UTTARAKHAND

There is an urgent need to ensure that such accidents do no happen and precious lives are not lost, for most of these could have been prevented. The State and all the stake holders need to focus on road safety.

Road safety requires a multi-pronged approach. It would require the development and management of road infrastructure, provision of safer vehicles, legislation and law enforcement, mobility planning, provision of health and hospital services and most importantly the societal awareness and attitude change. It is to be understood that road safety is a shared responsibility of State Government and citizens.

In developing countries like India, the emergency services and trauma care is still not up to the mark. As such most of the accidents in Uttarakhand are also due to the poorly developed national highways, poor infrastructure and unattended hazard zones. The quick response teams are non-existent.

As per a study in Uttarakhand, the total number of RTA per one lakh population in 2011 was 14.9. The total number of persons killed per one lakh population was 9.3. The study found that the most common (69.5 per cent) cause of the accident was due to drivers’ fault including speeding, drunk driving, not wearing seat belt, careless driving, alcohol use while driving, inexperience, poor visibility, loss of control, use of cell phones and failing to judge other person’s path/speed or error of judgement. The defective roads of the mountainous districts are the second major cause of accidents, accounting for 13.6 per cent. The other causes found were bad weather conditions (5.9 pre cent), pedestrian faults and miscellaneous causes (2.5 per cent), and defective motors (1.2 per cent).

Licences of commercial vehicles and drivers be given for a short period-three years, so that the condition of the vehicles is regularly reviewed. Overcrowding of the vehicles should also be heavily penalised by the authorities.

INTERNATIONAL

Indian Air Force Participates for the First Time in Exercise Pitch Black – 18

An Indian Air Force contingent comprising of four Su-30 MKI, 01 X C-130 and 01 X C-17 aircraft, landed at Darwin Air Force Base, Australia for the Exercise Pitch Black – 18.

This is the first time that an IAF contingent is participating in a multinational air exercise in Australia with Royal Australian Air Force.

This exercise involves over 100 aircraft from around the globe and will provide a unique opportunity to the air-warriors to operate in a dynamic warlike environment.

· New Zealand demands Australia to change its flag

As the Flag of New Zealand looks similar to that of Australia, Acting New Zealand PM Winston Petersis demanding Australia to change their flag.
Notably, the New Zealand flag was adopted 52 years before the Australian flag and was adopted in 1902, replacing the union jack. The Australian flag was adopted in 1954, after going through three previous iterations since 1901.
Both the Australian and New Zealand flags are based on the British blue ensign.

· Michael Ondaatje again named in Man Booker Prize list

Sri Lankan-born Canadian author Michael Ondaatjehas again made the Man Booker Prize list with his latest novel ”Warlight”, which tells the story of two orphans in London in the immediate aftermath of World War II.
Ondaatje’s “The English Patient,” which won the Booker in 1992, was named winner of the Golden Man Booker winner on July 8, a special award to mark the Booker’s 50th anniversary.
2018 Man Booker Prize includes six U.K. writers, three from the United States, and two each from Canada and Ireland.

As part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Uganda, India and Uganda signed four agreements on

Defence cooperation,

Visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders,

Cultural exchange programme, and

Material testing laboratory.

The Indian government has also decided to gift a cancer therapy machineto the Uganda cancer institute in Kampala.
The Prime Minister Modi was accorded a ceremonial reception in Uganda’s Entebbe town.
He is on a three-nation tour to the African countries including Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa.

NATIONAL

The Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018 (SSG 2018) announced by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation on July 13^th, 2018, was launched by three States this week.

Under the SSG 2018, an independent survey agency will conduct the survey in all districts from 1st to 31st August 2018, and the results will be announced in the form of a ranking of all districts and States on the basis of quantitative and qualitative sanitation (Swachhata) parameters.

The top performing States and Districts are expected to be awarded on 2nd October 2018.

Ministry of Tourism has identified 17 sites in 12 clusters in the country for development under Iconic Tourist Sites Development Project, pursuant to Budget Announcements of 2018-19.

Following are the 17 sites: Uttar Pradesh- TajMahal & FatehpurSikri; Maharashtra- Ajanta & Ellora; Delhi- Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort & QutubMinar; Goa- Colva beach; Rajasthan- Amer Fort; Gujarat- Somnath & Dholavira; Madhya Pradesh- Khajuraho; Karnataka- Hampi; Tamil Nadu- Mahabalipuram; Assam- Kaziranga; Kerala- Kumarakom; Bihar- Mahabodhi.

The Ministry shall be developing the above sites in a holistic manner with focus on issues concerning connectivity to the destination, better facilities/experience for the tourists at the site, skill development, involvement of local community, promotion & branding and by bringing in private investment.

To mark World Day against Trafficking in Personson July 30, Women and Child Development Ministry has invited people to send logo and tagline for ‘Childline 1098‘, which is India’s first 24-hour, free, emergency phone service for children in need of aid and assistance.
At present, Childline 1098 is operational at 450 locations, including 76 key railway stations, across India.

Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated every year for three days from 24th July – 26th July at the Drass War Memorialin Jammu and Kashmir to commemorate India’s emphatic victory against Pakistan.
Kargil war took place in May -July 1999 (2 months)
In India, the Kargil conflict is also referred to as ‘Operation Vijay‘ which was the name of the Indian operation to clear the Kargil sector.
The Kargil War memorial, built by the Indian Army, is located in Dras, in the foothills of the Tololing Hill.