KERALA
- Attappady to be notified sandalwood reserve
- The government proposes to notify Attappady as a sandalwood reserve and protect the species to facilitate its regeneration, Governor P. Sathasivam said. The government had taken up a project to demarcate forest boundaries with permanent cairns to protect forestland and prevent encroachments. The project would be completed during the tenure of this government.
- The extent of exotic plantations raised to meet the raw material requirements of industries would be strictly limited to the minimum. The remaining areas would be restored with naturally-occurring forestry species
- He also announced steps to mitigate human-animal conflict and improve the livelihood of forest-dependent tribal communities. The Governor said the government had drawn up plans to declare Ashramam in Kollam and Kalasamala in Thrissur as biodiversity heritage sites. The Kerala State Biodiversity Board had taken up initiatives to strengthen panchayat-level Biodiversity Management Committees and develop a Kerala Biodiversity Information Register. Moves were on to establish three new theme-based biodiversity parks.
INTERNATIONAL
- Japan’s Development Loan Assistance to India for an amount of Yen 45 billion
- The Government of Japan has committed JICA Official Development Assistance loan for an amount of Yen 45 billion (Rs.2587 crore approx.) for the project.
- The Notes in this regard were exchanged between Mr. S. Selvakumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India and H.E. Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India on Japanese official development assistance loan for Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Project (Phase 3) (I).
- This Project will provide residents of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) area especially in 110 villages with safe and stable water supply and sewerage services by carrying-out construction of water treatment plant and sewage treatment plants thereby improving living conditions of the residents as well as the investment environment in the concerned areas in BBMP in the State of Karnataka.
- India and Japan have had a long and fruitful history of bilateral development cooperation since 1958. In the last few years, the economic cooperation between India and Japan has steadily progressed.
- This further consolidates and strengthens the Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan.
NATIONAL
· Eighth National Voters Day is observed on 25th January
- The Election Commission of India celebrated the 8th National Voters’ Dayacross the country on 25th January for enhanced participation of citizens in the electoral process.
- The National level function was held in New Delhi.
- President Ram Nath Kovind gave away awards for best electoral practices to District Collectors, Superintendents of Police and other functionaries involved in election management.
Gk bit – National Voters Day
- National Voters’ Day or Rashtriya Matdata Diwasis celebrated on January 25 every year. The significance of National Voters’ Day is to encourage more young voters to take part in the political process. It is a day to celebrate the right to vote and vibrant democracy of India.
- The day was first celebrated in 2011 to mark Election Commission’s Foundation Day. This will be eighth National Voters’ Day (NVD) and will be used to spread awareness among voters regarding effective participation in the electoral process.
- ECI (Election Commission of India) is permanent and independent constitutional body established directly by Constitution of India to ensure fair and fair elections in the country. It is multi-member body and currently has three members including Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).
- Bharat Parv to be held at Red Fort on Republic Day
- Cultural extravaganza Bharat Parvwill be held at the Red Fort in Delhi as part of the Republic Day celebrations.
- The prime objective of the event is to promote rich cultural diversity of the country, generate a patriotic mood and to ensure wider participation of the general public.
- The Bharat Parv event includes a display of Republic Day Parade Tableaux, Performances by Armed Forces Bands, Cultural Performances from a different region.
· Union Government To Infuse Over Rs88 Thousand Crore In 20 PSB
- The Union Government announced 88,139 crore rupees capital infusion in20 public sector banks, PSBs, during the current fiscal ending 31st March to boost lending and revive growth.
- IDBI Bank will get the most- Rs10,610 crore followed by State Bank of India 8,800 crore rupees.
- The 20 banks that will receive the capital infusion during this phase include Bank of India, UCO Bank, and Punjab National Bank.
- In October last year, the government had announced over two lakh crore rupees bank recapitalization plan spread over spread over two financial years 2017-18 and 2018-19.
- India to host 16th International Energy Forum meet
- The 16th International Energy Forum (IEF) Ministerial meeting will be held in New Delhi on April 10 to 12.
- It will be hosted by Government of India in New Delhi and co-hosted by the Government of China and South Korea.
- Representatives from 92 countries will be participating in the conference, including 72 member countries of IEF and 20 guest countries.
- India had last hosted the IEF ministerial conference in 1996.
· Union Government to increase number of AMRIT pharmacy stores 4 times
- The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced to increase the number of AMRIT pharmacy stores by four times by end of 2018 from the existing 111 outlets in a bid to make low-cost medicines more accessible. So far, 52 lakh patients have been benefited by buying discounted drugs (60 to 90% less than market price) from AMRIT (Affordable medicine and reliable implants for treatment) stores and have saved over Rs. 267 crores.
- The AMRIT (Affordable medicine and reliable implants for treatment) scheme aims to reduce expenditure incurred by patients on the treatment of cancer.
- Under it, retail outlets in the name of AMRIT pharmacy are opened to sell drugs for cancer and heart diseases at highly discounted rates on market rates.
- SARAS PT1N makes its maiden flight
- SARAS PT1N (14 seater) designed and developed by CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL), a frontline aerospace research laboratory, has successfully made its maiden flight.
- Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, has congratulated the scientists of CSIR-NAL and other agencies involved in the successful maiden flight.
- The aircraft took off at about 11 a.m from HAL airport and flew for about 40 minutes at the maximum height of 8500 ft at the speed of 145 knots.
- The aircraft programme is named after Indian crane Saras. It was first conceptualised in the 1990s to establish short-haul civil aviation market. The original design of the plane included maximum take-off weight of 6,100kg and a maximum payload of 1,232kg.
- Rapid Reporting System for the Scheme for Adolescent Girls launched
- Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Shri Rakesh Srivastava launched the Phase -1 i.e. the beneficiary module of the Rapid Reporting System for the Scheme for Adolescent Girls – a web based on line monitoring for the Scheme for Adolescent Girls in New Delhi.
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