GOA

Goa govt announces booster shot for Covid-hit economy

Chief minister Pramod Sawant announced several measures to revive the state’s sputtering economy, including permission for 12-hour shifts to all factories up to July 31 to offset the deficit in manpower due to current restrictions.

In a relief to the common man, all construction licences and permissions issued by local civic bodies expiring between March 1 and June 30 have been deemed to be extended up to October 31 without any additional payment. The same extension has been granted for all technical clearances and development permissions obtained from the town and country planning department.

Where motor vehicles are concerned, Sawant said fitness certificates, all types of permits, learners’ licences, driving licences, registration and any related document issued by the transport department with expiry dates between February 1 and September 30, have been deemed to be valid till September 30.

The last date for renewal of excise licences has been extended from March 31 to June 30, without any penalty, the chief minister said.

Apart from permitting 12-hour shifts in factories till July 31, the government has extended the validity of factory licences for one year. It has also deferred payment of licence fees without interest. “A self-certification scheme for factories and boilers, introduced as part of the ease of doing business initiative, states that factories shall be inspected only once in five years, instead of the usual annual inspections, with prior intimation,” Sawant said.

With a view to boost the manufacturing sector, the state government is in the process of issuing an ordinance to amend the Factories Act, 1948, wherein the existing threshold of number of workers will be enhanced from 10 to 20 for factories with the aid of power, and from 20 to 40 for factories without the aid of power.

INTERNATIONAL

China to join the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty to regulate its arms sales

China announced that it has decided to join the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (UN-ATT) to regulate its arms sales.

China has always strictly controlled the export of military products.

China’s move to join the treaty is an important step towards the country’s effort to enhance & maintain peace and stability across the globe and support multilateralism.

Under this, China will export military products to sovereign countries and will not export military products to non-state actors.

China launched last BeiDou Satellite System

China launched the satellite of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System 3 (BDS-3) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on 23 June 2020.

BDS-3 Satellite was carried by a Long March-3B carrier rocket.

It is the 30th BDS-3 satellite and also the 55th of the whole BeiDou satellite family.

BDS-3 will offer its users services including high-precision positioning and short message communication. It will bring new highlights to global navigation satellite systems.

The final BDS satellite weighs over 10,000 pounds. It is the largest of its kind in the family.

Money in Swiss banks: India at 77th place, accounts for just 0.06% of all foreign funds

India has moved down three places to 77th rank in terms of money parked by its citizens and enterprises with Swiss banks at the end of 2019.

The UK has retained its top position, as per the latest data from Switzerland’s central bank.

India was ranked 74th in the previous year.

It accounts for just about 0.06 per cent of the aggregate funds parked by all foreign clients of Switzerland-based banks.

In comparison, the top-ranked UK accounted for close to 27 per cent of the total foreign funds parked with Swiss banks at the end of 2019.

The top-15 countries account for nearly 75 percent of all foreign money in Swiss banks, while the contribution of the top-30 is almost 90 per cent.

NATIONAL

Union HRD Minister launched YUKTI 2.0 platform for Higher Education Institutes in New Delhi

Union Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched an initiative ‘YUKTI 2.0’ on 23 June 2020 in New Delhi. The initiative aims to help systematically assimilate technologies having commercial potential and information related to incubated startups in higher education institutions.

YUKTI stands for Young India combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology & Innovation

YUKTI 2.0 is the logical extension of the earlier version of ‘YUKTI’.

The initiative aims to identify ideas relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic.

YUKTI 2.0 will help in fostering the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the academic institutions.

The initiative is expected to help the government to identify bottlenecks and formulate appropriate policies to strengthen the innovation ecosystem in the country.

It will also support creative innovations and technologies to help the society at large.

YUKTI was launched on 11 April 2020 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to cover the different dimensions of COVID-19 challenges in a very holistic and comprehensive way. It was launched with an aim to ensure that students, teachers, and researchers in higher educational institutions are getting appropriate support to meet the requirements needed to advance their technologies and innovations. The outcomes of the earlier version of ‘YUKTI’ will be released soon by MHRD.

UNHCR asks Myanmar to ensure safe return of Rohingyas

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has adopted a resolution calling upon Myanmar to create conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingyas and all forcibly displaced persons.

Adopting the resolution, UNHCR also stressed the need to address the root cause of human rights violations and abuses against ethnic minorities like Rohingyas in the Rakhine state of Myanmar.

The UNHCR called upon the Myanmar government to allow media, independent observers and diplomatic corps full access to the country.

It also urged the government of Myanmar to lift the internet shutdown imposed in Rakhine state.

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