CHHATTISGARH

A total of seven proposals under the Central Road Fund (CRF) scheme have been received from Chhattisgarh relating to State Roads and National Highways, the Central Government has informed.

The seven estimates amounting to Rs 294.18 crore have been processed for approval, it informed.

Notably, a sum of Rs 1897 crore have been allocated for the construction of National Highways during the last three years in Chhattisgarh under head National Highway (Original) and National Highway Development Program – IV, the Central Government informed last year.

There are 18 numbers of National Highways passing through Chhattisgarh, it informed.

Out of total 2032 kms, National Highways had been declared in-principle in Chhattisgarh and stretches will be taken up for development depending upon inter-se priority and availability of funds.

Nationally, about 20,557 km of National Highways are under DPR preparation as on June 30 in the last financial year, the Government informed.

Notably, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways allocated Rs 1533.68 crores to Chhattisgarh for development of national highways during the last financial year, the Government has informed.

A total of Rs 895.63 crore had already been spent or development of national highways in the State, it informed.

During the last financial year, a total of Rs 359.94 crore was allocated out of which 339.80 crore was spent for the development of national highways in Chhattisgarh.

Chhattisgarh is also all set to get new national highways (NHs) with roads totalling length of 1367 kms, inform officials.

It may be recalled that Chhattisgarh had been already inviting private investors to set up manufacturing clusters for taking advantage of five sea ports within its 600 km reach from the State.

With five ports Paradip and Dhamra in Odisha, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Machillipatnam in Andhra Pradesh, the opportunity of setting up of manufacturing clusters in Chhattisgarh is immense.

The Chhattisgarh Government in 2015-16 had informed that it had adopted Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for development of roads and expects capital investment of nearly Rs 10,000 crore.

A total of 12 roads have been marked under Chhattisgarh State Road Development Project, out of which work on developing six roads has already been started, officials stated.

In 2015-16, a total of 3724 kms of roads were built and upgraded and construction of 41 bridges has been completed. Construction of 123 bridges is in progress, officials had informed.

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had approved Rs 3,300 crore for broadening and upgradation of the National Highways in Chhattisgarh in 2015-16.

Notably in July 2015, the Central government had also announced that it would award contracts for three key road projects in Chhattisgarh measuring 149 kms to be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 3,522 crores this year, officials stated.

INTERNATIONAL

· China launches twin BeiDou-3 navigation satellites into space

China successfully sent pair of twin Beidou-3MEO satellites – Beidou-30 and Beidou-31 –into space as part of its third and final stage of launching its domestic Beidou (Compass) satellite navigation system.
They were launched on board Long March-3B carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in south-west China’s Sichuan Province.
It was a 269th mission for the Long March rocket family.

· NASA to Send First Mission to Study ‘Heart’ Of Mars

TheNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is all set to send the first-ever mission dedicated to exploring the deep interior of Mars. Scheduled to launch on 5 May, InSight—a stationary lander—will also be the first Nasa mission since the Apollo moon landings to place a seismometer, a device that measures quakes, on the soil of another planet.
InSight or the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport mission, carries a suite of sensitive instruments to gather data.

The Union Cabinet approved the signing of MoU between India and the United Kingdomand Northern Ireland regarding cooperation and Exchange of Information for the Purposes of Combating International Criminality and Tackling Serious Organised Crime.
India and U.K. already have an agreement concerning the investigation and prosecution of crime and the tracing, restraint, and confiscation of the proceeds and instruments of crime (including crimes involving currency transfers) and terrorist funds, which was signed in 1995.

India has toppled China and Spain to emerge as the world’s largest consumer of Almond in recent times.
Almond imports into India rose 7 per cent to worth about Rs 3,900 crore last year against Rs 3,640 crore in 2016.

Long-serving American diplomat Rosemary DiCarloappointed to become the first woman to head UN political affairs, one of the most high-profile positions at the world body.
DiCarlo will replace Jeffrey Feltman, another American who held the post of under-secretary-general for political affairs since 2012.
DiCarlo also served as deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs and director for United Nations affairs at the national security council in Washington.

NATIONAL

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced raising the retirement age of state government employees to 62 years from the current 60 years.

He however did not disclose details of this decision. There are about five lakh regular government employees in the state.

The state government had made a provision for reservation for SC/ST employees in promotion, which was set aside by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

Kadaknath, a chicken breed whose black meat is in demand in Madhya Pradesh has got the coveted Geographical Indications (GI) tag label.

The protein-rich meat of Kadaknath, chicks and eggs are sold at a much higher rate than other varieties of chicken.

Chennai-based GI Registry accepted the application of Gramik Vikas Trust, Jhabua, which was filed in 2012.

Several Budget proposals, including the reintroduction of the tax onlong-term capital gains (LTCG) exceeding Rs 1 lakh from the sale of shares, will kick in from 01st April 2018, the beginning of the 2018-19 financial year.
Besides, other tax proposals like the reduced corporate tax of 25 percent on businesses on a turnover of up to Rs 250 crore and a standard deduction of Rs 40,000 in lieu of transport allowance and medical reimbursement, will come into effect from 01st April 2018.

The Mangalore International Airport has been adjudged the cleanest airport in the country.
Airport director VV Rao received the award during the 23rd annual day celebrations of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in New Delhi.
In the survey conducted across 53 airports in the country by AAI, Mangaluru airport was adjudged the cleanest.