1. India can save $1.7 billion annually by 10 per cent mandatory ethanol blending with petrol: McKinsey
(i) Global consultancy firm McKinsey, released a report on the Rs.80,000 crore Indian sugar industry pointing out that the industry is facing its “worst crisis in 30 years” and suggested various short and long-term steps to financially rescue millers, one of which was increasing production of sugarcane byproducts like ethanol.
(ii) As per the report, “India could save $1.7 billion of foreign exchange annually spent on imports by 10 per cent mandatory ethanol blending with petrol.” Records show that the sugar mills currently owe about Rs. 65,000 crore to banks and sugarcane farmers. Cane arrears to the latter amounts to about Rs 14, 500 crore.
2. Union govt. launches School Nursery Scheme
(ii) Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar launched the School Nursery Yojana on 10th August with a view to make students care for and protect the environment, by involving them in planting saplings in nurseries created within the campus.
(ii) As a part of this initiative school students will conduct a tree census in their school and locality, sow seeds, grow saplings. The activities will be part of the biology class and extra curricular activities.
(iii) The objective of of the School Nursery Yojana is to help students form an everlasting bond with nature and care for the environment.
3. All six provinces of Nepal to share borders with India
(i) Nepal’s four major parties have reached a landmark deal to divide the country into six provinces, each sharing its border with India. The model has been incorporated in Nepal’s new constitution that has been in the making for sometime.
(ii) Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has appreciated this move, which is an outcome of the agreement inked by the Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee of the Constituent Assembly. The new constitution is expected to be delivered by the end of August.
4. Astronauts taste food grown in space for the first time
(i) NASA astronauts for the first time tasted food grown in the space. The crew at the International Space Station tasted red romaine lettuce for which the seeds were sown a year back.
(ii) It was part of the Veg-01 experiment, (later nicknamed Veggie) that was meant to study plant growth in a micro-gravity environment and to improve methods that could grow produce in orbit.
(ii) This experiment has helped NASA break free from the limits of necessary resupply flights, which are difficult as missions venture increasingly away from Earth.
5. India-born Sundar Pichai is the new Google CEO
(i) In what is an inspiring India-born Sundar incident Pichai has been declared CEO of the technology giant.
(ii) This move comes after co-founder Larry Page announced the formation of a new firm Alphabet, which will be part of Google .
(iii) In his blog, Page announced that he will be the CEO of Alphabet and Google co-founder Sergey Brin will be the President.
6. England crushes Australia to win Ashes 2015
(i) England won against Australia by an innings and 78 runs in the fourth test that took place at Trent Bridge on August 8. This puts England in a 3-1 lead in the five-match Ashes test series.
(ii) England dismissed Australia for 60 runs on the first day and made 391-9. Australia finished 241-7 on the second day, still trailing by 90 runs.
(iii) England took the remaining three wickets for 12 runs and won the series on the third day without having to bat a second time.
7. International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples observed
(i) 9th August 2015, was commemorated as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. This year’s theme was, “Post 2015: Ensuring indigenous peoples’ health and well being.”
(ii) As per the UN, the theme focuses on the issue of indigenous peoples’ access to health care services, as improving their health remains a critical challenge for the UN and its member nations.
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