Notes:
On June 29, the Odisha government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) for enhancing early warning system for effective management of all kinds of disaster in the state, including flood, drought, heat wave, lightning, and road accidents. The MoU will help state government to integrate new generation digital algorithm-based technologies and best practices from 48 RIMES member countries with the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA). The RIMES is a UN Registered international and inter- governmental institution, owned and managed by its 48 Members and Collaborating States for building capacities in the generation and application of user-relevant early warning information.

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The Union government has constituted a committee a 13-member committee to upgrade the norms for computation of economic data at states and districts level in the backdrop of plans to revise the base year for National Accounts or GDP calculation. The Committee for Sub-National Accounts will be headed by Ravindra H Dholakia, a retired professor of IIM Ahmedabad. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) will change the base year to 2017-18 for the calculation of GDP and IIP numbers from the existing 2011-12 with an aim to capture changes in the economy. The panel will review the concepts, definitions, classifications, data conventions, data sources and data requirements for preparation of State Domestic Product (SDP) and District Domestic Product (DDP) and to lay down revised guidelines. It will also suggest measures for improving SDP and DDP in the country taking into consideration availability of data and requirements of the Centre and states/union territories.

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The Bhitarkanika National Park (BNP) of Odisha has become the largest habitat of the endangered estuarine crocodiles in India with a record number of their nesting sites spotted in it. Recently, the enumerators have spotted 101 nests of crocodile in Kanika, Gahirmatha, Mahakalapada and Rajnagar wildlife forest range divisions under the park. As per the January 2018 crocodile census report, the water bodies of Bhitarkanika are home to 1,698 saltwater crocodiles. Estuarine crocodiles are also found in West Bengal’s Sundarban areas having the country’s largest mangrove cover. Besides, the mangrove wetlands in Andaman Islands are home to these species, but those cannot match the density and population of crocodile available in the wild habitats of Bhitarkanik National Park (BNP).

Notes:
Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, launched the ‘Happiness Curriculum’ for students of nursery to Class 8 in government schools on July 2, 2018. The curriculum was launched in the presence of the Dalai Lama. Students across schools can expect a ‘happiness’ period of 45 minutes. Each class will begin with a five-minute meditation session. The Happiness period was designed and prepared by a team of 40 Delhi government teachers, educators and volunteers over a period of six months. It will also include value education and mental exercises.

Notes:
P.K. Shrivastava has taken over charge as the new Director General of Ordnance Factories (DGOF) and chairman of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) with effect from July 1, 2018. Previously, he was Additional DGOF and member at OFB, and was in charge of Armoured Vehicles, headquartered in Avadi, Chennai. The OFB is an industrial organisation, functioning under the Department of Defence Production of Ministry of Defence. The headquarters of OFB is located in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Notes:
India’s first-ever state-of-the-art e-waste recycling unit will come up in Bengaluru, which produces an estimated one lakh tonne of electronic waste a year. The Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET), a research institute that comes under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, will set up the unit in the next four months. The purpose to set-up an e-Waste recycling unit is to provide a complete solution for recycling of plastics wastes generated from Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipments (WEEE). Bengaluru, which accounts for about a third of India’s software exports and is home to about 7,000 startups, occupies 3rd place in the country in producing e-waste after Mumbai and Delhi. Currently, e-waste generation in India is estimated to reach 52 lakh tonnes in 2020, with India being ranked as one of the top five generators of e-waste.

Notes:
India will host the 19th edition of IUFoST World Food Science and Technology Congress 2018 in Navi Mumbai from October 23-27, 2018. The IUFoST stands for ‘International Union of Food Science and Technology’. The 5-day event will bring together researchers, academicians, professionals, policy makers and industry leaders from across the globe to showcase innovation, exchange breakthrough ideas and drive policy issues. The focal theme for the 19th edition of the prestigious World Congress of Food Science and Technology is ’25 Billion Meals a Day by 2025 with Healthy, Nutritious, Safe and Diverse Foods’. IUFoST 2018 will provide insight on key concepts on recent advances in food sciences, food processing and agriculture technologies.

Notes:
The Madhya Pradesh government has launched an outstanding power bill waiver scheme and subsidised power scheme ‘Sambal’ for labourers and poor families. The purpose of the scheme is to make sure that all the households have power facility in the state. One crore 83 lakh workers registered under Sambal Yojana in the state till now. Under this scheme, outstanding electricity bill worth five thousand 179 crores rupees is to be waived off. Under the subsidised power segment of this scheme, registered labourers of the unorganised sector and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families would be provided electricity at a cost of Rs 200 per month while Power connection would be provided free of cost to the beneficiaries. In case the bill is lower than Rs 200, the beneficiary will have to pay the actual bill amount and if the bill amount crossing Rs 200, then the difference amount would be subsidised by the state government.

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Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, is set to host the Monsoon session of the state Legislature today after a gap of 47 years. This will be the fourth time that the monsoon session of the state Legislature, normally held in Mumbai, will take place in Nagpur. The session will commence in Nagpur from July 4 to 20, 2018. Traditionally, Nagpur hosts the winter session of the legislature in December every year whereas the budget and monsoon sessions are held in Mumbai. According to an official of the Vidhan Bhavan, the monsoon sessions of the state Legislature were earlier held in Nagpur in 1961, 1966 and 1971. As per the Nagpur Pact-1953, the district in the Vidarbha region was accorded the status of second capital of Maharashtra. The pact also required one session of the state Legislature to be held in Nagpur every year.

Notes:
The World Sports Journalists Day (WSJD) is observed every year on July 2 to mark the services of sports journalists for the promotion of sports. This day has been earmarked as the official day of celebration because of its significance as the date when the International Sports Press Association (ISPA) was established at the 1924 Paris Olympics. The purpose of the day is to encouraged sports journalists to strive for excellence in their work and to set an example to the world – not only to the world of sport, but to the world at large.