- The Government has set up 713 Krishi Vigyan Kendras and 684 Agricultural Technology Management Agencies at the district level in the country for dissemination of technologies among the farming community. This is aimed at meeting the target of doubling the farmers' income by 2022. An Inter-Ministerial Committee has been constituted to examine issues relating to doubling of farmers' income.
- The Central Command Centre for Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) was inaugurated on 22 June 2019. The central ATFM system integrates flight data from various subsystems like ATC Automation System, flight updates and flight update messages. The system also displays weather information along with static information about airports, airspaces and air routes.
- India has opened its first specialised hydrotherapy treatment for elephants suffering from arthritis, joint pain and foot ailments in Mathura. The new hydrotherapy jumbo pool has 21 high-pressure jet sprays that create water pressure that massage the elephants’ feet and body. The facility is run in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and the NGO Wildlife SOS.
- A pilot project aimed at providing a smoke-free environment in the kitchen for women will be launched by the Maharashtra government. The project, named 'Chullah-free and smoke-free Maharashtra', will target the women who have not benefited under the Ujjwala scheme. The pilot project will be implemented in Naxal-affected areas as well as the districts where the farmer suicide rate is high.
Kerala is gearing up for the launch of the country’s premier solar-powered cruise boat. The initiative comes from the State Water Transport Department (SWTD), whose solar ferry Aditya in the Vaikom-Thavanakadavu route proved to be a success. The 3-crore cruise boat can carry 100 passengers is under construction at a boatyard in Aroor and comes from the stable of the builders of Aditya.
It will be rolled out in Alappuzha in December. The hybrid vessel will be powered by a motor that can source energy from solar panels, battery, and generator. Its battery will have 80 KWh (kilowatt hour) power backup, as compared to 50 KWh backup in Aditya.
Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) signed 2 two agreements with 'Railway Station Redevelopment for the renovation of 22 railway stations. IRSDC signed an agreement with MECON Limited (Formerly known as Metallurgical & Engineering Consultants Limited). Eight railway stations including Andheri, Bandra Terminus, Ranchi, Chennai Egmore are redeveloped.
- The Centre has chalked out a plan to provide CNG and PNG infrastructure in 406 districts of the country. Till 2014, only 66 districts of the country were covered under Compressed Natural Gas and Piped Natural Gas infrastructure. The government is expanding it in other cities. After expanding this facilites, 70 per cent of the population will get clean energy. One lakh twenty thounsand crore rupees will be invested in the next eight years in the energy sector.
Aadhar (Amendment) Bill introduced in Lok Sabha. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha on 24 June, 2019. It will replace an ordinance issued in March this year and proposes stiff penalties for violation of norms.
The Bill seeks to amend Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act 2016, the Indian Telegraph Act 1885 and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002.
The Bill also proposes give children an option to exit from the biometric ID programme on attaining 18 years of age.
NITI Aayog will release the second edition of 'Healthy States, Progressive India' report in New Delhi on 25 June, 2019. The Report will be released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar in presence of NITI Aayog Member VK Paul, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and representatives from World Bank.
The report takes a comprehensive look at health in terms of health outcomes, governance and processes and impact of policy interventions. The Round-II report focuses on measuring and highlighting the overall performance and incremental improvements in these parameters over a two-year period of 2016-17 and 2017-18 in the states and Union Territories. The report has been prepared in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with technical assistance from the World Bank.
- Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) has slipped eight places to 31 in the HRD Ministry's 2019 national ranking of higher education institutes under management category. The IIFT featured on the coveted list at 23rd spot in 2018, 30th in 2017 and 81st in 2016. The current rankings are based on 2017-18 data when IIFT had about 40 faculty members across two campuses.
- The Union cabinet approved proposed changes to the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill. It aims to address crucial issues such as road safety, with stiff penalties for violation of rules, strengthening the public transportation system and curbing corruption. According to the amendment, the penalty for drunk driving has been raised five times to 10,000.
- Maharashtra is all set to get floating solar power generation plants on four dams. The backwater of Wardha, Bebala, Khadakpurna and Pentakli dams has been selected for setting up the floating solar panels as per the Swiss Challenge method. The estimated investment per megawatt is 4.45 crore rupees, with a total installed capacity of 500 MW.
- Over 30.6 lakh persons have been enrolled so far under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) scheme. Under the scheme, Government provides assured monthly pension of 3,000 Rupees, for workers in the unorganised sector after 60 years of age. The highest number of beneficiaries was reported from Haryana at over 6 lakh, followed by Maharashtra at 5. 53 Lakh and UP at 5.10 lakh.
The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on 25 June, 2019 asked Karnataka to release nearly 40.43 thousand million cubic (TMC) feet water to Tamil Nadu for the months of June and July. The decision is, however, subject to review, depending on the rainfall received by Cauvery basin and the water storage of four reservoirs in Karnataka.
- Mysuru Railway Station has become the first railway station in South Western Railway to receive the Integrated ISO certificate. The Railway Board had identified 37 major stations across the country to be developed as ‘Eco Smart’ stations and Mysuru railway station was one of them. ISO is International Organisation for Standardisation. It provides standards to services provided by businesses.
The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 will be taken up for consideration and passing in Lok Sabha on 27 June, 2019. The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Bill, 2019 is listed to be introduced the House.
It provides for the reservation of posts in appointments by direct recruitment of persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, the socially and educationally backward classes and the economically weaker sections, to teachers' cadre in certain central educational institutions.
Government plans to provide broadband connectivity under BharatNet Project to all gram panchayats in the country. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that one lakh 28 thousand and 870 gram panchayats have been connected with optical fibre till date.
Under BharatNet project, the last mile connectivity is to be provided at all the 2.5 lakh gram panchayats in the country. The Minister informed that wi fi spots have been installed in 44,140 gram panchayats as of now. The Phase I of the project was completed in December 2017, and one lakh gram panchayats were made service ready. The Phase II is under implementation, and a total of 2 lakh gram panchayats are targeted to be completed by March 2020.
- Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed in the Lok Sabha on 26 June, 2019. The bill was passed after the Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal assured the House that intention of the government was to bring more and more investment into the country. The House that so far, six trusts have applied for establishing their business in the Special Economic Zone after the promulgation of the ordinance in the March 2019, and one has been accorded the permission so far.
- India announced an ambitious aim to set up 500 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2030 in what could potentially help the country reshape the global energy market dynamics. The plans were revealed at the 17th meeting of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) council in Abu Dhabi. India currently has an installed renewable energy capacity of around 80 gigawatts.
- The 32nd Congress of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) kick-started in Hyderabad on 26 June 2019. The Seed Congress is being held for the first time in South Asia. Over 600 delegates from nearly 70 countries are taking part in the Congress. They will be focusing on various technologies for increasing quality seed production and seed export-import policies.
- The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2019 will be taken up for consideration and passing in Lok Sabha. The bill is aimed at providing relief to persons in Jammu and Kashmir residing in areas adjoining the international border. They can now avail reservation in direct recruitment, promotion and admission in different professional courses. Home Minister Amit Shah will move the bill to further amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004.
- The Ministry of Electronics and IT will place before the Union Cabinet a Rs.450 crore proposal for Natural Language Translation. The proposal is part of the 100-day action plan charted out by MeitY, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s instructions. It aims to make science and technology accessible to all by facilitating access to teaching and researching material bilingually.
- Singhey Khababs Sindhu Festivals is being celebrated on the bank of Indus River in Leh on 28 June 2019. The festival is celebrated every year to attract tourists to Ladakh by presenting the Indus River as a symbol of the multi-dimensional cultural identity of India. The main attraction of the festival is local Folk songs and dances, exhibitions of handicrafts, and ethnic food items.
- The Union Cabinet led by PM Narendra Modi has approved Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill. It proposes Rs.10,000 fine for anyone seen blocking the way of emergency services such as ambulances on roads. The same amount of penalty would be levied in case of drunk driving. The Bill is yet to be passed in the Parliament.
- The National Military Memorial in Bengaluru will install a monolith structure, that will bear the names of martyred soldiers. The 78-foot-tall monolith structure weighs 450 tonnes. National Military Memorial is located adjacent to Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park in Bengaluru.
- The Haryana State government has announced an annual financial assistance of Rs.5 lakh to loktantra senanis or their spouse for treatment at private or government hospitals. The term "emergency victim" on their identity cards would be replaced with "loktantra senani". The announcement was made by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar while addressing the Loktantra Senanis from across the state at the state-level Loktantra Senani Samman Samaroh organized at Tagore Theatre in Chandigarh.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 28 June, 2019 flagged in first Indian Army Mountaineering Expedition to Mt Makalu 2019. The Indian Army Mountaineering team achieved distinction by placing sixteen members on the summit of Mt Makalu, the fifth highest peak of the world, on 16th of May. Indian Army has now climbed all eight-thousander peaks in Nepal.
- Statistics Day is being celebrated on 29 June every year. It is observed to popularize the use of Statistics in everyday life and sensitize the public as to how Statistics helps in shaping and framing policies. The theme of 2019 Statistics Day is Sustainable Development Goals. The day is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Prof. P C Mahalanobis.
- Mumbai is India’s most expensive city and among the top 20 costliest cities surveyed in Asia for expatriates, according to a survey by global consulting leader Mercer. According to Mercer’s 25th Annual Cost of Living Survey, Mumbai fell 12 spots and was ranked at the 67th position out of the 209 cities surveyed. New Delhi is at 118th place, Chennai (154), and Bengaluru (179).
Power discom BYPL partnered with several private bodies to launch a number of initiatives including a 'behavioral energy saving app'. The main aim is to cut down on electricity consumption.
The behavioral app -- Susthome. It is developed by BYPL and TERI. It will track consumers energy consumption patterns, analyze and compare it with that of similar homes in the vicinity and show energy saving potential. It holds the enlisted consumers in reducing their energy consumption, carbon footprint and electricity bills.
- Ministry of New and Renewable Energy successfully observed ' Swachhta Pakhwada'. The institutions successfully observed Swachhta Pakhwada (cleanliness fortnight) from June 1-15 2019. The MNRE various initiatives like Shramdan (cleanliness drive), "Swachhata Pledge", organization of Seminar on Biogas/Biomass- Waste to Energy.
The Ministry of Environment and forest is working on a Smart Campus Scheme under which students would be involved in making the campus green and clean. Under the scheme, recycled water will be used, which will help to preserve precious water.
This scheme will help in creating awareness among students about the environment and water conservation. Their contribution towards environment conservation will be recorded in their performance. School Nursery Scheme will be introduced in schools, with active participation of school going children.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the creation of a high-level task force on structural reforms in agriculture. The Committee will be formed in near future and report will be submitted in next 2 to 3 months. Rainwater harvesting, drought situation and relief measures, aspirational districts, and security-related items were among the items of the agenda of the meeting. He said the Prime Minister stressed on the need to promote export and every state should focus on export to enhance the economy.
- The first semi-open prison for women will be inaugurated on June 20, 2019 in Tihar, Delhi. The premises are a 4 minute drive from Jail where 375 women inmates are lodged. On the first floor is a work station, where the five women make seviyan. Semi-open and open prisons for men have been functioning at Tihar Jail for a while now.
- PM Narendra Modi spelt out his government's vision 2024 at the NITI Aayog's fifth governing council meeting at Rashtrapati Bhavan. On the health front, PM Modi said tuberculosis should be wiped out by 2025. He announced a high-level task force to bring structural reforms in agriculture in the country. It will be formed in the near future and report will be submitted in the next 2-3 months.
- New policy to protect Indian languages. Rashtriya Siksha Ayog has been proposed to be set up under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister. The member of draft New Education Policy Prof. M K Sridhar said that the new policy protects the Indian languages which are on the verge of extinction. The new policy will put education on the pedestal of evaluation and performance and lay emphasis on teachers’ education.
- The second edition of India International Mega Trade fair (IIMTF) was inaugurated on 15 June at Bidhannagar (or Salt Lake) city in Kolkata. It is a 10 day-long event which will continue till June 23. The event seeks to promote business and trade around the region as well as to encourage joint ventures, tie-ups and investment in the country. It is Kolkata’s largest and most popular retail event. It also works as a platform to promote Indian brands for international markets.
- Vedanta's first pilot floating solar plant will be completed in the next 2-3 months. The plant will be located at Ghosunda Dam, near Chittorgarh, Rajasthan. The floating plant will contribute to saving water evaporation loss, thus resulting in the conservation of water. The solar plant is expected to have an energy yield of 1,993 MWh a year and will be able to power 1,400 houses a year.
The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) is constructing a road using plastic waste for the first time ever. The road is constructed from Gomti Nagar Police Station to Indian Institute of Management (IIM) under a pilot project by LDA in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The LDA has followed guidelines of the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) in road construction.
The research showed mixing plastic waste increases the durability of the roads by 40-50%. These roads will be more durable and will stay in good condition for a longer time. Around 8-10% of plastic waste is being mixed in coal tar. The initiative was inspired after the success of roads in many foreign countries. In India too, many civic bodies have started road construct using plastic waste in an environmental-friendly experiment. The LDA plans to conduct more research on this road experiment in the next two years to know if there can be some improvement.
India is to celebrate the 20th anniversary of victory in Operation VIJAY, which popularly known as the Kargil War. The Kargil War is a saga of strong political, military and diplomatic actions. The Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations for the year 2019 will be spread over three days from 25-27 July 2019 and will be organized at Dras and New Delhi. However, as part of the build up to the main event, numerous activities are planned to be organized all over the country with effect from first week of July 2019.
The theme of the day is ‘Remember, Rejoice and Renew’. The objective of these celebrations is to evoke feeling of nationalism and patriotism through nationwide campaigns especially amongst youth and to pay homage to the valiant soldiers. The Kargil War was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan. It took place in Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LOC). In India, the conflict was also referred to as Operation Vijay.
The Pakistani soldiers disguised as Kashmiri militants and infiltereted into positions on the Indian side of the LOC. Based on information from local shepherds, the Indian Army was able to ascertain the points of incursion and launch "Operation Vijay". The Army declared the mission successful on July 26, 1999; since then the day has been celebrated annually as Kargil Vijay Diwas. The victory came at a high price. The official death toll on the Indian side was 527, while that on the Pakistani side was between 357 and 453.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting with the Presidents of all political parties having representation in Parliament on the issue of One Nation One Election in New Delhi. During the meeting, celebrations of 75 years of India's Independence in 2022 and Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary celebrations this year will also be discussed. Increasing the productivity in parliament and the development of aspirational districts are other items on the agenda.
The Prime Minister has pitched for One Nation One Election on various occasions. During his Mann Ki Baat programme in All India Radio in August last year, Mr Modi had described the debate on the issue as a healthy sign for democracy. It is an appropriate tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who changed the country's political culture.
- Everest summits smash records. A record 885 people climbed Everest in May 2019, capping a deadly traffic-clogged season that also saw 11 climbers die on the world's highest mountain. The number smashed last year's record of 807 summits despite a short weather window that resulted in fatal bottlenecks on the peak. Another 241 reached the top from the northern flank in Tibet.
- Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) vice chairman Justice Arijit Pasayat suggested appropriate amendments in existing tax laws to curb the use of money power to win elections. Nearly Rs. 3,800 crore was seized from across the country during the time of elections in April-May 2019. SIT that was formed in 2014 has already prepared its seventh interim report.
- Indian Navy's first Naval Air Squadron 550 celebrated its Diamond Jubilee on 17 Jun 19 at naval base Kochi. It has played a key role in training the Navy's Maritime Reconnaissance pilots and observers. The squadron has been part of several operations, from the 1971 Indo-Pak war to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations during the December 2004 Tsunami, and more.
- The lander and rover meant for India’s 2nd lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 reached the ISRO’s launch pad at Sriharikota. The rover called Pragyan is installed within the lander known as Vikram. Chandrayaan-2 will be launched GSLV-Mark-3 on July 15th with the aim of making the lander to soft-land on the South Pole of the moon by September 6, 2019. India would be the 4th country to do so.
A two-day international workshop on issues related with piracy and armed robbery began in New Delhi. The workshop is being organised by the Indian Coast Guard in cooperation with the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP). Presently, 20 countries are members of the ReCAAP.
The participants are being trained on issues related to piracy and armed robbery such as international laws, prosecution process, forensics and emerging threats. The workshop was inaugurated by Additional Director General, Indian Coast Guard V S R Murthy along with Mr Masafumi Kuroki, Executive Director of ReCAAP.
- Unemployed youth having graduation or equivalent degree will be given unemployment allowance up to Rs 3,500 by the Rajasthan government. They will get the benefit of the Chief Minister Yuva Sambal Yojana from February, 2019. To be eligible for the scheme, applicants should be natives of Rajasthan. The amount will be given for two years or until they get employed.
- The Himachal Pradesh government made it mandatory for trekkers to carry a GPS device to tackle any exigency. A decision in this regard was taken at a review meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary Shrikant Baldi on preparedness for the monsoon. Kullu and Dalhousie have been identified for installation of early warning systems.
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare formally approved Rs.120 crore Cancer Institute at Government Medical College, Jammu. With the setting up of the facility at GMC Jammu, the patients now need not move outside the State for specialized treatment facilities. Earlier, one State Cancer Institute was approved for Shere Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar.
The Government set up 51 new incubators for startups in the information and communications technology space across India. As part of its Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (Tide) 2.0 scheme. They will offer financial and technical support to incubators supporting ICT startups that are involving usage of deep technologies including artificial intelligence, blockchain, robotics, and internet of things in the identified areas of societal relevance.
The scheme categorized the selection of incubators into three categories: Group 1 Centre (G1C), G2C, and G3C. More than 270 incubators and accelerators are managed by academic bodies, private players, government, and corporate.
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) co-hosted the 12th Capacity Building workshop in New Delhi. The cooperation with the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre ('SC) in New Delhi. It began on June 19, 2019, and concluded on June 20, 2019.
The main aim is to deepen knowledge on issues related to piracy and armed robbery. It was inaugurated by Additional Director General, Indian Coast Guard V SR Murthy. Around 31 International delegates from 19 countries participated in the workshop. It is the first regional Government-to-Government agreement to deal with piracy and armed robbery at sea in Asia. Currently, 20 countries are members of ReCAAP. India played an active role in setting up and functioning of ReCAAP ISC along with Japan and Singapore. Union Government designated ICG as the focal point within India for ReCAAP. India hosted this workshop in NI 2011 at Goa and December 2017 at New Delhi.
A fresh bill to ban the practice of instant triple talaq will be introduced in the Lok Sabha on 21 June, 2019. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, which has been listed in the Lok Sabha's agenda, will replace an ordinance issued in February by the previous BJP-led NDA government. With the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha last month, the previous bill had lapsed as it was pending in the Rajya Sabha.
The Bill proposes to make the practice of instant triple talaq (talaq-e-biddat) a penal offence. The new bill is a copy of the ordinance in force. Under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019, divorcing through instant triple talaq is illegal, void and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband.
- National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) decided to admit an insolvency petition against Jet Airways Ltd filed by its creditors. The insolvency process will allow lenders led by SBI to sell the company as a whole or sell its assets and bring to end uncertainty over the airline's future. NCLT instructed Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) to finish the process for the airline in 3 months.
- L&T Financial Services’ (LTFS) ‘Digital Sakhi’, an educational programme aimed at digital financial inclusion of rural women, was launched in 20 villages of Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu. LTFS in association with Sri Aurobindo Society will train and develop a team of 100 rural women (Digital Sakhis) as digital enablers.
- The Delhi Metro has become the first ever project in the country to receive power generated from a waste-to-energy plant. Delhi Metro has started receiving 2 MW power from a 12 MW capacity waste-to-energy plant set up in Ghazipur. The waste-to-energy plant set up by East Delhi Waste Processing Company Limited (EDWPCL).
- Swachh Survekshan League launched. Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri launched Swachh Survekshan League 2020 on 6 June2019. It will be conducted in three quarters of 2019 and the final quarter in 2020. The results of the League will form part of Swachh Survekshan 2020, the 5th edition of the annual cleanliness survey of urban India to be conducted in January-February 2020.
- Bancha in Betul district, Madhya Pradesh is the first village in India to have zero wooden stoves and almost no use for LPG cylinders with all its 75 houses relying on solar-powered stoves to meet their cooking needs. The project of installing solar power plates, batteries and stoves in all the 74 houses was started in September 2017 and got completed by December 2018.
Union Cabinet has approved the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Siddhi Scheme. It will cost over Rs.87,000 crore a year to the exchequer. The government has announced its decision to extend the benefit of Rs.6,000 per year under the PM-KISAN scheme to all 14.5 crore farmers in the country, irrespective of the size of their landholding.
The scheme was launched on 24th February 2019 in the run-up to the 2019 Parliamentary elections in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh where the first rounds of installments were paid to several farmers. The government so far distributed the first installment to 3.11 crore beneficiaries and second installment to 2.66 crore beneficiaries into their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer mode.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964. MHA has empowered district magistrates in all States and Union Territories to set up tribunals to decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not. Earlier, the powers to constitute tribunals were vested only with the Centre.
- International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) released India’s first Type Approval Certificate (TAC) for Bharat Stage - VI (BS – VI) norms for the 2-wheeler segment in New Delhi. The certificate was released and handed over by Director ICAT, Dinesh Tyagi to top officials of the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers).
- Indian Railway Station Development Corporation (IRSDC) entered a Tripartite Agreement with French Railways (SNCF) & AFD, on 10th June 2019. Under this agreement, AFD has agreed to provide in-kind grant financing up to 7,00,000 EURO,through French National Railways (SNCF)-Hubs and Connexions to IRSDC This will support the Railway Station Development Program in India.
The government will provide scholarships to five crore minority students in the next five years to ensure their socio-economic-educational empowerment. The scholarships include pre-matric, post-matric and merit-cum-means. Of the five crore students, 50 per cent will be girls students.
Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said this while chairing the Governing and General Body meetings of Maulana Azad Education Foundation in New Delhi. The Minister also announced that Padho-Badho Awareness Campaign will be launched across the country. The campaign will be launched in 60 minority concentrated districts during the first phase.
- The Bihar government has approved the proposal to punish sons and daughters, who abandon their elderly parents, with a jail term. Such cases will be registered under the non-bailable section after receiving complaints from elderly parents.
- The Centre has set a target of providing clean drinking water to all by 2024. In states like UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha, the coverage of clean drinking water is less than 5%. Only in Sikkim 99% of households get tapped water.Emphasis will also be laid on water conservation, citing the widening gap between water supply and demand.
The Union Cabinet has cleared the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) Bill, 2019. The Bill provides for setting up of an independent and autonomous body for institutional arbitration. It also aims to acquire and transfer the undertakings of International Centre For Alternative Dispute Resolution to New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) w.e.f 2nd March 2019
Establishment of NDIAC for resolving international and domestic commercial disputes will facilitate India becoming a hub for institutional arbitration. The benefits of institutionalized arbitration will be manifold for the Government and its agency and to the parties to a dispute. This will result in quality experts being available in India and is advantageous in terms of cost incurred. The Bill provides to replace and repeal the NDIAC Ordinance, 2019 will be introduced in the ensuing session of parliament.
Union Cabinet has approved the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019 to replace Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Ordinance 2019. This will enable UIDAI to have a more robust mechanism to serve the public interest and restrain the misuse of Aadhar. After the amendment, no individual will be compelled to provide proof of possession of Aadhaar number or undergo authentication for the purpose of establishing his identity unless it is so provided by a law made by Parliament.
For the convenience of the general public in the opening of bank accounts, the proposed amendments will allow the use of Aadhaar number for authentication on a voluntary basis as an acceptable KYC document. The Bill will be introduced in the ensuing session of Parliament. Giving a major push to reforms in the education sector, Cabinet has approved the introduction of Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Bill 2019.
The amendment will also ensure providing 10 per cent reservation to Economically weaker section. The move is expected to improve the teaching standards in the higher educational institutions by attracting all eligible talented candidates belonging to SCs, STs, Socially and Educationally Backward Classes and economically weaker section. The bill will replace the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) ordinance 2019 and will be introduced in the forthcoming Parliament session.
- 2 Indian women have been featured on American multinational IT firm IBM's list honouring 40 women in Artificial Intelligence (AI) from 15 different countries. The list includes Harmeen Mehta, Chief Information Officer for Bharti Airtel, Seema Gaur, Executive VP and Head IT for IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Company. Some of the other names include Christine Gabbard and Sabine Scheunert.
- Shri Arjun Munda, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs launched the “e-governance initiatives for ST Welfare schemes” on 12 June 2019. These e-governance initiatives will serve their purpose of the betterment of tribal communities across the nation. Ministry of Tribal Affairs has developed online portals namely DBT Tribal and NGO Grants Online Application & Tracking System for the same.
- The Union Cabinet approved a Bill, namely, the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, 2019 that is the Bill to replace the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 (12 of 2019). The Bill will be introduced in ensuing session of the Parliament.
- Farmers will have to contribute 100 rupees per month under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana that seeks to provide a minimum fixed monthly pension of 3,000 rupees on the attainment of 60 years. The central government will also contribute an equal amount to the pension fund to be managed by the LIC, which will be responsible for the pension payout. The states to start enrolling farmers in the age group of 18-40 years besides taking measures to create awareness about the scheme. All states and UTs to expedite farmers’ enrolment process so they get the benefit under PM-Kisan and requested them to create awareness of the Pension scheme for farmers.
The government has reduced the rate of the contribution made by employees and employers under the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) Act from 6.5 per cent to 4 per cent. The government has taken a historic decision to reduce the rate of contribution under the ESI act. The new rate will be effective from the 1st of next month. It will benefit 3.6 crore employees and 12.85 lakh, employers.
The reduced rate of contribution will bring about a substantial relief to workers and it will facilitate further enrollment of workers under the ESI scheme and bring more and more workforce into the formal sector. Similarly, reduction in the share of contribution of employers will reduce the financial liability of the establishments leading to improved viability of these establishments. It will also lead to enhanced Ease of Doing Business, the statement added. The ESI Act provides for medical, cash, maternity, disability and dependent benefits to the Insured Persons under the Act. Benefits provided under the ESI Act are funded by the contributions made by the employers and the employees.
- The Centre approved setting up of e-Foreigner Tribunal (e-FT) in Assam. The proposed integrated e-FT IT system will be implemented across the state for effective monitoring and resolution of cases registered with Foreigner Tribunal. The main objective of the project is to maintain a statewide bio-metric and biographic data, to capture the illegal migrants’ data.
- The Indian Space Research Organization ISRO has, for the first time, opened its laboratories for Indian school students to undergo two-week training from this year (2019). The first batch of 108 students drawn from all states and Union Territories recently completed their exposure in its laboratories in Bengaluru, Sriharikota, Thiruvananthapuram and other places. The training module has been devised as part of its new Young Scientists Programme, or Yuva Vigyanik Karyakram, YUVIKA.
- The first Rafale combat aircraft would be inducted into the Indian Air Force's 'Golden Arrows' 17 Squadron. 'Golden Arrows' 17 Squadron was commanded by Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa during the Kargil war in 1999. The 17 Squadron which was earlier located in Bhatinda in Punjab and will now be shifted to Ambala in Haryana. The 17 Squadron used to operate the MiG- 21s earlier.
- Indore's Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar airport was declared as an international airport on 29 May 2019. The airport, named after Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore, is considered as the busiest airport in Central India. An international airport has customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries.
- IIT Guwahati has signed an MoU with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to set up an IITG-ISRO Space Technology Cell (STC) at the institute. IITG-ISRO STC would be first of its kind in the North-east region to augment research and capacity building processes in the field of space technology. The space technology cell will constitute faculty members from IIT Guwahati.
NITI Aayog suggested a National Project Management Policy Framework. A task force on project management, headed by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, has suggested the development of a National Project Management Policy Framework for the effective execution of public sector and public-private partnership infrastructure projects.
It has also recommended the setting up of a nodal body for the certification of chartered project management professionals to create world-class infrastructure. The project management, with a view to delivering on time and within budget, is a learnable capability that can be institutionalised as demonstrated by the experiences of the U.S., the U.K., the UAE, and China.
- General V K Singh (Retd) took charge of the office of the Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways in New Delhi. He was Union Minister of State for External Affairs in the previous government. General V K Singh is a member of Lok Sabha since May 2014.
- National Education Policy draft revised. The earlier version of the draft’s pitch for the proper implementation of the three-language formula in schools across the country. Two members of the government appointed committee have objected to their chairperson’s decision to revise a contentious paragraph in the draft National Education Policy (NEP),dropping a reference to Hindi and English in the recommendation on the three-language formula.
- Rajasthan government increased the financial assistance given to school girls under the 'Aapki Beti' scheme and ex-gratia payment to the families of polling personnel who die during election duty. Under the Aapki Beti scheme, girls living under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) and whose mother or father or both have died to get annual financial assistance in the state.
- The Airports Authority of India (AAI) signed a technical assistance agreement with aerospace major Boeing. The agreement aims to develop an air traffic management roadmap which will improve airspace utilization and help maintain efficient aircraft operations. The AAI will use guidance in the modernization of the Indian National Airspace System (NAS).
- Indian Navy deployed its P-8I long-range maritime surveillance aircraft for anti-piracy sorties from Salalah in Oman to patrol the Gulf of Aden. It is an expansion of its Mission Based Deployments (MBD) in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The P-8I is long-range anti-submarine warfare, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations.
The Government has reconstituted eight Cabinet Committees. These are Appointments Committee, Committees on Accommodation, Economic Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs, Political Affairs, Security, Investment and Growth and Cabinet Committee on Employment and Skill Development.
The Cabinet Committee on Security will have Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar.
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has Prime Minister Modi and Mr Shah. While Cabinet Committee on Investment and Growth will have the Prime Minister and Ministers of Home, Road Transport and Highways, Finance and Corporate Affairs and Railways and Commerce and Industry.
- Gajendra gives away Ganga Quest'19 Awards. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat,Union Minister for Jal Shakti participated in event organized by National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG) to celebrate World Environment Day 2019. During the event, awards were given to the winners of Ganga Quest 2019,a month-long online quiz organized for awareness and knowledge dissemination about river Ganga.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the reconstitution of National Institution for Transforming India, NITI Aayog. Mr Modi will be the chairperson of the Aayog and Rajiv Kumar will be the Vice Chairman. V K Saraswat, Ramesh Chand and Dr V K Paul will be the full-time members of the NITI Aayog.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will be the Ex-Officio Members. Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot, Rail Minister Piyush Goyal and Statistics and Programme Implementation Minister Rao Inderjit Singh will be the special invitees of NITI Aayog.
- Jagan Mohan Reddy, who took power in Andhra Pradesh, will have a record five Deputy Chief Ministers. He would have five deputies and a full 25- member cabinet, which would represent the aspirations of all communities. The deputy Chief Ministers will represent SCs, STs, Backward Classes, minorities and the Kapu communities.
Central Government has sought inputs from citizens on the Union Budget 2019-20 with a view to making the Budget-making exercise more participative and inclusive. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the budget on 5th of July. The comments have been sought on government's portal - mygov.in by 20th June, 2019.
According to the portal, the Ministry of Finance sought inputs from citizens saying that this has been a practice for the last several years. Citizens from all walks of life are welcome to be a part of this democratic exercise. The first session of the newly elected 17th Lok Sabha will be held from 17th of June to 26th July. The Economic Survey for 2019-20 will be tabled on 4th of July followed by the presentation of the budget on the next day.
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