1. HRD Ministry announces Rs 60,000 crore to provide digital devices to 4 cr students
The HRD ministry has proposed to spend Rs 60,000 crore over five years to provide digital devices to 4 crore students in the higher education sector. The proposal was presented to the 15th Finance Commission on Monday by the HRD ministry. The commission conducted the meeting to discuss education “at the time of COVID-19.” The HRD Ministry has proposed to provide devices such as laptops, tablet computers, mobile phones, and television setups to around 40 percent of students enrolled in colleges and universities by 2025-26.
2. Mumbai HC: Private unaided schools can take fees in instalments
The Mumbai High Court has said that it was mindful of the difficulties faced by the parents and that the schools may consider allowing them to pay the fees online and in reasonable installments. Taking into consideration the financial problems that surfaced as an effect of the pandemic and lockdown, the High court, as per a state government regulation (GR) had barred private schools from hiking fees. This GR had also directed the schools not to collect yearly one-time fees for academic years 2019-20 and 2020-21 and give parents an option to deposit the same on a monthly or quarterly basis.
3. Union Minister: COVID-19 will not affect Indias 1st human space mission,’Gaganyaan’
Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday said the launch of India’s first human space mission ‘Gaganyaan’ won’t be affected by COVID-19. “Preparations are being carried in the right direction,” he added. Informing about the decision of the cabinet to encourage private participation in ISRO, the Union Minister said, a regulator, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), will soon be set up.
4. Vodafone, IDEA hit by an annual loss of Rs.73,878 cr, biggest in Indian history
India’s third-largest telecom operator Vodafone Idea reported a net loss of Rs 73,878 crores for 2019-20, the highest ever annual loss by any Indian firm, after making provision for Supreme Court-mandated statutory dues. The dues amount to nearly Rs 58,300 crore, according to the government’s estimate. Vodafone Idea’s net debt stood at nearly Rs 1.13 lakh crore as of March.
5. US buys all the world’s stock of COVID-19 drug Remdesivir
US has bought up all stocks of COVID-19 drug Ramdesivir, one of the two drugs proven to work against COVID-19, virtually for the next three months. “So far, we know…for…next three months there’ll be no supplies,” Dr. Andrew Hill, a senior visiting research fellow at Liverpool University stated. “We won’t have access to them. That is the case in the UK and Europe,” he added.
6. Pakistani terrorist with the motive of infiltration killed in J&K
A Pakistani terrorist was killed on Wednesday when the Indian Army foiled an infiltration bid by a group of militants along the Line of Control in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, an Army officer said. The Army recovered an AK-47 rifle along with two magazines from the terrorist and launched a search operation to nab the remaining militants.
7. 2 Dead and 16 injured after boiler explodes at a Thermal Plant in TN
2 workers have died and 16 injured after a boiler exploded at NLC India’s thermal power plant at Neyveli in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. The injured workers, some of whom had sustained over 40% burns, have been rushed to NLCIL General Hospital in the township. This is the second boiler blast at the plant in two months.
8. Mumbai’s Lalbaugcha Raja Ganeshaotsav Mandal cancels Ganesh Utsav
Amid rising COVID 19 cases in Maharashtra, Mumbai’s Lalbaugcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal has decided not to hold Ganeshotsav in 2020. A blood and plasma donation camp will be set up in place of Lord Ganesh idol for all 11 days. This is reportedly the first time in the history of Lalbaugcha Raja that Lord Ganesh idol will not be set up.
9. Protests break out in Hong Kong, police make 1st arrest under China’s new national security law
The new National Security Law passed by the Chinese central government targets secession, subversion, and terrorism with punishments up to life in prison. Activists say it takes away freedoms but China has dismissed the criticism. Hong Kong‘s sovereignty was handed back to China by Britain in 1997 and certain rights were supposed to be guaranteed for at least 50 years under the “one country, two systems” agreement. On Wednesday, crowds gathered for an annual pro-democracy rally to mark the anniversary, defying a ban by authorities who cited restrictions on gatherings of more than 50 people because of Covid-19. Police used water cannon and pepper spray on demonstrators and said at least 70 people had been arrested, two of them under the new security law.
10. Facebook bans hundreds of accounts linked to ‘boogaloo’ accounts for ‘promoting violence’
Facebook on Tuesday removed accounts and groups associated with a violent network of the far-right “boogaloo” movement whose followers have been linked to violence that disrupted peaceful protests around the United States. This decision of Facebook came in after several followers of the movement were charged with crimes across the United States, including the murder of a security officer at a federal courthouse in Oakland, Calif., and a plot that was planned to use explosives at a demonstration in Las Vegas protesting the police killing of George Floyd.
11. SpaceX launches GPS III Space Vehicle 03, the first mission for Space Force
SpaceX has successfully launched its 11th mission of the year, lofting a next-generation global positioning satellite into space for the U.S. Space Force. A shiny, white Falcon 9 rocket took to the skies on June 30th at 4:10 p.m. EDT (2010 GMT), shooting from Space Launch Complex 40 situated at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. This launch is part of an ongoing effort by the Department of Defense to upgrade GPS satellites currently in space. The constellation of aging GPS satellites was launched some 20 years ago, and since then, technology has evolved significantly. This particular satellite launched will replace one of the oldest ones in orbit.
