Chhattisgarh
- NTPC seeks advice to surrender 2 coal mines in Chhattisgarh.
- State-owned NTPC has sought the advice of consultancy arm of Coal India, CMPDIL, to surrender its two coal blocks as the mines were discovered to be economically and technically unviable.
- The Banai and Bhalumuda coal blocks in Chhattisgarh are adjacent to each other and facing difficulty in dumping of overburden as the area surrounding the blocks is coal bearing, an official said.
- NTPC has been allocated eight coal blocks including Banai, Bhalumuda and Mandakini-B by the Centre.
- Banhardih block, allocated earlier to Jharkhand Urja Utpadan Nigam, is now being assigned to Patratu Vidyut Utapadan Nigam (PVUNL), a JV company between NTPC and Jharkhand government.
INTERNATIONAL
- UN Security Council imposes new sanctions on North Korea.
- United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has passed a resolution imposing new sanctions on North Korea for its continued intercontinental ballistic missile testing and violations of UN resolutions. The UNSC unanimously approved tough new sanctions last night including a ban on coal and other exports worth over 1 billion dollars.
- The resolution prevents North Korea from increasing the number of workers it sends abroad. It also prohibits all new joint ventures with North Korea, bans new investment in the current joint companies and adds nine North Korean officials and four entities including North Korea’s main foreign exchange bank to the UN sanctions blacklist.
Gk bit – UNSC
- The United Nations Security Council(UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, charged with the maintenance of international peace and securityas well as accepting new members to the United Nations and approving any changes to its United Nations Charter. Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action through Security Council resolutions; it is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states. The Security Council held its first session on 17 January 1946.
- The Security Council consists of fifteen members.
5 are permanent – US,UK,FRANCE,RUSSIA and CHINA.
- 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms. The body’s presidencyrotates monthly among its members.
NATIONAL
- India ranks 43rd in 2017 Global Retirement Index.
- India ranked last at 43rd positionin 2017 Global Retirement Index (GRI) published by French asset management company Natixis Global.
- The index ranks 43 countries on the basis of four factors namely the material means to live comfortably in retirement (Material Well-being); access to quality health services (Health); access to quality financial services to help preserve savings value and maximize income (Finances) and a clean and safe environment (Quality of Life ).
- The Top three countries in 2017 GRI are Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland.
- NCERT launches web portal to supply Textbooks online.
- The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) launched a web portal for the supply of textbooks to schools and individuals.
- The web portal of NCERT will enable schools to place orders for their books online. It will also enable individual buyers to place their orders.
- The NCERT is an autonomous organization set up in 1961 by the Union Government as a literary, scientific and charitable Society under the Societies.
- 75th anniversary of Quit India Movement.
- The nation is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Quit India Movement today. A number of events are being planned to mark the occasion.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon countrymen to start a new India movement “SANKALP SE SIDDHI”- Attainment through Resolve.
- Mr Modi, termed the month of August as a month of revolution as the non-cooperation movement was launched on 1st of August 1920, Quit-India movement on 9th of August 1942 and on 15th August 1947 India became independent.
- The National Archives of India is organizing a special exhibition in New Delhi from today to mark the 75th year of Quit India Movement and Azad Hind Fauj. The two big events of the Indian history will be displayed through thousands of declassified files and documents.
- Maharashtra to raise $270 m from Green Climate Fund.
- The 2030 Water Resources Group (2030WRG) will help the Maharashtra Government raise $270 million from the Green Climate Fund, which will be invested in integrated watershed programmes such as Jalyukt Shivar Yojana.
- The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a new fund under the UN and is guided by the principles and provisions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
- The 2030WRG is hosted by the International Finance Corporation and is public-private-civil society collaboration for water resources reform in developing economies.
- Its ultimate aim is to close the gap between water demand and supply by the year 2030.