HIMACHAL PRADESH

Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Sign $105 Million Loan to Support Hydropower Transmission in Himachal Pradesh

The tranche 3 loan is part of the $350 million multi-tranche financing facility (MFF) for Himachal Pradesh Clean Energy Transmission Investment Program approved by the ADB Board in September 2011.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members—48 from the region.

INTERNATIONAL

· India re-elected as member of ITU council till 2022

India elected as a member of the International Telecommunications Union-ITU Council for another four-year term from 2019 to 2022.
The elections to the Council were held during the ongoing ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2018 at Dubai.
India secured 165 votes and ranked third among the 13 countries elected to the council from the Asia-Australasia region, and eighth among the 48 countries elected to the council globally.

ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – ICTs.

· Pakistan-China luxury bus service launched from Lahore to Kashgar

The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) and Shuja Express together launched the bus service between Pakistan and China to facilitate tourists.
It is part of an initiative to connect the two countries via road under the USD 60 billionChina-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Earlier, India lodged strong protests with China and Pakistan over the proposed bus service between the two countries through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Pakistan rejected protests by India against the bus service to China.
Launched in 2015, the CPEC is a planned network of roads, railways and energy projects linking China’s resource-rich Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with Pakistan’s strategic Gwadar Porton the Arabian Sea.

NATIONAL

· Lucknow’s Cricket Stadium renamed after Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a day before India-WI T20I

UP government on November 5 renamed Lucknow’s Ekana International Cricket Stadium as ‘Bharat Ratan Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium‘.
This would be the first international cricket match to be played in the stadium.
India defeated Windies in the first T20I to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The stadium, a dream project of former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadavwas completed in 2017. The stadium which has a seating capacity of 50,000 was built as a public-private partnership.

· IFFI to commence in Goa from November 20

The 49th International Film Festival of India, IFFI 2018will be held in Goa from 20th to 28th of November.
The festival will showcase 212 films from over 68 countries which reflects the diversity of taste. International Competition section has 15 films out of which three are Indian.
Information and Broadcasting Ministry stated that Festival will open with World Premiere of The Aspern Papers with an international star cast.

· UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath renamed Faizabad as Ayodhya

During the celebrations on the eve of Diwali, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath made three major announcements:
Faizabad district will be renamed as Ayodhya,
A new airport will be named after Lord Rama,and a new medical college will be named after King Dasharatha.

· Supreme Court gave nod for a separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh

The new court, which will be the25th High Court in the country, will start functioning from 1 January 2019 in Amravati.
Presently, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have a common High Court situated at Hyderabad. The existing court will from next year be known as the Telangana High Court.
The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, which resulted in the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, also has a provision for separate High Courts.
1,023 fast track courts to be set up under Nirbhaya fund: WCD ministry

The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development has decided to use Nirbhaya Fund to set up 1,023 fast track courts to dispose off pending cases of rape of children and women.

In July, the Ministry of Law and Justice had proposed setting up over 1,000 ‘fast track special courts’ across the country, as part of a new scheme to try cases related to rape of children and women.

The Nirbhaya Fund was announced by the Centre in 2013 after the sensational December 16, 2012 gang rape and murder of a physiotherapy student in Delhi, to support the initiatives of governments and NGOs working towards safety of women.

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