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INDIAN
AFFAIRS
Governors’
committee submits report to President Kovind
On January 10, 2018, Committee of Governors submitted a
report, titled ‘Rajyapal —Vikas Ke Rajdoot: Catalytic Role of Governors
as Agents for Change in Society’ to President Ram Nath Kovind.
i. The report outlines best practices that have been adopted by
offices of Governors, issues and an action-outcome framework to deal with them.
ii. The report suggests that governors should play a
mentoring role in overall implementation of developmental schemes in
their respective states.
Ministry
of Road Transport & Highways signs MoU with Transport for London
On January 10, 2018, Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ‘Transport for London’ (TFL) in
New Delhi.
Details about Ministry of Road Transport & Highways – Transport for
London (TFL) MoU:
i. Under this MoU, expertise of TFL will be used to revamp
the public transport system in India.
ii. TFL is a statutory agency that manages the transport system for
Greater London. It has been responsible for creating a strong and dependable
public transport system in the city.
iii. The MoU will focus on capacity augmentation, improving
customer services, conducting scientific data analysis, promoting digital
transactions in ticketing and implementing effective IT systems in Indian
transport sector.
iv. Emphasis will also be laid on use of electric vehicles in
public transport and adopting public-private partnership (PPP) models
for operations.
West
Bengal government launches water ATM Project in city and suburbs
On 10th January 2018, West Bengal Panchayat and Rural
Development and Public Health Engineering minister Subrata Mukherjee announced
the launch of water ATM project to ensure bacteria-free drinking water in
schools.
Water ATM project in West Bengal:
i. Water ATMs are being set up in the city and suburbs of West
Bengal. The machines are made in Germany.
ii. Pilot projects have been launched in some parts of Kolkata
already. Nearly 50 water ATMs are to be set up in Kolkata.
iii. Mainly, schools and hospitals will be covered under this
project. This project is carried out with the help of Japan
International Cooperation Agency, the Asian Development Bank and the World
Bank.
iv. Subrata Mukherjee said that, if anyone proves the presence of
harmful bacteria in any of the water ATMs, they will be handed Rs 2 lakh.
About Asian Development Bank (ADB):
♦ President – Takehiko Nakao
♦ Headquarters – Metro Manila, Philippines
CABE
sub-committee recommends free education for girls up to PG level
A sub-committee of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) looking
into the issues of girl education in India has recommended free and compulsory
education for girls up to post-graduate level across India.
Information related to CABE sub-committee recommendations:
i. This sub-committee of CABE was formed by Union Human
Resources Development (HRD) Ministry in February 2017. It is headed
by Telangana’s Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Kadiyam
Srihari.
ii. Announcement pertaining to the recommendation of free and compulsory
education for girls was made after sub-committee’s meeting which was attended
by Assam Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma,
Jharkhand Education Minister Neera Yadav, Human Resources Development
Department Special Secretary, Rinarayi and Member Secretary Meenakshi Garg.
iii. In the interim report which will be submitted to Union
Minister for Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar on January 15, 2018
sub-committee has made several recommendations including setting up exclusive
residential degree colleges for Schedules Castes (SC)/Scheduled Tribes
(ST) women and provision of health and hygiene kits for girls.
Bhopal
Becomes 1st Railway Station to have Sanitary napkin Vending Machine
On January 1, 2018, Bhopal station has become the first railway station in the
country to have Sanitary napkin Vending Machine.
Sanitary napkin Vending Machine at Bhopal Railway Station:
i. This machine has been named ‘Happy Nari’.
ii. It was installed by the Railway Women Welfare
Association of Bhopal division with help from a local NGO
‘Arushi’.
iii. Women passengers can get two napkin for just in Rs. 5 from
this machine.
iv. The machine has a capacity of storing 75 sanitary napkins at
once. It will be refilled by a female staff attendant at the waiting room.
v. Total cost of setting up the machine (including monitoring
staff’s compensation and sanitary napkins) was only Rs. 20,000.
India
misses 2017 deadline for Kala Azar elimination
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley while presenting the General Budget 2017-18
said that the Government has prepared an action plan to
eliminate Kala-Azar by 2017.
Kala-Azar Elimination:
i. Kala-azar also known as black fever, and Dumdum fever is
a slow progressing indigenous disease caused by a single-celled parasite of the
Leishmania family.
ii. India has not only missed Kala–Azar elimination
deadline announced by Finance Minister, but Kala- Azar endemic blocks have
increased from 61 to 68 in 17 districts of Bihar and Jharkhand.
iii. However, according to Dr P K Sen of the National
Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), active case findings
rather than an actual increase in the disease is the reason for increase in
number of endemic blocks.
iv. Elimination in this context is defined as reducing the
annual incidence of Kala Azar (KA) to less than 1 case per 10000 people at the
sub-district level.
v. Health Ministry officials are of the view that pending
construction of concrete houses since 2001-02, was the primary reason behind
the failure to control this disease.
Prez
Kovind inaugurates three-day 4th International Dharma Dhamma conference
On January 11, 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated 4th
International Dharma-Dhamma Conference on “State and Social Order in
Dharma-Dhamma Traditions” at Rajgir in Nalanda district of Bihar.
Details about 4th International Dharma Dhamma conference:
i. This conference has been organised by Nalanda
University, in collaboration with the India Foundation, Centre for Study of
Religion and Society, Vietnam Buddhist University and Union Ministry of
External Affairs.
ii. It is a part of the commemorative events to celebrate the
Silver Jubilee year of ASEAN-India Dialogue Partnership.
iii. Other dignitaries who will attend this three-day event include
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik,
Kingdom of Thailand’s Minister for Culture, Vira Rojpojchanarat and Sri Lankan
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Assignments Tilak Marapana
iv. The conference will conclude on January 13, 2018.
