1) President of Armenia on a Three-Day Visit to India
•President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan arrived in New Delhi on a three-day visit to India. He attended the World Food India Conference 2017. The visiting dignitary also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called on President Ramnath Kovind.
•Bilateral dialogue between India and Armenia is conducted through the mechanisms of Foreign Office Consultations and Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological, Cultural and Educational Cooperation.
2) India Successfully Tests its First Fully Indigenous 'Glide Bomb'
•The Indian Air Force, along with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested an indigenously developed lightweight ‘Glide’ bomb in Chandipur in Odisha.
•With this DRDO announced that this bomb will soon be inducted into the armed forces. Named SAAW (Smart Anti Airfield Weapon), it was dropped from an IAF aircraft at the Integrated Test Range (ITR).
3) 7th Asia Ministerial Energy Roundtable Held in Bangkok
•The Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhanwas on an official visit to Bangkok, Thailand to participate in the IEF 7th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable (AMER7).
•India is the current chair of International Energy Forum (IEF) which is promoting the AMER - a biennial event bringing together Energy Ministers and experts from Asian countries.
4) BRO Builds World's Highest Motorable Road in Ladakh
•The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has built the world's highest motorable road at a height of over 19,300 feet. The road has been constructed in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. The 86-kilometre long strategic road has been constructed under 'Project Himank' of the BRO.
•It connects Chisumle and Demchok villages. The road passes through Umlingla Top at a height of over 19,300 feet.
5) Technical Education can not be Provided Through Correspondence Courses- Supreme Court
•The Supreme Court has ruled that technical education cannot be provided through correspondence courses.The Apex Court restrained educational institutions from providing courses in technical education like engineering through distance learning programme.
•Two years ago, the Punjab and Haryana high court had ruled that a degree in ‘computer science’ obtained through distance mode could not be considered at par with one attained by attending regular classes.
6) Kenneth Juster Confirmed as the Next US Ambassador to India
•The US Senate has confirmed by a voice vote the nomination of Kenneth Juster as the next US Ambassador to India. Juster, 62, has played a key role in the landmark Indo-US civil nuclear deal. He will replace Richard Verma as the top American diplomat to India.
•Juster is soon expected to be headed to India for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Hyderabad. The annual summit is being co-hosted by India and the United States.
7) No Tax on Cash Sales of Agricultural Produce for Less than 2 Lakh Rupees
•The Income Tax Department has clarified that the cash sales of agricultural produce by a cultivator to a trader for less than 2 lakh rupees will not attract tax under the Income Tax Act.
•A circular issued by the Department stated the cultivator and the trader will also not have to provide their Permanent Account Number.
