PUNJAB

Punjab signs MoU with UK for setting up bio-gas, bio CNG plants

The Punjab government today signed a pact with the UK for setting up of bio-gas and bio-CNG plants in the state.

Giving details, an official spokesperson said the MoU has been signed with Rika Biofuels Development Ltd UK by Punjab Bureau of Industrial Promotion (PBIP) and Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA).

Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) will facilitate regulatory clearances and incentives by the state government.

He said these plants will be based on a new patented anerobic digester concept and straw extruding technology.

Rika plans to build in excess of 10 bio-CNG plants with a total investment of USD 100-150 million, creating up to 1,000 jobs across the whole operation and supply chain with the aim of having the first plant operational in 2019.

The capacity of each plant will be around 100 MT of paddy straw intake daily.

These projects would promote sustainable agriculture practices by stopping burning which severely damages the soil.

The digestate/bio manure, which is rich in organic and inorganic matter, gives a perfect mix of nutrients that promotes long-term soil health and improves agricultural yield, he said.

The Government of Punjab will facilitate identification of land parcels in various locations of the state for setting up the plants and also ensure incentives and benefits as applicable for such plants under the State Industrial and Business Development Policy-2017.

Rika Biofuels is a specialist anaerobic digestion project developer, specialising in processing problem feed stocks, including high volume manures and agricultural wastes such as crop straws.

INTERNATIONAL

· China’s Alibaba Buys Pakistan E-Commerce Firm Daraz

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba purchased leading Pakistani online retailer‘Daraz’,continuing its overseas expansion by gaining a foothold in the growing South Asian consumer market.
China is seeking closer economic ties with Asian neighbors including Pakistan through its Belt and Road initiative, a strategy to increase trade links that are led primarily by infrastructure projects.
Daraz, founded in 2012, was purchased from Rocket Internet, a Berlin-based incubator of online startups.

· India Pavilion Inaugurated At Cannes Film Festival 2018

The inaugural session of theIndian Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival 2018 was held at Cannes, France. It was hosted by noted actor Sharad Kelkar.
A meeting between the Indian delegation and Ms. Isabelle Giordano, Director General, Unifrance, M. Loic Wong, Director of International Department, CNC, France was held to explore co-production opportunities between India and France.

· World’s second oldest rock discovered in Odisha

Scientists have discovered world’s second oldest grain of magnetic zircon ( a mineral that contains traces of radioactive isotopes ) from champuna from Singhbhum rock sample in Odisha’s Kendujhar district.
It is an estimated 4, 240 million years old, making it world’s second oldest rock ever to be discovered.
It is oldest magnetic zircon on earth.

Venkaiah Naidu 3-Nation Visit: India & Peru Signs Agreement

India and Peru signed an agreement in the field of Renewable Energy at Lima.
The pact was signed in the presence of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and the Prime Minister Cesar Villanueva Arevalo.
This is the final leg of the 3-Nation visit to central America of Indian Vice- President.
During the meeting, the leaders discussed various bilateral and international issues of mutual interest.
Vice President’s visit comes at a time when India is celebrating the 55th anniversary of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations with Peru.

· Facebook sets up e-threat hotline for politicians

Facebook said it has introduced a “cyber threats crisis” email hotline for politicians and political parties in India. The social media giant, recently embroiled in a major controversy over misuse of private data, is also working on an “election integrity” microsite for India.

Compromised accounts and even the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), which works under union ministry of electronics and IT, can write to indiacyberthreats@fb.com in case of a security breach. Facebook also released a “cyber security guide” for political accounts.

NATIONAL

· India’s longest road-rail bridge to be inaugurated by PM Modi this year

In a major boost to defence logistics along the border with China, India’s longest road and railway bridge connecting Dibrugarh in Assam to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh is likely to be inaugurated later this year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While all the civil work would be completed by July this year, two more months would be needed to finish the electrical and signalling work on the 4.94 km bridge.

The bridge, which is the second longest in Asia, has three lane roads on top and double line rail below.

The bridge is 32 metres above the water level of the Brahamaputra and is fashioned on a bridge that links Sweden and Denmark.

Bogibeel is part of infrastructure projects planned by India to improve logistics along the border in Arunachal Pradesh. This includes the construction of a trans-Arunachal highway on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, and new road and rail links over the mighty river and its major tributaries such as the Dibang, Lohit, Subansiri and Kameng.
India and China share a nearly 4,000 km border.

· Ramayan Circuit’ gets a new bus service

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart K.P. Sharma Oli on Friday jointly inaugurated a direct bus service between Janakpur and Ayodhya, the two sacred cities for Hindus, as part of a “Ramayan Circuit” to promote religious tourism in Nepal and India.

The government has identified 15 destinations in India for development under the Ramayana Circuit theme — Ayodhya, Nandigram, Shringverpur and Chitrakoot (Uttar Pradesh), Sitamarhi, Buxar and Darbhanga (Bihar), Chitrakoot (Madhya Pradesh), Mahendragiri (Odisha), Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh), Nashik and Nagpur (Maharashtra), Bhadrachalam (Telangana), Hampi (Karnataka) and Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu).

Janakpur is known as the birth place of Sita, the wife of Lord Rama. Janaki temple was built in memory of Sita in 1910. The three-storey structure made entirely of stone and marble is 50-metre high and spread over 4,860 sq feet.

Ramayan circuit is one of the 13 circuits under swadesh darshan scheme of Government.

GK Bit – Swadesh Darshan Scheme

Government had launched Swadesh Darshan Scheme to promote international and domestic tourism across the country. There are 13 tourism circuits have been identified so far and few proposed tourist circuit by Walk Through India such as Shiva Temple Circuit, Jain Temple circuit,Gurdwara circuit, Adventure tourism circuit and Cruise tourism.

Under the Swadesh Darshan scheme, thirteen thematic circuits have been identified, for development namely: North-East India Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Himalayan Circuit, Coastal Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Desert Circuit, Tribal Circuit, Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit, Rural Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Ramayana Circuit and Heritage Circuit.

Buddhist circuit is important religious circuit

Places of Buddha’s Life

Kapilavastu, Uttar Pradesh

Bodh Gaya, Bihar

Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh

Rajgir, Bihar

Sravasti, Uttar Pradesh

Vaishali, Bihar

Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh

There are more Buddhist pilgrimage destination in India such as Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur,Sanchi Stupa in Madhya Pradesh, Buddhist Monasteries in Bylakuppe,Buddhist monastery in Sikkim,Buddhist monastery in Ladakh.

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