# Taliban advances in Afghanistan

• Taliban has increased attacks to take control of Kandhar province in Afghanistan.

• India has decided to temporarily close its consulate in kandhar province.

• Indian government has send indian airforce flight to evacuate about 50 diplomats and ITBP personnel back to Delhi.

# Government infrastructure spending

• The second wave of covid-19 has led to a steep decline in new investment projects from government agencies dented fresh investment plans in the economy by 18% in the first quarter of 2021-22.

• Despite the government’s stated push for capital spending to revive the economy, public infrastructure investments almost halved compared with the January-march quarter.

• Overall new investments from the union and state government’s fell 41.6% from nearly 1.67 lakh crore in quarter 4 of 2020-21.

# Two child policy

• The UP state law commission has prepared a proposed draft bill for population control, under which a two-child norm will be implemented and promoted.

• After the law comes into force, a couple with more than two children will be debarred from several benefits.

• Those families will not be eligible for government sponsored welfare schemes and from contesting elections and many others.

# Sikkim blossoms

• Sikkim, the smallest state with less than 1% of India’s landmass, is home to 27% of all flowering plants found in the country.

• A recent publication by the botanical survey of India namely flora of sikkim – released earlier this week, lists 4912 naturally occuring flowering plants in the tiny himalayan state.

# India-georgia ties

• External affairs minister S. Jaishankar on saturday attended formal handing over ceremony of the holy relics of 17th century queen Saint Ketevan to Georgia, nearly 16 years after they were found in Goa.

• Mr. Jaishankar is on a two day visit to Georgia.