In India, the first week of September is celebrated as National Nutrition Week. The purpose of this week is to raise awareness among the general public about the value of healthy eating practices and proper nutrition for upholding a healthy lifestyle. A balanced diet and an active, healthy lifestyle are required for this. The government launches programmes to promote nutrition awareness throughout this week.

 

Theme : Every year, as part of National Nutrition Week, the government also introduces a special theme that focuses primarily on that year’s theme. The theme for this year(2022) is "Celebrate a World of Flavors". Last year(2021), the government announced this theme for the week - feeding smart right from start.

 

Significance : In order to keep this cycle under control, well-balanced and nutritious food is crucial. Nutrition is at the centre of our daily life.

 

The Food and Nutrition Board of the Government of India’s Ministry of Women and Child Development organises an annual week-long celebration of National Nutrition Week to inform people about this basic phenomenon.

The importance and role of healthy diet in the human body are emphasised. A balanced diet full of essential nutrients is essential for healthy development and function. The Indian government has started programmes that emphasise good nutrition, wholesome food, and a healthy lifestyle..

Source : News18

Andhra Pradesh government has on Friday(26th Aug 2022) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US-based Parley for the Oceans, to clean the shores of the State and make Andhra Pradesh plastic free by 2027. 

 

As part of the MoU, Parley Future Institute along with Parley Super Hub will be set up in the State to manufacture goods with recycled plastic, attracting ₹16,000 crore investment in the next six years and generating employment to over 20,000 people. 

 

Speaking after signing of the MoU in Visakhapatnam, the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said environment and economy were two sides of a coin and his government was moving ahead with inclusivity and sustainability to protect and nurture the environment. 

 

 

”Visakhapatnam has taken up the world’s largest beach cleaning programme with the participation of over 22,000 people at a stretch of 28 km starting from Gokul Beach to Bheemili Beach, about 76 tonnes of plastic was collected from the seashore,’‘ he said. 

 

Emphasising that it is the responsibility of all to save the oceans, he said that 70 per cent of the world’s oxygen comes from marine plants and plastic debris has affected at least 267 marine species worldwide..

Source : The Hindu Businessline

The Solomon Islands has suspended entry into its waters for foreign navy ships pending adoption of a new process for approval of port visits, the prime minister’s office said on Tuesday(30th Aug 2022), in a bid to better police its exclusive economic zones.

 

The step follows an incident last week when a U.S. Coast Guard vessel, the Oliver Henry, was unable to make a routine port call because the government did not respond to a request for it to refuel and provision.

 

The Solomon Islands has had a tense relationship with the United States and its allies since striking a security pact with China this year.

 

“We have requested our partners to give us time to review, and put in place our new processes, before sending further requests for military vessels to enter the country,” Prime Minister Manesseh Sogavare said in a statement.

 

“These will universally apply to all visiting naval vessels,” he said in the statement his office emailed to Reuters.

 

Sogavare added that he wanted to build national capacity to police the Pacific island nation’s exclusive economic zones..

Source : NBC News

Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, in the 45th AGM on Monday(29th Aug 2022), announced to build India's first and one of the world’s largest Carbon Fibre plants at Hazira, Gujarat. The plants will have a capacity of 20,000 MTPA based on Acrylonitrile feedstock. Overall, in the Oil to Chemical segment (O2C), Ambani Ambani announced an investment of ₹75,000 crore over the next five years to expand capacities in existing and new value chains. These value chains are - Polyester value chain, Vinyl chain, and New Materials.

 

In the polyester value chain, Ambani announced to build one of the world's largest single-train PTA plant of 3 MMTPA capacity at Dahej.

 

He said, "We will also invest in a 1 MMTPAPET plant at Dahej. Both PTA and PET will be targeted for completion by 2026. We will also reinvest in Polyester Filament Yarn (PFY) and Polyester Staple Fibre (PSF). Polyester expansion with a capacity of over 1 MMTPA will be completed in phases by 2026."

 

Meanwhile, in Vinyl chain, Ambani said, "we will more than triple our existing capacity by adding world-scale plants at Dahej and Jamnagar in India, and also in the UAE. We will aim to complete 1.5 MMTPAof feedstock integrated PVC expansion at Dahej and Jamnagar in phases by 2026. 

 

He further added in Vinyl chain, "We will also add capacities to make EDC and PVC at Ruwais, in the UAE, as part of the Ta'ziz Chemical Zone. The joint venture with ADNOC and ADQ will target to full domestic demand of the region. With these expansions, Reliance will rank among the Top-5 producers of PVC globally.".

Source : Live Mint

Nagesh Singh(IFS:1995), presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed as India’s next ambassador to Thailand, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday(30th Aug 2022).

 

Singh, He will replace the incumbent ambassador Suchitra Durai.  Bilateral relations between India and Thailand continued to strengthen during 2021, marked by cooperation at regional and sub-regional levels within the framework of ASEAN, Mekong Ganga Cooperation and BIMSTEC as well as at other multilateral fora.

 

“He is expected to take up the assignment shortly,” the ministry added.

 

Nagesh Singh is a 1995 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) who has served as Consul General of India in Atlanta..

Source : The Print

Delhi Chief Minister "Arvind Kejriwal" on Wednesday(31st August 2022) launched a virtual school, which he claimed was “India’s first such platform”, while announcing that students from across the country will be eligible for admission.

 

* Addressing an online press conference, Kejriwal said the Delhi Model Virtual School (DMVS) will be for classes 9-12 and also prepare students for competitive exams like JEE, NEET and CUET.

 

* The application process for the 2022-23 academic session started from Wednesday(31st August 2022) and students can apply through www.dmvs.ac.in. Any child aged between 13 and 18 who has completed class 8 from any recognised school can apply for admission in class 9.

 

* The school will not charge any fee and there will be an attendance tracking system in-built in the online platform used for classes.

 

* As for the exams, students will be required to physically come to the national capital for two term-end exams. These exams will be held at the designated schools in Delhi where students can also give computer-based Tests (CBT)..

Source : The Print

India's top oil and gas producer Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on Wednesday(31st Aug 2022) got a record third interim chairman in Rajesh Kumar Srivastava as the government has not made a full-time appointment yet.

 

Srivastava, who is the senior-most director on the ONGC board, has been given additional charge of chairman and managing director after current acting head Alka Mittal superannuated.

 

An oil ministry order said Srivastava, who is Director (Exploration) of ONGC, has been entrusted with an additional charge of chairman and managing director "for a period of 4 months with effect from September 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022 (i.e the date of his superannuation) or till the appointment of a regular incumbent to the post, or until further orders, whichever is the earliest."

 

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is without a regular chairman and managing director since April 2021. Subhash Kumar, the then senior-most director on the company board and the director for finance, was named officiating head after Shashi Shanker superannuated on March 31, 2021..

Source : Business Standard