INTERNATIONAL
- India, Israel to jointly develop missile for Army
- India has approved a deal to jointly develop a medium range surface-to-air missile (MR-SAM) system for the Army in a Rs. 17,000-crore deal.
- This is the latest in a series of other variants of SAM systems for the Navy and the Air Force being jointly developed with Israeli help.
- The deal is for 200 missiles for five regiments, each getting 40 units. The missile has a range of 50-70 km.
- The system will be based on the older Barak system of Israel, which is in use in India. The systems will be manufactured in India and would have an 80% indigenous content. The two countries are also in an advanced stage of negotiations for the purchase of two more long-range Phalcon Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS).
NATIONAL
- Scientists discover four new miniature frog species in Western Ghats.
- Scientists have discovered four new species of miniature night frogs no bigger than a human thumbnail in Western Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot.
- Four new species of miniature night frogs are (i) Athirappilly Night Frog: It was discovered close to the Athirappilly waterfalls. (ii) Sabarimala Night Frog: It was discovered near the Sabarimala hill shrine. (iii) The Radcliffe’s Night frog and (iv) Kadalar Night Frog: They were reported from plantation areas.
- Night Frogs belong to the Nyctibatrachus genus, endemic to the Western Ghats.
- Centre doubles solar park capacity to 40,000 MW.
- The Cabinet has approved the doubling of solar park capacity to 40,000 MW, which will entail an additional 50 solar parks to be set up at a cost to the government of ?8,100 crore.
- While most of the additional 50 solar parks, to be commissioned by 2019-20, will be 50 MW of capacity, the Centre is also considering smaller parks in Himalayan and other hilly states where contiguous land is difficult to acquire.
- The total capacity when operational will generate 64 billion units of electricity per year which will lead to abatement of around 55 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year over its life cycle
RAJASTHAN
- Rajasthan Budget Session starts today.
- Rajasthan budget session started today in 8th session of 14th Rajasthan assembly. The Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ms Vasundhara Raje , who has also the charge of Finance Department will represent the Budget for the year 2017-18.
- The parliament conducts three sessions each year: Budget session: February to May. Monsoon session: July to September. Winter session: November to December.