RAJASTHAN
- NGT imposes fine of Rs 2 lakh on Rajasthan pollution control board
- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a cost of Rs 2 lakh on the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) for failing to file the number of industries functioning without valid consent and is drawing water through the borewell without obtaining No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Central Ground Water Authority.
- The bench comprising Justice Jawad Rahim and Nagin Nanda then directed the secretary of the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) to furnish details of the industries which had applied for consent and whose consent applications were kept pending with the board for a period of four months which has enabled the industries to take the benefit of deemed consent.
INTERNATIONAL
- Guinea becomes new member of International Solar Alliance
- In tune with India’s growing engagements with Africa, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held a meeting with Guinea’s Foreign Minister, Mamady Toure, during the course of which the latter handed over his country’s instrument accession to the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA).
- Toure invited the Indian government and Indian business to participate in the Investors Conference to be held at Paris in third week of November 2017.
· HSBC Bank pledges $100 billion of finance by 2025 to combat climate change
- HSBC Bankpledged to provide $100 billion in financing and investment by 2025 to help combat climate change.
They promised $100billion of finance for low-carbon technology and sustainable development by 2025 as part its commitment to tackling climate change and other “green” goals.
They would become more transparent about risks to its business and to those of its clients from climate change by adopting recommendations made by the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures.
NATIONAL
- Tokyo’s AI ‘boy’ first bot to gain a residency
- Microsoftas a joint developer, an AI characterwas made an official resident of a busy central Tokyo district in
- He doesn’t exist physically. He is a virtual chatty seven-year-old boy.
- The virtual boy was named “Shibuya Mirai”.Mirai, whose name means “future” in the Japanese language.
- He can have text conversations with humans on the widely used LINE messaging app.
- He can reply to messages and make light-hearted alterations to the selfies he is sent.
- Union HRD Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar inaugurates ‘Chintan Shivir’
- Union HRD Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar inaugurated a two-day National Workshop ‘Chintan Shivir’organized by Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development in New Delhi.
- The main aim of the workshop is to provide holistic education relevant for 21st century India and to bring together key stakeholders from various NGOs, private sector and individuals to deliberate on key themes in the education sector.
- He informed that workshop mainly focuses on five themes i.e. Digital education, Life Skill education, Experimental learning, Physical Education and Value education.
- Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia designated Finance Secretary
- Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia has been designated as the new Finance Secretary.
- Adhia is a 1981 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre.
- The vacancy was caused following the superannuation of Ashok Lavasa last month.
- There are five departments under the Finance Ministry — Expenditure, Economic Affairs, Financial Services, Revenue and Department of Investment and Public Asset management (DIPAM).
- Commissioning of new Instrument Landing System at Chennai Airport
- Airports Authority of India has replaced the existing Instrument Landing System (ILS) for runway 07 at Chennai International airport at a cost of Rs. 5.0 Crores.
- ILS provides the necessary guidance to pilots as they approach for landing at the runway. The new ILS will facilitate smooth landing of the aircrafts at Chennai Airport even during rain, low clouds, smog etc. and provide an improved guidance to the Aircrafts.
- The new system uses a highly directional antenna system – “Wide Aperture Log Periodic Antenna Array [LPDA]” system. This antenna system has addressed the coverage restrictions of the old ILS, and will provide guidance to the aircraft to a much lower height and improved precision.
- This is turn will enhance the safety of the aircraft during landing.
- The state of the art equipment is manufactured by M/s Indra Navia AS, Norway.
- Indian Railways launches main arch on world’s highest bridge on Chenab
- Indian Railwayslaunched the main arch of the world’s highest bridge on the river Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district which will provide direct connectivity to the Kashmir valley.
- The bridge will stand 359 metersabove the bed of the River Chenab and will be 30 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
- The 1.3-km-long bridge is being constructed at a cost of 1,250 crore.
- The bridge would be completed by May 2019.
- The bridge could withstand winds up to 260 kmph and its lifespan will be 120 years.