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- Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar handed over additional funds of Rs 47,436 crores to various states for afforestation projects. It aims to give a boost to forestry activities to achieve the objectives of the Nationally-Determined Contributions (NDCs) of increasing forest and tree cover. The increase in forest and tree cover will create an additional carbon sink equivalent to 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide by the year 2030.
- The Central Government has commissioned a Rs. 9.3 crores study to review microbial diversity along the entire 2,500 km length of the Ganga, which is believed to contain microbes that may promote ‘antibiotic resistance’. The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), (Nagpur), Motilal Nehru Institute of Technology (Allahabad), and Sardar Patel Institute of Science & Technology (Gorakhpur) along with genome sequencing start-ups – Phixgen and Xcelris Labs – will undertake the project.
- Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Puri has launched the campaign ‘Angikaar’ for change management, that is, to bring social behaviour change with special focus on waste management, water and energy conservation, tree plantation, sanitation, health and hygiene on 20th August, 2019. The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs also launched the e-course on “Vulnerability Atlas” in collaboration with the School of Planning & Architecture (SPA), New Delhi. It helps identify regions with high vulnerability with respect to various hazards and specifies the district-wise level of damage risks to the existing housing stock.
- US President Donald Trump on 29th August, 2019 launched a new US military combatant command ‘US Space Command’ which will defend America’s vital interests in space. The US Space Command will be the 11th combatant command. The Command will be led by Air Force Gen. John Raymond.
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved establishment of 75 additional Government Medical Colleges by 2021-22. These colleges will be attached with the existing district/referral hospitals under Phase-III of the ongoing centrally sponsored scheme – ‘Ayushman Bharat’. The government had earlier approved the establishment of 58 new Medical Colleges attached with the existing district/referral hospitals (under Phase-I) and 24 (under Phase-II).
- The Kochi Cyclone Detection Radar (CDR) building has been handed over to the Indian Navy by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between the Indian Navy and IMD to enable the Indian Navy to utilise the CDR building within the naval premises at Kochi for meteorological purposes. The Kochi Cyclone Detection Radar (CDR) building was constructed during the period of 1983–86 inside the naval base and was operated by the IMD from 1987-2017.
Hatf-III Ghaznavi - Pakistan successfully conducted the launch of the hypersonic surface-to-surface ballistic missile Hatf-III Ghaznavi from Sonmiani test range in Balochistan. Pakistan’s missile developer National Development Complex designed and developed it. It is capable of delivering both nuclear and conventional warheads up to a range of 290 km.
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