By: D.K Chaudhary
1. 1st International Exhibition of Graphic Prints ‘Print Biennale India 2018’ Inaugurated
i. The country’s National Academy of Art, the Lalit Kala Akademi hosted the first-ever International Print Biennale in the country with a record number of 17 countries taking part in it.
ii. The first-ever International Exhibition of Graphic Prints ‘Print Biennale India 2018’ opened, at the Rabindra Bhavan Galleries of the Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi. The eminent Artist-Printmaker, Shakti Barman was the Chief Guest.
ii. The first-ever International Exhibition of Graphic Prints ‘Print Biennale India 2018’ opened, at the Rabindra Bhavan Galleries of the Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi. The eminent Artist-Printmaker, Shakti Barman was the Chief Guest.
- Dr Mahesh Sharma is the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Culture.
2. CCEA Approves Integrated Scheme for Development of Silk Industry
i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved Integrated Scheme for Development of Silk Industry for the next three years from 2017-18 to 2019-20. The decisions taken by the cabinet will lead to the formation of a first-ever inter-ministerial panel to boost R&D and technology transfer in the silk sector with a 1,000 crore rupee fund.
ii. The scheme will help to increase productive employment from 85 lakhs to 1 crore persons by 2020. The scheme aims to achieve self-sufficiency in silk production by 2022. The scheme will be implemented by the Ministry through Central Silk Board.
- Smriti Irani is the Union Textiles Minister of India.
3. President Kovind Lays Foundation Stone of 5 National Highway Projects in Varanasi
i. President Ram Nath Kovind visited Varanasi on a one-day visit to Uttar Pradesh. During his temple city visit, Mr Kovind laid the foundation stone of five projects of the National Highway Authority of India.
ii. Mr Kovind was welcomed by State Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at the Varanasi Airport (Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport).
Nitin Gadkari is the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways.
4. World’s Oldest City Varanasi Goes ‘Wireless’
i. Eighty-six years after the city got electricity, overhead power cables in world’s oldest city ‘Varanasi ‘ is being dismantled after a project to lay underground lines over 16 sq-km has been finally completed.
ii. Laying cables for 50,000 consumers through the serpentine lanes and congested markets in one of the world’s oldest cities was quite a challenge for Powergrid, the company conducting the integrated power development scheme (IPDS) project.
5. World’s Largest Cruise Ship ‘Symphony of the Seas’ Sets Sail
i. The world’s biggest cruise-liner, Symphony of the Seas, has left the shipyard of Saint-Nazaire in France to embark on its maiden voyage in the Mediterranean. French shipbuilder STX handed over to U.S. giant Royal Caribbean International.
ii. The ship, which weighs 228,000 tonnes, is 362 metres long just 20 metres shy of the length of the Empire State Building. It is marginally bigger than its sister ship, the Harmony of the Seas, which STX France delivered to Royal Caribbean in 2016.
