1. Amendments to Aadhaar bill approved by the cabinet
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved official amendments to the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019 that will enable the states to use the unique identity number in the distribution of subsidies. Talking to reporters here, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said that Aadhaar can now be used for identification for distributing state subsidies as well. The minister said that many states had requested for measures to use Aadhaar in their schemes. He asserted that the 128 crore people in the country have been issued Aadhaar cards. Through this the states will be able to disburse subsidies to the needy and curb fraud.
2. Amendment to RTI act, 2005 approved by the parliament
The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the contentious Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019, amid uproar among the Opposition, which said the changes diluted the crucial transparency law. The bill, which now awaits President Ram Nath Kovind’s assent, will grant greater powers to the Centre in deciding the terms of the chief information commissioners (CICs) and information commissioners (ICs) at both the central and state levels. Following protest during the voting, the Congress staged a walkout, saying the government was “undermining democracy" in the House.
3. PM-LVMY Yojana launched by Labour ministry
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) will be rolled out by the Ministry of Labour and Employment tomorrow i.e. 15.02.2019. The scheme announced in the Interim Budget was notified by the Ministry recently. As many as 42 crore workers are estimated to be engaged in the unorganized sector of the country. The unorganised workers mostly engaged as home based workers, street vendors, mid-day meal workers, head loaders, brick kiln workers, cobblers, rag pickers, domestic workers, washer men, rickshaw pullers, landless labourers, own account workers, agricultural workers, construction workers, beedi workers, handloom workers, leather workers, audio- visual workers and similar other occupations whose monthly income is Rs 15,000/ per month or less and belong to the entry age group of 18-40 years are eligible for the scheme.
4. Rural Development Ministry implements Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) seeks to reach out to 8-9 crore rural poor households and organize one woman member from each household into affinity-based women SHGs and federations at village level and at higher levels. During 2018-19 (as on October 2018), 588 additional blocks have been covered under “Intensive” implementation strategy of DAY-NRLM bringing the cumulative total to 5054 blocks. During the year 2018-19 so far, over 73 lakh households have been mobilized into 6.75 lakh SHGs.
5. Committee to examine FDI issue in e-commerce constituted by the government
The government has set up a committee to examine issues related to foreign direct investment (FDI) in e-commerce and give its suggestions, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has said. “A committee has been constituted on July 12 under Additional Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade with members from the Department of Commerce, Department of Consumer Affairs, Department of Legal Affairs and Ministry of MSME to examine issues related to FDI in e-commerce and give its suggestions,” he told Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
6. India conducted 1st ever simulated space war exercise,” IndSpaceEx” in New Delhi
To counter growing threats arising from China's growing space capabilities, India will organise its first ever simulated space warfare exercise in the last week of July. The development is significant as it comes after India constituted an all-new tri-service Defence Space Agency in March following a successful launch of an anti-satellite missile under "Mission Shakti: Space debris to vanish in 45 days, says DRDO chief" 'Mission Shakti'
7. ICMR in partnership with Population Council launches National Data Quality Forum in New Delhi
NDQF will integrate learnings from scientific and evidence-based initiatives and guide actions through periodic workshops and conferences. Its activities will help establish protocols and good practices of data collection, storage, use and dissemination that can be applied to health and demographic data, as well as replicated across industries and sectors noted a release issued by ICMR. The launch was attended by representatives from the government, academic institutions, technology and developmental partners working towards strengthening the data ecosystem in the country.
8. Uttar Pradesh becomes No.1 in implementation of Pradhanamntri Suraksha Beema Yojna in the country
Uttar Pradesh has become number one in implementation of Pradhanamntri Suraksha Beema Yojna in the country. As per the statement released by state government 1.95 crores people have been given insurance cover under the scheme till 31 march 2019. AIR Lucknow Correspondent reports that implementation of this ambitious central government scheme started in state from January 2018 under which people between age group of 18 to 70 get accidental insurance cover of rupees 2 lakh by paying a nominal premium of 12 rupees annually.
9. Combat veteran, Dr Samir Rawat first officer invited to Congress of Psychology in Prague in 2020
Exactly twenty years ago, then Major Samir Rawat unfurled the National Flag atop icy peaks after recapturing enemy-held positions in Batalik sector of Kargil in 1999 and was conferred a President's gallantry award for bravery in face of the enemy. Now a renowned military psychologist, Lieutenant colonel Dr Samir Rawat is a combat veteran who still holds the tricolour aloft with pride and is an ardent contributor in the military psychology space and travels all over the military world which recognises his exclusive and unique competencies as a combat soldier and a military psychologist.
10. Delhi among cheapest cities to relocate: Moving Price Index 2019
Move over Singapore — the world's most expensive city has two new rivals. After topping the Economist Intelligence Unit's Worldwide Cost of Living Survey for five years, Asia's Lion City has been joined by Paris and Hong Kong in a tie at the top of the table. Zurich and Geneva rounded out the top five, while New York and Los Angeles reclaimed spots in the top 10 — ranking in seventh and 10th respectively — after slipping to 13th and 14th last year thanks to a weakening dollar. The survey is designed to help companies calculate cost-of-living allowances and build compensation packages for expatriates and business travelers.
11. RBI panel recommends an increase in collateral-free lending, MUDRA loan limit to Rs 20 lakh: Nitin Gadkari
A committee constituted by the RBI has recommended increase in the collateral free lending limit to Rs 20 lakh for MSMEs and self-help groups, Parliament was informed on Thursday. The committee has also recommended revision of loan limit sanctioned under MUDRA (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency) to Rs 20 lakh from Rs 10 lakh, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for MSMEs, said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. In an another reply to the Lower House, he said, 22.83 lakh Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) were registered on Udyog Aadhaar Portal in the country during March, 2018 to March 2019.
12. Bankruptcy board tightens norms governing resolution professionals
In a significant move, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has tightened norms governing resolution professionals wherein restrictions will also be in place for their relatives from taking up employment after completion of a resolution process. Insolvency resolution professionals would be barred from having employment when they are in possession of authorisation to take up work under the insolvency law. Besides, an insolvency professional and his or her relatives cannot accept any employment from the successful resolution applicant concerned for one year, as per the amended norms.
13. AAI signed up with Aireon for aircraft surveillance over the Indian ocean
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has signed an MoU with Aireon, USA for implementation of Space-Based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast data (ADS-B) services for the oceanic regions of the Indian flight information regions (FIRs). The agreement was signed by Mansoor Ahmed, ED (CNS-P), Airports Authority of India and Don Thoma, President and CEO, Aireon in the presence of Chairman of Airports Authority of India, Guruprasad Mohapatra in New Delhi on Thursday. The ADS-B data services will provide the real-time surveillance of airplanes over oceans falling in Indian Airspace.
14. NITI Aayog and WhatsApp partners to promote women entrepreneurs
NITI Aayog and Facebook-owned WhatsApp, under the aegis of its Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), have announced a partnership to support the growth of a robust ecosystem to promote women entrepreneurs in India. WhatsApp, in collaboration with NITI Aayog, will announce an annual calendar of events aimed at capacity building of women entrepreneurs and develop specific programmes aimed at addressing challenges faced by women entrepreneurs. The initiative would target the registered users of WEP.
15. IIT Kharagpur Students developed an app ‘CARE4U’ for elderly people
An interdisciplinary team of second-year BTech students of IIT Kharagpur have created an AI mobile app that can become a caregiver for India's 112 million elderly people. Because of India's huge eldery population, geriatric care is fast emerging as a major worry for India "We strongly feel that AI should impact and improve everyone's life. Since not much has been done using AI for old people, we decided to give it a try," said Aniruddha Chattopadhyay, a second-year student of the industrial and systems engineering department, on why the team chose to work on the elderly..
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved official amendments to the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019 that will enable the states to use the unique identity number in the distribution of subsidies. Talking to reporters here, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said that Aadhaar can now be used for identification for distributing state subsidies as well. The minister said that many states had requested for measures to use Aadhaar in their schemes. He asserted that the 128 crore people in the country have been issued Aadhaar cards. Through this the states will be able to disburse subsidies to the needy and curb fraud.
2. Amendment to RTI act, 2005 approved by the parliament
The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the contentious Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019, amid uproar among the Opposition, which said the changes diluted the crucial transparency law. The bill, which now awaits President Ram Nath Kovind’s assent, will grant greater powers to the Centre in deciding the terms of the chief information commissioners (CICs) and information commissioners (ICs) at both the central and state levels. Following protest during the voting, the Congress staged a walkout, saying the government was “undermining democracy" in the House.
3. PM-LVMY Yojana launched by Labour ministry
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) will be rolled out by the Ministry of Labour and Employment tomorrow i.e. 15.02.2019. The scheme announced in the Interim Budget was notified by the Ministry recently. As many as 42 crore workers are estimated to be engaged in the unorganized sector of the country. The unorganised workers mostly engaged as home based workers, street vendors, mid-day meal workers, head loaders, brick kiln workers, cobblers, rag pickers, domestic workers, washer men, rickshaw pullers, landless labourers, own account workers, agricultural workers, construction workers, beedi workers, handloom workers, leather workers, audio- visual workers and similar other occupations whose monthly income is Rs 15,000/ per month or less and belong to the entry age group of 18-40 years are eligible for the scheme.
4. Rural Development Ministry implements Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) seeks to reach out to 8-9 crore rural poor households and organize one woman member from each household into affinity-based women SHGs and federations at village level and at higher levels. During 2018-19 (as on October 2018), 588 additional blocks have been covered under “Intensive” implementation strategy of DAY-NRLM bringing the cumulative total to 5054 blocks. During the year 2018-19 so far, over 73 lakh households have been mobilized into 6.75 lakh SHGs.
5. Committee to examine FDI issue in e-commerce constituted by the government
The government has set up a committee to examine issues related to foreign direct investment (FDI) in e-commerce and give its suggestions, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has said. “A committee has been constituted on July 12 under Additional Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade with members from the Department of Commerce, Department of Consumer Affairs, Department of Legal Affairs and Ministry of MSME to examine issues related to FDI in e-commerce and give its suggestions,” he told Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
6. India conducted 1st ever simulated space war exercise,” IndSpaceEx” in New Delhi
To counter growing threats arising from China's growing space capabilities, India will organise its first ever simulated space warfare exercise in the last week of July. The development is significant as it comes after India constituted an all-new tri-service Defence Space Agency in March following a successful launch of an anti-satellite missile under "Mission Shakti: Space debris to vanish in 45 days, says DRDO chief" 'Mission Shakti'
7. ICMR in partnership with Population Council launches National Data Quality Forum in New Delhi
NDQF will integrate learnings from scientific and evidence-based initiatives and guide actions through periodic workshops and conferences. Its activities will help establish protocols and good practices of data collection, storage, use and dissemination that can be applied to health and demographic data, as well as replicated across industries and sectors noted a release issued by ICMR. The launch was attended by representatives from the government, academic institutions, technology and developmental partners working towards strengthening the data ecosystem in the country.
8. Uttar Pradesh becomes No.1 in implementation of Pradhanamntri Suraksha Beema Yojna in the country
Uttar Pradesh has become number one in implementation of Pradhanamntri Suraksha Beema Yojna in the country. As per the statement released by state government 1.95 crores people have been given insurance cover under the scheme till 31 march 2019. AIR Lucknow Correspondent reports that implementation of this ambitious central government scheme started in state from January 2018 under which people between age group of 18 to 70 get accidental insurance cover of rupees 2 lakh by paying a nominal premium of 12 rupees annually.
9. Combat veteran, Dr Samir Rawat first officer invited to Congress of Psychology in Prague in 2020
Exactly twenty years ago, then Major Samir Rawat unfurled the National Flag atop icy peaks after recapturing enemy-held positions in Batalik sector of Kargil in 1999 and was conferred a President's gallantry award for bravery in face of the enemy. Now a renowned military psychologist, Lieutenant colonel Dr Samir Rawat is a combat veteran who still holds the tricolour aloft with pride and is an ardent contributor in the military psychology space and travels all over the military world which recognises his exclusive and unique competencies as a combat soldier and a military psychologist.
10. Delhi among cheapest cities to relocate: Moving Price Index 2019
Move over Singapore — the world's most expensive city has two new rivals. After topping the Economist Intelligence Unit's Worldwide Cost of Living Survey for five years, Asia's Lion City has been joined by Paris and Hong Kong in a tie at the top of the table. Zurich and Geneva rounded out the top five, while New York and Los Angeles reclaimed spots in the top 10 — ranking in seventh and 10th respectively — after slipping to 13th and 14th last year thanks to a weakening dollar. The survey is designed to help companies calculate cost-of-living allowances and build compensation packages for expatriates and business travelers.
11. RBI panel recommends an increase in collateral-free lending, MUDRA loan limit to Rs 20 lakh: Nitin Gadkari
A committee constituted by the RBI has recommended increase in the collateral free lending limit to Rs 20 lakh for MSMEs and self-help groups, Parliament was informed on Thursday. The committee has also recommended revision of loan limit sanctioned under MUDRA (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency) to Rs 20 lakh from Rs 10 lakh, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for MSMEs, said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. In an another reply to the Lower House, he said, 22.83 lakh Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) were registered on Udyog Aadhaar Portal in the country during March, 2018 to March 2019.
12. Bankruptcy board tightens norms governing resolution professionals
In a significant move, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has tightened norms governing resolution professionals wherein restrictions will also be in place for their relatives from taking up employment after completion of a resolution process. Insolvency resolution professionals would be barred from having employment when they are in possession of authorisation to take up work under the insolvency law. Besides, an insolvency professional and his or her relatives cannot accept any employment from the successful resolution applicant concerned for one year, as per the amended norms.
13. AAI signed up with Aireon for aircraft surveillance over the Indian ocean
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has signed an MoU with Aireon, USA for implementation of Space-Based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast data (ADS-B) services for the oceanic regions of the Indian flight information regions (FIRs). The agreement was signed by Mansoor Ahmed, ED (CNS-P), Airports Authority of India and Don Thoma, President and CEO, Aireon in the presence of Chairman of Airports Authority of India, Guruprasad Mohapatra in New Delhi on Thursday. The ADS-B data services will provide the real-time surveillance of airplanes over oceans falling in Indian Airspace.
14. NITI Aayog and WhatsApp partners to promote women entrepreneurs
NITI Aayog and Facebook-owned WhatsApp, under the aegis of its Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), have announced a partnership to support the growth of a robust ecosystem to promote women entrepreneurs in India. WhatsApp, in collaboration with NITI Aayog, will announce an annual calendar of events aimed at capacity building of women entrepreneurs and develop specific programmes aimed at addressing challenges faced by women entrepreneurs. The initiative would target the registered users of WEP.
15. IIT Kharagpur Students developed an app ‘CARE4U’ for elderly people
An interdisciplinary team of second-year BTech students of IIT Kharagpur have created an AI mobile app that can become a caregiver for India's 112 million elderly people. Because of India's huge eldery population, geriatric care is fast emerging as a major worry for India "We strongly feel that AI should impact and improve everyone's life. Since not much has been done using AI for old people, we decided to give it a try," said Aniruddha Chattopadhyay, a second-year student of the industrial and systems engineering department, on why the team chose to work on the elderly..
