National
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi visits Karnataka
⇒ Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi visited Karnataka on 20th and 21st June, 2022.
PM in Bengaluru:
» The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple rail and road infrastructure projects worth over Rs 27000 crore in Bengaluru.
» Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Bengaluru Suburban rail project (BSRP), which will connect Bengaluru city with its suburbs and satellite townships. The project, which is to be built at a cost of over Rs.15,700 crore, envisages 4 corridors with a total route length of over 148 Kms.
» Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of redevelopment of Bengaluru Cantt and Yesvantpur Junction railway station to be developed at a cost of around Rs 500 crore and Rs 375 crore respectively.
» India’s first Air-Conditioned Railway Station:
During the Programme, the Prime Minister dedicated to the Nation, India’s first Air-Conditioned Railway Station – Sir M Visvesvaraya Railway Station at Baiyappanahalli, which is developed on the lines of a modern airport at a total cost of around Rs 315 crore.
» The Prime Minister also dedicated to the Nation the 100 percent electrification of the Konkan railway line (about 740 Kms) from Roha (Maharashtra) to Thokur (Karnataka) by flagging of Electric trains from Udupi, Madagaon and Ratnagiri. The electrification of Konkan railway line has been done at a cost of more than 1280 crore.
» The Prime Minister also dedicated to the Nation two railway line doubling projects: Arsikere to Tumkuru (around 96 km) and Yelahanka to Penukonda (around 120 km) by flagging off passenger trains and MEMU service respectively. The two-railway line doubling projects have been developed at a cost of more than Rs 750 crore and Rs 1100 crore respectively.
» During the programme, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of two sections of the Bengaluru Ring Road project. The project to be developed at a cost of more than Rs 2280 crore will help reduce traffic congestion in the city.
» Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of various other road projects: six laning of Nelamangala-Tumkur section of NH-48; widening of Punjalkatte-Charmadi section of NH-73; rehabilitation and upgradation of a section of NH-69. The cumulative cost to be incurred in these projects is about Rs 3150 crore.
» The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of Multi Modal Logistics Park, which is being developed at Muddalinganahalli, about 40 km from Bengaluru at a cost of about Rs 1800 crore. It will help in lowering the transportation, handling and secondary freight costs.
» Prime Minister inaugurated the new campus of Dr. B R Ambedkar School of Economics (BASE) University, Bengaluru.
» During the Programme at BASE University, Prime Minister also dedicated to the Nation 150 ‘Technology Hubs’ that have been developed by transforming the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across Karnataka.
- This unique initiative developed at a cost of over Rs 4600 crore is supported by many Industry partners.
- It aims to create a skilled workforce to address Industry 4.0 manpower needs.
- These Technology Hubs, through its various innovative courses, will provide high skill training in cutting edge technology and improve opportunities for ITI graduates in employment and entrepreneurship.
» At IISc Bengaluru, Prime Minister inaugurated the Centre for Brain Research (CBR). The Centre is developed as a one of its kind research facility and focuses on conducting vital research to provide evidence based public health interventions to manage age-related brain disorders.
» During the Programme, Prime Minister also laid the Foundation Stone for 832 bedded Bagchi Parthasarathy Multispeciality Hospital. The Hospital will be developed in the campus of IISc Bengaluru.
PM in Mysuru:
» At a public function at Maharaja’s College Ground, Mysuru, Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the Coaching terminal for sub-urban traffic at Naganahalli Railway Station that will be developed at a cost of over Rs 480 crore.
» During the programme, Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the ‘Centre of Excellence for persons with communication disorders’ at the All-India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH). It is equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities for diagnosis, assessment and rehabilitation of persons with communication disorders.
» On the occasion of 8th International Day of Yoga (IDY) on 21st June 2022, Prime Minister participated along with thousands of participants in a Mass Yoga Demonstration at Mysore Palace ground, Mysuru. The theme for this year’s Yoga Day is “Yoga for Humanity”.
Unmesha, an International Literature Festival
⇒ Unmesha, an International Literature Festival was organized in Shimla from 16th to 18th June 2022 as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
- The festival was organized in the heritage buildings, the Gaiety Heritage Cultural Complex and the Town Hall, on the Ridge, Shimla.
Organized by:
The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and Sahitya Akademi with the support of Department of Art and Culture, Government of Himachal Pradesh organized the Literature Festival.
» The festival featured discussions, presentations, poetry and story readings, performances etc.
The festival covered a wide range of topics such as: –
‘Cinema & Literature’, ‘World Classics and Indian Writing’, Tribal Writing’, Writings of LGBTQ community of India’, ‘Media & Literature’, ‘Bhakti Literature’ and ‘Uniting Cultures through Translation’.
Key Points:
- Literature of any country represents and reflects culture of that country. Literary Festivals bring out these reflections and representations in all their colours. That is the reason why the Ministry of Culture and Sahitya Akademi organized this Festival.
- With over 425 writers, poets, translators, critics and distinguished personalities from various walks of life from 15 countries including India, representing over 60 languages and 64 events, UNMESHA – International Literature Festival was the largest literature festival in the country.
- The event was free for public on all the days during the festival. There was display of about 1000 books related to the Indian freedom movement and the publications of five Indian publishers for sale.
International
1st G20 Health Ministers meeting
⇒ The 1st G20 Health Ministers meeting was held on 20-21 June 2022 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
» Union Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizer Minister, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya virtually addressed the inaugural session at the G20 Health Ministers meeting at Yogyakarta, Indonesia on 20 June 2022.
- Dr Mansukh Mandaviya thanked the Indonesian Presidency for prioritizing the issue of TB and One Health in the meeting and conducting events for the same. India has pledged to End TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global SDG target of 2030.
- Union Health Minister advocated for an inclusive, agile and responsive framework for health emergency management, supported by a global mechanism of surveillance, sustainable financing and equitable distribution of medical countermeasures.
- Dr. Mandaviya finally stressed upon the need for global cooperation and urged members that:
“Global health resilience must be created by working towards mutual recognition of vaccine credentials to aid seamless cross-border travel, and the need for expanding research network, m-RNA manufacturing hubs and distributed manufacturing of medical countermeasures with particular focus on the global south.”
3 global health agendas have been discussed this year in 5 sessions, among others:
- 1st Agenda: Strengthening global health system resilience
- 2nd Agenda: Harmonizing global health protocol standards
- 3rd Agenda: Expanding global manufacture and research center for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR).
» Indonesia has hosted two Health Working Group Meetings in Yogyakarta and Lombok wherein priority issues of ‘Harmonizing Global Health Protocol Standards’ and ‘Building Global Health System Resilience’ were discussed and deliberated upon.
» The next meeting of health working group will be held in August to discuss “Expansion of Global Manufacture and Research Center for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response”.