1) India becomes 4th nation to get IMO nod for navigation satellite system
•The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) has been recognised by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as a part of the World Wide Radio Navigation System (WWRNS) for operation in the Indian Ocean Region. India has become the fourth country in the world to have its independent regional navigation satellite system recognised by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The other three countries that have its navigation systems recognised by the IMO are the US, Russia and China.
2) EIU’s Worldwide Cost of Living (WCOL) Index 2020 announced
•The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has released its biannual ‘Worldwide Cost of Living (WCOL)’ report of the World’s Most Expensive Cities in 2020, based on their cost of living. Hong Kong (China), Paris (France) and Zurich (Switzerland) share the top spot as the most expensive cities in the list, which comprises of 133 cities.
•Damascus (Syria), Taskent (Uzbekistan), Lusaka (Zambia) ranked the last three spot as the most cheapest cities in the list, which comprises of 133 cities. The report took into account the price of 138 items, used in every day for survival, and the falling or rising value of that country’s currency due to Covid to rank the cities accordingly.
3) NASA-ESA successfully launches Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite
•The US space agency NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launched ‘Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite’, to monitor the rising global sea level. The joint US-European satellite lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
4) 2nd Trilateral Maritime Exercise SITMEX-20 held in Andaman Sea
•The 2nd edition of India, Singapore and Thailand Trilateral Maritime Exercise SITMEX-20 was conducted from in the Andaman Sea. The 2020 edition of the exercise is being hosted by Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). Indian Navy (IN) Ships including indigenously built ASW corvette Kamorta and missile corvette Karmuk participated in the exercise.
5) 15th G20 Summit held under the chairmanship of Saudi Arabia
•The 15th G20 Summit was held under the chairmanship of Saudi Arabia. King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia chaired the Summit through video-conferencing, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The two-day Summit was held under the theme “Realising the Opportunities of the 21st Century for All”.
6) PM Modi laid the foundation stone of rural drinking water supply projects in UP
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of rural drinking water supply projects in Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts of Vindhyachal region in Uttar Pradesh via video conference. The total estimated cost of the projects is around Rs 5,555.38 Crore.
7) India’s first ‘Moss Garden’ comes up in Nainital district
•The Uttarakhand forest department has dedicated the newly-built Moss Garden to the people, claiming that it is the country’s first such garden, spread over 10 hectares in Kumaon’s Nainital district. The moss garden, which took nearly a year to build, was inaugurated by Water Man of India Rajendra Singh. The state forest department had approved research projects to study moss species, considered the most significant indicator of ecosystem fluctuations as they are more sensitive towards habitat and climate changes.
8) Indian Navy gets 9th P-8I anti-submarine warfare aircraft
•Indian Navy has got its ninth Boeing P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, part of the nearly $1 billion deal with the US for four additional planes signed in 2016. India, which had first signed a contract for eight such aircraft in 2009, is also negotiating a deal for six more P-8Is with the US under the government-to-government route. While the ninth aircraft was scheduled to be handed over to the Indian Navy in July this year, the Covid pandemic delayed plans. The remaining three are scheduled to be handed over to India in 2021. Incidentally, the aircraft, the latest of which landed at INS Hansa in Goa.
•The aircraft is also being used by India in Ladakh for surveillance besides the Indian Ocean Region. It was deployed during the 2017 Doklam standoff as well. The Indian fleet of P-8I aircraft, a variant of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft that Boeing developed as a replacement for the US Navy’s ageing P-3 fleet, has surpassed 25,000 flight hours since it was inducted in 2013. India had become the first international customer for the P-8 aircraft with the conclusion of the nearly $2.1 billion contracts on 1 January 2009 for a total of eight aircraft. India is also the second-biggest operator of the aircraft in the world.
9) Naseeruddin Shah honoured with Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar Puraskar
•Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has been honoured with the 2020 Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar Puraskar at annual Sangit Kala Kendra Awards. Alongside, two emerging stars, in the firmament of theatrics – Neel Choudhary and Irawati Karnik were awarded the Aditya Vikram Birla Kalakiran Puraskars. “Theatre” is the central theme, for this year’s awards.
•The Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar and Kalakiran Puraskar awards, were instituted in 1996 by the Sangeet Kala Kendra (SKK), which was founded in 1973 by Aditya Vikram Birla (former Chairman of Aditya Birla Group), to honor excellence in theatre and performing arts.
10) Department of Fisheries presents first Fisheries Awards
•Department of Fisheries presents Fisheries Sector Awards for the first time on the occasion of the ‘World Fisheries Day’, to recognise their accomplishments in the field and their contribution into the growth of the sector. The Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying awarded best performing States, Organisations and Districts for 2019-20.
Top States
•Marine states – Odisha
•Inland states – Uttar Pradesh.
•Hilly and NE states – Assam.
Top Organisations
•Tamil Nadu Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd. (for Marine).
•Telangana State Fishermen Cooperative societies Federation Ltd (for Inland).
•Assam Apex Cooperative Fish Marketing and Processing Federation Ltd. (for Hilly region).
Top Districts
•Best Marine District – Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh.
•Best Inland District – Kalahandi, Odisha.
•Best Hilly and NE District – Nagaon, Assam.
