The Daily Brief – 1st July 2019

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1. Mahatma Gandhi Information Technology and Biotechnology Park (MGIT-BP) built with India’s assistance was recently inaugurated at Grand-Bassam in Cote d’Ivoire by Sailas Thangal, Ambassador of India to Cote d’Ivoire and country’s Vice President Daniel Kablan Duccan. MGIT-BP is a dedicated Free Trade Zone (FTZ) for IT and Biotechnology, being built through EXIM Bank Line of Credit (LoC) of $20 million.
2. International Day of the Tropics is observed every year across the world on 29 June to celebrate extraordinary diversity of tropics while also highlighting unique challenges and opportunities Tropical nations face. On 14 June 2016, UNGA adopted resolution A/RES/70/267 to observe the day. Tropics are a region of Earth, defined as area between tropic of Cancer (23°27 N) and the tropic of Capricorn (23°27 S).

   

3. Veteran British journalist Sir Mark Tully was conferred with ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at UK-India Awards in London for his contributions to UK-India relationship. He is the former Bureau Chief of BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) in New Delhi, India. Previously he had been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in UK and conferred with Padma Bhushan in India.
4. Acknowledging that country’s telecom industry was under financial stress, Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had constituted a committee chaired by Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan to spell out revival plans for Telecom sector. Committee would also look into previous recommendations provided by sectoral regulator TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) on the issue and submit the report in two weeks.
5. National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), an Odisha-based Navaratna Company has been selected for President’s award for utilisation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund in social development. NALCO was selected for its Aliali Jhia Scheme started in 2015. The scheme was on the line of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao to adapt and promote the poor and talented girls for education. NALCO was established in 1981 and central govt. holds 52% equity.
6. National Statistics Day is observed every year on 29 June to create public awareness among people about importance of statistics in daily life and in process of planning and development. The theme for this 13th edition of the day is Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The day is observed on 29 June to commemorate birth anniversary of India’s eminent statistician, Late Prof Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, in recognition of his invaluable contribution in establishing National Statistical System.
7. In a step towards women empowerment, the state government of Goa approved an amendment to Factories Act 1948 which will allow deployment of women in night shifts (from 7pm to 6 am) in industries. It is a revolutionary step which might bring about equality at workplace.

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