INDIAN AFFAIRS
The congress ruling Uttarkhand government presented its last state budget of the term as it is set to face the state elections in the coming year.The 40422 crore deficit budget was presented with importance given in areas like education, rural development and disaster management.- Total expenditure- 40422 crores
- Total receipts-39912 crores
- Deficit –2 crores
- Total planned expenditure-15,931.60 crores
- Estimated cost of 3 projects- 7200 crores
In an effort to promote measures
that can save energy the Union government launches various
programmes.One such important initiative is to provide LED lamps to
households and promote its usage to save energy. The new scheme of LED
based lighting has been named UJALA.
- ‘UJALA‘ is the name given for the LED based Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme(DELP)
- DELP is successfully implemented across 120 cities in India
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) approved a Rs 13,000 crores weapons and sensors packagefor
the seven new stealth frigates being constructed by defence shipyards
for the Navy as well as accorded the initial approval for the Rs 7,200 crore project to indigenously manufacture 244 air defence guns for the IAF.
- The Rs 13,000 crores package for stealth frigates will be undertaken on a “single vendor and repeat order basis“.
Government aims to computerise the PDS sector to help remove corruption in PDS,by installing electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices at all the 5.35 lakh fair price shops across the country by March 2019.
- Government has also started a pilot project linking the PDS with Aadhar card under Direct Benefit Transfer scheme in Puducherry, Chandigarh and in urban areas of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
- The government has installed 91,000 electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices till March 2016 a total of 3.75 lakh bogus ration cards have been detected and I assure you that if not 100 per cent.Food Security Act has been implemented in 30 states from 11 earlier.
- The cost of such e-PoS, is around Rs 20,000 and a total sum of Rs 884 crore has been earmarked and the Centre will spend a total of Rs 879 crore while states will spend Rs 393 crore under the scheme.
Dakshina Kannada ZillaPanchayat has conducted a ‘honey festival’ in Mangaluru a two-day festival on apiculture and organic farming organised by Horticulture Department.
- The government has been supporting organic farming and it targeting in a bright future. The demand for crops cultivated using organic manure is increasing. The people should also accept organic farming,
- Twenty-five stalls have displayed a wide range of honey and its products. The medicinal values of honey have also been highlighted at the mela. The exhibition-cum-sale of organic products is also on at the venue. Materials used in organic farming have also been exhibited.
- Capital: Bangalore
- Chief Minister:Siddaramaiah
- Governor: Vajubhaivala
The Foreign Minister of the Government of Mexico, H.E. Ms Claudia Ruiz Massieu Salinas, visited India on two day visit to India (11-12 March) and held bilateral meeting with, External Affairs Minister of India Smt. SushmaSwaraj.
- During her visit the Mexican Foreign Minister also interacted with the private sector in a business event organized with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and delivered a lecture in the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) on the subject ‘Mexico in the international context and its relations with India’.
- In the course of the official visit the yembark on a complete review of the entire range of bilateral relations comprising political, commercial & trade, financial, technical and other areas to further increase and strengthen cooperation.
- Capital: Mexico City
- Currency: Peso
- President: Enrique Pena Nieto
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
India Inc. is set to formally adopt the United Nations’ (UN) agenda for the world’s sustainable development and the 17 goals identified for its implementation.
- SDG- Sustainable Development Growth; MDG- Millenium Development Growth
- SDG- 17 goals; MDG- 8 goals
- SDG will be a evaluated, monitored and reported in a time-bound manner
- MDG was in implementation from 2001-2015
The Arab League has declared Lebanese movement Hezbollah a terrorist group the decision came during an Arab League foreign ministers’ meeting at the organisation’s headquarters in Egypt’s capital Cairo.
- Nearly all 22 Arab League members supported the decision, apart from Lebanon and Iraq which expressed reservations in the foreign ministers meeting.
- The Revolutionary Guards created Hezbollah in the 1980s. Funded by Iran, it is the only side not to have put down weapons after Lebanon’s civil war from 1975 to 1990.
- The United States, Canada and Australia have listed Hezbollah as a terrorist group. The European Union has also blacklisted its military group.
- Hezbollah the wing founded in 1985, The Powerful group is of Shi’a Islamist militants and political party
- Hezbollah’s military strength has grown so significantlythat its paramilitary wing is considered more powerful than the Lebanese Army.
Ireland has arrived new constitutional territory after its parliament failed to elect a prime minister and government following last month’s unsettled general election held on February 26
- Incumbent Enda Kenny remains as prime minister until he manages to build coalition support behind him or a different prime ministerial candidate is nominated.
- Kenny won the support of 57 deputies — far short of the required majority of 80 in the 158-seat chamber. He got 94 votes against and five abstentions.
- Capital: Dublin
- Currency: Euro
BANKING & FINANCE
The domestic rating agency Crisil has estimated the GDP growth of India at 7.9% for the fiscal year 2016 provided the Monsoon remains normal and the government implements the announced reforms.- The estimated GDP growth remains to be the highest prediction so far pointing at 9% growth as estimated by Crisil
BUSINESS
The start ups in India have been witnessing a favourable environment
as the Union Government stresses on creating a nation of more job
providers than job seekers.- Giving a boost to several initiatives including the ‘Stand Up India, Start Up India” and empowering the small entrepreneurs, it has decided to relax procurement norms related to experience and turnover for micro, small and medium start-ups with a view to enabling these ventures to be part of its public procurement.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
The President of India, Sri Pranab Mukherjee awarded the certificates of honour to eminent scholars of Sanskrit, Pali/Prakrit, Arabic and Persian and the Maharishi Badrayan Vyas Samman to young scholars for the year 2014.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS
Vishvas ViduSapkal appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of FijiVishvas ViduSapkal currently Deputy Chief of Mission in Embassy of India, Cairo, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Fiji.
- Sapkal, an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the 1998 batch, was expected to take up his assignment shortly.
- He responsible for upkeep and promoting Indian interests in the country. These include a strong and multifaceted bilateral relationship with Fiji comprising political, economic, commercial, consular, cultural, scientific and other elements.
- The High Commission of India in Fiji Suva carry out activities of different types including provision of consular services such as passports and visa.
- Capital: Suva
- Currency: Fijian Dollar
Anil Wadhwa, Ambassador of India to Italy, has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of San Marino with residence in Rome. He is an Indian Foreign Service Officer of the 1979 batch was also posted as Secretary (East) in 2014.
- He has also served as the Indian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand (Nov 2011 to Jan 2014) and previously as the Ambassador to Poland and to the Sultanate of Oman
- He holds a master degree in history with specialization in Chinese history and mediaeval
Indian history and architecture. He is fluent in English, Hindi and Chinese and knows French.
- Capital: San Marino
- Currency: Euro
- Shri R. Ravindra currently Counsellor in High Commission of India, Colombo, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire.
- He is likely to take up his assignment shortly. In his new stint Ravindra will succeed Dinesh Bhatia
- He is a 1999 batch IFS officer.
- Capital: Yamoussoukro (Political), Abidjan (Economic)
- Currency: CFA Franc
- President: Alsassane Ouattara
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
A Supreme Court Bench headed by Justice Kurian Joseph asked the Telecos to not to exceed the call drops limit over 2% and no penalty will be levied on them until they don’t cross this threshold.
- It has been mandated the Telecos to pay subscribers Re 1 for every call drop they experience on their network, subject to a cap of three call drops a day, starting from January 1, 2016.
In an effort of modernizing various government sectors, the announcement came today from the Defence ministry in introducing an interactive web portal Kendriya Sainik Board. This web portal will be under the Department of Ex-Serviceman Welfare.
- The interactive portal Kendriya Sainik Board enables the ex-serviceman to avail various schemes by submitting online applications thereby reducing the paperwork and saves time
The sixth ship of LCU MK IV project, was launched on 12 March 2016 at an exciting ceremony at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd, Kolkata.
- The traditions, invocations from Atharva Veda were related and SmtSeemaVerma, wife of Vice Admiral Bimal Kumar Verma, AVSM, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman & Nicobar Command, applied ‘Kumkum’ on the ship’s stem. She, thereafter, named the ship as ‘LCU-L56’, wished the ship good luck and launched the vessel.The vessel is likely to be delivered shortly to the Indian Navy.
- The drive for indigenous construction of warships leading to advancements of our shipbuilding industry and acknowledged the role of GRSE as a reliable partner in pursuing the national goal of ‘Make in India.
- The ship can be deployed for multi-role activities like beaching operations, Humanitarian and Disaster Relief operations and evacuation from distant islands.
SPORTS
- Indian boxing star Vijender Singh has achieved up his fourth consecutive knockout professional win by thrashing Hungary’s Alexander Horvath in under three rounds.
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