NATIONAL J&K LG Manoj Sinha inaugurates initiative for women • In Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has launched a Rural Enterprises Acceleration Programme titled ‘Saath’ for Self Help Group (SHG) women. The programme aims to transform the lives of women and make them independent and strong in social and financial aspects, by mentoring the women associated with SHGs and create market linkages of products created by these women. • Jammu and Kashmir already has 48000 SHGs, with around four lakh women connected to these SHGs. The J&K administratio...

INTERNATIONAL Sri Lanka declared food emergency • Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency as the food crisis worsened after private banks ran out of foreign exchange to finance imports. With the country suffering a hard-hitting economic crisis, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he ordered emergency regulations to counter the hoarding of sugar, rice and other essential foods. The Sri Lankan rupee has fallen by 7.5% against the US dollar this year. • Rajapaksa has named a top army officer as “Commissioner General of Essential Services to coordinate the supply of paddy, ric...

NATIONAL Maharashtra government  launched “Mission Vatsalya” for women’s who lost their husbands to C-19 • Maharashtra government launched a special mission called “Mission Vatsalya” in order to help women who lost their husbands to C-19. Mission Vatsalya will provide several services and some 18 benefits under one roof to those women. It been designed for widows, with a special focus on widows coming from rural areas, poor backgrounds and deprived sections. Under this mission, schemes like Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana and Gharkul Yojana will benefit...

NATIONAL Government introduces a new registration mark for new vehicles • Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has introduced a new registration mark for new vehicles i.e. “Bharat series (BH-series)”. The vehicles bearing the BH-series mark will not have to require the assignment of a new registration mark when the owner of the vehicle shifts from one State to another. • Earlier, under section 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, if a person moves from one state to another, a person is allowed to keep the vehicle for not more than 12 months in any state other than...

NATIONAL Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Announces Campaigns under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav • Union Ayush Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal has announced a bouquet of activities and campaigns of Ministry of Ayush to commemorate Azadi ka Amrit Mahaotsav. This includes national launch of Y Break App fromVigyan Bhawan, yearlong campaigns of cultivation of medicinal plants in farmland and distribution of medicinal plants to households, sensitisation of School and College going students on Ayush systems. • Shri Sonowal said that the week-long activities and campaigns, from August 30 to...