TAMILNADU
- State expenditure on subsidies down marginally in 2017-18: CAG
- The State government’s expenditure on freebies and subsidies came down marginally in 2017-18, according to the State Finance Audit report of Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).
- “Subsidies are dispensed not only explicitly but also implicitly by providing subsidised public service to the people. Budgetary support to financial institutions, inadequate return on investments, poor recovery of user charges, assistance in cash/kind to individuals etc., fall under the category of implicit subsidies,
- The expenditure on subsidy increased from ₹9,646 crore in 2013-14 to ₹16,092 crore in 2016-17. However, there was a marginal decline to ₹15,230 crore in 2017-18, mainly on account of reduction on agricultural and horticulture inputs by ₹1,693 crore, the report said
- It also pointed out that the the State’s revenue receipts stood at ₹1,46,280 crore and the annual growth rate during 2017-18 at 4.31%, which was much less than the growth rate of 11.30% of revenue receipt in general category States.
INTERNATIONAL
- NASA prepares to send first woman and next man on Moon in 2024
- NASAmarked the 50th anniversary of the historic first Moon landing.
The US space agency is preparing to take its next giant leap with the ambitious Artemis program Artemis is named after the twin sister of Apollo.
She is the Goddess of the Moon and the hunt. - The program to return astronauts to the lunar surface is planned to launch by 2024.
NASA plans to explore regions of the Moon visited the mysteries of the universe and test the technology that will extend the bounds of humanity farther into the Solar System. - On the lunar surface water ice and other natural resources will further enable deep space travel.
- NASA is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA established in 1958.
- New India-UK bilateral scheme launched on Pilot basis
- New India-UK bilateral scheme launched on Pilot
- The UKEIRI Mobility Programme launched on a pilot basis to support Britain’s universities to collaborate with Indian partners to facilitate the United Kingdom (UK) students to visit India during their studies.
- UKERI stands for‘UK-India Education Research Initiative’.
- It is an initiative of Universities UK International (UUKI) and British Council India. Objective: To fund students from UK to visit India.
- The aim is to generate up to 200 opportunities for undergraduate students at UK universities to visit India by March 2021.
NATIONAL
- India Ranked 52nd in Global Innovation Index 2019 Commerce and Industry Minister Releases Global Innovation Index Rankings
- Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways Shri Piyush Goyal launched the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2019
- The event was launched in New Delhi
- To achieve this ranking he urged all stakeholders to work in mission mode.
India jumped five places ahead when compared with last year position from 57th to 52nd in 2019.
- India continue its efforts to reach upwards of top 50 ranks in the GII
India will not rest on past laurels until it achieves its target of positioning among the top 25 countries of the Global Innovation Index.
- Commerce and Industry Ministry requested the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)to factor in India’s rural innovation as part of the innovation index in future.
- The improvement in the rankings should inspire Indians to help marginalized and underprivileged section of society.
- India is facing at present like rising pollution levels in cities, water crises faced in different parts of the country.
- CCMB unveils new Next Gen Sequencing facility
- The Centre For Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) received a state-of-the-art facility for its genomic studies division which was inaugurated by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan on july 20.
- The minister also laid the foundation stone for a new skill training and lecture hall complex on the occasion. The NGS Facility promises to sequence up to 30 human genomes in a day and help researchers to individually tag genomes of up to 80,000 cells in eight minutes.
- NGS would include technology for high genome sequencing and also diagnostic sequencing of clinical samples.It is 4th such facility in the country. It is a state-of-the-art genome sequencing facility that can sequence 18,000 samples inIt is acquired at a cost of Rs.8 crore. It can sequence 30 human genomes a day ,It would costs around ₹1 lakh to sequence one genome using this facility.
- Rajya Sabha passes POCSO Amendment Bill with the provision of the death penalty
- The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019 has been passed by Rajya Sabha.
- The bill seeks to enhance punishment, including a provision for the death penalty, for committing sexual crimes against children.
- Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said the government has sanctioned 1023 fast track courts for speedy dispensation of pending cases under POCSO and sexual assault.
- 18 states have given their consent to set up the fast track courts which will be established within a span of two years.
- In order to curb child pornography, the Bill provides that those who use a child for pornographic purposes should be punished with imprisonment up to five years and a fine.
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