UNDP to set up skill development centre in Hyderabad

  • The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will set up a skill development centre at Bharosa, Hyderabad, for distressed women and children.
  • This is an initiative of Hyderabad City Police and will be an integrated support centre.
  • The initiative is aimed at empowering vulnerable and marginalised women by teaching them skills and giving them training for them to earn a living.
  • It is an initiative under the Disha project and aims to make women who are affected by violence economically self-sufficient.

Government to link 200 more mandis to eNAM

  • The Union Government will link 200 additional wholesale mandis to its online trading platform eNAM (electronic National Agriculture Market).
  • Currently, there are 585 regulated mandis in 14 states linked with the eNAM.
  • 73.50 lakh farmers, 53,163 commission agents and over 1 lakh traders are registered on the platform.

Indian Army finalises Rs. 15,000-crore project to produce indigenous ammunition

  • The Indian Army has finalised a Rs. 15,000-crore project to produce ammunition in the country.
  • This will help overcome long delays in imports.
  • Under the project, a range of ammunition for its critical weapons and tanks will be produced.
  • The aim of the project is to create an inventory for all major weapons so that India’s defence forces can fight a 30-day war.
  • The long-term aim is to reduce dependence on imports.

ISRO working on environment-friendly propellant

  • Scientists at ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) are developing an environment-friendly propellant propellant blend.
  • The new experimental fuel is based on hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN) and ISRO is looking to use it to power satellites and spacecraft.

Piyush Goyal to take over Finance Ministry, Smriti Irani moved out of I&B

  • Railways and coal minister Piyush Goyal will hold charge of the finance and corporate affairs ministries till Arun Jaitley returns.
  • In the cabinet reshuffle, Smriti Irani has been assigned to handle the Ministry of Textiles, having been left out of the high-profile information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry.
  • Here’s the new-look cabinet: Piyush Goyal (Finance Ministry), Smriti Irani (Textiles Ministry), Rajvardhan Rathore (Information and Broadcasting Ministry), SS Ahluwalia (Electronics Ministry), and KJ Alphons (Tourism Ministry).

Lata Mangeshkar conferred with Swara Mauli Award

  • Singer Lata Mangeshkar was honoured with the title of “Swara Mauli” by spiritual guru Vidya Narsimha Bharati Swami at her residence in Prabhu Kunj.
  • Present on the occasion were her sisters Asha Bhosle and Usha Mangeshkar, and her brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar.
  • In 2001, Lata Mangeshkar was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India. She was only the second vocalist, after MS Subbulakshmi, to receive the honour.

WHO launches ‘REPLACE’ campaign to eliminate trans fat in foods by 2023

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a comprehensive plan to eliminate trans fats from the global food supply by 2023.
  • The WHO released its step-by-step guide called REPLACE, which aims to eliminate industrially-produced trans-fatty acids from food.
  • REPLACE will target 6 key strategic actions - REview sources of industrially-produced trans fats, Promote the replacement with healthier oils, Legislate or take regulatory actions, Assess and monitor trans fats content in the food, Create awareness of negative health effects of trans fats, and Enforce compliance of policies and regulations.

Met Dept. to deploy 30 more Doppler radar systems across India

  • In the next 2 or 3 years, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) will add 30 more Doppler radar systems across the country.
  • The IMD will set up 14 in the northeast, 4 in Jammu and Kashmir, and 3 each in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
  • The Doppler radar can provide area specific rain and storm warnings, which are beneficial for disaster management and emergency response, and even for aviation.