UTTARAKHAND

Highlighting the poor state of water management in the state, a recent report released by the center government’s think tank, Niti Aayog, has ranked Uttarakhand among the states performing water management poorly.
Though it moved four ranks up, the state could score only 49 points out of 100 and was placed at the 12th spot among 25 states. Only four states were placed in the high performing group while seven were in the medium performing bracket.

While Gujarat, with a score of 75 topped the list, Himachal was ranked the best Himalayan states with a score of 67.
The report titles Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) marked the states on nine themes, including source augmentation, sustainable farm practices, rural drinking water, urban water supply and sanitation.

However, all wasn’t dark and gloomy for Uttarakhand, the index highlighted a number of positives for the state, including the fact that 100% of over used and critical assessment water bodies have seen rise in water level and it has lined up 74% of the canals.

INTERNATIONAL

· NASA confirms Europa Clipper Mission

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States (US)space agency confirmed the next phase of development of the Europa Clipper Mission. It is an interplanetary mission to Jupiter’s smallest moon Europa with the target. It is conducting an in-depth exploration of Jupiter’s moon Europa whether the icy moon can have suitable conditions for sustaining life and increase our insights into astrobiology.
The space agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory for the Science Mission Directorate.
The mission is managed by the Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.Jupiter’s Galilean moon Europa consists of a huge ocean of liquid water beneath its icy shell.

NATIONAL

· Amazon inaugurates its worlds largest campus in Hyderabad

E-commerce company Amazon inaugurated its single-largest campus in the world in Hyderabad, Telangana. The campus was inaugurated by Mohammed Mahmood Ali, MLC(Member of Legislative Council), Minister of Home, Prisons, Fire Services, the government of Telangana. This Hyderabad campus of Amazon is the only one, placed outside US(United States).
There are 62,000 employeesin India, this campus alone can accommodate more than 15,000 employees.

Discovery Indiaand World Wide Fund (WWF) India have partnered with the Forest Directorate. The government of West Bengal and local communities in the Sundarbans.
The mangrove forest, the habitat of Bengal tigers, to reduce the tiger-human conflict and also as part of a global movement “Project CAT -Conserving Acres for Tigers”.WWF India and Discovery India are working with government agencies Their main aim is to help the local communities and village panchayats and to focuses on farmland productivity through low-cost measures
The Two Sundarbans Ecological Observatories will be set up each featuring data loggers, monitoring buoys and an onsite laboratory.

The government is planning to launch an e-commerce project called ‘Bharatcraft’ for micro small and medium enterprises (MSME).

The proposed platform could generate a turnover of Rs 10 trillion over the next few years.

MSME sector is likely to contribute 50 per cent to the total GDP in the next five years.

At present, the sector currently contributes 29 per cent to the country’s GDP and employs 110 million people.

The government had launched the ‘Udyog Mitra’ portal to ease of access to MSMEs financial and non-financial service needs.

Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel launched the book – ‘The Diary of Manu Gandhi’ at a function in New Delhi.

The book has been brought out by National Archives of India, on the occasion of 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in collaboration with Oxford University Press.

The Diary of Manu Gandhi originally in Gujarati has been edited and translated by Dr Tridip Suhrud, a well-known scholar engaged in understanding the Gandhian Intellectual tradition.

Manu Gandhi (Mridula) was a grand niece of Mahatma Gandhi and stayed with Gandhiji until his assassination.

NITI Aayoghas released the Round of Composite Water Management Index (CWMI 2.0) in New Delhi.

NITI Aayog has prepared the report to supplement the efforts of Jal Shakti Ministry. The CWMI 2.0 ranks varied states for the reference year 2017-18 as against 2016-17.

Jal Shakti Abhiyaan, a campaign for water conservation and water security in 1592 water-stressed blocks in 256 districts was launched by Jal Shakti Ministry on 1st July 2019. It also ensures the important water conservation interventions.

NITI Aayog’s CWMI 2.0 will assess the economical management of water resources in all States/UTs. It is a way of cooperative and competitive ideology among the states.
It will supply data for the States with Central Ministries to formulate and implement the appropriate ways for higher management of water resources.

Centre has organized San-Sadhan Hackathon on 22 August. It invites for tech enthusiasts to participate in San-Sadhan hackathon- forDivyangjan accessible toilets.

San-Sadhan Hackathonis an initiative that will make the lives of Persons with Disabilities (PwD) (Divyangjan) easier by making toilets smarter, more accessible, and easier to use.

The Reserve Bank of Indiaallows customers to make recurring payments of less than Rs.2000 without the two-factor authentication process. The changing payment needs and the requirement to balance the safety and security of card transactions with customer convenience decided to permit processing of e-mandate on cards for recurring transactions (merchant payments). The move has been made to make digital payments to the merchant, typically at kirana and grocery stores where ticket sizes are small, more convenient. The circular is applicable for transactions performed using all types of cards – debit, credit and Prepaid Card