Daily Current affairs - May 18th, 2017 for all competitive exams
International
Museum Day Celebrated on May 18 in a year
- Theme: “Museums and contested histories: Saying the unspeakable in museum”, highlights the essential role of museums as promotors of the free flow of ideas and knowledge, contributing to a more informed society.
Cabinet
approves Pan-India implementation of Maternity Benefit Program
The Union
Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval to Pan-India implementation of
Maternity Benefit Program which now has been extended to all districts of the
country.
- The
total cost of the proposal for the period from 01.01.2017 to 31.03.2020
including Central and State Government share is Rs.12,661crore.
- The
Maternity Benefit Program will provide compensation for the wage loss
in terms of cash incentives so that the women can take
adequate rest before and after delivery and not be deprived of proper
nutrition.
- It
is a centrally sponsored scheme and the cost sharing
between Centre and states is 60:40 for all the states and union
territories (with legislature), 90:10 for NER and Himalayan States and
100% Centre share for union territories without legislatures.
Cabinet
approves amendment of the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants)
Act, 1971
The Union
Cabinet has given its approval for amendment in Section 2 and Section 3 of the
Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971 (PPE Act, 1971),
by inserting definition of ‘residential accommodation occupation’ in a new
clause in section 2 of the Act and inserting provisions relating to eviction
from ‘residential accommodation occupation’ in a new sub-section 3B below
sub-section 3A of Section 3 of the Act.
- The
amendment will facilitate smooth and speedy eviction of unauthorised
occupants from government residences.
- The
Amendment will enable the Estate officer to apply summary proceedings for
evicting unauthorised occupants from residential accommodations allotted
for a fixed tenure or for a period he/she holds office on the basis of an
order of allotment on licence basis, as non-vacation of such residences
leads to unavailability of houses to new incumbents.
Industry-Academia
Collaborative Mission for accelerating discovery research to early development
for biopharmaceuticals
The Cabinet
Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for Industry-Academia
Collaborative Mission for accelerating discovery research to early development
for biopharmaceuticals – “Innovate in India (I3) empowering biotech
entrepreneurs & accelerating inclusive innovation” to be funded by the
Government of India.
- The
Mission will be implemented by Biotechnology Industry Research
Assistance Council (BIRAC) – a Public Sector
Undertaking of Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
- The
Mission Program would be a Pan-India program.
Boost
to transform domestic nuclear industry
In a
significant decision to fast-track India’s domestic nuclear power programme,
and give a push to country’s nuclear industry, the Union Cabinet has given its
approval for construction of 10 units of India’s indigenous Pressurized Heavy
Water Reactors (PHWR).
- The
10 PHWR project will result in a significant augmentation of nuclear power
generation capacity. With this, the total installed capacity of the Plants
will be 7000 MW.
- The
ten reactors will be part of India’s latest design of 700 MW PHWR fleet
with state-of-art technology meeting the highest standards of safety.
Cabinet Minister inaugurates 15th National Meeting
for Persons with Disabilities
Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister for
Social Justice and Empowerment inaugurated the “15th National Meeting of the
State Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities (PwD)” to review
Implementation of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities,
Protection of rights and Full Participation) Act-1995.
- The
two-day meeting has been organized by the Office of the Commissioner for
Persons with Disabilities under Department of Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Cabinet approves agreement between India and
Tajikistan
Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing
and ratifying, an agreement between India and Tajikistan on
Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters.
- The
agreement will help in the availability of relevant information for the
prevention and investigation of Customs offenses.
- The
Cabinet also gave its approval for the Multilateral Convention to
Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit
Shifting.
Multilateral
Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures
The Union
Cabinet has given its approval for the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax
Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting.
- The
Convention is an outcome of the OECD / G20 BEPS Project to tackle base
erosion and profit shifting through tax planning strategies that exploit
gaps and mismatches in tax rules to artificially shift profits to low or
no-tax locations where there is little or no economic activity, resulting
in little or no overall corporate tax being paid.
- Signing
of the Multilateral Convention will enable the application of BEPS
outcomes through modification of existing tax treaties of India in a swift
manner.
IB-like
secrecy norms to be imposed on NTRO staff
National
Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), the Central agency looking after technical
surveillance, will now be bound by secrecy norms just like Intelligence Bureau
(IB) and Research & Analyses Wing (RAW), with its staff restricted from
speaking about the structure and functioning of the organisation.
- In
this regard, the Home Ministry has issued a notification listing NTRO
under The Intelligence Organisations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985, a
demand being made by the organisation for over a decade now.
- The
NTRO was created after the 1999 Kargil conflict as a dedicated technical
intelligence agency.
- It
has been fighting tooth and nail to get included in the list as it has the
right to lawfully intercept and monitor communications externally. It
reports to the PMO and the NSA.
Mos for Labour & Employment launches EPFOs
Citizens Charter 2017 & e-court management system
The Minister of State for Labour &
Employment(IC), Shri Bandaru Dattatreya launched EPFOs Citizens
Charter 2017 and e-court management system in Bangalore.
- The
citizens charter has been launched with the vision of social security
coverage to all employees as well as implementation of policies for
benefit of all stakeholders with adequate support level of social
security.
- EPFO
e-court Management System has been launched with the vision of transparent
and electronic case management system which will cater to aspirations of
all stakeholders the employers, the employees, litigants and CBT.
BSF begins
operation ‘Garam Hawa’
The BSF has started operation ‘Garam Hawa’ in
Rajasthan, under which vigil along the international border with Pakistan has
been stepped up.
The operation will continue till May 23.
- The
operation is being conducted as chances of infiltration increase during intense
heatwave conditions
Naidu announces 24x7 DD channel for Jharkhand
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister
Venkaiah Naidu announced a round-the-clock Doordarshan channel for Jharkhand.
- Jharkhand
has been given the most film-friendly award by the National Film
Awards.
- The
Union Minister stated in order to set up a film city in the state,
assistance will be taken from the National Film Development Corporation
and the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Kolkata.
IARI
at Assam:
The Cabinet
Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the setting up of Indian
Agricultural Research Institute (lARI) in Assam.
- lARI-Assam
would be a Post-Graduate Institution of higher learning in Agricultural
Education.
- It
will have the hallmark identity of an IARI including all sectors of
agriculture like field crops, horticultural crops, agro-forestry, animal
husbandry, fisheries, poultry, piggery, silk rearing, honey production,
etc.
Festival of award-winning films in Goa
The 64th National Award Winning Films Festival
2017 will be held in Panaji from May 18 to June 14. Filmmakers Madhur
Bhandarkar and Kirtin Kulhari will be chief guests at the inaugural function.
- This is for the first time that the latest National Award-winning films are being screened in Goa at a festival organised jointly by The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) and the Directorate of Film Festivals.
First anti-tobacco film festival in State
The first Goa Anti-Tobacco Film Festival will be
held on May 31, and will screen over 30 films. The Entertainment Society of Goa
(ESG), the State government’s entertainment wing will hold the film festival in
association with the Department of Community Dentistry, Goa Dental College and
Hospital.
- The festival will select films to spread awareness on the ill effects of tobacco use and to decrease the occurrence of oral cancer in the State.
Indian teen has developed world's smallest
satellite for NASA
The US’ National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) will launch the world’s smallest satellite
named 'KalamSat', it will be the first time ever that it would be piloting an
experiment by an Indian student.
- Developed
by Rifath Sharook, an 18-year-old boy, from Tamil Nadu’s
Pallapatti town, KalamSat weighs only 64 grams. ‘KalamSat’, named after
India's nuclear scientist and former President, APJ Abdul Kalam, will be
launched from a Nasa facility in Wallops Island.
Trujet gets clearance for UDAN flights
Hyderabad-based Turbo Megha Airways’ Trujet
became the first airline to receive an air operator certificate (AOC) under the
scheduled commuter operator category.
- The
move will enable the airline to operate flights under the Centre’s UDAN
scheme for regional connectivity.
- Trujet is one of five airlines to have won bids to operate on 128 routes connecting 70 airports under the scheme.
Anti-profit shifting pact gets nod
The Cabinet approved the signing of a
multilateral international agreement to prevent the shifting of profits to
jurisdictions with no tax or very low tax rates.
Paytm get final nod to launch Payment Bank
Digital payment and commerce
company Paytm has received the final nod from the Reserve Bank
of India and is set to launch Paytm Payments Bank on May 23,
2017.
- Paytm is the third company from the 11 other applicants to launch payments bank after Airtel and IndiaPost. Mumbai-based Finopay Tech is also likely to launch its operations by next month (June).
M S Boje Gowda takes over as Coffee Board Chairman
M S Boje Gowda, a third generation planter from the country's key
coffee growing region of Chikmagalur, took over as the Coffee Board Chairman
after a gap of almost 70 years.
- Gowda
became the first grower to assume
Mukesh Ambani tops Forbes list of 'Global Game
Changers' for bringing internet to masses
Forbes magazine has named Reliance
Industries (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani as the topmost among its "Global
Game Changers" who are transforming their industries and changing the
lives of billions around the world.
- The
American magazine referred to the Ambani-led Reliance Jio mobile network's
efforts to spread internet penetration in India.
Mohammad Anas Breaks 400m National Record;
Qualifies For World C’ships
Kerala quartermiler Mohammad Anas smashed the
national record in men's 400m race on route to winning a gold medal at the
third leg of the Indian Grand Prix Athletics Meet in New Delhi.
- He also qualified for the World Championships to be held in London in August.
