UTTARAKHAND

Solar sector attracts Rs 600 crore investment

With investments of Rs 600 Crores in last one year, the solar power sector is showing signs of becoming a sunshine industry for the rural areas of Uttarakhand. The Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (UREDA) has given clearance to 208 projects based on solar power in last one year.

These projects are now in different stages of completion and the department hopes they would be able to commission all of them by June 2020. A total power production of 148.85 MW is expected to be generated from these 208 units. Enthused by the positive response, the department has again invited new bids for setting up 52 MW units with an estimated capital of Rs 200 Crores.

The department hopes that projects based on these alternative sources of energy would provide an impetus for development of remote areas of the state.

INTERNATIONAL

· Indian tourists exempted from visa fees by Sri Lankan govt

India is among 48 countries whose citizens have been exempted from visa fees for tourism purposes It is done by the Sri Lankan government.

The tourists can apply for electronic travel authorisations online or apply for visa The measure will be implemented for six months initially and a decision will be taken later for extension depending upon its impact on revenue.

Sri Lanka’s third-largest and fastest-growing source of foreign currency last year, accounting for almost 5 percent of the gross domestic product in 2018.

NATIONAL

MIB launches a competition for designing Postage Stamp

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has launched a competition for designing a Postage Stamp along with the First Day Cover to commemorate Golden Jubilee edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

The contest is open on MyGov platform from 1st August 2019 to 15th August 2019.

The winner will receive a Certificate of appreciation and travel and hospitality for 2 nights and 3 days to become a part of 50th IFFI which is organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in collaboration with Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), Government of Goa.

An interested person may log in to www.mygov.in to participate in the competition.

Postal dept decides to convert India Post Payments Bank to an SFB

The postal department said it has decided to convert the India Post Payments Bank into a small finance bank, enabling it to offer small loans to customers.

Besides, the department looks to open one crore accounts for IPPB in 100 days.

India Post will partner with Common Service Centre to provide a suite of citizen-centric services such as banking, remittance, insurance, DBT, bill and tax payments etc at post offices.

Lok Sabha passes bill seeking death for rape of minors

The Lok Sabha unanimously passed the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which seeks death penalty for aggravated sexual assault on children.

The Bill, which has already been approved in the Rajya Sabha, also defines child pornography and makes it punishable.

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, and in the event of a second or subsequent conviction, the punishment would be up to seven years and a fine.

According to the amendment bill, those committing penetrative sexual assaults on a child below 16 years of age would be punished with imprisonment up to 20 years, which might extend to life imprisonment as well as a fine.

Six lakh sexual offenders have been registered under the National Database on Sexual Offenders

· RS passed the Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill

The amendment aims to improve road safety, enhance the penalty for traffic violations, facilitate citizens in dealing with transport departments and curb corruption. The Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on 23 July.

Provisions of the Amendment :

The amendment proposed to increase the minimum penalty for ageneral violation from Rs.100 to Rs.500.

Driving without a licence will lead to a a fine of Rs.5,000. Earlier, it was Rs.500

Driving despite disqualificationwill cause a penalty of Rs.10,000 from the current Rs.500.

For drunken driving, the monetary punishment has been increased to Rs.10,000 from Rs.2,000.

It also includes a provision for cashless treatment of road accident victims during the golden hour.

In case ofany defect in the vehicle that can cause damage to the environment, driver or other road users the Bill facilitates the Centre to order the recall of motor vehicles.

It provides acomputerised driving test to eliminate acquisition of fake driving licences.

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