Current affairs : December 29, 2016 for all competitive exams
Cabinet approves International Solar Alliance (ISA)
The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval to the proposal of
Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) for ratification of ISA’s
Framework Agreement by India.
- ISA was launched jointly by the Prime Minister of
India and the President of France on 30th November, 2015 at Paris on the
side-lines of the 21st CoP meeting of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change.
- The ISA aims to bring together more than 121 solar
resource rich nations for coordinated research, low cost financing and
rapid deployment.
- The foundation stone of the ISA Headquarters was
laid at Gwal Pahari, Guragaon in Haryana.
Cabinet approves Road
Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved a Centrally
Sponsored Scheme namely “Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism
(LWE) Affected Areas” to improve the rural road connectivity in the worst LWE
affected districts from security angle.
- The project will be implemented as a vertical under
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to provide connectivity with
necessary culverts and cross-drainage structures in 44 worst affected LWE
districts and adjoining districts, critical from security and
communication point of view. The roads will be operable throughout the
year irrespective of all weather conditions.
- Under the project, construction/upgradation of
5,411.81 km road and 126 bridges/Cross Drainage works will be taken up at
an estimated cost of Rs.11,724.53 crore.
Centre’s nod for apex corridor development body
The Centre has approved the re-designation of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial
Corridor Project Implementation Trust Fund as National Industrial Corridor
Development & Implementation Trust (NICDIT) — the apex body to oversee
development of all industrial corridors across the country.
- Alkesh Kumar Sharma, the current chief executive of
the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation, will have
additional charge as the member secretary and the chief executive of the
NICDIT.
- The body assumes importance as central government
funds, meant for the development of all industrial corridors, will be
routed through it.
Cabinet approved the promulgation of ordinance on
demonetisation
The Cabinet has approved the promulgation of an ordinance extinguishing the
Reserve Bank of India’s liability for cancelled Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes as
the logical conclusion to the government’s demonetisation initiative.
- It will provide a limited window for depositing the
cancelled notes at select RBI branches until March 31and also prescribes a
monetary penalty for anyone holding such currency in large quantities
after the deadline.
- The ordinance also seeks to make possession of more than
ten Rs.500 or Rs.1,000 notes after deadline a penal
offence attracting monetary fine of Rs.10,000 or five times the cash held,
whichever is higher.
Centre okays Rs 266 crore for AMRUT work
The Centre has approved Rs 266 crore for augmenting water supply and
sewerage networks in Delhi under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation (AMRUT) in 2016-17.
- The entire cost is being provided as central
assistance to the Delhi government under AMRUT.
- Out of this, Rs 215 crore will be invested in improving
water supply, and Rs 254 crore for augmenting sewerage networks and
septage management. Another Rs 8 crore will be utilised for drainage
networks and Rs 12 crore for developing open and green spaces.
AMRUT is the new avatar of the Jawaharlal Nehru National
Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). It adopts a project approach to ensure basic
infrastructure services relating to water supply, sewerage, storm-water drains,
transportation and development of green spaces and parks with special provision
for meeting the needs of children.
Centre calls for
Internet jammers in school buses
The Centre has suggested the
installation of Internet jammers in school buses to prevent easy access of porn
material by adults in charge of children travelling in these vehicles.
- The government was responding to a petition filed by
the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association seeking a direction to all
schools to install jammers in buses carrying children.
- The petition said this step would prevent bus staff or anyone in charge of the children from accessing pornographic sites on their cell phones or other devices.
Govt launches Swachh Swasth
Sarvatra initiative
Government of India launched
Swachh Swasth Sarvatra initiative, aiming at strengthening health centres in
open defecation-free blocks.
- Launching this initiative in New Delhi, Health Ministry J P Nadda stated that the objective of this initiative is to strengthen community health centres in 708 Open Defecation free blocks across the country to enable them to achieve higher levels of cleanliness and hygiene.
DoPT’s fresh guidelines on sexual harassment at workplace
The Department of Personnel and Training has issued fresh guidelines
regarding sexual harassment of women at workplace.
- It has been asserted in the guidelines that the
enquiry of cases must be completed within 30 days and under any
circumstances within 90 days from the date of the complaint.
- All ministries have to submit a monthly progress
report to the Ministry of Women and Child Development so that the progress
can be monitored.
- The definition of “aggrieved woman”, who will get
protection under the Act is extremely wide to cover all women,
irrespective of her age or employment status, whether in the organized or
unorganized sectors, public or private and covers clients, customers and
domestic workers as well.
Union Home Minister chairs Southern Zonal Council meeting
The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh chaired the 27th meeting of the
Southern Zonal Council at Thiruvananthapuram recently.
- The Council reviewed progress of implementation of
various recommendations made in the last meeting relating to issues of
fishermen, Peninsular Region Industrial Development Corridor, Extension of
High Speed Rail Corridor and Amendments to the New Road Transport &
Road Safety Bill.
- The five Zonal Councils were set up under the
States’ Reorganization Act, 1956 to foster Inter-State cooperation and
coordination among the States.
AIRIA ties up with Tripura University for imparting
rubber technology programmes
The All Indian Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA), the apex body of Rs
75000 crore rubber industry in India, has joined hands with Tripura University
for imparting programmes in rubber technology.
- The purpose of the collaboration is to facilitate
rubber education, rubber skills training and research co-operation between
the two organizations in rubber technology and polymer science.
India Signs Agreement with
Bhutan for green and sustainable construction
India has signed an
agreement with Bhutan for assistance in green and sustainable construction of
infrastructure in the Himalayan kingdom.
- The MoU was signed between Central Public Works Department (CPWD), under India’s Ministry of Urban Development and the Department of Engineering Services, under Bhutan’s Ministry of Works and Human Settlements.
South Indian Bank has
introduced a full-fledged NRI-focused mobile banking app
South Indian Bank has
introduced a full-fledged NRI-focused mobile banking application called SIB
Mirror+ across major mobile platforms.
- The new app was launched after the path-breaking
'E-Lock' feature that provided a single tap solution to fully secure all
digital transaction from frauds. SIB Mirror+ equips the customers to
perform almost all banking transactions from their smart phones.
Former IAS officer Anil Baijal
to be next Delhi Lt Governor
Anil Baijal has replaced
Najeeb Jung as the next Delhi Lt Governor. Baijal, a 1969-batch IAS officer,
served as home secretary in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
- Delhi's former Lt-Governor Najeeb Jung had resigned on December 22 2016, 18 months before the end of his tenure.
Rajasthani writer Satya
Narayan chosen for Bihari Puraskar
Eminent Rajasthani writer
Satya Narayan has been chosen for the 26th Bihari Puraskar, 2016 by the K
K Birla Foundation.
- He will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 2 lakhs,
besides a citation and a plaque.
- Narayan selected for his Hindi book titled ‘Yeh Ek Dunia’ which was published in 2010.The book is a meticulous depiction of various circumstances of life in the contemporary world.
Ex Madhya Pradesh CM Sunderlal
Patwa passes away at 92
Veteran BJP leader and
two-time Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Sunderlal Patwa passed away after a
brief illness. 92-year-old Patwa, a former union minister, died due to a heart
attack.
Meghalaya to host National
Games 2022
After successfully
co-hosting the 12th South Asian Games with Assam early in 2016, Meghalaya has
now got the opportunity to hold the National Games 2022 with its 50 years of
statehood.
- Meghalaya clinched the bid for hosting the
prestigious 2022 national games in the state overshadowing four other
bidders Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Chhattisgargh and Uttarakhand.
- It also pledged Rs 5 crore as the bid amount for the game.
Ana Ivanovic announces
retirement from Tennis
Serbian Ana Ivanovic, the
former world No1 and 2008 French Open champion, has retired from tennis at the
age of 29.
