The Daily Brief – 2nd November 2019

Dustlik 2019, the first ever joint military exercise between India and Uzbekistan, will be conducted at the Chirchiq Training Area, Uzbekistan from 4^th November to 13^th November, 2019. It is aimed to focus on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operation in the mountainous, rural and urban regions.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar approved the proposal of setting-up of a New Regional Centre of the GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment & Development at Ladakh. It aims to promote alternative and innovative livelihoods for climate change vulnerable cold-desert communities and to facilitate conservation of critical/important cold desert habitats and biodiversity.

President Ram Nath Kovind launched the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi’s Global Alumni Endowment Fund on 31^st October, 2019. It has an initial commitment of Rs 250 crore from nearly 20 corporate leaders and alumni of the institution. IIT Delhi also launched the ‘Each One Teach One’ initiative wherein IIT Delhi invites alumni, wealthy individuals and corporate organisations to support education of one student per year costing up to $10,000, which will get added to the IIT Delhi Endowment Fund.

The Union Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) has announced that it will set up the first ever “Bamboo Technology Parks” in the new union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and the model of bamboo cultivation, harvesting and utilization that is existing in the North Eastern Region will be replicated in Jammu, Leh and Srinagar regions. The project will be implemented by the Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre (CBTC) under the DoNER. The CBTC was established in Guwahati in 2000.

Girish Chandra Murmu became the first Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, after he was administered the Oath of Office and Secrecy by Justice Gita Mittal, Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, on 31^st October, 2019. G C Murmu, a 1985 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Gujarat cadre, has served as the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. The formation of the new union territory of Jammu and Kashmir comes under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.

Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2019, a 11-day international book fair held annually in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), was inaugurated by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the sovereign ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah and the Federal Supreme Council Member. The Guest of Honour country at the 38^th SIBF is the Republic of Mexico and the Principal Guest of Honour is Steve Harvey, America’s most-loved host. The first edition of the SIBF was launched in 1982.

The Technology Demonstration Site was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kevadia, Gujarat on 31^st October, 2019 as a part of the National Unity Day celebrations that commemorates Sardar Vallabhai Patel’s birth anniversary. The site consisted of displays of police and paramilitary forces. It showcased various modern technologies that included lethal and non-lethal arms.

Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah inaugurated a new building of the Police Headquarters (PHQ) on 31^st October, 2019 to commemorate Sardar Vallabhai Patel’s birth anniversary. Built at a cost of 286 crores, the PHQ was under taken on a public-private partnership mode. The Delhi Police Force comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs and not under the Government of Delhi.