KERALA

• NABARD hikes allocation to State

 

• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned an additional allocation of ₹800 crore to the State for rebuilding rural infrastructure and extending fresh agricultural loans during the current fiscal year.

 

• The NABARD has also enhanced the allocation under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) from ₹500 crore to ₹ 900 crore during the current year to help the State meet the requirements of rebuilding critical rural infrastructure such as irrigation projects, drinking water, schools, hospitals, roads and bridges.

 

• The NABARD has also increased the allocation to cooperative banks in the State under concessional refinance for extending fresh crop loans to the affected farmers from ₹1,100 crore to ₹1,500 crore. On utilisation of this amount, further enhancement will also be considered.

 

• The NABARD will provide refinance assistance to cooperative banks and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) for conversion of crop loans issued to flood affected farmers into medium term loans with repayment period up to 5 years as decided by the State Level Bankers’ Committee of Kerala. This will facilitate the banks in providing fresh finance to the affected farmers to take up cultivation of the crops at the earliest.

 

• The NABARD staff contributed ₹2.89 crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.c

 

INTERNATIONAL

 

·        Japan to test mini space elevator

 

• Researchers at Shizuoka University, a Japanese team, has developed a space elevator, a miniature version on satellites. The first trial of the miniature version of the apparatus and monitoring equipment on satellites will be conducted in the month of September. This will be the world’s first experiment to test elevator movement in space.
• The equipment will hitch a ride on an H-2B rocket being launched by Japan’s space agency from the southern island of Tanegashima next week. The test involves a miniature elevator stand-in, a box just 6 cm long, 3 cm wide, and 3 cm high.

 

• India and Bulgaria sign five agreements

 

• The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, reached Bulgaria on September 4, 2018 on the second leg of his state visit to three European nations – Cyprus, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.

 

• India and Bulgaria have signed five agreements during President Kovind’s visit:

An agreement between Invest India and Invest Bulgaria

An agreement on cooperation in and facilitation of tourism

An agreement on enhanced science and technology cooperation

An agreement on civil nuclear research and cooperation

An agreement between the Indian Council of Cultural Relations and Sofia University to promote Hindi studies

 

·        Typhoon Jebi: Japan hit by strongest storm of 25 years

 

• Jebi, Japan’s most powerful storm in 25 years, has killed at least 10 people. It recorded winds of up to 216km/h (135mph).
• In a separate incident, a 6 magnitude earthquake caused a landslide on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido.

 

 

 

NATIONAL

 

• Cabinet approves continuation of Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats scheme

 

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved continuation of the Centrally Sponsored Umbrella Scheme of Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (CSS-IDWH)beyond the 12^thPlan period from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

 

• The Scheme consists of Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger (CSS-PT), Development of Wildlife Habitats (CSS-DWH) and Project Elephant (CSS-PE).

 

• The total outlay is Rs. 1731.72 crore as central share (Rs. 1143 crore for Project Tiger, Rs. 496.50 crore for Development of Wildlife Habitats and Rs.92.22 crore for Project Elephant) from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

 

·        Draft charter of Patients Rights released by Union Health Ministry

 

• Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released a draft Charter of Patients’ Rights for proper health care by medical establishments.
• This was prepared by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

  Under the draft, the patients have 17 rights.

Right to non-discrimination,

Right to informed consent,

Right to seek a second opinion and

Right to choose alternate treatment options.

 

·        Suresh Prabhu Launches Technology Initiatives For Coffee Stakeholders

 

• Suresh Prabhu launched Coffee Connect – India coffee field force app and Coffee Krishi Tharanga – digital mobile extension services for coffee stakeholders at a function in New Delhi.
• The main aim is to provide customized information and services to increase productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability.

 

·        Schools cannot deny admission for lack of Aadhaar: UIDAI

 

• The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has asserted that schools cannot refuse admission to students for lack of Aadhaar, and termed denial on such grounds as “invalid”.
• It has also exhorted schools to coordinate with local banks, post offices, State education department and district administration, to facilitate special camps in their premises for Aadhaar enrolment and updation.

·        Swachh Bharat progress key to UN Sustainable Development Goal on open defecation

 

• India is claiming the “world’s most improved” tag with regards to ending open defecation.

 

• The deadline for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6.2 [regarding sanitation, hygiene and open defecation] is 2030

 

• The Swachh Bharat programme aims to end open defecation across the country by October 2, 2019, which is the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. So far, 19 States and Union Territories have been declared ODF, or open defecation free, by the government. While 444 districts have been declared ODF, only nine of those are in Uttar Pradesh, and only four in Bihar.