BIHAR

Priests solemnising marriages in Bihar will now double up as social reformers to ensure success of the state government’s big ticket campaign against child marriage.

“They will have to give an undertaking that marriages solemnised by them had been done in accordance with the law and the age of brides was 18 years or above

The state government was also planning to make biometric identification Aadhaar mandatory for brides and grooms and ward councillors accountable if any child marriage was reported from their respective areas.

While prevalence of child marriage in Bihar is high due to social and economic factors, the state is second to Uttar Pradesh in dowry related cases, as per official data.

INTERNATIONAL

· Anupama Clinches World Open Under-16 Snooker Championship Title

India’s Anupama Ramachandran clinched the World Open Under-16 Snooker Championship title at St. Petersburg in Russia.
In the girl’s category, second seed Anupama knocked out her compatriot and top seed Keerthana Pandian 3-1 to become World Open Under-16 champion.
This is the Federation of Billiards Sports of Russia hosted this first-ever World Open championships for Under-16 boys and girls.

India is ranked the eighth most valuable nation brand while the United States retained its top position and China took the second spot in the league of nations according to Brand Finance’s Nation Brands 2017.

India went down one spot over the previous year, the report said, because the economy grew at its slowest pace.

China, the fastest growing nation brand in 2017, saw valuation grow 44 per cent.

NATIONAL

Prez launches Rs 100 crore clean water initiative
President Ram Nath Kovind launched Mata Amritanandamayi Math’s Rs 100 crore clean water initiative for rural India at the math headquarters in Kerala.

Kovind, who is on his maiden visit to the southern state after assuming office, inaugurated the

‘Jivamritam’ filtration system, envisaged to provide clean drinking water to 10 million villagers across the nation.

The programme was organised as part of the 64th birthday celebrations of spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, popularly known as ‘Amma’ among her devotees.

· Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches ‘Intensified Mission Indradhanush

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched an intensive immunization drive from Gujarat’s Vadnagar, saying no child should suffer from any vaccine-preventable disease.
Under the IMI, a seven-day immunization drive will be conducted each month from now till January 2018 in 173 districts and 17 cities.
These districts include 52 in eight northeastern states and 121 in 16 other states.
The main aim of the program is that Let no child suffer from any vaccine-preventable disease.

TheReserve Bank of India (RBI)is to launch a financial literacy drive in 80 blocks in nine states on the pilot basis to educate people on e-transactions, formal sector borrowings, and insurance purchases.
According to RBI, it commissions 9 states of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Odisha, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh by the 6 NGOs in collaboration with the sponsor Banks.
The main aim is to inculcate the habit of making a household budget and recording financial transactions, encourage transactions in savings accounts, and active saving by depositing in banks through fixed deposits and recurring deposits.

Prime Minister Narendra Modilaid the foundation stone for Bhadbhut Barrage to be built over Narmada River in Bharuch Gujarat.
He also flagged off the Antyodaya Express between Udhna in Surat and Jaynagar in Bihar.
He inaugurated a new 500-crore rupees civil hospital and a medical college in Vadnagar, Gujarat.
He launched the intensified mission Indradhanushto accelerate progress towards the goal of full immunization coverage.

President Ram Nath Kovind launched 100 crore rupeesMata Amritanandamayi Math Project “Jeevamritham “to provide a filtration system for cleaning drinking water to 5000 villages across India, in Kollam district in Kerala.
He also distributed the certificates to three villages out of 12 villages in the States of Bihar, UP, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, and Kerala, which was adopted by the Math, verified as Open Defecation Free bySwatch Bharat Abhiyan.