GUJARAT
Covid impact: Gujarat gets Rs 10k crore less from Centre
Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Gujarat government has lost a sizeable Rs 7,972 crore
in the form of central share of taxes in the ongoing financial year. A comparison of the
budget estimates (BE) and revised estimates (RE) for 2020-21 of the government of India
reflects a huge drop in both central share of taxes and grants for the state.
As far as central share of taxes is concerned, Gujarat was allocated Rs 26,661.7 crore in the
Union Budget 2020-21 (BE) while in the RE (revised estimates), the amount has been pegged
at Rs 18,689.4, reflecting a lesser allocation of Rs 7,972 crore in the share of central taxes.
The state has been allocated Rs 2,362 crore towards rural local bodies in the 2021-22 Union
Budget, a shortfall of Rs 833 crore compared to the allocation of Rs 3,195 crore in the 2020-
21 Budget.
Similarly, for urban local bodies, Gujarat has been allocated Rs 1,163 crore in the 2021-22
Budget, Rs 375 crore lesser than the allocation of Rs 1,538 crore in the 2020-21 Budget.
INTERNATIONAL
Dickinsonia: Earliest Known Living Animal
Researchers discovered the three fossils of the earliest known living animal, the 550-million-
year-old ‘Dickinsonia’ on the roof of the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters. These fossils were found
on the roof of the Auditorium Cave of the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters.
In September 2018, an international team of researchers claimed to have discovered the
world’s oldest Dickinsonia fossil, which appeared approximately 571 million to 541 million
years ago.
The current fossil evidence can be traced back to Dickinsonia about 100 million years ago.
It is an extinct genus of basal animal. It lived in the late Ediacaran period and is now
Australia, Russia and Ukraine.
Basal animals are animals with radial symmetry in the body plan. They have a very simple
body and are often to be diploblastic (derived from only two embryonic cell layers)
These creatures are believed to represent the earliest flowering of complex multicellular
life on Earth. They originated in a world without predators and did not require hard
protective carapaces or skeletons.
NATIONAL
Amazon India to commence manufacturing of electronics products in the country
Amazon India will start manufacturing of electronics products in India.
To begin with, it is going to start manufacturing Amazon Fire TV sticks from India.
The announcement came after Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's virtual
meeting with Amazon’s Global Senior Vice President and Country Head for India Amit
Agarwal.
Amazon will commence its manufacturing efforts with contract manufacturer Cloud
Network Technology, a subsidiary of Foxconn in Chennai and start production later this year.
Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship Programme
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has launched the Mahatma Gandhi
National Fellowship (MGNF) Program in all districts of India.
The program had previously operated in 69 districts. Researchers of the Mahatma Gandhi
National Fellowship Program will gain academic expertise and technical capabilities.
Professional knowledge will help them understand the overall skills ecosystem. It will also
help companions to join the District Skill Committees.
The ministry of skill development also cooperates with the Kerala Institute of Local
Administration to carry out capacity-building programs for districts from the states of Tamil
Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and Lakshadweep.
The partnership between the two will focus more on improving the overall quality of skills
training.
The Ministry emphasized that the fellowship program and the recently launched Pradhan
Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 3.0 and other academic partnerships reached under the
SANKALP program with IITs, IIMs, KILA, and GIZ-IGVET will help strengthen regional
capabilities and ensure Demand-driven skills.
LRSAM Missiles Developed by DRDO
The Final production batch of the Long – Range Surface to Air Missiles (LRSAM), designed
and developed by DRDO in collaboration with multiple industry partners and integrated by
BDL, was launched at the DRDL at the APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex in Hyderabad.
Long Range Surface to Air Missiles (LRSAM) was jointly developed by DRDO and IAI Israel to
equip the latest ships of the Indian Navy.
The missile system can provide point and area defences against various air targets
(including fighter jets, subsonic and supersonic cruise missiles).
The missile is powered by an indigenously developed dual pulse rocket engine and dual
control system to give the required manoeuvrability in the terminal phase.
This advanced weapon system is designed with an active Radio Frequency (RF) searcher,
which can identify, track, strike and destroy targets with a high kill probability.
PM Modi reviews projects worth Rs 44,545 crore in 'Pragati' meeting
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed projects worth Rs 44,545 crore in 12 states as he
chaired the 36th 'Pragati' meeting. During the meeting, he also reviewed the programme for
elimination of single use plastic, a Prime Minister's Office statement said.
The prime minister expressed concern over delay in execution of some of the projects, and
directed the officials concerned that all pending issues should be resolved in a time-bound
manner, and wherever possible, in mission mode.
In the previous 35 PRAGATI interactions, 290 projects having a total cost of about Rs 13.60
lakh crore, along with 51 programmes or schemes and grievances pertaining to 17 different
sectors were reviewed.
