CHHATTISGARH
- State to celebrate ‘bijli tihar’ on dec 12
- The chhattisgarh government will celebrate ‘bijli tihar’ on december 12 on the completion of 14 years in office of chief minister raman singh .
- During the celebrations, 36 new power sub stations will be inaugurated which were constructed at a cost of rs 57.49 crore. The move would help resolve low voltage problem in 515 villages of the state, officials informed.
- Chhattisgarh state power distribution company ltd (cspdcl) is expected to procure power to the tune of 980 mw by the end of fy 2018-19, officials informed.
- Notably, chhattisgarh had met a peak demand of 3,638 mw during fy 2014-15, which is expected to grow to 5,857 mw by the year fy 2018-19 , they informed.
- As on date, marwa tpp of capacity 1000 mw is the only project under construction or planned in the state of chhattisgarh .
- In addition, to meet the future demand of consumers, chhattisgarh has also signed ppa with central generating stations which will likely increase the current allocation from central generating stations from 1191 mw on april 1, 2015 to 2281 mw by march 2019.
- Notably, chhattisgarh government is also planning to add 2640 mw of additional renewable energy capacity by financial year 2018-19, officials informed.
- The state currently has total renewable energy potential of 4,500 mw which includes solar (grid connected and roof top), wind biomass and small hydro.
- The state is launching a ‘solar community irrigation project’ for drawing water extracted using solar pumps for supplying to the agricultural land of farmers across the state.
- Notably, chhattisgarh government is also planning to add 2640 mw of additional renewable energy capacity by financial year 2018-19.
- It may be recalled that there are significantly more number of villages which are to be electrified in chhattisgarh using the off-grid (solar) mode than the grid-based (conventional power supply.
- The state will soon also launch a ‘solar community irrigation project’ for drawing water extracted using solar pumps for supplying to the agricultural land of farmers across the state.
INTERNATIONAL
· Azar A.H.Khan Appointed Next Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan
- Shri Azar A.H.Khan, presently Consul General in the Consulate General of India,Istanbulappointed as the next Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan.
- He is expected to take up his assignment shortly.
· Kerala’s Alappuzha in Top 5 UN Clean City List
- The waste management system being implemented in Kerala’s coastal town of Alappuzha recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of the five models across the world for fighting the pollution menace.
- Alappuzha, often called “the Venice of East”,has been listed in the UNEP environment report entitled, ‘Solid approach to waste: how five cities are beating pollution’ alongside cities like Osaka in Japan, Ljubljana in Slovenia, Penang in Malaysia and Cajica in Colombia.
NATIONAL
- India, Israel to open centre for floriculture in Tamil Nadu
- India and Israel are coming together to set up a centre for excellence in floriculture at Thally in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu.
- The centre, the first agro-technology development centre to be set up with Israel’s assistance in the State, was officially inaugurated on 7 December.
- These centres would not only develop agricultural practices suitable for selected geographical regions, but would also transfer the best practices to farmers in and around.
- Aamir Khan’s Dangal Wins Best Asian Film at Australian Gala
- Aamir Khan-starrer Dangal was on Wednesday named the Best Asian Film at the 7th Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards.
- Dangal, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, is a biographical sports drama film.
- It is inspired by the lives of the Phogat family members, telling the story of Mahavir Singh Phogat, an amateur wrestler, who trains his daughters Geeta and Babita to become India’s first world-class female wrestlers.
- Unesco recognizes Kumbh Mela as India’s cultural heritage
- The Kumbh Mela has been recognized by Unesco as an “intangible cultural heritage of humanity”.
- The intergovernmental committee for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage under the UN body inscribed the Kumbh Mela on the “representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity” at its 12th session in Jeju, South Korea.
- The Kumbh Mela, held in Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik, represents a syncretic set of rituals related to worship and cleansing in holy rivers.
· Kanchanmala Pande Wins Indias 1st World Para Swimming Championship Gold
- Nagpur’s Kanchanmala Pande created history as she became the first Indian to secure pole position at the World Para-Swimming Championship in Mexico. The 26-year-old Reserve Bank of India employee won gold in the 200-metre medley event in the S-11 category and was also the only Indian to qualify for the women’s category. Unfortunately, she missed a podium finish in the 100 metres freestyle and came fifth in the breaststroke and backstroke category.
· Kerala to Raise Minimum Liquor Drinking Age from 21 to 23
- The Kerala government lead by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has decided to raise the legal drinking age from 21 to 23 years.
- The State Cabinet in a meeting decided to introduce a new ordinance raising the minimum age for liquor consumption from 21 to 23.
- The Ordinance will amend the Abkari Act. The previous UDF regime had adopted a policy in favour of prohibition by shutting down bars and closing doors on state-run liquor vending outlets.