WHY IN THE NEWS?

• State Bank of India has opened a floating ATM on a Houseboat at Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar for the convenience of locals and tourists. The floating ATM was inaugurated by SBI Chairman Dinesh Khare.
• This is not the first time that SBI has launched a floating ATM as back in 2004, the bank took this initiative in Kerala. The SBI installed a floating ATM at Jhankar yacht, which operates between Ernakulum and Vaypeyan region, owned by Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC)

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• State Bank of India has opened a floating ATM on a Houseboat at Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar for the convenience of locals and tourists. The floating ATM was inaugurated by SBI Chairman Dinesh Khare.
• This is not the first time that SBI has launched a floating ATM as back in 2004, the bank took this initiative in Kerala. The SBI installed a floating ATM at Jhankar yacht, which operates between Ernakulum and Vaypeyan region, owned by Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC)

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit has been given the additional charge of Punjab and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Earlier, V P Singh Badnore was the Governor of Punjab and the Administrator of Chandigarh.
• The President has also appointed Purohit as the Administrator of Chandigarh, in addition to his duties as the Governor of Punjab. Traditionally, Punjab Governor has functioned as the Administrator of Chandigarh.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• Adidas has roped in Tokyo Olympic Silver-medalist Mirabai Chanu as the face of its ‘‘Stay in Play” campaign for its latest product innovation designed to keep more menstruating women in sports.
• The new TechFit Period Proof tights, featuring an absorbent layer to help protect against leaks when worn with a tampon or pad.
• Such innovations showcase Adidas’ commitment to encourage and support women in sport. Adidas found that teenage girls are dropping out of sport at an alarming rate, with one of the key reasons being fear of period leakage.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• Dorje Angchuk, an Engineer in charge at the Indian Astronomical Observatory of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) at Hanle in the Ladakh region, has been admitted as an Honorary Member of the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
• Angchuk is the first and only Indian to bag the position in the prestigious body. Angchuk has been selected for ‘his passionate promotion of astronomy in the Ladakh region, through his excellent astrophotography’. He will be joining ten other Honorary Members from around the world, selected by IAU to join a select list of 20 international experts.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• The Punjab Cabinet gave a nod to a new scheme that will help the unemployed youth in the state to hone their skills and increase their chances of getting a job.
• These youngsters will be given short-term skill training free of cost under the ‘‘Mera Kaam Mera Maan” scheme of the state government. A target of 30,000 beneficiaries has been proposed, at a cost of ₹ 90 crores.
• The scheme also provides an employment assistance allowance of ₹ 2,500 per month for a period of 12 months from the start of the training course, which will be conducted at Punjab Skill Development Mission training centres.
• The allowance shall be given during the training period, and after successfully completing the training, during the pre-placement and post-placement period of 12 months from the date of the start of the programme.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• In Tripura, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has inaugurated a project called ‘My Pad, My Right’ initiated by NABARD and NABFOUNDATION at Killa village in Gomati district on the second and concluding day of her visit to the state.
• The project aims to bring livelihood and menstrual hygiene closer to rural women by way of grant, wage support and capital equipment.
• The Union Minister also flagged off the mobile ATM van of Tripura State Co-Operative Bank Limited which will cover all Gram Panchayats and Village Committees of South Tripura District.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• India’s Sumit Antil has won the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw F64 final event at the Tokyo Paralympics, and in the process set a new world record throw of 68.55m. The 23-year-old Sumit hails from Sonepat in Haryana.
• Michal Burian of Australia won the silver medal (66.29m), while Sri Lanka’s Dulan Kodithuwakku won the bronze medal. This is the second gold medal for India at the ongoing Tokyo Games and now the total medal tally of India has reached 7.
• Earlier, the bronze medal won by Vinod Kumar in the discus throw F56 final was declared as ineligible by the classification panel.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

India’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Gandhinagar seems to be moving up, at least on paper, after delays in land acquisition, infrastructure development snags and political crosswinds.

About IFSC & GIFT

• Promoted as India’s offshore alternative to Singapore, Hong Kong and London, the IFSC is located in an under-development “smart” township called Gujarat International Financial Tec-city (GIFT).
• In April 2015, the then finance minister unveiled IFSC regulations at GIFT city to set in motion the process of laws for setting up tax paradise within India.
• GIFT City was conceived as a public-private partnership (PPP) project so that it could be developed in a fast track mode.
• India International Exchange, the country’s first international stock exchange, was inaugurated at GIFT city in January 2017

WHY IN THE NEWS?

Odisha’s Kendrapara became the only district in India to be home to all three species of crocodilians found in the country.

Crocodiles:

1. The crocodilian family consists of 27 different species that are subdivided into three families: True crocodiles, alligators and caimans and gharials.

Which are those three crocodiles found in Odisha’s Kendrapara District?

• Gharials (IUCN Status: Critically Endangered)
• Mugger crocodile 
• Saltwater crocodile 

About Mugger Crocodile:

• Mugger Crocodile is also called marsh crocodile or broad-snouted crocodile. It is an egg-laying and hole-nesting species.
• It is native to freshwater habitats from southern Iran and Pakistan to the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka. 
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable 
• Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1
• CITES: Appendix I.
• Threats: a) Habitat destruction, b) Entanglement and drowning in fishing equipment, and c) Increasing incidents of conflict with humans.

About Saltwater Crocodile:

• It is considered the Earth’s largest living crocodile species native to saltwater habitats and brackish wetlands.
• Habitat: It is found throughout the east coast of India, Southeast Asia and northern Australia.
• Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha houses 70% of India’s estuarine crocodiles or saltwater crocodiles.
• IUCN Status: Least Concern
• Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1
• Threats: a) Illegal hunting b) habitat loss and c) antipathy toward the species because of its reputation as a man-eater