Uttarakhand
- Uttarakhand CM launches mobile app to help Kanwariyas
- Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawatlaunched a mobile application – Har Shiv Shankar – Sawan Mein Kanvad – to help the Kanwarias coming to Haridwar to collect water from Ganga river. The mobile application, which can be easily downloaded, provides information to pilgrims on various facilities like route, traffic divers and police force deployment.
- Between 1985 and 1990, the turnout for the Kanwar yatra was around 15 to 20 lakh and the number went up to 3.24 crore in 2016. This year, the state authorities are optimistic of a turnout of over 4 crore pilgrims from the yatra. the possibilities of developing an application on similar lines for the Maha-Kumbh scheduled in 2021.
- Uttarakhand’s population increased by 18.81 per cent in a decade
- The state has registered a population increase of 18.81% in a decade, while intra-state migration has led to a major demographic drain from its hill districts and spurring the creation of as many as ‘1,048 ghost villages’ which were emptied because of people leaving in search of better opportunities elsewhere. The Himalayan state’s population has increased from 84 lakh in 2001 to 1 crore, based on an analysis of the 2011 census conducted by the directorate of economics and statistics, department of planning, which was released sometime ago.
- As per the analysis, the rate of population growth in 11 districts of the state has rapidly increased while two regions, Pauri Garhwal and Almora have noted a negative decadal growth, with Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag and Pithoragarh having the highest number of uninhabited villages in Uttarakhand. Experts attributed it to intra-state migration.
- The state has recorded the highest Hindi language speaking population (88.26%), followed by Urdu (5.88%), Punjabi (2.92%), Bengali (1.46%) and Nepali (1.46%).
INTERNATIONAL
- NASA Jupiter Probe to Fly Over Great Red Spot.
- NASA’s Juno spacecraft is about to get the best-ever look at Jupiter’s famous Great Red Spot. Jupiter’s mysterious Great Red Spot is probably the best-known feature of Jupiter.
- It became first space probe to complete flyby of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot.
- The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is a massive storm (cyclone) measuring about 16,000 km in diameter. It is largest known storm in the solar system.
Gk byte – Juno Space craft
- NASA had launched unmanned spacecraft Juno on August 5, 2011 from Cape Canaveral, Florida as part of its New Frontiers program. It has been orbiting Jupiter, solar system’s largest planet from July 2016. The spacecraft has been named from Greco-Roman mythology. It is orbiting Jupiter from pole to pole, 5,000 kilometers above planet’s cloud tops. It has mission life istill February 2018.
NATIONAL
- Tax department launches ‘Aaykar Setu’ for taxpayers
- The Income Tax Department has introduced a mobile app, named ‘Aaykar Setu’ which aims to facilitate taxpayers with solutions to a range of tax-related issues. The app which was formally launched by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, will also let people link their PAN with the 12-digit unique identification number, Aadhaar.
- The app is currently available on the Android platform but the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) plans to make it available as a desktop service as well.
- It provides ease of use of all the services related to tax payment including tax payment, tax calculation. Also if a taxpayer has a problem, this app will help in lodging his grievance in the e-Nivaran module of the CBDT.
- The app will also have a section as ‘tax gyaan’ which will be a multiple choice question web-based game to provide knowledge to the youth accessible from mobile as well as desktop.
- National Green Tribunal bans use of nylon and synthetic manja.
- NGT imposed a ban on nylon and synthetic ‘manja’ the string used to fly kites as it poses a threat to the lives of birds, animals and humans.
- State governments have been directed to prohibit the “manufacture, sale, storage, purchase and use” of synthetic ‘manja’ or nylon threads and all other synthetic threads used for flying kites.
- The NGT passed the order after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) moved it for a nationwide ban on all forms of sharp kite-flying strings called
- Ravi Shastri appointed new head coach and Zaheer Khan bowling coach
- Ravi Shastri to become Indian cricket team’s new head coach where the appointment was confirmed by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
- He was chosen by the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) that includes former captains Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and veteran batting star VVS Laxman.
- Zaheer Khan is appointed as the Bowling coach of Indian Cricket Team and Rahul Dravid is appointed as Batting Coach (Overseas).
- Odisha to set up International Standard Sports City
- Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced to set up an International Standard Sports City
- Kalinga International Sports City will be set up in Bhubaneswar and will be eligible to bid for most international competitions including Commonwealth and Asian games.
- The state government also signed an expression of interest with the International Association of Athletics Federation(IAAF) and the Athletics Federation of India for setting up of a high-performance academy inside the Kalinga Stadium.
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