International
World Bank provides $400 million for NamamiGange
- World Bank provides $400 million to enhance support for rejuvenating the Ganga
- Project will help build infrastructure and institutions needed to make the Ganga a clean and healthy river
- The $400 million operation comprises a loan of $381 million and a proposed Guarantee of up to $19 million.
- Ganga is India’s most important cultural, economic and environmental resource, and the government’s NamamiGange program seeks to ensure that the river returns to a pollution-free, ecologically healthy state. The new project will extend the Government of India and World Bank’s engagement in this critical national programme to make the Ganga a clean, healthy river.
- The World Bank has been supporting the government’s efforts since 2011 through the ongoing National Ganga River Basin Project, which helped set up the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) as the nodal agency to manage the river, and financed sewage treatment infrastructure in several riverside towns and cities.
The US thanked India for hosting the Dalai Lama since 1959
- The US thanked India for hosting the Dalai Lama since 1959 as it commemorated the 85th birthday of the Tibetan spiritual leader.
- The Dalai Lama has been living in India ever since he fled Tibet in 1959 following a crackdown on an uprising by the local population.
India has one of lowest COVID-19 cases per million in the world
- India’s cases per million population is 505.37 while the global average is at 1453.25.
- The Chile has witnessed 15,459.8 cases of COVID-19 per million population, while Peru, US, Brazil and Spain have 9070.8, 8560.5, 7419.1 and 5358.7 cases per million population respectively.
- India has ramped up the hospital infrastructure to adequately and effectively manage the cases. The preparedness included arrangement of oxygen support, ICU and ventilator facilities. As on 7th July 2020, there are 1201 Dedicated COVID Hospitals, 2611 Dedicated COVID Healthcare Centres and 9909 COVID Care Centres to look after COVID patients from those with very severe to very mild symptoms. Such level of preparedness has shown results in continuously improving the Recovery Rate and resulting in low Case Fatality Rate.
National
Locust control operations in Norther India
- Locust control operations carried out in more than 2.75 lakh hectares area in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhatisgarh, Haryana and Bihar from 11th April till 6th July 2020
- Aerial spraying capacity strengthened for anti-locust operations; Along with a Bell helicopter deployed in Rajasthan, Indian Air Force has also conducted trials in anti-locust operations by using an Mi-17 helicopter
- Further, 5 companies with 15 drones are deployed at Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Nagaur and Phalodi in Rajasthan for locust control on tall trees and in inaccessible areas
- As per the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Locust Status Update of 03.07.2020, many of the spring-bred swarms that migrated to Indo-Pak border before the monsoon rains, some continued east to northern states of India and a few groups reached Nepal. The forecast is that these swarms will return to Rajasthan with the start of the monsoon in the coming days to join other swarms still arriving from Iran and Pakistan, which is expected to be supplemented by swarms from the Horn of Africa in about mid-July. Early breeding has already occurred along the Indo-Pak border where substantial hatching and band formation will take place in July that will cause the first-generation summer swarms to form in mid-August.
- Weekly virtual meeting on Desert Locust of South-West Asian countries (Afghanistan, India, Iran and Pakistan) is being organised by FAO.
CBSE cuts syllabus by 30% for classes 9 to 12
- The Central Board of Secondary Education syllabus for classes 9 to 12 has been reduced by 30% this year due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- In Class 12, the topic of India’s relations with its neighbours has been deleted, along with sections on social movements, regional aspirations, the changing nature of India’s economic development, and the Planning Commission.
- For Class 11 students, the core English course will not include exercises to write a letter to the editor, or apply for a job with a resume.
- For Class 10 students, the social science chapter on forests and wildlife in contemporary India has been deleted, along with chapters on democracy and diversity; gender, religion and caste; popular struggles and movements; and, challenges to democracy.
Earthquake in the Andaman sea
- An earthquake of 4.4 magnitude occurred in the Andaman sea
- The earthquake took place at 5:19 am and the epicentre was 71-km east of Port Blair
- The depth of the earthquake was 150-km
Permanent commission to women officers in Army
- The Supreme Court Tuesday granted one more month to the Centre to implement its verdict directing that permanent commission be given to all serving SSC women officers in the Army.
- In a landmark verdict on February 17, the Supreme court had directed that women officers in the Army be granted permanent commission and command postings, rejecting the Centre’s stand of their physiological limitations as being based on “sex stereotypes” and “gender discrimination against women”.
Masks & hand sanitizer out of essential commodities
- The Essential Commodities Act, which empowers the government to fix price and cap on stock of essential consumer items, is no more applicable on masks and hand sanitisers. The consumer affairs ministry has not extended the applicability of the law to these two items. The notification ended on June 30.
- It has been done considering there is surplus supply of these items and the government has also allowed their exports.