JHARKHAND

The Union government on Thursday sanctioned Rs 315.73 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) to Jharkhand for construction of pucca roads and bridges interlinking its villages.

Since inception of PMGSY in 2000-01, a total of 20,432.39 km road has been completed in Jharkhand and a total of 9,472 villages were connected. The target for 2018-19 was 5,000 km to link 1,700 villages.

So far, the department has completed constructing a stretch of 1,008.72 km connecting 519 villages in nine months and is now targeting to complete the remaining 4,000 km (approx) in just three months.

Road construction under phase I of PMGSY in the state is divided into four parts, the first being linking of villages having over 1,000 population, with villages having over 500 population coming under the second part. The third and ongoing part is to link of villages having population of over 250 people and has to be completed by March 2019. The final part is for villages less than 250 people for which the Centre sanctioned funds.

INTERNATIONAL

· Global Gender Gap Report 2018: Iceland tops; India ranks 108th

This year, the Gender Gap Index as released by World Economic Forum (WEF), was topped by Iceland with a score of858, holding the top spot in the index for the 10th consecutiveyear.
Norway ranked at 2nd, Sweden at 3rd, and Finland at 4th.
India was ranked 108th in the Global Gender Gap Index 2018, same as it was ranked in 2017.
Among other South Asian countries, India fetched fourth place with top 3 being Bangladesh (48th), Sri Lanka (100th) and Nepal (105th).

China has launched its first communication satellite on 22nd December 2018 to offer broadband internet services to users worldwide.

The communication satellite was launched using a Long March 11 carrier rocket which took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in north-western China. It is CASIC’s (China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation) first satellite launch under China’s Hongyun project. Changing the way of learning… Daily Current Affairs Capsule 24th December 2018.

The satellite aims to rival Google and other companies which have similar plans for providing Internet services worldwide.

China started the Hongyun project in September 2016. Under this project, China plans to give broadband internet connectivity to users all over the world by building a space-based communications network.

It is to be noted that CASIC is the main contractor for Chinese space programs and a state-owned company.

NATIONAL

Haryana Government has launched a mobile app named as ‘Shiksha Setu’ with an aim to help the students of the state.

The ‘Shikhsa Setu’ App will help in bringing transparency in the Education Department and in the administration of colleges in the state.

The connectivity between students’ parents, teachers and administration will be improved through this mobile application.

As per the 2011 Census, Haryana has 76.64% literacy rate, having Male literacy rate of 85.4% and the literacy rate of females stands at 66.8%.

Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F11) successfully launched the communication satellite GSAT-7A from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota.

GSAT-7A is the heaviest satellite being launched by GSLV with an indigenously developed cryogenic stage.

GSAT-7A is the 39th Indian communication satellite of ISRO to provide services to the users in Ku-band over the Indian region. Most of the functional requirements of the communication payloads and the other systems have been derived from ISRO’s earlier geostationary INSAT/GSAT satellites.

· India’s largest Cancer hospital ‘National Cancer Institute’ opened in Haryana

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) at Haryana’s Jhajjar area, opened its OPD (out-patient department) services around five years after its foundation stone was laid by the then prime minister Manmohan Singhin 2014. The hospital is expected to be fully operational by December 2020.
The 710-bed hospital is being built at a cost of Rs 2, 035 crore.
NCI is being headed by Dr G K Rath who is also the chief of Institute Rotary Cancer hospital at AIIMS.

Budgetary allocation for interest-free edu loans to be hiked: Javadekar
The Union government will increase its annual allocation for interest-free loans to students and digitalise over 15 lakh classrooms as part of its resolve to ensure quality education in the country, said Union Minister Prakash Javadekar

The ‘digital classes’ would improve the quality of education and bring about a radical change, said the minister.

The Centre aims at launching ‘Operation Digital Board’ in all schools in five years, said an official release earlier, adding the venture would “ensure quality, equity, accessibility and accountability in education by pro-active action and plan”.