- Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) is being implemented with a view to promote organic farming in the country. This will improve soil health and organic matter content and increase net income of the farmer so as to realise premium prices. Under this scheme, an area of 5 lakh acre is targeted to be covered though 10,000 clusters of 50 acre each, from the year 2015-16 to 2017-18. Read more at PIB.
- Behdienkhlam festival is associated with Meghalaya.
- The Arctic Council is a high level intergovernmental body set up in 1996 by the Ottawa declaration to promote cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States together with the indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants. The Council has the eight circumpolar countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Denmark (Greenland and Faroe Islands), Canada, US and Russia) as member states. India is an observer at the Arctic Council. Also read: The Hindu.
- There are 111 National Waterways in the country today (as on July 20, 2018) – Source: PIB; The Ganga – Bhagirathi – Hooghly river system between Haldia (Sagar) & Allahabad (1620 km) was declared as National Waterway No.1 (NW-1) in 1986. Inland Waterways Authority of India.
- An Indian Air Force contingent of Su-30MKI fighter jets departed for the multi-national exercise, Pitch Black, in Australia, scheduled from July 24 to August 18. This is the first time India is sending fighter aircraft for the biennial exercises hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force. Source: The Hindu
- The 123rd amendment to the Constitution brings into being a ‘constitutional’ National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC). The current NCBC was created under an Act of Parliament in 1993. The new insertion into the Constitution (Article 338B) is identical to the Articles 338 and 338A that respectively created the national commission for SCs and another for STs. Read more at The Hindu.
- Meghalaya the first state to pass a social audit legislation, the Meghalaya Community Participation and Public Services Social Audit Act. This act mandates social audit over 21 schemes and 11 departments.
- On 29 May 1948, the Security Council, in resolution 50 (1948), called for a cessation of hostilities in Palestine and decided that the truce should be supervised by the UN Mediator, with the assistance of a group of military observers. The first group of military observers, which has become known as the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), arrived in the region in June 1948. Read more at UNTSO.
- The theme for 2018 World Environment Day (June 5) – organised in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme is ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’. India is the global host nation for the 43rd edition of this event.
- In a bid to enforce stricter emission monitoring norms, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has directed State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB) to close down industrial units that haven’t installed Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS); The industries that require OCEMS include distilleries (including fermentation industry), sugar, fertiliser, pulp & paper (paper manufacturing with or without pulping), pharmaceuticals, dyes and dye-intermediates, pesticides, tanneries, thermal power plants, iron and steel, zinc, copper and aluminium smelters. Read more: The Hindu
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