Current Affairs August 2018 - Regional

1 - Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh launched smartphone distribution scheme

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, along with National Award-winning actress Kangana Ranaut launched a smartphone distribution scheme, 'Mobile Tihar', under the Sanchar Kranti Yojna (SKY).

The scheme is for distribution of smart-phone to women and students in the station covering 45 lakh women and 5 lakh students. 556 new mobile towers will be installed across the state. People belonging to the Below Poverty Line and low income group will be eligible for the scheme.

2 - Rajasthan signed MoU for first cow sanctuary in the state

The Rajasthan state government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a private trust to have its first ‘cow sanctuary’. The sanctuary will be spread over an area of more than 220 hectares in Bikaner district and provide shelter for 10,000 bovines.

The facility will have hospitals and Sewan grass as fodder for the animals. The sanctuary will primarily shelter animals which are abandoned and have stopped producing milk as well as ones rescued from smugglers.

3 - Rajasthan first State to implement Biofuel Policy

Rajasthan has become the first State in India to implement the national policy on biofuels unveiled by the Union Government. The state government is also planning to establish a Centre for Excellence in Udaipur to promote research in the fields of alternative fuels and energy resources.

The policy on biofuels seeks to help farmers dispose of their surplus stock in an economic manner and reduce the country’s oil import dependence.

4 - Italian Bike-Maker Benelli signed MoU for plant in Telangana

Italian bike-maker Benelli has signed a MoU with Hyderabad’s Mahavir Group arm to set up an assembly plant in Telengana. Benelli plans for a full-fledged manufacturing facility in the State. The plant is expected to become operational by October.

The plant will have a capacity to assemble 10,000 bikes and begin with around 100 employees. Benelli signed the MoU with Adishwar Auto Ride India (AARI), a subsidiary of Mahavir Group.

5 - North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS)

The Government has approved a scheme named North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) for development of North-Eastern region to be implemented by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER). It is a 100% Central Sector Scheme to be implemented till March 2020.

A sum of Rs. 1600 crore has been allocated for funding physical infrastructure relating to connectivity, power, water supply enhancing tourism and social Infrastructure relating to education and health sectors in North Eastern States. Till date, 6 projects costing Rs.272.31 crore have been recommended for sanction for North Eastern States under this scheme.

6 - Schemes of North Eastern Council (NEC) and North East Road Sector Development Scheme (NERSDS)

The Government has also approved schemes of North Eastern Council (NEC) and North East Road Sector Development Scheme (NERSDS) at a total cost of Rs.4500 crore for 3 years i.e. 2017-18 to 2019-20. Under NERSDS, 3 projects have been taken up and 1 has been completed while 2 are ongoing.

NERSDS was launched in 2015-16 for rehabilitation/up-gradation of important but neglected inter-State roads of the region to be implemented by National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).

7 - North East Venture Fund (NEVF)

North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi) under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) has set up the North East Venture Fund (NEVF) for North East Region.

The capital commitment to the fund is Rs. 100.00 crore with an initial contribution of Rs. 75.00 crore consisting of Rs. 45.00 crore from Ministry of DoNER and Rs. 30.00 crore from NEDFi. The balance fund of Rs. 25.00 crore has been committed by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in-principle.

8 - Science & Technology Interventions in the North East Region (STINER)

Science & Technology Interventions in the North East Region (STINER) aims to bring relevant technologies developed by the academic, scientific and research institutions to the artisans and farmers especially women.

The Ministry has sanctioned funds to disseminate some identified technologies developed by IITs such as Feed block machine; Eri-Cocoon opener; Hank to bobbin winding machine; Chaff Cutter; Dryer; Potter’s wheel; Puffed Rice making machine and Fish cage structure.

9 - Funds allocated to North-Eastern Council

An amount of Rs. 1156 crore has been allocated to North Eastern Council for the year 2018-19. The disbursement of funds by the North Eastern Council (NEC) is made project-wise on the basis of progress of the implementation of the projects and receipt of Utilization Certificates. Rs. 168.77 crore, of which Rs. 76.92 crore to NE States & Sikkim and Rs. 91.85 crore to other Agencies, have been released as on July, 2018.

NEC has received funds under the following schemes:

NEC Schemes – Rs. 906.00 crore and
North East Road Sector Development Scheme – Rs. 250.00 crore.

10 - Goa Tourism launched new taxi service app Goa Miles

Goa Tourism Development Corporation launched new taxi service app named as GoaMiles for Goa citizens. This app will help citizens to have transparency in fares and bring relief to tourists looking for convenient modes of transport. Around 2800 licensed drivers have been invited for using app and work for GoaMiles.

At present, the app is in final stages of testing in actual conditions. It has been launched with an aim to support Digital India initiative of Central government. GoaMiles will also provide employment opportunities to many licensed drivers and increase their earnings.

11 - Telangana state government approved insurance scheme worth Rs. 5 lakh for farmers

An insurance scheme of life cover Rs. 5 lakhs for farmers has been introduced by Telangana state. The scheme will be under supervision of Life Insurance Corporation of India. The scheme is named as ‘RythuBandhu Life Insurance Bonds’. The state wanted to provide life cover to whole family of farmers under this single cover, irrespective of type of death.

The age of farmer to be eligible for cover will be between 18 and 60 years. RythuBandhu Life Insurance Bonds involves investment of Rs. 650 crore. The scheme ensures to settle claims within 10 days.

12 - Rajasthan's Jodhpur, Marwar cleanliest among major railway stations

Rajasthan's Jodhpur and Marwar railway stations have emerged the cleanliest among the major stations in the country in the latest round of cleanliness assessment study. While Jodhpur secured first position in A1 category stations this year, Jaipur was second and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh third. In the A category, Marwar was first, with Phulera taking the second place and Warangal in Telangana at the third spot.

A1 and A category stations contribute 80 per cent of the passenger revenue. The stations are categorised based on revenue generated and footfalls.

13 - Individual farmer can avail Rs. 1.50 lakh loan waiver in Maharashtra

The Maharashtra government has expanded the scope of the loan waiver scheme by extending the benefits to every member of the farmer's family in case of a separate loan account. Earlier, the farmer's family as one unit was considered for claim waiver of 1,50,000 rupees agricultural debt. Now, every member of the family having some agricultural debt will be covered under the scheme.

The state government has waived nearly 14000 crore rupees loan till March 2018.

14 - Punjab started Tatkal sewa' for property registration

The Punjab government has started a 'tatkal sewa' for property registration across the state. A sum of Rs. 5,000 has been fixed as facilitation charges to seek appointment for 'tatkal’ registration for properties.

The government has reserved an hour-long slot from 9 am to 10 am for availing the service under instant mode. This service comes on the heels of the State starting online property registration in June 2018. So far over 1.62 lakh online documents have been registered under the new system.

15 - UP Defence Industry Corridor kicked off with Rs 3700 crore

Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor kicked off with an announcement of investment over Rs. 3700 crore in defence production at Industry Meet organized at Aligarh. Investments in UP Defence Industrial Corridor made are as follows −

HAL - Rs. 1200 crore, OFB - Rs. 1077 crore, MKU - Rs. 900 crore, BEL- Rs. 240 crore, Bharat Forge - Rs. 200 crore and PTC - Rs. 115 crore. The total amount of investment announced was of the order of Rs. 3732 crore. Boeing India announced setting up of a skill centre in cooperation with HAL.

16 - Uttarakhand High Court appointed itself legal guardian of cows in state

Uttarakhand high court appointed itself as legal guardian of cows in the state of Uttarakhand by invoking 'parens patriae'. 'Parens patriae' is a Latin, word which means "parent of his or her country". It is the power that could be invoked by a state to act itself like a guardian and provide protection for those who are unable to take care for themselves.

Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari stated in an order to ban slaughter, export of cow, bull, bullock, heifer or calf for purpose of slaughter and selling of beef and beef products across state.

17 - India’s largest business incubator launched in Jaipur

Rajasthan has launched India’s largest business incubator - the Bhamashah Techno Hub - in Jaipur at a construction cost of Rs 72 crores. 700 startups can work together and a similar mini-version will also be set up in Udaipur, Kota, Jodhpur.

The incubator will provide end-to-end support to startups, ranging from infrastructure, technology, angel funding, access to venture capitalists, mentorship, exposure to national and international organisations and experts and much more.

18 - Centre released Rs. 600 crore of assistance to flood-affected Kerala

Central assistance of Rs. 500 crore, as announced by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, and Rs. 100 crore, announced by the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh, for flood affected Kerala was released to the Government of Kerala. The Department of Food & Public Distribution made additional allocation of 89,540 MT of rice. An Action Plan has been prepared for restoration of power supply in all the affected areas. 94% of telecom towers have been made functional.

The Finance Ministry waived off Customs Duty & IGST on the relief materials being imported in the flood-affected areas in Kerala.

19 - Government of Rajasthan and World Bank signed $250 million agreement

The Government of India, the Government of Rajasthan and the World Bank signed a $250 million development policy loan (DPL) to support the state improve the performance of its electricity distribution sector under the state’s 24x7 Power for All program.

The Second Programmatic Electricity Distribution Reform Development Policy Loan for Rajasthan is the second in the series of two operations planned for a comprehensive turnaround of Rajasthan’s electricity distribution sector. It aims to reform the governance of DISCOMs and bring greater public accountability in their functioning.

20 - Delhi govt announced prize money of Rs. 3 cr to Olympic & Paralympic gold medalists

The Delhi government announced cash incentive of three crore rupees to Olympic and Paralympic gold medalists from the city, Delhi.

Olympic and Paralympic silver medalists from Delhi will get two crore rupees and bronze medalists one crore. Earlier, the medalists used to get one crore, fifty lakh and thirty lakh rupees for gold, silver and bronze medals. For Asian and Para-Asian Games, players will now get one crore rupees for gold medal, seventy five lakh for silver medal, and fifty lakh for bronze medals.