ASSAM

70% of KNP under flood water

The flood water in Kaziranga has inundated a vast area of the national park. More than 70 per cent park area of Kaziranga has gone under flood water affecting 114 camps inside the forest.

35 forest camps were badly affected by flood waters where the water level rose up to 5 feet. Since wild animals started moving towards safer places crossing the national highway adjacent to Kaziranga National Park.

NORTH-EASTERN STATES

Tripura launched Mukhyamantri Matru Pushti Uphaar scheme

Tripura State government announced the Mukhyamantri Matru Pushti Uphaar scheme. The scheme aims to provide nutrition kits to pregnant and lactating women. The scheme is expected to benefit 40,000 women from the state. The initiative was launched as many pregnant women and infants in the state suffer from malnutrition.

Mukhyamantri Matru Pushti Uphaar scheme:

Under the scheme, nutrition kits will be provided to the pregnant & lactating women. Each kits cost around Rs.500.

Each kit will have food items and grocery supplies, such as peanuts, soya beans, mixed pulses, jaggery, and ghee.

The state government has estimated to incur an expenditure of Rs.8 crore every year for the initiative.

Under this initiative, the pregnant women will be tested four times at a nearby Primary Health Centers (PHC). After the check-up, the beneficiaries will be given a nutrition kit after each test.

The scheme will be in addition to the Pradhan Mantri Matru Bandana Yojana.

Previously, the state had allocated Rs.5,000 each under the Matru Bandana Yojana to 58,996 beneficiaries.

INTERNATIONAL

Russia plans to take first tourist on space walk in 2023

Russia’s Energia space corporation said that it will take the first tourist on a space walk in 2023, under the terms of a new contract with a US partner.

Energia has inked a contract with Space Adventures, which promises to take two space tourists to the International Space Station.

As per the deal, two tourists will be sent to the International Space Station (ISS) in the year 2023 under the joint agreement of both the companies.

From the end of RSC Energia, one of the two tourists will be able to do a spacewalk together with a cosmonaut from Roscosmos.

Australia, New Zealand to co-host FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup

Australia and New Zealand will co-host the Women’s World Cup in 2023, with the following edition possibly set to take place just two years later.

The joint bid beat Colombia 22-13 in a vote by FIFA’s ruling council, which judged them as having the best commercial prospects for women’s soccer.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino was one of the members who voted for Australia and New Zealand to stage the first 32-team Women’s World Cup.

FIFA’s decision means South America is still waiting to host its first Women’s World Cup, a tournament that was first played in 1991.

The 2023 tournament will be the first time a World Cup for men or women will be shared across two countries from different FIFA confederations.

NATIONAL

President promulgates Banking Regulation Amendment Ordinance 2020 to ensure safety

President Ram Nath Kovind promulgated the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. It is in pursuance with the commitment to ensure the safety of depositors across banks. The Ordinance will amend the Banking Regulation Act 1949 as applicable to Cooperative Banks.

The Ordinance will seek to protect the interests of depositors and strengthen cooperative banks by improving governance and oversight.

The ordinance will extend powers that are already available with RBI in respect of other banks to Co-operative Banks and for sound banking regulation, and by ensuring professionalism and enabling their access to capital.

The amendments do not affect existing powers of the State Registrars of Co-operative Societies under state co-operative laws.

The amendments do not apply to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) or co-operative societies whose primary object and principal business is long-term finance for agricultural development, and which do not use the word “bank” or “banker” or “banking” and do not act as drawees of cheques.

RailTel to provide video surveillance at 6,049 stations across country

The Indian Railways has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with RailTel for installation of an IP-based video surveillance system at 6,049 railway stations across the country.

RailTel is a public sector undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Railways.

It will provide the video surveillance system (VSS) work at the 6,049 stations under categories A1, A, B, C ,D and E of the Indian Railways.

The scope of work also includes integration of the existing standalone CCTV network of the railways into the VSS system for centralised monitoring.

Indian Institute of Science develops Nanozymes

A research team at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru has developed nanozymes that destroy the cell membrane of bacteria by directly targeting its phospholipids.

Nanozymes are nanomaterials that can disintegrate the cell membranes of a range of diseases causing bacteria.

The nanomaterial developed in IISc is tested on several potentially pathogenic bacteria causing typhoid, gastroenteritis, dysentery, cholera and pneumonia.

It was found that the nanozyme stopped growth and killed the microbes.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan Launches ‘eBlood Services’ Mobile App Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched the ‘eBlood Services’ Mobile Application, in partnership with the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), for easy access to blood in this critical time of coronavirus pandemic.

Notably, this initiative would help the people to get the blood on time just by registering on the application.

A person will be able to place orders for four units of blood at a time.

The ‘eBloodServices’ mobile application is developed by the ERaktkosh team of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).

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