Himachal Pradesh
- Explain delay in starting ropeway project: NGT to state.
- Disappointed with the progress of Palchan-Rohtang ropeway project, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed a senior official of the state government and sarpanch of Palchan panchayat to appear before it on Wednesday.
- On June 19, the tribunal had stressed on the completion of the project, observing that the ecology and environment should be preserved in of the eco-sensitive and tourist area.
- During the last hearing on July 21, the NGT had found that the ropeway work has not progressed as directed. The NGT bench headed by its chairperson justice Swatanter Kumar had asked the state government to give reasons thereof in the affidavit.
The Himachal Pradesh government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a private company in October 2015, but work has not started till date for want of required clearances.
- The 8.1-km ropeway would not only reduce carbon emission by reducing vehicular traffic on 50-km Manali-Rohtang road, but would also ensure accessibility to 13,050-ft Rohtang pass during winters when heavy snowfall blocks the road leading to mountain pass.
INTERNATIONAL
- Scientists develop new software that can crate 3D models from 2D photographs
- Scientists have developed new Artificial intelligence (AI) software called SurfNet that can create three dimensional (3D) models from 2D photographs.
- SurfNet software using hundreds of thousands of 2D shapes of objects can reconstruct it a model in 3Dimensions.
- It can be used in robotics, object recognition and even self-driving cars. SurfNet will give them the ability to understand the 3D environment around them using standard 2D cameras.
- Indonesia to host AFC U-19 Championship
- The Asian Football Confederation (AFC)Competition Committeeawarded Indonesia the hosting of the AFC Under-19 Championship 2018.
- The AFC U-19 championship is scheduled to be held from 18 October to 4 November 2018.
- The committee felt that Indonesia was regarded as the most favourable among the bidders.
NATIONAL
- Niti Aayog clears six proposals for high-tech public transport
- Niti Aayog has cleared proposals of the transport ministry exploring options to improve public transport. These proposals include mass rapid transportation technologies such as metrino, hyperloop, pod taxis, stadler buses, hybrid buses and freight rail road.
- The new technologies are being explored by the Government as current public transportation is unable to resolve the increasing traffic crisis in the country.
- Metrino:Fully automatic, driverless small pods travel independently suspended over an overhead network which is usually 5-10 meters above the ground.
- Podtaxi:Small automated vehicles/podcars/cable cars which carry a small number of passengers. The ropeway-like system runs on electricity and driverless pods and comes down at designated stations, thus removing the traffic burden from crowded roads.
- Hyperloop:A hyperloop comprises a sealed tube or series of tubes through which a pod may travel free of air resistance or friction conveying people or objects at speeds matching that of an aircraft.
· Union Cabinet clears minimum wage code bill
- The Union Cabinet approved the new wage code billwhich will ensure a minimum wage across all sectors by integrating four labour related laws.
The new wage code
- The Labour Code on Wages Bill will consolidate the Minimum Wages Act, 1948; the Payment of Wages Act, 1936; the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965; and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.
- The bill seeks to empower the Centre to set a minimum wage across all sectorsin the country and states will have to maintain that.
- However, states will be able to provide for higher minimum wage in their jurisdictionthan fixed by the central government.
- The new minimum wage norms would be applicable for all workers irrespective of their pay.
- At present, the minimum wages fixed by the Centre and states are applicable to workers getting up to Rs 18,000 pay monthly.
- This would ensure a universal minimum wage for all industries and workers, including those getting monthly pay higher than Rs 18,000.
- Aadhaar disrupting food security: Right to Food Campaign
- Right to Food Campaign, in a press release on Thursday, expressed shock and dismay at the arguments of Attorney General KK Venugopal in Supreme Court in the ongoing case on whether the right to privacy is a fundamental right.
- The Right to Food Campaign said it welcomed the recognition that the National Food Security Act (which includes the Public Distribution System, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and social security pensions) was important in realizing right to life. However, all reports so far point to the devastation and exclusion that Aadhaar-integration is causing in these programmes, Right to Food said, contradicting the claim by the government that Aadhaar was needed for these very schemes.
- The Right to Food Campaign feels that by putting all the focus on Aadhaar, the government is distracting attention from the real issues in the implementation of these programmes – the need to introduce pulses and oil in the PDS, eggs and other nutritious items in the MDM programme, timely payments in NREGA, raising its contribution to social security pensions from Rs200, and so on. The Campaign urges the nine-judge Constitution bench to take note of mounting evidence of the failure of Aadhaar in welfare programmes and demands that all notifications linking Aadhaar with welfare programmes (NREGA, PDS, MDM, pensions etc) be immediately withdrawn.
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