GUJARAT

Gujarat rolls out green carpet for India’s gas-based economy

In 2008-09, billboards were displayed across Ahmedabad claiming Gujarat will show the way to the rest of India how to be pollution-free by use of compressed natural gas (CNG). The campaign was aimed at discouraging autorickshaw drivers and owners who mixed kerosene with petrol to fuel their vehicles, causing heavy air pollution.

In June this year, Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani announced the ‘CNG Sahbhagi Yojana’. It aims to resolve the issue of long queues at CNG stations by adding another 300 stations in two years. Further, the state government recently gave its nod for what it claims to be the world’s first compressed matural gas (CNG) port terminal. The facility, to come up in Bhavnagar, will be set up jointly by the UK-based Foresight Group and the Mumbai-based Padmanabh Mafatlal Group.

The central government, while planning to cut down on oil imports, is shifting to creating a gas-based economy. And Gujarat, which is considered a gas hub for over two decades now, may offer some answers. With new infrastructure facilities coming up and the state pushing for cleaner fuel options, Gujarat is likely to consolidate its position further.

It became the first and only Indian state so far to be completely covered under the piped gas distribution network after the ninth round of bidding by petroleum and natural gas regulator in 2018.

Producing 47% of the nation’s natural gas, it is home to 19.6 lakh piped natural gas users who account for 42% PNG customers in India.

After setting up a huge pipeline network in the state, Gujarat State Petronet is currently implementing two cross-country natural gas trunk pipelines for an estimated investmenwwwt of Rs. 6,500 crore.

INTERNATIONAL

India ranked 59th in the 2019 IMD World Talent Ranking

Switzerland topped the 2019 IMD World Talent Ranking. India ranked 59 on the global annual list of 63 countries. The list was released by the Swiss-based International Institute for Management Development (IMD).

The ranking was based on the performance in three main categories, namely investment and development, appeal, and readiness.

NATIONAL

Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by the Parliament

Parliament has passed the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019, with Rajya Sabha approving.

The Lok Sabha had passed this Bill in the last session.
The Bill seeks to amend the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951.
It has a provision to remove the President of the Congress party as a trustee and clarifies that when there is no Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the leader of the single largest Opposition party will be the trustee.
The Bill also allows the Central government to terminate the term of a nominated trustee before the expiry of the period of his term, without assigning any reason.
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on 13 April 1919.

Census 2021 to be conducted in 16 languages

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai informed that the Census will be conducted in two phases, viz., House-listing & Housing Census during April to September 2020 and Population Enumeration during February 09-28, 2021.

The Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) has recommended an amount of Rs. 8754.23 crore for conducting Census 2021 in 16 languages.
The reference date for the census will be 1 March 2021, but for snow-bound Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand it will be 1 October 2020.

Cabinet approves the establishment of National Institute for Sowa-Rigpa in Leh

The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of the National Institute for Sowa-Rigpa (NISR) in Leh.

Sowa-Rigpa is a traditional Tibetan system of medicine practised in the Himalayan belt of India.
The Cabinet approved the establishment of the NISR as an autonomous body under the Ministry of AYUSH at an estimated cost of Rs 47.25 crore.
The setting up of the National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa (NISR) would provide an impetus for the revival of Sowa-Rigpa in the Indian Sub-continent.

Global Bio-India Summit begins in Delhi

Three-day Global Bio-India Summit 2019 begins in New Delhi.

It will be one of the largest biotechnology stakeholders conglomerate to be held in India for the first time.
It will bring academia, innovators, researchers, start-ups, medium and large companies together on the same platform.
Over three thousand delegates from around 25 countries and over 15 states of India will participate in the mega event.

Union Cabinet approves the sale of govt stake in five CPSEs

The government has approved the sale of its stake in five Central Public Sector Enterprises, CPSEs.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA, gave its nod to strategic disinvestment in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), Container Corporation of India (CONCOR), North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) and Tehri Hydro Development Corporation India Limited (THDC).
The government will sell its 53.29 per cent stake in BPCL after taking out Numaligarh Refinery in Assam from its portfolio along with transfer of management control to a strategic buyer.
The CCEA also approved the reduction of the government’s stake in select PSUs below 51 per cent, while retaining the management control.

Russia is Country of Focus at IFFI 2019

International Film Festival of India, IFFI features a Country of Focus that brings out the cinematic excellence and contributions of that particular country every year and this year, the country of focus is Russia.

The section will showcase eight movies from Russia.
Also, For the first time, Haryana is participating in the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.

Habitats of Great Indian Bustards to be declared as conservation reserves

Seeking to protect the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard, the Union environment ministry has decided to declare their habitats as conservation reserves.

Ministry also asked power companies to consider placing high voltage lines under the ground as the birds have died after coming in contact with them.
As per a report by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) only 150 GIBs are left in India, out of which around 90 per cent are found in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The GIBs are dying at the rate of 15% annually due to collision with high voltage power lines.