HARYANA

Govt announces policy to promote skilled villagers

To provide uneducated, but skilled villagers with jobs, the state government has devised a policy for them.

It provides for outsourcing of fabrication of items used by power distribution companies — the DHBVN and the UHBVN — in their day-to-day operations and maintenance of the distribution system.

Sources say the policy, framed on the initiative of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, is aimed at employing artisans, preventing migration of people to urban areas in search of work and improving living standards of villagers.

The UHBVN and the DHBVN require fabrication of transformer platforms, clamps for mounting of gang-operated (GO) switches, besides other allied fabrication work of bending, welding and drilling.

Earlier, these works were done at a centralised level.

Artisans will get Rs20 per kg, including the cost of primer and paint coating, against the already approved rate of Rs15 per kg. Sources say the additional cost has been allowed to fabricators to bear the cost of tools and consumables, if any.

The discoms have asked their sub-divisional officers to identify more than one blacksmith or fabricator in each sub-division to avoid monopoly or dependence on a single source.

To ensure that work is not given to a single artisan and no big player enters the scene, the government has put a condition that the total payment to a fabricator must not exceed Rs2 lakh per annum.

INTERNATIONAL

World Sparrow Day: 20 March

World Sparrow Day is a day designated to raise awareness of the house sparrow and then other common birds to urban environments, and of threats to their populations, observed on 20 March.

It is an international initiative by the Nature Forever Society of India in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation (France) and numerous other national and international organisations across the world.

The theme for World Sparrow Day is I Love Sparrows.

· International Day of Happiness is celebrated as 20 March

The United Nations has celebrated the International Day of Happiness (on 20th March) as a way to recognize the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world.
The theme for IDH 2018 is “Share Happiness” – focusing on the importance of relationships, kindness and helping each other.
The World Happiness Report 2018 was also released recently that ranks 156 countries by their happiness levels, and 117 countries by the happiness of their immigrants.
Finland was ranked as the happiest country in the list and Burundi in East Africa is the unhappiest place in the world.
India ranks 133rd in the report after Pakistan (75th), China (86th) and Nepal (101st).

Singapore named the world’s most expensive city

Singapore has been dubbed the world’s most expensive city to live in for the fifth year running.

The city state marched in ahead of New York, London and Los Angeles, which didn’t even feature in the top 10 priciest places in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Worldwide Cost of Living 2018 survey.

The EIU’s annual ranking compares the prices of over 150 items in 133 cities around the world, such as bread, wine, cigarettes and petrol.

Damascus ranked cheapest in the world.

Bangalore, Chennai and New Delhi also featured among the top 10 cheapest locations this year.

Indian Navy to host Bilateral Exercise ‘Varuna’ with French Navy

The Indian Navy and the French Navy have conducted bilateral maritime exercises since May 1993.

Since 2001, the exercises have been named VARUNA and there have been fifteen editions of the same till date.

The last edition of VARUNA was conducted off the French Coast in Apr 2017.

This year too VARUNA-18 would be conducted in three sea areas, namely, the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and South Western Indian Ocean.

· India and EU Signed Agreement On Sharing Earth Observation Data

India and the European Union (EU)have signed an agreement that will enable them to share earth observation data from each other’s satellites.
The pact was inked in Bengaluru.
The Copernicus programme provides a wide range of applications like climate change, land, ocean, and atmosphere monitoring as well as support in forecasting, management and mitigation of natural disasters.
Under this arrangement, Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO will share data from its earth observation satellites.

NATIONAL

Tribal Diaries’ Mobile App to strengthen internal monitoring

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has developed an android based mobile application called Tribal Diaries for internal monitoring as also connecting with officers/officials concerned with implementation of schemes / programmes for tribal development.

The application is for accredited users.

This application provides an opportunity for visual feedback in terms of photographs, videos, uploading reports of official tours / inspections and sharing of best practices etc.

First National Workshop on POSHAN Abhiyaan

The first National workshop on POSHAN Abhiyaan involving all the states and union territories is being held on 20th March at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra,New Delhi.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is organising the day long workshop with participation from all the states/UTs.

· IRCTC Ties Up With Ola

With an aim to providing first-and-last-mile connectivity, railway PSU IRCTCannounced a partnership with cab aggregator Ola, giving commuters an option book taxi on its app.
The tie-up, a six-month pilot project, will give customers access to Ola booking services when they visit the IRCTC Rail Connect App and on its website.
The Ola cab facility will provide all the services offered.

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