NATIONAL AUGUST 2010

NATIONAL AUGUST 2010

• The Union Cabinet cleared a 300 per cent salary hike, from Rs. 16,000 to Rs. 50,000, for members of Parliament and doubled their perks. The increase will be given with retrospective effect from May 2009, when the 15th Lok Sabha was constituted when the Bill seeking amendment to the Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament Act, 1954, is brought in Parliament and passed by both the Houses. 
• The Union Cabinet approved the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill 2010 with 18 amendments. 
• According to the chairman of the Board of Governors of the Medical Council of India (MCI) S.K. Sarin, MBBS aspirants will have a common entrance test for admission to medical colleges across the country from the next academic session (2011-12). 
• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a Rs.125-crore relief for the flood-ravaged Leh from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund. 
• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed for the setting up of a National Innovation Council headed by Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations, to give shape to the Government's decision to observe the current decade (2010-2020) as the Decade of Innovation. The Council will have a mandate to evolve an Indian model of innovation that focuses on inclusive growth and creating an appropriate eco-system conducive to fostering inclusive innovation. 
• Bihar Chief Minister Mr. Nitish Kumar has declared the entire Bihar state to be drought affected. 
• While addressing the nation from the Red Fort during the 64th Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said this country can resolve issues through dialogue, be it with Pakistan, Kashmiri separatists, northeast groups or Naxalites. 
• A Bench of Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan of the Supreme Court asked Parliament to revisit the provision relating to cruelty and dowry harassment, pointing out that a large number of frivolous complaints are emanating from section 498-A of the Indian Penal Code (Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and the courts are flooded with such matrimonial cases. 
• The Group of Ministers (GoM), headed by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, gave its approval to the enumeration of caste in Census 2011. The GoM recommended that the caste headcount should be done at the biometric stage which will cover photographing, fingerprinting and iris mapping of all citizens over the age of 15 for the National Population Register (NPR). 
• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while addressing an all-party delegation from Jammu and Kashmir announced to set up an experts group to formulate a jobs plan. The committee, headed by Dr. C. Rangarajan, will have members as N.R. Narayana Murthy, Tarun Das, P. Nanda Kumar, Shaqueel Qalander and an official representative of the State government.the group would be tasked with not only creating employment in the public and private sectors, but also increasing employability through the National Skill Development Mission. 
• The Union Cabinet approved implementation of the ‘Swavalamban' scheme to cover workers in the unorganised sector and provide old age security to all, especially the vulnerable sections. Under the scheme, the government is to provide an assistance of Rs. 1,000 a year as co-contribution to every NPS (New Pension System) account of 10 lakh unorganised sector workers, starting this fiscal for four years, till 2013-14 to cover 40 lakh subscribers. 
• Thirteen districts of Andhra Pradesh have been identified by the Centre for inclusion in the backward regions grant fund (BRGF) for the current financial year. Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Medak, Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy, Nalgonda and Khammam in Telangana, Chittoor, Anantapur and Kadapa in Rayalaseema and Vizianagaram in Andhra regions would get Rs. 348.28 crore. 
• The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has told the Orissa government to stop all work related to Posco's Rs.54, 000-crore steel project, including land acquisition and handover, as it is violating the Forest Rights Act (FRA). 
• A Rs.10, 000-crore liquefied natural gas terminal jointly implemented by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) will be set up Kattupalli near the Ennore port, Chennai. 
• The Centre has appointed two full-time members to the 19th Law Commission of India, which was reconstituted in September 2009.Retired Supreme Court Judge P.V. Reddy was Chairman of the Commission. Full-time Members are Justice Shivkumar Sharma, retired judge of the Rajasthan High Court and Amarjit Singh Chandhiok, former Additional Solicitor General of India. 
• The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee formed a three-member panel headed by Lalit Bhanot to probe allegations of irregular financial transactions.