Cochin International Airport is world’s first to operate completely on solar power: UNEP

  • The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has recognised Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) in Kerala as the world’s first fully solar energy-powered airport.
  • The airport has a 12 MWp solar power plant comprising of 46,150 solar panels laid across 45 acres.
  • It produces 50,000 to 60,000 units of electricity per day.
  • More than 10 million people travel through the CIAL each year.

President appoints new Governors for Odisha, Mizoram

  • The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, appointed Governors to two poll-bound states, Mizoram and Odisha.
  • Kummanam Rajasekharan will be Governor of Mizoram and Prof Ganeshi Lal was appointed Governor of Odisha.
  • Kummanam Rajasekharan is replacing Lt. General (Retd.) Nirbhay Sharma. Prof Ganeshi Lal will take charge from Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik.

NITI Aayog signs Sushant Singh Rajput to promote Women Entrepreneurship Platform

  • NITI Aayog has signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with Sushant Singh Rajput to collaborate and support the institution’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) initiative.
  • A corpus of Rs. 20 crore will be invested in start-ups established by women entrepreneurs.
  • Sushant Singh Rajput will also be promoting the Women Transforming India Awards 2018.

Akshay Kumar launches ad campaign for Swachh Bharat on toilet technology

  • Padman actor Akshay Kumar has launched an advertisement campaign for the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen).
  • The campaign focuses on promoting twin pit toilet technology in rural India.
  • The ad campaign will also feature actress Bhumi Pednekar.
  • Akshay Kumar has been a strong supporter of the sanitation movement underway in the country, and he recently starred in the film Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, alongside Bhumi Pednekar.

India launches 2nd IT corridor in China to gain access to big Chinese market

  • India has launched its second IT corridor in China to cash in on the burgeoning Chinese software market.
  • The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has established one more Digital Collaborative Opportunities Plaza platform in China in an effort to provide market access to Indian IT firms in the huge Chinese market.
  • India’s top IT firms have a big presence in China, specially multi-nationals and IT Corridor at Dalian which are expected to provide a gateway for the Indian IT-small and medium-sized enterprises.

India’s 1st Smart & Green Highway is Eastern Peripheral Expressway At Baghpat In UP

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the country’s first smart and green highway, the Eastern Peripheral Expressway at Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh.
  • PM Modi dedicated the innovative highway to the nation.
  • The 135-kilometer six-lane access-controlled expressway is eco-friendly and has world-class safety features.
  • It will provide signal-free connectivity between Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gautam Budh Nagar and Palwal.
  • It is India’s first highway to be lit by solar power. Additionally, it also has provisions for rainwater harvesting.

BCCI makes agreement with UN Environment to promote ‘green’ cricket in India

  • The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) signed an agreement to promote “green” cricket in India with the United Nations (UN) Environment.
  • The letter of intent was signed by BCCI Secretary Amitabh Choudhary and Executive Director of UN Environment, Erik Solheim.
  • It was signed at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai ahead of the VIVO IPL 2018 final between CSK and SRH.
  • The aim is to spread greater awareness about key environmental challenges facing the country, and to highlight alternate, sustainable solutions.
  • The BCCI will try to reduce its environmental impact and engage cricketers and fans in green initiatives.

Sangeeta Bahl becomes oldest Indian woman to scale Mount Everest

  • At 53 years of age, Sangeeta Bahl has become the oldest Indian woman to have scaled Mount Everest.
  • The 53-year-old former model and entrepreneur from Jammu and Kashmir scaled the peak on May 19 with the help of two Sherpas.
  • She broke the record held by Premlata Agarwal, then 48 years of age, who scaled Everest on May 20, 2011.
  • Sangeeta Bahl and her husband Ankur Bahl had pledged to scale seven summits in seven continents. They succeeded in their endeavour, and some were even scaled together.