National
MoD approves establishment of wayside amenities "BRO Cafes"
⇒ Ministry of Defence (MoD) has approved setting up of wayside amenities at 75 locations in 12 States/Union Territories on different sections of roads with Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
» These are intended to provide basic amenities & comfort to the tourists and lead to boosting of economic activities in border areas, besides generating employment for the local people.
» These wayside amenities will be branded as ‘BRO Cafes’.
Key Points:
- Amenities like parking for two and four wheelers, food plaza/ restaurant, separate rest rooms for men, women and differently abled, first aid facilities/MI Rooms etc. are proposed to be provided.
- The scheme provides for development and operation of wayside amenities in public private partnership mode with agencies, on license basis, which will design, build & operate the facility as per guidelines of BRO.
- The terms of the agreement will be for 15 years which may be further extended for a period up to five years.
'UP Global Investor Summit' in January 2023
⇒ Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on 18 July 2022 said the state will be holding a ‘UP Global Investor Summit’ in January 2023, in which a target has been set to attract investments worth Rs 10 lakh crore.
He said, UP Global Investor Summit-2023 will be the one to give flight to the new aspirations of Uttar Pradesh.
» Earlier on 15 June, Singapore high commissioner Simon Wong met chief minister Yogi Adityanath and said his country would be happy to become the first partner country at the Global Investors Summit.
- He said state government should invite Singapore companies for the summit. He said a Singapore company has invested ₹1100 crore at the recently concluded third ground breaking ceremony.
Snail named after Western Ghats
⇒ India’s newest recorded snail ‘Haploptychius sahyadriensis’ is named after Western Ghats. The Haploptychius sahyadriensis is endemic to the Vishalgad Conservation Reserve in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district. The Western Ghats of Maharashtra have yielded a carnivorous land snail new to the world of science.
This species is endemic to Vishalgad Conservation Reserve in Shahuwadi tehsil of Maharashtra’s Kolhapur. It is named after the type locality of the species in the northern part of the Western Ghats, which is Sahyadri in Sanskrit.
About Snail:
The Haploptychius sahyadriensis, recorded from the northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra, is the third member of the genus Haploptychius.
- The other two – H. andamanicus and H. pfeifferi – were recorded in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the 1860s.
According to the study:
- The ‘Sahyadri snail’ is distinguished from other Indian and Southeast Asia’s Haploptychius in having a sub-oblique helical shell, low spire and presence of a strong parietal lamella.
- The new species also has a unique genital anatomy. It has a long penis with a penial sheath and hooks, atrium and vagina with longitudinal ridges and irregular transverse ridges but without any hooks.
- The species was placed in the genus Haploptychius based on the shell morphology and genital characters.
National Logistics Excellence Awards 2021
⇒ Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal along with the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Shri Som Parkash Sharma gave away the National Logistics Excellence Awards 2021 in 12 categories.
- The Government of India hosted its first-ever National Logistics Excellence Awards in New Delhi on 23 June 2022.
Read More About National Logistics Excellence Awards 2021
International
Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Mr Richard Marles visited to India
⇒ Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Mr Richard Marles visited to India from June 20-23, 2022.
» On June 21, 2022, he visited Goa which included a tour of Goa Shipyard Limited and a display of India’s growing prowess in indigenous drone development and autonomous vehicle technology.
» Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Mr Richard Marles in New Delhi on June 22, 2022.
- During the bilateral talks, the two Ministers reviewed the defence cooperation between the two countries and explored new initiatives to further strengthen bilateral engagements. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of shared interest.
Key Points: (Joint Statement)
- The Ministers reviewed the defence and security pillars of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They reaffirmed their commitment towards implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership based on mutual trust and understanding, common interests and shared values, of democracy and rule of law.
- Both Ministers committed to give fillip to the India-Australia Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Research and Materiel Cooperation, which will meet in Australia later this year. This JWG is a crucial mechanism for boosting ties between defence industries.
- The Ministers discussed further opportunities for industrial cooperation between India and Australia to increase the resilience of supply chains and deliver capabilities to their respective defence forces. Both sides agreed to explore means to grow connections and opportunities between Indian and Australian defence industrial bases.
- Both Ministers welcomed the plan to commence the landmark General Rawat Young Officer Exchange Programme in the latter half of 2022.
- The Ministers reviewed strategic challenges and the regional security situation and reaffirmed their shared objective of an open, free, inclusive, prosperous and rules-based Indo Pacific region. They looked forward to India’s participation in Australia’s Indo Pacific Endeavour exercise in October 2022.
Sports
2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Formula 1 Race
⇒ The 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Formula 1 Race took place on 12 June 2022 over 51 laps of the 6.003-kilometre Baku City Circuit.
Winner:
Red Bull Racing RBPT Driver, Max Verstappen won 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.