ASSAM

 

• Forest dept completes 60 hectare plantations

 

• Jonai territorial forest range under Dhemaji Forest division has completed about 60 hectare avenue plantations under Joint Forest Management (JFM) scheme in two selected location under Poba Reserve Forest.The department constituted two Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMC) involving villagers of two fringe villages – Adi-Leku and Rigbi to achieve the activities. It also selected two sites of 30 hectare degraded forest area near Leku and Tinmail beat offices for the plantation. The department received an amount of Rs 4.20 lakh for the work, while it received another Rs 75,000 fund for weeding in the plantation sites.

 

• The department also received an amount of Rs 36 lakh for construction of two community halls – one at Adi-Leku village and another at Rigbi village under the head of Entry Point Activity of JFM scheme. The department, however, has not yet received any fund under JFM scheme for the current year.

 

• Besides the JFMC plantation works, the forest range following instruction of PCCF office in Guwahati conducted plantation in a total 75 hectare area at Oyan- Jelom and Sirung villages under CAMPA funding, which are reportedly under progress. The department already sanctioned fund against construction of forester camp, installation of ring well and erection of wire fencing with RCC post around the plantation sites.

 

• Meanwhile, high ranking forest department officials have visited the plantation sites at Jonai range and taken stock of progress of the plantation works. They also assured the forest officials here to release necessary funds against the ongoing plantation works under CAMPA scheme.

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL

 

• NSG plenary meeting held in Jurmala, Latvia

 

 

• The 28th Plenary Meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) was held in Jurmala, Latvia On 14th and 15th June 2018.

 

• The NSG plenary meeting was chaired by Ambassador Jānis Zlamets of Latvia.

 

• The NSG reviewed the developments since the last meeting in Bern in 2017.

 

 

·        Russia Launched Soyuz 2.1b Carrier Rocket With Glonass M Navigation Satellite

• Russia launched a Soyuz-2.1bcarrier rocket from the Plesetsk space center to orbit a Glonass-M satellite.
• GLONASS – the Russian acronym for ‘Global Navigation Satellite System’.
• The Glonass network provides real-time positioning data for surface, sea and airborne objects around the globe, at an accuracy reportedly on par with the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS).
• With this Launch, there are now 26 Glonass satellites in orbit.

 

·        SAARC fund to launch social enterprise programme in India and 7 other member nations

• Thimpu-based SAARC Development Fund (SDF) will soon be launching a Social Enterprise Development Programme (SEDP) to fund 80 entities annually across the 8-member states including India.
• SDF was established by the Heads of the eight SAARC member states in April 2010 and its Governing Council comprises finance ministers of these eight countries.
• SAARC members are – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

·        World Bank approves 700 mn dollar to improve primary education in Bangladesh

• The World Bank has approved $700 million to improve the primary education sector in
• It will also finance implementation of the government’s Fourth Primary Education Development Program (PEDP4).
• This project will build about 95,000 classrooms, teachers’ rooms, and multipurpose rooms.
• It will also build 80,000 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) blocks and 15,000 safe water sources.
• The projects will provide recruitment to about 100,000 teachers.

·        China unveils 4 point vision for future cooperation with India

• On June 18, 2018, Chinese envoy to India Luo Zhaohui unveiled a four-point vision for future cooperation with India.
• This is followed by the informal summit between PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
• The four-point vision are:

  1) Sign a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation

  2) Negotiate a bilateral Free Trade Agreement

  3) Enhance connectivity

  4) Work for early harvest on boundary issues.

 

 

 

NATIONAL

 

• Government to team up with Google for flood forecasting

 

• Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari has expressed hope that collaboration with Google will help in effective flood management in India.

 

• Central Water Commission (CWC), India’s apex technical organization in the field of Water Resources, has entered into a Collaboration Agreement with Google.

 

• CWC would use state-of-the-art advances made by Google in the in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and geo spatial mapping for effective management of water resources particularly in the field of flood forecasting and dissemination of flood related information to the masses widely using the dissemination platforms developed by Google.

 

• This initiative is likely to help crisis management agencies to deal extreme hydrological events   in a better manner.

 

·        Mehbooba Mufti resigns as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister

 

• Mehbooba Muftiresigned as Jammu and Kashmir’s chief minister, after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended its alliance with her Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), potentially pushing the state towards Governor’s rule.
• She handed over her resignation to Governor NN Vohra.