ODISHA
- Odisha registers 31% decline in number of lightning deaths
- Odisha has registered a decline in human casualty due to lightning by 31 per cent during 2018-19 following effective use of Early Warning Communication system (EWCS).
- While 465 lightning deaths were recorded in Odisha during the year 2017-18, it came down to 320 in 2018-19 which is about 31 per cent decline in rate of human casualty.
- A MoU have been signed between the Special Relief Commissioner-cum-Managing Director, OSDMA(Odisha Disaster State Disaster Management Authority) on behalf of the Odisha government and the Earth Networks of the USA to get the advance information about the upcoming lightning with a view to alerting the citizens to enable them to take the required precautionary measures for saving their lives.
The Earth Networks has set up six lightning sensors across Odisha and is providing information on a regular basis to OSDMA about probable lightning incidents, 30-40 minutes in advance, along with the map briefly showing the area where lightning is likely to strike.
- OSDMA has also collaborated with the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES), Thailand for developing an integrated Decision Support System (DSS) for providing real time watch, alert, and warning information for different hazards like heat wave, lightning, droughts, ocean state information and floods.
- Meanwhile, the OSDMA has developed an application “SATARK” (System for Accessing, Tracking and Alerting Disaster Risk Information Based on Dynamic Risk Knowledge).
- Apart from the above, an intelligent and automated system known as ‘Outdoor Alerting System’ has been installed in 14 most lightning vulnerable blocks of the state for quickly disseminating the warning to citizens.
INTERNATIONAL
- India and Russia held talks and explored the possibilities for production of space systems in India
- India and Russia held talks and explored the possibilities forproduction of space systems in India. The discussion was held between Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser and the Director General of Russia’s space agency ROSCOSMOS and former Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin during his visit.
- The discussions focused on all aspects of India-Russia space cooperation. The discussion also included Cooperation in futuristic technologies, including new space systems, rocket engines, propellants and propulsion systems, spacecraft and launch vehicle technology were also discussed.
NATIONAL
- Chandrayaan-2 launch called off after technical snag in rocket
- ISRO Scientists a few days to assess the seriousness of the problem.
The launch in the current window of opportunity is available only till Tuesday (July 16).
- The next launch date could be months later.
- A technical snag detected in the GSLV-MkIII rocket, less than an hour ahead of the scheduled launch aborted the planned flight of Chandrayaan-2, India’s first attempt at landing a spacecraft on the moon.
- They indicated that it could take up to a few days to assess the seriousness of the problem.
- Chandrayaan-1 and Mangalyaan, India’s first mission to Mars, launched in 2013, PSLV has a capacity to deliver payloads only up to 1500 kg in the sub-GTO orbits.
PSLV has 48 successful launches.
- Survey: 18.4% decline in school-going children between 2021 and 2041
- The Economic Survey calls for optimising education infrastructure as the number of school-going children is estimated to decline by 18.4 per cent between 2021 and 2041. On the other hand, the health infrastructure needs to be expanded focused on geriatric care with demand for hospital beds to go up in view of the growing healthy life expectancy for both men and women at 60 years of age.
- As of 2016, population in the 5-14 years age-group, which roughly corresponds to the number of elementary school-going children, has already begun declining across all major states except Jammu & Kashmir.
- Population projections suggest that this trend will continue through 2041 and the size of the 5-14 years population will drop sharply in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka by 2041. It will also decline in the laggard states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
- ‘Semen labs will be set up to conserve milch animals
- Eleven sex-sorted semen laboratories will be set up in the country over the next nine months with the twin objective of conserving breeds of milch animals and also assisting farmers in preventing the production of unwanted male calves
- Three of these laboratories will become operational from October, while the remaining will start functioning by the end of the 2019-20 financial year,
- Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu released a book titled Vivekadeepini
ð Vice President of India,Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu released a book titled Vivekadeepini, a concise book of aphorisms. It was initially written by Adi Shankaracharya who is one of India’s greatest spiritual and literary geniuses.
ð Vivekadeepini is a summary of Prashnottara Ratnamalika written by Adi Shankaracharya.
ð The book has compiled a select 36 verses drawn from 67 verses of Prashnottara Ratnamalika. The verses are written in Question-Answer format. It contains universal truths and are the starting point for reflection.
- Anshula Kant has been appointed as next MD and CFO of the World Bank Group
- The World Bank Groupannounced that Anshula Kant,an Indian national, has been appointed as its next MD and CFO on 12 July.Anshula Kant is the first woman CFO of the Bank. She will be responsible for financial and risk management. She will be working with Kristalina Georgieva, the Bank’s CEO, to mobilise financial resources.
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