GUJARAT
- Custom-notified status for Surat airport likely soon
- Surat may get limited international flights in the next couple of months.
Senior officials from the central government’s bureau of immigration, customs, finance and civil aviation ministries visited Surat airport to check modifications, documentations and related infrastructure for providing customs notified status for the limited international operations.
- Recently, deputy chief minister Nitin Patel had earmarked Rs 1 crore for setting up immigration facilities at Surat airport in 2018-19 budget. It was on September 20, 2017, the home department of Gujarat government had asked the director general of police to allot 68 immigration staff for airport in the financial year 2018-19. It’s almost more than one-and-a-half-year since the customs notified status for Surat airport was put on a back burner.
INTERNATIONAL
· European Development Bank Approves Indias Membership
- India is all set to become the 69th member of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)after shareholders of the international financial institution gave their nod to the country’s candidature.
- The formal membership process will now get underway, which includes the purchase of shares by India at an estimated cost of around 1 million euros.
- The EBRD’s Board of Governors, which represents all the existing shareholders of the UK-based bank, voted in favor of India’s membership application.
· Forbes Billionaires List 2018: Amazon’s Bezos Richest, Mukesh Ambani Ranked 19
- With a fortune worth $110 billion, Amazon founder Jeff Bezosis the world’s richest man and tops a 2018 Forbes Magazine list of billionaires. According to the Forbes, Bezos is the first person to top $100 billion as number one on the Forbes list of the World’s Billionaires.
- Microsoft founder Bill Gates is second ($90 billion), investment guru Warren Buffet third ($84 billion), Bernard Arnault and family fourth ($72 billion), and Facebook founder-CEO Mark Zuckerberg fifth ($71 billion). Indian industry titan Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries Limited, is 19th on the list. He’s valued at $40.1 billion.
· Indian Military Ranked 4th Strongest In World, USA Tops
- Out of 133 countries, India is ranked fourth on a global index for its military strength, only the United States, Russia and China are ranked above India on the list, according to the latest report of the Global Firepower index 2017.
- Neighbouring Pakistan is ranked 13th. India maintained its position above France in the top five military powers in the world.
- The Indian Army is equipped with 4,426 combat tanks, 6,704 armored fighting vehicles, and 7,414 towed artillery guns, as per the list.
- The Top 5 countries in the list are-
The USA,
2. Russia,
3. China,
4. India,
5. France.
· Iraq overtakes Saudi Arabia as Indias biggest Oil Supplier
- Iraq overtook Saudi Arabia to become India’s top crude oil supplier by supplying 38.9 million tonnes (MT) crude oil in the current financial year.
- It was fifth of India’s oil needs. India is 80% dependent on imports to meet its oil needs. India had imported 184.4 MT of crude oil during April.
- Saudi Arabia traditionally has been India’s top oil source but Iraq dethroned it. Saudi Arabia supplied 30.9 MT of crude oil in first 10 months.
NATIONAL
· Neiphiu Rio appointed as Nagaland Chief Minister
- Nagaland Governor PB Acharya appointed Neiphiu Rioas the new Chief Minister of the state.
- Rio will replace TR Zeliang. The Governor has received letters of support in favor of Rio from MLAs of BJP, JD (U) and an Independent besides NDPP legislators.
- Rio will take the oath of his duties shortly.
- The Governor also requested Mr. Rio to prove his majority on the floor of the House on or before 16th of March.