ODISHA

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has approved a proposal for implementation of the Lokayukta Act in the State.
Notably, Odisha was first State to pass the Lokayukta Bill in the State Assembly on February 14, 2014, after passing of the Lokpal Bill in the Parliament in December 2013.

Official sources said the State Government has also come up with a proposal for formation of a search committee for appointment of a Lokayukta.

According to the provision of the Odisha Lokayukta Act, a four-member committee needs to be formed under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister with the Assembly Speaker, Leader of the Opposition and an expert as members. The Principal Secretary of the General Administration Department would be the Secretary of the committee.

The committee will form a five-member search committee, which will have a term of two years. The members of the search committee will be given the rank of a Secretary.

The search committee would enlist five persons for the Lokayukta Chairperson post and 15 persons for Lokayukta Member posts and recommend their names to the selection committee headed by the Chief Minister.

INTERNATIONAL

· Studies found alternate cereals can save water

According to the analysis of U.S. based Earth Institute, Columbia University and Indian School of Business, if alternative cerealssuch as maize, sorghum, and millet are used instead of rice and wheat, the demand for irrigation water can be reduced by 33%. It could also improve nutrient availability to consumers.
India is mandated to provide 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month at subsidized prices of Rs.3/2/1 per kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains.
The researchers said that this alternative cereal production can help distribute nutrient production across the country and reduce the impact of a single local climate shock to national grain production.

The United Nations’ (UN) International Day of Cooperatives is observed on the first Saturday of July each year.

Some of the day’s goals are to increase awareness on cooperatives, as well as strengthen and extend partnerships between the international cooperative movement and other supporting organizations including governments.

The theme for the 2018 International Day of Cooperatives (IDC) is “Sustainable consumption and production”.

Nepal and India have decided to jointly promote historically and culturally important tourism circuits like the Ramayana and Buddhist Circuit and adventure tourism.

India will also extend all possible cooperation in the domain of human resource development in tourism.

During a joint meeting of the Nepalese and Indian officials, both the sides also decided to establish an industry-led Indo-Nepal Tourism Forum with the support of the two governments.

· India to develop ‘World’s emptiest airport’ in Sri Lanka

India would operate Sri Lanka’s loss-making Mattala Rajapaksa International Airportin Hambantota, called the ‘world’s emptiest airport’ due to a lack of flights.
This comes in the backdrop of China developing the Hambantota seaport project in Sri Lanka.
The airport, which was named after former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was built with the capacity to handle one million passengers a year, was officially opened in March 2013.

NATIONAL

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) declared 438 sq.km. of the area around the Mudumalai Tiger Reservein the Nilgiris as an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ). This is to prohibit construction and commercial mining activities and restrict hotels and resorts near the reserve.
The reserve, comprising the wildlife sanctuary and the national park, extending over an area of 321 sq.km, was declared a tiger habitat in 2007. Besides the tiger habitat, 367 sq. km. is the buffer area for a total of 688 sq. km. reserve area. The reserve is a critical part of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve spread over 5,500 sq. km.

The Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar has said that the National Testing Agency (NTA) has started its work and will be conducting various entrance examinations for higher educational Institutions from next academic sessions onwards.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, he said that the NTA will bring qualitative difference in the examination process by its focus on research and scientific test design using services of Experts, Researchers, Statisticians, Psychometricians, Test Item Writers and Education Specialists.

The new system will be student friendly, fair , transparent and flexible, the Minister added.