Maharashtra to give Govt Employees paid leave to look after children
Maharashtra government has decided to provide 180 days’ paid leave to women government employees to look after their children during the course of service. Male government employee can get the same 180 days’ paid leave, if his wife has passed away and if he has children who are under 18. Employees will be able to demand this leave thrice a year.
Miss Spain Angela Ponce 1st transgender model at Miss Universe
Angela Ponce has become the first-ever transgender woman to be crowned Miss Universe Spain. She will also compete in the Miss Universe 2018 pageant in Philippines in December 2018. Transgender contestants were first allowed to compete in Miss Universe in 2012.
Trump appoints Indian American as head of US Drug Enforcement Agency
Uttam Dhillon, an Indian-American lawyer has been appointed as the Acting Director of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that combats the smuggling and use of narcotics in the US. Dhillon last served as the Deputy Counsel and Deputy Assistant to President Donald Trump. Dhillon, who holds a law degree from the University of California, became the first Director of the Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement in 2006.
Punjab CM orders mandatory dope test for all government employees
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ordered all government employees, including police officers, to undergo a mandatory dope test. The test will be conducted from the time of recruitment through every stage of their service. About Punjab:- ♦ Punjab is the only state in India with a majority of Sikh people. ♦ Punjab literally means “The Land of Five Rivers” : the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas. ♦ Capital:- Chandigarh ♦ Governor:- VP Singh Badnore ♦ State Dance:- Bhangra, Giddha ♦ State Animal:- Blackbuck ♦ State Bird:- Baaz
Russia will build two nuclear power units in China
Russia’s state nuclear power corporation Rosatom and China’s National Energy Administration signed a deal to build the two 1,200-megawatt units at the Tianwan nuclear power plant. These two nuclear power plants are expected to be operational by 2026 and 2027 respectively. Russia has built 35 nuclear power units around the world under intergovernmental agreements. Russia and China are also working together on One Belt, One Road initiative. Trade between Moscow and Beijing has grown 31 percent this year and is projected to reach the $100 billion target.
Google aims to add 40 million WiFi users in India by 2019
Google’s public WiFi project aims to capture 40 million new users in India by 2019. According to Google and research firm Analysys Mason’s study, this move will result in around $20 billion rise in India’s GDP. Google has currently partnered with RailTel and Indian Railways to offer public Wi-Fi in railway stations, covering 400 stations with about 7.6 million monthly active Wi-Fi users.
Air India removes ‘Taiwan’ from its website due to China’s pressure
Air India has changed its reference to Taiwan on its website to ‘Chinese Taipei’ after pressure from China, which does not recognize Taiwan as a separate country. Global airlines including British Airways, Lufthansa and Qantas now refer to Taiwan as a part of China on their websites. Air India was given an extension till July 25 to make the necessary changes. About Taiwan:- Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a state in East Asia. Its neighbors include the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the west, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. Capital – Taipei. Taiwan was returned to Nationalist Chinese control in 1945 following Japan’s defeat in World War II.
Central Government approves hike in Support Price of Kharif Crops
The government hiked the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy by a record Rs 200 per quintal (per 100 kg) that will cost the exchequer over Rs 15,000 crore. This hike will give farmers 50 percent more rate than their cost of production. This decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Koala bear genome decoded for first time
The koalas of Australia remained an unsolved mystery among the scientists for their strange eating habits as they enjoy the leaves of eucalyptus that would be toxic or even fatal to most mammals. Now an international team of 54 scientists has successfully sequenced the marsupial’s whole genome. The whole genome was found to consist of over 26,000 genes. Researchers found expansions within a particular gene family (P450 gene) and reported that these genes help the koala detoxify the eucalyptus leaves. Researchers also reported that the lactation proteins protect the young ones in the pouch and help it develop a strong immune system.
Indian origin scientist gets 1.5 million pounds funding for project
