CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2, 2018
CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2, 2018
NATIONAL
Arunachal Pradesh Declared Open Defecation Free State
Arunachal Pradesh emerged as the second State in the Northeast, after Sikkim, to be declared Open Defecation Free. Arunachal has 21 districts and the national deadline for OPF is October 2, 2019.
The milestone was achieved after the state announced an incentive of Rs 8,000( per toilet) in addition to the Rs 12,000-grant provided by the Centre for building toilets.
In October 2017 Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Haryana were declared open defecation free states.The project was undertaken under Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) SBM.
Arunachal Pradesh
Capital: Itanagar
Chief Minister: Pema Khandu
Governor: Brigadier BD Mishra
Public Health Engineering & Water Supply Minister: Bamang Felix
Maharashtra sanctions Rs.14,240 crore for farm loan waiver scheme
Maharashtra government allocated Rs.14,240 crore for the farm loan waiver scheme and for repayment to farmers whose produce was purchased by the State.
The state’s cooperation and marketing department issued a Government Resolution for the allocation of Rs 14,240 crore for the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana – the loan waiver scheme. The total outlay of the scheme would be ₹34,020 crore.
Maharashtra
Capital: Mumbai
Chief Minister: Devendra Fadnavis
Governor: Vidyasagar Rao
Union Minister Maneka Gandhi inaugurates online portal “NARI”
Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi inaugurates an online portal NARI for the empowerment of women in New Delhi.
It is developed by the Ministry and the portal will provide women with easy access to information on government schemes and initiatives for women.
The portal summarises over 350 government schemes and other important information.
To provide a platform for NGOs and Civil Societies to interact with the Ministry of Women & Child Development, e-Samvad portal has also been developed and inaugurated.
The constituency of Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi is Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh.
Karnataka Govt to obtain electric vehicles under FAME-India scheme
Karnataka has received the approval for purchase of electric vehicles from the Department of Heavy Industries of the Union Government under FAME India Scheme.
Karnataka is set to procure and ply 40 electric buses, 100 four wheelers and 500 three wheelers along with setting up of charging infrastructure across the city of Bengaluru.
Under the scheme, a subsidy is provided to an extent of 60 percent of the purchase cost for electric buses, Rs 1.24 lakh for every Electric four wheeler and Rs 61,000 for every electric three-wheeler by the central government.
FAME-India:Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles in India (FAME-India) India scheme. It aims to protect the environment, save fossil fuel, ensure public health and achieve sustainability goals.
Capital: Bengaluru
Chief Minister: Siddaramaiah
Governor: Vajubhai Vala
Industries Minister of Karnataka: R V Deshpande
171st Araadhanai Music Festival begins in Tamil Nadu
The 171st Araadhanai Music Festival of one of the Trinities of Carnatic music Saint Thyagaraja begins in Thiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu. The festival will be inaugurated by Governor Banwarilal Purohit.
Over 1,000 musicians from all over the world are expected to pay homage to Saint Thygaraja during the course of the five-day festival.
India’s second largest rooftop solar plant in UP by GAIL
State-owned gas utility GAIL India Ltd has commissioned the country’s second largest rooftop solar power plant in Uttar Pradesh.
The firm has installed a 5.76 MWp (Mega Watt peak) solar plant at its petrochemical complex at Pata in Uttar Pradesh. It will generate over 79 lakh kilowatt hour (KWh) of electricity. The plant over the roofs of warehouses covers a total area of 65,000 square meters.
Tata Power Solar has commissioned India’s largest solar rooftop project with 12 MW capacity in Amritsar.
GAIL
Headquarters: New Delhi
CEO: B. C. Tripathi
First Draft of NRC released in Assam
The first part draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam recognises 19 million people out of a total 32.9 million applicants recognised as Indian citizens.NRC was released by Registrar General of India Sailesh.
The NRC is being updated for the first time after 1951 with the aim of removing those who may have entered the state from Bangladesh after March 25, 1971. Assam is the only state in India that has an NRC.
Assam
Capital: Dispur
Chief Minister: Sarbananda Sonowal
Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
INTERNATIONAL
Saudi Arabia, UAE introduce VAT for first time
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) introduced the Value Added Tax (VAT) for the first time. It is a five percent tax on most goods and services to boost revenue.
The VAT will be applied on food, clothes, electronics and gasoline, phone, water and electricity bills, as well as hotel reservations.Some outgoings were exempt from the tax including medical treatment, financial services and public transport.
The imposition of VAT will help to raise tax revenues of the Saudi government to be utilised for infrastructure and developmental works.
Analysts project that the two governments could raise as much as $21 billion in 2018, equivalent to 2 percent of GDP. The other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar have also committed to introduce VAT soon.
APPOINTMENTS
Vijay Keshav Gokhale is the Next Foreign Secretary
Senior diplomat Vijay Keshav Gokhale has been appointed as the foreign secretary for a two-year fixed term. He will succeed S Jaishankar on January 28,2018.
Mr. Gokhale, a 1981-batch officer, currently Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs.
Pankaj Jain Appointed as IIFCL Managing Director
Pankaj Jain has assumed charge as the Managing Director of India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL).He is the Joint Secretary in the Department of Financial Services (DFS).
He will be holding additional charge of IIFCL along with his present position as Joint Secretary at DFS.
Salil Parekh to take charge as Infosys CEO
Salil Parekh who was a group executive board member with global consulting firm Capgemini will formally join the $10-billion IT giant, Infosys.
UB Pravin Rao will step down as the interim CEO and Managing Director effective January 2 and will continue as Chief Operating Officer and a whole-time Director of the company.
SPORTS
Vidarbha Defeats Delhi to win Ranji Trophy for the First Time
Vidarbha won the Ranji Trophy title for the first time by defeating Delhi in nine wickets. The event held at Holkar Stadium in Indore. Rajneesh Gurbani was declared player of the Match.
The team represents the Vidarbha region of eastern Maharashtra.
OBITUARY
Eminent Poet Anwar Jalalpuri Passes Away
Noted Urdu poet Anwar Jalalpuri passed away in Lucknow. Anwar Jalalpuri is best known for his translation of shlokas of Bhagwat Gita into Urdu verses.
Anwar Jalalpuri was a Yash Bharti recipient.
