Current affairs : August 11, 2016
Paid maternity leave increased to 6 months
The Union Cabinet has approved amendments to the Maternity Benefit Act of 1961 to increase paid leave for expectant mothers from three months to
six and a half months. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill of 2016 will now
be introduced in the Rajya Sabha.
MPs petition PM for hike in MPLAD Fund
A delegation of MPs has petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi
for an increase in the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD)
Fund. The delegation has asked that the fund, currently Rs. 5 crore for a
five-year term (Rs. 1 crore for each year), be increased to Rs. 25 crore.
Cabinet nod for changes to
FDI regulations in NBFCs
The Cabinet has approved a proposal to amend rules for foreign
investment in non-banking finance companies (NBFCs).
- Foreign investment in ‘other financial services’ that are not regulated by any regulators or by a government agency can be made via the approval route.
- Minimum capitalisation norms as mandated under FDI policy have been eliminated as most of the regulators have already fixed minimum capitalisation norms.
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project dedicated to Nation:
Kudankulam Nuclear Power
Project (KKNPP): First unit of KKNPP was recently dedicated to the nation. The
1,000-MWe KNPP-1 is the largest single unit of electrical power in India. The
first Unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant was built with the expertise
of the Russians after a pact between the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and
Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in November 1988.
Union Cabinet approved Agreement between India and Croatia on Economic Cooperation:
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing and
ratification of an Agreement between India and Croatia on Economic Cooperation.
India and Croatia had earlier signed an Agreement on trade and economic cooperation in September, 1994 with an aim to promote and develop
bilateral trade and economic relations. Croatia is a sovereign state at the
crossroads of Central Europe, Southeast Europe, and the Mediterranean. It is a
member of the European Union (EU), United Nations (UN), the Council of Europe,
NATO, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and a founding member of the Union for
the Mediterranean.
New Chairman to Central Silk Board:
K M Hanumantharayappa has assumed charge as new Chairman of
Central Silk Board, Union Ministry of Textiles. He is the 25th Chairman of the
Central Silk Board. CSB is a statutory body established under the Central Silk
Board Act, 1948. It functions under the aegis of Union Ministry of Textile.
- China Lauched high resolution imaging saellite Gaofen-3
- It can take accurate pictures of the planet.
