NATIONAL JULY 2016

NATIONAL JULY 2016

• Foundation stone laid for MSME technology center in Visakhapatnam
  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, along with Union Ministers Kalraj Mishra and Venkaiah Naidu laid the foundation of Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises technology centre at Pudi in Visakhapatnam district on 23rd July. The Centre has decided to locate a world-class technology centre with an investment of up to Rs. 120 crore.
  
• Lok Sabha passes Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2016
  The Lok Sabha has passed the Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The Bill seeks to set up six new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in Tirupati, Palakkad, Goa, Dharwad, Bhilai, and Jammu. It also seeks to bring the Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad within the ambit of the Act. All these institutions will be declared as institutions of national importance.
  
• LS Speaker forms panel to probe Bhagwant Mann's video incident
  Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has set up a nine member committee to probe the Aam Aadmi Party MP Bhagwant Mann’s video incident which put the Parliament security in peril. As soon as House met for the day, Ms. Mahajan announced this saying the committee headed by BJP MP Kirit Somaiya will submit its report by 3rd of next month. She also asked Mr. Mann not to attend the House sitting till a decision on the matter is reached. 
  
  The panel will do its inquiry into the serious security implications and related aspects arising out of the audio visual recording around the Parliament House complex. The Speaker said, the committee will also suggest suitable remedial measure to avoid recurrence of such incidents in future and recommend appropriate action in the matter.
  
• Parliament passes Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill
  Parliament has passed the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016 with Lok Sabha approving it on 26th July. The bill seeks to prohibit the employment of children below 14 in all occupations and enterprises, except those run by his or her own family. 
  
  It seeks to make child labour a cognizable offence attracting a jail term of up to three years and penalty upto fifty thousand rupees. Children below 14 will be allowed to work only in family enterprises that too after school hours. The Bill also defines children between 14 to 18 years as adolescents and bars their employment in any hazardous occupations. The new bill has been linked with the Right to Education Act.
  
• MHA sets up expert panel to explore possible alternatives to pellet guns in Kashmir
  Union Home Ministry has setup a seven-member expert committee for exploring the other possible alternatives to pellet guns as non-lethal weapons.
  
  The Committee headed by T V S N Prasad Joint Secretary in the Ministry will submit its report within two months. According to Home Ministry press release, other members of the committee include Atul Karwal, IG, CRPF, Rajeev Krishna, IG Operations, BSF, Tushar Tripathy, DDG, Small Arms, Ordnance factory Board and Professor Naresh Bhatnagar of IIT, Delhi.
  
• NITI Aayog panel favours replacing MCI
  A high-powered panel, constituted under NITI Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya is likely to recommend winding up of the Medical Council of India (MCI) and replacing it with a new institution, comprising nominated members, to bring transparency and improve the quality of medical education in the country.
  
  The panel, which has additional principal secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) P K Mishra, Union Health Secretary B P Sharma and NITI Aayog chief executive officer Amitabh Kant as its members, was constituted to look into restructuring the MCI, following numerous complaints and suggestions.
  
  The Panagariya-led panel would recommend that MCI should be replaced with a 20-member National Medical Commission, which would comprise four boards. These boards would be for undergraduate medical courses, postgraduate medical courses, medical assessment and accreditation, and registration and ethics. Each member of the commission would have five-year tenure.
  
  Each of the four boards would be headed by a chairman and be fully autonomous in its functioning. The existing National Board of Examination, which conducts postgraduate medical exams, would get subsumed into the postgraduate medical board.
  
  That apart, a medical advisory council, with representatives from states, would advise to the Medical Commission. The members and heads of the commission’s boards would be selected by a search committee, comprising health ministers and others.
  
  To make such a structure operational, the Medical Council of India Act would have to be amended, for which a Cabinet note would be floated by the ministry soon.
  
• Parliament passes Child Labour Bill
  Parliament has passed the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill,2016 with Lok Sabha approving it. The bill seeks to prohibit the employment of children below 14 in all occupations and enterprises, except those run by his or her own family. 
  
  It seeks to make child labour a cognizable offence attracting a jail term of up to three years and penalty upto fifty thousand rupees. Children below 14 will be allowed to work only in family enterprises that too after school hours.
  
  The Bill also defines children between 14 to 18 years as adolescents and bars their employment in any hazardous occupations. 
  
  According to the Minister for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya….
  • The purpose of the bill is to restrict employment of children below 14 years in factories and other establishments.
  • A provision of creating Rehabilitation Fund has also been made for the rehabilitation of children.
  • The new bill has been linked with the Right to Education Act .
  
  
  A United Nations body has expressed concern over the changes made in Child Labour law. UNICEF India said. This could lead to more children working in unregulated conditions. It expressed concern over the provision of children working in family enterprises which, it said, could further disadvantage the most vulnerable children.
  
• Lok Sabha passes Lokpal, Lokayukta Bill; also gives nod to Benami Transactions Bill
  The Lok Sabha on 27th July passed the Lokpal and Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill 2016 without discussion. 
  
  The bill seeks to amend the section 44 of the existing Act, which provided for furnishing of details of assets and liabilities of public servants within 30 days of joining the government service.
  
  As per the amendment, the period of 30 days has been removed and now the public servants will be bound to make declaration of their assets and liabilities in the form and manner as prescribed by government.
  
  The Lok Sabha also passed the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, 2015. The Bill seeks to amend the definition of benami transactions, establishes adjudicating authorities and also an Appellate Tribunal to deal with cases of benami transactions. 
  
  It also specifies prosecution and penalty for entering into benami transactions. 
  According to the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley 
  • The Benami Transactions Prohibition Act- 1988 and it will have 71 sections against 9 sections in the old Act.
  • The new legislation will apply to all the properties which were acquired in the form of benami transactions since 1988.
  • The purpose of the bill is to discourage the activity of acquiring the properties in the name of fictitious and other people.
  • The legislation has the provision of confiscating benami assets 
    
• Parliament passes CAMPA Bill
  In a bid to preserve India's forest life, Rajya Sabha passes Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill. It will pave the way for unlocking Rs 41,000 crore earmarked for forest land, lying unspent for about four years. The efforts to preserve India's forest and jungle life will soon get a legislative boost as the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2016 (CAMPA Bill) has got an approval from the Rajya Sabha. 
  
  Lok sabha has already approved it, and the bill is now just a step away from becoming law. Govt has said that the bill is a step to ensure empowerment of tribals and rural people. 
  
  Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) is meant to promote afforestation and regeneration activities as a way of compensating for forest land diverted to non-forest uses.The bill will work towards achieving this potential. 
  
  If any user agency wants to divert forest land for non-forest purposes, it has to deposit money for compensatory afforestation besides a few other charges. It is to manage this money, and to use it for the designated purposes, that CAMPA is proposed to be set up. 
  
  The compensatory afforestation money is supposed to be collected from the user agency by the government of the state in which the project is located, and deposited with the central government. The money will eventually flow back to the state to be used for afforestation or related works. 
  
  The bill seeks to create a national CAMPA at the central government level, and a state CAMPA in each state and UT. Similarly, a National Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF), and one in each state and UT too are sought to be created. 
  
  The states would, however, receive only 90% of their share; the other 10% would be held back to cover administrative expenses.
  
  The Supreme Court on 10th July 2009 issued orders that there will be CAMPA as National Advisory Council under the chairmanship of the Union Minister of Environment & Forests for monitoring, technical assistance and evaluation of compensatory afforestation activities. But most of about 42 000 crores were locked up till now because of legislative hurdles. 
  
  Setting of campa will eventually allow the centre to release the funds due to states. This may well be a single biggest step taken by India to ensure that while development objectives are met, it does not comes at the cost of country's green cover and forests.
  
• India to host international summit on tobacco-control
  India will host a crucial global summit in November to eliminate the illicit trade of tobacco products in which delegates from 180 countries will take part
  
  India is hosting the 7th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP7) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC). The summit scheduled from November 7-12 at the Indian Exposition Mart in Noida will aim "to eliminate illicit trade of tobacco products." 
  
  About 1,000-1,500 delegates from 180 countries along with observers in official relations with the WHO FCTC are expected to participate in the summit, Patel said. "India has ratified FCTC in 2004 and is a party to it." According to the Indian Council of Medical Research - National Cancer Registry data, the estimated number of cancer cases in the country stood at 14.5 lakh in 2016.
  
  Based on this report, the percentage of tobacco-related cancers is 43.8 among males, 16.0 among females and 30.1 of the population as a whole.
  
• India aims to double tiger count by 2022
  The world has more tigers in captivity than in wild and this unique situation is mainly due to tiger breeding for commercial purposes. The scenario was highlighted jointly by 45 NGOs from across the globe on the occasion of International Tiger Day in New Delhi on 29th July , where India's environment minister Anil Madhav Dave reiterated the government's resolve to double the country's tiger population through conservation and care by 2022.
  
  Dave also appealed to tourists to visit India to see tigers. With 2,226 tigers in its forests reserves, India is home to majority of the world's wild tiger population. The minister emphasised that India is contributing significantly towards achieving the St Petersburg target, commonly referred to as the global wildlife conservation goal `TX2', which aims to double tiger numbers in the next six years
  
  The NGOs noted the proliferation of tiger trade in the world which prompted poachers to lay their hands on tigers wherever they find opportunities to kill them for their body parts. Led by the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), these organisa tions noted that there are 7,000-8,000 captive tigers in the world. They are mainly in four tiger farming countries - China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam -where they are bred for illegal trade.
  
  Incidentally , the number of `captive' tigers is estimated to be double the number of `wild' tigers (3,890 till April, 2016) in the world
  
  Noting that tiger farming in four countries actually undermined tiger conservation efforts across Asia, these organisations urged countries with tiger farms to adopt urgent action to end tiger breeding for commercial purposes and phase out tiger farms.
  
  Raising the alarm of increasing tiger poaching, Debbie Banks, EIA tiger campaign leader, said in a statement, "It is fantastic to see organisations from across the world unite in this call to action to end tiger farming."
  
• Bihar removes toddy from ban list
  The Nitish Kumar government on 30th July decided to exclude toddy from the list of banned intoxicants in Bihar, making a U-turn within 24 hours of tabling of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Bill 2016 in the assembly. The matter was discussed at a cabinet meeting chaired by Kumar and it was agreed upon that toddy will not be banned. The necessary amendment will be made in the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Bill 2016
  
  According to deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Lalu's younger son, till the time state government is able to find some alternate jobs for the toddy-tapping community (pasis), there will be no ban on toddy.
  
• Chandigarh and Sikkim's national park among Heritage Sites
   UNESCO on 17th July listed Chandigarh and Sikkim's national park, Khangchendzonga among its World Heritage Sites. UNESCO approves all three nominations linked to India this session. 
  
  India’s nomination in the ‘Mixed Category’ - Sikkim’s ‘khangchendzonga National Park’ and the beautiful Chandigarh's Capital Complex in the Transnational category recognising the work of Le Corbusier 's new architectural language received world's attention. 
  
  The khangchendzonga National park, located at the heart of the Himalayan range includes a unique diversity of plains, valleys, lakes, glaciers and spectacular snow-capped mountains covered with ancient forests. This decision was taken at the UNESCO World Heritage Committee’s 40th session, currently ongoing at Istanbul, Turkey. 
  
  Earlier, all 21 Member countries of UNESCO agreed and voted in favour of Nalanda University unanimously to be included on the World Heritage Map. 
  
• E-court inaugurated in Hyderabad 
  The first paperless e-court in the Hyderabad High Court got inaugurated on 17th July. The court, which will start functioning from 18th July, will use digitised case records thereby bringing down the human resource required to maintain these on paper. 
  
  The e-court will provide an electronic case list (e-case list) before the presiding judge for him/her to make digital notings on a computer that has electronic case records. 
  
  The case records and notings would be synchronised in the database. Advocates, judges and all litigant parties can use the e-court facility to digitally file records. The Court Display Board will be automatically updated. Even SMS alerts will be automatically sent to advocates. 
  
  Justice P. Naveen Rao, one of the members of Computer Committee of the High Court, will preside over the e-court. To make the e-court functional approximately 1,000 case files had to be digitised initially. 
  
• Density of doctors in India poor, says WHO study
  According to the World Health Organization study titled ‘The Health Workforce in India’, published in June 2016, the density of all doctors — allopathic, ayurvedic, homoeopathic and unani — at the national level was 80 doctors per lakh population compared to 130 in China. 
  
  Ignoring those who don’t have a medical qualification, the number for India fell to 36 doctors per lakh population. As for nurses and midwives, India had 61 workers per lakh population compared to 96 in China. The number reduced tenfold to 6 per lakh population, if only those with a medical qualification were considered. 
  
  The study found substantial variation in the density of health workers across States and districts. For instance, Kerala had 38.4 per cent of the country’s medically qualified nurses but constituted only 3.1 per cent of the total population. Similarly, West Bengal had 30.6 per cent of all homoeopathic doctors in the country but only 7.8% of the population. Better-off States seemed to afford more doctors plus nurses per capita, the study noted. 
  
  District-wise, the inequalities were massive. The density of allopathic doctors with any level of education in the lowest 30 districts — half of which were in north-eastern States and the other in central States — was a little over 9.4 per lakh of the population whereas, in the highest 30 districts, it was 159 per lakh of population, it said. 
  
  In the case of dentists, the situation was even worse. The national density of dentists was extremely low at 2.4 per lakh population, with 58 (of the total 593) districts having no dentists at all in 2001. In fact, 175 districts (30 per cent) had no dentists with a medical qualification. 
  
• Supreme Court accepts Lodha panel recommendations on structural reforms in BCCI
  The Supreme Court on 18th July accepted major recommendations of the Lodha Committee on reforms in BCCI including a bar on ministers and civil servants and those above 70 years of age from becoming its members. 
  
  However the apex court left it to the Parliament to decide whether it should come under RTI and if betting on the game should be legalised. 
  
  The apex court also accepted the recommendations of the Committee headed by retired Chief Justice of India Justice R M Lodha to have a CAG nominee in BCCI. 
  
  A bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice F M I Kalifulla rejected BCCI's objection against recommendations for one-state-one-vote. 
  
  The court said that states like Maharashtra and Gujarat having more than one cricket associations will have voting rights on rotational basis. It accepted the panel's recommendation that there should be a player's association in the BCCI. The bench also accepted the recommendation that one person should hold one post in cricket administration to avoid any conflict of interest and scrapping of all other administrative committees in the BCCI after CAG nominee comes in. 
  
  The court also left it to the Board to decide whether there is need for any changes in the existing agreement relating to broadcasting rights and whether a franchise member should be in the Board to avoid any conflict of interest. 
  
  The bench also requested the three-member panel, also comprising former apex court judges Ashok Bhan and R V Raveendran to oversee the transition of administrative structure in BCCI which has to take place within six months. 
  
  The apex court-appointed Lodha Committee had on January 4 recommended sweeping reforms and an administrative shake-up at the troubled BCCI. 
  
• IISc top Indian institute in 2016 BRICS rankings
  It has been a mixed bag for Indian education institutions in the 2016 edition of the QS World University Rankings for BRICS nations — Brazil, China, India, Russia, and South Africa — released 
  
  While India expanded its base in the rankings with 17.6 per cent of the 250 universities from the country, its highest ranked university, the Indian Institute of Sciences, Bengaluru, fell one place from last year's rankings. Apart from that, six of the top 10 Indian universities in the rankings also lost positions. Also, India has one fewer university in the top 20 when compared to the 2015 rankings. 
  
  Still, India has eight universities in the top 50, same as Russia and one more than Brazil. QS Quacquarelli Symonds, global higher education analysts and compilers of the QS World University Rankings, releases a ranking of the best universities in the BRICS nations every year. 
  
  This year it expanded the survey to the top 250 universities in the bloc. The expanded ranking results showed an increased proportion of Indian universities
  
  In 2015, Indian universities took 31 of the 200 available places — or 15.5 per cent. This year, it was 44 out of 250 or 17.6 per cent. But India's representation remains below that of China (86 universities), Russia (55 universities) and Brazil (54 universities). 
  
• Centre bifurcates Communication Ministry; new ministry for IT
  A new Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has been created by the Centre after bifurcating Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MoC&IT) to exclusively deal with Aadhaar, promotion of internet and other related services. 
  
  According to the decision, there will be two ministries - Ministry of Communications and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Further, the Ministry of Communications will have two departments -Department of Telecommunications and Department of Posts. 
  
  The Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), which used to be in the erstwhile MoC&IT, will be under the new Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. 
  
  President Pranab Mukherjee has approved changes in Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961. The newly formed Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology will deal with all matters related to Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) -mandated to issue Aadhaar numbers to all Indian citizens. 
  
  The matters related to promotion of internet, information technology enabled services, initiative on bridging the digital divide and National Informatics Centre (NIC), among others, will also be dealt by the new ministry. The UIDAI was in September last year shifted from NITI Aayog (formerly Planning Commission) to the administrative control of the MoC&IT. 
  
• Pema Khandu government in Arunachal Pradesh passes floor test
  In Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Pema Khandu has proved his majority during the floor test in the Assembly by voice vote on 20th July. The Assembly also elected Tsering Norbu Thongdok as the new speaker of the House unopposed, following the resignation of former speaker Nabam Rebia After completion of the two agendas the Speaker adjourned the house sine die. In the 60 member house, with an effective strength of 58, Chief Minister Pema Khandu has the support of 47 MLAs, including the two independents. 
  
• Cabinet nod for changes to Benami Transactions Bill
  The Union Cabinet approved amendments to the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) (Amendment) Bill, 2015, to be introduced in Parliament. 
  
  The amendments aim to strengthen the Bill in terms of legal and administrative procedure so as to overcome the practical difficulties which may arise in the implementation of the provisions of the Bill when it becomes an Act. The legislation empowers the government to confiscate benami property by following due procedure. 
  
  The Cabinet also approved the installation of the 1980 MW Ghatampur Thermal Power Project (GTPC) through a joint venture between Neyveli Lignite Corporation and Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL). The JV is to be named Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Power Limited (NUPPL). 
  
• SC/ST quota for job promotion: SC seeks Centre's response
  The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre on a plea alleging that it has failed to adhere to its earlier order of maintaining status quo with regard to reservation in job promotion for Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes. The order was passed by a bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar and A M Sapre. 
  
  The apex court had on February 3, 2015 ordered status quo in job promotion for SCs/STs on the basis of quota and had clubbed several special leave petitions filed by various central government departments, including Income Tax department and Indian Railways. 
  
  A plea seeking initiation of contempt proceedings filed by NGO Samta Andolan Samiti through its president Parashar Narayan Sharma has alleged that despite the status quo order of the court, the central government has failed to implement it and several promotion orders for various posts in all cadres were issued. 
  
  The apex court had earlier this year has held that Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe members cannot claim quota as a right in government job promotion, as the State was not constitutionally obliged to give preferential treatment to any community in promotion. 
  
  It had said that the government was not bound by any constitutional provision to frame a policy for reservation in promotion and the court could not order making reservation in promotion mandatory. 
  
• PM lays foundation stone of AIIMS 
  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22nd July laid the foundation stone of All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and revival of fertilizer factory at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. 
  
  He expressed his firm commitment to bring change in lives of the farmers. Mr. Modi said that the Government has also cared for cane growers and said their pending cane prices are being paid. Prime Minister expressed the need for industrial revolution in East Uttar Pradesh. The Government decided to revive the closed fertilizer factories like Gorakhpur, Barauni and sindari. 
  
• Lok Sabha goes paperless
  The Lok Sabha has gone paperless as part of a green initiative aimed at saving reams of paper and making proceedings more efficient. The government also plans to stop publishing multiple copies of the reports tabled in the Lower House, it is reliably learnt. The transition to the digital version of the committee reports will happen in a gradual manner over a period of time. 
  
  The Rajya Sabha had already gone paperless since last year. In May this year, the Centre had announced that Central government ministries and departments will be rewarded for successful implementation of e-Office or ‘paperless office’ initiative. 
  
• Centre sets up panel to draft an exclusive law on river Ganga
  The Union water resources ministry on 22nd July set up a Committee, headed by justice (retired) Giridhar Malaviya, to prepare a draft legislation on the country's national river within three months. Tenure of the Committee, having four other members, may be extended for three more months, if required. 
  
  The other members of the panel include V K Bhasin, ex-secretary of the legislative department of the government of India; A K Gosain of IIT Delhi and Nayan Sharma of IIT Roorkee. 
  
  The Committee has been asked to prepre a Draft Act on Ganga ensuring wholesomeness of the River. The Act should have provisions to ensure cleanliness (Nirmalta) and uninterrupted e-flow (avirlta) of Ganga. The Committee may take into consideration any other issue which it may deem fit in the drafting of the Act. The law, if enacted, will help the Centre to properly implement the inter-state nature of works through a coordinated manner. It may also provide the existing National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) legal teeth to its task of Ganga cleaning in a much more effective way. 
  
  The NGRBA is a key central body which monitors planning and execution of all schemes of Ganga rejuvenation in coordination with five river basin states -- Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. 
  
  The decision to have a central law on the river Ganga was taken in the last meeting of the NGRBA on July 4 when all the five states had agreed in-principle to have such legislation. 
  
  At present, local authorities have been handling the river pollution issue under the existing Water (prevention and control of pollution) Act which has, so far, remained ineffective in handling the matter due to inter-state nature of works and lack of punitive action. 
  
• Radio News broadcast completes 89 years 
  Radio News broadcast completes 89 years on 23rd July. The first ever news bulletin in the country went on the air from the Bombay Station on July 23, 1927 under a private company, the Indian Broadcasting Company. A month later on August 26, 1927 another bulletin in Bengali was started from the Calcutta Station. 
  
  Until 1935, two bulletins, one each in English and Hindustani were broadcast from Bombay and a bulletin in Bengali was broadcast from Calcutta. 
  
  The service was renamed All India Radio on June 8, 1936. 
  
  All India Radio, now under Prasar Bharati, has the distinction of being one of the major broadcasting organizations in the world. From 27 news bulletins in 1939-40, AIR News today puts out more than 654 bulletins daily in 91 languages and dialects, which includes 15 foreign languages, for its listeners in India and abroad. 
  
  Mr. Charles Barnes was the first news editor of this organisation. In 1936, talks on current topics were introduced for the first time. Radio Newsreel was started in 1955 both in English and Hindi. 
  
  It was called Radio Newsreel and Samachar Darshan. The daily and weekly reviews of the proceedings in Parliament were introduced in February 1961.The bulk of AIR news comes from its Correspondents spread all over the country. 
  
• Dabbawalas to spread swachhata message
   The government has reached out to the "dabbawalas" of Mumbai to spread the message of "swachhata" (sanitation). The urban development ministry has sought the help of the nearly 5,000 tiffin box suppliers to promote good sanitation practices and paste the messsages on lunch boxes. 
  
  Dabbawalas supply around 1.7-2 lakh tiffin boxes daily to office-goers in the country's financial capital. The government has named Mumbai's tiffin box suppliers as ambassadors of the Swachh Bharat initiative. 
  
  Meanwhile, the ministry has also launched a fortnightlong intensive exercise to rope in residents welfare associations and mohalla committees for sanitation and awareness programmes. The Centre has asked states and cities to felicitate well-performing RWAs and also to rank them, if possible. 
  
  Officials said these initiatives were being taken to bring change in people's behaviour, which is the biggest challenge in achieving complete sanitation by 2019. Filth in cities and improper disposal of municipal solid waste are concerns difficult for the government to address without public participation. 
  
• Changes in Union cabinet
  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has affected fresh changes in his council of Ministers soon after the second expansion that took place this month just before he headed off for his maiden mainland Africa visit. 
  
  Minority Affairs cabinet Minister Najma Heptulla has quit apart from Minister of State G M Siddeshwara. 
  
  Their resignations has been accepted by President Pranab Mukherjee on the PM's advise Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has got independent charge of the Ministry of Minority Affairs. 
  
  Minister of State Babul Supriyo has seen a change of portfolios from MoS Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation. He's been sent to the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises in Siddeshwara's place. 
  
• Supreme Court panel indicts former CBI chief Ranjit Sinha
  Former CBI Director Ranjit Sinha has been indicted by a Supreme Court-appointed panel which has held that prima facie there was an attempt to influence investigation into the coal block allocation scam. The court also pulled up CBI for its sluggish probe in the coal scam that had taken place during the UPA government’s tenure and directed the agency to complete the investigation expeditiously. 
  
  The apex court, which is monitoring the probe into Coalgate, was on 12th July told by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that the panel headed by former CBI special director M L Sharma has held that Sinha’a meetings with some of the high- profile accused in the scam prima facie indicated that there was an attempt to influence the investigation. 
  
  Rohtagi, who only had received an initial report of the panel for perusal on condition of maintaining its confidentiality, said that he had gone through the report which has found that the visitors’ diary at Sinha’s residence was genuine. 
  
  However, he said that the correctness of entries in the visitors’ diary can only be ascertained in the court of law through evidence. 
  
• Supreme Court orders restoration of congress govt in Arunachal Pradesh
  The Supreme Court on 13th July ordered the restoration of former Chief Minister Nabam Tuki's Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh. A five-judge constitution bench pronounced the verdict on a bunch of petitions dealing with discretionary powers of Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa to summon or advance the assembly session. It said, the Governor's direction on conducting assembly proceedings is unconstitutional. 
  
  The court set aside all steps and decision taken by the Legislative Assembly pursuant to Governor's December 9th, last year order saying that they are unsustainable. 
  
  The apex court had, in February, reserved its judgement in the case. It had said the verdict will not only have its effect on Arunachal Pradesh, but affect every state. 
  
  Just before the court had reserved its verdict, rebel Congress leader Kalikho Pul was sworn-in as the ninth Chief Minister of the state. He got the support of 18 dissident Congress MLAs and two independents, with 11 BJP MLAs giving him outside support. 
  
  Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul said that he would file review petition of today's Supreme Court verdict. 
  
• Governor asked Nabam tuki to prove majority
  Arunachal Pradesh Governor Tathagata Roy on 14th July reinstated Nabam Tuki as Chief Minister and asked him to prove his majority on the floor of the assembly by July 16. While former CM Kalikho Pul presents 36 MLAs in his support. In Arunachal Pradesh Governor Tathagata Roy has informed Nabam Tuki that he stands reinstated as the Chief Minister of the State. 
  
  The Governor has also asked the Chief Minister to call the State Legislative Assembly session immediately and to prove his majority in the house no later than July 16 next. 
  
  In order to ensure that the proceedings of the assembly may take place peacefully and otherwise appropriately, Roy, who is the acting Governor during the absence of Governor J.P. Rajkhowa, desired that proceedings be videographed throughout and the majority as aforesaid proved by division and not by voice vote, Potom said, adding that a note to this effect has also been sent to the assembly secretary. 
  
• India becomes first YAWS-free country
  India was acknowledged as the first country in the world to become YAWS-free. According to the JP Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, that he had received an official citation from the World Health Organisation and the UNICEF for Elimination of Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus (MNTE) and for being YAWS-free 
  
  YAWS is a kind of bacterial infection that affects skin, bones and joints, while tetanus, another bacterial infection, leads to muscle spasms that can be fatal. According to the official statement said, “India was validated for MNTE in April 2015, much ahead of the global target date of December 2015.” According to the WHO, 19 countries have still not reached the MNTE status. 
  
• India has the most adolescent school dropouts
  A joint study by Unesco Institute for Statistics and the Global Education Monitoring Report has found that 47 million adolescents in India have not progressed to upper secondary school. As per the data, the country has the highest number of out-of-school adolescents in the world. 
  
  Globally, about 263 million children and adolescents are out of school, which is equivalent to about a quarter of the population of Europe. 
  
  Sharing India specific data, the report also highlighted that 2.9 million children have not attended school at all, which is the third highest number of out-of-primary school children in a country after Nigeria and Pakistan. 
  
  But comparative data showed that things have improved since 2010 when almost 21 million primary school age children were out of school. The report found that poverty is a significant barrier to education in India. 
  
  Of all regions, sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of exclusion. Over a fifth of children between the ages of six and 11 are out of school, followed by a third of adolescents aged 12 and 14. Almost 60% of adolescents aged between 15 and 17 years are not in school. 
  
  A key obstacle to achieving the agreed target is persistent disparities in education participation linked to sex, location and wealth. 
  
  Armed conflict poses another major barrier to education, with globally, 35% or 22 million of all out-of-school children of primary education age live in areas affected by conflict. In general, 15 to 17-year-olds are four times as likely to be out of school as are children aged six to 11. This is partly because primary and lower secondary education is compulsory in nearly every country, while upper secondary school is not. At the same time, these youths are often of legal working age. Many have no choice but to work while others try to combine going to school with employment. 
  
  Also girls are more likely than boys to never set foot in a classroom, despite efforts made and progress achieved over the past two decades -- 15 million girls of primary school age will never get the chance to learn to read or write in primary school compared to about 10 million boys. Over half of these girls - 9 million - live in sub-Saharan Africa. 
  
• Nalanda University enters UNESCO's World Heritage List
  The archaeological site of Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) in Bihar has been included in the UNESCO's World Heritage List, which also featured three new sites from China, Iran and Micronesia. The inclusion of the four new sites was announced at the 40th session of The World Heritage Committee meeting in Istanbul in Turkey. Nalanda stands out as one of the most ancient universities in South Asia
  
  The site includes stupas, shrines, viharas (residential and educational buildings) and important art works in stucco, stone and metal. The University engaged in the organised transmission of knowledge over an uninterrupted period of 800 years. 
  
  The historical development of the site testifies to the development of Buddhism into a religion and the flourishing of monastic and educational traditions. 
  
  The Nalanda archaeological site got included in the Tentative List of World Heritage on January 9, 2009. The nomination dossier was prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and submitted in January 2015 to the World Heritage Committee for the purpose of its inscription in the year 2016. 
  
  Besides the site of India, the other names included in the UNESCO World Heritage List are 'The Persian Qanat' of Iran, 'Nan Madol'-- ceremonial centre of Eastern Micronesia -- and 'Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape' of China. 
  
  With its entry into the coveted UNESCO list, Nalanda University has become the 26th 'cultural site' of India to get the prestigious status, a statement quoting Chaitnya Prasad, Principal Secretary to the art and culture department. 
  
• UNESCO
  In 1945, UNESCO was created in order to respond to the firm belief of nations, forged by two world wars in less than a generation that political and economic agreements are not enough to build a lasting peace. Peace must be established on the basis of humanity’s moral and intellectual solidarity. 
  
  Its headquarters is in Paris, France. 
  
  List of UNESCO heritage sites in India
  • Agra Fort (1983)
  • Ajanta Caves (1983)
  • Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) at Nalanda, Bihar (2016)
  • Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989)
  • Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (2004)
  • Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004)
  • Churches and Convents of Goa (1986)
  • Elephanta Caves (1987)
  • Ellora Caves (1983)
  • Fatehpur Sikri (1986)
  • Great Living Chola Temples (1987)
  • Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986)
  • Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984)
  • Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987)
  • Hill Forts of Rajasthan (2013)
  • Humayun's Tomb, Delhi (1993)
  • Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986)
  • Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (2002)
  • Mountain Railways of India (1999)
  • Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993)
  • Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat (2014)
  • Red Fort Complex (2007)
  • Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003)
  • Sun Temple, Konarak (1984)
  • Taj Mahal (1983)
  • The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (2010)
  
  Natural (7) 
  • Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (2014)
  • Kaziranga National Park (1985)
  • Keoladeo National Park (1985)
  • Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985)
  • Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988)
  • Sundarbans National Park (1987)
  • Western Ghats (2012)
  
  
• MP Cabinet approves setting up of Happiness Department in state
  In Madhya Pradesh, the Shivraj cabinet on 15th July gave its nod to set up Happiness Department in the state. This department will work as knowledge resource centre on the subject of happiness. A state Happiness Institute will also be established under the Happiness Department. 
  
  Madhya Pradesh is the first state of the country to set up such a Department. The new department will identify and define the parameters of happiness. 
  
  It will prepare guidelines for coordination between different departments for propagating happiness in the state. Initially, it will have a budget of three crore 60 lakh rupees. The state government has also decided to give Simhastha Jyoti medals to officers and employees who made security arrangements in Ujjain during the Simhastha. 
  
  The happiness department will identify and define the parameters of happiness and efficiency. It will prepare guidelines for coordination between different departments for propagating happiness in the state. It would also prescribe action plan and activities for experiencing happiness. The department will assess mind-set of state's people from time to time. It would compile and publish survey reports pertaining to status of happiness. 
  
• Arunachal Pradesh Governor rejects CM Nabam Tuki’s request
  In Arunachal Pradesh, Governor Tathagata Roy rejected the plea of Chief Minister Nabam Tuki to defer the Assembly session. 
  
  Mr. Roy asked Tuki to prove his majority in the floor of the house on 16th July. The Governor had on 14th July asked Mr Tuki to summon the Assembly session and prove his majority on or before 16th July. 
  
  Tuki convened the state cabinet meeting at his office in Itanagar, where the main agenda was the postponement of the Assembly session. 
  
  The meeting was attended by three Cabinet Ministers out of nine. Later, Tuki met Governor Tathagata Roy and submitted a representation to defer the assembly session for 10 days. 
  
• Census 2011 records rise in literacy among disabled
  More than half of the total disabled population in India is now literate, new numbers released from Census 2011 show. The literacy rate among the disabled has increased from 49.3 per cent in 2001 to 54.5 per cent in 2011. However, this is significantly lower than the overall literacy level of India which stands at 74 per cent. Both rural and urban areas saw an increase of around four percentage points in literacy rate of the disabled. 
  
  Among the urban disabled, 68 per cent are literate while the number stands at 49 per cent for disabled in the rural areas. 
  
  The difference between literacy rate of males and females is wider in rural areas — 72 per cent of disabled males and 61 per cent of disabled females in urban areas are literate, a difference of nine percentage points. But in rural areas, the difference stands at 20 percentage points, as 58 per cent of disabled males and only 38 per cent of disabled females are literate. 
  
• Pema Khandu elected as leader of Congress Party in Arunachal Pradesh
  In Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu has been unanimously elected as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party. He is the son of former Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Dorjee Khandu and represents Moktu Assembly constituency in Tawang district. 
  
  Earlier, Nabam Tuki resigned as Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. The floor test did not happen on 16th July as Nabam Tuki resigned against whom the no confidence motion was to be held. After the CLP meeting Pema Khandu met Governor Tataghata Roy to stake claim to from the government. Pema Khandu has the support of 47 members, including the two Independent MLAs, in the 60 member house. 
  
  Nabam Tuki resigns: Nabam Tuki resigned as Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister after Pema Khandu elected as the leader of Congress legislature party; Khandu stakes claim to form the government in the state. Nabam Tuki tendered his resignation to Governor Tataghata Roy at the Raj Bhawan in Itanagar. 
  
• NPCIL Nuclear plants insured
  India’s first insurance policy covering public liability to an atomic power plant operator has been issued to Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) but the reinstatement of insurance value post a claim will be decided later.
  
  The total premium came around Rs. 100 crore for a risk cover of Rs. 1,500 crore. The policy complies with all the provisions of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act.
  
  The Central government had announced in June 2015 the setting up of the Rs. 1,500-crore India Nuclear Insurance Pool to be managed by national reinsurer GIC Re. The insurance policy was issued by the country’s largest non-life insurer New India Assurance Company Ltd.
  
  The policy would cover the liability towards public as a consequence of any nuclear accident in the plants covered under the policy and also the right of recourse of NPCIL against equipment suppliers. The insurance coverage will be for all the NPCIL’s plants.
  
  Queried about the reinstatement premium, the official said it would be decided post a claim based on the capacity — to underwrite the risk — available with the insurers. 
  
• BRICS meeting on 'Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency' begins in Vizag
  BRICS Working Group Meeting on “Energy Savings and Energy Efficiency” in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh began on 4th July. The Union Ministry of Power is hosting the Working group meeting. Energy cooperation through joint research and technology projects is among the main objectives of the two-day deliberations. 
  
  On the first day, delegates from each nation gave Power Point presentation on the energy saving practices being implemented in their countries. Later, they discussed on the efficient management practices for saving energy. 
  
  The Heads of Delegation of the Working Group will make a comprehensive plan on cooperation in energy saving and energy efficiency within the purview of BRICS nations during the meet. 
  
  Arriving at a consensus would serve as a guiding tool for the efforts being taken by the participating nations in energy saving and energy efficiency. 
  
  The Government of India is showcasing its programme to enhance industrial energy efficiency during the two-day BRICS Working Group Meeting on Energy.
  
  The efforts made by Andhra Pradesh to save energy in Visakhapatnam efficiently through LED street lighting project would also be showcased and it is termed as Vizag Model of LED Energy Efficient Street Lighting.
  
  Draft action plan: The first meeting of the BRICS Working Group on "Energy Efficiency and Energy Savings" concluded in Visakhapatnam on 5th July. 
  
  BRICS nations have come out with a draft action plan to jointly work on research as well as technological development to promote energy saving and efficiency through a host of initiatives that could be supported by the group's development bank. 
  
  The draft action plan, adopted at the two-day meeting of the Working Group hosted by the Union Power Ministry and attended by about 30 delegates will be submitted for approval of the Energy Ministers of the participating countries-Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa later this year. 
  
  The joint statement of BRICS reiterated the commitment of the Member countries to pursue cooperation in the field of energy saving and energy efficiency through joint research and technology projects; technology transfer; conferences, lectures and seminars; and exchange of experience and best practices. 
  
  According to the additional Secretary, Ministry of Power B P Pandey, the "broad elements" agreed upon included building capacities, sharing best practices and policies, developing technology, promoting energy efficiency and saving methods by business entities as well as financing of such initiatives through BRICS Development Bank. 
  
  Under the Paris Agreement, India is committed to reduce emissions by 30 to 35 per cent by the year 2030. The Centre has also set a target of producing 160 Giga Watt of renewable energy by 2022.
  
• National mineral exploration policy unveiled
  The National mineral exploration policy has been unveiled on 4th July to adopt comprehensive exploration of non fuel and non coal mineral resources. The new policy aims to bring together best of knowledge and experience, modern technology, trained manpower and financial resources on a collaborative platform. 
  
  Space technology would be used to check illegal mining by developing a mining surveillance system. 
  
  Releasing the policy at National conclave on mines and minerals at Raipur in Chhattisgarh Union minister of steel and mines Narendra Singh Tomar said the objective is to set in motion a massive process for mineral exploration on the country that would give a major boost to the economy.
  
  Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Raman Singh was also present on the occasion.
  
• Union Cabinet reshuffled
  In a major expansion, nineteen new Ministers of State have been inducted in the Union Council of Ministers. Besides, Minister of State with independent charge, Prakash Javdekar was elevated to the Cabinet rank.
  
  Indian President Pranab Mukherjee administered the oath of office and secrecy to them at Rashtrapati Bhavan. 
  
  The Ministers of State are Faggan Singh Kulste, S S Ahluwalia, Ramesh Jigjinagi, Vijay Goel, Ramdas Athawale, Rajen Gohain, Anil Madhav Dave, Parshottam Rupala, M J Akbar, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Jaswant Sinh Bhabhor, Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, Ajay Tamta, Smt. Krishna Raj, Mansukh Mandaviya, Anupriya Patel, C R Chaudhary, P P Chaudhary, Dr Subhash Bhamre.
  
  Among the newly inducted Ministers, three each are from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Rajasthan has got four berths in expansion while Maharashtra two. There is one Minister each from West Bengal, Assam, Karnataka and Uttarakhand.
  
  Of the nineteen new ministers, 17 are from the BJP, one each from Apna Dal and RPI. There are two minority leaders - MJ Akbar and SS Ahluwalia and two women Anupriya Singh Patel and Krishna Raj.
  
  Five Ministers have also been dropped from the Union Council of Ministers. They are Minister of State for Water Resources Sanwar Lal Jat, Minister of State for Agriculture, Mohanbhai Kundariya , Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Nihal Chand, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Mansukhbhai Vasava and Minister of State for HRD Ram Shankar Katheria. President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted their resignations.
  
  Changes in Cabinet Ministers: Smriti Irani: HRD to Textiles
  • Prakash Javadekar: HRD
  • Ravi Shankar Prasad: Get charge of Law, lost Telecom
  • Venkaiah Naidu: additional charge of Information and Broadcasting
  • Jayant Sinha: moved from Finance to Civil Aviation
  • Ananth Kumar: additional charge of Parliamentary Affairs
  • Sadananda Gowda: moved from Law to Statics 
    
• Union Cabinet approves major port at Enayam in Tamil Nadu
  Union Cabinet has given an 'in-principle' approval for setting up a major port at Enayam in Tamil Nadu. According to the Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad a Special Purpose Vehicle will be formed for development of Port and it will act as a major gateway container port for cargo.
  
  The cabinet has cleared National Apprentice Promotion Scheme with outlay of 10,000 crores rupees. The scheme has a target of 50 lakh apprentices by 2019-20.
  
  The union minister said that the Government's conscious focus on increasing employment and skill development are going on simultaneously. The names of Madras, Bombay and Calcutta high courts will now be changed to Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata High Courts.
  
• ISRO study reveals, land undergoing degradation
  According to the satellite imageries study of ISRO, it concluded that nearly 30 per cent per cent of the country’s total geographical area is undergoing degradation
  
  The degrading area has increased over 0.5 per cent to 29.3 million hectares during the period, as shown by comparative remote-sensing satellite imageries of the States for the periods 2003-05 and 2011-13. Desertification increased by 1.16 million hectares (m ha) and stood at 82.64 m ha during 2011-13.
  
  There was high desertification and degradation in Delhi, Tripura, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh and Mizoram, while Odisha, Telangana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh showed some improvement.
  
  The ongoing study, initiated by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, was led by the Indian Space Research Organisation and involved 19 institutes. ISRO’s Space Applications Centre released the findings last month in the form of a ‘Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas’, combining GIS and remote sensing data.
  
  India has committed itself to the U.N. Convention on Combating Desertification that it would fully stop land degradation by 2030. The atlas, adding 68 vulnerable districts, would form part of the country’s action plan to arrest the phenomenon and also be a status report to the U.N. body, ISRO said. The SAC had undertaken a similar study in 2007.
  
  Just nine States together account for nearly 24 per cent of desertification; the other States have less than one per cent of this land. The culprit States in that order are Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana.
  
  Southern State Kerala figures among northern and northeastern States where less than 10 per cent land is degraded. With it are relatively greener States of Assam, Mizoram, Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Arunachal Pradesh.
  
  The bad news is that 3.6 million ha of productive land are getting lost, while on the positive side, some land has been reclaimed and the intensity of degradation has been slowed down in a few other areas. The main culprit is water erosion (26 per cent) followed by degrading vegetation (rising slightly nearly nine per cent) and land or soil erosion due to wind.
  
• Telangana seeks Rs. 5,000 crore for Mission Kakatiya
  Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on 2nd July requested the Centre to extend financial assistance of Rs. 5,000 crore for the Mission Kakatiya programme.
  
  The ambitious programme is being implemented for restoration of minor irrigation tanks, ensuring water conservation and improving groundwater table.
  
  The Chief Minister, in a letter to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, sought financial assistance for the programme over the next three years.
  
  Launched last year, the Mission Kakatiya programme aims to restore over 46,500 minor irrigation tanks and revive the chain of connected waterbodies introduced by the Kakatiya dynasty.
  
  Thus far, more than 8,000 tanks have been taken up for restoration, by strengthening the bunds, revival of feeder channels, and develop other infrastructure. The State proposes to take up 8,700 more tanks this year.
  
  In his letter to the Union Finance Minister, the Chief Minister has mentioned about the Niti Aayog recommendation for financial assistance to the programme and highlighted the provisions in the AP Reorganisation Act for sanction of a Special Development Package for backward districts in Telangana, according to a statement from the CMO.
  
  The Chief Minister mentioned about the State seeking a special package of Rs. 30,571 crore for the implementation of Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha programmes.
  
• Namami Gange projects for cleaning at nearly 250 places
  Namami Gange programme for cleaning of river Ganga was launched from Haridwar. Simultaneous programmes were launched at many other places also for cleaning of Ganga and its tributaries from Gangotri to Howrah.
  
  According to the Minister of Water Resources Uma Bharati, the cleaning up of Ganga from Gangotri to Ganga Sagar will be completed by 2018.
  
  Projects under Namami Gange involve modernization and redevelopment of Ghats and crematoriums, development of sewage infrastructure and treatment, afforestation, tree plantation, pilot drain project, interceptor drain project, trash skimmers and conservation of biodiversity.
  
  Under Ganga Gram Yojana, 400 villages along the river will be developed as Ganga Gram in phase-I. Thirteen IITs have adopted five villages each for development as Ganga Grams.
  
• Centre constitutes cyber cell to check online abuse
  Centre has constituted a cyber cell to check the online abuse and harassment of women and children on social media platforms. 
  
  According to the Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi her Ministry has taken the decision as it has got several complaints from women. She also clarified that the Ministry will not be policing the internet and it will only examine the complaints.
  
  The move came in the wake of reported increase in abuse or harassment of women on social media. Recently, the Women and Child Development Ministry had advised women and children to send their complaints and since then it has been receiving a large number of complaints.
  
• Govt launches KVK portal for monitoring of farm centres
  Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on 8th July launched a portal of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in New Delhi. The portal will provide information and advisory to the farmers and facilitate online monitoring of the KVK activities. 
  
  Besides, weather and market related information, question and answer facility will also be available to the farmers. The portal will also provide agriculture related information of the districts to the farmers.
  
  KVKs are the main center of knowledge and resource in the field of agriculture at the district level. The mandate of KVK is technology assessment and demonstration for its Application and capacity development. At present 645 Krishi Vigyan Kendras are operational in the country.
  
• Excessive force in disturbed areas not good: Supreme Court 
  The Supreme Court on 8th July ruled the army cannot use excessive force during counter-insurgency operations in areas declared disturbed under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and criminal courts do have the jurisdiction over cases of alleged excesses by security forces.
  
  The verdict came on the plea by the Extra Judicial Execution Victim Families Association (EEVFAM) which has sought a SIT probe into the killing of 1,528 persons by the Manipur Police and security forces since 1978.
  
  In a significant conclusion, the court said that "merely because a person is carrying arms in a disturbed area, he does not ipso facto become an enemy. There has to be something much more to brand such a person as an enemy. That a person is not a mere law-breaker but an enemy can be determined only by a thorough enquiry". 
  
  
• President inaugurates smart model village pilot project
  President Pranab Mukherjee on 2nd July inaugurated a smart model village pilot project at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Five villages of Haryana will be developed into the smart villages under the pilot project. These villages are Dhaula, Alipur, Harichandpur and Taj Nagar from Gurgaon district and Rojka Meo from Mewat district. According to President of India Mukherjee 
  • It is only the representatives of the villages who can transform this country.
  • The progress and development can be achieved at the desirable speed only in partnership with these decision makers in the villages.
  • Emphasized the need to empower women and youth.
  
  
• Govt launches new initiative to skill workforce for jobs abroad
  Ministries of external affairs and skill development & entrepreneurship have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 2nd July for implementing Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PKVY), a skill development initiative. 
  
  PKVY will train and certify Indian workforce keen on overseas employment in select sector, in line with international standards. It will be implemented by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) through its training partners, in consultation with the ministry of external affairs (MEA) and the skill development ministry. 
  
  As part of the collaboration, potential emigrant workers can avail of work-related skill training under PKVY or any other similar government’s skill development programme, which would take place at transnational standards. 
  
  Skill development ministry, through NSDC, proposes to establish customised international skill centres to operationalise this initiative. 
  
  MEA role would be to support pre-departure orientation training, which will include language and soft skills training modules. The training offered will also be backed by an internationally recognised assessment and certification system. 
  
  Commenting on the signing of the MoU, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said this collaborative effort between the two ministries would enhance overseas employment opportunities for Indian workers, boost the Skill India Mission and is an important step towards the realisation of Prime Minster Narendra Modi’s vision of transforming India into the skill capital of the world.