KARNATAKA
- Karnataka election to be webcast, monitored in Bengaluru and Delhi
- The Karnataka assembly polls are set to go hi-tech with plans afoot to digitize the entire process, from managing electoral rolls to monitoring polling stations, through Internet Protocol (IP)-based webcasting and live-streaming of the counting of votes.
An Election Monitoring Dash Board (EMDB) will be set up at the offices of the chief election commissioner of India in New Delhi, the chief electoral officer (CEO) in Bengaluru and electoral officers at all district headquarters. EMDB will enable online monitoring both at polling and counting stations.Webcast was used on an experimental basis to monitor a few polling stations in the elections in various states between 2014 and 2018. It is the first time that the technology is being adopted to digitize the entire electoral process in a state.
- All 56,994 polling stations in the state will be GISmapped and linked with voters’ Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC).
- Alerts will be sent to mobile phones of voters about their polling station and how to reach there, while a digital atlas of all 224 assembly constituencies will be created.
INTERNATIONAL
- World’s best airport’ title goes to Changi, Mumbai ranked 63rd
- Singapore’s Changi Airport has topped in the list of ‘world’s best airport’ for the sixth consecutive year.
- The announcement was made at the Skytrax World Airport Awards held in Stockholm.
- South Korea’s Incheon Airport, Tokyo Haneda in Japan, Hong Kong and Doha Hamad turned out to be the top five in the list respectiveley.
- Mumbai airport has been given 63rd position whereas the airports in Bangalore and Delhi are at 64th and 66th place respectively.
· Canadian Mathematician Robert Langlands Wins Abel Prize
- Canadian mathematician Robert Langlandswon the prestigious Abel Prize for developing a programme connecting representation theory to number theory.
- The programme has enlisted hundreds of the world’s best mathematicians over the last 50 years.
- Now aged 81, Langlands will be awarded the 6.0-million-kroner Abel Prize by Norway’s King Harald in Oslo on May 22.
NATIONAL
- Jackfruit declared as Kerala’s official fruit
- The Kerala government has declared jackfruit as its official fruit.
- The official announcement in this regard was made by agriculture minister V.S. Sunil Kumar in the state assembly.
- The aim is to promote ‘Kerala jackfruit’ as a brand in markets across the country and abroad, showcasing its organic and nutritious qualities
- MNRE to set up 65,180 biogas plants in current year
- The National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP) aims at setting up of family type biogas plants for providing biogas as clean cooking fuel and a source of lighting.
- The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has fixed an annual physical target of setting up 65,180 biogas plants for the current year 2017-18 under the NBMMP.
- India to be Self-Reliant in Silk Production by 2020
- India will be self-reliant in the production of silk by 2020, said the Minister of Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani in a media interaction.
- The Union Cabinet’s decision approving the Integrated Scheme for Development of Silk Industry will help increase the production of Bivoltine silk (high quality) by 62 percent by 2020.
- The Minister further said the aim of the government is to increase the number of people engaged in the silk sector from 85 lakhs to one crore in the next three years.
- 12 sites identified for development under Iconic Tourist Sites Project
- The Ministry of Tourism has identified following 12 sites for development under Iconic Tourist Sites Project:
Taj Mahal & Fatehpur Sikri (Uttar Pradesh)
Ajanta and Ellora (Maharashtra)
Humayun Tomb, Qutub Minar and Red Fort (Delhi)
Colva Beach (Goa)
Amer Fort (Rajasthan)
Somnath and Dholavira (Gujarat)
Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh)
Hampi (Karnataka)
Mahablipuram (Tamil Nadu)
Kaziranga (Assam)
Kumarakom (Kerala)
Mahabodhi Temple (Bihar)
- NMCG Awarded Certificate of Appreciation
- Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal has stressed upon the efficient use of finite water resources in the country. Emphasizing upon the importance of water in every walk of life, the Minister said it is central to all questions of life.
- The Minister was addressing the gathering while giving away the Certificate of Appreciation for ‘Encouragement and Appreciation of the Efforts in Ganga Rejuvenation” to the National Mission for Clean Ganga during the Water Digest Water Awards 2017-18.
- National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was also awarded with IJ Global Awards 2017 Asia-Pacific Water Deal of the Year: Clean Ganga Varanasi Wastewater Project.
· Union Government decides to declare 2018 as National Year of Millets
- The union government decided to declare 2018 as ‘National Year of Milletsto boost the cultivation of millets like ragi and jowar on a mission mode to achieve nutritional security.
- This was stated by Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh while addressing MPs in a consultative committee meeting in New Delhi .
- The Minister said millet cultivation has declined due to change in dietary habits and unavailability of millets. As a result of this, level of nutrients like proteins, Vitamin-A, iron, and iodine fell in women and children.
- This led to a special focus on millets, which are being promoted under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM).
- The push will promote cultivation of jowar, bajra, ragi. Under NFSM, maize and jau are also promoted separately.
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