21-22 JULY 2016
Union Cabinet approves establishment of All India Institutes of Medical Sciences at Gorakhpur
The Union Cabinet on 20 July 2016 gave its approval for establishment of new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.
The institute will be established under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
Key highlights of the project
•The cost of the project for establishment of the new AIIMS in Gorakhpur will be 1011 crore rupees.
•The cost estimate does not include recurring costs (wages, salaries and operation, maintenance and expenses).
•The recurring expenditure will be met by the respective new AIIMS from their annual budgets through Grant-in-Aid to them from Plan Budget Head of PMSSY of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
•The institution will have a hospital with capacity of 750 beds, which will include Emergency/Trauma Beds, AYUSH Beds, Private Beds and ICU Speciality and Super Speciality beds.
•There will also be an Administration Block, AYUSH Block, Auditorium, Night Shelter, Hostels and residential facilities.
•The establishment of new AIIMS will provide super specialty health care to the population.
•It will also create a large pool of doctors and other health workers in this region that can be available for primary and secondary level institutions/facilities being created under National Health Mission (NHM).
•This institute will also conduct research on prevalent regional diseases and other health issues and provide for better control and cure of such diseases.
Background
•The setting up of AIIMS under PMSSY targets correcting the regional imbalances in availability of affordable/reliable tertiary level healthcare in the country in general.
•Under this scheme, AIIMS have been established in Bhubaneshwar, Bhopal, Raipur, Jodhpur, Rishikesh and Patna.
•Work of AIIMS at Rae Bareli is in progress.
•In addition, three AIIMS in Nagpur (Maharashtra), Kalyani (West) and Mangalagiri in Guntur (Andhra Pradesh) have been sanctioned in 2015.
CCEA approves construction of new Dry Dock within Cochin Shipyard Limited
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 20 July 2016 approved construction of a new dry dock within Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).
The dock at CSL will be developed at an estimated cost of 1799 crore rupees.
Objective:The project will augment the shipbuilding/ship repair capacity essentially required for tapping the market potential of building specialized and technologically advanced large vessels.
Large vessels include Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) vessels, Indigenous Aircraft Carriers of higher capacity, Jack up Rigs, Drill ships, large Dredgers and repairing of offshore platforms and larger vessels.
This big sized dry dock is a critical requirement of CSL to promote ship building and is a step in the direction of "Make in India" initiative of the Government.
Union Cabinet approves amendment in the Benami Transactions Prohibition amendment Bill, 2015
The Union Cabinet on 20 July 2016 approved a proposal to introduce amendments to the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, 2015 in Parliament.
The amendments aim to strengthen the Bill in terms of legal and administrative procedure so as to overcome the practical difficulties which may arise in the implementation of the provisions of the Bill when it becomes an Act.
The legislation is intended to effectively prohibit benami transactions and consequently prevent circumvention of law through unfair practices.The amendments will empower the Government to confiscate benami property by following due procedure. However, those who declare their benami properties under income declaration scheme will get immunity under the Benami Act.
CCEA approves Ghatampur Thermal Power Project in Uttar Pradesh
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 20 July 2016 gave its approval for installation of Ghatampur Thermal Power Project (GTPS) of 1980 MW capacity through a Joint Venture Company.
The Joint Venture Company is named as Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Power Limited (NUPPL). The company is formed jointly by Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited (NLC) and Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL).
Key highlights of the project
•The project will be implemented at an estimated cost of 17237.8 crore rupees.
•The estimated cost includes Interest During Construction component of 3202.42 crore rupees.
• The commissioning of Unit I, II and III will be 52 months, 58 months and 64 months respectively from starting date.
• The benefits of the generation will be available in the XIII Five Year Plan.
• The energy generated by the project (about 14000 MU/annum) will mainly be supplied to Uttar Pradesh.
• Ministry of Coal had allotted Pachwara South coal block in Jharkhand State for meeting the coal requirement of the GTPS.
Turkey declares three-month state of emergency after a failed military coup
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on 20 July 2016 declared a three-month state of emergency in the country. The emergency was declared in response to the failed coup that happened on 15 July 2016.
The decision was made following a meeting with cabinet ministers and top security advisers in Ankara.
While declaring the imposition of the emergency Erdogan said that the measure was being taken to counter threats to Turkish democracy.
2016 Coup Attempt in Turkey
A coup was attempted by a faction within the Turkish Armed Forces against the incumbent Justice and Development Party in Turkey, which ultimately failed. The faction organized the coup under a council calling itself the Peace at Home Council.
The council attempted to seize control of several key places in Ankara, Istanbul, and elsewhere.
The event ended one day later when forces loyal to Erdogan achieved control of military factions that had openly projected military power against Turkey's government and military leadership.
The eroding secularism, democracy, human rights and international reputation was cited as the reason for the coup by the Peace at Home Council.
Effects of the coup
The Coup led to several consequences at domestic level like death of more than 300 people and injury to more than 1000, damage to the Turkish Parliament and the Presidential Palace, mass arrests, suspension or teachers and government employees and many more.
Erdogan has warned of further arrests and suspensions to come as Turkish authorities continued to pursue those they believed responsible for the failed coup.
Erdogan also asked US to arrest the exiled cleric Muhammed Fethullah Gulen. Gulen is a Turkish preacher, former imam, writer, and political figure. He is the founder of the Gulen movement and the inspiration figure for its largest organization, the Alliance for Shared Values. He currently lives in self-imposed exile in the United States, residing in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania.
Martial Law in Turkey
In 1987, Turkey had imposed martial law-like emergency rule in the southeast of the country. During that it allowed officials to set curfews, issue search and arrest warrants and restricts gatherings as the security forces fought Kurdish rebels in the region. The emergency rule was gradually lifted by 2002.
Oldest and last Babri litigant Hashim Ansari passes away
Mohammad Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigation in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri title suit, died on 20 July 2016 due to heart-related complications in the temple city of Ayodhya. He was 95.
Ansari, born in Ayodhya, was one of the seven main litigants from Muslim side in the 1949 Babri Masjid case regarding placing of Lord Rama idols in the premises. He was the lone surviving litigant of the case.
The other six main litigants were Mohammad Farooq, Ashhad Rashidi, Maulana Mahfuzurur Rahman, Mufti Hasbullah, Mahmud and Sunni Central Waqf Board.
ALSO READ:Oldest litigant of Babri Masjid case Hashim Ansari decided to withdraw his plea
Hashim Ansari
• He was among the persons who were arrested for breaching public peace after the episode in which idols of Lord Ram were planted in the mosque.
• In 1952, he was sentenced to two years in jail by a Faizabad court for giving the azaam, a call for namaz, in the disputed mosque.
• In 1961, he along with six others became the main plaintiff in the ‘Ayodhya title suit’ filed by the Sunni Central Waqf Board in the court of Faizabad civil judge.
Background
On the night of 22 December 1949, an idol of Lord Rama mysteriously appeared inside Ayodhya's Babri Masjid. Ansari was one among the witnesses when Idols of Ram Lalla was seen at the Babri Masjid.
This incident had set in motion a chain of events in the Indian politics.
Genes of 6000-year-old barley grains sequenced for first time
Scientists for the first time succeeded in sequencing the genes in 6000-year-old barley seeds.
With this, the ancient barley has become the oldest plant genome to be reconstructed to date. Before this, only prehistoric corn was genetically reconstructed.
The findings were published in the journal Nature Geneticson 18 July 2016.
Key facts related to the sequencing of the barley
•The 6000-year-old Chalcolithic barley grains were retrieved from Yoram Cave in Israel, close to the Dead Sea.
•Genetically, the prehistoric barley is very similar to present-day barley grown in the Southern Levant.
•It supports the existing hypothesis of barley domestication having occurred in the Upper Jordan Valley.
•The analysed grains, together with tens of thousands of other plant remains, were retrieved during a systematic archaeological excavation headed by Uri Davidovich, from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Nimrod Marom, from University of Haifa in Israel.
•In order to determine the age of the ancient seeds, the researchers split the grains and subjected half of them to radiocarbon dating. The other half of the grain was used to extract the ancient DNA.
Union Cabinet approves incorporation of Sagarmala Development Company
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 July 2016 approved the incorporation of Sagarmala Development Company (SDC) under the Companies Act, 2013. It will be under the administrative control of the Ministry of Shipping.
SDC will be developed with an initial Authorized Share Capital of 1000 Crore rupees and a Subscribed Share Capital of 90 Crore rupees. It will provide equity support to the project Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and funding support to the residual projects under the Sagarmala Programme.
What the SDC will do?
• Implementation of the identified projects will be done mainly through private or PPP mode.
• It will provide equity support for the project Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) set up by the Ports/State/Central Ministries window.
• It will implement only those residual which cannot be funded by any other means / mode.
• SDC will Identify port-led development projects and put in place suitable risk management measures for strategic projects cutting across multiple States/Regions.
• Since the Identified projects will be undertaken by multiple agencies, SDC will also work as the nodal agency for coordination and monitoring of all the identified projects as well as other projects.
• SDC will undertake the preparation of the detailed master plans for the Coastal Economic Zones (CEZs) identified as part of the National Perspective Plan (NPP).
• It will also provide a framework for ensuring the integrated development of Indian maritime sector.
Sagarmala Project
The Sagarmala Project was launched with the approval of the Union Cabinet on 25 March 2015. It was approved with a view to achieve the broad objective of promoting port-led economic development in India.
The programme was approved in order to harness India’s 7500 km long coastline, 14500 km of potentially navigable waterways, and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes.
As part of the programme, a NPP for the comprehensive development of the coastline and maritime sector has been prepared. The NPP has identified more than 150 projects across the areas of Port Modernization & New Port Development, Port Connectivity Enhancement, Port-led Industrialization and Coastal Community Development.
ECI launched National Electoral Roll Purification 2016
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on 20 July 2016 announced that launch of National Electoral Roll Purification (NERP) 2016 programme across the country.
The programme was launched to improve health of Electoral Rolls (ERs) and to optimize the Polling Station (PS) location and area across the country.
The motto of ECI for the year 2016 is No voter to be left behind.
Objectives of NERP 2016
Improving Health of ERs by inclusion of all eligible citizens in mission mode by:
•ERs to be made free from errors.
•Single ER entry for every eligible elector with unique Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number.
•Removal of all Absent (A)/ Shifted (S)/ Dead (D) electors’ entries and Repeat Entries (REs).
•Ensuring Photo Electoral Rolls (PERs) with good quality correct images of every elector confirming to ECI standards, and linking Electors with ECI by obtaining their contact details.
Standardization of Sections, PS boundaries and Location and improved PS map by:
•Optimization of part boundaries with Standardization of sections using GIS technology.
•Relocation of PS with in Part or in adjacent parts and Improved PS Map with part map.
•PS building image and dimensioned PS room drawing with Basic Minimum Facilities (BMF) details.
Union Cabinet approves signing of Air Services Agreement between India and Mozambique
The Union Cabinet on 20 July 2016 approved signing of the Air Services Agreement between India and Mozambique.
Till now, there was no Air Services Agreement between India and Mozambique. In order to promote the air connectivity between the two countries, the two sides initiated the process of consultation in 2011 to finalize the text of Air Services Agreement.
Highlights of the Air Services Agreement
• Multiple designation of Airlines by each party.
• The designated Airline of each party can enter into cooperative marketing arrangements with the designated carriers of same party, other party and that of a Third party.
• It allows designated airlines of either countries to establish offices in the territory of other country for the promotion and sale of air services.
• The designated airlines of the two countries shall have fair and equal opportunity to operate the agreed services on specified routes.
• It also has the provisions relating to Suspension of Operating Authorization, Principles governing operations of agreed services, commercial opportunities, safety and security related clause.
Union Cabinet approves Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016
The Union Cabinet on 20 July 2016 approved The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016 to protect transgenders from discrimination.
Through this Bill, the Government aims to evolve a mechanism for social, economic and educational empowerment of the transgenders.
Highlights of the Bill
• The Bill will benefit a large number of transgender persons, mitigate the stigma, discrimination and abuse against this marginalized section and bring them into the mainstream of society.
• It will lead to greater inclusiveness and will make the transgender persons productive members of the society.
• It will make all the stakeholders responsive and accountable for upholding the principles underlying the Bill.
• It will bring greater accountability on the part of the Union Government and State Governments for issues concerning Transgender persons.
Background
Transgender community is among one of the most marginalized communities in the country because they don't fit into the stereotypical categories of gender of men or women.
Consequently, they face problems ranging from social exclusion to discrimination, lack of education facilities, unemployment, lack of medical facilities and so on.
22 July
Former French cyclist Dominique Arnaud passes away
Former French cyclist Dominique Arnaud passed away in Dax, Aquitaine, France on 20 July 2016 due to cancer. He was 60.
About Dominique Arnaud
• Born on 19 September 1955 in Tarnos, France, Dominique Arnaud was a French racing cyclist.
• He rode in eleven editions of the Tour de France, which is an annual multiple stage bicycle race primarily held in France.
• He won three stages in the Vuelta and a stage in the Midi Libr.
• He won the Tour du Limousin in 1983, which is a 4-day road bicycle race held annually in Limousin, France.
2016 Fortune 500 list released: India's India Oil Corporation ranked at 161st Place
The 2016 Fortune 500 list of the world's biggest firms was released on 21 July 2016. Seven Indian companies were featured in the list with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) ranked highest at 161st rank with revenues of 54.7 billion US dollars.
The overall list was topped by retail giant Walmart with revenue of 482.130 million US dollars.
Highlights of the 2016 Fortune 500 list
• The world's 500 largest companies generated 27.6 trillion US dollars in revenues and 1.5 trillion US dollars in profits in 2015.
• This year's Fortune 500 companies employ 67 million people worldwide and are represented by 33 countries.
• The overall list was topped by Walmart with revenue of 482.130 million US dollars, followed by State Grid at Second place and China National Petroleum at the third place.
• Chinese companies took over whole of the top 10 in the list. While Walmart leads the list, the next three slots are taken by Chinese companies. These are State Grid, China National Petroleum and Sinopec.
• More than 100 Chinese companies made to the list this year, with the US the only country with more names on the list.
Top 10 in 2016 Fortune 500 list
|
Rank |
Company |
Revenue ( Billion US dollars) |
|
1 |
Walmart |
482.1 |
|
2 |
State Grid |
329.6 |
|
3 |
China National Petroleum |
299.2 |
|
4 |
Sinopec Group |
294.3 |
|
5 |
Royal Dutch Shell |
272.1 |
|
6 |
Exxon Mobil |
246.2 |
|
7 |
Volkswagen |
236.6 |
|
8 |
Toyota Motor |
236.5 |
|
9 |
Apple |
233.7 |
|
10 |
BP |
225.9 |
India in 2016 Fortune 500 list
• Seven Indian companies figure in the Fortune 500 list with state-run Indian Oil Corp (IOC) ranked highest at 161st with revenues of 54.7 billion US dollars.
• Second and third biggest Indian firms in revenue were Reliance Industries (RIL) and Tata Motors Ltd, with 215th and 226th ranks respectively.
• State Bank of India (SBI), India's largest bank in terms of customer base, came fourth after Tata Motors to occupy the 232nd rank.
• Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) with 358th rank and Hindustan Petroleum Corp with 367th rank were placed as the fifth and sixth, respectively.
• The surprise entry from India at the seventh position is Bengaluru-based Rajesh Exports at 423rd rank with revenue of 25.2 billion US dollars, that has replaced ONGC in the coveted list.
• State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) that was ranked 449 in the 2015 rankings is out of the list for the first time.
Ajay Bhushan Pandey appointed as CEO of UIDAI
The Union Government on 21 July 2016 appointed Ajay Bhushan Pandey as the Chief Executive Officer of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the promotion of Pandey with effect from 12 July 2016.
Under Pandey’s tenure, UIDAI will have to deal with the legal cases involving privacy and parliamentary issues that Aadhaar has been embroiled in.
Who is Ajay Bhushan Pandey?
•Pandey is a 1984 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of Maharashtra cadre.
•He has been serving as Director General of the UIDAI since August 2015.
•He holds a doctorate in Computer Science from University of Minnesota Minneapolis of US.
About UIDAI
•UIDAI was founded in 2009 under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime with former Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani as its chairman. Nilekani resigned in 2014.
•It is the organisation behind the Aadhaar, which is a 12 digit unique number, linked with an individual’s demographic and biometric information.
•As of 15 July 2016, about 102 crore Aadhaar IDs have been generated.
Fox News CEO Roger Ailes resigns
Roger Ailes on 21 July 2016 resigned as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fox News Channel, putting an end to his 20-year reign over America's powerful cable news channel for conservatives.
He will be succeeded by Rupert Murdoch, Head of parent company 21st Century Fox and Founder of the empire that includes Fox.
However, Ailes will continue to serve as an informal adviser to Rupert Murdoch and will receive a severance package of about 40 million US dollars.
Comment
The resignation of Roger Ailes marks a swift downfall for Ailes, who advised several US Republican presidents including George Bush and who turned Fox News into the most-watched US cable news channel.
Ailes has created a business that contributes almost 25 percent to the bottom line of 21st Century Fox, the single most profitable asset in the company’s portfolio.
2016 set to be world's hottest year on record: WMO
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) on 21 July 2016 announced that global temperatures for the first six months of 2016 broke many records. It means that 2016 is on the track to be the world's hottest year on record.
The WMO stated that Arctic Sea ice melted early and fast, which is another indicator of climate change. In addition, Carbon dioxide levels have also reached new highs.
Key facts announced by WMO
•June 2016 marked the 14th consecutive month of record heat for land and oceans and the 378th consecutive month with temperatures above the 20th century average.
•Carbon dioxide concentrations have passed the symbolic milestone of 400 parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere so far in 2016.
•Two separate reports from the U.S National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)and NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (NASA GISS)highlighted the dramatic and sweeping changes in the state of the climate.
•The average temperature in the first six months of 2016 was 1.3°C (2.4°F) warmer than the pre-industrial era in the late 19th century.
•NOAA said the global land and ocean average temperature for January 2016–June 2016 was 1.05°C (1.89°F) above the 20th century average.
•The El Niño event which developed in 2015 and was one of the most powerful on record contributed to the record temperatures in the first half of 2016.
•The extent of Arctic sea ice at the peak of the summer melt season now typically covers 40 percent less area than it did in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
•Rainfall in June 2016 was notably drier than normal across the western and central contiguous USA, Spain, northern Colombia, northeastern Brazil, Chile, southern Argentina, and parts of central Russia.
•Wetter-than-normal precipitation was observed across northern Argentina, northern and central Europe, Australia and across central and southern Asia.
•Temperatures in the Coral Sea (including the Great Barrier Reef), and the Tasman Sea were highest on record for extended periods since late summer 2016.
NDMC signs MoU with NEERI to develop sewage treatment plants
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on 21 July 2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to develop 12 sewage treatment plants (STP).
This project will help increase the green cover in NDMC areas and curb dust pollution.
Highlights of the MoU
• In the first phase, 12 STPs will be installed across the NDMC area.
• Each plant will have a capacity of treating sewage water ranging from 50000-1 lakh litres.
• All these plants will be connected to all parks which will help the horticulture department to maintain the parks.
• These plants will be installed at schools also.
• NDMC will bear only pumping cost which is economic and NEERI will bear the cost of the project.
• The barren lands that have no use under NDMC areas will be developed into green areas under the same project.
Kerala Government constitutes State Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation
The Kerala State Government on 20 July 2016 constituted a State Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (STAGI) on the lines of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI).
The Group will advise the State government on the policies and practices to be adopted and implemented under the National Immunisation Programme.
Highlights of the State Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (STAGI)
• STAGI will provide technical and academic inputs and leadership in the State’s immunisation efforts.
• It will be responsible for timely recommendations on the choice of vaccines to be included and modifications on current guidelines based on surveillance data available in the state.
• It will have the Director of Health Service as the chairman and the Director of Medical Education as co-chairman.
• Apart from the chairman and the co-chairman, it will have eleven members.
• The State Epidemiologist A Sukumaran will provide technical support to the group.