CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
International Day of the Tropics
- International Day of the Tropics, which is marked on June 29 every year.
- As per the United Nations, the Tropics is home to nearly 95 per cent of the world’s mangrove forests by area and 99 per cent of mangrove species. The Tropics have just over half of the world’s renewable water resources (54 per cent), and biodiversity is also much greater at 80 per cent.
World Allergy Week
- The World Allergy Organization is proud to announce thatWorld Allergy Week 2020 will occur 28 June – 4 July 2020 and will focus on the theme of “Allergy care does not stop with COVID-19.”
- Each year, the World Allergy Organization (WAO) addresses a different topic that has a need for greater awareness.
About WAO
- Headquarters location: United States
World Asteroid Day
- World Asteroid Day or International Asteroid Dayis celebrated in the remembrance of the Tunguska impact over Siberia, Russia. It took place on 30 June, 1908.
- It is said that it was the Earth’s largest asteroid impact ever recorded so far.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
India inks pact with Bhutan for 600 MW Kholongchhu Hydroelectric Project
- India signed a concession agreement with Bhutan for the 600 MW Kholongchhu Hydroelectric Project in the virtual presence of external affairs minister S Jaishankar.
- The 600 MW run-of-the-river project is located on the lower course of the Kholongchhu River in Trashiyangtse district in Eastern Bhutan.
- The project envisages an underground powerhouse of four 150 MW turbines with water impounded by a concrete gravity dam of 95 meters height.
- It will be implemented by Kholongchhu Hydro Energy Limited, a Joint Venture launched between Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) of Bhutan and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) of India.
- The concession agreement will lead to commencement of construction and other works of this first Joint Venture Hydroelectric Project between India and Bhutan.
- The project is expected to be completed in the second half of
- The 720 MW Mangdechhu hydroelectric project was jointly inaugurated earlier in August, 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bhutan counterpart Lotay Tshering.
About Bhutan
- Capital: Thimphu
- Capital: Bhutan Ngultrum
- Prime minister: Lotay Tshering
India plans incentives to double auto exports in next five years
- India is drawing up an incentive scheme for the autos sector aimed at doubling exports of vehicles and components in the next five years.
- The incentives would be based on the sales value of vehicles or components and eligiblecompanies would need to meet certain conditions, including a minimum revenue and profit threshold and presence in at least 10 countries.
- The move is part of India’s effort to create ‘champion’ sectors to attract investment, generate jobs and boost manufacturing.
- India wants to promote exports and has identified some sectors, including autos and textiles, for which incentive plans are being designed.
- The initial scheme has been designed to incentivise large companies and in turn benefit smaller players in the supply chain, making the auto sector more competitive overall.
Govt launches PM FME scheme to help micro food processing enterprises
- The Government launched a Rs 10,000 crore scheme for micro enterprises which offers 50% subsidy for storage and transportation to prevent distress sale by farmers.
- The scheme, called Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises (PM FME) launched by Food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, aims to bring in new technology, apart from affordable credit to help small entrepreneurs penetrate new markets.
- The scheme will be implemented for five years until 2024-25. It will generate investment of Rs 35,000 core, generate 900,000 jobs and help 800,000 units.
- Operation Greens Scheme, which has been extended from tomato, onion and potato (TOP) crops to other notifiedhorticulture crops for providing subsidy for their transportation and storage from surplus production area to major consumption centres, will prevent post-harvest losses and distress sale by farmers when prices fall.
- Under the PM FME scheme, micro enterprises will get 35% subsidy on project cost, with a ceiling of Rs 10 lakh. The beneficiaries will have to contribute at least 10% of the project cost while the balance will come from loans. Nearly 200,000 micro enterprises will get credit-linked subsidy support.
- Under the scheme, meant for the unorganised sector, the expenditure will be shared by the central and state governments in the ratio of 60:40.
- The ministry will provide the 50% subsidy for “transportation of eligible crops from surplus production clusters to consumption centres or hiring of appropriate storage facilities for eligible crops for a maximum period of three months”.
- The maximum subsidy amount per applicant will be Rs 1 crore during a six-month period.
About MoFPI
- Minister of Food Processing Industries: Harsimrat Kaur Badal
- Constituency: Bathinda, Punjab.
Defence Minister launches web portal for issuing NOCs for projects in Indian waters
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched a web portal for issuing no objection certificates (NOCs) to entities that are undertaking power projects and activities related to research, survey, exploration and exploitation in the Indian territorial waters and exclusive economic zones.
- The online system will establish an effective, speedy and transparent mechanism to process these proposals.
- Singh, along with Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, launched the web portal in the presence of Army Chief General M M Naravane, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh, and Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria.
- The newly developed web portal will facilitate the applicants in submitting their proposals online for seeking Security Clearance from the Defence Ministry for undertaking Power Projects and RSEE activities.
- The web portal has been developed with the assistance of National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG) and National Informatics Centre (NIC).
