• This year, 14th News Maker Achiever’s Award took place in Maharashtra, where several personalities were felicitated for their commendable social work.
• District Magistrate of Pithoragarh, Dr Ashish Chauhan, was recognised with the ‘Best IAS Officer’ award for his enormous and splendid social work during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ashish Chauhan has a PhD in Medieval History and is an IAS officer from the 2012 batch. For many years now, Ashish Chauhan has been doing incredible work for farmers, communities, disaster management, healthcare, tourism, etc., in Uttarakhand.
• With a lot of patience, planning, and intelligence IAS Ashish Chauhan brought the rapidly increasing cases of Covid-19 under control and began masking, sample collection, testing, and sanitisation drives. Tips, awareness and guidelines were circulated to the public to promote cleanliness, and public announcements were made in the local language, Garhwali.
• To empower farmers and backward communities and drive people out of poverty, DM Ashish Chauhan launched the self-employment campaign. Officers and employees of the Horticulture Department, Agriculture Department, and Integrated Livelihood Cooperation Project prepared organic jam, juices, etc., from a local fruit Bedu. Bedu, also called Pahadi Anjeer (hill fig), has many nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium, iron, etc., and may also be beneficial for preventing skin problems. All these organic products are marketed through Hilans – providing a range of pure and organic farm-produced products in Uttarakhand.
• In 2018, DM Ashish Chauhan and the District Panchayat President launched Harshil Apple Festival. Harshil is a hidden serene place in Uttarakhand that produces exceptional apples. To give more exposure to Harshil apples, Ashish decided to begin a two-day apple festival where buyers, businessmen, and investors showed up in impressive numbers. Previously, orders of apples went out for Rs.50/kg but, with the right marketing and exposure, 10kg apples are sold for approx. Rs 1,200-1,500/-. DM Ashish Chauhan reveals the Harshil Apple Festival has helped lots of people combat poverty and opt for better a standard of living.
• IAS Ashish Chauhan is also a social worker and activist who seizes all the right opportunities to carry out social work. His vision and altruistic approach have helped him achieve so much at a young age. During all his many tenures, Ashish discharged his duties and responsibilities immaculately.

• Sri Lankan authorities confirmed that President Gotabaya had flown to Maldives after full approval of the country’s Defence Ministry.
• As per the PM’s office, “Sri Lanka declares state of emergency after president flees.”
• According to the Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, , Gotabaya Rajapaksa landed in Maldivian capital Male on a Sri Lanka Air Force plane adding that he is yet to receive a letter of resignation.
• According to the Parliament Speaker that he has not received Gotabaya’s resignation letter who departed from Sri Lanka hours before he was expected to resign amid widespread protests in the country.
• Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is scheduled to be sworn in as interim President till a new President is elected by Parliament on July 20 and nominations for the presidency will be called for on July 19.

• On 12 July 2022, NASA released new full-colour images taken from James Webb Space Telescope. It released the images of the Southern Ring, Planetary Nebula, showing a dying star clacked by dust and layers of light. Another image shows Stephan’s Quintet, a visual grouping of 5 galaxies. An image revealing baby stars in Carina Nebula were also released.
• NASA called the release of photographs “The Dawn of New Era in Astronomy” in partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
• The pictures were released during a Televised Broadcast. As per the official website of NASA, these images represent the first wave of full-colour scientific images and the official beginning of the James Webb Space Telescope general science operations.
• Webb’s first observations were selected by a group of representatives from NASA, ESA, CSA, and the Space Telescope Science Institute.

• On 12 July 2022, NASA released new full-colour images taken from James Webb Space Telescope. It released the images of the Southern Ring, Planetary Nebula, showing a dying star clacked by dust and layers of light. Another image shows Stephan’s Quintet, a visual grouping of 5 galaxies. An image revealing baby stars in Carina Nebula were also released.
• NASA called the release of photographs “The Dawn of New Era in Astronomy” in partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
• The pictures were released during a Televised Broadcast. As per the official website of NASA, these images represent the first wave of full-colour scientific images and the official beginning of the James Webb Space Telescope general science operations.
• Webb’s first observations were selected by a group of representatives from NASA, ESA, CSA, and the Space Telescope Science Institute.

• Prime Minister is set to participate in the first Leaders’ Summit of I2U2 virtually, along with leaders of Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
• The proposed virtual summit of India, Israel, UAE, and the USA dubbed “I2U2” is being projected as the Quad for West Asia. I2U2 is aimed to encourage joint investments in six mutually identified areas such as water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security.
• The I2U2 Grouping was conceptualized during the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the four countries held on October 18 last year.
• Each country also has Sherpa-level interactions regularly to discuss the possible areas of cooperation.
• It intends to mobilize private sector capital and expertise to help modernize the infrastructure, low carbon development pathways for our industries, improve public health, and promote the development of critical emerging and green technologies.
• The Leaders will discuss the possible joint projects within the framework of I2U2 as well as the other common areas of mutual interest to strengthen the economic partnership in trade and investment in our respective regions and beyond.
• According to MEA, these projects can serve as a model for economic cooperation and offer opportunities for our businesspersons and workers.
• US President Joe Biden will convene the maiden Virtual Summit with Prime Ministers of India, Israel and the President of UAE during his upcoming visit next month to the Middle East.
• According to the White House, the meeting of I2U2 was a part of the Biden administration’s effort to revitalize American partnerships across the world. I2U2 leaders would discuss the food security crisis in the wake of the Ukraine war and other areas of cooperation.

• The Tripura government will restart the ‘Vidyalaya Chalo Abhiyan’ after 8,850 school students were found to have dropped out from schools across Tripura during the covid-19 pandemic.
• The government has also announced a unique scheme called ‘Earn with Learn’

Under the Earn with Learn scheme:

• The college students will be given a remuneration for identifying and convincing students to re-join schools. They will get Rs 500 for each admission,” the teachers who will get involved in the project will be given Rs 200 for each admission.
• The government has decided to give away free school bags to more than 1.51 lakh students studying in pre-primary to Class III. It has been estimated to involve funding of over Rs 7.58 crore.
• Tripura has over 4,000 government schools along with those that are aided by the state.
• At present, the government is giving free books and school uniforms for girl, scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and below poverty line students of Classes I to VIII.

• Various ambitious schemes and programmes are being run by the government for giving a fillip to the agriculture sector, besides strengthening the socio-economic condition of farmers and a provision of Rs 628.52 crore has been made for the agriculture sector in the financial year.
• Majority of the population of Himachal Pradesh is dependent on agriculture and allied sectors for their livelihood and this sector is providing direct employment to about 70 percent people.
• About 9.44 lakh hectares of land is under cultivation in the state and it contributes about 13.62 percent of the GDP.
• Special emphasis is being laid on increasing the production of high value crops by adopting modern Prakritik Kheti, Khushhal Kisan Yojna is being implemented by the state government to encourage natural farming.
• The objective of this scheme is to enhance the farmers, income by reducing the cost of crop production and to save the soil and human from the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Rs. 58.46 crore has been spent under this scheme till date.
• As many as 1,71,063 farmers have adopted natural farming covering 9,421-hectare area of ​​the state. The state government has set a target of bringing 50 thousand acres of land under natural farming and 50 thousand farmers will be certified as natural farmers during this financial year.
• Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification Promotion Project is being implemented to promote crop diversification in the state. In view of the successful results of JICA phase-1 in the state, JICA phase-2 has also been approved. Under this, a budget of Rs. 1010.13 crore has been proposed.
• The State Agricultural Mechanisation Programme for the mechanisation in the agriculture sector is being implemented in the state.

• Dharamsala city will soon have 10 charging stations for electric cars and two-wheelers. These stations will be set up at places having ample parking facilities.
• According to Commissioner of the Dharamsala Municipal Corporation (MC), a subsidiary of the BHEL had been given the contract of charging stations under the Smart City Project.
• Each station would have one point for charging four-wheelers and five points for two-wheelers.
• After installation, the company would hand over the charging stations to the MC.

• The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has launched comprehensive research into the exact period when Sushruta, widely recognised as the “father of plastic surgery”, began conducting his medical procedures, the range of instruments he used and the expanse of reconstructive surgeries he performed.
• The idea is to establish evidence of the existence of medical and surgical knowledge in India as far back as 600 BC, when Sushruta lived.
• Dr Maneesh Singhal, head of the department of plastic, reconstructive and burns surgery at AIIMS, is leading the project.
• According to Dr Singhal, Sushruta is the father of plastic surgery. As far back as in 600 BC, he took India to the forefront of surgery. We are trying to find out all about Sushruta’s work and document it with evidence. Interestingly, we have found that the instruments Sushruta describes in his works exactly match with the metallurgy of his times. From 600 BC, Hippocrates and other physicians consumed Indian science and knowledge. It was from India that the science of surgery went all over the world. We are retracing our own steps.
• AIIMS, in collaboration with the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India, will mark the National Plastic Surgery Day on July 15.
• The institute, in a first, will showcase films documenting life-changing reconstructive procedures — from burns reconstruction to cancer reconstruction — which experts from across India have performed.
• The festival is named “Sushruta” and its publicity material mentions that ancient Indian surgeons performed nose jobs and skin grafts.

• The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has included clean power and transport among the fundamentals to deal with air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas.
• Besides, greening and plantation on a large scale also feature in its new policy to abate the menace of air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
• According to CAQM report, High-level protection will have to be accorded to the entire stretch of Aravalli range in Haryana and Delhi, and its different categories of forest areas, calling for dust and pollution mitigation through forest sinks to control pollution.
• This green walling is needed against desertification and ingress of dust and cleansing of toxic gases,” stated the report aimed at overall amelioration of air quality through differentiated geographical approach and timely action.
• The new plan also entails a ban on BS IV four-wheeler diesel vehicles, barring those engaged in essential services, in Delhi and the bordering districts of NCR if the air quality index (AQI) breaches the 450-mark.
• An AQI of more than 450 is classified as “severe plus”.
• The policy has received a mixed response from experts.
• The policy focuses on industries, transport, construction and demolition (C&D), dust from roads and open areas, municipal solid waste burning and stubble-burning, among other things.
• It also lays emphasis on thermal power plants, clean fuels and electric mobility, public transportation, road traffic management, diesel generators and bursting of firecrackers.
• The policy, in its chapter on the management of paddy straw through different in-situ measures, stated: “By 2021, more than 13,100 Happy Seeders and 17,600 Super Seeders were available in Punjab, besides other categories of crop residue management (CRM) machinery, including combine harvesters.

• The Tamil Nadu government has established District Climate Change Missions in all 38 districts. The missions will be headed by the Collectors as Mission Directors. The District Forest Officers will function as Climate Officers.
• The missions will help strengthen the government’s climate response at the grassroots.
• The missions will create strong policy support across all sectors of governance, devise strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and bench¬mark industries to move towards green manufacturing. They will also promote eco¬friendly technologies, such as solar and wind energy technologies, biodegradable packaging and e-¬vehicles.
• Educating local communities in the management of climate change and creating technologies for evidence based green models for adaptation and practical models for green mobility are the other objectives of the missions.
• The government has initially sanctioned ₹ 3.80 crore for 38 district missions which will function under the supervision of the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission.