7-8 may 2015 eng
7 may
Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar launched Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme in state
Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on 6 May 2015 launched the state level ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme’ in Panaji.
After launching the campaign, the Chief Minister also urged the society to invest more on girl child basically in the field of education as the girls gives more fruits to the society and family also.
North Goa is among 100 districts selected from across the country to implement the central government scheme on pilot basis. The objective of the scheme is to empower the girl child and enable her education.
Oscar Holderer, the US moon rocket expert, died
Oscar Holderer, the last known surviving member of the German engineering team that designed the rocket that took US astronauts to the Moon died in Alabama on 5 May 2015. He was 95.
Born in Preum, Germany, on 4 November 1919, Holderer was one of about 120 engineers who moved to the US after World War II and brought technology used in the German V2 rocket. The team played a key role in the Saturn V rocket which was used in 1969 Moon landing.
The team, led by Wernher von Braun, was part of a project called Operation Paperclip that transferred technology used in Germany's V2 and other rockets to the US.
Holderer who retired from Nasa in 1974, built training devices that are still in use at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. Post retirement from NASA, he made significant contributions to Alabama like multi-access trainer, low-gravity trainer and other equipment.
Union Cabinet Approved Building and Launching of GSAT-17 and GSAT-18 Communication Satellites
The Union Cabinet on 6 May 2015 gave its nod for building and launching of GSAT-17 and GSAT-18 communication satellites.
These two satellites with thestructure similar to the GSAT-10 are aimed at providing replacement capacity and in-orbit backup that is they will provide for continuance of the services of existing users and augmenting in-orbit spare capacity to meet emergencies.
GSAT-17 and GSAT-18 satellites will weigh about 3425 Kg each and will be built and launched within 30 months at a cost of 1013.20 crore rupees and 1022 crore rupees respectively.
The satellites will augment and support existing telecommunication, television and Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) services in the entire mainland of the country.
About GSAT System
• The GSAT or Geosynchronous satellite is a constellation of communication satellites developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) with an objective to make India self-reliant in broadcasting services.
• Satellites are called GSAT because they function in a geosynchronous orbit around the Earth.
• Till date, 12 satellites were launched under the system and among them only six are operational.
• The first satellite in the series GSAT-1 was launched in April 2001 and the most recent GSAT-16 satellite was launched in December 2014.
CCEA Permitted Central Government agencies to invest beyond 26 percent in Mega Food Parks
The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 6 May 2015 relaxed the provision related to investment limit by the Central Government agencies in Mega Food Parks by allowing them to invest up to 100 percent on their equity holding in the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) from the present 26 percent.
The new regulation is expected to trigger further investment in the food processing sector and ensure smooth implementation of the Mega Food Parks Scheme (MFPS) particularly projects at initial phases of the implementation.
Apart from the above decision, the Cabinet also decided to give weightage to those proposals for new MFPs which are focused on the processing and preservation of perishable food products.
About Mega Food Parks Scheme (MFPS)
• The Scheme was launched in 2008 by UPA Government. Its focus is to overcome the bottlenecks in the food supply chain due to which around 33 percent food is wasted in India making it the largest food waster in the world.
• For execution of a MFP a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be set up with or without the involvement of government agencies.
• A MFP entails an area of a minimum of 50 acres and works in a cluster based approach based on a hub and spokes model. Union government provides a financial assistance of up to 50 crore rupees to set up a MFP.
Canadian House of Commons approved Anti-Terror Act, 2015
The Canadian House of Commons on 6 May 2015 approved the Bill C-51, Anti-Terror Act, 2015 that empowers the country’s spy agency. It was adopted in a 183 to 96 vote.
The act would give the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) the ability to operate overseas and make preventative arrests. It also makes it easier for police to arrest and detain individuals without charge.
Now, the bill will be sent to Senate for being approved before becoming a law.
Main Features of the Anti-terror Act
• It allows anyone suspected of being involved in a terror plot to be detained without charge for up to seven days from the present three days.
• It empowers Canadian Security Intelligence Services (CSIS), the spy agency of Canada, to thwart attacks directly in a significant expansion of their powers.
• Further, it allows CSIS to directly approach terror suspects in order to disrupt their plans as against the current practice of only collecting intelligence and passing the information on to police.
• CSIS will also be able to cancel plane or other travel reservations made by Canadians suspected of being involved in terrorism. However, the new activities by CSIS will require approval by a judge.
• It makes it a crime for a person to call for terror attacks on Canada generally or to promote or advocate others to carry out terrorism elsewhere. At present, it is a crime to make a specific threat.
• The penalty for giving public threat will be a maximum of five years in prison.
• Authorities will be able to remove terror-related material from any Canadian website.
The ant-terror bill was announced by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in January 2015 in response to attacks on Canadian territory on 22 October 2014, in which two people were killed.
In the incident, an armed assailant, identified as Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, killed a soldier at the country’s National War Memorial in Ottawa and then stormed the parliament before being shot dead by police.
Paytm tied-up with CCD, Domino’s for offline payment
Alibaba-backed company Paytm on 3 May 2015 tied-up with Quick service restaurants (QSRs) Domino’s and Cafe Coffee Day for offline payment. With this acquisition, Paytm's mobile wallet will soon be accepted at Domino’s and Cafe Coffee Day.
This tie-up came when Paytm is foraying into the offline retail space. At present, Paytm offers and recharge services for DTH and mobile phone services as well as mobile wallet services for online transactions on Uber, Bookmyshow, eBay and IRCTC.
This offline service will be available by mid-June. By going offline, Paytm will offer customers the choice to pay through a secure and reliable platform.
Paytm already partnered with various QSRs covering 7000-10000 outlets in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Recently, Paytm had forayed into the eCommerce space putting itself in direct competition with giants like Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal.
Paytm's mobile wallet is a prepaid payment instrument, which allows customers to digitally store money in a secure virtual wallet and use it to pay bills and other services.
Forbes released Global 2000 Companies list
Forbes on 6 May 2015 released Global 2000 Companies list. The Forbes Global 2000 is a comprehensive list of the world’s largest, most powerful public companies, as measured by revenues, profits, assets and market value.
Global 2000 companies hail from 61 countries and account for combined revenues of 39 trillion US dollar, profits of 3 trillion US dollar, with assets worth 162 trillion US dollar, and a market value of 48 trillion US dollar.
Highlights of the Report
•Industrial and Commercial Bank of China tops the list for a third consecutive year, while Bank of China jumped 5 spots to the No.4 spot, knocking down JP Morgan Chase.
•Berkshire Hathaway stays at the 5th place, making Warren Buffet’s conglomerate the largest U.S. Company. For the first time, China’s four biggest banks own the top four spots.
•China and the USA split the top 10 spots for a second year in a row.
•U.S. tops the list with 579 companies. China with 232 stands second, surpassed Japan for the first time. With 218 companies, Japan slid to the third spot.
•The United Kingdom kept its fourth place with 95 companies, Europe overall lost 20 spots to finish with 486 companies this year, falling further behind Asia (691) and North America (645) in continental rankings.
•Two countries debut on the list this year: Argentina and Cyprus.
•India has added two companies to its last year’s tally.
•Reliance Industries is ranked 142 on the list, down from last year’s 135th spot, with a market value of 42.9 billion dollars and 71.7 billion dollars in sales.
•Reliance is followed by State Bank of India which is ranked 152 and has a 33 billion dollars market value.
•The other Indian companies on the list are Oil and Natural Gas ranked 183, Tata Motors (263), ICICI Bank (283), Indian Oil (349), HDFC Bank (376), NTPC (431), Tata Consultancy Services (485), Bharti Airtel (506), Axis Bank (558), Infosys (672), Bharat Petroleum (757), Wipro (811), Tata Steel (903) and Adani Enterprises (944).
Union Government launched Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for Scheduled Castes
The Union Ministry for Social Justice & Empowerment on 6 May 2015 launched the Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for Scheduled Castes. The scheme is being implemented by Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) Ltd.
A sum of 200 crore rupees was allocated towards Credit Enhancement Guarantee scheme for young and start-up entrepreneurs belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) to avail financial assistance. This allocation was made under Social Sector Initiatives to promote entrepreneurship among SCs.
The main objective of this scheme is to encourage entrepreneurship in the lower strata of the Society resulting in job creation besides creating confidence in Scheduled Castes.
Other Programmes
Moreover, the Ministry also inaugurated the Commercial Motor Driving Training Programme with Self Defense Skills for 250 women organized by National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation (NSKFDC).
This training was launched with an objective to ensure women social & economic empowerment by creating job or self employment opportunities for these women, belonging to the families of Safai Karamcharis.
CCEA approved hike in investment limit for cases requiring prior approval of FIPB
The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 6 May 2015 gave its nod for increase in the investment limit for cases requiring prior approval of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to3000 crore rupees from the present 2000 crore rupees.
The decision is aimed at expediting foreign investment clearance process there by increased investment flows into the economy.
The FIPB is an inter-ministerial body under the Union Ministry of Finance which is responsible for processing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) proposals and making necessary recommendations to the Finance Ministry, which gives the final approval.
Under the present practice, FDI is allowed into the country under two routes: Automatic and Approval Route.
Under the Automatic Route, the investors need not take any approvals from the government but only required to give prior intimation to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Majority of the sectors of the economy come under the Automatic Route.
Under the Approval Route, if the investment is up to 3000 crore rupees it is vetted by the FIPB and will be forwarded to the Finance Ministry for final approval. If the investment is above 3000 crore rupees the investment proposal must be cleared by the CCEA which functions under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister. At present, strategic sectors like telecommunication services, defense, civil aviation are kept under this route.
Union Cabinet approved foreign investments into Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
The Union Cabinet on 6 May 2015 gave its nod for allowing foreign investments into Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) by recognizing it as an eligible financial instrument or structure under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) 1999.
The decision allows entities registered and regulated under the SEBI (REITs) Regulations 2014 to access foreign investment inflows into the completed rent yielding real estate projects, which is, as of now, prohibited under the FEMA Regulations.
About Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
• It was proposed by the then Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during his budget speech of 2014-15.
• They are intended to attract long term finance from foreign and domestic sources including Non Resident Indians (NRIs).
• They are listed entities that primarily invest in leased office and retail assets, allowing developers to raise funds by selling completed buildings to investors and list them as a trust.
• To operationalise the instrument, the capital market regulator The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued the SEBI (REITs) Regulations 2014 in September 2014.
• However, due to the limitation of its access only to domestic investments, it has not attracted desired investments from the market, which is remedied by the recent decision of the Cabinet.
Union Cabinet gave nod for revised Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with South Korea
The Union Cabinet on 6 May 2015 gave its approval for the revised Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with South Korea.
The bilateral DTAA was signed in 1985 for the avoidance of double taxation and for the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income for the citizens of both the countries.
Features of revised Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA)
• Its primary purpose is to provide for tax stability to the residents of India and South Korea and facilitate mutual economic cooperation as well as stimulate the flow of investment, technology and services between the two countries.
• It provides for source based taxation of capital gains, making adjustments to profits of associated enterprises on the basis of arm's length principle and residence based taxation of shipping income.
• It rationalizes tax rates in the Articles on Dividends, Interest and Royalties and Fees for Technical Services.
• It enables effective exchange of information and assistance in collection of taxes between tax authorities
• It incorporates limitation of benefits provisions under the agreement to ensure that the benefits are availed of only by genuine residents of both countries.
The revision in the agreement has become necessary in the backdrop of growing investment flows and increased movement of working professionals between the two countries in recent years.
I&B Minister Arun Jaitley launched DD News Mobile App
Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Arun Jaitley on 7 May 2015 launched the Mobile Application of DD News, E-version of India 2015 & Bharat 2015 and E-book of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on its initiatives and achievements.
The App will make it possible for millions of people in India to keep in touch with the latest happenings around them.
The mobile App will bring DD News and its authentic news coverage to each and every phone and reach each and every corner of the country.
Now, the user can watch news updates and top videos on his mobile phone. Besides main news, DD News has three sports & two business bulletins daily along many current affairs programmes.
A touch on phone and one can watch many Special shows on health, youth issues, cinema, art & culture, flagships schemes.
It will bring DD News and its authentic news coverage to each and every phone and reach each and every corner of the country.
India, Iran signed inter-Governmental MoU for development of Chabahar Port
India and Iran on 6 May 2015 signed an inter-Governmental Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of the strategically important Chabahar Port in Iran.
The MoU was signed in Tehran by Minister for Shipping and Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and Iranian Minister for Transport and Urban Development Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi.
Features of this inter-Governmental MoU
• The MOU facilitates Indian and Iranian commercial entities to commence negotiations for finalization of a commercial contract.
• Under the contract, Indian firms will lease two existing berths at the Port and operationalize them as container and multi-purpose cargo terminals.
Benefit of the MoU
This MoU will facilitate availability of functional container and cargo terminal to India at the port which will provide Afghanistan’s garland road network system alternate access to a sea port. It will also enhance Afghanistan’s overall connectivity to regional and global markets significantly and provide a boost to the ongoing reconstruction and humanitarian efforts in the country.
The port located in Sistan-Balochistan Province on Iran's southeastern coast is of great strategic utility for India and will also provide a sea-land access route to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan. The port will be used to ship crude oil and urea, saving India transportation costs.
Comment: The MoU may work as a setback for United States, which has been asking India and other countries not to rush into doing business with Iran. It has asked other countries to halt their process of doing business with Iran as Washington is yet to work out a deal with Tehran on the latter's contentious nuclear programme.
Philippines and Japan coast guards held anti-piracy drills in Manila Bay
Philippine and Japanese coast guard teams on 6 May 2015 held an anti-piracy drills in Manila Bay. This is the first drill held by Japan and the Philippines after signing a strategic partnership pact in 2012.
The drills in Manila Bay were watched by the coast guard chiefs of 17 Asian nations.
The drill features the storming of a cargo vessel after a mock hijack. The drill was held in a show of maritime cooperation between the two nations amid rising tension in Asian waters.
Both nations face a challenge from China's growing assertiveness over territorial claims in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, where it uses coast guard and fishing vessels to press into disputed areas.
Philippines and Japan shared mutual interest, such as pirates and illegal trafficking, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking. Japan has been helping the Philippines improve its skills in maritime law enforcement, safety and environment protection.
China claims most of the potentially energy-rich South China Sea, through which 5 trillion US dollar in ship-borne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims.
French magazine Charlie Hebdo presented with Freedom of Expression Courage Award 2015
The French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo was on 5 May 2015 presented with the 2015 Freedom of Expression Courage Award of the PEN American Centre at the American Museum of Natural History.
The award was accepted by Charlie Hebdo's Editor-in-chief Gerard Biard and critic-essayist Jean-Baptiste Thoret. Other than the magazine, the awards were also presented to playwright Tom Stoppard, Azerbaijani investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova and Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle.
The PEN American Centre recognized the Charlie Hebdo for the award as twelve of its staff members were massacred in a January 2015 terrorist attack caused by magazine's offensive cartoons of Muslims.
About PEN American Centre
Founded in 1922, PEN American Centre is an association of 4000 US writers working to break down barriers for free expression worldwide. Its distinguished members carry on the achievements in literature and in the advancement of human rights.
PEN is composed of centres, each of which represents its membership and membership of its Centres is open to all qualified writers, journalists, translators, historians, and others actively engaged in any branch of literature, regardless of nationality, race, colour or religion.
Lok Sabha passed Juvenile Justice Amendment Bill 2014
Lok Sabha on 7 May 2015 passed Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill 2014. The Bill clearly defines and classifies offences as petty, serious and heinous, and defines differentiated processes for each category.
The amendment bill has introduced a new provision that disallows the protection from disqualification in cases where a juvenile is tried and convicted under the adult system.
The bill will allow children in the 16-18 age group to be tried as adults if they commit heinous crimes.
The bill will replace the existing Juvenile Justice Act, 2000. The bill states that in case a heinous crime has been committed by a person in the age group of 16-18 years it will be examined by a Juvenile Justice Board to assess if the crime was committed as a child or as an adult.
The trial of the case will take place accordingly by the board which will consist of psychologists and social experts.
The bill also proposed to streamline adoption procedures for orphaned, abandoned and surrendered children by making mandatory registration of all institutions engaged in providing child care.
The bill proposes several rehabilitation and social integration measures for institutional and non- institutional children. It provides for sponsorship and foster care as completely new measures.
According to data from National Crime Records Bureau, crimes by juveniles in the age group of 16-18 years have increased, especially in certain categories of heinous crimes.
The number of murder cases against juveniles rose from 531 in 2002 to 1,007 in 2013. Similarly, cases of rape and assault with intent to outrage the modesty of women have gone up from 485 and 522 in 2002 to 1884 and 1424 in 2013 respectively.
In 2013, 933 cases of kidnapping and abduction were registered against juveniles, which was 704 in 2012. According to Women and Child Development Ministry, more than 250 civil society organisations, individuals and experts had given their comments on the draft Bill which were taken into consideration before giving it a final shape.
Rajya Sabha passed 119th Constitutional Amendment Bill on LBA between India and Bangladesh
Rajya Sabha on 6 May 2015 passed 119th Constitutional Amendment Bill on Land Boundary Bill (LBA).
The 119th Constitution Amendment) Bill, 2013 was unanimously passed by the upper house, with 180 votes in favour and zero against it.
The Bill is to operationalise the Land Boundary Agreement with India and Bangladesh, and the exchange of certain enclaves of land between the two countries.
The Bill was earlier passed by the Union Cabinet and now includes territories in Assam along with those in West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya.
Now, the Bill will be introduced in the Lok Sabha and it will then be sent for President's signature.
As it is the Constitutional Amendment Bill, It would require ratification of at least 50 per cent of the state legislatures before it comes into effect.
The bill’s passage will lead to an amendment in the first schedule of the Constitution and give effect to a May 1974 agreement between India and Bangladesh on acquisition and transfer of territories.
Background
The exchange will see Bangladesh take over 111 enclaves (17160 acres) from India’s possession and India, in turn, receive 51 enclaves (7110 acres) from Bangladesh.
In Assam, India will get 470 acres of land from Bangladesh, while 268 acres will go to Bangladesh. Enclaves are tiny landlocked territories that each country has within the borders of the other nation. The enclaves in Assam, West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya come under the bill’s ambit.
Myntra.com acquired startup firm Native5 Software Solutions Pvt Ltd
Online fashion retailer Myntra.com on 6 May 2015 acquired Bengaluru-based startup firm Native5 Software Solutions Pvt Ltd for an undisclosed sum. With this acquisition, founders of Native 5 will join Flipkart, parent company of Myntra.
From now onwards, Native5 team will work on Myntra’s mobile only strategy and will help its mobile apps to grow.
About Native5 Software Solutions Pvt Ltd
Founded in 2011 by technology professionals Manish Priyadarshi, Barada Sahu and Shamik Datta, Native5 has developed a cloud platform to create and distribute mobile apps across smart phones, tablets and desktops.
Native5 was incubated at Microsoft Accelerator in 2013. In the same year, it was also the part of Nasscom 10000 Startups.
8 may
High Court of Gujarat ordered shutting down of 67 sand mines in Gir Forest Sanctuary
High Court of Gujarat on 6 May 2015 ordered shutting down of 67 sand mining units in the Gir Forest Sanctuary, the only adobe of Asiatic lions. These 67 mining units were ordered to stop operation as their leases were not renewed.
The order was passed by a two-judge bench of High Court comprising Justice Jayant Patel and Justice GB Shah on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a Surat city-based citizen Rajkumar Sutaria. The petitioner alleged that illegal mining in the area threatened the lives of the wild animals like Asiatic lions, bears, hyneas and golden jackals.
The order came after the Gujarat forest department submitted that the 67 units would not be given ‘No Objection Certificates (NOC)’ for mining on the banks of Shetrunji River in the Gir forest Sanctuary area.
The Gir Asiatic lion sanctuary is protected as an eco-sensitive zone where no construction or development activities can take place in a radius of 10 kilo meters. But, the mining activity in the Shetrunji River had been going in the area, which threatens the existence of wildlife.
17th Century Scottish pirate captain William Kidd treasure found in Madagascar
Underwater explorers in Madagascar on 7 May 2015 said that they have discovered treasure belonging to the notorious 17th Century Scottish pirate captain William Kidd.
The explorers, which were a joint team of UK and US archaeological research mission, brought a 50-kg silver bar to shore on the island of Sainte Marie, from wreckage of the Adventure Galley, the ship of Captain Kidd.
The bar was presented to Madagascar's President at a special ceremony.
Captain Kidd was first appointed by the British authorities to tackle piracy but later became a ruthless criminal. He was executed in 1701 for piracy after returning from a voyage to the Indian Ocean.
Besides, the US explorer Barry Clifford said that he believes there are many more such bars still in the wreck.
Earlier, a team led by Barry Clifford in 2000 during underwater investigation discovered some remains of William Kidd’s ship, Adventure Galley, including a metal oarlock, shards of Ming porcelain and bottles of rum three centuries old.
Lok Sabha passed Repealing and Amending Bill, 2015
Lok Sabha on 7 May 2015 gave its nod for the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2015 which seeks to repeal 36 archaic laws either partially or entirely as they have ceased to be in force or have become obsolete.
With this, the bill has been passed by both the houses of Parliament as Rajya Sabha passed the bill on 5 May 2015.
Out of the 36 acts, four acts will be repealed entirely. These include The Indian Fisheries Act, 1897, The Foreign Jurisdiction Act, 1947 and The Sugar Undertakings (Taking over of Management) Act, 1978.
The remaining 32 Acts that are being repealed are amendments to principal Acts. These include amendments to the Representation of the People Act, 1951, Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, Anand Marriage Act, 1909 the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 among others.
A similar bill, the Repealing and Amending (Second) Bill, 2014 was passed by the Lok Sabha on 8 December 2014 and is lying with the Rajya Sabha. It is sought to repeal 90 laws and pass amendments to two laws. Out of 90 laws, 88 laws will be repealed completely.
Comment
The passage of The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2015 by the Parliament is in tune with the Union government’s objective of repealing the obsolete laws as they have outlived their utility.
Around 1741 laws in the country have become redundant but still they are in existence. In this regard the BJP-led NDA government had identified certain Appropriation Acts that needs to be repealed. These Acts pertain to the domain of Union Finance Ministry and Railway Ministry.
In lieu of this, the Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill, 2015 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 24 April 2015 which intended to repeal 758 Acts passed by the Parliament including Appropriation Acts [including also, Appropriation (Railways) Acts] enacted between 1950 and 2012 and 111 State Appropriation Acts enacted by the Parliament between 1950 and 1976.
National Smart Grid Mission: Institutional mechanism to oversee Smart Grid Initiatives
The National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM) was in news on 7 May 2015 as the Union Minister of state for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy (IC) Piyush Goyal gave information about it in the Lok Sabha.
The mission was approved by the Union Government on 27 March 2015.
The mission entails implementation of a smart electrical grid based on state-of-the art technology in the fields of automation, communication and IT systems that can monitor and control power flows from points of generation to points of consumption.
Key Features of National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM)
• It is an institutional mechanism for planning, monitoring and implementation of policies and programs related to Smart Grid activities and for this it has a three tier structure viz., Governing Council at the apex level, Empowered Committee at the middle and Technical Committee at the bottom.
• The Governing Council (GC) is headed by the Minister of Power and has Secretary level officers of concerned Ministries and departments as members. The Council approves all policies and programmes for smart grid implementation.
• The Empowered Committee (EC) is headed by the Secretary (Power) and has Joint Secretary level officers of concerned Ministries and departments as members. The role of the Committee is to provide policy inputs to the GC and approve, monitor, review specific smart grid projects, guidelines, procedures etc.
• The Technical Committee (TC) is headed by the Chairperson (CEA) and has Director level officers of concerned Ministries & departments, representatives from industries and academia as members. The role of the committee is to support the EC on technical aspectS, standards development, technology selection guidelines etc.
• The mission has a NSGM Project Management Unit (NPMU) headed by a Director and is responsible for operationalizing the Smart Grid activities in the country under the guidance of the GC and the EC. The NPMU will be housed at the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID).
• Projects such as, Development of smart grid, Development of micro grids, Consumer engagements and Training & Capacity building will be taken up under the mission.
• The total outlay for the mission during the 12th five year Plan (2012-17) is kept at 980 crore rupees with a budgetary support of 338 crore rupees. The mission provides for grant up-to 30 percent of the project cost and for selected components such as training & capacity building and consumer engagement 100 percent grant is allowed.
• Corresponding to the NSGM, a State Level Mission will be set up under chairmanship of the Power Secretary of the concerned State. Support for training & capacity building to State Level Project Monitoring Units (SLPMUs) for smart grid activities is provided by the NSGM.
• The Smart Grid Knowledge Centre (SGKC) being developed by the POWERGRID with funding from the Ministry will act as a resource centre for providing technical support to the mission in all technical matters, including development of technical manpower, capacity building, outreach, suggesting curriculum changes in technical educations, etc.
Union Government, ADB signed loan agreement worth 31 Million US dollars
The Union Government and Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 7 May 2015 signed a 31 million US dollars loan agreement to boost water availability in selected river basins in Karnataka and ensure improved water efficiency in irrigation.
The agreement was signed by Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary (Multilateral Institutions), Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of the Union Government and M Teresa Kho, Country Director of ADB in India.
ADB’s loan of 31 million US dollars will cover about 65 percent of the total project cost of 48 million US dollars with the state government of Karnataka providing the balance of 17 million US dollars.
The loan is the first tranche of the Karnataka Integrated and Sustainable Water Resources Management Investment Program of 150 million US dollars, approved by ADB in 2014. The program will improve irrigation efficiency in three river basins in the state saving 1700 million cubic meters of water.
This saved water could be used on an additional 160000 hectares of farmland which will further lead to increase in farm incomes by about 50 percent and benefit about 1.5 million people.
Besides, the loan will help train and certify over 200 Water Resources Department (WRD) staff in integrated water resources management and build capacities of water users cooperative societies.
Through this project, Advanced Centre for IWRM (AC-IWRM) will be developed into a sub-regional accredited institute to provide certification in the field of IWRM.
A paleo channel claimed as River Saraswati identified in Muglawali village of Haryana
Muglawali village near Adi Badri: Paleo channel claimed as River Saraswati identified
Muglawali village of Yamungar district in Haryana located near Adi Badri was in news on 5 May 2015. The village came into news after district authorities claimed that they have dugged out a paleo (old) channel which resembles now inactive River Saraswati.
During digging, which was done under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNGEGS), the water was discovered from nine spots.
Water found at various spots hints towards presence of a paleo channel (remnants of inactive river) and the initial study of water and sediments by a geologist hints that they are distinct from the locally available water and minerals.
It is widely believed by geologists that Saraswati used to flow from upper Himalayas and entered the plains near Adi Badri, located in the foothills of lower Shivalik mountain ranges.
Digging is being done as part of excavation work ofSaraswati Revival Projectthat started at Rullaheri village on 21 April 2015. The project was started after the decision of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to create a new water channel on the dry bed.
Earlier in 2006, a similar attempt towards identifying the River Saraswati route was undertaken under Project Saraswati by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). As part of it, ONGC had successfully drilled India’s deepest fresh-water well at a depth of about 500 metre below the ground-level near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.
Nepal Rastra Bank to provide interest-free loans for rebuilding houses
Nepal Rastra Bank on 7 May 2015 announced to provide interest-free loans for rebuilding houses. The bank will provide interest-free loans of up to 25 lakh nepali rupees in the Kathmandu Valley and 15 lakh nepali rupees for those outside the capital for house reconstruction.
Nepal Rastra Bank is the regulatory authority of the Nepalese economy.
The central bank also said the commercial banks and financial institutions could take a maximum interest of 2 per cent under home loan for such purposes.
Meanwhile, Nepal’s Parliament unanimously passed a resolution committing to work together in the reconstruction work in the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated central and eastern hilly parts of Nepal.
The earthquake on 25 April 2015 and another one the following day of 7.9 and 6.7 magnitude have claimed 7765 lives and have left over 16000 injured.
It is the central bank of Nepal. It supervises the banks and financial institutions in Nepal and guides monetary policy. Nepal Rastra Bank also oversees foreign exchange rates and the country's foreign exchange reserves and regulates the foreign exchange policy.
Singapore PM Lee opened first museum Indian Heritage Centre in Little India
Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong on 7 May 2015 opened first museum Indian Heritage Centre in Little India.
The museum was dedicated to Indian history. Singapore is celebrating 50 years of its independence in 2015 as well as 50 years of diplomatic relations with India.
The Government of India has presented busts of four nationalist leaders to Singapore's Indian Heritage Centre (IHC). IHC is now open to the public.
The nationalist leaders' busts - including of Mahatama Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Pandit Jawarhalal Nehru and Netaji Subash Chandra Bose - are displayed in IHC's gallery on Social and Political Awakening in Singapor.
The IHC is built at a cost of 16 million Singapore dollars and managed by the country's National Heritage Board.
The four-storey building is located in the heart of Little India, and blends traditional Indian and modern architectural elements.
Its thematic galleries showcase diverse stories of various groups within Singapore's Indian community and their rich links with the global Indian diaspora.
Achal Kumar Jyoti appointed as Election Commissioner
Achal Kumar Jyoti, the former Chief Secretary of Gujarat, on 7 May 2015 was appointed as the Election Commissioner of India. Jyoti (62) will have tenure of nearly three-years, when he will turn 65, the age at which Election Commissioners demit office under the Constitution of India.
His tenure will commence from the day he assumes the charge.
With this, the strength of three-member Election Commission of India has gone up to two. Till this appointment, two posts were vacant in the three-member election commission due to retirement of VS Sampath and HS Brahma.
At present, Nasim Zaidi, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), is the other member of election commission.
Jyoti is a retired IAS officer of 1975 batch and has worked as the Managing Director of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL). He also served as Chairman of Kandla Port Trust between 1999 and 2004. He retired from active service in January, 2013.
GIC held consultations on the creation of Nuclear Insurance Pool (NIP)
Nuclear Insurance Pool: A common insurance pool to pay for nuclear damages under the CLND Act, 2010
The term Nuclear Insurance Pool (NIP) was in news in April and May 2015 as the General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC) was collecting views from the stakeholders in the Insurance industry and Nuclear Energy sector about the creation of the NIP.
The NIP is intended to cover the liability of Nuclear Plant operators and Equipment and Material Suppliers under Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages (CLND) Act, 2010 in case of nuclear accidents.
The creation of the Pool has become necessary due to the reluctance of the foreign nuclear equipment suppliers to participate in the nuclear trade with India as the CNLD Act, 2010 has imposed liability on them in case of nuclear accidents.
The GIC is given the responsibility by the Union Government for the creation of the NIP and it will be of 1500 crore rupees and the GIC will invest 750 crore rupees in it.
At present, nuclear plants in India only have insurance cover for zones that are outside the area of radiation and reactors. However, the NIP will provide insurance cover for both hot zones (radiation and nuclear reactors) and cold zones (outside the reactor areas).
Eminent historian Amalendu Guha passed away
Eminent historian and social scientist Amalendu Guha passed away on 7 May 2015 following old age ailments at Ulubari, Guwahati. He was 91.
Born on 30 January 1924 in Imphal, Guha was an eminent writer, poet, historian, social scientist and Communist thinker. He wrote in English, Assamese and Bengali languages.
His research work Planter Raj to Swaraj: Freedom Struggle and Electoral Politics in Assam is considered as greatest among his creations. His other books are Medieval and Early Colonial Assam: Society, Polity and Economy and Central Asia: Movement of Peoples and Ideas from Times Prehistoric to Modern.
Some of his books in Assamese are Tomaloi- a collection of poems, Soviet Deshot Ebhumuki, Afghanistanot Ebhumuki and Vaishnavbador Pora Mayamoriya Bidroholoi. While his Bengali literary works include Luit Parer Gatha.
His work had accredited him with various awards including Sahityacharya Sanman of the Asam Sahitya Sabha, Pt Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Gold Plaque of Asiatic Society, etc.
Mhairi Black became the youngest lawmaker of Britain
Mhairi Black on 7 May 2015 became the youngest lawmaker of Britain at the age of 20. The freshly elected lawmaker is from Scotland.
She belonged to Paisley and Renfrewshire South, a constituency outside Glasgow. She defeated Douglas Alexander, Labour's election chief and a former Cabinet minister with 17864 votes.
She is a member of the Scottish Nationalist Party.
From a young age, she would march for causes as diverse as support for a Scottish parliament and opposition to the Iraq war.
She made history by becoming the youngest lawmaker in UK history since the 17th century. In 1667, after being returned as knight of the shire Christopher Monck took his place in Parliament when he was just 13.
SBI launched RuPay Platinum Debit Card in association with NPCI
State Bank of India on 7 May 2015 launched State Bank RuPay Platinum debit card in association with National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI).
Initially, the card will be issued free to customers maintaining a quarterly balance of 50000 rupees. The RuPay card is accepted at all payment channels like ATMs, PoS and eCommerce.
The State Bank RuPay Platinum Debit Card, targets the affluent segment by offering a range of value added benefits including:
• 5 percent cashback on utility bill payments
• Up to 1 percent fuel surcharge waiver
• Complimentary airport lounge access
• Complimentary concierge services
• Complimentary welcome discount vouchers
• Personal accidental death and permanent total disability insurance cover of 2 lakh rupees
At present, SBI has 19.7 crore debit cards in circulation of which 4.5 crore are RuPay cards.
Besides, the NPCI Managing Director and CEO A P Hota announced that the company will soon launch international RuPay debit cards which will allow customers to use them outside the country. It will also issue RuPay credit cards by January 2016.
• SBI chairman- Arundhati Bhattacharya
About NPCI
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) was set up in 2009 as the central infrastructure for various retail payment systems in India. It was envisaged by the Reserve Bank of India as the payment utility for all banks in the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released commemorative coin on Swami Chinmayananda
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 8 May 2015 released a commemorative coin to mark the birth centenary of Swami Chinmayananda in New Delhi.
Swami Chinmayananda born as Balakrishna Menon on 8 May 1916 pioneered works in the field of education and social reform. He died on 3 August 1993.
The Hindu spiritual leader and teacher inspired the formation of Chinmaya Mission, a worldwide nonprofit organisation, to spread the knowledge of Advaita Vedanta, the non dual system of thought found in the Upanishads, which epitomise the philosophical teachings of the Vedas.
He saw the need to inculcate India's great culture and spiritual traditions, through the English medium, among an elite class of people, who had moved away from this heritage.
Navneet Rajan Wasan appointed as DG of Police Research & Development Bureau
Senior IPS officer Navneet Rajan Wasan was on 7 May 2015 appointed as (DG) of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D). He will serve the post till 30 November 2015, the date of his superannuation.
The post of Director General (DG) of Bureau of Police Research and Development had been lying vacant since March 2015 following the retirement of Rajan Gupta.
Presently, Wasan is working as Special Director General in the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He is a 1980-batch IPS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre.
Other Appointment
Indian Postal Service (IPoS) officer Sheuli Burman was appointed as the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) in the Indian Telephone Industries (ITI), Bangalore. Burman will serve the office for an initial period of three years.