.
The measures were announced during a virtual meeting between external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and his Maldives counterpart Abdulla Shahid. Responding to a request from the Maldives, Jaishankar announced India's decision to back the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) through a package comprising a grant of $100 million and a new line of credit for $400 million.
India's total financial commitment in the Maldives is more than $2 billion, with all loan and grant projects being announced after President Ibrahim Solih came to power in November 2018 and put in place his "India first" policy.
Goa Signs Tripartite MoU with GIZ India and Siemens Limited to Provide German Vocational Training...
The Goa government signed a tri-partite agreement to carry out world-class German dual vocational education and training in the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) of the state.
This will ensure optimal up-skilling of ITI graduates, including green skilling at par with the latest technological developments in the industry, thereby remarkably enhancing the employability of graduates from these ITIs.
The MoU was signed virtually between the Directorate of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Siemens Limited and the German-headquartered GIZ.
"The MoU will facilitate in-plant training of the students so that they can get practical hands on experience in their respective trades," Mr Rane said, adding that students will be exposed to the latest advancement in the industry and this would help vastly improve their employability.
Aug 13, 2020
Anyone with Qualification from PoJKL Colleges Cannot Practice Medicine in India
India's top medical education regulator has stated that any qualification obtained from medical colleges located in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh (PoJKL) shall not entitle a person to practice modern medicine in India.
In a public notice, the board of governors (BoG) in supersession of the Medical Council of India (MCI) said that the entire territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh is an integral part of India. Pakistan is in the illegal and forcible occupation of a part of the territory.
Accordingly, any medical institution in Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh (PoJKL) requires permission and recognition under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, " the notice said. Such permission has not been granted to any medical college in PoJKL.
E-passports for All Indian Citizens Next Year Onwards
If you apply for a new passport or seek a re-issue in 2021, chances are you could get an e-passport embedded with an electronic microprocessor chip. After issuing 20,000 official and diplomatic e-passports on a trial basis with such chips, the government has now begun the process for issuance of e-passports for all citizens and is selecting an agency that will set up the IT Infrastructure and solution to implement the big project. This will make passports difficult to forge and quicker immigration for international passengers. So far, passports issued to citizens are personalised and printed on booklets.
The agency will set up a dedicated unit and processes for preparing personalised e-passports to enable issuance of 10,000 to 20,000 per hour and IT systems will be set up in Delhi and Chennai to handle this load. The National Informatics Centre, which is working in tandem with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to select an agency to set up an IT Infrastructure and solution for e-personalisation of passports. ET accessed this RFP. So far, e-passports were issued only from CPV Division at MEA headquarters for diplomatic and official passports.
Now, all 36 passport offices in India will issue e-passports after the components of the e-passport personalisation system are inducted in the existing passport issuance system at all passport offices. The e-passports will be based on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standard to ensure interoperability between countries.
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