RAJASTHAN
- Union Government Inks $100 Million Loan Agreement With NDB For Rajasthan Water Project
- The union government has signed second Loan Agreement with New Development Bank (NDB)for the financing of Rajasthan Water Sector Restructuring Project for the Desert Areas.
- This is the first tranche loan of $100 million was approved by the NDB under Multi-Tranche Financing Facility of $345 million for this project. The objective of the project is to rehabilitate 678 km long Indira Gandhi Nahar Project (IGNP) built during 1958-63 to prevent seepage.
INTERNATIONAL
- China’s Qingdao to host SCO summit in June
- East China’s Qingdao City will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in June this year.
- Shandong is the birthplace of many ancient Chinese thinkers, including Confucius. In 2017, its GDP exceeded 7.2 trillion yuan.
- The summit has China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan as full members.
- India’s defence budget breaks into world’s top 5: UK report
- India’s defence budget broke into the world’s top five, beating the UK for the first time, a new report by a London-based global think-tank has said.
- India overtook the UK as the fifth-largest defence spender in the world in 2017 at $52.5 billion, up from $51.1 billion in 2016, according to the ‘Military Balance 2018’ report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
- In contrast, the UK’s defence budget fell from $52.5 billion in 2016 to $50.7 billion last year.
- World’s top five defence spenders are the US, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia and India.
· India and Iran signed 9 MoUs To Boost Bilateral Ties
- India and Iran signed nine agreements in order to further the bilateral cooperation between the two sides.
- The pacts were signed after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Iran President Hassan Rouhani at New Delhi’s Hyderabad house.
- The two countries inked pacts to enhance cooperation in the areas of taxation, maritime cooperation, health and medicine, trade, agriculture and postal cooperation.
· Saudi Arabia allows women to start business without male permission
- Women in Saudi Arabiacan now open their own businesses without the consent of a husband or male relative.
- The policy change, announced by the Saudi government also marks a major step away from the strict guardianship system that has ruled the country for decades.
- The Country’s Ministry of Commerce and investment said on its website that women can now launch their own businesses and benefit from governmental e-services without having to prove consent from a guardian.
NATIONAL
- Modi govt to set up 562 more Ekalavya schools
- The government will set up 562 more Ekalavya Model Residential School (EMRS) in tribal areas across the country that will be on par with the Navodaya Vidyalayas, Tribal Affairs minister Jual Oram said.
- Detailing about the budgetary provisions for budget 2018-19, Oram said 271 EMRSs have already been sanctioned out of which 190 are currently operational.
- The EMRS are planned under a government scheme for model residential school for Indian tribals (Scheduled Tribes) across India.
- National Banana Festival, 2018 held in Thiruvananthapuram
- The Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh addressed at the National Banana Festival, 2018 held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
- India is the largest producer of banana in the world with 29.7 64 288 64 288 64S117.2 64 74.6 75.5c-23.5 6.3-42 24.9-48.3 48.6-11.4 42.9-11.4 132.3-11.4 132.3s0 89.4 11.4 132.3c6.3 23.7 24.8 41.5 48.3 47.8C117.2 448 288 448 288 448s170.8 0 213.4-11.5c23.5-6.3 42-24.2 48.3-47.8 11.4-42.9 11.4-132.3 11.4-132.3s0-89.4-11.4-132.3zm-317.5 213.5V175.2l142.7 81.2-142.7 81.2z"/> Subscribe on YouTube