UTTAR PRADESH
- Schools to form eco clubs for green campus
- Schools in Lucknow are forming eco clubs on their campuses to encourage tree plantation and cleanliness.
- Schools across Lucknow would have to form eco-clubs to promote environmental studies, participate in plantation drives and organise other activities on the campuses.
- All schools will strive to be ‘green schools’ and will take environment friendly steps to keep their surroundings green and clean. Periodically, the best school or best eco-club will be awarded for their activities undertaken.
- Geo tagging will be done for all trees to check their status and students will ensure that saplings are not only planted but also cared.
INTERNATIONAL
- Ireland plans to ban sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2030
- Ireland decided to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 as part of a major strategy to protect the environment.
- It is one among the 180 measures of the Irish government published in the ‘Climate Action Plan’.
- They plan to have 950,000 electric vehicles on Irish roads supported by a network of charging stations.
- This plan also includes the elimination of non-recyclable plastic and higher fees for plastic items which are difficult to recycle.
- To this, the government decided to invest in a nationwide charging network.
Their main objective is to transition to a low-carbon to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. - The ban of the sale of new fossil fuel cars, they would stop granting National Car Test (NCT) certificates to such vehicles by 2045.
- WHO launched a new tool to handle AMR named
- The World Health Organization (WHO)launched a global campaign named “AWaRe” urging governments to adopt a tool to reduce the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), adverse events and costs.
- It is developed by the WHO Essential Medicines List.
- It is classified antibiotics into three groups – Access, Watch and Reserve.
- The main aim to increase the proportion of global consumption of antibiotics in the Access group to at least 60% and to reduce the usage of the antibiotics from the Watch and Reserve groups.
- The AWaRe campaign – ‘AdoptAWaRe, Handle antibiotics with care’
NATIONAL
- Govt develops a National Strategic Plan to end TB by 2025
- The government has developed a National Strategic Plan with the goal of ending Tuberculosis (TB) by 2025.
- Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey said India accounts for 27.4 lakh estimated new TB cases annually, which is the highest in terms of absolute numbers.
- He said the estimated cases of TB in the country is 204 per lakh population for the year 2017 as per last year’s Global TB report.
- However, India ranks 35th in the world in terms of TB cases per lakh population.
- Govt plans to raise income tax limit to Rs 3 lakh, hike 80C deduction limit
- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamanmay increase the personal income tax exemption limit to Rs 3 lakh of the annual income from the existing Rs 2.5 lakh for salaried class in the upcoming Budget 2019-20.
- At present, income up to Rs 2.5 lakh is exempt from personal income tax. However, income between Rs 2.5 to 5 lakh attracts 5 per cent tax plus 4 per cent cess, while that between Rs 5 to 10 lakh is levied with 20 per cent tax plus Rs 12,500 plus four per cent cess. Income above Rs 10 lakh is taxed at 30 per cent.
- Government is also planning to increase the tax exemption limit for savings and investments made under Section 80Cof the Income Tax Act. Currently, the ceiling is Rs 1.5 lakh.
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is due to present the budget in Lok Sabha onJuly 5.
- Foodgrains production estimated at 283.37 million tonnes during 2018-19
- The foodgrains production in the country is estimated at 283.37 million tonnes during 2018-19.
- This is 17.63 million tonnes higher than the average production of the last three years.
- Official sources in the Agriculture Ministry said the Centre is implementing several Crop Development Schemes and Programs through the States.
- The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is conducting basic and strategic research relating to crop improvement, production and protection technologies suitable to different situations.
- Pankaj Advani clinches men’s Asian Snooker Championship
- India’s ace Pankaj Advani has clinched the 35th men’s Asian Snooker Championship in Doha to complete a career grand slam in cue sports.
- Advani defeated Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon 6-3 in the final to become the only one to win the Asian and World championships in all formats.
- He conquered the ACBS Asian Snooker events – 6-red (short format) and 15-red (long format) – along with the IBSF World Championships in both formats too.
- Having already accomplished it in Billiards, Pankaj had this elusive 15-red Asian Snooker title missing from his silverware collection.