Himachal Pradesh
- Apple production to remain less this time in Himachal.
- Inclement weather condition has resulted in less production of apple crop in Himachal Pradesh this season. Less snowfall, hailstorm and rains have caused extensive damage to the apple crop in the middle range (5500 feet to 7000 feet) where maximum production was being recorded. It is expected that apple production would not touch 2 crore boxes mark this time.
- Apple economy of Himachal Pradesh is pegged at around Rs 3500 crore and less production would have direct bearing on state’s economy. Apple is most important fruit crop of Himachal Pradesh as it constitutes about 49% of the total fruit production. Area under apple has increased from 400 hectares in 1950-51 to 30235 hectares in 1960-61, and 1,10,679 hectares in 2015-16. Apple is largely produced in the districts of Shimla, Kullu, Kinnaur, Mandi, Chamba, Sirmaur and Lahaul-Spiti.
INTERNATIONAL
- Indonesia renames part of South China Sea.
- Indonesia has named waters in its exclusive economic zone that overlap with China’s expansive claim to the South China Sea as the North Natuna Sea.
- China claims most of the South China Sea, putting it in dispute with many southeast Asian nations, and has carried out extensive land reclamation.
- Philippines also has claims to the South China Sea.
- Iceland appraised world’s most peaceful nation, India 137th Iceland has been named the world’s most peaceful nation, besting the Global Peace Index for the tenth back to back year. New Zealand and Portugal have finished the top three, while Syria has been named the slightest peacefu
NATIONAL
- Union Government launches GST training Programme.
- The Union Government launched a Goods And Service Tax (GST) training Programme to skill around two lakh youths in six months and to handle tax compliance issues like invoice making.
- The people would be trained under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).
- It will be implemented in 14 statesand in the next six months, two lakh people will get complete training about GST.
- To mark the second anniversary of Skill India mission the ministry has inaugurated the training course at 100 centres in the country.
- Delhi to host India’s maiden Mobile Congress from September 27
- India is setting the stage for the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) in September.
- The IMC will be held in September this year for the first time. Then on, it will be an annual event. The event to be held from September 27 to 29 will be organized by telecom industry body Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) with support from the Department of Telecommunications and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
- India to have its own GPS system from 2018
- India will be having its own GPS system. ‘NavIC’ will be operational early 2018. The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) with an operational name of NavIC is currently being tested for its accuracy and is most likely to be available in the market for public use early next year.
NavIC the name given by PM Narendra Modi after the launch of IRNSS-1G, is designed to provide accurate position information to users within the country.
- International Indian Film Academy Awards 2017
- The 18th edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards was held in New York.
- Here’s the complete list of the IIFA 2017 winners:
Best Film– Neerja
Best Actor (Male)- Shahid Kapoor for Udta Punjab
Best Actor (Female)- Alia Bhatt for Udta Punjab
Best Director– AnirudhRoy Chaudhary for Pink
- India’s Harinder Pal Sandhu wins Victorian Open squash tournament
- India’s Harinder Pal Sandhu (28) won the Victorian Open squash tournament held in Melbourne, Australia. In the final he defeated Rex Hedrick of Australia.
- Country’s first biomethane bus developed by Tata Motors.
- Tata Motors has developed country’s first Bio-CNG (bio-methane) bus which was unveiled recently at a bio-energy programme, ‘Urja Utsav’.
- At the Urja Utsav held in Pune’s Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Tata displayed three engines, along with the lead mode.