PM Modi to inaugurate submarine Optical Fibre Cable connecting Chennai and Port Blair

NATIONAL NEWS

PM Modi to inaugurate submarine Optical Fibre Cable connecting Chennai and Port Blair

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) connecting Chennai and Port Blair today virtually.
• The submarine cable will also connect Port Blair to Swaraj Dweep, Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Great Nicobar, Long Island, and Rangat.
• For which the foundation stone laid on 30th December 2018 at Port Blair.
• This move is to develop the mobile and telecom services to Andaman and Nicobar islands effectively.
• Enhanced telecom and Broadband connectivity will boost tourism and employment generation in the Islands and will increase the standard of living.
• The project is assisted by the Government of India through the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) under the Department of Telecommunications in Ministry of Communications.
• Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is to execute the project.
• Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) will provide the technical assistance.

Fact: Capital of Andaman and Nicobar – Port Blair

          Lieutenant Governor - Admiral (ret.) Devendra Kumar Joshi

PM launches Rs 1 Lakh Crore Agriculture Infrastructure Fund

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched one lakh crore rupees agriculture infrastructure fund for assisting them in post-harvest management and in the marketing of the agricultural produce.
• He also released the 6^th instalment of PM-Kisan Scheme, transferred 17,100 crore rupees to more than 8.5 crore farmers under the PM-Kisan direct income assistance scheme.
• The fund was launched with 1,128 crore rupees of new loans disbursed to more than 2,200 cooperative societies.
• Under the infrastructure scheme, banks and financial institutions will provide one lakh crore in loans to cooperative societies, farmer producer companies, self-help groups, entrepreneurs, startups and infrastructure providers.
• The scheme will enable start-ups to scale up their operations and India to build a global presence in organic and fortified food.

Delhi Airport develops ‘Air Suvidha’ portal for all international arriving passengers across India

• Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has developed AIR SUVIDHA, a first-of-its-kind portal for all international arriving passengers.
• The portal allows international arriving passengers to fill a mandatory self-declaration form and eligible passengers to apply for exemption from compulsory institutional quarantine for coronavirus.
• This is to make the passenger’s journey more convenient and comfortable in a contactless way.
• The online forms have been developed in collaboration with various state governments, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Fact: Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare – Dr Harsh Vardhan

          Union Minister of External Affairs - Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar

Flipkart signs MoU with the U.P. Government under ODOP scheme

• Indian e-commerce company Flipkart has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Uttar Pradesh’s One District, One Product (ODOP) scheme.
• The partnership will enable the under-served communities to highlight their specialised products and crafts in the e-commerce platform.
• As part of the MoU, artisans and weavers under the One District, One Product (ODOP) scheme will be brought into the ‘Flipkart Samarth’ initiative.

Fact: Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh – Yogi Adityanath

         Governor of Uttar Pradesh – Anandiben Patel

Meghalaya Cabinet Approves Policy on Reservation of Seats for Women in Village Employment Councils

• Chief Minister of Meghalaya informed the cabinet’s approval for the passage of the “Policy on Reservation of seats for Women in Village Employment Councils (VECs)”.
• Policy on Reservation of seats for Women in Village Employment Councils - the policy of reserving 50% seats for women in the village level community institutions.
• This policy ensures the empowerment of Women by establishing a forum for women to exercise their leadership and freedom.
• The VECs are a political organisation established to implement the works of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Fact: Chief Minister of Meghalaya - Conrad Kongkal Sangma

APPOINTMENTS

Dr. Pradeep Kumar Joshi takes oath as Chairman of UPSC

• Dr. Pradeep Kumar Joshi took oath as Chairman of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
• He has joined the Commission as a member in the year 2015.
• He served as Director of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Tribal Day being observed today

• International Day of the World Tribal peoples is observed every year on August 10^th since 1994.
• The day is aimed at promoting and protecting the rights of the world’s indigenous population.
• The date recognizes the first meeting of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations in Geneva in 1982.
• As the year 2019 being observed as the Year of Indegenous Languages, this year the World Tribal Day celebrations are focussed on preservation and documentation of tribal languages.

OBITUARY

Nobel Laureate John Hume passed away

• Northern Ireland politician, Nobel Laureate John Hume has died at the age of 83 following a long period of illness.
• Hume was one of the highest-profile politicians in Northern Ireland for more than 30 years.
• He was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) in 1970 and led the party from 1979 until 2001.