NEWS 03-07-2017. NEWS FOR 4-JUL (TUESDAY) 1. There have been growing tensions between India and Chinaborder in Sikkim at Doko-La.The area lies at the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan. Both countries have deployed around 3,000 troops each in the tri-junction. The Doklam area has huge strategic significance for both India and China due to Its proximityto sensitive Chicken’s Neck, or the Siliguri Corridor. The area is an extremely narrow stretch of land that connects the north-eastern region to the rest of India. India shares total boundary of around 3,488 km with China. In 2005, both sides had agreed that political parameters and guiding principles for a boundary settlement will form the basis of the final settlement. 2. The Union Ministry of Science & Technology has launched National Biopharma Mission, a first ever Industry-Academia mission to accelerate biopharmaceutical development in India. Under this mission, the ministry also launched Innovate in India (i3) program to create an enabling ecosystem to promote entrepreneurship and indigenous manufacturing in the sector. India has been an active player in the global pharmaceutical industry, however, Indian biopharmaceutical industry is still 10-15 years behind their counterparts in the developed countries. The lacuna primarily exists due to disconnected centres of excellence&less focus on transitional research. 3. Senior advocate and constitutional expert KK Venugopal was appointed as the 15th Attorney General of India on 30 June 2017. His appointment was approved by President Pranab Mukherjee after his name was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Venugopal will succeed Mukul Rohatgi. Mr Venugopal returns as a law officer after four decades. Earlier, in 1977, he had served as Additional Solicitor General. 4. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) was launched in India at the stroke of midnight on 1 July 2017. The launch was organised in the Central Hall of Parliament on the midnight of 30 June - 1 July 2017 in the presence of President, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Union Finance Minister among other dignitaries.GST is expected to completely transform the Indirect Taxation landscape in the country involving both the Central and State levies as GST will be administered together by the Centre and States.GST is considered as one of the nation’s biggest economic reform. 5. China has launched its most powerful naval destroyer, the Type055, at the Shanghai port. The naval destroyer is one among the largest warships in the world. The Type055 vessels will weigh more than 12,000 tonnes when fully armed. The Type055 vessels are larger and more powerful than India’s latest Project- 15B “Visakhapatnam” class destroyers, which India is yet to commission. The Type055 vessels will combine nearly 120 missiles, making it one of the most heavily-armed ships in the world. 6. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on 28 June 2017 announced that it will launch a special drive to enrol left out electors, with a special focus on first time electors.The step is taken in the direction of Commission’s motto that 'No Voter to be Left Behind’. It is the first time that Facebook's voter registration reminder has been rolled out across India. To reach out to maximum eligible voters, the ECI is collaborating with Facebook to launch first nationwide Voter Registration Reminder. 7. Achal Kumar Jyoti, a 1975-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Gujarat cadre, will be the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India. He would take charge from incumbent Nasim Zaidi. Zaidi is due to retire from his post on 6 July 2017. Achal Kumar Jyoti is currently the Election Commissioner of India. < < Back