GUJARAT
Essar to pump Rs 35,000 crore into Gujarat
After exiting two of its most prized assets in Gujarat — the refinery and steel facilities, the
Ruias-controlled Essar group is once again exploring the state for several big-ticket projects.
These include setting up a commercial port, new and emerging technologies, EV vehicles
and lithium-ion manufacturing facility, renewable energy, petrochemicals and even a steel
project. The company has drawn out plans to invest about $5 billion (roughly Rs 35,000
crore) for a steel manufacturing project in Gujarat, said sources close to the development.
Essar Group has also proposed to set up an LNG terminal at Hazira and also drawn out plans
to enter into solar and wind energy generation and coal bed methane projects in Gujarat.
INTERNATIONAL
World Osteoporosis Day: 20 October
The World Osteoporosis Day (WOD) is observed annually on October 20.
The day aims to raise global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of
osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease.
Osteoporosis is a condition when the bone turns fragile and is thus susceptible to fracture.
It is quite common in women aged above 35.
World Statistics Day: 20 October
The World Statistics Day is observed globally on 20 October.
The celebration of World Statistics Day 2020 is a global collaborative endeavour, organized
under the guidance of the United Nations Statistical Commission.
At its 41st Session in February 2010, the United Nations Statistical Commission proposed
celebrating 20 October 2010 as World Statistics Day (Decision 41/109).
2020 theme “Connecting the world with data we can trust.”
NATIONAL
GST collections post first rise after 6 months
Goods and services tax (GST) collections grew 4% to Rs 95,000 crore in September — the
first rise after six months of decline — indicating a recovery in economic activity.
Exports rose 5.3% to $27.4 billion, initial estimates released by the government showed.
This is the first increase in exports since February when the value of shipments from India
rose 2.9%, indicating a pick-up in demand in Europe and the US.
Sikkim, Goa and several Northeast states also saw double-digit growth. Delhi was among the
laggards, with collections dropping 7% in September.
Air pollution, hypertension among top 5 risk factors for death in India in 2019: Study
Air pollution, hypertension, tobacco use, poor diet and high blood sugar levels were the top-
five riskfactors for death in India in 2019 according to a new study.
The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study, published in the Lancet journal , assessed more
than 286 causes of death and 369 diseases and injuries in more than 200 countries and
territories across the world.
It noted that India has gained more than a decade of life expectancy since 1990, but with
wide inequalities between states.
The study found that the largest contributors to increasing health loss in India over the last
30 years were non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like ischaemic heart disease, COPD,
diabetes, and stroke.
In 2019, the research noted that the top five riskfactors for death in India were air pollution
(contributing to an estimated 1.67 million deaths), high blood pressure (1.47 million),
tobacco use (1.23 million), poor diet (1.18 million), and high blood sugar (1.12 million).
Satellite network major to provide fast Net to 5,000 panchayats in 15 states, Galwan
Valley
Bharat Broadband Nigam Ltd (BBNL) and Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd (TCIL)
have selected broadband satellite network major Hughes Communications India to provide
high-speed satellite connectivity to 5,000 remote gram panchayats in over 15 states and UTs
in places that lack terrestrial internet connectivity like fiber or cable. Significantly, the
project will also cover the strategic Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh, where the standoff
with Chinese troops has been going on since May, and border NE states.
The project will cover gram panchayats in the hilly north-eastern states like Mizoram,
Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh, forested states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand and islands
such as Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep.
Mega government plan for rural tap water supply
Setting itself an ambitious target, the government plans to boost the coverage of tap
water connections in villages by a whopping one-and-a-half times (155%) by next year in
comparison to the current financial year.
This will be the biggest jump under the Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to ensure universal
drinking tap water connection to every rural household by 2024.
According to the Jal Shakti ministry, the target is to ensure approximately 4.1 crore village
households get tap water connections during this year and 10.4 crore households by the
next year. Eventually the aim will be to extend this coverage to nearly 19 crore households
in the next four years.
A status document of last month shows that only 46,767 villages, 351 blocks and nine
districts had 100% functional household tap water connections in rural areas.
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