KARNATAKA

Green push: Transport dept plans electric autos on Bengaluru roads

In an attempt to tackle increasing pollution levels across the state in general and in Bengaluru in particular, the transport department may soon launch electric autorickshaws in the city.

As part of the Karnataka Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage Policy, 2017, the department has decided to create its own version of electric autos, instead of the patented battery-operated rickshaws that aren’t permitted to run within city limits.

The electric vehicles to be promoted in Karnataka require retrofitting batteries to the existing autorickshaw models. Officials in the department said the usual electric rickshaws are actually converted from cycle-rickshaws and they neither reach a speed of over 25 kmph nor are stable on the road.

Karnataka is one of the first states in the country to announce a policy for electric vehicles. The policy, unveiled in September, exempts electric vehicle owners from paying road taxes. The department is also working on introducing electric buses through BMTC and KSRTC. They are likely to be operated on inter-city routes — from Bengaluru to Tumakuru, Hassan and Kolar.

INTERNATIONAL

· World Bank Provides Loans of $125 Million for STRIVE Project

The World Bank committed $125 million (around Rs800 crore) loan to India for the STRIVE project for skill development.
The main objective of the operation (Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement) is to improve access to quality and market-driven vocational training as well as apprenticeships. The financing agreement was signed between the World Bank and the Finance Ministry.

England’s women cricket team win BBC Team of the Year Award
England’s women cricket team won the BBC Team of the Year Award following their remarkable win over India in the World Cup that was played under home conditions.

The winners:

Sports Personality of the Year: Mo Farah

Overseas Sports Personality of the Year: Roger Federer

Lifetime Achievement: Jessica Ennis-Hill

Coach of the Year: Benke Blomkvist, Stephen Maguire and Christian Malcolm

Team of the Year: England’s women cricket team

· France Passes Law to Ban all Oil and Gas Production by 2040

France’s parliament has approved a law banning all exploration and production of oil and natural gas by 2040 within the country and its overseas territories.
Under that law that passed a final vote, existing drilling permits will not be renewed and no new exploration licenses will be granted.
The French government claims the ban is a world first.

NATIONAL

· AYUSH Ministry sets up research institute to boost Ayurveda

Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS)for undertaking coordinating formulating, developing and promoting research on scientific lines in Ayurveda is set up by The Ministry of AYUSH.
The activities are carried out through 30 institute/Centres/Units under CCRAS located all over India and also through collaborative studies with various universities, hospitals and institutes.
The research activities of the council include medicinal plant research (Medico-ethno botanical survey, pharmacognosy and tissue culture), Drug Standardization Pharmacological Research, Clinical Research, Literary Research & Documentation, and other outreach activities.

· Central government Gives Green Nod for Kaleshwaram Project in Telangana

The Telangana state government’s prestigious Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) has finally got the Green Nod from central government.
The expert appraisal committee (EAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest recommended the “proposal for grant of environmental clearance” in its meeting held in Delhi. The green nod for the project will be a big boost to the state government.

Gk bit – Lift irrigation

Lift irrigation is a method of irrigation in which water instead of being transported by natural flow (as in gravity-fed canal systems) requires external energy through animal, fuel based or electric power using pumps or other mechanical means.Treadle pumps, although an ancient method of lifting water for small heads have recently been modernized and used in a big way

Lift irrigation schemes must accomplish two main tasks: first, to carry water by means of pumps from the water source to the main delivery chamber, which is situated at the top most point in the command area. Second, they must distribute this water to the field of the beneficiary farmers by means of a suitable and proper distribution system. The source is mainly groundwater, river streams, contour canals, ponds and lakes.

Tata Steel Joda Mine gets Golden Peacock Innovation Award

Joda East Iron Mine (JEIM) of Tata Steel has been honoured with the prestigious Golden Peacock Innovation Management Award for the year 2017 for driving innovation in mines.

Joda East Iron Mine of Tata Steel is one of the fully mechanised captive iron mines of Tata Steel.

It is rated five star category mines by the Government for doing sustainable mining.

· AU Small Finance Bank Joins Hands with Sahaj e-Village

AU Small Finance Bankannounced signing an MoU with Sahaj e-Village for extending its banking service in remote areas through Business Correspondent Agent (BC) model.
With this MoU, AU Bank will be able to further foster its mission of financial inclusion and greater customer outreach.
As per the agreement, the BCs will act as an intermediary between the Bank and the customers in the interior locations where the Bank does not have a presence.

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