UTTARAKHAND

The major MoUs signed on the occasion include one worth Rs 1885 crore with KK Logistics in ropeway and hospitality sectors, Rs 513 crore MoU with Laser Retreat Private Limited in the hotel business, Rs 275 MoU with Anantraj in ropeway sector and Rs 200 crore projects signed by Haldiram.

Investors were finding tourism sector more attractive after the state government accorded industry status to tourism. With single window system, ease of doing business and various incentives for promotion, the tourism sector projects are emerging as an attractive package for the investors.

The tourism department has planned that tourist destinations at higher reaches should be connected by ropeway to make journey to the hill station more convenient and exciting. For this, the interest of investors is being elicited towards ropeway projects.

INTERNATIONAL

· First Global Guidelines on Sanitation and Health launched by World Health organisation

World Health Organization (WHO) launched its first Global Guidelines on Sanitation and Health.
According to estimation, for every US$ 1 invested in sanitation a nearly six-fold return can be expected.

Accessible toilets, for entire communities, that safely contain excreta, through Sanitation interventions.

Local health risk assessments to protect individuals and communities from exposure to excreta.

Integration of sanitation into regular local government-led planning and service provision

The health sector should invest more and play a coordinating role in sanitation planning to protect public health.

· India ranked 28th among 73 countries in govt e-payment adoption: 2018 Visa Survey

The Government E-Payments Adoption Ranking (GEAR), compiled by The Economist Intelligence Unit commissioned by payments company Visa ranked India as 28th country to progress in the digital transformation journey.
India moved up to 28th in 2018, from 36th in 2011.
It holds the top ranking on B2G and G2B and comes third on C2G jointly with Argentina.
India leads the B2G category, along with other countries like Australia, Singapore and South Korea.

NATIONAL

Pakistan has asked India to immediately share the data showing inflow and discharge of water at the Kishanganga hydropower project in Jammu and Kashmir.

It has also sought dates for inspection of the 330MW hydroelectric project that India had agreed to during a two-day meeting held in August in Lahore between Indus water commissioners of the two countries.

A four-day Indian International Science Festival 2018 will start in Lucknow on 5 October.

Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said about ten thousand scientists and experts, including science teachers and students will participate in the event.

Taking the digitisation drive to another level, the Centre has announced the introduction of facial recognition biometric facilities at Indian airports. Soon, passengers would be able to enter airports with the use of facial recognition biometric technology.

The Digi Yatra initiative, which will be operational by February 2019, seeks to promote paperless and hassle-free air travel. The biometrics-based digital processing system for passenger entry and related requirements at the airport was first proposed by the aviation ministry in July this year.

Wildlife experts say that the death of 21 lions in the last month maybe because of a mutation in a virus. In 1994, the Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) was responsible for an epidemic in the Serengeti region of Africa, where 1,000 lions died in 3 weeks. While the virus abounds in local tiger populations in Gujarat and is linked to deaths every year.
An expert on lions at the Wildlife Institute of India said that this is the first time in years, that so many deaths have been attributed to the virus. However, every year 80-90 lions died due to various causes. The 2015 lion censusrecorded 523 lions. There was a 3% growth and now the number of lions are around 600.