1) PM of India & Mauritius jointly inaugurated projects in Mauritius
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth jointly inaugurated 2 landmark projects in Mauritius via video conference. The 2 projects includes the phase-1 of the Metro Express and a new ENT Hospital. The Indian Government has granted $275 million for the Metro Express project and a grant of $14 million for the new Hospital Project.
•The grant was awarded as a special economic package for assisting five high-priority projects, which include the Metro Express project and a new ENT hospital.
2) Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches ‘Mo Sarkar’ initiative
•Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik rolled out ‘Mo Sarkar’ programme which finds its roots in the Gandhian philosophy of giving people their voice in daily governance. The objective of ‘Mo Sarkar’ is to improve governance by collecting feedback on behaviour and professionalism displayed by the Government officers. “Mo Sarkar’ programme has been launched in 21 district headquarters hospitals and medical colleges at Cuttack, Sambalpur and Berhampur.
3) Govt launches portal for monitoring coal supply to power plants
•Power Minister RK Singh and Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi have jointly launched PRAKASH – Power Rail Koyla Availability through Supply Harmony- portal in New Delhi.
•The portal aims at bringing better coordination for coal supplies among all stakeholders. This is an important step in ensuring adequate availability and optimum utilization of coal at thermal power plants. The portal is designed to help in mapping and monitoring the entire coal supply chain for power plants.
4) India’s first private train Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express flagged off
•Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off country’s first private train Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express started its maiden journey from Lucknow. It will be the first train of Indian Railways that will be entirely run by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). The new Tejas Express will cover the distance between Delhi and Lucknow in six hours fifteen minutes. All passengers travelling by Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express will be provided free insurance of up to ₹25 lakh by IRCTC.
5) Tourism Ministry launches App “Audio Odigos” for 12 sites of India
•Tourism Ministry has launched the Audio Guide facility “Audio Odigos” for 12 sites of India (including Iconic Sites) on the occasion of “Paryatan Parv 2019”. An MoU for Gol Gumbad, Delhi with Government of Delhi and Resbird Technologies was also exchanged for the development of Tourism Amenities.
•Audio guide odigo offers Government of India verified content, with visuals & voice over support. With Audio Odigos, tourists will now enjoy a more enriching experience and take back historical insights of the Indian culture and heritage.
6) Sushil Chandra appointed as MD & CEO of Oil India Limited
•Oil India Limited has appointed Sushil Chandra Mishra as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. He will replace Utpal Bora.
•Sushil Chandra Mishra started his professional journey as an executive trainee with OIL in 1984 and developed deep expertise in commercial matters. He also played a key role in framing and implementing procurement policies and procedures for inventory management, vendor development, framework agreement and its related strategies.
7) IRCTC to compensate passengers on delay of Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express
•Passengers of IRCTC’s Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express will be compensated in case of delays, the Railway subsidiary, announcing a first of its kind offer from any national carrier. An amount of Rs 100 will be paid in case the delay is for over an hour and Rs 250 for delays of over two hours.
•This latest offer is in addition to the Rs 25 lakh free insurance that will be given to passengers of the train. This travel insurance also includes coverage of Rs 1 lakh against household theft and robbery during travel period of the passengers, again a first for those travelling onboard trains.
8) Kyrgyz lawyer AzizbekAshurov wins 2019 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award
•Human rights lawyer from Kyrgyzstan Azizbek Ashurov was awarded the 2019 UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) prestigious Nansen Award. Ashurov will receive the award comprising of a commemorative medal and a cash prize of USD 150,000 prize money at a ceremony in Geneva on October 7, 2019.
•The UNHCR hailed Azizbek Ashurov for helping Kyrgyzstan become the world’s first country to end statelessness, working through his organisation Ferghana Valley Lawyers Without Borders (FVLWB). He and his organisation have helped more than 10,000 people gain Kyrgyz nationality after they became stateless following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
9) NBCC sign MoU with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
•National Buildings Construction Corporation(NBCC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to provide project management consultancy for the development of National Sports University at Imphal, Manipur. NBCC has bagged a Rs 400-crore contract to develop National Sports University.
10) Amrit Lugun appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Greece
•The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India was appointed Amrit Lugun as the next Ambassador of India to Greece. He is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of the 1989 batch. He will replace Shamma Jain.
11) Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Niue
•The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India notified that Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi was appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Niue, with residence in Wellington, New Zealand. He is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of the 1991 batch presently working as a High Commissioner of India to New Zealand. He will replace Sanjiv Kohli.
12) Abdul Quadir Khan Wins Silver Medal in Asian Body Building & Physique Sports Championship 2019
•Maj Abdul Quadir Khan of the Corps of Signals has won the Silver medal at the 53rd Asian Body Building and Physique Sports Championship held at Batam, Indonesia. His accomplishment in the sport has brought glory to the Indian Army and Corps of Signals.
