NATIONAL APRIL 2015
- CMs' Panel for less of central schemes
The panel of chief ministers on rationalizing of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) has decided to lower their number from the existing 72. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivaraj Singh is the convener of this panel, which met on 27th April. This is one of three sub-groups of CMs formed after the first meeting of the governing council of NITI Aayog, the body which succeeded the Planning Commission. The two other sub-groups are on skill development and on the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.
The present meeting there was also a demand from many states that the amount of block grants, a form of untied funds, and central assistance to state plans be enhanced. Another issue was on the pattern of fund sharing in CSS between Center and states -- 90:10, 50:50, 25:75, etc.
The Center had recently agreed to raise states' share of tax proceeds to 42 per cent from the earlier 32 per cent. At its first meeting last month, the panel had set up a group under Sindhishree Khullar, chief executive officer of NITI Aayog, with nodal officers from all the states, to prepare a discussion paper. On Monday, the panel discussed the issues raised in this paper.
The panel also supported the idea that there be incentives for performing states and that their innovative ideas should be promoted. The sub-group on CSS has CMs of 11 states. Among these are CMs of Rajasthan, Nagaland, Manipur, Jharkhand, Kerala, Jammu & Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh. At the meet, Manipur's O Ibobi Singh said termination of 'special category' states would be a big blow to the interest of those states, long suffering from backwardness. The northeast states are included in this. - CJI refuses to be part of panel to select NJAC
Chief Justice of India H L Dattu has refused to participate in a three-member panel for selecting two eminent persons in the six-member National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC). The five-judge constitution bench is headed by Justice J S Khehar, which is hearing the issue of constitutional validity of the new law on appointment of judges to higher judiciary.
The bench was told by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that Dattu has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he would not participate in the meeting of the panel till the matter is decided by the apex court.
The three-member panel comprises Chief Justice of India, Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition, who are authorized to select and appoint two eminent persons in the six-member NJAC for appointment of judges to higher judiciary.
When it was brought to the notice of the bench, it heard the views of various senior advocates on how to proceed with the matter taking into account that in the immediate future there would be the eventuality of appointment of existing additional judges of the high courts whose tenures are coming to an end. The bench has decided to continue with the hearing on the merits of the case and if needed it will pass an interim order. - Indian lab claims Ebola vaccine breakthrough
Ella Foundation, founded by the promoters of Bharat Biotech, has claimed to have achieved a breakthrough in the development of a vaccine for the dreaded Ebola. The foundation used adenovirus (which causes common respiratory problems in humans) because use of the samples from Ebola virus itself could lead to problems.
The vaccine candidate at the foundation laboratory is a human adenovirus engineered to contain an optimized synthetic gene based on viruses from the 2014 Ebola outbreak. Its platform uses controlled production of the glycoprotein
The Foundation’s lead scientist Nagendra Hegde, who led the experiment, said that the ribbon-like structure of the virus sports a coat dotted with spike-like proteins called glycoprotein.
However, the Foundation, which won the Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE) grant for fostering innovation in global health research, feels that it is beyond its means to further the research. “The Government must step in to use the results to take it to the further level, that is, human clinical trials. - Changes in anti-corruption law approved
The Union Cabinet on 29th April gave its nod to amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act to fill in perceived gaps in the domestic anti-corruption law. The proposed amendments are mainly aimed at laying down more stringent measures to tackle corruption. The bill provides for more stringent punishment for the offenses of bribery, both for the bribe giver and the bribe taker.
It is also proposed to extend the protection of prior sanction for prosecution to public servants who cease to hold office due to retirement and resignation. Further, prior sanction for inquiry and investigation shall be required from the Lokpal or Lokayukta for investigation of offenses related to recommendations made or decision taken by a public servant in discharge of official functions or duties.
The amendments will help in meeting the country's obligations under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption more effectively.
The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in August 2013. The Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee submitted its report on the Bill to the Rajya Sabha February last year but the Bill could not be passed. - abinet approves Smart Cities Mission
The Union Cabinet has approved Smart Cities Mission in 100 Cities and also cleared the old housing projects initiated by the previous government. The decision in this regard was taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi this morning. The Smart City project was announced in July 2014 in the current government's first Union Budget last year.
The Cabinet also gave its seal of approval to continuation of the minimum pension of Rs. 1000 per month in perpetuity to pensioners under Employees' Pension Scheme, EPS, 1995 beyond the financial year 2014-15. Currently, it is effective only up to March this year. It approved corresponding grant of continuous annual budgetary support for implementing the minimum pension which will be to the tune of Rs. 850 crore per year on a tapering basis. Providing a minimum pension of one thousand rupees is an effort to provide meaningful subsistence to pensioners who have served in the organized sector. The present proposal is likely to benefit approximately 20 lakh pensioners under EPS, 1995.
The Cabinet also gave its approval for amending the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2014. The Amendments will do away with the requirement of filing a declaration by a Company before commencement of business or exercising its borrowing powers. The amendments also seek to rationalise the procedure for laying draft notifications for exemptions to various classes of companies or modifying provisions of the Act to ensure speedier issue of final notifications. These amendments will address issues related to ease of doing business and put in place a speedy process for approval of draft notifications.
The Cabinet also approved introduction of the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2015 during the current Session of Parliament. The proposed legislation is aimed at providing an appropriate institutional mechanism, both at the Center and in each State and Union Territory, for expeditious utilization of amounts realized in lieu of forest land diverted for non-forest purpose.
The Union Cabinet also gave its approval for the conversion of two additional battalions of the Sashastra Seema Bal for the National Disaster Response Force and for strengthening existing NDRF battalions. The objective of the conversion of these two additional battalions of SSB into NDRF battalions is to provide response to the area of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh during any natural and manmade disaster and to enhance the capability of the existing NDRF battalions. The placement of two NDRF Battalions at Varanasi and Arunachal Pradesh will fill up the vast gap of deployment of the NDRF.
The Cabinet also cleared introduction of the Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Bill, 2015. It also approved accession to the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 of International Maritime Organization. Ships fill their ballast tanks with water to stabilize vessels at sea for maintaining safe operating conditions throughout a voyage. Ballast water reduces stress on the hull, provides transverse stability, improves propulsion and maneuverability and compensates for weight. However, ballast water poses serious ecological, economic and health problems due to the multitude of marine species being carried in the process, including Harmful Aquatic Organisms and Pathogens. - Logo for International Day of Yoga launched
India on 29th April launched the logo for International Day of Yoga in New Delhi. The logo is selected by the Committee of Yoga experts constituted by Ministry of AYUSH and has been approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. International Yoga day: June 21st. - Golden temple not to be considered for world heritage list: UNESCO
Suspense over Golden Temple being considered for inclusion in the Unesco's world heritage site list is over after the organization made it clear that there was no consideration or any application for considering to add the Sikhs' holiest shrine in the list.
According to British Sikh Council, UK general secretary Tarsem Singh Deol the site is included on the tentative list since 2004, but that did not currently receive any nomination for its inscription on the world heritage list.
According to Deol that UNESCO had received a number of letters and messages concerning the potential nomination of the Golden Temple for inclusion in the world heritage list. In the recent past. - Shilling by pass dedicated to nation
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari dedicated Shillong Bypass to the nation connecting National Highway 40 with NH 44. According to Gadkari, the Union Government has earmarked Rs. 15,000 crore for development of road projects in North Eastern states.
Government is also going to establish National Highway Infrastructure and Road Development Corporation for the development of transport infrastructure in north- east region. The Shillong Bypass connects the National Highway-40 to NH-44. - India to get indigenous earthquake monitoring system
India is all set to get its own indigenous real time earthquake monitoring system. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is in the process of setting up an extensive network of integrated seismo-geodetic equipment across ten strategic locations including Agartala, Itanagar, Katra in Jammu, Jabalpur and Nagpur in the country.
The observatories will comprehensively monitor all earthquake activities in the sub-continent and will be able to study earthquake data in real time. GSI is establishing this system for the first time in India; its services may come to functioning by the end of July.
The data collected by the field observatories will be interlinked through VSAT and collated at Geological Survey of India's Data Receiving and Processing Unit in Kolkata and uploaded on the GSI portal. Anyone can get instant information about any tremor felt across the Indian subcontinent in real time from there. - Draft of National Tourism released
The Union Ministry of Tourism on 1 May 2015 released the Draft National Tourism Policy 2015 after re-visiting National Tourism Policy 2002. The policy is aimed at boosting tourism sector in the country. Its objective is to increase India’s share in world tourist arrivals from the present 0.68% to 1% by 2020 and increase to 2% by 2025 and position tourism as a priority on the National political and economic agenda.
Its main features are…- It enshrines the vision of developing and positioning India as a must experience and must re-visit destination encompassing the aspects of Swachhta (cleanliness), Suraksha (safety) and Swagat (welcome).
- It seeks to evolve a framework for tourism development, which is Government-led, private sector driven and community welfare oriented.
- Its focus is on Employment Generation and Community Participation in the development of tourism industry in a sustainable manner.
- The emphasis of the policy will be on skill development across all segments including setting up of a dedicated university for tourism and hospitality education and deployment of technology in promotion of tourism.
- National Tourism Advisory Board (NTAB) will be set up under chairmanship of Union Tourism Minister and having tourism ministers of States / Union Territories (UTs) and domain experts as its members to monitor the implementation of the policy.
- National Tourism Authority will be established with representation from the trade and industry and interconnected departments or agencies to execute the policy.
- Focus on domestic tourism as a major driver of tourism growth and on development and promotion of the North East Region and the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
- Telangana govt. to take control of Nizam Sugar Factory
The Telangana Government has decided to take over the administrative control of the century-old Nizam Sugar Factory. It will buy back the stake held by the private player, besides paying dues of Rs. 60 crore.
The factory was set up in 1921 at Bodhan (Nizamabad district) with a catchment area of around 15,000 acres. It later expanded its operations by setting up two more units to cover parts of Medak and Karimnagar.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao announced the formation of a high-level committee with Secretaries of relevant Government departments to prepare moralities for the take-over. The State owns 49 per cent stake in the factory, while the remaining, a controlling stake, is with Delta Sugars.
Farmers have been waging a legal battle, too, on the issue. The Andhra Pradesh High Court had directed the State in January 2014 not to privatize the plant.
The previous government had appointed a Group of Ministers in 2013 to speed up the process of privatization. This, however, was against the recommendations of a House Committee. Farmers allege that the Government had systematically killed the factory to benefit the private sector. - HC judgment on separate high court
The High Court in Hyderabad on 1st May made it clear that there would be no division of High Court till the construction of new building for Andhra Pradesh High Court in the residuary State is completed. Further, the building for AP High Court could not be constructed in Telangana State. Delivering its judgment on a petition on bifurcation of High Court, a two-judge bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyothi Sengupta and Justice P V Sanjay Kumar said that as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014, the present High Court building would belong to the Telangana State.
The court said that the responsibility of construction of new High Court building for Andhra Pradesh lies with the Center. Therefore, the Central Government should release funds for the purpose. The court said that the existing premises would be utilized jointly by Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governments and if required, separate benches can be established.
The court also ruled that the Telangana Government was not empowered to establish separate High Court at a land near Gachibowli or any other place for the Telangana State. Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee of lawyers from Telangana has decided to intensify their movement for separate high court. They are seeking early bifurcation of the existing high court so that the newly-created state gets its own. - India fifth biggest generator of e-waste: UN report
India is the fifth biggest producer of e-waste in the world, discarding 1.7 million tonnes (Mt) of electronic and electrical equipment in 2014, a UN report has warned that the volume of global e-waste is likely to rise by 21 per cent in next three years.
The ‘Global E-Waste Monitor 2014’, compiled by U.N.’s think tank United Nations University (UNU), said at 32 per cent, the U.S. and China produced the most e-waste overall in 2014.India is behind the U.S., China, Japan and Germany.
Most e-waste in the world in 2014 was generated in Asia at 16 Mt or 3.7 kg per inhabitant. The top three Asian nations with the highest e-waste generation in absolute quantities are China (6.0 Mt), Japan (2.2 Mt) and India (1.7 Mt).
The top per capita producers by far are the wealthy nations of northern and western Europe, the top five being Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Denmark, and the U.K.
The lowest amount of e-waste per inhabitant was generated in Africa (1.7 kg/inhabitant). The continent generated 1.9 Mt of e-waste in total.
In 2014, people worldwide discarded all but a small fraction of an estimated 41.8 Mt of electrical and electronic equipment — mostly end-of-life kitchen, laundry and bathroom equipment like microwave ovens, washing machines and dishwashers.
While only 7 per cent of e-waste last year was made up of mobile phones, calculators, personal computers, printers, and small information technology equipment, almost 60 per cent was a mix of large and small equipment used in homes and businesses, such as vacuum cleaners, toasters, electric shavers, video cameras, washing machines, electric stoves, mobile phones, calculators, personal computers, and lamps. - Rajaji National Park at Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand, the state with the second highest tiger population after Karnataka, now has a second tiger reserve, besides the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The Rajaji National Park has now been notified as the Rajaji Tiger Reserve by the Centre. The tiger reserve (1075.17 sq-km) includes the 255.63 sq-km area of Rajaji National Park’s buffer zone. - Subodham project launched in Kerala
Kerala government has launched a major campaign Subodham, in a bid to wean people away from addiction to liquor. Liquor consumption has alarmingly increased in Kerala over the years and has spread to all sections of the society.
Subodham project aims to free one lakh people each year from alcohol addiction, through comprehensive, systematic awareness campaigns. The aim is to achieve the ambitious target of making the state totally alcohol free over the next ten years.
The project is supported by the UNICEF. Several religious leaders, non-governmental organisations and other stake holders are also participating in the project. The government has also decided to introduce anti-drug and alcohol awareness content in the curriculum from the next academic year. - Parliament panel slams meager allocation for drinking water
The parliamentary standing committee on rural development, headed by P. Venugopal, has expressed serious concern over the drastic 66 per cent reduction in budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in 2015-16.
The Ministry has under it two crucial Centrally-sponsored schemes – the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) and the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).
The committee said the overall budgetary estimate for 2015-16 is Rs. 5,243.87 crore (Rs. 5,236 crore Plan and Rs. 7.87 crore non-Plan) for the Ministry, which is much lower than Rs. 15,260 crore last year. In this fiscal, the NRDWP has been allocated Rs. 2,611 crore and SBM (Rural) Rs. 2,625 crore.
Flaying the meagre allocation, the panel said it is not commensurate with the Herculean task of providing safe drinking water and sanitation to millions of rural populace, and urged the Ministry to approach NITI Aayog and the Finance Ministry to seek additional allocation if it is to achieve the aim of providing piped water supply to at least 50 per cent rural households by 2017. - Cabinet approves lowering of age of Juveniles
Union Cabinet has approved lowering of age of juveniles from eighteen to sixteen years for heinous crimes. It cleared the amendment to the Juvenile Justice Act. The amendment seeks to try juvenile in the age group of 16 to 18 years as adults for heinous crimes. - Excavation work to revive Saraswati river begins in Haryana
In Haryana, the excavation work to revive the ancient river Saraswati has started in the village of Rolaheri in Yamunanagar district. South Indian Scholar Dr. Ratnakar has shown deep interest in initiating work on the project. Haryana Government has prepared a Rs. 50 crore ‘Saraswati Revival Project’ for it however the initial excavation work have been taken up under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
In the first phase, the Saraswati river would be excavated in eight villages from Rola Heri to Sandhai. It has been proposed that a check dam would be constructed on Somb River to store rain-water and divert it to Saraswati. It has also been proposed that a reservoir would be constructed in the village of Chhallour over an area of 400 acres. The technical survey of the dam and reservoir is being conducted by the Irrigation Department. - I&B ministry receives ISO 9001:2008 certification
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has received an ISO 9001:2008 certification from the British Standards Institute in respect of various permissions and licences issued by it for the broadcasting and print media and films.
These include permissions or licences for satellite Television channels, teleports, multi-system operators, community radio stations, DTH services, publication of Indian editions of technical and scientific and foreign magazines of news and current affairs and facsimile editions of foreign newspapers and permission for foreign film producers.
The Ministry has put in place a well defined procedure and measures for ensuring quality of services offered to the customers on the basis of ISO 9001:2008. It will ensure delivery of services by the Ministry in a qualitative manner. - NJAC will not appoint judges till SC decides on its validity: Govt.
The government on 23rd April told the Supreme Court that the National Judicial Appointments Commission, whose constitutional validity has been challenged, will not make fresh appointments of judges to higher judiciary till the matter is settled. The Centre gave the assurance to a five-judge Constitutional bench headed by Justice J S Khehar. - AP cabinet decides to float quasi-govt. company
The Andhra Pradesh State Cabinet, which met on 22nd April, has decided to float a quasi-government company called Capital City Development and Management Company. According to Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P. Narayana, the newly-formed company would look after the development of infrastructure, transportation like railway, roads, government buildings, public utilities like drainage system, waste management, etc within the 225 sq km area. The new company would act as an implementing entity of the Master Plan within the limits of the Capital City Area under the Capital Regional Development Authority. - Rajya Sabha passes Private bill on transgenders’ rights
The Rajya Sabha on 24th April unanimously passed a private member's bill to protect the rights of transgender. The Rights of Transgender Persons Bill- 2014 seeks to provide for the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive national policy for ensuring overall development of the transgender persons and their welfare.
The bill provides two percent reservation in primary, secondary and higher education and in government jobs. Establishment of Employment Exchange, National and State Commissions for Transgender Persons and Special Transgender Rights Courts are other main features of the Bill. No child who is transgender will be separated from his or her parents on the grounds of being a transgender except on an order of competent court.
The government will take necessary steps to ensure that transgender persons enjoy the right to life with dignity and to personal liberty guaranteed by the Constitution. The Bill provides for penalty for hate speech which includes imprisonment extending up to one year and with fine. The Bill passed with the full strength of the treasury benches, though several opposition members were not present at the time. - AP government orders SIT probe into Chittoor encounter
Andhra Pradesh government on 24th April ordered for a probe by Special Investigation Team into the Seshachalam forest encounter in which 20 woodcutters from Tamil Nadu were killed. State Director General of Police G. V. Rayudu said an Eight-Member team headed by Inspector General Dr Ravi Shankar will investigate the encounter.
DIG and SP Kurnool district and Additional SP of West Godavari district and two CID DSPs, SP of East Godavari and Chittoor inspector will be part of the SIT. National Human Rights Commission has taken a serious view over the state Government not holding any inquiry or Magisterial inquiry into the encounter. - Center puts restrictions on travel of Governors
Center has put restrictions on the travel of Governors and said they cannot leave station without President's permission. The new 18-point set of rules notified by Home Ministry said Governors will have to stay in their respective states for at least 292 days in a year.
The requests for permission to travel outside the state will have to be sent to Rashtrapati Bhavan anywhere between one week and six weeks before the date of travel. Every request will also have to be marked to the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. - Election Commission sets up committee to allow migrants to vote
The Election Commission has set up a committee of senior officers to consider whether electoral laws can be changed to empower voters who have migrated to other States within the country. The EC is considering whether inter-State migrant voters could retain their names on the electoral rolls of their native places, and also, if they could cast their votes through mechanisms such as postal ballot.
Under the present law, a person can be enrolled only at the place he is residing. A migrant has to get himself enrolled in the new place.
A relaxation of this law would prove beneficial to cadre-based parties in keeping their vote bank intact, especially in States such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu where many youths are migrating to other States for jobs. In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, the poll body said the committee was set up despite skepticism about the need to amend the Representation of the People Act. The commission said a person who migrated can be considered “ordinarily resident” in his new place even without owning or possessing a house there. It said the law was reasonable as it is now. - NJAC notified
Government on 13th April brought into force the National Judicial Appointments Commission, NJAC Act along with a constitutional amendment act to appoint members to the higher judiciary replacing the collegium system. A notification to this effect was issued by the Law Ministry on 13th April.
With this notification, technically the collegium system has come to an end. NJAC will be chaired by the Chief Justice of India as in the earlier collegium system.
The NJAC membership will include two senior most Judges of the Supreme Court, the Union Minister of Law and Justice, two eminent persons to be nominated by a committee of the Prime Minister of India, the Chief Justice of India, and the Leader of the Opposition in the House of the People. Under the collegium system, which came into existence in 1993 after a Supreme Court judgment, five top judges of the apex court recommend transfer and elevation of judges to Supreme Court and 24 High Courts. - Panel to look into post-66A security concerns
In the wake of the recent Supreme Court directive striking down Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, the Union Home Ministry has set up a committee to recommend measures for addressing national security concerns. Head of the committee will be Special Secretary (Internal Security) Ashok Prasad
The committee, comprising representatives of the Intelligence Bureau, the National Investigation Agency and the Delhi Police, is expected to submit its recommendations to the Information Technology Ministry in a month. The Supreme Court had on March 24 declared the Section 66A of the Information Technology Act unconstitutional. - Visa-on-arrival scheme is now e-tourist visa
The Center has renamed the online visa scheme for travellers as ‘e-Tourist Visa’ (eTV). The scheme was earlier called ‘Tourist Visa on Arrival-Electronic Travel Authorisation’ (TVoA-ETA).
A statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs said on 14th April that the extension of the scheme to more countries and airports will be in a phased manner, in order to avoid any confusion.
The name of the scheme was creating confusion among tourists as they presumed that visa is being granted on arrival. However, the pre-authorisation of visa to foreigners is being given prior to travel.
TVoA-ETA was launched on November 27, 2014 to 44 countries at nine airports — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Goa — to facilitate short duration international travellers. Since the launch of the scheme, 1.1 lakh visas have been issued by Government under this scheme, the statement added.
A foreign tourist has to apply online, upload a photo and passport and pay a fee online. In 72 hours, the applicant would receive an ETA by e-mail. The 30-day permit would include sightseeing, visiting friends and family, recreation, short duration medical treatment, and a casual business visit. - Pension for aged farmers
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on 14th April announced a monthly pension of Rs.5,000 for farmers aged 60 or above for their social and financial security. - Committee to consider declassification of Netaji-related files
An inter-ministerial committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, has been set up by the government to look at the possibility of declassification of all files related to death or disappearance of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose nearly 70 years back. - Janata Parivar, a new political party formed
The Janata Parivar, which includes the Samajwadi Party (SP), Janata Dal-United (JDU), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) and the Samajwadi Janata Party, outlined the contours of their proposed merger on 15th April.
Mulayam Singh Yadav will be the president of the new party, likely to be named Samajwadi Janata Dal. The meeting of leaders of the six parties elected SP supremo Mulayam as the leader of the new party, while the decision on the name of the party, flag, programme, policies and symbol will be decided by a six-member panel headed by the president of the merged entity.- The coming together of six different elements of the erstwhile Janata Dal in the form of a new party, more than 20 years after splitting away, marks a political development of some significance. The decision to unite springs from their abysmally poor performance in the last general election and the need therefore to consolidate — or perish.
- Even though these parties separately were regarded as regional parties, the new formation will have the status and appearance of a national party, something that only the BJP, the Congress and to some extent the Left parties currently have.
- In the Rajya Sabha it will be the third largest party with 30 MPs, behind only the Congress and the BJP. In the Lok Sabha its 15 MPs will make the party the eighth largest.
- SC forms new Constitution Bench to hear NJAC pleas
A day after Justice Anil R. Dave recused himself from the Constitution Bench set up to hear the petitions challenging the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) law, the Supreme Court acted swiftly on 16th April and reconstituted the Bench with Justice J.S. Khehar as the lead judge. The new Bench will start hearing the petitions from April 21.
Mr. Nariman submitted that the NJAC statute required the CJI and two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court to be members of the six-member Commission. Justice Dave was the second senior-most judge after Chief Justice of India H. L. Dattu and a member of the commission in that capacity. - INS Vikramaditya to finally get air defence system
India's largest warship INS Vikaramaditya will finally get its own air defence system, courtesy of another ship that may be decommissioned soon. The Navy plans to transfer an Israeli Barak missile system from a Godavari-class ship to the aircraft carrier that was bought from the Russians. This will be a shot in the arm for the over Rs 15,000- crore aircraft carrier that has been without a defense system, since it joined the Indian Navy in November 16, 2013.
The aircraft carrier does not have any self-defense weapons on board, barring a chaff and flare system. An escort group of warships had been sent to Russia to bring the carrier to India.
The new installation will take place during the ongoing 'short refit' that is been carried out on the carrier at Karwar. Interestingly, it does not even have a close-in weapon system (CIWS) to shoot down incoming air attacks at very close range. Sources said a CIWS, again from a Godavari-class ship, will also be installed on it during the ongoing refit.
Vikramaditya, a floating airfield, has an overall length of about 284 metres and a maximum beam of about 60 meters, stretching as much as three football fields put together. Standing about 20 storeys tall from the keel to the highest point, the ship has a total of 22 decks and carries 1,600 personnel.
Its logistics requirements include nearly a lakh of eggs, 20,000 litres of milk and 16 tonnes of rice per month. With her complete stock of provisions, she is capable of sustaining herself at sea for about 45 days. It is a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier, which was purchased by India from Russia for the Indian Navy in 2013. The ship has been renamed in honor of Vikramaditya, a legendary 1st century BC emperor.
Originally built as Baku and commissioned in 1987, the carrier served with the Soviet (until the dissolution of the Soviet Union) and Russian Navies before being decommissioned in 1996, it being too expensive to operate. - Full-fledged NCDC unit to be set up in Hyderabad
In a significant development towards fighting epidemics, especially of viral nature that have become common in Telangana, the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi, and the Telangana government have agreed to set up the first full-fledged NCDC in Hyderabad. This will be the second full-fledged center in the country.
As part of the plan to set up the NCDC, the Government of India will be providing funds to the tune of Rs. 25 crore, while the land will be provided free of cost by the State government. The NCDC unit will have manpower support of experts in public health, microbiology, entomology, paramedics and other technocrats from a host of varied medical disciplines.
Significantly, the NCDC will have a state-of-the-art laboratory with sophisticated equipment that will provide the much needed diagnostic support to the State health authorities in identifying emerging and re-emerging diseases. - India is below Bhutan in broadband reach: TRAI
India is ranked below Bhutan and Sri Lanka in terms of broadband penetration and the multi-layered structure involved in the decision making for the sector needs to be overhauled, telecom regulator according to TRAI
“India ranks 125th in the world for fixed broadband penetration. To promote the use of fixed-line broadband, TRAI also proposed that the license fee on the revenues earned from fixed line should be exempted for 5 years.
In the wireless or mobile broadband segment, India is ranked at 113th with a penetration of 3.2 per 100 inhabitants. The regulator also suggested the need to revamp government bodies involved in decision making that impact spread of broadband including that of Wireless Planning Commission (WPC) — custodian of spectrum at Department of Telecom.
TRAI said WPC should be converted into an independent body by de-linking it from DoT and suggested that it could be converted into a statutory body reporting to Parliament or any other existing statutory body.
The regulator has said that multi-layered structure for decision making, for National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN), was not suitable and structure needs immediate overhaul.
NOFN project aims to spread broadband across 2.5 lakh village panchayats by 2016 but has missed its target of completing roll out in first 50,000 panchayats by March 2015. TRAI has also called for an audit of spectrum held by all the bodies. - Training and apprentice divisions transferred
In a major decision, the Union government transferred the Training and Apprenticeship verticals of the Directorate General of Employment & Training (DGET) from the Lab our Ministry to the newly constituted Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. It means that nearly 12,000 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across the country will now be governed by the Skill Development ministry. The government, however, did not transfer the Employment vertical of DGET, which governs all the employment exchanges in the country, from the Lab our Ministry.
The control of ITIs, Employment Exchanges and Apprenticeship has been a point of contention between the Lab our Ministry and Skill Development Ministry where the Lab our Ministry wanted the Skill Development ministry to be a policy formulation agency while execution and implementation remained with the Lab our Ministry.
With the transfer of the Training vertical, 26 “training of trainers” institutions will also come under the Skill Development ministry. The Rs 488 crore plan for setting up another 25 Advanced Training Institutes under the PPP mode will also move to the newly formed ministry. The National Council for Vocational Training also comes to the Skill ministry with this decision. - MoU among TERI, FNI, INTASAVE-CARIBSAVE
Recognizing the importance of knowledge co-operation to address issues of public importance pertaining to climate change and sustainable development, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI), and INTASAVE-CARIBSAVE Group signed an MOU The three institutes will work together to promote research and development, including policy analysis in the areas of green growth, climate change, sustainable energy, natural resource management, capacity building, knowledge exchange and knowledge co-production.
Nine areas of mutual interest identified by TERI, FNI and INTASAVE-CARIBSAVE Group are: Co-benefits of Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, Green Growth and Resource Efficiency, Environment and Development, Low Carbon Strategies, Institutions and Governance, International Cooperation, South-South Knowledge Exchange, Capacity Building and National, Regional and Global Policy Advocacy.
The partnership assumes significance because effective implementation of the emerging Post-2015 Development Agenda and Post-2015 Climate Agenda will require innovation, new partnerships, knowledge-sharing and implementation. - Fourth Lighthouse Museum at Kannur
Aiming to promote lighthouse tourism, India's fourth lighthouse museum, depicting the story of its evolution and history, is all set to be opened in the northern district of Kannur in Kerala.
The Directorate General of Lighthouse and Lightships (DGLL) has set up the lighthouse museum adjacent to the historic Kannur lighthouse in Payyalmbalam beach, a few kilometres away from Kannur town. The Kannur lighthouse, overlooking the Arabian Sea, has been a silent witness to a number of significant episodes of the history of the land.
The new lighthouse museum, having a handful of rare exhibits on display, will be a treat for history enthusiasts and tourists The lighthouse museums are developed as part of the Directorate General's plans to promote lighthouse tourism. A number of drawings of the structure and form of Kannur lighthouse in different periods will also be an added attraction. A tri-lingual short film in Hindi, English and Malayalam, will help visitors get an idea about the history of lighthouses in the country. The film will be screened in a 20-seater mini theatre. - End of the Money Order legacy
India Post has quietly discontinued the traditional money order service, which was an integral part of the department since 1880, facilitating pan-India door-delivery of funds to a payee from over 155,000 post offices
In an era of instant communications, the traditional money transfer facility has made way for an electronic version, which was introduced in October 2008, with the proliferation of mobile telephony and data communications in the country through the internet - 18 months after they led to the demise of the telegram.
The iMO system, according to India Post, provides instant money order service for amounts ranging from Rs.1,000 to Rs.50,000. An instant, web-based system, money can be remitted by designated iMO post offices - where an electronic version of a form is filled along with an identity proof. Once the money is transferred electronically, along with one of the 33 standard messages that can be chosen by the remitter, the payee can visit the post office and receive the money on producing a proof of identity. The money can also be be credited to the savings bank of a payee.
In the case of eMO, money is paid at the door-step of a payee - from Rs.1 to Rs.5,000 - within a day, along with 21 standard messages. - Portal for improvement of vocational training
Union Government on 6th April launched a portal National Council for vocational training-Management information system, to improve vocational training delivery in the country. The portal provides information to the general public on details of various ITI's, their affiliation details and number of seats available in those institutes. Students can get E-Certificates after completion of course and the employers will also be able to cross check genuinity of candidates by using the portal. - National air quality index launched
A two day conference on state Environment and Forest Ministers was organized in New Delhi. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched National Air Quality Index to tackle the menace of air pollution. The index will provide information on the quality of air in 10 major cities in the country, including Delhi and Mumbai. The air quality index will provide information to the public about the level of pollution in the air on a daily basis in real time.
Delhi's air pollution has been in focus in recent months, surpassing Beijing as the most polluted city in the world. - Visakhapatnam, Bhimavaram to be developed as seafood centers
Government will develop Visakhapatnam and Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh as centres of excellence in sea food and aqua exports according to Union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman - SC refers NJAC law validity to larger bench
The Supreme Court on 7th April referred to a larger bench, the pleas challenging National Judicial Appointment Commission act. The Apex Court said, a five-judge bench would decide the validity of the NJAC Act, which will replace the 'judges appointing judges' Collegium system.
A 3-judge bench headed by Justice A R Dave refused to stay the notification of the Act saying the larger bench too would decide on the necessity of any interim order. - NGT bans decade-old diesel vehicles in Delhi, NCR
The National Green Tribunal on 7th April banned all diesel vehicles over ten years old from plying in Delhi and the National Capital Region and also cracked the whip on rampant construction activity adding dust to the air.
Reiterating that diesel vehicles are major source of pollution in the ambient air quality and citing examples of countries which are in the process of controlling or banning diesel vehicles
The order comes 22 days after the NGT asked Delhi government to consider the proposal of banning diesel vehicles. There are more than six lakh diesel vehicles registered in Delhi, which include more than five lakh private cars. The entire public transport fleet in Delhi runs on CNG now. However, heavy goods vehicles are still on diesel.
The Tribunal also directed Delhi government to ensure vehicles are checked for weight, age and pollution levels at all entry points of Delhi and overloaded and polluting vehicles are prevented from entering the city limits. - 20 sandalwood smugglers killed in encounter in Andhra Pradesh
At least 20 sandalwood smugglers were killed in an encounter with police on 7th April morning in Sesa-chalam forest near Tirupati in Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh. Most of the killed smugglers were suspected to be illegal wood cutters. Smugglers armed with sickles and axes attacked the police by hurling stones. In retaliation the Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force officials opened fire and killed them. The Task force has launched combing operation in the area. It was a joint operation by forest officials and police.
- 5 Suspected Terrorists Killed in Encounter in Telangana
Five suspected terrorists being taken to court from jail, were killed in an encounter with the police near Alair in Nalgonda district of Telangana on 7th April. Among them is Vikaruddin Ahmed, accused of killing at least two police personnel, one in Hyderabad one in 2009, and another in Maninagar in Gujarat.
All five were shot dead inside the police van that was transporting them. An inquiry by an executive magistrate and judicial inquiry has been ordered into the encounter, following the latest directives of the Supreme Court in a case of PUCL Vs State of Maharashtra in 2014. - Norms relaxed for compensation to rain affected farmers
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the reduction in the eligibility criteria for getting compensation for crop damage due to natural calamity or unseasonal rain from 50 percent to 33 percent. The government has also increased the quantum of compensation to affected farmers by 50 percent.
Unseasonal rains and hailstorms during this month have damaged rabi crops in 106.73 lakh hectares of area across 14 states.
In Rajasthan, hail storm and unseasonal rain affected farmers will be most benefited from Prime Minister's announcement of reduction in eligibility criteria of crop damage from fifty percent to thirty three percent
The decision to enhance compensation has been taken after the submission of the report on April 6th by the Nitin Gadkari-led team of ministers who were sent by the PM to interact with farmers in affected areas. The Centre has got in touch with state governments after the Prime Minister's announcement to ensure changes are made in the compensation parameters and emergency funds are utilised. According to Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, rabi crops over 113 lakh hectares area have been affected and production of maize this year could be reduced by 4-5%. - India ranks lower than even Nepal
In the Social Progress Index, India placed at 101. Out of 133 countries rated on indicators of well-being such as health, water and sanitation, personal safety, access to opportunity, tolerance, inclusion, personal freedom and choice India has secured the 101th place. This is lower than India’s rank, of 93, for GDP per capita income. Even Nepal and Bangladesh rank higher than India on the Social Progress Index (SPI) ratings to be released globally on Thursday. Norway has bagged the first rank; the U.S. is at the 16th place.
On the parameter ‘Tolerance and inclusion’ India ranks 128th and is at the 120th place on ‘health and wellness’
The U.S. despite its high levels of spending on health and wellness ranks 68th.
The SPI was launched in 2013 and is based on 52 indicators of countries’ social and environmental performance. It includes no economic indicators and measures outcomes. The UN’s Human Development Index and Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index are also alternate measures for well being but they use GDP or other economic measures. - New spider species named after Telangana
Researchers from Osmania University’s zoology department have discovered a new species of spider in Telangana, the first to be discovered since the formation of the State. In fact the new species has been named the Telangana Crab Spider (Thomisus telanganensis). The Telangana Crab Spider specimens were collected from Nagnur in Karimnagar district by the researchers. The species closely resembles a crab spider species Thomisus labefactus - known from Japan.
The spider belongs to the Thomisidae family, which is characterised by spiders that morphologically resemble crabs. Hence their common name is ‘crab spiders’. These spiders are seen on flowers, where they wait for other insects on which they prey. They catch their prey by surprise attack and immobilise them by evenomating by quick sting. These spiders do not build webs and are an important component of the ecosystem, as bio-controlling agents that keep the population of insects under check. - SC upholds death penalty to Yakub Memon
The Supreme Court on 9th April confirmed death penalty for 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts convict Yakub Abdul Razak Memon, rejecting his plea to reconsider the verdict. Memon had sought the recall of March 21, 2013 SC order upholding his death sentence.
However, the apex court later in June 2014 stayed his execution, pending decision on review plea. President Pranab Mukherjee had in April 2014 rejected Memon's mercy petition.
In its verdict, a three-judge bench dismissed the review petition by Memon after holding there was no ground to interfere with the judgement to hand out capital punishment to him. - India’s earth hour capital: Thane
An 11-member international jury has declared Thane the National Earth Hour Capital with the city emerging the winner from India in the Earth Hour City Challenge this year. On 9th April, the city represented India in the Global Earth Hour Capital Competition of 16 countries in Seoul. The host city was declared the winner and acknowledged as the Global Earth Hour Capital 2015.
The year-long competition among cities is aimed at promoting renewable energy and preparing for climate change. In its third year in India, the contest had 13 participants.
Thane, Rajkot and Pune were the finalists from India. Pune received a special mention from the jury for its city mobility plan and its solar and waste-to-energy initiatives.
While all finalists were invited to the programme in Seoul, only the Mayor of Rajkot could attend the ceremony and was felicitated for the city’s performance in the field of renewable energy. Last year, Coimbatore was selected as the National Earth Hour Capital.
The notable actions by the Thane city administration include the mandatory use of solar water-heating systems for municipal buildings and solutions such as wind-solar hybrid systems and use of solar energy for lighting and air-conditioning.
Besides, the city plans solar rooftop net metering-based power generation and regular energy audits. Among the actions are an energy service company (ESCO) project for energy-efficient street lighting, commissioning of a bio-methanation plant to treat municipal solid waste and generate electricity and three cyclic switching units for optimal use of streetlights. A five-year target has been set for developing a solar city project in the city. - 5-judge Bench to hear plea on validity of NJAC law
A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court will hear from April 15 a batch of petitions challenging the validity of the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act to replace the collegium system of judicial appointments. A notice in this regard was issued by the Deputy Registrar (Listing) which however did not disclose the names of the five judges who will hear the contentious matter.
The listing was done within two days of the order of a three-judge Bench of Justices A.R. Dave, J. Chelameswar and Madan B Lokur referring the matter to the Constitution Bench. - Interceptor boat to guard Sunderbans
The Coast Guard in West Bengal got its first interceptor boat on 10th April for operations in the Sunderbans. It comes at a time when there is a spurt in piracy in the mangrove islands, with armed gangs kidnapping fishermen and shooting at tourists.
The ICGS C-418, 18th in a series of 36 interceptor boats being built by L&T Shipbuilders Ltd for the Coast Guard, was to be stationed at Gopalpur in Odisha. Officers diverted it to Haldia.
Though Haldia is the Coast Guard's oldest district, it lacked teeth for effective management of the Sunderbans. The three hovercraft under its command can't operate in choppy seas or if it is too windy. Its larger vessels cannot operate in the shallow waters of Sunderbans. The interceptor can do both. And this is vital in the most porous coastline in the country, said Bengal Coast Guard commander Sharad Mantri. The interceptor boat is jet-propelled and can attain a top speed of 45knots (about 83kmph). Its main armament is a 12.7mm heavy machine gun. It can even traverse sideways. According to Coast Guard northeast commander VSR Murthy, another such vessel will join the fleet at Haldia this September. - Overall decline in MMR
India has registered an overall decline in Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) of 70 percent during 1990-2012 as compared to global decline of 45 percent. The MMR declined from 178 per one-lakh live births in 2010-12 to 167 per one lakh live births during 2011-13. The pace of decline of MMR is also showing an increasing trend from annual rate of 4.1 percent in 2001-03 to 6.2 percent in 2011-13. According to official data, institutional delivery in the country has risen sharply from 47 per cent in 2007-08 to over 75 per cent in 2013. - President inaugurates Northeast Song & Dance Festival
The President of India Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated the first ever event titled ‘Songs & Dances of Northeast’ organized by North-Eastern Council (NEC) and Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), on 11th April. This event will be held by rotation in different parts of the country in collaboration with one of the eight States of the region.
The theme of future events in this series will be determined on the basis of the characteristics of whichever State is hosting the event and the city in which it is being held. This initiative will also help in convincing potential investors and visitors, including producers from film industry, at a much cost effective budget in the North Eastern region. - India to chair 9th IRENA meet in Abu Dhabi
India has been designated to chair the ninth meeting of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Council. The meeting is scheduled to be held in June in Abu Dhabi. India is a founder Member of the IRENA. The body is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future.
IRENA has two main governing structures. IRENA Assembly takes decisions at Macro level and gives policy guidance to IRENA. IRENA Council which is the main governing body of the agency responsible for implementing various decisions of the assembly. - India elected to four United Nations agencies
India was elected to four important United Nations (UN) agencies on 8 April 2015. These agencies are….- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
- World Food Program (WFP)
- Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) and the
- Governing Council of UN-Habitat.
- Babri Masjid demolition case: SC issues notice
Supreme Court has given a four week notice to senior BJP leader L K Advani and 19 others to reply on a CBI petition challenging the 2010 Allahabad High Court order discharging them of criminal conspiracy in the case of demolition of a disputed structure in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992
A bench of Chief Justice H L Dattu and Justice Arun Mishra heard the Central Bureau of Investigation's appeal which was last listed before the apex court February 5 when it was directed to be listed for final hearing on "1st April, 2014 before an appropriate bench".
Though the matter is pending before the apex court since March 3, 2011, but it for the first time came up for hearing after formation of the Narendra Modi government at the centre. While challenging the Allahabad High Court Order, CBI had cited the court's earlier order of 2001 and contended that the 2010 order was not consistent with its earlier order.
Besides Advani, other accused include senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders MM Joshi, Vinay Katiyar, Uma Bharti, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders Ashok Singhal, Giriraj Kishore, Hari Dalmiya, Sadhvi Ritambrara, and Mahant Avaidyanath. - Delhi University sets up weather station
Delhi University has set up its own weather station for more accurate and detailed weather updates in New Delhi.The varsity has also claimed that the weather station, which will record temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall and pressure, just like any other monitoring station, is the first-of-its-kind to be established by any educational institution in India. The weather station has been set up on the terrace of Delhi School of Economics at a cost of over Rs 3 lakh. - Delhi Govt to ban sale, purchase of chewable tobacco
The Delhi govt will put a ban on sale, purchase and even storage of all forms of chewable tobacco including "guktha, khaini and zarda" in the national capital from 30th March onawards
However, no such ban will be enforced on cigarettes. According to officials, gutkha is also being supplied to retailers in Delhi from neighboring states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. - BJP becomes largest political party in world
The BJP has now become the largest political party in the world by registering highest number of members. Till 29th March, the party had registered 8.8 crore members. The figure is more than China's ruling party Communist Party China that has 8.6 crore members. - HP assembly becomes first in country to have E-Vidhan Mobile apps
In Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has launched part one of E-Vidhan Mobile apps. The apps was launched on 29th March. The apps could be accessed by all the members 45 minutes before the question hours on android and tablets having information about day business.
Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha is the first state assembly in the country to launch this apps. The information provided on the apps could be corrected on line. The bills introduced or laid for discussion will also be made available to the members. The reports lay in the house by the committees, information about government notification, budget speech and salary and perks' drawn by members could be view on the apps. The wi fi service will be made available to the members in side assembly complex during the session. - Centre sanctions Rs 1500 cr for new capital of Andhra Pradesh
Centre on 30th March approved 1500 crore rupees as Budgetary Support to Andhra Pradesh for its New Capital. This will include Rs 1000 cror for support to essential amenities for the new Capital. According to an official release, another Rs 500 crore has been approved exclusively for the construction of Raj Bhavan, State Secretariat, State Assembly and High Court. - AP capital master plan
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who is on a two-day tour of Singapore, suggested some modifications to the capital city master plan now under preparation by experts in Singapore.
Singapore Minister for Home Commerce and Industries S Iswaran made a presentation of the broad outline of the master plan for capital region to the Indian delegation.
The capital city master plan will be refined by incorporating these suggestions and modifications in the next six to eight weeks.
According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office- The timelines for developing the new capital city, which would have two ring roads and several radial roads connecting various small towns to the core capital region.
- Vijayawada could be the business and trading hub, Nandigama, a pharma hub, Gannavaram would serve as a value-added economic hub, and Amaravati could emerge as a tourism hub.
- The Chief Minister said the detailed plan would be out by June 2015 and assured investors ease of doing business, mega infrastructure projects, targeted policies and transparent governance would be AP’s highlights.
- Andhra Pradesh capital named Amaravati
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on 1st April formally announced that the new capital city will be named as `Amaravati’. The decision was endorsed at the state cabinet meeting unanimously.
The new capital region is located on the banks of river Krishna, between Guntur and Vijayawada cities. It will be about 20 kms away from historical pilgrim and capital of Shatavanas town to 18th century chieftains and kings , Amaravati.
With a 400 years history of Telugus also is a prominent religious place for Hindus, besides a prominent Buddhist relic where last Kalachakra was held in 2007.
This was also the place visited by Goutham Buddha,Chinese legendary traveler Huen Tsang and also King Ashoka. The Cabinet also gave a nod to the first phase of the master plan of the capital city prepared by Singapore government agencies.
According to the draft master plan prepared by Surbana and Jurong, that were entrusted with the task by the Singapore government, Naidu showcased Vijayawada/capital city areas as business and trading hub in IT, ITes, electronics, auto and agriculture-processing and Guntur as an agriculture-trading hub, processing and textile. While Vijayawada, Tadepalli, Mangalagiri and Tullur are shown as part of the mega world-class capital city, Amaravati and Guntur are not part of the mega-city area. - Panel on NOFN project submits report
The Committee set up to review the architecture and implementation strategy of National Optical Fibre Network, NOFN has submitted its report to the Communication and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
The panel comprised of former IT Secretary J Satyanarayana and other members in January this year to review the entire project to achieve the goal of Digital India.
The panel in its report has also proposed the provision of community wi-fi infrastructure in each Panchayat to provide wi-fi services for the poor.
It has suggested to give access of various networks being built by government to people interested in it, including private companies.
The committee has recommended the implementation of ring architecture extending from District to the Gram Panchayat to meet the growing digital needs of rural India.
It has also suggested for providing retail broadband services at price according to the economic growth of the States. Mr Prasad said that the report of the Committee is under Government's consideration. - Set up rail infra company, suggests Debroy panel
A high-level committee on Railway restructuring, headed by Bibek Debroy, has proposed that a railway infrastructure company be set up as a Government special purpose vehicle with a possibility of disinvesting it in the future.
The committee set up last year to propose methods to mobilize resources for Railway projects and restructure the sector has suggested a slew of financial and institutional measures.
In its interim report, the committee called for adopting a commercial accounting system to determine the extent of subsidization between freight and passenger services. It also suggested sharing of subsidy between the Center and States for capital investments and operational losses of the Railways.
Besides, it has pitched for a railway regulator and train operations company. The committee said the Railway Ministry should decide its policies in sync with the best interests of the country and the railway sector. - Govt makes green norms easier for new coal block allottees
The Environment Ministry has allowed transfer of environment clearances granted to the previous allottees to new owners without any fresh approval. The decision will help expedite operations from the recently allocated coal mines.
The ministry has made amendments to previous notification in which it has allowed transfer of environment clearance to new coal block allottees without taking 'no objection' nod from previous owners.
The changes have been brought as there were apprehensions among the new coal block allottees that old allottees may create problems in transferring environment clearance and thereby delaying the commencement of mining operations.
The Centre has recently auctioned 29 blocks in two phases. The auction followed the Supreme Court decision of cancelling 204 coal blocks last year. - Gujarat leads in Swachh Bharat implementation
According to Ministry of Urban Development, Gujarat is leading the pack in the implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission. During 2014-15, out of the 2.7 lakh household toilets constructed, Gujarat alone accounted for 60 per cent having built 1,65,376 household toilets. Madhya Pradesh constructed 99,151 household toilets followed by Karnataka with 4,697
Gujarat also reported 100 per cent collection and transportation of municipal solid waste in 120 of the 195 towns in the state. Swachh Bharat Mission was launched on October 2, 2014 with the objective of ensuring cleanliness in all the 4,041 statutory cities and towns of the country by October 2, 2019.
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