Bihar
- MoU signed to promote regional air connectivity.
- The Centre and the state government on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote regional air connectivity in the state by expanding and strengthening the existing seven airports under the Regional Air Connectivity Scheme (RACS).
- The seven existing airports are Patna, Bihta, Gaya, Purnia, Raxaul, Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur. The MoU was signed in the Samvad auditorium at CM Secretariat in the presence of CM Nitish Kumar and Union civil aviation minister Ganapati Raju. the scope of expansion and growth of civil aviation in the state has been showing promising signs, as business and trade activities have been increasing and people are also interested in improved means of transport to access strategically located regional towns.
- Besides, flyers would also be able to reach and access northern districts of Jharkhand. he CM stressed on the need to begin work fast with regard to the Patna and Bihta airports, saying state government would do whatever was possible for timely completion of Bihta airport and other projects under RACS.
INTERNATIONAL
· India ranks 116 out of 157 nations on Sustainable Development Goal
- India ranked low 116 out of 157 nations on the 2017 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Index and Dashboard report released by Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and Bertelsmann Stiftung.
- The Top Countries in the Index are 2017 SDG Index were Sweden(1st), Denmark(2nd), Finland (3rd), Norway (4th), Czech Republic (5th).
- The SDGs are the set of 17 non-binding goals featuring 169 targets to be implemented from 2015 to 2030. They were adopted by member countries of United Nations at the 2015 UN Sustainable Development Summit held in New York.
- India contributes additional $1 million to India-UN Development Partnership Fund.
- India has contributed an additional $1 million to India-UN Development Partnership Fund launched to support sustainable development projects across the developing world.
- Earlier, India had made an initial contribution of $1 million when the fund was created. The amount was allocated for the implementation of a project benefiting seven Small Island Developing States in South Pacific Ocean.
National
- India’s first TISC to be established in Punjab.
- The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) signed an Institutional agreement with the Punjab State Council of Science and Technology in New Delhi to establish India’s first Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) at Patent Information Centre, Punjab, under the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) TISC program.
- The objective of the TISC is to stimulate a dynamic, vibrant and balanced Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) system in India to foster creativity and innovation, thereby promoting entrepreneurship and enhancing social, economic and cultural development by establishing a network of TISCs in India.
- The Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) is designated as the National Focal Point for the TISC national network.
- Sandeep Patil named brand ambassador of indoor cricket team
- Former Indian batsman Sandeep Patil was named as the brand ambassador of the Indian Indoor Cricket Team.
- Patil, a member of the 1983 World Cup-winning squad, will be the face of the team in the lead-up to the 10th edition of the World Indoor Cricket Federation (WICF) World Cup, to be held from September 16-23 at the Insportz Club in Dubai.
- Indian scientists discover supercluster of galaxies – Saraswati
A team of Indian astronomers have identified previously unknown, extremely large supercluster of galaxies located in the direction of constellation Pisces. It has been named “Saraswati”.A supercluster is a chain of galaxies and galaxy clusters. It bound by gravity consisting of tens of thousands of galaxies. It often stretches several hundred times the size of clusters of galaxies. So, galaxies are made of billions of stars and planets and grouped into clusters. These clusters of galaxies, in turn, are grouped together to form superclusters.