RAJASTHAN
- New crop loans to farmers after Aadhaar-based certification
- In a policy decision, the cooperative department of Rajasthan has decided to provide new crop loans to farmers only after the Aadhaar based certification through digital marketing register (DMR).
- The online process, in which the loan payment will be made to the farmers through Rupay Kissan card, will make the system transparent, accountable and credible.
- To bring transparency in the loan disbursal, the department has directed cooperative banks to ensure that they disburse loans to the 10 lakh farmers after their Aadhaar based certification through DMR.
INTERNATIONAL
- Indonesia launched its first mass rapid transit (MRT) system
- Indonesian President Joko Widodo inaugurated the country’s first mass rapid transit (MRT) systemon 24th March. The aim is to ease the traffic congestion in the capital Jakarta. He also presided over a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the second phase which is planned for completion by 2024. Passengers can ride for free until the end of the month.
- Jakartais one of the top three traffic-congested cities in the world, according to a traffic index developed by the navigation systems company TomTom.
- Google unveils Stadia
- Google unveiled a video-game streaming platform called Stadia, positioning itself to take on the traditional video-game business.
- The platform will store a game-playing session in the cloud and lets players jump across devices operating on Google’s Chrome browser and Chrome OS, such as Pixel phones and Chromebooks.
- Google made the announcement at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.
- Peter Tabichi won Global Teacher Prize 2019
- Peter Tabichi, a science teacher from rural Kenya, who gives away most of his salary to support poorer pupils, has won a $1m prize (£760,000) for the world’s best teacher.
- The award, in a competition run by the Varkey Foundation, has seen him beating 10,000 other nominations from 179 countries.
- Last year’s winner was an art teacher from north London, Andria Zafirakou.
- World’s largest e-waste recycling hub opened in Dubai
- Located at the Dubai Industrial Park, the 2,80,000 square feetplant will process Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), IT asset disposition (ITAD), refrigerant gas and specialised waste.
- It is established by ‘Enviroserve’ company with a total cost of $5 million.
- It has a processing capacity of 100,000 tonnesof total integrated waste per year, of which 39,000 tonnes is e-waste.
- The 120 million dirhams ($5 million) project is backed by the Swiss Government Export Finance Agency.
NATIONAL
- Suresh Raina becomes first cricketer to score 5,000 runs in IPL history
- Chennai Super Kings’ Suresh Rainahas become the first ever cricketer to reach 5,000 runs in Indian Premier League (IPL).
- He reached the landmark in the opening match of the 12th edition of the IPL against RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore).
- RCB captainVirat Kohli is the second highest run-scorer in IPL, with 4,954 runs in 156 IPL innings.
- Govt exceeds disinvestment target for current fiscal by Rs 5,000 cr
- The government has exceeded its disinvestment target for the current fiscal by Rs 5,000 crore, taking the total proceeds to Rs 85,000 crore.
- This is the second highest disinvestment proceeds in a financial year after the government last fiscal mopped up a little over Rs 1 lakh crore in 2017-18.
- Last year it was helped by ONGC acquiring government’s entire 51.11 per cent stake in oil refiner HPCL for Rs 36,915 crore.
- In the current fiscal, the government is eyeing Rs 14,500 crore by way of sale of its 52.63 per cent stake in REC to state-owned Power Finance Corporation (PFC).
- India bags over 350 medals at Special Olympics World Games
- India got more over than 350 medals at the Special Olympics World Games 2019 at Abu Dhabi in UAE, making the history for the country.
- The current medal tally stands at 85 Gold, 153 Silver and 124 Bronze totalling 362 medals.
- Some of the biggest names in world music will perform at the spectacular Closing Ceremony at Zayed Sports City.
- The Special Olympics World Games are an international sporting competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities, organized by the IOC-recognised Special Olympics organisation.
- Special Olympics World Games take place every two years and alternate between Summer and Winter Games, a schedule similar to the Olympics and Paralympics.
- Attracting as many as 350,000 volunteers and coaches, plus several thousands of athletes, these World Games can be the world’s largest sporting event of the year.
