HIMACHAL PRADESH

New colleges take a toll on primary schools

The government has opened nine colleges in Kangra district — at Jandor in Jaswan Paragpur, Ray in Indora, Dadasiba in Dehra area, Khundian and Majheen in Jwalamukhi, Nagrota Surian in Jawali, Takipur and Mataur in Kangra and at Lunj in Shahpur. Two private colleges in Jwalamukhi and Baroh have been taken over by the state government.

The new colleges have taken a toll on primary and secondary schools. In Matour, about 10 km from Dharamsala, a new building of the government senior secondary school was constructed. The school authorities were expecting that the children would get rid of the ramshackle building in which the school was being run. But the new building has been handed over to government college, Mataur, and the school is still running in the unsafe building.

Similarly, almost all new colleges have taken over the buildings of primary or secondary schools.

INTERNATIONAL

· USA to provide EMALS technology to India for aircraft carriers

Donald Trump Government has promised to provide the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System(EMALS)technology to India for aircraft carriers.
S Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be visiting India soon and before his visit, Trump administration has informed of its decision to give EMALS to India.
EMALS also weighs less, is expected to cost less and require less maintenance, and can launch aircraft that are heavier or lighter.
This EMAL will help to launch heavy combat planes from the short runway of an aircraft carrier using electromagnetic force, instead of the old steam-powered catapults.

Gandhi museum inaugurated in Durban

A Gandhi museum has been inaugurated on a small piece of land once owned by Mahatma Gandhi in the coastal city of Durban.

Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh inaugurated the museum, which will reflect the life and universal influence of Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhi owned the land in 1897 and used to hold public meetings there when the Natal Indian Congress planned its fight against laws discriminating against Indians in South Africa.

NATIONAL

· Maharashtra Government releases Rs 4000 crore in phase 1 of Loan Waiver Scheme

Chief Minister of MaharashtraDevendra Fadnavis released a sum of Rs 4,000 crore under the first phase of the over Rs 34,000 crore farm loan waiver scheme.
In the first phase, will cover more than 8 lakh farmers, Fadnavis stated as he listed initiatives taken by his government towards increasing investment in the agriculture sector.

· Income Tax dept Launches ‘Online Chat’ to answer Taxpayers Queries

The Income Tax Department launched an ‘online chat’ servicefor taxpayers so that they can seek answers to their basic queries and doubts relating to direct tax issues.
A window has been hosted on the main page of the department’s website — www.incometaxindia.gov.in/ with a prominent icon stating ‘Live Chat Online – ask your query.’
A team of experts from the department and independent tax practitioners has been deputed to answer the general queries of a taxpayer.
The first-time initiative is aimed to enhance taxpayer services in the country.

· ACI ranks Hyderabad airport No. 1 in 5 to 15 million category

Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has ranked No. 1 in the Airports Council International’s (ACI) service quality survey in the category of 5 to 15 million passengers per annum.
GIA was opened in year 2008 and is operated by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. (GHIAL).
A trophy for this accomplishment for the year 2016 was handed over to GHIAL CEO, SG K Kishore during the 27th ACI
Africa/world annual general assembly at Port Louis in Mauritius on October 18, 2017.

· Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas conferred with Swachh Bharat Inter-Ministerial Award

Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG)was awarded Swachh Bharat Inter-Ministerial Award in Swachh Bharat National Award ceremony on Gandhi Jayanti, in New Delhi.
The Swachh Bharat Inter-Ministerial Award was given by Minister of State, Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation S.S.Ahluwalia to MoPNG.
The award was received by Senior Adviser (PNG).
The focus of MoPNG has been not only to improve peoples’ involvement but also to bring behavioral change through Swachh Bharat Mission.

· Javed Akhtar to be honoured with Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award

Veteran writer and lyricist Javed Akhtaris to be honored with the Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award will receive Rs.1,00,000 along with a memento.

The programme is being presented to celebrate the 75-year-old music career of singer Lata Mangeshkar.

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