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- Under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana (PMUY), the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas hosted an ‘LPG Panchayat’ at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The LPG Panchayat aims to provide a platform for LPG consumers to interact with each other, promote mutual learning and share experiences.
- The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs is planning to introduce ranking system for National Sports Federations (NSFs). It is aimed at inculcating healthy competition between sports bodies. This will be for first time the Sports Ministry will have system by which sports federations will be ranked or rated according to set parameters.
- The Union Government is developing soft power matrix, a tool aimed at calibrating effectiveness of India’s soft power outreach and foster better diplomatic traction in India’s immediate neighbourhood and beyond. It will help in dealings with neighbouring countries and serve better as operational instrument in India’s broader diplomatic doctrine.
- Progress MS-08, an unmanned cargo spacecraft, was launched by the Russian Space Agency Roskosmos for the International Space Station (ISS). It was launched onboard of Soyuz-2.1a rocket from Russian-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan. Soyuz-2.1a has four strap-on boosters and core engine, all fueled by mix of kerosene and liquid oxygen.
- Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Defence Minister has approved capital acquisition of 7.4 lakh assault rifles, 17,000 light machine guns, 5,719 sniper rifles and Mareech advanced torpedo decoy systems for Indian Navy worth Rs. 15,935 crore.
- NTPC Ltd, India’s biggest electricity producer, has won tender to supply 300 megawatts (MW) of electricity to power-starved Bangladesh for 15 years. The tender was floated by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) for supply of 500 MW power from India for short term (2018-2019) and long term ( 2020 2033).
- Punjab government has made attachment of super straw management system to combine harvester machines mandatory for harvesting paddy (rice) crop in an attempt to check the dangerous trend of stubble burning. The instructions were issued under section 31 A of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
- A six-member Revenue Commission has been notified by the Punjab Government with an aim to bring greater efficiency and accountability in functioning of t Revenue Department. The Commission will be headed by (Retd.) Justice SS Saron of Punjab and Haryana High Court.
- The India State of Forest Report 2017 has been released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEFCC). It has revealed that total forest and tree cover in India has increased of over 8,021 sq km (about 80.20 million hectare) which is one percent increase from 2015.
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