6TH AUGUST
Contents
EBRAHIM RAISI SWORN-IN AS IRAN’S PRESIDENT
GERMANY BECAME 5TH NATION TO SIGN ISA AGREEMENT
WEST BENGAL RECEIVED FOUR SKOCH AWARDS
MANGDECHHU PROJECT IN BHUTAN GETS BRUNEL MEDAL
INDIA’S NUCLEAR CAPACITY TO REACH 22,480 MW BY 2031
JOHN ABRAHAM AS MOTO-GP BRAND AMBASSADOR
1ST INDIAN FEMALE DIRECTOR OF ZSI IN 100 YEARS
EBRAHIM RAISI SWORN-IN AS IRAN’S PRESIDENT
- Ebrahim Raisi was officially sworn in as the new president of Iran on August 05, 2021. He won the 2021 Iranian presidential election in June, with 62 per cent of the vote.
- The 60-year-old Raisi succeeds Hassan Rouhani to begin his four-year term. He is also been the Chief Justice of Iran since March 2019.
- Raisi’s inauguration comes at a pivotal time, with Iran currently in indirect negotiations with the United States over how to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement.
- Raisi will also face the task of reviving his country’s economy, which has been battered in recent years by the previous US administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign of sanctions.
- Tensions in the region are also high following a string of maritime provocations blamed by the West on Tehran.
(SOURCE: THE PRINT)
GERMANY BECAME 5TH NATION TO SIGN ISA AGREEMENT
- Germany became the 5th country to sign the International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement after amendments to it entered into force on 8th January 2021, opening its Membership to all Member States of the United Nations.
- Ambassador of Germany to India Walter J. Lindner deposited signed copies of the International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement with the Ministry of External Affairs, the depositary of the Agreement.
- Membership to the ISA was earlier limited to 121 countries, which were partially or entirely located within the tropics.
- This didn’t allow major solar energy economies such as Germany to join the alliance that is being increasingly seen as a foreign policy tool.
- The initiative was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the India Africa Summit and a meeting of member countries ahead of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in November 2015.
- The framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance opened for signatures in Marrakech, Morocco in November 2016.
(SOURCE: FIRSTPOST)
WEST BENGAL RECEIVED FOUR SKOCH AWARDS
- The government of West Bengal has received four SKOCH awards for its schemes under the Ease of Doing Business initiative.
- The State scheme ‘Silpasathi’-the online single window portal won the platinum award while the Auto-Renewal of Certificate of Enlistment through the online system for urban areas has received the gold award.
- Online issuance of trade licences in rural areas and the E-Nathikaran: the online system for registration, preparation and submission of deeds have won two silver awards.
- The state government will ensure that the ease of doing business in West Bengal continues to be one of the foremost in the country.
- Chief Minister of West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee
- Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar
(SOURCE: TIMES OF INDIA)
MANGDECHHU PROJECT IN BHUTAN GETS BRUNEL MEDAL
- Bhutan’s India-assisted Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project was conferred with the Brunel Medal awarded by the London-based Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
- The award was given as a mark of excellence in civil engineering within the industry and was handed over by the Indian envoy to Bhutan Ruchira Kamboj to the Chairman of Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project Authority, Lyonpo Loknath Sharma.
- One of the reasons the Mangdechhu project was awarded was because of its social and environmental credentials.
- About the project: The project will reduce 2.4 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year. Bhutan and India in the past have collectively resolved to increase the hydropower energy capacity of Bhutan to 12000 MW.
- The Brunel Medal is historically given to major projects and organisations across the world.
- The 2020 edition of the prize went to the Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project – a collaboration between Indian and Bhutanese governments. The award was announced in October 2020.
(SOURCE: INDIAN EXPRESS)
INDIA’S NUCLEAR CAPACITY TO REACH 22,480 MW BY 2031
- India’s nuclear power capacity is expected to reach 22,480 Mega Watts by 2031 from the current 6,780 MegaWatts.
- There are presently 22 reactors with a total capacity of 6780 MW in operation and one reactor, KAPP-3 (700 MW) has been connected to the grid on January 10, 2021.
- Ten (10) nuclear power reactors with 8000 MW capacity (including 500 MW PFBR being implemented by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited {BHAVINI}) are under construction.
- Additionally, the Government has accorded administrative approval and financial sanction of ten (10) indigenous Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) of 700 MW each to be set up in fleet mode.
(SOURCE: DOWN TO EARTH)
JOHN ABRAHAM AS MOTO-GP BRAND AMBASSADOR
- Eurosport India has appointed Bollywood superstar and MotoGP enthusiast, John Abraham, as the India Ambassador for their flagship Motorsport property, MotoGP™.
- John will be seen promoting MotoGP to a wider audience base in India as its face through Eurosport’s campaign – “MotoGP, Race Lagate Hai”.
- Eurosport India currently boasts of an unparalleled depth in global motorsports programming for the Indian motorsports fans with prestigious properties like FIA Formula 2 Championship, W Series, Nascar, Indycar Series and Bennetts British Superbike racing.
- Prior to the association, the actor has shared the stage with MotoGP legend “The Doctor”-Valentino Rossi and has frequented many MotoGP races.
(SOURCE: LIVE MINT)
1ST INDIAN FEMALE DIRECTOR OF ZSI IN 100 YEARS
- The Indian government approved the appointment of Dr Dhriti Banerjee as the director of the Zoological Survey of India.
- She is a prolific scientist, conducting research in zoogeography, taxonomy, morphology and molecular systematics.
- On the occasion of its centenary celebrations in 2016, Banerjee had co-authored the “The Glorious 100 Women’s Scientific Contribution in ZSI”, which chronicled the contributions of women scientists in the domain of animal-related groups.
- Zoological Survey of India: Founded in July 1916, the ZSI has its headquarters in Kolkata. It has 16 regional centres under the ministry of environment and forest and climate change.
- ZSI started hiring women scientists as late as 1949, nearly three decades since its inception.
(SOURCE: TIMES OF INDIA)