KARNATAKA
● New industrial policy will focus on encouraging backward sections
The new industrial policy to be announced shortly would focus on providing more facilities and incentives to encourage members of the backward sections to take up industrial activities and push the industrial hubs to the two-tier cities.
The existing industrial policy for 2014-19 would expire in the month of November and the process of drafting the new industrial policy is under progress. The government is likely to announce the new industrial policy in November or December.
The new industrial policy would focus on decentralisation of industrial hubs to ensure balanced industrial growth all across the State. Over the years, all major and important industries have come up only in and around Bengaluru. Concentration of industries at one particular place is not advisable considering the future and inclusive growth.
However in skill development,the Centre has set up Ekalavya model residential schools to help children of STs communities have access to modern education. So far, 284 such schools have been set up across the nation, including some in the State.
INTERNATIONAL
- WTO hosts first World Cotton Day celebrations in Geneva
The first-ever World Cotton Day (WCD) was hosted by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva on October 7, 2019.
This event stems from the application by the Cotton-4 countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali) to the United Nations General Assembly for its official recognition of a World Cotton Day, reflecting the importance of cotton as a global commodity.
Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani representing India in the five-day event of World Cotton Day being observed at Geneva.
As one of the world’s largest producers and consumers of cotton, India supports the World Cotton Day as an opportunity to recognise the significance of cotton as a global commodity.
● India and France agreed to deepen defence ties
Defence minister Rajnath Singh visited France recently. He held discussions with the French Minister of Armed Forces Florence Parly.
During his visit, he reviewed the full spectrum of the bilateral defence engagement.
India and France reaffirmed their strong commitment to further deepen cooperation to combat terrorism.
Both the countries discussed ways to further deepen defence-related official and operational level interactions.
Both sides agreed to expand the scope and complexity of the existing regular bilateral joint exercises including SHAKTI, VARUNA, and GARUDA.
NATIONAL
- National Health Authority and Google tie-up for Ayushman Bharat implementation
The National Health Authority (NHA) has joined hands with Google to collaborate and strengthen the implementation of the government’s flagship health scheme, Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).
The two organizations will be working closely to explore various use cases for increasing process efficiencies in day-to-day applications.
Google will also support NHA in improving PM-JAY’s digital presence and showcasing relevant content to the 50 crore entitled beneficiaries.
- 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine
The 2019 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to scientists William G Kaelin, Jr, Peter J Ratcliffe and Gregg L Semenza.
The Nobel Committee announced that they received the award jointly for their discoveries of “how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability”.
The jury said that they established the basis for our understanding of how oxygen levels affect cellular metabolism and physiological function.
The three will share the Nobel prize sum of nine million Swedish kronor or about 9 Lakh 14 thousand US dollar.
It is the 110th prize in the category that has been awarded since 1901.
- Nobel prize in physics awarded for discoveries in cosmology
Three scientists, James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz have won the Prize for their contribution to the understanding of the evolution of the universe and earth’s place in the cosmos.
One half of the award was given to James Peebles for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology and the other half jointly to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star.
They will share a 9-million kronor cash award, a gold medal and a diploma.
● Goodenough, Whittingham, Yoshino won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the year 2019. The announcement was made by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
The researches were awarded for the development of lithium-ion batteries. Their invention laid the foundation of a wireless, fossil fuel-free society.
Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have revolutionized the world of technology. These batteries entered the market in 1991. These batteries are used to power various day-to-day products such as smartphones, laptops and even electric vehicles.
- The 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature has been announced along with the 2018 Prize.
Austrian author Peter Handke has won the 2019 Prize while Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk has received the 2018 Prize.
Tokarczuk becomes just the 15th woman to have won the prestigious distinction, out of 116 literature laureates honoured since 1901.
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature was announced along with the 2018 Prize as the latter was delayed by a year following a scandal that included allegations of sexual misconduct.
- Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed wins Nobel Peace Prize
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has won the 2019
124.1c-6.3-23.7-24.8-42.3-48.3-48.6C458.8 64 288 64 288 64S117.2 64 74.6 75.5c-23.5 6.3-42 24.9-48.3 48.6-11.4 42.9-11.4 132.3-11.4 132.3s0 89.4 11.4 132.3c6.3 23.7 24.8 41.5 48.3 47.8C117.2 448 288 448 288 448s170.8 0 213.4-11.5c23.5-6.3 42-24.2 48.3-47.8 11.4-42.9 11.4-132.3 11.4-132.3s0-89.4-11.4-132.3zm-317.5 213.5V175.2l142.7 81.2-142.7 81.2z"/> Subscribe on YouTube