▼ Committee led by Gautam Barua to examine UGC fellowships [10-30-15]
Union HRD ministry has established a 5 member committee for reviewing UGC fellowships including National Eligibility Test/NET and non NET ones. The former director of IIT-Guwahati Gautam Barua will be heading the panel. Committee members include the following:
- Syed Bari: Central University of Gujarat VC
- Kuldeep Agnihotri- Central University of HP VC
- Rajiv Chandawarkar- Karnataka State Women University VC
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▼ Union Ministry of Women and Child Development collaborates for spreading scheme awareness [10-30-15]
Union Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched awareness about Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme in partnership with Celltick Mobile Media India Pvt Ltd. BBBP scheme has been launched to promote gender equity as there has been a steady decline in the number of females born per 1000 males which was 918, according to the 2011 census. This marks the first time the company has collaborated with GoI for a social initiative.
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▼ Government to set up National Tribal Advisory Council [10-30-15]
Council is being set up for monitoring and implementation of various tribal welfare schemes. It will be chaired by the Prime Minister and will meet once or twice in a year. By third quarter of the year, 80% of the funds allocated for tribal welfare will be disseminated.
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▼ GoI constitutes committee to simplify IT Act 1961 provisions [10-28-15]
The committee comprises the following members:
- Justice R.V. Easwar, (Retd.), former Judge,Delhi High Court and former President, ITAT - Chairman
Members
- Shri V.K. Bhasin, former Law Secretary
- Shri Vinod Jain, Chartered Accountant
- Shri Rajiv Memani, Consultant
- Shri Ravi Gupta, Sr. Advocate
- Shri Mukesh Patel, Chartered Accountant
- Shri Ajay Bahl, Consultant
- Shri Pradip P. Shah, Investment Adviser
- Shri Arvind Modi, IRS
- Dr. Vinay Kumar Singh, IRS
The committee will study and identify provisions/phrases in act leading to litigation as per different interpretations, and study how to improve tax and revenue collections as well as ease of doing business in India.
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▼ Union Law Minister notified Delhi HC AA 2015 [10-28-15]
Union Law Ministry on 26 October 2015 notified Delhi High Court Amendment Act, 2015 providing for enhancement of pecuniary jurisdiction of the District Courts of Delhi from 20 lakh to 2 crore rupees. The law also enables Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court to transfer any pending suit or other proceedings to relevant subordinate court in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Bill received presidential assent on 10th August 2015.
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▼ David Cameron government includes nursing in shortage occupation list [10-26-15]
In a good move for Indian nurses in the UK, the British government has included nursing as a profession in the shortage occupation list. This included 30,000 overseas nurses who had earlier been facing the threat of unemployment under new immigration rules. NHS had earlier made the announcement that nurses could stay in UK only if they earned a minimum of £35,000 a year. This meant that a majority of the nurses would have had to leave UK earlier.
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▼ Department of Heavy Industry drafts National Policy on Capital Goods [10-26-15]
Department of Heavy Industry in consultation with bodies and associations drafted a National Policy on Capital Goods. This marks the first time a policy on Capital Goods is being put together. This is the most important sector for attaining the vision of Make in India. National Policy on Capital Goods seeks to set up India as a manufacturing major in the world.
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▼ Ministry of Health and Family Welfare modified National Blood Policy [10-20-15]
National Blood Policy 2015 has been modified to identify two major initiatives towards better utilisation of blood and blood components. These initiatives were recommended by the National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC). The first is permitting the transfer of blood from one blood bank to another in the event of a shortage. The second is fixing an exchange value for surplus plasma available at some blood banks in the nation, exchange value being fixed at 1600 rupees/litre.
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▼ CPAC reconstituted by GoI [10-20-15]
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has reconstituted the Central Press Accreditation Committee (CPAC) with the following members:
- Shri Frank Noronha (Chairman), Director General (M&C), Press Information Bureau, Government of India, New Delhi
- Shri Pramod Kumar, National Union of Journalists (India), International Federation of Journalists
- Shri Surendra Verma, Association of Accredited News Cameraman (Regd.)
- Shri Shyam Babu, Indian Federation of Working Journalists
- Shri Rabi Rath, Association of Small and Medium Newspapers of India
- Ms. Meenakshi Pandit, All India Journalists Welfare Association
- Shri Supriya Prasad, News Broadcasters’ Association
- Shri Rahul Kanwal, Broadcast Editors’ Association
- Ms. Ira Jha, Press Association
- Shri L.C. Bhartiya, All India Small & Medium Newspapers Federation
- Ms. Sabina Inderjeet, Indian Journalists Union
- Shri M.K. Mahadev Rao, Working News Cameramen’s Association
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▼ Union Minister of Home Affairs introduces new CVCF scheme [10-19-15]
Union Ministry of Home Affairs on 14th October 2015 has proposed a new scheme called Central Victim Compensation Fund with initial investment of INR 200 crore to support victims of various attacks such as rape,acid attacks and human trafficking. The scheme aims to supplement Victim Compensation Schemes notified by states/UTs. Victims will be compensated for injury, loss and death.
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▼ SC declared NJAC Act 2014 as unconstitutional and void [10-19-15]
5 judge Constitutional Bench of SC in collective order on 16th October 2015 ruled that 99th AA and NJAC Act 2014 has been declared void and unconstitutional. The collegium system has been upheld before the NJAC Act 2014 was introduced by the SC. Collegium system was in operation since 1993. The five-judge SC bench which comprised of Justices JS Khehar, J Chelameswar, Madan B Lokur, Kurian Joseph and AK Goel declared the NJAC act in violation of the Indian Constitution.
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▼ Rajasthan government signs 27 pacts under Centre’s Housing for All programme [10-19-15]
Rajasthan government has signed 27 pacts totaling more than INR 12,478 crore under Housing for All Programme in fields of housing, healthcare and education. Rajasthan has become the first state to sign an MoU for affordable housing with private and public sector companies. National Building Construction Corporation will provide INR 500 crore to government of Rajasthan for low cost housing. Several new missions of the Centre will be taken up for the State including Smart City, AMRUT and Housing for All.
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▼ PMJDY deposits exceed INR 25,000 crore with balances in 60% of accounts [10-19-15]
A fresh milestone has been attained under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana with deposits in accounts now going beyond INR 25,000 crore and accounts having balances in them now exceeding 60%. The deposits opened under PMJDY are low cost. Accounts which can be opened under PMJDY namely Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account which can be attained with zero balance. On 7th October 2015, the deposits collected were pegged at INR 25146.97 crore. Zero balance accounts have fallen to less than 40%.
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▼ GoI notifies Mid Day Meal Rules 2015 as part of NFSA [10-3-15]
Union Government has notified Mid Day Meal Rules 2015 under the NFSA containing provisions related to welfare schemes such as Mid Day Meal Scheme. MDM rules were finalised following consultation with states and involve the following provisions:
- Entitlements of children: Every child within the age group of six to fourteen years studying in classes I to VIII who enrol and attend the school, shall be provided hot cooked meal.
- Implementation of the Scheme: Every school shall have the facility for cooking meal in hygienic manner.
- Responsibility of School Management Committee: The School Management Committee mandated under Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 shall also monitor implementation.
- Utilisation of School Funds: The Headmaster or Headmistress of the school shall be empowered to utilise any fund available.
- Testing of the meals by Accredited Labs to ensure nutritional standards
Food Security Allowance: If the Mid-Day Meal is not provided in school on any school day due to non-availability of food grains, cooking cost, fuel or absence of cook-cum-helper or any other reason, then the State Government shall pay food security allowance.
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▼ U.P Government to implement NFSA [10-2-15]
Uttar Pradesh government has made the announcement on 29th September 2015 that it will implement National Food Security Act/NFSA 2013 in 3 phases in the state. In the first phase, scheme will be implemented in 24 districts whereas it will be implemented in 26 districts in the second phase. In the third phase, the scheme will be launched in 25 districts.NFSA also called Right to Food Act is a Parliament legislation to provide subsidised food grains to 2/3rd of India’s 1.2 billion persons. The poor will get the monthly quota of wheat at INR 2 per kg and rice at INR 3 per kg. This act was signed into law on 12th September 2013 with retroactive effect from July 5th, 2013.
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▼ Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan launched by social justice and empowerment ministry [10-1-15]
The campaign was initiated by the government to increase the accessibility of the physical environment in the country. In addition, the campaign focuses on enhancing the accessibility and usability of Public Transport, and information & communication. The department has planned to make public buildings in 50 cities of the country including four cities of Maharashtra namely Mumbai, Pune, Nashik and Nagpur accessible to PwDs. States will pick at least 50-100 public buildings that will be made accessible to PwDs via retrofitting of ramps, lifts, toilets and signage.
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