Current affairs- July 4, 2016
Green Highways Project
The government recently launched the initial plantation drive on
1,500 km of National Highways at a cost of about Rs 300 crore under the National GreenHighways Mission.
Key features:
- The vision of the policy is to provide dignified employment to local people and communities.
- Under this policy, every year 1% of the total cost of highway projects will go to the Green Highways Fund. That works out to around Rs.1,000 crore every year.
Logistics performance index
India has improved its ranking in the World Bank Group’s bi-annual
“Logistics Performance Index 2016“, jumping from 54th in 2014 to 35th in 2016. This was announced
by the World Bank Group in its recent launch of the
report.
- In the latest ranking India has gone past countries like New Zealand, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Iceland, Latvia and Indonesia who were ahead of it in the index.
Automation to hit textile sector jobs
According to a recently released report, the textile industry in
the country is unlikely to create more jobs along with the growth in the
industry.
What the report says?
Textile and apparel industry in India is likely to create only 29
lakh jobs compared to the government’s target of one crore new jobs, even as
the sector’s market size is expected to grow by 40% to $142 billion in the next
five years.
Sagarmala Programme
The Ministry of Railways will be taking up 21 port-rail
connectivity projects, at an estimated cost of more than Rs.20,000 Crores, as
identified under the port-connectivity enhancement objective of Sagarmala, the flagship programme of the Ministry of Shipping.
- These projects are aimed at strengthening the rail evacuation network and the last mile connectivity to the ports. In addition, another six projects are being considered by the Indian Port Rail Corporation Limited (IPRCL).
Nuclear plants insured
India’s first insurance policy covering public liability to an
atomic power plant operator has been issued to Nuclear Power Corporation ofIndia Ltd (NPCIL).
Details:
- The insurance policy was issued by the country’s largest non-life insurer New India Assurance Company Ltd.
- NPCIL got the insurance policy covering all its atomic power plants. The total premium came around Rs. 100 crore for a risk cover of Rs. 1,500 crore.
- The policy complies with all the provisions of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act.
NDRF trains one lakh people in one month
To ensure resilience and better preparedness against disasters,
the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has trained over a lakh people
across the country in one month on the do’s and don’ts during man-made or
natural emergencies.
- This was achieved between June 1 and 30 as part of a special initiative when instructors and trainers of the NDRF reached 482 villages, towns and cities to sensitise people about disasters that occur specifically in those areas and also in general.
- Under this Community Awareness Programme, a total of 1,07,112 people in 22 States were trained in basic understanding of disaster management and combat by the NDRF in 482 sessions. The force also trained school students.
Ozone layer over Antarctic shows signs of healing
Atmospheric scientists have seen signs of the mending of the ozonehole above the Antarctic. Scientists have said that this healing is a direct
result of the curb on the release of chlorofluorocarbons following from the Montreal protocol of 1987.
- Scientists have found that the ozone hole has shrunk by more than four million square kilometres since 2000. This is the year when ozone depletion was at its peak.
SC rues barriers for disabled in govt. service
Quashing the central government’s earlier orders on restricting
reservation for the differently-abled in promotion to Group A and Group B
posts, the Supreme Court has ruled that 3% reservation shall be provided to
them in all posts and services under the Government of India.
Flying Daggers 45
Two indigenous Tejas Light
Combat Aircrafts were recently inducted into the IAF squadron, known as the ‘Flying Daggers 45’.
Details:
- The aircraft is equipped to handle air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, anti-ship missiles, bombs and rockets. It is considered to be the lightest multi-role supersonic aircraft of its class.
- HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited), DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) and ADA (Aeronautical Development Agency) are the key state-run defence companies that are behind the design and development of this Light Combat Aircraft.
Indrajit Coomaraswamy :
·
Indrajit
Coomaraswamy, veteran economist, is the new Governor of the Central Bank of Sri
Lanka (CBSL).
· President Maithripala Sirisena announced
Prof. Coomaraswamy’s appointment through his official twitter account.
· Dr. Coomaraswamy succeeds Arjuna
Mahendran, whose tenure, marked by controversies on the issuance of bonds, came
to an end on Thursday.
Linda Burney:
·
The first indigenous woman elected to Australia’s lower house
of parliament
·
winning a seat for the centre-left Labour party after
national polls.
Elie wiesel:
·
Elie Wiesel, who survived the Holocaust and went on to become
an influential author and Nobel Peace Prize winner, has died
·
He belongs to Romanian born-America
Michael
Cimino:
·
The Oscar-winning director whose film The Deer Hunter became one
of the great triumphs of Hollywood’s 1970s has died.
