ANDHRA PRADESH
- Andhra Pradesh gets new state bird, state flower
- Four years after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the government of the residual state has announced its state symbols.
- The notable change is the state bird. The state bird of undivided Andhra Pradesh was Indian Roller (coracias benghalensis) or Palapitta. This has been changed to Rama Chiluka (psittacula krameri) or rose ringed parakeet.
- Palapitta is now the state bird of Telangana, Odisha and Karnataka.
- The Andhra Pradesh government has opted for jasmine as the state flower.
- The Telangana government has adopted native Tangidi Puvvu (senna auriculata) as the state flower as it is widely used in the state’s famous Bathukamma festival.
INTERNATIONAL
- India improves its childhood index global ranking
- India has been placed at 113th position in the list of 175 countries in “End of Childhood Index 2018” indexed by global child rights group, Save the Children.
- The overall score of India in 2018 rose by 14 points from 754 in 2017 to 768 on a scale of 1000.
- Singapore and Slovenia are placed at the top sharing the first place in the index and Niger figures at the end of the list at 175.
- India and World Bank signs $500 Million Financing for Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
- The Government of India and the World Bank signed a $500 million loan agreement to provide additional financing for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Rural Roads Project, implemented by Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India, which will build 7,000 km of climate resilient roads, out of which 3,500 km will be constructed using green technologies.
- The World Bank has supported PMGSY since its inception in 2004.
- So far it has invested over $1.8 billion in loans and credits mostly in the economically weaker and hill states across North India – Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
- It has built and improved about 35,000 km of rural roads and benefited about eight million people with access to all-weather roads.
NATIONAL
· Indian Economy Grows 7.7% In 4th Quarter: Central Statistics Data
- The Indian economy grew 7%in the fourth quarter of 2017-18.
- The GDP had expanded 5.6%, 6.3%, and 7%, in the first three quarters of 2017-18, according to the data released by Central Statistics Office.
- As per the Data, robust performance in manufacturing, construction and service sectors, as well as good farm output, contributed to the overall growth.
- The previous high GDP growth of 8.1% was recorded in the first quarter of 2016-17.
· Indian Oil Most Profitable PSU for second Straight Year
- Indian Oil Corporationemerged as India’s most profitable state-owned company for the second consecutive year.
- Indian Oil posted a record profit of href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNHT8lW-JmLC68rjBfZhdkg?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank" class="youtube-subscribe-button"> Subscribe on YouTube