1) Government says Adopt a Heritage’ scheme is for development, maintenance and operation of Tourism amenities in monuments
•In response to certain reports appearing in the media regarding the scheme, the Tourism Ministry said, it aims at involving public sector companies, private sector companies and corporate citizens and individuals to take up the responsibility for making the heritage and tourism more sustainable through development.
•The Ministry said the Memorandum of Understanding signed for Red Fort is only for the development, operations and maintenance of tourism amenities in and around it. It envisages limited access’ of non-core areas and no handing over of the monument is involved. The Ministry also clarified that the Adopt a Heritage’ is essentially a non-revenue generating project.
2) PM Modi China Visit: Important Highlights
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in New Delhi after a two-day informal summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan. The Prime Minister was received at the airport by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Earlier, Prime Minister Modi wrapped up his two-day visit to China with both the countries underlining the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in all areas of their border region in the larger interest of the overall development of bilateral relations.
•On day two both leaders took a long walk by Wuhan’s iconic East Lake. The two leaders also agreed to issue “strategic guidance” to their militaries to strengthen communications and to build trust and understanding. After the walk the talk followed a Naav (Boat) pe charcha. The two leaders took a boat ride on a traditional Chinese wooden boat sporting a pagoda. Wuhan is a city of freshwater lakes along the banks of the Yangtze River.
3) LCA Tejas Successfully Fired Air-To-Air BVR Missile
•Indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas has successfully fired an air-to-air beyond visual range (BVR) missile. With this, Tejas has demonstrated its overall capability as an effective combat jet and inched closer to receive final operational clearance.
•The test firing of the missile from a Tejas jet was carried off the Goa coast and it met all operational requirements. The successful launch of the BVR missile will expedite issuance of the Final Operational Clearance to the aircraft developed by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
4) Sikkim Chief Minister Becomes India's Longest-Serving CM
•Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling became the longest-serving Chief Minister in India, surpassing the record of Jyoti Basu, who served as West Bengal CM from 1977 to 2000.
•Chamling became the Chief Minister in December 1994 and belongs to the Sikkim Democratic Front.
5) Prajnesh wins maiden singles title on Challenger circuit
•Prajnesh Gunneswaran has clinched his first ever singles tennis title on the ATP Challenger circuit.
•In the final of the Kunming Open at Anning, China, today, he defeated Egypt's Mohammed Safwat in three sets 5-7, 6-3, 6-1.
•The 28-year-old from Chennai pocketed 21,600 US Dollars and earned 125 points which are likely to help him jump more than 80 places when the new ranking chart will be issued tomorrow.
•At present, the southpaw is ranked 260.
