TELANGANA
Kaleshwaram project\
- With an aim to fulfil the promise of providing irrigation sources to one crore acres of land in the newly formed Telangana State, the government had redesigned the Pranahita-Chevella lift irrigation project and took up the ambitious Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project by constructing barrage at Medigadda — where there was abundant availability of rivers Godavari and Pranahita — near Kaleshwaram temple in Mahadevpurmandal abutting Maharashtra.
- The water from the Medigadda would be lifted to Annaram and to Sundilla barrages. Later, it would be pumped into SripadaYellampalli project and to Mid Manair Dam (MMD). From MMD it would be lifted to Mallannasagar, Gouravelli, Gandipelli reservoirs.
INTERNATIONAL
India decide to not join China’s Belt and Road Initiative over sovereignty concerns
- India skipped China’s 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) over its objection to $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
- The Belt and Road Initiative is a global development strategy adopted by the Chinese government involving infrastructure development and investments in 152 countries and international organizations in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas with planned complition in 2049.
“loyajirga”, or grand assembly
- Afghanistan convened rare “Loya Jirga”, a four day long grand assembly or massive meeting for delegates from across country to discuss war and efforts of United States to forge a peace deal with Taliban. At the end of huge
- peace summit in Kabul, Afghan officials called for immediate and permanent ceasefire.
- The loyajirga is a centuries-old tradition in Afghanistan that has been convened at times of national crisis or to settle big issues.
NATIONAL
Matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs
- The apex court has directed the Election Commission to increase random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs in five polling booths per assembly segment from one booth.
- Electronic Voting Machine (also known as EVM) is voting using electronic means to either aid or take care of the chores of casting and counting votes.
- An EVM is designed with two units: the control unit and the balloting unit. These units are joined together by a cable. The control unit of the EVM is kept with the presiding officer or the polling officer. The balloting unit is kept within the voting compartment for electors to cast their votes.
- Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) or verifiable paper record (VPR) is a method of providing feedback to voters using a ballotless voting system. A VVPAT is intended as an independent verification system for voting machines designed to allow voters to verify that their vote was cast correctly, to detect possible election fraud or malfunction, and to provide a means to audit the stored electronic results.
ApurviChandela becomes world number one in 10m air rifle
- Indian shooting ace ApurviChandela Wednesday attained the world number one position in the women’s 10m air rifle event while compatriot AnjumMoudgil rose to number two after consistent performances in recent years.
- The rifle ace from Jaipur is among the five Indian shooters to have already secured 2020 Olympics quotas for the country.