Tunnel under Rohtang pass
Why in news?
- The Union Cabinet has decided to name the Strategic Tunnel under Rohtang Pass after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
News summary
- The decision to construct a strategic tunnel below the Rohtang Pass was taken in 2000 when late Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. The foundation stone for the Access Road to the South Portal of the tunnel was laid in 2002.
- The 8.8-kilometre long tunnel is the world’s longest tunnel above an altitude of 3,000 metres. It will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 kilometres. It is a 10.5-metre wide single tube bi-lane tunnel with a fire proof emergency egress tunnel built into the main tunnel itself.
- The tunnel is now nearing completion and will providing all weather connectivity to remote border areas of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh which otherwise remained cut off from the rest of the country for about six months during winters.
IBC ordinance
Why In news?
- The Union Cabinet has approved Promulgation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 to amend the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
News summary
- Under the Amendments, the liability of a corporate debtor for an offence committed prior to the commencement of the corporate insolvency resolution process shall cease.
- The corporate debtors will have immunity against offences committed by them prior to the commencement of the resolution process.
- In addition, it provides immunity from any action against the property (such as attachment, seizure, or confiscation) of the corporate debtor in relation to such offences. Such immunity will be granted if the resolution plan approved by the NCLT results in the change of promoters, or management of the corporate debtor.
- However, any person in charge of the corporate debtor, or associated with it, will continue to be held liable for such offences.
Hypersonic weapons
Why in news?
- President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is the only country in the world that has hypersonic weapons.
Key highlights:
- Putin said that for the first time in history Russia has an edge in designing a new class of weapons unlike in the past when it was catching up with the United States.
- He said that the first unit equipped with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle is set to go on duty this month, while that the air-launched Kinzhal hypersonic missiles already have entered service.
- The missile flies 10 times faster than the speed of sound, has a range of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) and can carry a nuclear or a conventional warhead.
Universal Postal Union (UPU)
Why in news?
The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the ratification of the Tenth Additional Protocol to the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).
What is UPU?
Established by the Treaty of Bern of 1874.
- It is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN).
- Headquarters are located in Bern, Switzerland.
- The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration (CA), the Postal Operations Council (POC) and the International Bureau (IB).
Functions:
- It also oversees the Telematics and Express Mail Service (EMS) cooperatives. Each member agrees to the same terms for conducting international postal duties.
- It coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system.
Benefits of ratification for India:
- The approval enables the Postal Administration of India to have the Instrument of Ratification signed with the Director-General of the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union through diplomatic channels along with the approval of other Acts of the Union.
- It will also enable the Department of Posts to bring out any administrative orders to implement the provisions of the UPU Convention in India.