KARNATAKA
Karnataka unveils tourism policy, plans Rs 410-crore sops
Chief minister B S Yediyurappa unveiled a new tourism policy with a five-year vision. The Karnataka Tourism Policy 2020-25 aims at shoring up the Covid-hit sector by generating 10 lakh direct and indirect jobs, and attracting an investment of Rs 5,000 crore in five years.
The policy looks to provide sops of Rs 410 crore to 190 projects in the state. It also proposes to promote rural tourism, inviting visitors to experience farming as well as cultural activities. A UN body has designated 2020 as the Year of Tourism and Rural Development.
Disbursal of subsidies of Rs 410 crore will bring in a minimum investment of Rs 2,789 crore to the state tourism sector, the policy states. The investments are expected to create or expand 190 tourism projects. The maximum investment is expected in premium hotel projects, while a minimum of Rs 90 crore is likely to be invested in agricultural, cultural, heritage and safety, and hygiene tourism. The culture of Lambani and Adivasi communities will be given impetus.
INTERNATIONAL
India establishes Air Bubble arrangement with Kenya & Bhutan
India has established Air Bubble arrangement with Kenya and Bhutan.
Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said, in order to further boost bilateral international air connectivity, Air Bubble arrangements are now in place with the two countries.
Now Indian carriers will be able to operate to these countries.
Carriers of these countries will also be able to fly to India.
Air Bubble is the term coined during COVID-19 times. It refers to transport and people connectivity between specific regions in the world.
Especially between those regions where COVID-19 has been contained to similar levels.
China to send world’s first asteroid mining robot into space in November
China will send out the world’s first mining robot into space by November this year.
A private Beijing company, Origin Space, will send out the world’s first mining robot, termed as an ‘asteroid mining robot’ into space by November 2020.
The robot will, however, not do any actual mining.
The mission will be a preliminary assessment of the asteroid mining robot’s capabilities of identifying and extracting valuable resources, aimed at the eventual mining of asteroids.
The 30-gram spacecraft, NEO-1, is likely to be launched as a secondary payload on a Chinese Long March rocket, which will enter at an orbit around the earth at 500-kilometre altitude.
The actual progress that can be made by the NEO-1 mission is subject to speculations, as it has never been attempted before.
NATIONAL
South Eastern Railway launches “Operation My Saheli” for safety of lady passengers
The South Eastern Railways (SER) has launched the project, “Operation my Saheli” to enhance the security of women passengers in the train throughout the entire journey from the originating point to their destinations.
Since 18th September 2020, The pilot version of the project “Operation my Saheli” has been introduced in 3 trains: Howrah-Yesvantpur Duronto Special, Howrah- Ahmedabad Special and Howrah-Mumbai Special.
“Operation my Saheli” is executed under the Framework of “Nirbhaya Fund” and no additional expenditure is provided by the Head of Railways.
Under this a team of Women Sub Inspectors briefed the women passengers on the safety precautions and provided emergency contact numbers.
The team will collect the information such as seat number and contact information of the women passengers and will remain in contact throughout the journey.
Nation pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his 151st birth anniversary
A grateful nation is paying homage to Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi on his 151st birth anniversary.
A series of activities are being organized across the country and also around the globe.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar.
In the year 1888, Mahatma Gandhi left for London to study law.
He returned to India in 1915, after spending 21 years of his life in South Africa.
In 1915, Gandhiji returned to India permanently and joined the Indian National Congress with Gopal Krishna Gokhale as his mentor.
Gandhi’s first major achievement was in 1918 when he led the Champaran and Kheda agitations of Bihar and Gujarat.
Gandhi used Satyagraha and hunger strike for the first time during an industrial dispute between the owners and workers of a cotton mill in Ahmedabad.
In 1924 at the Belgaum session of INC Gandhi was elected as the President of INC. In 1928 in the Calcutta session, Gandhi warned the British government to free India within a year. On January 26th, 1930 INC celebrated Indian Independence, as per the proposal of 1929 Lahore session of INC.
On 12 March 1930, Gandhi launched the Civil disobedience Movement by marching to Dandi from Ahmedabad.
He launched the Quit India Movement in 1942 in which Gandhi gave the slogan of ‘Do or Die.
PM Modi to inaugurate world’s longest highway tunnel ‘Atal Tunnel’, Rohtang on Oct 3
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Atal Tunnel, Rohtang on 3rd of October.
It is the longest highway tunnel in the world.
The 9.02-kilometre long tunnel connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year.
Earlier, the valley was cut off for about six months each year owing to heavy snowfall.
The tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas at an altitude of three thousand metres from the Mean Sea Level.
It reduces the road distance by 46 kilometres between Manali and Leh and the time by about four to five hours.