Daily Current affairs - July 20th, 2017 for all competitive exams
The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for the promulgation of the Central Goods and Services Tax (Extension to Jammu & Kashmir) Ordinance, 2017 and replacement of the Ordinance by the Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
- The Ordinance has extended the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 referred to as (CGST Act) to the State of Jammu & Kashmir.
- The Ordinance has been promulgated on 8th July, 2017 and the Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2017 will be tabled in the current session of the Parliament.
BharatNet deadline pushed to March 2019
The Union Cabinet has approved the second phase of the BharatNet project that forms the backbone for the government’s Digital India initiative. The deadline for the delay-marred project has been pushed to March 2019.
- The Centre is still working on completing the first phase of the BharatNet project for which the deadline was March 2017.
- Bharat Net sought to connect all of India’s households, particularly in rural areas, through broadband by 2017, forming the backbone of the government’s ambitious Digital India programme.
- The project is being funded through the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).
Cabinet nod for IWAI bond issue
The Union Cabinet has given its nod to Inland Waterways Authority of India for raising Rs.660 crore in bonds for extra budgetary resources in 2017-18.
- The proceeds from the bonds will be utilised by IWAI for development and maintenance of National Waterways (NWs) under National Waterways Act, 2016.
- Funds received through issue of bonds will be used exclusively for capital expenditure to improve infrastructure funding.
- Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the statutory authority in charge of the waterways in India. Its headquarters is located in Noida, UP.
IIITs now Institutes of National Importance
The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a Bill to declare the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT) established under the public-private partnership (PPP) route as Institutes of National Importance (INIs).
- During the discussion before the passage of the Bill, Minister of Human Resource Development (MoHRD) Prakash Javadekar said that as PPP did not mean there would be fee hikes.
Bill on mob violence
Asaduddin Owaisi, MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief, has sent notice for a private members Bill in the Lok Sabha to combat mob violence.
- The Bill criminalises mob violence as well as acts of omission by public servants.
Ministry, NITI Aayog moot privatisation of select services in district hospitals
As a part of a radical ‘privatisation project’, the Health Ministry and the NITI Aayog have developed a framework to let private hospitals run select services within district hospitals, on a 30-year lease. The framework was prepared in consultation with the World Bank.
- As per the framework, the government will be allowing “a single private partner or a single consortium of private partners” to bid for space in district level hospitals, “especially in tier 2 & 3 cities.”
- Under this Public Private Partnership (PPP), care for only three non-communicable diseases — cardiac disease, pulmonary disease, and cancer care — will be provided.
T.R. Zeliang sworn in as Nagaland CM
T.R. Zeliang was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Nagaland in the place of Shurhozelie Liezietsu, who was sacked by Governor P.B. Acharya.
- But within hours, the Naga People’s Front (NPF) expelled Mr. Zeliang for six years for “anti-party activities.”
- Mr. Zeliang spearheaded the rebellion against Mr. Liezietsu on July 8 and staked claim to form a government with the support of a majority of the MLAs.
- The Governor asked Mr. Liezietsu to prove his majority by July 15, but he filed a writ petition in the Gauhati High Court. It was dismissed on July 18. Subsequently, the Governor summoned a special session of the House.
Odisha CM Naveen’s plea to Centre on Paika rebellion
A day after the Odisha Cabinet decided to propose to the Centre to declare the Paika Rebellion of 1817 as the first war of Indian independence, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh requesting Centre to consider the proposal positively.
- The Paika Rebellion, popularly known as Paika Bidroha, was a broad based and well organised plural struggle against the rule of the British East India Company.
- President Pranab Mukherjee is scheduled to inaugurate the year-long celebrations of the Paika Rebellion in New Delhi on July 20.
Cabinet nod for Sabarimala airport on Cheruvally estate
The Cabinet meeting approved the recommendation of the three-member committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) P.H. Kurien that the proposed airport be set up on the estate, which is located on the way to the Ayyappa temple at Sabariamala, 136 km from the State capital and 113 km from Kochi.
- The proposed Sabarimala greenfield international airport in Central Travancore is to come up on the Cheruvally estate, 2.5 km from the Theni-Kottarakara National Highway and close to Erumeli town in Kottayam district.
- Once commissioned, this would be the fifth international airport in the State.
Cabinet approves MOC in respect of tax matters between India and BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given the approval for the signing of Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) in respect of tax matters between India and the Revenue administrations of BRICS countries namely, Brazil, Russian Federation, China and South Africa
- The MoC aims to further promote cooperation amongst the BRICS Revenue administrations in international forum on common areas of interest in tax matters and in the area of capacity building and knowledge sharing.
- The MoC will stimulate effective cooperation in tax matters. The collective stand of BRICS countries can prove to be beneficial not only to these countries but also to other developing countries in the long run in tax matters being steered by the G20.
Cabinet apprised of MoU between India and Netherlands on cooperation in space technology
The Union Cabinet has been apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Netherlands on cooperation in the exploration and uses of outer space for peaceful purposes.
- The MoU was signed on May 11 & 22, 2017 at Bangalore and The Hague respectively.
- This MoU shall enable the following areas of cooperation such as, space science, technology and applications including remote sensing of the earth; satellite communication and satellite based navigation; Space science and planetary exploration; use of spacecraft and space systems and ground system; and application of space technology.
Australia and US jointly launched multimillion hypersonic missile – HIFiRE
The US and Australia have jointly test-fired a hypersonic missile capable of moving at a speed eight times faster than sound as part of a $54-million research project.
- The test was part of a project called the Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation Program (HIFiRE) involving the US and Australian militaries, Queensland University, Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group.
- A hypersonic glider capable of moving at a speed eight times faster than sound has launched from a rocket range in the town of Woomera, South Australia.
US Navy tests world’s first Laser Weapons System
The U.S. Navy recently tested the world's first-ever active laser weapons system, which is now deployed and ready for war.
- The system has special materials that release photons and at the speed of light, it silently hits an object, burning it to a temperature of thousands of degrees.
- Each strike travels 50,000 times the speed of an incoming intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
MoU Signed Between Department of Defence Production and GSL
Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), a Miniratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) signed an MoU for the financial year 2017-18 with Ministry of Defence.
- This year’s MoU target for ‘Revenue from Operations’ has been set at Rs1150 crore, which is 43 percent higher than the financial year 2016-17 target of Rs800 crore.
- Notably, in the financial year 2016-17, the Shipyard achieved historical high VoP of Rs1030 crore and PBT of Rs177 crore. GSL was adjudged as ‘Best Performing Shipyard’ by MoD.
Ram Nath Kovind elected 14th President of India
The NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind has been declared by the Secretary General of Lok Sabha Anoop Mishra as elected President of India. Mr. Kovind got 7,02,044 votes while his opponent, the joint Opposition candidate Meira Kumar, got 3,67,314 out of a total of 10,69,358.
- Succeeding Pranab Mukherjee, Kovind will be sworn in as the 14th president of India on July 25. Kovind will be the seventh youngest person to be anointed to the coveted post. He is also the second Dalit after KR Narayanan to adorn the coveted post. He is the first President from Uttar Pradesh.
L K Advani receives Lifetime Achievement Award for contributions in Lok Sabha
Veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions as a parliamentarian in the Lok Sabha.
- JD-U leader Sharad Yadav also received the Lifetime Achievement Award as a Rajya Sabha representative from Vice President Hamid Ansari at a function organized by the Lokmat Media Group to honor distinguished Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members.
The other awardees from the Lok Sabha-
- Best Parliamentarian- Revolutionary Socialist Party MP N.K. Premachandran,
- Best Woman Parliamentarian- Congress leader Kumari Sushmita Dev and
- Best Debut Woman Parliamentarian- BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi.
The awardees from the Rajya Sabha-
- Best Parliamentarian- CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury,
- Best Woman Parliamentarian- Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan and
- Best Debut Woman Parliamentarian- Congress MP Rajni Patil.
President of India Presents ‘Pranab Mukherjee Award for Academic Excellence’
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the ‘Pranab Mukherjee Award for Academic Excellence’ to Shri Aman Aggarwal for scoring the highest aggregate in Class XII CBSE Examination, 2017 among the students of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya located in the President’s Estate on July 19, 2017 at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- On the occasion, Both the ‘Omita Paul Award for Academic Excellence’ for scoring highest aggregate marks amongst girls in Class XII CBSE Examination, 2017 as well as the ‘Kunjannamma Mathew Award’ for Academic Excellence’ for scoring highest marks in Mathematics amongst the girls in Class XII CBSE Examination, 2017 were presented to Kumari Muskan Sharma.
