GOA

Only Rs 16 crore of Rs 608.4 crore plan spent by Panaji Smart City

Marred by delay in allocation of funds and faulty prioritisation of projects, the Centre’s ambitious Smart City Mission appears to have floundered in Goa. Five years after Panaji was put on the fast track to smartness on the basis of a Rs 608.4 crore planned outlay, the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) said that just Rs 16.2 crore has been spent till date on 10 projects, most of them being beautification works.

The Centre also said that seven big ticket projects worth Rs 330 crore are about to be awarded to contractors while two projects worth Rs 40 crore are likely to be tendered in the coming weeks. The information was given by the minister of state Kaushal Kishore in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

The Rs 63 crore underground power cabling project in Ribandar began at a good pace, but has been stagnant since former chief executive officer Swayandipta Pal Chaudhuri was dropped from the post.

One of the prominent reasons for the delay in executing projects was the lethargy by the state government in transferring funds to IPSCDL, which is the special purpose vehicle that is executing the Smart City Mission in Goa.

As per the MoHUA website, Goa has transferred Rs 113 crore to IPSCDL till date as its share towards the Smart City Mission.

INTERNATIONAL

First Indian PM to Chair UNSC Debate

Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has chaired the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate through video conferencing.

Highlights:

With this, PM Modi has become the first Indian Prime Minister to chair a UNSC open debate. It must be remembered that India has assumed the Presidency of the UNSC for August 2021, taking over from France.

The theme of the open debate was Enhancing Maritime Security – A Case for International Cooperation. India will organize two more meetings during its presidency, on peacekeeping and counterterrorism.

During the debate, The 5 principles that need to be followed in terms of maritime trade and security, which included: free maritime trade sans barriers; peaceful settlement of maritime disputes; combating maritime threats; encouraging responsible maritime connectivity and preserving maritime environment and resources.

NATIONAL

Study on Pensilungpa Glacier

The study on Pensilungpa Glacier was conducted by scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun. By this study, Pensilungpa Glacier in the Zanskar region of Ladakh is retreating. Their field observations over four years (2015-19) showed that the glacier is now retreating at an average rate of 6.7 metres per annum.

The study has attributed this to a decrease in precipitation and an increase in the temperature during winter.

The study points at the important influence of debris cover on the mass balance and also retreat of the glacier’s endpoint, especially in summer.

The study suggests that due to continuous rise in the air temperature in line with the global trend, the melting would increase, and it is possible that the precipitation of summer periods at higher altitudes will change from snow to rain, and that may influence the summer and winter patterns.

Book Named The Earthspinner by Anuradha Roy

A book named “The Earthspinner” authored by award-winning novelist Anuradha Roy.

Highlights:

In this book, Anuradha delves into the life and mind of Elango the potter, who must navigate impossible and complicated love, the dedication of a beloved pet, his own passion for creativity and a globe turned upside down by the petty violence that characterises the present day.

The novel is about two people struggling to free themselves of such shackles to create the happiest world. Roy’s earlier works include An Atlas of Impossible Longing and The Folded Earth.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Based Train – Indian Railways

Indian Railways Organisation of Alternative Fuels (IROAF) inviting bids for Hydrogen Fuel Cell-based Train on the Indian Railways Network.

Highlights:

The project is expected to kick off the concept of Hydrogen Mobility in the country. First, the bids are invited for 89km of the Sonipat-Jind section of the Northern Railway. The project is expected to bring in annual savings of Rs.2.3 crores.

Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Batteries and National Hydrogen Mission are two flagship programs of the Government of India to help meet the targets of reducing Green House Gas (GHG) emission under the Paris Climate Agreement 2015 and Mission Net Zero Carbon Emission Railway by 2030.

Rail Madad Launched by Indian Railways

An integrated one-stop solution Rail Madad was launched by Indian Railways in which the national transporter has merged a number of existing helplines that were used for various purposes into one.

Highlights:

The Ministry of Railways toll-free number 139 can be used for all kinds of enquiries and making complaints and the helpline facility is available all the time in 12 languages.

Rail Madad, the integrated and innovative one-stop solution for enquiry, customer grievance, suggestion and assistance, providing passengers with the choice to access RailMadad through multiple channels, namely, Web, App, SMS, Social Media and also Helpline number (139) during the journey for expeditious resolution of their complaints.

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