1) PM Likely to Inaugurate UP’s Expressway in the Coming Week
•The Bundelkhand Expressway is likely to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the first week of July. The expected dates, announced by the government are July 6 or 7. The Bundelkhand Expressway is 296.07 km and connects the Bundelkhand region of Agra to the National Capital Region and Delhi. A senior state government official said, “The Prime Minister’s office has conveyed July 6-7 as tentative dates for the inaugural ceremony of the Bundelkhand Expressway. But the final decision on the dates is yet to be taken.” The Bundelkhand Expressway originates at Bharatkoop in Chitrakoot district and it merges with Agra-Lucknow Expressway at Kudrail village in Etawah district.
•Under the Yogi Government, the inauguration of the Bundelkhand Expressway will be the second mega event. On 3rd June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present as the chief guest at the third groundbreaking ceremony in the state. The Expressway was completed ahead of its deadline only 28 months after its inauguration on 29th February 2020 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The actual target set for the completion of this Expressway was 36 months. With this project, the Yogi Government has saved 1,132 crore, which is approximately 12.72% of the original estimated cost. The four-lane Bundelkhand Expressway is expected to expand to six-lane in the coming year and it has 14 interchange points that connect seven districts of the state. The inauguration of the expressway will be done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a village called Katheri in the Jalaun district.
2) PM Modi to Visit Varanasi to Inaugurate Projects Worth Rs 1,800 Crore
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go to Varanasi to visit his Lok Sabha constituency on Thursday. There he will be inaugurating and laying foundation stones for various development initiatives with is worth over ₹18,00 crore. These initiatives will focus on improving infrastructure and making people’s life easier. The Prime minister will inaugurate the ‘Akshay Patra Mid-Day Meal Kitchen’ at LT college in Varanasi. The college has the capacity of cooking mid-day meals for up to one lakh students. The inauguration of the ‘Akshay Patra Mid-Day Meal Kitchen’ will take place at 2 PM. After this, at around 2.45 pm, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate ‘Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam’ in the International Cooperation and Convention Centre, on the implementation of the National Education Policy. Around 4 pm, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay foundation stones for multiple projects worth ₹18,00 crore at the Dr. Sampurnanad Sports stadium.
•The statement issued by Prime Minister’s office said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has focused on the growth of infrastructure development in Varanasi for the last eight years. This has not only changed a particular issue but also changed the landscape of the city. The primary focus of every development plan has always been the development of people and making their life easier. Along with these programs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also lay the foundation of Phase 1 of redevelopment works of the Sports Stadium at Sigra.
3) Himachal Pradesh CM launched ‘Nari Ko Naman’ scheme for women
•Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Jai Ram Thakur has launched ‘Naari Ko Naman’ scheme to provide 50 % concession on fares in Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses to women commuters within the state boundaries. Seema Thakur, the first woman bus driver in the state, drove him in a state transport bus to the event venue. The chief minister had announced the 50 per cent concession on bus fares to women on April 15, Himachal Day.
•CM has announced the minimum bus fare will also be reduced from Rs.7 to Rs.5 for all passengers. The government of HP will also sanction 25 new posts for female drivers in ‘Ride With Pride Government Taxi service’. The service is for female passengers and senior citizens of HP.
4) Vivek Express: Indian Railway’s longest Train Route
•The Vivek Express holds the title of the longest train route in the country which runs from Dibrugarh in Assam to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. It covers 4247 km of distance and nine States. There is a network of more than ten thousand kilometers of railway lines. This network connects the far and near states together. The farthest Indian railway network is 4247 km long, which is also the longest train route in the country both in terms of distance and time.
5) Karnataka’s Sini Shetty crowned Femina Miss India 2022
•Sini Shetty has won the title of Femina Miss India 2022. She will now represent India at the 71st Miss World pageant. Shetty was crowned Femina Miss India World 2022 by her predecessor Miss India 2020, Manasa Varanasi at JIO World Convention Center in Mumbai. Femina Miss India 2022’s first runner-up is Rubal Shekhawat from Rajasthan, while the second runner-up is Shinata Chauhan, who hails from Uttar Pradesh.
6) UK Parliament honours Tanuja Nesari with Ayurveda Ratna award
•Tanuja Nesari, Director of All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) was awarded with the Ayurveda Ratna Award by the UK Parliament. The UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Indian Traditional Sciences (ITSappg) conferred the award recognising her contribution to prmoting the growth of Ayurveda in India and abroad.
•Dr Nesari has been honoured for her exceptional service of the highest order for the promotion of Ayurveda by an ITSappg committee represented by dignitaries, including Amarjeet S. Bhamra, Ambassador for Ayurveda and Yoga in Great Britain; Virendra Sharma, MP, UK Parliament and Chair, ITSappg; and Bob Blackman, MP, UK Parliament and Chair, ITSappg.
7) Rahul Narwekar, the youngest Speaker in the country
•Mumbai lawyer and first-time legislator, Rahul Narwekar has been elected as the youngest Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and also becomes the youngest ever in India to hold this august Constitutional post. Narwekar scripted history to become the youngest legislator to be elected as the 16th Speaker (since 1960) and also is now the youngest ever lawmaker to occupy the coveted top legislative post in the country.
•Narwekar received a total of 164 votes in support and 107 went to Shiv Sena candidate’s account. During the Speaker elections, 12 members were absent and 3 legislators abstained from the voting. Narwekar (45), a sitting MLA from Colaba, left Shiv Sena in 2014 to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Maval constituency as a NCP candidate. However, he suffered defeat but was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Council and remained its member till 2019.
8) People can receive R. 10 lakh without telling authorities after Center modifies FCRA
•Indians are now permitted to receive up to Rs. 10 lakh annually from relatives who live overseas without telling the authorities thanks to changes made by the Union Home Ministry to certain rules relating to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). The previous cap was Rs. 1 lakh. The home ministry also stated in a notification that instead of 30 days, if the sum surpasses, the people would now have 90 days to notify the government. The new regulations, known as the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2022, were published in the gazette by the home ministry.
