UTTAR PRADESH
- Sugar production falls marginally in UP
- Sugar production in the just concluded 2018-19 cane crushing season in Uttar Pradesh fell marginally to 11.82 million tons (MT). The sugar output fell nearly 1.9 per cent compared to the production of over 12 MT in the 2017-18 crushing season.
- Better sugar recovery, however, saved the day for the sugar industry which partly made up for low crushing of cane by mills this season. Although net cane purchase by all 119 sugar mills in UP fell by 7.25 per cent, yet sugar output dipped by a much lower ratio of 1.9 per cent compared to last year.
- Interestingly, sugar production in the state this season was earlier pegged at a much higher level of 12.4 MT due to estimates of higher cane acreage of 2.8 million hectares.
INTERNATIONAL
- World’s highest weather stations installed on Mount Everest
- A team of Tribhuvan University and National Geographic Society scientists and researchers have installed the world’s highest, fully automated weather stations atop Mount Everest.
- Total five weather stations, including one at a record height of 27,657 feet, were installed on the Earth’s highest mountain above sea level.
- The weather station will record data on temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed, and wind direction.
- UNCTAD World Investment Report 2019
- According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Report 2019, India received foreign direct investments (FDI) worth USD 42 billionin 2018.
- India attracted over 77% of the total foreign direct investments that came to the South Asian region.
- The global FDI slipped by 13%in 2018, to US$1.3 trillion from $1.5 trillion in 2017, the third consecutive annual decline.
- India’s rank as a source country for FDI dropped one place to the 10th position as it was overtaken by Spain.
- Investment in India rose by 6% to USD 42 billion.
- Among others in the South Asian region, FDI flows to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka rose to a record level, to USD 3.6 billion and USD 1.6 billion, respectively, while Pakistan witnessed a 27% decline in investment to USD 2.4 billion.
NATIONAL
- India can boost exports of 350 products to US, China amid trade war: Study
- Commerce Ministry of India made a study the trade war between the US and China offers an opportunity to India for boosting exports of as many 350 products such as chemicals and granite to these countries.
- The ongoing trade war between the US and China an opportunity to India for boosting exports around 350 products such as chemicals and granite to these countries.
- These products are part of the study carried out by the commerce ministry.
Both the US and China are imposing heavy import duties resulted in trade war kind of situation. - Around 151 domestic products includes diesel, X-ray tubes to displace the US exports to China.
- Around 203 Indian goods like rubber and graphite electrodes have the advantage to displace Chinese exports to the US.
- The Indian products can tap chinese market include copper ores, rubber, paper, paperboard, equipment for transmission voice/data in a wired network, tunes and pipes.
- The Federation of Indian Export Organisations President Ganesh Kumar Gupta the trade war between the US and China is benefitting India.
- Suman Rao from Rajasthan Crowned Miss India 2019
- Suman Rao from Rajasthan has won the Femina Miss India World 2019 beauty pageant.
- 20-year-old Suman, a college student, will represent India at Miss World 2019 in Thailand.
- Shivani Jadhav from Chhattisgarh clinched Femina Miss Grand India 2019 title.
- Shreya Shanker from Bihar won Miss India United Continents 2019 title during the grand finale.
- Central Government granted the approval to set up of e-Foreigner Tribunal (e-FT) in Assam
- Central Government has permitted to set up e-Foreigner Tribunal (e-FT) in Assam.
- It is a quasi-judicial authority which assesses the question of the authenticity of a person’s citizenship.
- It should be set up by July 31, 2019, when the final list of National Register of Citizens (NRC) is published.
- The CEO of e-FT Mission Anand Prakash Tiwari said that the proposed integrated e-FT IT system will be implemented across the state for effective monitoring and resolution of cases registered with Foreigner Tribunal.
- demands fingerprinting of messages from WhatsApp to trace origin
- TheIndian government has demanded Whatsapp, the Facebook-owned messaging application, to digitally fingerprint messages that are sent on its platform without breaking the encryption.
- The move is to ensure traceability of all content shared through the WhatsApp platform, without reading the message. The decision is in line with draft amendments to intermediary guidelines of theInformation Technology Act released in December 2018, which requires all internet platforms to ensure traceability of the origin of all content shared through them.
- This step may proivde harm free speech on the internet and can increase government control on private data. This will require the government to introduce accountable measures at its end, to ensure data protection.
- The government demands thus, after the misinformation and rumours around child kidnappings on the platformwhich led to a spate of lynchings across India in 2018. This made the government to demand strictly WhatsApp to introduce ways in which the origination of message can be traced in an effective manner.