NATIONAL JANUARY 2015

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NATIONAL JANUARY 2015

• Crop Calendar for WB farmers
  The West Bengal government has decided to publish a Crop Calendar to help farmers in cultivation. According to Agriculture Department sources, the calendar will be a comprehensive guide to the farmers which give them information regarding cropping practices. 
  
  The Crop Calendar is being drawn up to give information on planting, sowing and harvesting periods of crops in specific agro - ecological zones. The Calendars will be distributed at free of cost in each block. It will also provide for rehabilitation of farming system after natural calamities like flood and effective use of irrigation techniques reducing farmer's dependence on weather. The Calendar will also carry information about monthly weather patterns, pesticides as well as various governmental schemes for farmers. 
  
• Telangana Deputy CM Rajaiah sacked
  Dr T Rajaiah was on 25th January axed from his position as Telangana's deputy chief minister and the health minister. The chief minister inducted his party member of Parliament from Warangal, Kadiam Srihari, as the deputy chief minister. 
  
  The chief minister effected a minor reshuffle in the cabinet and handed Srihari the education portfolio which has been with G Jagadish Reddy who was made the energy minister. Dr C Laxma Reddy, who was recently inducted and given the energy portfolio has been handed the medical and health department. 
  
• Women leaders in Republic day function
  For the first time in the history of India's Republic Day, women empowerment in the armed forces was showcased as an all-women contingent from the three forces- Army, Air Force and Navy- marched down the majestic Rajpath on 26th January. 
  
  While women officers have been participating in previous Republic Day parades, this was for the first time that an all-women contingent of the armed forces participated. 
  
  While the Army contingent was led by Capt Divya Ajith, the Navy was led by Lt Commander Sandhya Chauhan. The Air Force contingent was led by Squadron Leader Sneha Shekhawat. 
  
  The contingents had 148 personnel each drawn from the Army, Air Force and the Navy. 
  
  Currently, the army does not have women in combat roles. Capt Ajith graduated from the prestigious Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai in 2010. She created history by becoming the first woman in the army to receive the coveted Sword of Honour, which is awarded to the best cadet of a course. 
  
• Murthy and kin donate £200,000 for Gandhi statue
  The plans for erecting a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Parliament Square have received a boost with a donation of £200,000 from N.R. Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, and his family.The donation goes a long way in meeting the target of £750,000 set by the Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust, a charity that was set up by the economist Lord Meghnad Desai for the purpose of commissioning and installing the statue. 
  
• Chandigarh launches Smart City app
  In the first major step towards making Chandigarh a “Smart City,” the city administration launched its “official mobile app” on 27th January to create awareness of consumer rights and responsibilities and provide all types of citizen-centric and public utility services and information to the residents. 
  
  Launching the scheme, Vijay Dev, Adviser to the Administrator of Chandigarh, said various departments would be directed to route all information and updates through the app and appoint a link officer for the work.The app would become an important platform for redressing grievances. 
  
• National highways logo launched
  Minister for Road Transport, Highways & Shipping, Nitin Gadkari on 28th January launched the Logo, Vision, Mission, Website and e-book of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited. The newly constituted National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation is mandated to develop 10,000 km of roads in the country with a special focus on North-East. 
  
  The government has allocated Rs 3,000 crore in the Union Budget 2014-15 for improving highways and state roads in the north east. 
  
• Sewage plants along Ganga planned
  The Centre has proposed the setting up and maintenance of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in all the 118 cities and towns located along the Ganga in a time-bound manner to check pollution of the river.To be built and maintained through a special purpose vehicle, these STPs will be paid for by the Centre and help plug the gaps in the system and prevent untreated effluents from flowing into the Ganga. All the six States (along the Ganga) would be consulted and taken on board before going ahead with setting up of the STPs.In the first phase, the focus will be on the 56 cities and towns that account for about 80 per cent of sewage generation. 
  
  According to the government, as against the sewage treatment requirement of 3,847 million litres a day (MLD) in all the 118 cities and towns in 2015 and the estimated demand of 4,773 MLD in 2030, the present available capacity is only 879 MLD while another 1,263 MLD capacity is under construction. The gap in demand and supply is 1,852 MLD at current demand and 2,664 MLD at 2030 demand. 
  
  As a part of stakeholder consultations, a meeting of representatives of all 195 industrial units located alongside the Ganga will be held next month by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change followed by a meeting of municipal commissioners of all the 118 cities and towns on February 17. 
  
• AP’s new capital to have 3 layers
  The new capital for Andhra Pradesh would have three layers and four sectors, if the initial plans of the government are to be taken into consideration. The three layers include the capital region spread over 7,000 square kilometers with 58 revenue mandals of both Krishna and Guntur districts followed by the 200 sq km of the capital city spread over 29 villages. The third layer spread over 2,000 acres would be the core capital where the government establishments would come up. 
  
  The capital would have five sectors of live, work, play and learn that would determine the activity for people connected with the capital. The live area would have all accommodation (housing), while the work area would have all offices. The play area would have all entertainments including parks that the government proposes while learn area would have educational institutions right from play school to the institutions of higher learning. 
  
  The four sectors would have better road and rail (metro) connectivity to ensure that the transport and the transit period is considerably less and comfortable. The road network from the first layer of the core capital to the second layer of capital city would connect all the 29 villages widening the existing roads or providing alternative roads. The government proposes to protect the geography of all the 29 existing villages while providing road network. The plan would also protect all the existing places of worship located in the capital city (of existing 29 villages). 
  
  The capital would also have Green Plan to protect the existing greenery like parks and Blue Plan to save existing water resources like tanks. The Blue Plan would protect existing water tanks from encroachments and the Green Plan would focus on expansion of existing parks or creation of new parks for entertainment and also walking tracks. 
  
  The proposal would prevent expansion of all existing towns like Mangalagiri, Tenali, Undavalli, Amaravathi and Tadikonda and insist on the developers going for vertical buildings. The four sectors (live, work, play and learn) of the core capital would have 100 per cent vertical with skyscrapers and the Singapore company is working out both the master plan and the structural plan. 
  
• First private Germplasm Bank opened
  The country’s first Germplasm Bank in the private sector has been set up by the Gubba group. Set up with an investment of Rs. 4 crore at Medchal near Hyderabad, the bank can withstand earthquakes, power outages and fire accidents. 
  
  Maintaining a temperature of -20 degrees Celsius, the bank can protect the seed up to 40 years. The first of the two vaults will become operational from February 1. The company is in touch with the seed firms and other stakeholders to keep their germplasm safe. 
  
  The group, which registered a turnover of Rs. 28 crore, has 12 cold storage facilities with a combined capacity of 90 lakh cubic feet. The company has announced a free service for individuals and non-governmental organizations that wanted to protect endangered germplasm. For commercial users, it plans to charge Rs. 20-25,000 per locker per month. 
  
• Lowest Consumer Price Index country: India
  The latest report on global cost of living index reveals that India has the lowest Consumer Price Index (CPI) making it the cheapest place to live in the world. Numbeo, a data research website compiled this data by checking parameters such as rent, groceries, local purchasing power and eating out cost in a restaurant. According to report, India’s CPI is India26.27. 
  
• Two U.P. MLAs disqualified
  Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik on 29th January ordered disqualification of BSP MLA Uma Shankar Singh and BJP MLA BajrangBahadur Singh as members of the Assembly. The MLAs were found guilty of using their position for acquiring government contracts in the inquiry conducted by Lokayukta N.K. Mehrotra. He sent the report to Chief Minister AkhileshYadav who referred it to Mr. Naik. The Governor referred the issue to the Election Commission of India. 
  
  According to the Raj Bhavan said the MLAs were disqualified on the basis of the report of the Election Commission. The release said whereas Mr. Uma Shankar Singh had acquired government contracts for road construction, Mr. BajrangBahadur Singh had acquired road construction contract from the PWD. 
  
• MSME centers tie up for Assocham and ICAI
  Industry body Assocham and the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI) have jointly set up the country's first 'Virtual Centre for Development of MSMEs'. The Centre aims to reach out to about 30 million MSMEs, educate at least 50,000 MSME units about exports, assist about 20 million budding entrepreneurs, train at least 10 million non-skilled/semi-skilled people across India and assist at least 500 MSMEs to produce innovative products. 
  
  The Centre would be a single window for all MSME related issues such as finance, technology, skill development, policy and compliance as it would get first hand information on their impediments and evolve amicable solutions by developing a dedicated website, establishing round-the-clock helpline number, issuing a monthly news letter, publishing a sector-specific research journal. 
  
  There are about 46 million MSME units across the country employing about 106 million people and they play a pivotal role in growth of India's economy evidently as they contribute about 45 per cent of industrial output, about 40 per cent of exports, create over one million jobs annually and produce over 8,000 varied quality products. 
  
• FAST scheme dropped
  The Telangana state Government on 30th January decided to shelve its proposal of Financial Assistance to Students of Telangana (FAST) forever and continue the existing scheme of tuition fee reimbursement for students of professional courses with some changes. 
  
  The government decision to introduce FAST with students’ local status based on their families’ nativity as on November 1, 1956, when the States of erstwhile Andhra and Hyderabad were merged to form Andhra Pradesh, last year had invited severe criticism from several quarters. Even the courts had observed that Telangana government’s approach was not in tune with the Constitution. 
  
  It is understood that the government had taken the decision to drop FAST after weighing its pros and cons, particularly the legal problems it would create, in consultation with the legal luminaries. The government also decided to clear Rs. 862 crore remaining dues of fee reimbursement handed over by the previous combined AP Government, out of over Rs. 1,650 crore dues pending for the last four years. The tuition fee for the current academic year would be reimbursed in phases and the first installment would be released soon. Among other major decision taken by the Cabinet include regularization of land encroachments. 
  
• Major mile stone in smart city plan
  The government's initiative for creating 100 smart cities achieved a major milestone as the various stakeholders came out with the criteria for the selection and ranking of cities. They also broadly agreed on innovative financing models and urban governance reforms to be implemented as part of the project. 
  
  The way forward emerged after intense discussions at consultation Workshop of States and Stakeholders on Smart Cities
  
  Among the basic eligibility conditions suggested by the states and other stakeholders for participation in the 'Smart CityChallenge' were the need for a vision and city development strategy, progress under Swachh Bharat Mission, timely payment of salaries to municipal staff, information and grievance redressal mechanism and e-newsletter. 
  
  For the further ranking of cities for final selection, the states have suggested the parameters and respective weightages that include self-financing ability (25 per cent weightage), institutional systems and capacities (25 per cent), existing service levels and committed plan of action for three years (25 per cent), past track record in implementing reforms (15 per cent) and quality of vision document (10 per cent). 
  
• Keema, Papad now in Oxford dictionary
  Owing to the increasing popularity and demand of Indian food items at the global level, a number of Indian food names like "keema" and "papad" have been included in the Oxford English dictionary for the first time. Words such as 'keema' (finely chopped meat), 'papad' (thin wafer) and cooking ingredients like 'curry leaf' is commonly used in the Indian kitchen. 
  
  The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, in its ninth edition, which was released on Monday in Kolkata, has included over 240 words from the Indian English. Over 60 per cent of the new Indian English words come from Hindi. The ninth edition of the dictionary has over 900 new words. 
  
• Rs 16,000 cr approved for lift irrigation project
  Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has given his approval for taking up the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation project with an estimated cost of Rs. 16,000 crore. The project will have the potential to irrigate about 10 lakh acres in Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy districts including stabilising about 3 lakh acres ayacut irrigated under minor irrigation tanks. The project is aimed at addressing the fluoride problem in some areas of Nalgonda district and migration of labour from Mahabubnagar district by irrigating lands. 
  
• Upward mobility increasing in India: WB
  A World Bank report has challenged the conventional understanding of India’s inequality. The report, “Addressing inequality in South Asia,” has found that the probability of a poor person moving out of poverty in India in 2014 was as good as that in the U.S. 
  
  The report has found that sons from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe households are no longer stuck in the jobs done by their fathers. Across generations, mobility of occupational profiles among Muslims has been similar to that of higher caste Hindus, whereas mobility among Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes has become higher than that of upper caste Hindus over time.The report shows that one of the main drivers of upward mobility is the increase in number of non-farm jobs in rural India. 
  • World Bank report has found that between 2004-05 and 2009-10, 15 per cent of India’s population, or 40 per cent of the poor, moved above the poverty line.
  • In the same period, a sizeable portion of the poor and the vulnerable — over 9 per cent of the total population or about 11 per cent of the poor and vulnerable — moved into the middle class.
  • However, over 9 per cent of the total population, or about 14 per cent of the non-poor group, slipped back into poverty, revealing the greater risks faced by the vulnerable and even the middle class than in other countries.
  
  
• India is world’s second most trusting nation: survey
  Moving up the ranks, India has emerged as the second most trusted country in the world in terms of faith reposed on its institutions even as globally trust levels have fallen, says a survey. 
  
  As the world’s rich and powerful gather in the Swiss resort of Davos, a study by public relations firm Edelman has found that general level of trust in institutions among college-educated people around the globe are at levels not seen since 2009 in many of the markets it surveyed. 
  
  Trust in institutions in India has improved sharply in 2015 with the country moving up three notches to the second place among 27 nations. 
  
  While the number of “truster” countries are at an all-time low of six in 2015 including UAE, India, China and Netherlands, the number of “distruster” countries has grown significantly to 13 including Japan, Russia, Hong Kong, South Africa and Italy. Brazil, Malaysia, France and the US are among the 8 “neutral” nations as per the trust index, the survey said. 
  
  According to the report, an “alarming evaporation of trust” has happened across all institutions, reaching the lows of the Great Recession in 2009. 
  
  Trust in government, business, media and NGOs in the general population is below 50 per cent in two-thirds of countries, including the U.S., U.K. and Germany, it said. The list is topped by UAE with 84 per cent trust. 
  
  Indonesia (78 per cent), China (75 per cent), Singapore (65 per cent) and Netherlands (64 per cent) are the others that have recorded highest levels of trust. 
  
• AIIMS in Nalgonda
  The Telangana government has decided to hand over the yet to be completed NIMS-Rangapur building, and 400 acres of land to the Centre to set up the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). 
  
  Bhongir MP Bura Narsaiah Goud said the Chief Minister had decided to allot the same building and premises to All India Institute of Medical Sciences since it is located close to the State capital and is well connected by road and rail. It is located just 35 km away from the State capital and is very close to the Hyderabad-Warangal Highway and Bibinagar railway junction. 
  
  The Centre had allotted AIIMS to Telangana as per the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh State Re-orgnisation Act. 
  
• Rs 500 for heritage city scheme
  The Government on 21st January launched the National Heritage Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) under which 12 cities from the country were sanctioned funds for the first phase. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi got the highest allocation at Rs 89.31 crore. 
  
  The scheme seeks to promote an integrated, inclusive and sustainable development of heritage sites, focusing not just on maintenance of monuments but on advancement of the entire ecosystem including its citizens, tourists and local businesses. 
  
  Based on city population and area, Varanasi was allocated Rs 89.31 crore, Amritsar –Rs 69.31 crore, Warangal – Rs 40.54 crore, Ajmer – Rs 40.04 crore, Gaya – Rs 40.04 crore, Mathura – Rs 40.04 crore, Kanchipuram – Rs 23.04 crore and Vellankini Rs Rs 22.26 crore, Amaravati – Rs 22.26 crore, Badami – Rs 22.26 crore, Dwaraka – Rs 22.26 crore and Puri – Rs 22.54 crore, for spending over the next two years. 
  
  While Rs 500 crore would be provided to the 12 cities selected in the first phase under the Central scheme, Naidu urged the States and local urban bodies to supplement their resources for rapid development of the cities. He also called for involvement of NGOs, spiritual organisations and private sector for effective implementation of the scheme. 
  
  Cities and towns will be required to prepare Heritage Management Plan and develop Detailed Project Reports for identified projects for availing Central assistance under the scheme. National Institute of Urban Affairs has been designated as National Project Management Unit for the scheme. The duration of the scheme is four years, from December 2014 to March 2018. 
  
• India ranks 78th globally in talent competitiveness
  Indicating acute shortage of skilled workforce, India has been ranked 78th globally in terms of talent competitiveness of its human capital, while Switzerland has topped the charts. In the list of 93 countries - compiled by INSEAD business school in partnership with Adecco and Human Capital Leadership Institute of Singapore (HCLI) - Switzerland is followed by Singapore, Luxembourg, Denmark, United States and Canada in the top five. Sweden and the UK are ranked 6th and 7th respectively, with Denmark (8th), Australia (9th) and Ireland (10th) making it to the top-10. 
  
  The annual Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI), that measures a nation's competitiveness based on the quality of talent it can produce, attract and retain said that "despite being the largest regional economy, India (78th) ranks fourth amongst its peers, and also happens to be the lowest-ranked BRICS economy".
  
  The rankings were dominated by European countries, with only six non European countries in the top 20: Singapore (2), United States (4), Canada (5), Australia (9), New-Zealand (16) and Japan (20). 
  
  The twenty top-scoring countries in the GTCI 2014 are all high-income countries. "This is hardly surprising, since rich countries tend to have better universities and a greater ability to attract foreign talents through higher quality of life and remuneration, making them more talent competitive," the report said. 
  
  The study, which focuses on the topic of 'growing talent for today and tomorrow' highlighted the importance of 'employable skills' and vocational education amid changing labour markets and rising unemployment, It further noted that the employment impact of ICT is particularly acute in emerging markets where ICT-related positions have strong indirect and spillover effects. 
  
  In India four indirect employment opportunities were created by every new job in the ICT-enabled business processing industry, it said. 
  
• Rural Innovation Project to strengthen Gram Panchayats in Karnataka
  The Government of Karnataka has taken a landmark step towards strengthening its gram panchayats. The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj department along with not-for-profit organization Avantika Foundation bagged the country’s first innovation project under the centrally-sponsored scheme, the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan (RGPSA). The partnership was formalized with the signing of a MoU to this effect on December 30, 2014. 
  
  The innovation project will be piloted in 30 gram panchayats in Mulbagal taluka, Kolar district over a two year period and is aimed at improving governance and service delivery to citizens. Called the Gram Panchayat Organisation Development (GPOD), the initiative is in keeping with the spirit of devolution of funds, functions and functionaries to panchayats as embodied in the 73rd Constitution Amendment Act, 1993. 
  
  Key features of the rural innovation project
  • Gram Panchayat Organisation Development is selected as the country’s first innovation project under the centrally-sponsored scheme, the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan (RGPSA)
  • MoU formalizing the partnership was signed on December 30, 2014
  • Project will cover 30 Gram Panchayats of Mulbagal taluka over two years
  
  
• Betibachao-Beti Padhao started
  In an effort to counter the adverse sex ratio in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the nationwide 'BetiBachao-BetiPadhao' or save girl child and educate her campaign at Panipat in Haryana. MrModi said, there is an urgent need to reduce the increasing imbalance amongst the girl and boy child for the betterment of the society. Referring to the mindset of the people of the society, the Prime Minister said, by reducing the child sex ratio, the country is not only damaging the present society but creating problems for future generations too which is a cause of concern. He pleaded the people not to kill their girl child in the wombs rather provide them a secure environment and education. 
  
  The Prime Minister also asked the doctors not to earn money by being a partner in heinous crime of killing the girl child. 
  
  The Prime Minister Modi also launched Sukanya Samridhi Yojana to make the girl child economically stronger. 
  
  Haryana has been chosen to launch the nation-wide Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative because of the skewed sex ratio in the state. It has one of the lowest child sex ratio which stands at 879 girls per 1,000 boys as against the national child sex ratio of 918 girls per 1000 boys. 
  
  Sukanya Samridhi Yojana: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22nd January launched the 'Sukanya Samridhi Yojana' which will enable parents to open bank accounts of girls under 10 years of age. Giving away the passbooks and other documents to five small girls during the function to launch the nationwide 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' (save girl child and educate her) campaign from Panipat in Haryana, the prime minister said the Sukanya Samridhi Yojana was aimed at providing social security for girls. 
  
  This is for girls under 10 years of age. Parents can deposit any amount from Rs.1,000 to Rs.1.5 lakh. There will be more interest (by banks) in this scheme compared to others. No income tax will be levied. When the girl is 21 years old, she will get the entire amount. 
  
  The objectives of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
  • Prevent gender biased sex selective elimination
  • Ensure survival & protection of the Girl Child
  • Ensure education of the Girl Child
  • Improve the Nutrition Status of Girl Child
  • Promote a protective environment for Girl Child
  
  
• Sutlej, Beas to form part of water highway
  The Sutlej and the Beas in Punjab have been included in a project to develop 99 rivers nationwide as water highways, Union Minister for Road, Transport and Shipping Nitin Gadkari said on 22nd January. 
  
  He made the announcement at Bathinda, where he launched the construction of Rs. 18,000 crore worth of road projects to make Punjab the first State to have all major cities linked through four-or six-lane highways. 
  
  He laid the foundation for seven projects. Among them was the four-laning of the national highway from Bathinda to Chandigarh. The Rs. 3,342-crore project will connect Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. 
  
  He said that by December, the four-laning of the Amritsar-Bathinda highway would begin at a cost of Rs. 3,800 crore, Jalandhar-Moga (Rs. 1,500 crore) and Moga-Barnala (Rs. 500 crore). 
  
  The Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur highway would be extended to the Himachal Pradesh border at a cost of Rs. 1,000 crore. 
  
• Muslim population in India rose by 24% between 2001 and 2011: Census
  Muslim population in India has grown by 24% between 2001 and 2011 against the national average of 18% with the community's representation rising to 14.2% from 13.4% of total population. 
  
  Among all states in the country, Jammu and Kashmir has the highest Muslim population (68.3%), followed by Assam (34.2%) and West Bengal (27%), according to the census data on the population of religious groups. 
  
  The growth rate of Muslim population in the country was around 29% between 1991 and 2001. At 24%, the growth rate of Muslim population is higher than the national average of 18% for the decade (2001-11). The most rapid rise in the share of Muslims in the total population was witnessed in Assam. Muslims constituted 30.9% of the state's population in 2001 and it has risen to 34.2% a decade later. Assam has been facing the problem of illegal immigration from Bangladesh for last three decades. 
  
  The data is still being compiled by the Registrar General of Census and will be released officially shortly. Manipur is the only state where the percentage of Muslim population has decreased -- from 8.8% to 8.4%.
  
  West Bengal, another state where illegal immigration from Bangladesh has been an issue, has also seen a rise in Muslim population from 25.2% in 2001 to 27% in 2011. It is a growth of 1.8 percentage points, more that double the national average for Muslim population (0.8%).
  
  Uttarakhand has also seen rise in the share of Muslim population from 11.9% to 13.9%, a growth of 2 percentage points, between 2001 and 2011. 
  
  Other states with a significant rise in the share of Muslims in the total population as per the 2011 census were Kerala (from 24.7% to 26.6%), Goa (6.8% to 8.4%), Jammu and Kashmir (67% to 68.3%), Haryana (5.8% to 7%) and Delhi (11.7% to 12.9%). 
  
• Country’s largest start-up incubation centre launched
  Telangana’s Information Technology and Panchayat Raj Minister K.T. Rama Rao on 23rd January set in motion the development of the country’s largest start-up incubation centre ‘T Hub’ at the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Gachibowli. 
  
  The 60,000 square feet, five-floor building is part of the first phase of the government’s ‘T Hub’ initiative, and is expected to become operational by June this year. When fully functional, it can host 400 start-ups and is expected to generate employment for 3,000 people by the end of 2017. Mr. Rama Rao laid the foundation stone for the building, which was conceptualised by W Design Studio. 
  
  Speaking about ‘T Hub’, the Minister said it would nurture entrepreneurs who in today’s world are the biggest employment generators. “T Hub will also serve as an incubator of incubators. Our target is also to have at least 10 incubators by the end of 2017,” he said. 
  
  Mr. Rama Rao also talked about plans to set up a venture fund that would get contributions both from the government and private sector. The second phase of ‘T Hub’ will be set up in Raidurgam where three lakh square feet of space will be available by 2018, the Minister said. He told mediapersons that major global brands like Wipro, Google, Capgemini and Amazon have expansion plans in the city. 
  
  Academic institutions partnering ‘T Hub’ include Indian School of Business (ISB), IIIT Hyderabad and NALSAR. These institutions will assist start-ups with management, technology and legal aspects of setting up and running a venture. 
  
  ‘T Hub’ will be administered by a board of directors which will include representatives from each of the partnering academic institutions and noted entrepreneurs from the city. 
  
• 24 Children, including 8 girls selected for National Bravery Awards
  Twenty four children, including eight girls, have been selected for National Bravery Awards for 2014.Four of the awards have been given posthumously. The children will receive their awards from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the 24th of January, and will also participate in the Republic Day parade. 
  
  16 year old Resham Fatma of Uttar Pradesh, a victim of Acid attack, will be conferred the Bharat Award for showing exemplary courage while fighting off her tormentor, whose marriage proposal she had turned down. 
  
  In all, 24 children will be conferred with National Bravery Awards this year. Among the awardees 8 are girls. Four children have been posthumously awarded for their supreme sacrifice in their battle for saving others . 
  
  The prestigious Geeta Chopra Award has been conferred on13 year old Gunjan Sharma of Assam who displayed exemplary valor in saving her friends from the clutches of the abductor. 
  
  The Sanjay Chopra Award has been given to 16 year old Master Devesh Kumar of Uttar Pradesh who displayed outstanding courage while confronting two chain-snatchers. 
  
  The National Bravery Awards are given as a token of recognition to those children who distinguish themselves by performing outstanding deeds of bravery and meritorious service and to inspire other children to emulate their examples. 
  
  The children will receive their Awards from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24th January and will participate in the Republic Day parade. 
  
• Smart village launched in AP
  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on 18th January launched 'Smart Village -Smart Ward' programme at a village in West Godavari district and also commenced his 18-km-long 'padyatra' covering seven villages. 
  
  'Smart Village- Smart Ward' programme, aims at people's participation in every village for its comprehensive development. 
  
  The people from the villages have to formulate a plan for its development, particularly for education, health, drinking water, roads, telecommunication network, skill development and others by involving the corporates, business houses, NRI and others. Naidu launched the programme at Velivennu village in West Godavari district this morning. 
  
  The launch of the programme coincides with 19th death anniversary of Telugu Desam founder and former Chief Minister N T Rama Rao. 
  
• Tech assistance for Karnataka farmers
  To educate, engage and empower the farming community, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on 24th January distributed eKisaan tablets loaded with information on agriculture, education and health. The tablets, which have been procured with financial assistance from NRI professionals, are part of the government’s ‘Namma Raitha’ platform. This platform will act as a catalyst to share best practices among farmers and facilitate higher interaction. 
  
  Namma Raitha project also aimed at providing educational, e-governance, food processing, rainwater harvesting and basic healthcare information to farmers. 
  
  In the first phase, 1,500 farmers from Bagalkot and Vijayapura districts would be given the free tablets that have been developed by eKisaan Foundation. Twenty of them were handed over the gadgets symbolically 
  
  A dedicated call centre team has been set up to interact continuously with the farming community. The farmers, who will also get free internet from Airtel for the first three months, will also be trained on how to use them, the Minister said. 
  
• Web based education in Arunachal Pradesh
  Arunachal Pradesh on 22nd January became the first state in the country to launch a web-based educational programme for all schools in collaboration with Google. Christened as Chief Minister Global Education Programme, the education system would initially be launched in 50 to 100 schools of over 7,000 schools in the state and later extended to others in phased manner. The system is a solution built for teachers and students through Chromebooks to bring the power of the web into classroom. The system would provide free productivity tools to simplify and save time with classroom, Gmail, documents besides providing thousands of teacher-approved apps, books and videos through laptops and tablets. 
  
• International Institute of Music in Kerala 
  Kerala Culture Minister K C Joseph on 22 January 2015 announced setting up of the International Institute of Music in Kerala. It will be the first international institute in India that is dedicated to music. A Trust headed by Sarod Maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan has been entrusted with the responsibility to set up the Institute. The school will be under the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi but would have a separate body to govern it. 
  
• Skill development centres launched
  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on 19th January launched 17 skill development centres across the state from here electronically. The centres, being set up by the Skill Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh at various educational institutions, are aimed at imparting training and honing the skills of youth. 
  
  In a virtual interaction with students across the state, the Chief Minister also underlined the need for pursuing "student-driven courses instead of college-driven courses. 
  
• Merit is essential for admission: SC
  The Supreme Court has ruled that merit alone can be the basis of admission in Medical PG courses among candidates of a given category. The court also set aside section 5(4) of the Kerala Medical Officers' Admission to Postgraduate Courses under Service Quota Act, 2008 which provided that senior candidates, serving the state government, will be given admission in PG course ahead of junior counterparts despite scoring less in the common entrance examination. 
  
  The provision said, seniors will have to obtain the minimum eligibility bench-mark in that test in terms of the regulations framed by the Medical Council of India. 
  
  The Kerala high court had directed that selection of in-service medical officers for post-graduate medical education under the Act shall be made strictly on the basis of inter se seniority of the candidates who have taken the common entrance test for post-graduate medical education and have obtained the minimum eligibility bench mark in that test in terms of the Regulations framed by the MCI. Referring to MCI regulations, the apex court said it had in the past held that candidates, who are in government services, can be treated as a separate channel for admission to post-graduate course within that category but the admission can be granted only on the basis of merit. 
  
• EC’s suggestion accepted: Centre
  The Centre on 12th January told the Supreme Court that the EC's recommendation to extend voting rights to NRIs through postal ballots have been accepted in letter and spirit. 
  
  Taking note of the submissions, a bench comprising Chief Justice H L Dattu and A K Sikri asked the Centre to inform it about "further steps taken to implement the suggestions." The bench posted the matter after eight weeks, asking the Centre to do the needful at the earliest. 
  
  The Centre's stand was clarified by Additional Solicitor General P L Narasimha, who said certain amendments are required to be carried out and the ministry of law is working on them, taking into consideration the EC recommendations. 
  
  On 14th November last year, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to make its stand clear on the EC's proposal for allowing NRIs to cast their votes through proxy voting and e-ballots in polls in India. The apex court had then granted four weeks time to the government to respond to the proposal prepared by a 12-member committee led by Vinod Zutshi, Deputy Election Commissioner, for 'Exploring Feasibility of Alternative Options for Voting by Overseas Electors'. 
  
  In the report, the committee has said it is of the view that e-postal ballot, where blank postal ballot is transferred electronically to NRIs and returned by post, can be employed after validation of the process and pilot implementation in one or two constituencies. 
  
  The report further said the process can be scaled up for Parliamentary elections, if found feasible, practicable and meeting the objectives of free and fair polls. The committee comprising officials from the EC, Law Ministry and MEA had gathered opinion from all sections before submitting a report to the apex court. 
  
  The poll panel had contended that the move to allow NRIs to use proxy voting on the lines of defence personnel and e-ballot facility will require changes in the law and a legislative framework. According to the provisions of the Representation of People Act, a person who is a citizen of India and who has not acquired the citizenship of any other country and is otherwise eligible to be registered as a voter and who is absent from his place of ordinary residence in India owing to employment, education or otherwise, is eligible to be registered as a voter in the constituency in which his place of residence in India, as mentioned in his passport, is located. 
  
  The court had earlier asked the EC to place before it the report of the committee set up by it to "study various available options for the purpose of NRI voting". 
  
  The apex court was hearing a batch of PILs in which it has been contended that the existing provision which mandates NRI voter to be physically present in the constituency to exercise his vote was discriminatory and violative of fundamental rights. The PILs said 114 countries have adopted external voting and among them are 20 Asian countries. 
  
  It said the external voting could be held by setting up polling booths at the diplomatic mission, or by postal, proxy or electronic voting. 
  
• Country’s first CNG train flagged off
  In Haryana, India`s first CNG train has started running between Rewari and Rohtakon 13th January. Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu accompanied by Union minister of state for railway ManojSinha and Union Minister of state for defence and planning RaoInderjeet Singh flagged off the train at Rewari junction. Known as CNG DEMU and based on the dual fuel system - diesel and CNG - the train is capable of running at a speed of 100 km per hour. 
  
  On this occasion Union Minister Suresh Prabhu said that Introduction of CNG trains will reduce greenhouse gas emission by the Railways and also the consumption of diesel. The train will contribute in environment conservation. Besides Railway Minister also flagged off Rewari- Rohtak another passenger train between Rewari and Bikaner as announced in the Rail Budget 2014-15. 
  
• UN chief sought India’s lead in climate pact
  UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on 13thjanuary asked India to take a leadership role in reaching a meaningful climate change pact in Paris later this year.The UN climate conference to be held in Paris from 30th November to 11th December of this year, is tasked with finalising a global agreement designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions. 
  
  Ban, who visited India's highest green rated building 'Indira ParyavaranBhawan', also said that he was encouraged by the strong commitment of Indian government under the leadership of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi. Lauding India's initiative taken to promote solar power and setting up of smart cities. 
  
• Centre proposes to clean river by 2018
  Central government on 13th January told the Supreme Court that it proposes to clean Ganga by 2018. Replying to the apex court, whether the government will do the cleaning during this tenure or in the next term, Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar said that the government proposes to conclude it by 2018. 
  
  The Supreme Court sought fresh response of the government about the steps undertaken by it to implement the stage-wise projects for cleaning the Ganga. 
  
  A Bench headed by Justice T S Thakur said that Ganga cleansing programmes have been going on for over three decades with almost no impact on the ground. The apex court has given six weeks' time to the government to file a fresh report about the steps to implement the stage-wise projects for cleaning the river in the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. 
  
  The Bench which had earlier asked the Centre to come out with a stage-wise plan to clean the river, sought additional specific response on 70 sewage treatment plants which are at various stages, likely to come up in the five Ganga basin states. 
  
• New maritime gadget in coastal districts
  Home Minister Rajnath Singh handed over Resident Identity Card readers to Naval Chief Admiral R.K.Dhowan to strengthen coastal security. More than 65 lakh people issued Resident Identity Card, capable of demographic and biometric authentication. Government has provided resident identity Cards for coastal areas. 
  
  The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on 13th January formally handed over Resident Identity Card readers to Admiral R.K.Dhowan, Chief of Naval Staff and Vice Admiral Anurag G Thapliyal, Director General, Coast Guard in the presence of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. One of the measures to strengthen coastal security was the creation of National Population Registrar in 3,331 coastal villages in the 9 maritime states and 4 UTs and issue of Resident Identity Cards. 
  
• Agreement signed to revive Ramagundam Fertilizer Plan
  National fertilizers Limited NFL), Engineers India Limited (EIL) and Fertilizer Corporation of India (FCIL) have signed an agreement to form a joint venture company (JVC) for setting up new Ammonia and Urea plants at the existing site of Ramagundam Fertilizer plant in District Karimnagar in Telengana. The joint Venture agreement for the new company named Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited was signed on 13th January at NOIDA in the presence of Ananth Kumar, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, and Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas. 
  
  Union Minister Ananth Kumar said that in next four years, about Rs 40,000 crore will be invested in the country for revival of the old fertilizer plants, and setting up of new units. He said there is going to be a fertilizer revolution in the country that will make India self-reliant in fertilizer, particularly Urea production. 
  
  Minister of State (I/C) for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan said that with the setting up of new plants and revival of old plants, the supply gap in fertilizers will be reduced. He said that Agriculture is the prime stay of our country, and the interest of the farmers will be safeguarded. 
  
  Pradhan said that the new plant at Ramagundam will be a boon for the farmers of newly created state of Telengana. He said that the Government will set up a gas grid in the country. The Petroleum Minister also talked about the impressive response of the Governments scheme Pahal, the largest subsidiary distribution mechanism in the world. He appealed to the affluent and people belonging to well to do sections of society to give up subsidized LPG connection. 
  
  In order to augment the domestic urea capacity, revival of closed fertilizer units of Fertilizer Corporation of India Ltd. (FCIL) and Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation (HFC) has been on the top priority agenda of the Government of India. In this direction, Joint Venture Agreements have been signed on 24.12.2014 amongst GAIL, RCF, CIL & FCIL for the revival of Talcher unit of FCIL. Govt. of India has nominated FCILs unit located at Ramagundam to the consortium of three state run companies NFL, EIL and FCIL for revival. The Joint Venture (JV) signed today will be primarily responsible for setting up Gas based Ammonia-Urea plants. NFL and EIL will each have 26% equity in the JV. EIL would take up the project construction under EPC model. Pre-project activities have been started. NFLs expertise would be utilised for the operation and maintenance of the plant 
  
  The project comprises of 2200 MTPD Ammonia plant and 3850 MTPD Urea plant. FCIL shall hold a stake in the JV, being the provider of existing infrastructure of Ramagundam Project. Total investment in the project by the PSU promoters is estimated to be in the range of Rs. 5000 crore. 
  
  The revival of the Ramagundam unit will trigger a great economic boom in the new born State of Telangana in the southern part of the country, as it will generate opportunities in the form of direct and indirect employment for the people in the region. Execution of construction activities is expected to start in early 2016. 
  
• Govt sets road construction target of 30km a day in 2 years
  As much as Rs 5 lakh crore investments would be made in the road sector in the next five years, road transport minister Nitin Gadkari said on 15th January. 
  
  Gadkari said the government has set the target to build 30 km roads per day in two years from now. According to sources, the ministry has an ambitious target to award about 40,000 km of national highways during the next five years to push road construction. 
  
  On the introduction of the proposed Road Transport and Safety Bill, the minister said the present law is being overhauled to make road journey safe and make procedures simplified and transparent, whether it's for getting a driving license or road permits. 
  
• 21000 Letter of Intents in Vibrant Gujarat
  Vibrant Gujarat, a biennial event was held from 11th January to 13th January. This is the seventh event. The first one was held in 2003. The event main aim is attracting investments and creating employment opportunities. 
  
  The 7th Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit attracted Rs 25 lakh crore investments, and making 21,000 letter of intents. Addressing the valedictory ceremony at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel has said that Summit has 1,225 strategic partnership agreements.She said that a committee of State Industry department led by Chief Secretary will monitor the progress of MoUs on monthly basis. As a part of event, many important agreements were made, they are…….
  
  World Bank signs pact for Smart Cities: The Government of Gujarat, the Government of India and the World Bank have entered into a tripartite agreement in support of Gujarat’s ‘swachhta abhiyaan’ and smart city initiatives, Chief Minister Anandiben Patel announced at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit on 12th January. 
  
  Around 2,100 MoUs to the tune of Rs. 25 lakh crore and 1,225 strategic partnership agreements were signed at the Summit in the areas of skill development, defense, renewable energy and biodiversity. 
  
  Corporate heads Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries, Gautam Adani of the Adani Group and Kumar Mangalam Birla of the Aditya Birla Group have pledged investments worth Rs. 1 lakh crore and Rs. 20,000 crore and Rs. 20,000 crore respectively. 
  
  Adanis, Sun Edison sign pact: Adani Enterprises and US-based SunEdison will invest about Rs. 25,000 crore to set up a solar park in Gujarat that will create 20,000 new jobs. At the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, the Adani Group also signed another agreement with Australian energy major Woodside for sourcing of LNG as well as cooperation in oil and gas exploration and production. 
  
  Adani and SunEdison will establish a joint venture for building the largest vertically integrated solar photovoltaic manufacturing facility in the country, a statement issued by the Adani Group said. 
  
  The JV will build the solar facility with an investment of around $ 4 billion (around Rs 25,000 crore), Adani Group said. 
  
  This facility will vertically integrate all aspects of solar panel production on site, including Polysilicon refining, ingots, wafers, cells and panels production with a broader ecosystem involving extended supply chain for raw materials and consumables. The facility, to be set up Mundra in three years time, will “create ultra-low cost” solar panels. 
  
  As the facility is built, certain portions will be completed first to allow key production lines to come online before the entire facility is finished. 
  
  During the first half of 2015, SunEdison and Adani will complete a comprehensive analysis of the joint venture opportunity and business plan. Pending successful outcome of the study, construction of the facility will begin shortly thereafter. 
  
• Israel to open centers of excellence for farmers in India
  Israel will start centers of excellence for farmers in India to encourage research in agriculture sector and for the growth of animal husbandry. The Minister of Agriculture in Israel, Yair Shamir said on 11th January on the sidelines of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit-2015. He said, Israel was likely to open these centers in the states of Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. 
  
• Jaitley adopted 4 Gujarat villages as part of Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana
  Finance Minister Arun Jaitley adopted four villages in Vadodara district in Gujarat as part of the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. He adopted Karnali, Pipaliya, Valida and Baglipura villages of Vadodara district, as part of the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. 
  
  The Yojana was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech last year. The scheme encourages Members of Parliament from both Houses to identify and develop one village from their constituency as a model village. 
  
• Sankranti ‘gift’ scheme inaugurated
  Minister for Transport Sidda Raghava Rao on 11th January inaugurated Sankranti Kanukalu (gifts) scheme. He distributed gifts to a few beneficiaries. The TDP government unveiled the scheme in all 13 districts in the State on the occasion of Sankranti festival. The government had allotted Rs 300 crore to implement the programme, according to Raghava Rao. 
  
  Meanwhile, Raghava Rao’s statement that the scheme to distribute groceries free of cost would be implemented under the supervision of Janmabhoomi committee took everyone by surprise. 
  
• RIL, ONGC are best promoters of education
  Only two Indian companies – Reliance Industries and ONGC – managed to grab slots in a list featuring the world's top 100 companies in terms of CSR spending on education, a new study said on 16th January. Still, the Indian companies fare better than their counterparts in China and Japan in terms of the average CSR spending on education. 
  
  On the top-100 list, Reliance Industries is also ranked very low at 80th position, while ONGC is further down at 91st, according to the world's first comprehensive study into global corporate education CSR spend, published by the Varkey Foundation in partnership with UNESCO. 
  
  UK-based ArcelorMittal, owned by Laskhmi Mittal family of Indian origin, is ranked 75th, while the overall list is topped by Spain's Banco Santander. US-based IBM is ranked second, followed by Telefonica (Spain), ExxonMobil and Target (both from the US) in the top five. As per the report, RIL spends USD 5.4 million on education related CSR activity while, ONGC spends USD 4.4 million and ArcelorMittal spends USD 5.6 million. 
  
  The top ten spenders on education-related CSR in the Global Fortune 500 are: Banco Santander (USD 197 million), IBM (USD 144 million), Telefonica (USD 130 million), Exxon Mobil (USD 116 million), Target (USD 95 million).The figures are an average of the three years 2011-2013. "The promotion of education and employment-enhancing vocational skills were two key focus areas for Indian companies, especially at primary and secondary levels," the report said. 
  
  The vast majority of education related CSR spend went to primary education (39 per cent), followed by secondary education (29 per cent), vocational education (14 per cent), followed by spending on infrastructure (14 per cent). 
  
  Meanwhile, there are eight Indian companies in the Fortune Global 500 list of companies in terms of CSR spending on education, who spend USD 15 million a year, on education related CSR activities. 
  
  As a comparison, the 132 US companies in the Global Fortune 500 spend USD 1 billion on education related CSR, the eight Spanish companies spend USD 344 million, 26 UK companies spend USD 331 million, eight Australian firms spend USD 151 million, 62 Japanese firms spend USD 136 million, 31 French firms spend USD 63 million and 95 Chinese firms spend USD 52 million on education related CSR. 
  
  The report further said that the largest 100 companies in India based on net sales, plus information from the government on Maharatna and Navratna Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), showed an actual corporate spend of USD 57.9 million annually on education-related CSR. 
  
• Cabinet approved phase III auction of private FM radio on channels
  The Cabinet on 16th January gave its nod for phase-III auctions of private FM radio channels. It also cleared migration/renewal of licenses from Phase II to III for 135 channels in 69 cities. There are currently 243 private FM radio channels in operation across 86 cities, from the first two phases. 
  
  The migration or renewal will be done on payment of a fee determined through a TRAI-recommended formula, which bases the fee on market prices discovered through the phase III auction. Radio companies are now waiting for more details on the tender process for the auction, which is expected to help the Government earn over ?550 crore, and garner additional revenue from the migration process. 
  
• Foundation for IIM-Vizag
  Union HRD minister Smriti Irani on 17th January laid the foundation stone for IIM, the premier B-school at Gambheeram on the outskirts of the city. 
  
  The Union minister said IIM-Visakhapatnam (IIM-V) would be put on the fast track and would open its doors to the first batch from the coming academic year (2015-16). She went on to add that the fledgling institution was in excellent hands with the mentor being IIM-Bangalore. Irani said the IIM Bill would be introduced in Parliament very soon to set up six IIMs across India. 
  
  She further added that discussions and consultations on the new education policy would begin on January 26. 
  
  IIM-Bangalore director Sushil Vachani said IIM-B would mentor IIM-V in such a manner that it turns into a world-class education centre. He also said to fulfill the need for better quality higher education and skill development for all, they had already launched several online courses. 
  
• WB plan to boost Braj tourism circuit
  The famous 150-year-old Shri Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan (Mathura) is all set for a major facelift with a Rs.70-crore plan to provide better facilities and modern amenities to lakhs of devotees and tourists . The redevelopment plan in part of the Rs.440-crore World Bank project that envisages creation of the Braj tourism circuit covering major tourism destinations around Mathura, including towns and hamlets like Vrindavan, Goverdhan, Barsana, Nandgaon, Gokul and Baldev. 
  
  The World Bank has agreed to fund redevelopment and beautification of the temple in Vrindavan, which is regarded as the holiest temple for Lord Krishna devotees. The temple, built in 1864, needs urgent restoration and expansion to meet to growing demand of visitors. 
  
  While Rs.100 crore has been earmarked for development and rejuvenation of around 100 'kunds' (water bodies) that fall on the “ parikrama (circumambulation)” route besides upgrading civic and parking facilities in the circuit towns, Rs.10 crore would be spent on improving basic amenities for tourists. Another Rs.40 crore has been earmarked for developing a forest spread over 400 acres between Mathura and Vrindavan to improve the environment. 
  
  Similarly, a haat (small traditional market) like the one in Delhi which is a popular tourist destination is also being planned in Vrindavan. Over Rs. 40 crore would be spent on it to promote local art and artistes. Another Rs.6 crore would be spent on creating a new website and promotion of places of attraction in the Braj tourists’ circuit, while Rs.10 crore fund is for promotion of unique culture of the Braj region. 
  
• Election Commission to create national level electoral roll
  The Election Commission will create a national level electoral roll to provide a one-stop centre to voters for new registrations, modifications and deletions in the electoral roll. The Election Commission issued a directive to the Chief Electoral Office on Friday that National Level Electoral Roll is to be created, completed and stored as a National Data Centre and used for providing various services to the electors. 
  
  The services offered to voters will include providing facilities for searching name, knowing the concerned Block Level Officer, constituency name and number, and other voter information
  
  • Election Commission is a constitutional body under article 324
  • There is an Election Commission of India at National level and State Election Commissions at State level to administer the electoral process in India.
  • The Election Commission of India is an autonomous, constitutionally established federal authority responsible for administering all the electoral processes in the Republic of India.
  • The Election Commission has the power of superintendence, direction and control of all elections to the Parliament of India and the state legislatures and of elections to the office of the President of India and the Vice-President of India.
  • At present the Chief Election Commissioner is VS Sampath, the two other commissioners are- Harishankar Brahma and Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi
  
  
• Domestic lighting scheme launched
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5th January launched a National Programme for street lighting and LED home lighting so as to reduce energy consumption. Prime Minister Modi also launched online pre-registration to avail LED bulbs for households in the national capital. 
  
  Prime Minister said the programme should be taken forward by making it a mass movement. Stressing on the need for energy conservation the prime minister said saving electricity is more economical than producing it. 
  
  He also called for spreading awareness among people regarding this. The Prime Minister added that there will be no compromise with the quality. 
  
• Bhimrao Ambedkar University aiming to be first to go paperless
  Switching most of its work and database to the online format , Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU) is endeavoring to become the country’s first university to go paperless. 
  
  The university has initiated work towards the objective and is slated to achieve it in another two years. The new system has an added feature of sending the students’ details to the respective parents on a monthly basis. This also aims to revolutionize grievance- redressal, since there would be a portal where the aggrieved students would be given appointment with the concerned official or teacher through e-mail Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU) is a Central University in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. it founded on January 10th, 1995
  
• Panel recommended amending law to protect Hindu wife
  The Law Commission on 6th January recommended to the government that the law should be amended entitling a Hindu wife, whose husband is unable to provide for her, to receive maintenance from his family. 
  
  A seven-member committee led by the Law Commission of India Chairperson Justice A.P. Shah recommended a clause to be inserted in the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956 to financially protect a Hindu woman, whose husband suffers from physical or mental disability and has no means to maintain herself. 
  
  The same applies to wives of those who have disappeared or chosen “renunciation of the world by entering any religious order or other reasons.” The only exception is when the husband has already got his share in the family property on partition. The committee has handed over its report to Law Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda. 
  
  Ordinance for e-rickshaws: An ordinance to amend the Motor Vehicles Act got the President’s assent on 7th January, paving the way for plying of e-rickshaws on roads of national capital region. The Cabinet on December 24 had approved promulgation of the ordinance, as a Bill in this regard could not get through Parliament to pave the way for plying of e-rickshaws. 
  
  E-rickshaws, or battery—operated three-wheeler vehicles, had gone off roads after Delhi High Court banned their plying in July on safety concerns. 
  
  The government in October had notified the rules for plying of e-rickshaws and making driver’s licence mandatory for operating them and limiting the maximum speed to 25 kmph. The government had notified the Central Motor Vehicles (16th Amendment) Rules, 2014. 
  
  The new rules provide that e-rickshaws will be allowed to carry four passengers and 40 kg luggage while e-carts would transport goods up to 310 kg. 
  
• President promulgates citizenship ordinance, paves way for life-long visas for PIOs
  President of India Pranab Mukherjee promulgated another ordinance on 7th January. It paved the way for easier citizenship norms for People of Indian Origin (PIOs) as well as life-long visas. The ordinance, coming on the day the Pravasi Bharatiya Summit opened in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, provides for amendments to the Indian Citizen Act, 1955, and also seeks to merge the PIO scheme with the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) scheme, by which PIOs can also get life-long Indian visas. The ordinance also enables registration as OCI by a minor, whose parents are Indian citizens. 
  
  With regard to citizenship, the release said “at present, one year continuous stay in India is mandatory for Indian citizenship, which is relaxed stating that if the Central Government is satisfied that special circumstances exist, it may, after recording such circumstances in writing, relax the period of 12 months specified up to a maximum of thirty days which may be in different breaks.” 
  
  The Indian Citizenship Act, 1955 provides for acquisition, termination, deprivation, determination of Indian citizenship and other related aspects and provides for acquisition of Indian citizenship by birth, descent, registration, naturalisation and incorporation of territory under certain circumstances, and also for the termination and deprivation of citizenship. 
  
• India, hub of opportunities: Modi at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India has become the hub of opportunities. He has given his inaugural address at the ongoing Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Gujarat, on 8th December
  
  Reminding the diaspora that he had delivered on his promises made to them before coming to power, Mr. Modi said the government worked to merge Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) schemes, making way for a one-time visa. Overseas Indians would also be exempt from weekly police reporting. Mr. Modi said these measures were not merely a matter of ease of administration, but of self-respect as well. But they did not come with any expectations. 
  
  Engaging in diplomacy on the sidelines of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had substantive meetings with Donald Ramotar, President of Guyana; Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, South Africa; and Showkutally Soodhun, Vice Prime Minister Mauritius. 
  
  External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is set to visit South Africa in the first quarter of this year to pursue opportunities for economic ties particularly in infrastructure and mining. 
  
  India and South Africa on 8th December discussed the need for UN Security Council reforms especially when 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the international body, Syed Akbaruddin, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs told 
  
  In his discussion with Mr. Ramotar, Mr. Modi assured a line of credit worth $ 60 million to Guyana for two road and ocean ferry projects in the Caribbean country. The Centre also decided to include Guyana in the list of countries whose citizens will get a visa-on-arrival facility. The facility of Electronic Travel Authorization (e-Visa) has also been introduced to save time. 
  
  A deeper engagement with Mauritius is also on the cards with the country inviting Mr. Modi to pay a visit on March 12. 
  
  Mr. Modi took a tour of ‘Dandi Kutir’ – a conical three-storey museum dedicated to Gandhiji – constructed in Gandhinagar. Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel said it was the biggest exhibition in Asia. At the occasion, two stamps of Rs. 25 and Rs. 5 and two coins of Rs. 100 and Rs. 10 denominations were released in the memory of Gandhiji. 
  
  Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: The inaugural session of the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas kicked off at Mahatma Mandir in Gujarat's Gandhinagar with an appeal to the youth among the Indian diaspora by External Affairs and Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. 
  
  She reached out to them asking them to connect with India, celebrate their bond with India, contribute to India's development and be part of India's transformation cutting across sectors. 
  
  Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Sarbananda Sonowal called upon the young global Indians to preserve Indian values and spread India's rich traditions in the world. 
  
  This year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas marks the centenary year of his return to India from South Africa which proved to be a turning point in Indian political history since it changed the lives of Indians forever. That's the reason behind Gujarat being chosen as the partner state for the event. 
  
  Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2015 to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister on 8th January will be graced by the President of Guyana Donald Ramotar as the chief guest and by the Foreign Minister of South Africa, Maite Nikoana-Mashabane as the guest of honour. The event is celebrated every year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India. 
  
  About Pravasa Bharatiya Divas
  • Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, is celebrated in India on 9 January each year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of India.
  • The day commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa in Bombay on 9 January 1915. Established in 2003, it is sponsored by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs of the government of India and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region of India.
  • A celebratory event is held on 7–9 January each year in an Indian city: a forum for issues concerning the Indian Diaspora is organized and the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards are given.
  
  2015 awards
  Nadella among 15 NRIs to be awarded 'Pravasi Bhartiya Samman'
  Microsoft CEO Satyanarayan Nadella and Guyana President Donald Rabindernauth Ramaotar are among 15 prominent NRIs who will receive 'Pravasi Bhartiya Samman'award for their contribution in various fields on the concluding day of Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas convention on 9th December. 
  
  The awards presented by Vice-President Hamid Ansari at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. Among others who awarded were Mala Mehta, Rajaram Sanjaya, Kanwaljit Singh Bakhshi, Rajmal Parakh, Duraikannu Karunakaran, Essop Goolam Pahad, Shah Bharatkumar Jayantilal, Ashraf Palarkunnummal, Mahendra Nanji Mehta, Professor Nathu Ram Puri, Dr Lulla Kamlesh and Dr Nandini Tandon. An External Affairs Ministry release said that Mala Mehta is getting the award for her contribution to Hindi language. She established an 'Indo-Australian Bal Bharatiya Vidyalaya' in Thornleigh suburb in Sydney and sincethen she has been pursuing the growth of Hindi in Australia. Donald Rabindernauth Ramaotar has been awarded for his work for the Indian diaspora in Guyana. Rajaram Sanjaya, an India-born Mexico scientist, is winner of the '2014 World Food Prize' for developing 480 wheat varieties that have been released in 51 countries. Kanwaljit Singh Bakhshi is an MP from New Zealand and is also known for work he had done for the Indian diaspora. 
  
• Cabinet papers open to public, rules CIC
  The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Law Ministry to disclose the Cabinet note about the decision to establish a National Judicial Appointments Commission, saying that such documents are not secret and should thus be made public. 
  
  Hearing a plea by one SN Shukla, who had sought a copy of the NJAC Bill as cleared by the Cabinet along with the Cabinet note of last year, Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said that after the central group of ministers has taken a decision, the notings cannot be withheld on the pretext that the Bill had not become an Act. 
  
  Meantime, President Pranab Mukherjee on December 31, 2014, has given his assent to two Bills -- the NJAC Bill, 2014, and the Constitution (121st Amendment) Bill, 2014. The Law Ministry has submitted to CIC that the noting was not shared as, at the time of filing of the RTI plea, the Bill had not attained finality while, in the meantime, the government had changed. So, there was no substance in providing the same, the ministry said. 
  
• 19th National Youth Festival in Guwahati
  19th National Youth Festival was began in Assam’s capital city Guwahati on 8th December. The five day long grand event witnessed the participation of 2133 delegates from thirty-five States and Union territories of India, 443 participants of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), 500 National Service Scheme (NSS) participants, 173 Yuva Vikash Kendra (YVK) participants besides six foreign delegates totaling 3249 participants
  
  Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Minister of State (IC) Youth Affairs and Sports, Sarbananda Sonowal had inaugurated the festival. 
  
  The theme for this year being, “Youth for Clean, Green & Progressive India”. 
  
• Govt to launch Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan to attract students towards Science, Maths
  Government will launch Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan to create interest among the students in Science and Mathematics. Citing a recent survey, Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani said that inclination towards studying Maths and Science has decreased to 30 percent. 
  
  Inaugurating the National Science Drama Festival 2014-15 in New Delhi on 8th December, she said the Abhiyan which will be launched from the next academic session envisages to motivate and engage children in 6-18 age group in Science, Mathematics and Technology through observation and experiment. 
  
  The Abhiyan seeks to create curiosity, excitement and spirit of innovation and exploration amongst school children, by encouraging higher education institutions to assist secondary and elementary schools in the study of Science and Mathematics. 
  
• Rules for new sand policy set by Telangana Govt
  Telangana government on 8th December issued rules for sand policy that was unveiled on December 12 last year. The feasible areas will be allotted to the Telangana State Mineral Development Corporation Limited (TSMDC) for excavation, regulation and supply of sand henceforth. 
  
  The TSMDC will engage raising contractors from the specified sand bearing areas identified under a strict competitive bidding process. The sand so excavated will be moved to stockyards managed by the TSMDC. The stockyards could be near the sand reach. 
  
  Sale of sand to all consumers, small, medium or large, will be from these stockyards, which will be controlled by electronic surveillance (CCTVs) and electronic documentation linked to a central documentation monitoring facility. The purchaser of the sand shall pay the sale price to TSMDC and obtain transit pass or way-bill. The way-bill should have the security seal of the TSMDC and will be stamped with date and time. The vehicles will be tracked by way of GPS. Any sand lorry found without TSMDC way-bill will be illegal and the vehicle will be seized. 
  
• AP Postal department to transport medicines to govt hospitals
  The Andhra Pradesh State government had launched the supply of medicines to various government hospitals through the Postal Department. The State Health, Medical and Family Welfare principal secretary, L V Subrahmanyam, formally launched the scheme in Guntur on 8th January. The Postal Department would transport the medicines required for various government hospitals from the Andhra Pradesh Pharmacy Council’s store in Guntur. In the first phase, the department would supply medicines from the store to Guntur, Krishna, Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Chittoor districts. 
  
• Governor’s rule in Jammu & Kashmir
  Governor's rule was imposed in Jammu and Kashmir on 9th January with the PDP, which emerged as the single-largest party, and BJP failing to cobble up the required number to form the government, triggering a blame game among political parties. 
  
  The decision came a day after Governor NN Vohra submitted his report to President Pranab Mukherjee, stating that Omar Abdullah had requested to be relieved of the post of being a caretaker Chief Minister. 
  
  The Governor's report contained some suggestions including the option of a spell of Governor's rule in the wake of no party getting the number required to form a government after the highly-fractured verdict in the Assembly elections
  
  After the election results were out on December 23, neither the PDP which emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats nor the BJP with 25 could get the magic figure of 44 to stake claim to form a government. NC has 15 MLAs while the Congress 12. 
  
  President is understood to have given his concurrence for Governor's rule which has been imposed in the state for the sixth time since 1977. Omar had said the state needed a full-time administrator to deal with the situation along the border with Pakistan and providing relief to flood-affected people in the Kashmir Valley. 
  
• UN body to sign MoU with Gujarat on sustainable energy
  Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL), an initiative of the United Nations, will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat Government on January 12 at the ongoing Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. 
  
  It aims to establish a framework for collaboration between SE4ALL and the State Government on activities supporting the body’s objective to make sustainable energy accessible to all, said Mohinder Gulati, Chief Operating Officer of the Vienna-based SE4ALL, on 9th January. SE4ALL is a partner in the biennial Vibrant Gujarat event this year. 
  
  In order to provide them access to sustainable energy sources by 2030, the world will have to double annual investments on energy from the current $350-370 billion. This includes increasing annual investments from the existing $9 billion to $45 billion for new electricity consumers, particularly in Africa. 
  
  SE4ALL is a multi-stakeholder partnership between governments, the private sector and civil society with three interlinked objectives to be achieved by 2030: ensure universal access to modern energy services, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency and double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. The UN General Assembly had unanimously declared 2014-24 as the Decade of Sustainable Energy for All. 
  
• 1,000 MW solar park to come up in Mahabubnagar
  Telangana government drew up action plan for the promotion of renewable energy, particularly solar and wind power generation in a big way in the next four years. TSSPDCL (Southern Power Distribution Company Limited) Chairman and Managing Director G Raghuma Reddy said a solar park with an installed capacity of 1,000 MW at Gattu mandal in Mahabubnagar district was coming up. Government had already taken up land acquisition for the project which will give a big boost to the State in inviting huge investments in solar power sector. 
  
  Stating that the renewable energy sources would help to overcome the State power crisis, he said a 100 MW wind power project would be established at Parigi in Ranga Reddy district under Public Private Partnership (PPP). It is expected Rs 6,000 crore investments in the solar and wind power projects. 
  
  Besides establishing mega projects, the official said people were encouraged to set up roof top solar power generation units by offering incentives. The excess power generated from the small units would be purchased at the cost of Rs 3.38 per unit by the Discoms. 
  
• Delhi will be fist smart city
  Delhi will be developed into a “global city” and the country’s first smart city will be set up here to decongest the national capital and facilitate it with all modern amenities, Union urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said
  
  The Narendra Modi-led NDA government has planned to set up 100 smart cities and Naidu said that the first such city will come up in the national capital. 
  
• KCR bats for Warangal
  Telangana Government has decided to shift all new universities, institutions and information technology companies to Warangal as Hyderabad was clogged for place. The objective was to create infrastructure for a population of 20 lakh in Warangal, according to Chief Minister KCR. , he asked officials of Warangal to conduct of Kakatiya festival and the construction of a textile park near Kazipet. 
  
  He also decided that widening of roads up to 150 ft should be taken up from Rampur to Hanamkonda crossroads and on the highway up to Dharmaram via Pochamma maidan. A similar widening must take place on Hunter Road and National Institute of Technology – Kakatiya University campus 
  
  The highway to Karimnagar should be extended up to Kadipikonda, Hunter Road and road over bridge that could be reached from Kazipet railway station. 
  
  He asked the descendents of Kakatiyas, mainly Kamalchandra Bhanj Dev who is residing in Bastar of Chhattisgarh, should be officially invited for the festival. 
  
• Mittal panel submits report
  The D K Mittal Committee, formed to suggest ways and means to raise the revenue of Indian Railways, on 30th December submitted its report to Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. The report is crucial for railways as its recommendations is expected to help the ailing national transporter to take certain concrete measures which would be presented to Parliament in the Rail Budget for 2015-16 in February. 
  
  Railway Ministry had set up the nine-member committee on December 4 under the chairmanship of former Secretary (financial services) D K Mittal to examine the existing revenue structure and recommend ways to raise fund for the ailing public sector behemoth. 
  
  The Committee, in its report, is learnt to have given a detailed study on the efficacy and sufficiency of the existing revenue structure, and avenues for raising income besides identifying its leakages. On the expenditure front, the Committee has suggested certain measures for reduction in spending. 
  
  The other members of the committee include, Chairmen and Managing Directors of railway PSUs -- RITES, Ircon and Concor and Railway Land Development Authority. The other two members on the panel were from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Mckinsey India. 
  
• Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Authority comes into being
  The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014 has come into effect from 30th December which paves way for creation of a new development authority. 
  
  The Government has notified that the capital authority would have an area spread over 7068 sq.km as the capital region and the main capital broadly within 122 sq.km under its fold for governance. 
  
  Apart from notifying various mandals and villages that form part of the capital region, it has identified 25 revenue villages located in Guntur district on the west of old national highway from Prakasham barrage to Mangalagiri to form part of the capital. 
  
  The State Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu would be the chairman of the authority with the minister for municipal administration and urban development as its vice chairman. Other members include State Finance Minister, secretaries of some of the departments among others. 
  
• Nod for National Judicial Appointment Bill 
  A national body to appoint judges - which will replace the current collegium system - came into force on 31st December with the approval from President Pranab Mukherjee. The new system is expected to open up the process of selection of judges for the high courts and the Supreme Court by making politicians and citizens a part of the process. 
  
  The collegium system, under which a forum of judges used to conduct the selection following a Supreme Court ruling of 1993, has been criticized for its opacity. Earlier the executive used to appoint judges in consultation with the judiciary. 
  
  The judges contended that selection of judges by a national body might interfere with judicial independence. 
  
  The National Judicial Appointments Commission will recommend the appointment, transfer of judges and ensure their ability and merit. 
  
  The six-member panel will comprise two senior judges, the law minister and two eminent citizens. It will be chaired by the Chief Justice of India. 
  
  The two citizens will be nominated by a collegium of the CJI, the Prime Minister and the leader of the single largest opposition party. 
  
  One of the nominated members will have to belong to the Scheduled Castes, Schedules Tribes, backward castes, minorities, or women. They will be selected for a term of three years and cannot be re-nominated. The Judicial Appointments Commission bill was passed by both Houses of Parliament in August, 2014. Since it proposed a change in the Constitution, it had to be ratified by at least half of the state legislatures as well. 
  
  Sixteen states have ratified a constitutional amendment bill which seeks to scrap the collegium system of judges appointing judges
  
  Any Constitutional amendment bill requires ratification by at least 50 percent of the state legislatures. 
  
  Parliament had in August cleared the bill that will facilitate setting up of a commission for appointment of judges, replacing the 20-year-old collegium system, which has been under severe criticism. 
  
  The bill will make way for the setting up of National Judicial Appointments Commission, which will appoint and transfer judges to the Supreme Court and the 24 High Courts. The bill will grant Constitutional status to the NJAC and its composition. Chief Justice of India will head the NJAC. 
  
• Recommendation for central anti-terror mechanism
  Investigating agencies have recommended the setting up of a central anti-terror mechanism placing intelligence and investigation wings under a single command for more coordinated action against emerging internal security challenges. 
  
  The Union Home Ministry has received a proposal that such a unified body, encompassing the intelligence gathering, analysis and dissemination wing; forensic divisions; and investigation and prosecution wings, be created through an executive order. The Central Bureau of Investigation was also set up in the same manner under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act. 
  
  It has been suggested that the Multi Agency Centre and the operations wings of the Intelligence Bureau, other than those dealing with political intelligence, be brought under the new setup. 
  
  Even the National Investigation Agency, which has statutory powers under the NIA Act to probe terrorism cases either with the consent of the State governments or on the direction of the Union Home Ministry, can be brought in as the investigation and prosecution wing. 
  
  It was after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack that the then Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, suggested setting up of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), on the lines of the one in the United States and the British Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, for coordinated counter-terror operations. However, concerned that such an agency could well be abused by the Centre for political ends, many Chief Ministers struck down the idea primarily because the unit was to function under the Intelligence Bureau and, unlike the U.S. agency, it would be empowered to conduct searches and arrests under Sections 43 and 43A of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. 
  
  In 2012, the Centre came up with an office memorandum defining the functions, powers and duties of the NCTC as a single and effective point of control and coordination of all counter-terrorism measures, which would work through the existing agencies in the country. 
  
• Telangana launched Comprehensive Financial Management System
  Telangana finance minister Eatala Rajender on 31st December launched the comprehensive financial management system in finance department for electronic sharing of information with its internal and external stakeholders. The human resource management system module of CFMS will be extended to entire Secretariat by February, all heads of departments by March and remaining offices between April and June=.
  
• 50 MW allotted to AP from Kudankulam reactor
  The unallocated 50 MW power out of the 1,000 MW being generated by the first reactor of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) has been allotted to Andhra Pradesh. In a statement, KKNPP site Director R.S. Sundar said the 1,000 MW power, being transmitted from KKNPP’s first reactor to the Southern Grid near Abhishekapatti in Tirunelveli, would be shared among Tamil Nadu (562.50 MW), Puducherry (33.50 MW), Kerala (133 MW) and Karnataka (221 MW) and the remaining unallocated power of 50 MW would be given to Andhra Pradesh, as per the latest notification from Central Electricity Authority. 
  
  The reactor would generate 2.40 crore unit per day as it was being operated at maximum capacity of 1,000 MW. Asked whether the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board granted permission for conducting ‘hot run’ in the second reactor of KKNPP, Mr. Sundar said he was waiting for crossing the milestone as the second unit was being expected to attain criticality before May next year. After completion of the hot run, the reactor would be disassembled and the control rod drives removed. 
  
• NITI Aayog to replace Plan panel
  The 65-year-old Planning Commission was 1st January replaced by a new body, NITI Aayog or National Institution for Transforming India, which will serve as a policy think-tank for the central as well as state governments and have Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its Chairperson. 
  
  The NITI Aayog will have a governing council comprising……..
  • All state Chief Ministers
  • Lieutenant Governors
  • The body will have a CEO and a Vice Chairperson, to be appointed by the Prime Minister
  • In addition to some full-time members and
  • Two part-time members
  • Four union ministers would serve as ex-officio members.
  
  Besides, there would be specific regional councils, while experts and specialists from various fields would be there as “special invitees nominated by the Prime Minister”. 
  
  NITI Aayog will serve as a ‘Think Tank’ of the Government as “a directional and policy dynamo” and would provide the governments at the Centre and in states with strategic and technical advice on key policy matters including economic issues of national and international importance
  
  While the two part-time members would be from leading universities and research organisations, the number of full time members has not been specified as yet. 
  
  As per the Resolution, the NITI Aayog will provide a ‘national agenda’ for the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers to foster cooperative federalism while recognising that “strong states make a strong nation”. 
  
  It will also interact with other national and international Think Tanks, as also with educational and policy research institutions. 
  
• NITI Aayog first vice chairman- Arvind Panagariya 
  The newly set up NITI Aayog is likely to go full throttle as early as next week and noted economist, Arvind Panagariya is tipped to be its first Vice-Chairman. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that Planning Commission will be succeeded by a more relevant policy-making and advisory body in his Independence Day speech. 
  
  The resolution says the NITI Aayog:
  • It will design strategic, long term policy & programme frameworks and initiatives and monitor their progress as well as efficacy
  • It will provide the Centre and state govts with relevant strategic and technical advice on all key policy matters and even give specific issue-based support
  • It will evolve a shared vision of development priorities with the active involvement of States in light of national objectives
  • It will foster cooperative federalism through structured support initiatives and mechanisms with states, recognizing that strong States make a strong nation
  • It will provide a platform for resolution of inter-sectoral & inter-departmental issues to accelerate the developmental agenda
  
  Three layer structure
  The NITI Aayog, will have three layered structure. It will be headed by Prime Minister of India. The three layers will be formed for a specified tenure. 
  
  The Regional Councils will be chaired by the Chairperson of the NITI Aayog, the Prime Minister, or his nominee. Both General and Regional councils will have experts, specialists and practitioners with relevant domain knowledge as special invitees nominated by the Prime Minister. 
  
  The new body will adopt a ‘Bottom Up’ approach, where decisions will be taken at the local level and then endorsed at the Central level. This is also reflected in one of the approach which says, “To develop mechanisms to formulate credible plans at the village level and aggregate these progressively at higher levels of Government.” 
  
  The Cabinet in its meeting on August 13 approved the repeal of the Cabinet Resolution dated March 15, 1950 through which the Planning Commission was set up. The Cabinet also authorised the Prime Minister to finalise the contours of the New Institution to replace the Planning Commission. 
  
• Home Minister launches integrated women safety app ‘Himmat’
  Himmat', a mobile application of Delhi Police that will allow women to send a distress call to Police Control Room and their relatives in case of any emergency, was launched in New Delhi on 1st January by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The app will basically cater to employed women who have smart phones and travel alone even late in the night. 
  
  Singh also distributed pepper spray to women and awarded girls who had successfully completed Delhi Police self-defence programme. He lauded Delhi Police's efforts to use technology for better policing. 
  
  To get this service one has to downloading the app, a new user has to register with the Delhi Police website by sharing their name, mobile number and that of a minimum of two relatives/friends. 
  
• Godavari-Krishna river link to be taken up with Rs.1, 300 crore
  Andhra Pradesh Government has approved diversion of 80 tmc of water from Godavari river to Krishna river as a part of the mega Polavaram multipurpose project entailing an investment of Rs. 1,300 crore. 
  
  The Department of Command Area development, Government of Andhra Pradesh, in an order issued on 1st January outlined the contours of the project which seeks to divert water through Polavaram project right main canal for domestic and industrial use. 
  
  A high-powered committee headed by the Chief Secretary has been made the competent authority to take all steps necessary for the timely completion of the work which includes coordination with district administration and forest department, land acquisition, relief and rehabilitation and forest clearances which would allow unhindered execution of the work. 
  
  This is part of the Godavari-Krishna link taken to tap flood waters of Godavari river to Krishna on a high priority so that it becomes operational as early as possible. It is estimated that more than 2000 tmc of flood water goes into the sea without being utilised. 
  
• Tender process in Railways decentralised
  In a major initiative to bring transparency and speed up decisions on tenders, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has dissociated himself from the process and empowered zonal railways and heads of production units to finalise them. 
  
  Currently, railways is plagued by long delays in tendering-related decisions. According to the new directions, considered the first step towards internal reforms in railways fiscal administration, all cases for acceptance of works and stores tenders, which as per extant delegations are referred to Railway Board, will now be dealt with and finalised by Zonal Railways and Production Units. 
  
  Full powers have been delegated to General Managers and Director Generals of production units as tender authority in this regard, said an official statement. 
  
  The step is expected to put General Managers and heads of PSUs in the driver's seat with regard to tendering process. 
  
  According to the new guidelines……
  • In respect of stores and works tenders which are to be invited solely by Railway Board, it has been decided that for tenders up to Rs 500 crore
  • Tender Committee will consist of concerned Executive Directors and will be accepted at the level of concerned Additional Members who will be the Tender Accepting Authority.
  • For tenders valuing more than Rs 500 crore, Tender Committee will be at Additional Member level and Tender Accepting Authority will be the concerned Board Member.
  • For tenders being accepted at the level of Executive Directors and below, the existing practice will continue.
  
  
• Bezbaruah panel report accepted
  The government has accepted the recommendations of a committee that has suggested immediate measures to ensure the safety of people from India's northeast in Delhi and other major cities. The committee was headed by Bezbaruah. Home Minister Rajnath Singh told that the recommendations were accepted with immediate measures
  
  The committee headed by M.P. Bezbaruah, a member of the North Eastern Council, was set up in February 2014 after a 19-year-old student from Arunachal Pradesh, Nido Tania, died after he was attacked. The panel was formed to look into the concerns of the people of the northeast living in other parts of the country and suggest suitable remedial measures. 
  
• Akodara village dedicated to nation
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3rd January dedicated a digital village named Akodara to the nation. The digital village has been developed by ICICI bank and was launched at an event to commemorate 60 years of ICICI Group. Saying that banking sector can become the agent for social transformation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked banks to extend their facilities to the unbanked and poor so that these people do not stray towards investing in gold. 
  
  Prime Minister also advised banks to go for cashless transactions. He said that in this way banks can help the government in rooting out the menace of black money. 
  
  Villagers from Akodara in Sabarkantha district of north Gujarat will now be able to use technology in various aspects of their life including banking, education, payments, health care and more. The village have a wi-fi connectivity and financial transactions have been made cashless through ATM cards. In school, textbooks will be replaced by tabs and teachers will use digital smart boards and projectors instead of traditional black-boards. 
  
  The village will also have e-health facility that will enable patients to avail the facility of tele medicine among others.