Places Current Affairs 2019 - Current Affairs Today

‘Azaadi Ke Diwane’ museum is dedicated to the unsung heroes of the country’s freedom struggle. Built by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the museum is the fifth in a series of recently inaugurated ones - the others being: ♦ the Subhash Chandra Bose and  Indian National Army (INA) museum, ♦ the Yaad-e-Jallian museum, ♦ the Museum on 1857 (on the country’s first war of Independence) ♦ the Drishyakala (a museum on Indian Art) — on the sacrifices of India’s freedom fighters.

♦ The 125-year-old Old High Court Building in Nagpur, Maharashtra; ♦ Two Mughal-era monuments in Agra - Haveli of Agha Khan and Hathi Khana; ♦ The ancient Neemrana Baori in Rajasthan’s Alwar district; ♦ The Group of Temples at Ranipur Jharail in Odisha’s Bolangir district; ♦ The Vishnu Temple in Kotali, Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand are the Six monuments that have been listed. In 2016 and 2017, no new monument was included in the list of sites of national importance. The last monument to be included in the list, in 2015, was the Vishnu Temple in Nadavayal in Kerala’s Wayanad district.

UP government on November 5 renamed Lucknow's Ekana International Cricket Stadium as 'Bharat Ratan Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium'. This would be the first international cricket match to be played in the stadium. India defeated Windies in the first T20I to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The stadium, a dream project of former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was completed in 2017. The stadium which has a seating capacity of  50,000 was built as a public-private partnership.

Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) confirmed that Hangzhou in China will host the fourth edition of Asian Para Games in 2022. Hangzhou will now be represented at the Closing Ceremony of 2018 Asian Para Games, which will begin in Indonesian capital Jakarta on October 6.

The Singphan Elephant Reserve which is the 30th elephant reserve in India, is located in Mon district of Nagaland and spreads over an area of 5825 acres (2357 hac). As per recent census report (2017) Nagaland has around 446 elephants. The creation of new Elephant Reserve will result in protection and conservation of the elephants.  

Facebook will invest over $1 billion to build its first Asian data centre in Singapore, which is expected to open in 2022. The new site is at Tanjong Kling, located in the western part of Singapore, and in an area formerly known as Data Centre Park. Facebook runs 15 other data centres worldwide, mostly in the US and European markets such as Ireland and Sweden.

Brazil’s 200-year-old National Museum is located in Rio de Janeiro and houses over 2 crore items. The esteemed museum houses artefacts from Egypt, Greco-Roman art and some of the first fossils found in Brazil.

The Jatayu sculpture at the Jatayu Earth Center (JEC) at Chadayamangalam in Kollam district, Kerala, said to be world’s largest bird sculpture, will be inaugurated on August 17 by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. This Rs 100 crore-project is a creation by film director and sculptor Rajiv Anchal.

Vietnam’s Cau Van which means "Golden Bridge" in Vietnamese, has just opened in the Ba Na Hills near the city of Da Nang and is 150 metres long and 1,400 metres above sea level. The bridge supported by two hand-shaped concrete, was designed to evoke the image of the "giant hands of Gods, pulling a strip of gold out of the land". 

The heritage city of Udaipur has been ranked third among a list of 15 best cities in the world by Travel + Leisure. The first two cities on the list are San Miguel de Allende and Oaxaca, both in Mexico. Rajasthan's Udaipur city is also known as "City of Lakes" and the "Venice of the East".  

According to American property consultant CBRE, New Delhi's Connaught Place is the 9th most expensive location globally to set up or rent an office, with an annual rent of ₹10,512 per square feet. Hong Kong (Central) is at the first position with an annual rent of $306.57 per square feet, followed by London (West End), Beijing (Finance Street) in China, Hong Kong (Kowloon) and Beijing (CBD) in China. Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) slipped to 26th position with an annual prime rent of USD 96.51 per sq ft from 16th rank.

The Western Ghats, one of India’s Hottest Biodiversity Hotspots and UNESCO World Heritage site, has been marked fourth in the Lonely Planet’s top five ‘2018 Best in Asia’ list.  Older than the Himalayas and well known for its rich and unique flora and fauna, the Western Ghats supports the life of 7,402 species of flowering plants, 1814 species of non-flowering plants, 139 mammal species, 508 bird species, 179 amphibian species, 6000 insects species and 290 freshwater fish species. One of the flowering plant species, Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) which blooms once every 12 years and has started to bloom in the famed hill station of Munnar, has been mentioned in the report.

The Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan was 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.

Goa, with a score of 0.656, is the safest state in the country for women, according to a Gender Vulnerability Index (GVI) report released by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Kerala (0.634) has been ranked second, followed by Mizoram, Sikkim and Manipur, while Bihar (0.410) has been placed last. Further, national capital Delhi has got the 28th position, scoring 0.436.

The restored Royal Opera House, located at Mumbai's Charni Road, has received the Award of Merit from the 2017 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. In 2017 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, four restored city landmarks were among the 16 winners from six countries - Australia, China, India, Iran, New Zealand and Singapore. Meanwhile, amongst this, all Mumbai bagged the maximum number of UNESCO Heritage Awards for - Christ Church and Royal Opera House (Award of Merit), Bomonjee Hormarjee Wadia Fountain and Clock Tower and Wellington Fountain (Honourable Mention). Ahead, Delhi bagged for Haveli Dharampura in Shahjahanabad. The other two winners from India were the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu, and the Gateways of Gohad Fort near Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

African country Burundi has withdrawn from International Criminal Court (ICC) with effect has thus become the first nation. International Criminal Court is an international tribunal (located in Hague, Netherlands) having authority to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. In recent years, governments of three African countries, South Africa, Gambia and Burundi expressed their intent to leave ICC citing the reason that it focuses too much on African nations.

Russian and the United States space agencies, Roscosmos and NASA, have agreed to jointly build a "deep space gateway", the first-ever astronaut-tended space station around the Moon.  It would help prepare for manned missions to deep space destinations including Mars. NASA and Roscosmos are two of the major partners in the $100-billion Earth-orbiting International Space Station (ISS).

The Southwest Monsoon will be “normal” this year, a news which will augur well for the farming community and the economy.India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General K.J. Ramesh said there would be good distribution of rainfall across the country.“The country will receive 96 per cent of Long Period Average (LPA),” he said.Anything between 96 and 104 per cent of the LPA is considered as “normal”. Anything under 96 per cent is considered as “below normal” and 104-110 per cent of the LPA as “above normal”.The IMD last year made an initial forecast of “above normal” rainfall, but it belied its prediction and ended the seasons with normal precipitation.Last year, the southern peninsula registered deficient rainfall and several parts of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala reeled under drought like situation.

The Keibul Lamjao National Park, placed in the Loktak Lake in Manipur, India, is known as the single floating national park in the world. The region is defined by 'phumdis', a Manipuri word relating to floating mats of soil and vegetation. Among various animal species, the park is a roof to the brow-antlered deer, which is regionally known as the 'Sangai'. The park which was initially declared to be a sanctuary in 1966, was subsequently declared to be a national park in 1977 through a gazette notification. Area: 40 km2 (15 sq mi) Established : 28 March 1977.

China has announced plans to build a new city,  Xiongan New Area, a special economic zone, in Hebei province to decongest its capital Beijing, similar to those established in Shenzhen and Shanghai.  The city will cover an area nearly three times that of the US city of New York. The New Area, about 100 km southwest of downtown Beijing, will span three counties that sit at the center of the triangular area formed by Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei`s provincial capital Shijiazhuang. It is the latest step in China`s efforts to reduce traffic, air pollution, and population growth in overcrowded, smoggy Beijing. Xiongan and Tongzhou will form "two wings" for Beijing and create new room of development for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. About China:- Capital: Beijing Currency: Renminbi Population: 1.357 billion President: Xi Jinping

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared Jhargram as the 22nd district of West Bengal, fulfilling a longstanding demand of its residents. A Rs 200 crore budget has been sanctioned for Jhargram’s development. Building a new stadium at Nayagram and renovating the Jhargram stadium are part of government’s agenda. Jhargram has been formed by bifurcating West Midnapore, which has a population of more than 11.37 lakh. The district has one mahakuma, eight blocks, one municipality and nine police stations. R. Arjun has been appointed the district magistrate while Abhisek Gupta has been made the police superintendent.

Contemporary New York eatery Eleven Madison Park was crowned the world's best restaurant of 2017 at a glitzy ceremony in Melbourne. Run by Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm, the Manhattan institution came out on top at the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards, widely seen as the Oscars of the food world. Spain's El Celler De Can Roca was third. The top 10 was rounded out by restaurants in France, Peru, Thailand, Austria and Spain. France, Spain and the United States each had six restaurants in the top 50, while eateries from China, Chile, Hong Kong and Singapore also made the grade. Bangkok’s Gaggan was named Asia’s best restaurant, at No. 7 overall, while Hong Kong’s Amber came in at No. 24.

South Korea celebrates the opening of Lotte World Tower – the world’s fifth-highest skyscraper – a 1,819 ft seven-star hotel in Seoul. Lotte World Tower is a 123 floors building built on the banks of River Han in Seoul. The landmark building boasts some record-setting amenities such as the world's highest swimming pool, world’s highest glass-bottomed observation deck, the world's fastest elevator taking visitors to the top in just one minute. Lotte World Tower is the world's fifth-tallest building after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Shanghai Tower, Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel in Saudi Arabia and One World Trade Center in New York. The building, developed by Lotte Engineering and Construction, cost about $3.6 billion to build and was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox. Leslie E. Robertson Associates was the structural engineer for the project.

Delhi’s Connaught Place is the world’s 9th most expensive office location with annual prime rent of USD 105.71 per sq ft, says property consultant CBRE. Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) is at 19th position while the central business district (CBD) of Nariman Point is at 30th place in the CBRE’s Global Prime Office Rents report. With annual prime rent of USD 264.27 per sq ft, Hong Kong (Central) is the world’s most expensive office Market. Beijing (Finance Street) and Hong Kong (Kowloon) are placed at 2nd and 3rd positions, respectively. About CBRE Group:- CBRE Group, Inc. is an American commercial real estate company with headquarters in Los Angeles, California. CEO: Robert E. Sulentic

Srinagar’s Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden (Formerly known as Siraj Bagh), Asia’s largest tulip garden, was opened to the public, marking the beginning of the new tourism season in the valley. The opening of the garden also marked the beginning of a mega 15-day tulip festival, part of the Bahaar-e-Kashmir event in Srinagar. The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, located in the foothills of the Zabarwan hill in Srinagar, overlooks the famous Dal Lake. Reportedly, over two million tulips of 46 varieties have been planted in the garden spread over an area of 15 hectares. The average life span of the tulip flower is three to four weeks.

The biggest river festival of India, Namami Brahmaputra, begins in 21 districts of Assam. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the festival on the banks of the river, which is considered the country's only male river. The Prime Minister of Bhutan, the Governor of Assam and Chief Ministers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh also attended the inaugural ceremony. Spiritual leader Dalai Lama and several Union ministers also attended the five day festival. The main purpose of the 5 day festival (31st March to 4th April) is to give a boost to the investment and tourism prospect in the state.

The Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh has become the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce a mascot, which has been named Bhoorsingh the Barasingha.  The Barasingha or swamp deer is the state animal of Madhya Pradesh. Bhoorsingh was chosen among four variations by the Madhya Pradesh forest department. Kanha Tiger Reserve, also called Kanha National Park, is one of the tiger reserves of India and the largest national park of Madhya Pradesh, state in the heart of India.It was established in 1955.

Majuli: Biggest River Island in the world in the Brahmaputra River, Assam Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister of Assam, on 21 March 2017 launched initiatives to develop Majuli as India’s first carbon neutral district and as a biodiversity heritage site. The launch coincided with the celebration of International Day of Forest at Brahmaputra State Guest House in Guwahati. In addition, the Chief Minister also launched Forests are Lives campaign to underline the importance of Assam’s rich forest and biodiversity. Highlights : The state CM also launched through remote a registry in Majuli which would record and analyse the climate impact of all proposed projects in the island.The CM stated that the Sustainable Actions for Climate Resilient Development (SaCReD) Initiative would ensure that infrastructure in Majuli had less carbon. Majuli : Majuli is the biggest river island in the world.It is located in the Brahmaputra River, Assam. It is also the first island district of India. The island was formed due to course changes by the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries, mainly the Lohit. The island had a total area of 1250 square kilometres at the beginning of the 20th century. However, it has now shrunk to an area of only 352 square kilometres in 2014. Erosion is the biggest reason behind the shrinkage of the island. However, it is still recognised by Guinness Book of World Records as World's Largest River Island. The island is formed by the River Brahmaputra in the south and the Kherkutia Xuti, an anabranch of the Brahmaputra, joined by the River Subansiri in the north. The island is accessible by ferries from the city of Jorhat. The island is the abode of the Assamese neo-Vaisnavite culture.  

TripAdvisor, an American travel website, in February 2017 ranked Radhanagar beach of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands among top 10 beaches in the world. The beach on the Havelock Island in the Andamans has secured the 8th position in the world in TripAdvisor's 'World's Travellers' Choice Award-Winning Beaches' In addition, the Radhanagar beach has notched the top position in TripAdvisor's list of the top spot in Asia. TripAdvisor has honoured 343 beaches, including the top 25 in the world. Winners were determined based on the quantity and quality of traveller reviews and ratings for beaches on TripAdvisor, gathered over a 12-month period. The Baia do Sancho Fernando de Noronha in Brazil topped the list and was followed by Grace Bay Providenciales in Turks and Caicos, Eagle Beach in Aruba. Top 10 beaches in the world ranked by TripAdvisor are Baia do Sancho: Fernando de Noronha, Brazil Grace Bay: Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Eagle Beach: Palm - Eagle Beach, Aruba Playa Paraiso: Cayo Largo, Cuba Siesta Beach: Siesta Key, Florida La Concha Beach: San Sebastian - Donostia, Spain Playa Norte: Isla Mujeres Radhanagar Beach: Havelock Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Elafonissi Beach: Elafonissi, Greece Galapagos Beach at Tortuga Bay: Puerto Ayora, Ecuador Besides, the TripAdvisor has also released the list of the top beaches in Asia. The list features two Indian beaches among the top five Asia list and they are Radhanagar (No 1) and Agonda Beach in Goa (No 5). Top 5 beaches in Asia are Radhanagar Beach: Havelock Island, Andaman and Nicobar Island White Beach: Boracay, Aklan Province Ngapali Beach: Ngapali, Myanmar Nai Harn Beach: Rawai, Thailand Agonda Beach: Agonda, India Radhanagar Beach : Radhanagar beach is situated 12 km from Havelock's ferry pier. Also known as Number 7 Beach, the Radhanagar beach is located on the western coast and was named as the Best Beach in Asia by Time in 2004. The beach with fine white sand, turquoise blue waters and more is not a huge island with an overall length of 2kilometers and with of 30 to 40 meters.

Mawlynnong village in Meghalaya has become a role model for other states in maintaining cleanliness and also tourists’ hotspot.  It is also claimed as Asia’s cleanest village. Over 500 tourists from across the country and abroad visit the village daily.  Through cleanliness, the villagers have created opportunities to earn money as the village has become tourists’ prime destination in North East.  Several other states have expressed their willingness to adopt Mawlynnong village as role model in maintaining cleanliness.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has registered Sitalpati or cool mat from the Cooch Behar district, West Bengal as an “intangible cultural heritage”. The Sitalpati are the mats that are used for siting or hanging on the doors or windows during summer season. They are made up of weaved green cane slips of murta plants widely found in the region. The traditional weaving culture of the reagion was facing gradual decline, as a result it was placed in a project by UNESCO “Rural Craft Hub project”. The project envisages setting up of training, marketing centres and museums in 10 locations across nine districts of the state to help in promoting and marketing crafts famous in the regions to national and international tourists.  

Christians in Aleppo on 25 December 2016 celebrated Christmas for the first time ever in 5 years. The Christian population in the city celebrated the holy festival under a giant Christmas tree. Many people described the Christmas celebrations as the return of peace in the city that came back under full government control in the third week of December 2016. Aleppo : Aleppo is a city in Syria and also the most populous Syrian governorate. For many centuries, the city was the Syria’s largest city and the Ottoman Empire's third-largest, after Constantinople and Cairo. It was one of the largest cities in the Levant before the advent of the Syrian Civil War. It is an ancient metropolis and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Historians state that the city may have been inhabited since the 6th millennium BC. Aleppo was first mentioned in the latter part of the 3rd millennium BC in cuneiform tablets unearthed in Ebla and Mesopotamia. Its significance in history has been its location at one end of the Silk Road, which passed through central Asia and Mesopotamia. It was only in 1869, when the Suez Canal was inaugurated, trade diverted to sea and the city saw its slow decline. Since the Battle of Aleppo started in 2012, the city has suffered massive destruction. It has been the worst-hit city in the Syrian Civil War.

Assam’s island district, Majuli will now become India's first ever Carbon neutral district by 2020. The project titled ‘'Sustainable Action for Climate Resilient Development in Majuli' (SACRed, Majuli) was launched by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, A K Johari on 14 December 2016. It was initiated by Assam’s department of Environment and Forest to fight against climate change and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. According to Johari, the project would start with afforestation, reforestation, and conservation of the existing flora and fauna, followed by other methods to ensure sustainable development over the next three years. The implementation of the project will happen in partnership with other departments of the district, for which the government has created a special district level committee under the leadership of the Majuli’s Deputy Commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha. During the project’s launch meeting, Jha emphasised on the importance of climate-based decision making and highlighted the need for low emission development strategy for Majuli. Majuli district : Situated on the Brahmaputra River, the district is the world’s largest river island and India's first Island district.  It is located towards the east of Assam’s largest city – Guwahati.   It was formed due to change in the course of Brahmaputra and its tributaries.  It is inhabited mostly by the members of Mising tribe, who migrated from Arunachal Pradesh to the region centuries back.  The sole mode of transportation that connects the district to the mainland is ferry service.  Over the period, the district has modernised, especially with the setting up of medical centres and educational institutions.

The UN cultural body UNESCO has accorded world heritage status to Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro (nicknamed as Marvelous City).  It has been registered as “Carioca Landscapes between Mountain and Sea” on the UNESCO world heritage list. Rio de Janeiro has been accorded this status in recognition of its extraordinary fusion of man-made and natural beauty, soaring granite cliffs, urban rainforest and beaches. It also had hosted 2014 football World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics. The UNESCO status to Rio de Janeiro was announced in 2012. It became official after the Brazilian authorities were given four years to report on their plans for protecting Sugarloaf Mountain, Flamengo Park,  Corcovado, Copacabana beach, Botanical Garden and Tijuca forest. NESCO World Heritage Sites :  The UNESCO World Heritage Sites are sites having special cultural or physical significance. The list is maintained by international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. The committee comprises of 21 UNESCO member states which are elected by the General Assembly. Each World Heritage Site included in the list remains part of the legal territory of the state where it is located. But inclusion of sites in the list by UNESCO is in the interest of the international community to preserve each site. Presently, Italy with 50 sites is home to the greatest number of World Heritage Sites.  

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has found an ancient camping site used by pre-historic man, at an altitude of about 4,200 metres near Saser La in Nubra Valley, Ladakh.  The camping site is a place where hunter-gatherers in the ancient times stayed temporarily before they moved on to another place. This camping site is located in Saser La which leads to the Karakoram Pass. It was used for a seasonal settlement not a permanent settlement.  Charcoal pieces from the earth activity and remains of bones associated were discovered at the site. The carbon dating of these charcoal pieces reveals that, the site dates back to circa 8500 BCE. Saser La site is the earliest camping site discovered in Ladakh on the basis of a scientific date. Prior it, Ladakh region was not having any archaeological importance.  Thus, it is considered as remarkable discovery. Earlier, only 6th century CE to 7th century CE remains were reported in Ladakh.

Egypt recently uncovered a lost city, more than 7000 years old dating right back to its first dynasty in the southern province of Sohag.  The site was unearthed during an archaeological mission initiated by the country’s government. It lies 250 miles south of Cairo, about 400 meters away from the temple of Seti I, one of the most famous religious sites in the region named after one of the least known pharaohs of the New Kingdom period of Ancient Egypt. The discovery includes huts, pottery remains, iron tools and 15 graves. The grave sizes look bigger than some of the royal ones belonging to the kings in Abydos, indicating that those who were buried beneath held a high social standing.  Going by these evidences, experts suggest that the city could have been home to high-ranking officials and grave builders. Its discovery is expected to throw more light on one of Ancient Egypt’s oldest cities- Abydos. Abydos was Egypt’s capital at the end of the Predynastic Period and during the rule of first four dynasties. The find has come at a time when the country’s tourism industry, which was once its main source of income, is in the process of falling apart. Political unrest and terror threat from Islamic State (IS), which controls large areas of neighbouring state Libya, have been the major deterrents for tourism. The first half of 2016 just saw 1.2 million tourists, down from 14.7 million in 2010.  The discovery, however, may bring a welcoming change for the country.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have jointly topped the ease of doing business ranking in the list prepared by the World Bank and the Indian government’s department of industrial policy and promotion for 2016. About Ease of Doing Business Index : Gujarat has slipped to the third position in the list and Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana occupied the fourth, fifth and sixth slots in the index based on the degree of implementation of the government’s 340-point Business Reform Action Plan. It is noted that Last year, only seven states implemented more than 50% of the reforms proposed. This year, 17 have implemented more than 50% of the 340 reforms listed by DIPP. States have created a dedicated body as a one-stop system for state-level regulatory and fiscal incentives approvals for single-window clearances. The states have also made good progress in tax reforms by mandating e-registration for value-added tax, central sales tax, and other such, and by allowing online payment and tax return filing. The results of the assessment demonstrate states have increasingly risen to addressing the challenge of making it easier to do business. The national implementation average stands at 48.93%, significantly higher than last year’s average of 32%.

According to NITI Aayog’s index on reforms in the farm sector, Maharashtra has been adjudged the most farmer friendly state in the country followed by Gujarat and Rajasthan. About NITI Aayog : NITI Aayog’- National Institution for Transforming India is a Government of India policy think-tank established by the Narendra Modi government to replace the Planning Commission. The stated aim for NITI Aayog’s creation is to foster involvement and participation in the economic policy-making process by the State Governments of India. The Union Government of India announced the formation of NITI Aayog on 1 January 2015, and the first meeting was held on 8 February 2015. The Prime Minister serves as the Ex-officio. Niti Aayog has started new initiative on the advise of Prime Minister Mr.Narendra Modi called ‘Niti Lectures: Transforming India’. The aim of this initiative is to invite globally reputed policy makers, experts, administrators to India to share their knowledge, expertise, experience in policy making and good governance with Indian counterparts. This initiative will be series of lectures started with first lecture delivered by Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam. He delivered lecture on subject called “India and global economy” at Vigyan bhawan, New Delhi. Prime Minister spoke about the idea behind this lecture series and stated that his vision for India is rapid transformation not gradual evolution.

The Ross Sea, a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica, was declared as world’s largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) on 28 October 2016. With this, there will be a blanket ban on commercial fishing across about three quarters of that area for 35 years.It will be the world's largest marine protected area and covers 1.6 million square kilometers.The deal was clinched after the meeting of Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) consisting of 24 countries and European Union in Hobart, Australia. All the participant nations including the European Union unanimously agreed to create the world's largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the ocean next to Antarctica.The agreement comes after years of negotiations brokered by the UN's Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. It also saw high-level talks between the US and Russia, which was rejected in the past. Environmentalists have welcomed the move to protect the Earth's most pristine marine ecosystem. Ross Sea: The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica, between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land. It derives its name from the British explorer James Ross who visited this area in 1841.To the west of the sea lies Ross Island and to the east Roosevelt Island, while the southernmost part is covered by the Ross Ice Shelf, and is about 200 miles (320 km) from the South Pole.The nutrient-laden water supports an abundance of plankton and this encourages a rich marine fauna. At least ten mammal species, six bird species and 95 fish species are found here, as well as many invertebrates, and the sea remains relatively unaffected by human activities.Some species of birds that nest in and near the Ross Sea include the Adelie penguin, emperor penguin, Antarctic petrel, snow petrel, and south polar skua.Marine mammals in the Ross Sea include the Antarctic minke whale, killer whale, Weddell seal, Crabeater seal, and leopard seal.Antarctic toothfish, Antarctic silverfish, Antarctic krill, and crystal krill also swim in the cold Antarctic water of the Ross Sea.

Pampore, a town situated on the eastern side of river Jehlum on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway in Jammu and Kashmir, was in news in second week of October 2016. It came in news after Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) complex located in the area was attacked by two militants.  The terrorists had stormed into the EDI complex in the wee hours on 10 October 2016 and took positions inside one of the buildings. The attack saw gun battle between security forces and militants that holed up the government building. The gun battle that lasted for 56-hours ended after the two militants were shot dead. Details about the slain terrorists were being ascertained but prima facie there were indications that they belonged to Lashkar-e-Toiba. The operation was called off after the security forces searched all the 50 rooms of the building because there were reports that three terrorists were present in the building. The operation has reduced the multi-storey building to a skeleton after many of its walls were blown up. Pampore  : It is worldwide famous for its Saffron and is known as "Saffron Town of Kashmir".The area is about 11 km from Srinagar city centre Lal Chowk. Pampore is located at 34.02°N 74.93°E.

Lt Governor Kiran Bedi  urged residents and other sections of people to ensure there was no open defecation as the government was keen on enabling construction of toilets in households in the Union Territory. Declaring Velrampet Lake, a major waterbody in Mudaliarpet Assembly segment here, as an open defecation free zone, she said the government was implementing the Swachch Bharat and Swachch Puducherry schemes on a fast track. It is the initiative of Puducherry government to ensure that the whole Union Territory becomes open defecation free by October 2, 2017. The lake and the neighbourhood areas have been given a facelift and it is now an open defecation free zone. The Union Territory government has spent Rs 75 lakh to spruce up the vast stretch of the lake. Stating that Swachch Bharat Abhiyan was being implemented fast,he said each of the 50,000 households lacking toilets would have them through a Rs 120 crore project, for which funds have been earmarked by the Centre. Each household would be given subsidies to construct the toilets so that Puducherry and its outlying regions of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam became open defecation free by October 2, 2017.  

Gujarat’s 900-year-old World Heritage Site Rani ki Vav beat 10 other iconic heritage structures across the country to bag an award for the “Cleanest Iconic Place” at the Indian Sanitation Conference (INDOSAN) 2016 at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. The ASI has maintained the monument and its surroundings very well, offering clean drinking water and proper sanitation, among other things, to tourists. In the last two years, two joint teams from the Ministry of Urban Development and Water & Sanitation have paid a visit to the monument several times before sending an application to the culture ministry for the award, along with the support of ASI. The teams visited 10 other heritage monuments in the country before zeroing in on Rani ki Vav for the award. The Rani ki Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) was built as a memorial to a king in the 11th century AD by Queen Udaymati and is located in the north Gujarat district of Patan. It was added as part of the UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2014.

India's most famous address will no longer be 7, Race Course Road. The street in Delhi on which Prime Minister Narendra Modi lives has been renamed 'Lok Kalyan Marg'. The announcement was made at a press conference attended by NDMC Chairman Naresh Kumar, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Meenakshi Lekhi, the BJP MP who represents New Delhi constituency in Parliament. Last year, another street not far from the PM's residence, Aurangzeb Road, was renamed after former president APJ Abdul Kalam, to varied reactions.

Majuli, the 400 sq km island on the Brahmaputra has become the first river island district of India, with this Majuli becoming the 35th district of Assam.  This was one of the first decisions taken by the Sarbananda Sonowal government in Assam, on their first cabinet meeting on May 24th, after coming to power with a thumping majority. It regained the status of world's largest riverine island in the Guinness Book of World Records on September 1.  The island, which is the cultural capital of the state, is also fighting for survival as almost 60% of the land has been washed away by the Brahmaputra

Delhi will soon have a sprawling new Aerospace Museum close to the international airport focused mainly on Nation's rich aviation history.  New Aerospace Museum is not only meant to preserve the glorious tradition of the IAF but also to create awareness in general public about India's rich Aerospace heritage. Government press release mentioned that the IAF believes that the Museum would be a popular tourist attraction and a landmark in India's capital city.  A proposal for new Air Force Aerospace Museum was cleared by Ministry of Defence and final financial sanction on the Detailed Project Report is awaited. After the approval, the new museum would be ready for the tourists within 3-5 years. Spread over 43 acres, the new Aerospace Museum would have extensive indoor and outdoor displays including huge aircraft parked and hanging in flying attitude with mural depicting the golden era. A dedicated children's area would be part of the museum where children could enter cockpits of displayed aircraft and get the feel of flying controls.  The IAF presently has a museum near the technical area of Air Force Station Palam, which was established in 1967.  The museum has an average footfall of 500 tourists daily and exhibits details about combat operations undertaken by the IAF depicting IAF's rich history since its formation in 1932 to present date, along with the display of various aircraft and equipment on the IAF's inventory, since its inception.

The world's longest and highest glass bridge will open to visitors on Saturday in Hunan province of China. The 430-metre long, six metre wide bridge, paved with 99 panes of three-layer transparent glasses, hangs between two steep cliffs 300 metres above the ground. The bridge has set 10 world records spanning its design and construction, according to the committee. A maximum of 8,000 visitors are allowed to cross the bridge every day and a reservation must be made one day prior to visiting. Construction was completed in December. In July, a two tonne truck was driven across in a show of the bridge's sturdiness. The unique pillar-like mountain formation in Zhangjiajie appeared in the Hollywood blockbuster movie "Avatar". The Grand Canyon Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie welcomed more than 1.2 million visitors from home and abroad in 2015.

Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology came in news in fourth week of July 2016. It came in news because it is celebrating its 40 years of opening its gate for the public. Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology (or Croc Bank) : It is a non government environmental organization and was founded in 1976 by Romulus Whitaker.The Croc Bank currently consists of a large reptile park near Chennai, Southern India and several field projects located throughout the subcontinent reaching as far afield as the Nicobar Islands. It rears 17 out of the 23 different species of crocodiles in the world.It is a house of species like turtles, tortoises and iguanas. The main attraction is a 45 year old salt water crocodile called Jaws III which is 17 ft long and weighs 700 kg. It is also the largest crocodile in captivity in India.It also houses four Aldabra giant tortoises, which is the second largest tortoise species in the world. "They grow up to 5ft in length and 3ft in height.The park has anaconda babies and also the four komodo dragons. There are three field stations in the banks of the Chambal River for gharials, another one in the Western Ghats for king cobras and the third one is in the Andamans for projects related to marine biology.

The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has constituted a committee to prepare the draft Ganga Act which will be headed byJustice (Retd) Girdhar Malviya .According to an official statement , the tenure of the panel would be for a period of three months which may be extended by another three months, if required. The panel has been asked to prepare a Draft Act on Ganga ensuring wholesomeness of the river.The Act should have provisions to ensure cleanliness (nirmalta) and uninterrupted e-flow (aviralta)) of the Ganga. The committee may take into consideration any other issue which it may deem fit in the drafting of the Act.Other members of the committee would be V K Bhasin, Ex-Secretary, Legislative Department, Prof A K Gosain, llT Delhi and Prof Nayan Sharma, llT Roorkee. Sundeep, Director, National Mission for Clean Ganga would be Member Secretary.The law, if enacted, will help the Centre to properly implement the inter-state nature of works through a coordinated manner. It may also provide the existingNational Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) legal teeth to its task of Ganga cleaning in a much more effective way.

Kerala Tourism on 21 July 2016 won two Gold Gongs at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Awards.Kerala Tourism bagged the award in recognition of its trend setting marketing initiatives, which have given a boost to the state's profile as a must-visit destination.The awards were in the categories of Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media and E-Newsletter, which were grabbed by the successful Visit Kerala television commercial campaign and the popular Kerala Tourism E-Newsletter, respectively.The awards will be presented at the PATA Gold Awards Luncheon and Presentation on 9 September 2016 in Jakarta, Indonesia.In 2015, Kerala Tourism was also awarded PATA Gold in the Heritage and Culture category for Muziris Heritage Project.The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a membership association.It works to promote the responsible development of travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region.In 2011, PATA celebrate its 60th anniversary with a series of activities and events focused around the theme Building Tourism.

The  annual ‘Ramayana Month’ began in Kerala with temples and Hindu houses across the state resonating with the chanting of the epic Ramayana. Karkkidakam’, the last month in the Malayalam almanac, is observed as the auspicious Ramayana month in the kerala. It has been a decades-old tradition that devotees, especially elders, recite “Adhyatma Ramayana” authored by medieval devotional poet Thunchath Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, in the next one month to mark the period.Special Ramayana recital and classes were held in major temples in the state as part of the beginning of the month.Spiritual classes and discourses on Ramayana by experts would be conducted in various temples, including at the famed Sree Krishna Temple in Guruvayur till the end of the ‘karkkidakam’ month.The ritualistic ‘Anayoottu’, a feeding ceremony of elephants, at Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple in Thrissur also used to fall on the first day of ‘karkkidakam’.A number of elephants were fed with jaggery, ghee, rice, coconut, sugarcane, medicinal herbs and so on at the grand old temple today as part of the feast.