Punjab Current Affairs Jan to July

Transcription

1

2 Punjab Current Affairs Jan to July

3

4 Punjab State Board of Wildlife constituted As per the notification issued by the department of Forests and Wildlife, the government reconstituted the board on June 7. The previous board constituted by the SAD-BJP government functioned for a period of three years and was given an extension for a year.

5 Punjab Wildlife Board s decision to allow farmers to kill Nilgais to prevent crop damage Protests by Bishnoi community

6 A mobile application focusing on livestock was launched by the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) The mobile app, Precision of Dairy Farming, has been developed by the Extension Education Department of the varsity to help dairy farmers get answers to their queries. The app is being made available in two languages- English and Punjabi.

7 Punjab CM inaugurates Partition Museum in Amritsar August 17 as the Partition Remembrance Day.

8 Punjab CM sanctions Rs 15 crores for completion of Jang-E-Azadi memorial in Jalandhar Minister for Tourism Navjot Sidhu first phase was completed in June 2017 The project, spread across 25 acres of land, was originally sanctioned in July 2012 at a total cost of Rs. 315 Crores

9 Swacch Sarveskshan 2017 Gujarat has maximum of 12 cities among the top 50 cleanest, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 11 and Andhra Pradesh with eight. 11 Chandigarh Punjab

10 Swacch Sarveskshan 2017 Punjab s performance Number of cities in top 10 zero Number of cities in top 50 zero Number of cities in top 100 zero Number of cities in bottom 50 five Number of cities in bottom 100 seven

11 Swacch Sarveskshan 2017 Punjab s performance SAS Nagar 121 Cleanest (Mohali) Multsar 428 Dirtiest SAS Nagar-121, Bhatinda-132, Ludhiana-140, Pathankot- 188, Firozepur-222, Jalandhar-233, Amritsar-258, Barnala- 284, Hoshiarpur-323, Malerkotal-363, Moga-369, Khanna- 400, Patiala-411, Batala-418, Abohar-427, Muktsar-428

12 Swacch Sarveskshan 2017

13 The Centre for Media Studies (CMS) released its 11th round of the annual corruption study CMS India Corruption Study Punjab is the 6 th most corrupt state According to survey based on 20 states karnataka is the most corrupt state in the country. According to the survey, "77% of respondents" in Karnataka experienced corruption in accessing public services This is followed by Andhra Pradesh (74%), Tamil Nadu (68%), Maharashtra (57%), Jammu and Kashmir (44%) and Punjab (42%)

14 4 th National Summit on Good, Replicable Practices and Innovations in Public Health Care Systems was conducted in Indore, Madhya Pardesh Inaugurated by Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan. She also discussed on National Health Policy 2017 and how to achieve SDGs in Health SDG 3 Good Health and Well Being

15 Awards Given to States/Union Territories by Health Ministry during this summit : For the best out-patient services, the award was given to Gujarat, Punjab and Jharkhand

16 The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) was awarded with Best Performing Power Distribution Utility in Power Sector. v Award was given by Central Board of Irrigation & Power (CBIP) v Punjab is the first state to provide unique phone number 1912 for registration of all types of power cut complaints 24X7 by phone and SMS

17 vncr Punjab Royals were crowned the champions of the Patanjali Power Vita Pro Wrestling League Season 2 vfinal at - K D Jadhav Indoor Stadium vk D Jadhav 1952 Helsinki Olympics vmumbai Garuda - Pro Wrestling League Season 1 champions vdefeated two-time finalists Haryana Hammers 5-4 in the finals at the K D Jadhav Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.

18 Former Chief Minister of Punjab, Surjit Singh Barnala passed away vhe was 91 years old vchief Minister of Punjab from 1985 to 1987 He was a five-time member of Punjab Assembly 1967, 1969, 1972, 1980 and 1985 and twice a member of the Lok Sabha in 1977 and 1998 In 1969 when he served as Education Minister in the Justice Gurnam Singh Government In Morarji Desai Cabinet as the Agriculture Minister

19 Mr. Barnala was also Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Power, Chemical and Fertilisers and Rural Development and signed the historic Ganga Waters Agreement (Farakka Agreement) with Bangladesh

20 Barnala has served as a Governor of several states. He first served as Governor of Tamil Nadu from 1990 to 1991 for about nine months. He served as lieutenant governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands from December 1990 to 18 March 1993.

21 In 1998, Minister for Chemical & Fertlizers and Food & Consumer Affairs in the Vajpayee Cabinet. He was the First Governor of Uttarakhand from its creation in 2000 until 2003 Governor of Andhra Pradesh from 2003 to 2004 with additional charge of Orissa Governor of Tamil Nadu from 2004 till 31 August 2011 ( also held additional charge of Puduchery for sometime )

22 He is the second longest-serving Governor in Indian History after Dr. A R Kidwai and the only Governor to have served three terms in the history of Tamil Nadu State of 300 Years.

23

24

25 Punjab bans manufacture of gutkha, pan masala for 1 year vban on manufacture of food products containing tobacco or nicotine like gutkha and pan masala vthe ban also applicable to processed, flavoured, scented, chewing tobacco vthe decision was taken in view of the orders of the Supreme court wherein it observed that to circumvent ban of sale of gutkha, the manufacturers are selling pan masala (without tobacco) with flavored chewing tobacco in separate sachets

26 Centre approves cash credit to Punjab for food procurement Punjab s outstanding amount of Rs 31,000 crore in cashcredit accounts up to will be converted into a term loan, which will be repayable in half-yearly instalments for 20 years vthis proposal of department of expenditure was approved by Prime Minister under Rule 12 of (transaction of business) Rules, 1961

27 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, 2017 Election was held on 4 February 2017 to elect the 117 members of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. The counting of votes was done on 11 March 2017 The ruling pre-election coalition was the alliance comprising the political parties Shiromani Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party and led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal

28

29

30

31

32 Punjab government okays 33% quota for women in state jobs Punjab is the first state to give 33 per cent reservation for women in jobs, including contractual appointments the representation of women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies would go up from 33 per cent to 50 per cent.

33 For this they have have to amend these bills - Punjab Municipal Act of Punjab Municipal Corporation Act of the Panchayati Raj Act of 1994

34 The chief minister, ministers and legislators will no longer lay foundation stones of public projects and also not inaugurate them It will carry only one line -- the project has been executed with the money of the taxpayers

35 The government has also decided to do away with the VIP culture by removing red, amber and blue beacons from official vehicles of all state ministers, MLAs, bureaucrats and political appointees. The beacons would be allowed only on official vehicles of the chief minister, judges of The Punjab and Haryana High Court, and ambulances and fire tenders

36 The end of the controversial halqa in-charge system that had enabled Akali leaders to influence police functioning in their Assembly constituencies Power Abuse halqa in-charges had taken over the total control of the local administration.

37 Cabinet approves Establishment of a Punjab Horticulture Board for helping farmers switch to horticulture. Creation of a separate administrative body for the execution of various horticulture-related project to encourage farmers to shift from the traditional wheat-paddy crop cycle to the more lucrative horticulture

38 (Similar to State Agriculture Marketing Development Board (Mandi Board) ) Punjab to set up a separate university exclusively for the development and research of fruits, vegetables and floriculture, on the lines of Guru Angad Dev University of Veterinary Sciences, Ludhiana Punjab will be setting up of a dedicated Kinnow mandi, with a multi-cell cold storage, in Abohar, South Punjab

39 At present, the total area under fruit plants and vegetables is approximately three lakh hectares in Punjab, constituting only approximately four per cent of the total land in agrarian Punjab "Green Revolution" state Punjab contributes nearly 50 per cent of food grains (wheat and paddy) to the national kitty.

40 Punjab government has decided to provide one house to every freedom fighter and allocate 300 units of free electricity every month. Freedom fighters will also be provided one outof-turn tubewell connection and would be exempted from toll tax.

41 The Punjab cabinet gave its formal nod to scrap kurki, a practice under which mortgaged land is auctioned to recover loans, by abolishing Section 67-A of the Punjab Cooperative Societies Act, To rescue state s distressed farmers from the burden of debt by waiving their loans and putting an end to kurki

42 Gift money for brides The Congress poll manifesto had promised to hike the gift money for brides from 15,000 to 51,000. It named the Shagun scheme of former CM Parkash Singh Badal as Ashirwad, without the promised hike. The government has decided to go for online payment of the shagun amount to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries

43 Government has Renamed the department of agriculture as department of agriculture and farmers welfare to strengthen focus on issues related to farmers and their welfare.

44

45 Government has Renamed department of irrigation as department of water resources to impart greater focus on issues related to water, its optimal, efficient and sustainable use.

46 As per the cabinet decision, Section 12 of the Punjab Agricultural Produce Market Act, 1961, will be amended to appoint administrators, who shall perform the official duties and exercise powers of the market committees for a period of one year or till the nomination of market committees, whichever is earlier.

47 Punjab Government approved the Punjab Financial Assistance to Acid Victims Scheme-2017 under which victims will be provided 8,000 per month, per head aid by the department of social security and development of women and children, Punjab. This will enable the victims or their family members/relatives to apply for the aid to the district social security officer of the district concerned.

48 SWADESH DARSHAN, 100% funding will be done by the central government for strengthening infrastructure, capacity building of staff and locals, finding new avenues to connect people with tourism activities Ministry of Tourism PRASAD - Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive and Swadesh Darshan Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY)scheme - Urban Development Ministry

49 PRASAD Scheme was launched in with 12 identified sites namely Ajmer (Rajasthan), Amritsar (Punjab), Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh), Dwarka (Gujarat), Gaya (Bihar), Kedarnath (Uttarakhand), Kamakhya (Assam), Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu), Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), Puri (Odisha), Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) and Vellankani (Tamil Nadu). During , Patna (Bihar) and in , 12 more sites were added in the scheme for development namely Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh), Badrinath (Uttarakhand), Belur (West Bengal), Deoghar (Jharkhand), Guruvayur (Kerala), Hazratbal and Katra (Jammu & Kashmir), Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh), Somnath (Gujarat), Srisailam and Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Trimbakeshwar (Maharashtra).

50 HRIDAY SCHEME Deadline November, 2018 Outlay of INR 500 Crores the Scheme is being implemented in 12 identified Cities namely, Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal.

51 Eight years ago, Punjab ranked 28th on tourist arrivals in the country, but now it s placed at the 12th spot. (Ministry of Tourism report) According to the Union ministry of tourism, the tourist arrivals in the state have more than doubled with the number of domestic tourists going up from 1.05 crore in 2010 to 2.57 crore in 2015, and the number of foreign tourists shooting up from 1.37 lakh to 2.42 lakh in the corresponding period In , hotel and restaurant sector contributed only 0.71% to the state GDP. The state declared tourism an industry in December 2012 and notified a revised tourism policy in November 2015, giving incentives to hoteliers, including VAT exemption. Late last year, new hotels were given an exemption from luxury tax of 40% as well as the license fee.

52 Ministry of Tourism The Amritsar-Ram Tirath-Sarai Amanat Khan-Wagha Border tourist circuit has been identified in the Majha region. Will include (Durgiana Mandir, Jallianwala Bagh, Company Bagh and recently refurbished Gobindgarh Fort ) Malwa, the circuit is like Ludhiana-Moga-Ferozepur-Bathinda-Muktsar-Faridkot. At the centre of the region is Bathinda where some of the historical and religious destinations such as Damdama Sahib, Qila Mubarak and forts in Faridkot could catch the fancy of visitors.

53 Ministry of Tourism Another tourist circuit is Patiala-Nabha-Malerkotla-Ludhiana- Fatehgarh Sahib. The department aims at popularising tourist attractions in Patiala such as Qila Mubarak Complex, Rang Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Moti Bagh Palace, Darbar Hall (Divan Khana), Baradari Gardens, Qila Bahadurgarh, Panj Bali Gurdwara, Maiji Di Sarai etc

54 Beas to be conservation reserve The Punjab Wildlife department has declared a conservation reserve along the 185-km-long Beas river. No commercial fishing, netting, or hunting will be allowed in the river. Besides, water species like gharials, otter, dolphins, and various types of fish will be bred in this river.

55 Beas to be conservation reserve In the next five years, a total of 100 gharials will be released in the river. The first lot of gharials has been bred in the state and the rest will be procured from the wildlife departments in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. These gharials will come from Kukrail Reserve Forest near Lucknow and from Morena in Madhya Pradesh.

56 India s Largest Tricolour Hoisted on Tallest Flag Post at Attari Border vinaugurated by Anil Joshi, Cabinet Minister of Punjab vhoisted on the tallest flag post at the Indo-Pak Attari Border in Amritsar just 150 m away from the border. v The flag post measured 110 metres (360 feet) in length, 24 metres in width and 55 tons in weight. v approximate cost of Rs crore. vbeating Retreat Ceremony At present, the tallest flag is in Ranchi (300-foot high). Amritsar city already has a 170-foot tall flag in the local Ranjit Avenue Public Park.

57 The three day long Destination North East-2017 festival was inaugurated in Chandigarh. v The Destination North East-2017 was organized by Ministry of DoNER vinaugurated by by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Dr. Jitendra Singh vthe main focus of the event was the 3 H Mission that is Horticulture, Handicraft and Handlooms with the objective to use appropriate technologies in all sectors of development for North Eastern Region

58 A renewed agreement between Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir has been sealed for the completion of the Shahpur Kandi Dam project. Shahpur Kandi Dam project, proposed to be built downstream Ranjit Sagar Dam (Thein Dam) on the Ravi in Gurdaspur district It had been stalled by Jammu and Kashmir since The proposed 55.5-metre-high dam in Gurdaspur district will potentially irrigate 5,000 hectares of land in Punjab and 32,173 hectares in J&K, besides generating 206 MW of power.

59 The Irrigation Department of the Punjab government started building the dam in January 2013, but the Jammu and Kashmir government stopped the construction, saying there was no agreement for sharing of waters and power from the project. J&K said it was uncertain about Punjab s commitment to share power, water and economic benefits that would flow from the project.

60 Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) developed India s first genetically modified varieties of BT cotton. Ludhiana Three Bt cotton varieties have been identified by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) as : Cotton is the only GM crop allowed to be cultivated in India The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) also has identified three Bt cotton varieties F1861, PAU Bt 1 and RS2013 for cultivation in Punjab PAU Bt 1 and F1861 were developed by PAU

61 vall three varieties carry the Cry1Ac gene obtained from Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) bacteria. It imparts resistance against bollworm cotton pest vrs2013 was developed at Rajasthan Agricultural University (RAU), Bikaner. vwhile the PAU Bt 1 was completely developed at PAU, the F1861 and RS2013 were converted to Bt version by Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur.

62 Punjab Defeats Railways to Win Santosh Trophy v It was 71 st Santosh Trophy football tournament, final was played in Goa. vscore 2-1 vrajbir Singh scored both goals

63 Former Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurdev Singh Badal passed (SAD) He breathed his last at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana. He was 85. He was a senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader and a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly from the Panjgrain constituency in Jalandhardistrict. He had been 5 time MLA from this constituency

64

65 Punjab Government will set up Book banks in all schools. v The old students would be asked to submit their old books which would be afforded to needy children free of charge. v Punjab Education Minister : Aruna Chaudhary

66 Veteran actor Dilip Kumar was honoured with the Living Legend Lifetime Award by the Punjab Association. v The actor was also honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contribution to the Indian cinema

67 Punjab State Government has made Aadhaar Cards mandatory in place of Ration Cards for all Financial Assistance Schemes. This decision has been taken to ensure that only genuine people get the benefits of financial assistance schemes and pension scheme. It has also introduced new forms to get the benefit of old age pensions.

68 Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the 28th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council in Chandigarh. v North Zonal Council - Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Delhi. vfive Zonal Councils Central, Western, Northern, Southern and Eastern have been established under the State Reorganisation Act, v Resolving regional and inter-state issues through cordial discussions,

69 Former Punjab Director General of Police Kanwar Pal Singh Gill passed away. v He was 82 years old. vhe died at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi due to cardiac arrhythmia. vhe received a Padma Shri award in 1989 for his work in the civil service

70

71 Punjab State government launched the Chief Minister Scholarship Scheme. va new initiative to provide cheaper and quality education to meritorious & poor students. Under the scheme, the state government would provide fee waiver to as per the percentage of marks obtained by students in class 10th. Chief Minister Scholarship Scheme would be applicable to those students who are the residents of Punjab and are studying in any of the following institutions Government polytechnic & engineering colleges Maharaja Ranjit Singh University, Bhatinda I.K. Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar

72 vstudents scoring 60-70% marks in Class 10 will get 70% fee waiver. v80% fee waiver for those getting between 70% and 80% marks. v90% for those scoring 80-90% marks. v Students with % marks will get free education

73 The Punjab government and the United Kingdom join hands to promote skill training and technical education to the students to provide better employment opportunities in abroad. v It was announced by Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi with Britain Deputy High Commissioner Andrew Ayre on June 1st at Chandigarh. vunder this scheme, UK would send skill development experts to Punjab to impart technical education and skill development training.

74 Punjab government inks a tripartite agreement with the Centre and Airports Authority of India(AAI). vit was signed under a flagship programme UDAN. vthe four airports of Bathinda, Ludhiana, Pathankot and Adampur have been connected under the scheme through five proposals

75 Approximately one lakh seats will be made available to passengers under the scheme, wherein 50 per cent 50,000 seats will be under fare cap (which is concessional fares). Requirement of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) will be shared by central government and the state government in 80:20 ratio.

76 Eminent playwright Ajmer Singh Aulakh passed away at Mansa town of Punjab. v He was 75 years old. v He was given Sahiyta Akademi award in 2006 for his play 'Ishq Bajho Namaz Da Haz Nahi'.

77 Union Food Processing Minister, Harsimrat Kaur Badal laid the foundation stone, of Punjab s first maize based Food Park. v It will be built at Rehana Jattan village in Kaputhala District of Punjab. v Maize is the third viable staple crop of Punjab after wheat and rice.

78 vthis food park will be set up on 55 acres, at the cost of Rs. 123 crore. vthe Union government is providing a financial assistance of Rs. 50 crore for the project. vit is being developed by Sukhjit Mega Food Park and Infra Limited and will generate turnover of Rs crore annually.

79 An agreement was signed to establish India's first Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) in Punjab vnational Focal Point (NFP): The Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) has been designated as the NFP for the TISC national network v Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, signed an Institutional agreement with the Punjab State Council of Science and Technology vthe objective of the TISC is to stimulate a dynamic, vibrant and balanced Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) system in India to foster creativity and innovation

80 The Punjab government has signed an MoU with the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND). The MoU was signed on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day 28 July It is a global diagnostic firm which help Hepatitis C patients. The firm would provide rapid test kits for screening of high-risk patients, for disease like HIV, IVDU (Intravenous Drug Users) Punjab is also the first state in the country where the injection safety programme is being implemented in collaboration with WHO. Punjab health minister Brahm Mohindra

81 Punjab launches flagship care companion programme scheme. v Launched by Punjab health minister Brahm Mohindra. v Aim is to improve patient outcomes through better family engagement and education. vthe state department of health and family welfare has entered into an MoU with Noora Health India Trust, a healthcare non-profit organisation, for implementation of the 'Care Companion Programme' (CCP)

82 vobjective is to reduce the number of infant deaths and complications like infections in the first 30 days postdischarge and ensure adoption of long-term health promotive behaviors.

83 The Punjab government has announced the launch of its flagship 'Apni Gaddi Apna Rozgar' scheme by flagging off over 100 uber MOTO bikes. v Under the scheme the state government will be providing commercial two wheelers and four wheelers to unemployed youth at subsidised rates vthe scheme aims to generate job opportunities for youth and providing better mobile transport in Punjab. vin its first phase the Uber bike taxis will run in Mohali, ludhiana, Zirakpur and Kharar regions of Punjab..

84 Punjab Government s New transport policy v It also abolished the system of district transport officers (DTO) and restructuring the transport department. v It will complete its function in two phases. vonce the scheme is implemented, permits of 5,432 buses indulging in extension/diversion of routes and another 6,700 minibuses, besides 78 integral luxury coaches, will be cancelled and allotted afresh.

85 vpermits issued under this scheme will be valid for a period of five years from the date of issue and shall be valid for a period of five years from the date of renewal. vin case of private operators, not more than 25% of the total permits on a particular route will be issued to one firm/party/person. vemployment will be created through 'Yaari Enterprises scheme in which subsidy would be provided to youth

86 Punjab Finance minister Manpreet Badal presented a state budget of Rs 1.18 lakh crore for the financial year (Rs 1.48 lakh crore at the end of ) v Budget focuses on focused on reducing the crushing debt burden and restoring fiscal stability. v Badal also mentioned that Punjab s outstanding debt will be Rs 1.95 lakh crore by the end of the financial year.

87 Highlights : Free education for girls in government schools and colleges from Nursery to PhD. Reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies has already been increased by the government from 33 per cent to 50 per cent He earmarked Rs 1,500 crore for waiving crop loans of distressed farmers

88 3) The loan waiver has been announced for up to Rs 2 lakh for small and marginal farmers (up to 5 acres) and a flat Rs 2 lakh relief for all other marginal farmers, irrespective of their loan amount. 4) This move would benefit a total of 25 lakh farmers of the state's 18.5 lakh farming families, including 8.75 lakh farmers having land up to 5 acres

89 Salary outgo Committed liabilities are a huge burden on the state exchequer, eating into bulk of its revenue. In financial year , the outgo on salary, pensions and retirement benefits will eat away three-fourth of the state s own tax revenue Rs 31,019 crore out of Rs 39,526 crore

90 Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has appealed to big farmers to forego their power subsidy The subsidy continues to increase, crossing the five-figure mark for the first time. The government has pegged the subsidy at Rs 10,255 crore in budget estimates , up from Rs 8,966 crore, due to increased consumption and thousands of new tube well connections released by the previous government.

91 URBAN AREA PROJECTS Its outlay has been more than doubled from Rs 2,268 crore to Rs 4,610 crore for projects such as Smart Cities, AMRUT and Swachh Bharat Mission REAL ESTATE REVIVAL A major source of revenue for long, the real estate sector hit by slowdown is on the government radar. A massive 3% cut in stamp duty, reducing it to 6% from the existing 9%, is likely to give a boost to demand and help revive the sector. The relief will remain in place till the end of the current year.

92 21st Federation Cup National Senior Athletics Championships was held from in Patiala, Punjab. v Organized by Athletics Federation of India (AFI) with support from Punjab Athletics Association and Sports Authority of India. v The championship provided an opportunity to Indian track and field athletes to qualify for the Asian Athletics Championships which was held in Bhubaneswar from 6th- 9th July 2017.

93 1) Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won the gold in men's javelin throw contest 2) Sarita Singh of Uttar Pradesh set a new national record in the women's hammer throw with an effort of 65.25m to claim the gold medal 3) Javelin thrower Anu Rani smashed her own national record and won the gold medal 4) Dutee Chand became the fastest woman when she won the women s 100m sprint

94 6th Heart of Asia Summit, Amritsar The conference adopted the Amritsar Declaration which puts focus on the Heart of Asia countries and supporting countries and organizations working together to comprehensively address the menace of terrorism. Issues of terrorism took centre stage at the event. The Conference was jointly inaugurated by the President of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif s foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz attended the meet.

95 3 Big Issues of the Conference 1. Countering terrorism to create stability and security in Afghanistan. 2. Providing Afghanistan connectivity to strengthen economic activities. 3. Development, which is essential for the progress of Afghanistan.

96 What is Heart of Asia Istanbul Process Afghanistan is the heart of the Heart of Asia conference. This is because the principal goal of the Heart of Asia, which was launched in November 2011 in Turkey, is to galvanise regional cooperation for peace, security and development in Afghanistan. In the process it will also contribute to the stability and prosperity to Afghanistan s extended neighbourhood in South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia is equally important, but Afghanistan remains the heart of the Istanbul process. Previous Conferences In this process of promoting peace and prosperity, the previous five Ministerial Conferences in Istanbul (2011), Kabul (2012), Almaty (2013), Beijing (2014), and Islamabad (2015) have facilitated both bilaterally and multilateral aid and developmental assistance worth billions of dollars. Member & Supporting Countries Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and the UAE are the member countries. There are more than 20 supporting countries and few supporting organizations like UN, SAARC etc.

97 Punjab Current Affairs Jan to July