Table of Contents
Cabinet
• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA, today approved continuation of
Umbrella Scheme Green Revolution – Krishonnati Yojana’ in Agriculture Sector.
• Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, this has been done beyond the 12th five
year plan for the period of 2017-18 to 2019-20.
• 11 schemes are taken under 1 umbrella.
• Allocation that was till 2017-18 is extended till 2019-20.
• Rs 33269 crore
• The CCEA also approved the proposal for renaming and restructuring of Multisectoral
Development Programmed as Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram.
• CCEA also approved its continuation during the remaining period of the 14th
Finance Commission.
• The minister said, restructured programmed will provide better socio- economic infrastructure facilities to the minority communities.
• Multi-sectoral Development Program (MsDP) covered 196 district of the country
whereas PMJVK will cover 308 districts of the country.
• Union Cabinet has approved financial assistance to sugar mills for clearing cane
dues of farmers.
• CCEA has approved financial assistance of 5.50 rupees per quintal of cane crushed in
sugar season 2017-18 to sugar mills to offset the cost of cane.
• The assistance shall be paid directly to the farmers on behalf of the mills.
• In a major boost to the expansion of healthcare infrastructure in the country,
Cabinet has approved the continuation of Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana
beyond the 12th Five Year Plan to 2019- 20.
• Under this scheme, new AIIMS are established and government medical
colleges are upgraded.
• The Cabinet has also given its approval for construction and operationalisation of 100
bedded general hospital at Rural Health Training Center, RHTC, Najafgarh, New
Delhi at an estimated cost of about 95 crore rupees.
• Cabinet has approved doubling of investment limit for Senior Citizens from
7.5 lakh to 15 lakh rupees under Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandan Yojana. The time limit
for subion under the scheme is also extended from 4th of this month to 31st
March, 2020.
• The Cabinet also approved three major infrastructure projects – new terminal
buildings at Guwahati, Chennai and Lucknow airports at a total cost of more
than 5 thousand crore rupees.
• Union Cabinet also approved the Cadre review and formation of Group ‘A’ service
of the technical cadre of Petroleum and Safety Organization in the name of Indian
Petroleum and Explosives Safety Service.
• Cabinet also gave its approval for restructuring of Indian Bureau of Mines by
up gradation, creation and abolition of certain posts of Joint Secretary-level and
above.
• The restructuring would help in enabling the IBM to effectively discharge its function
to help reform and transform the regulation of the mineral sector.
• The Union Cabinet approved the Mutual Recognition Agreement between the
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and The South African Institute of
Chartered Accountants.
• The Cabinet also gave its approval to accede to the Protocol under WHO
Framework Convention on tobacco control to eliminate illicit trade in tobacco
products.
Civil Aviation
• Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha has said that Indian domestic
aviation traffic has grown between 18 to 20 per cent per annum over the last four
years.
• Mr Sinha said, growth in aviation represents a growing and a fast-moving
country.
• He said, with airlines placing orders for 900 plus aircraft, government aims to
expand total capacity five times to handle one billion trips per annum through Nabh
Nirmaan scheme with three lakh crore rupees of investments.
• We have set a very ambitious target for ourselves which is that over the next 15 or
20 years.
• We are expecting a billion trips In India. Right now we have got two hundred million
trips or just 20 crores.
• We are planning for hundred crore trips or a billion trips and we would like to be able to
put in a place the appropriate capacity and all of the air space management system in
place as soon as possible.
• Hopefully in the next 10 years or so.
Law Minister
• Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said, the government’s decision to stop the Uttarakhand
High Court Chief Justice K M Joseph’s appointment in Supreme Court did not have
anything to do with his verdict cancelling President’s rule in Uttarakhand.
• Mr. Prasad said, sponsored allegations are being leveled against the government by the Congress and others that Mr Joseph’s appointment was stalled due to his 2016 Uttarakhand President’s Rule verdict.
• Mr. Prasad defended the government move to ask the Supreme Court collegiate to reconsider its decision.
• He said, the government has the right to seek reconsideration of a name recommended by the collegiate and this was a power given to the Center by the Supreme Court.
Agriculture Ministry
• The Government has organised Kisan Kalyan Karyashala at the block level
across the country today.
• During workshops, farmers from each block interacted with agriculture officers
and scientists to discuss ways to increase their income through adoption of new
technology.
Air Pollution
• WHO global air pollution database has revealed that India has 14 out of the 20
most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM 2.5 concentrations.
• WHO has further pointed to air pollution being a main cause of non-communicable
diseases, causing around 24% of all adult deaths from heart disease, 25% from
stroke, 43% from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 25% from lung
cancer.
• Damage to quality of life, ranging from school and work days lost to tourism and
other businesses hurt, is incalculable.
• Center and state governments must respond to this data in meaningful ways,
ensuring stringent action to comply with clean air standards – in all cities,
particularly the ones on this dismaying list, topped by Kanpur followed by
Faridabad, Varanasi, Gaya, Patna, Delhi, Lucknow, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar,
Gurgaon, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur.
• The data also reflects that monitoring in Indian cities has improved.
• Similar improvement in the villages may reveal a similarly alarming trend there as
well.
• China is a study in contrast.
• It is reporting improvements in air quality thanks to focused policies combined with
strict nationwide enforcement, including source-wise action to reduce emissions.
• In India too there are positive signs like the ongoing shift to BS-VI fuel, the
narrowing gap between petrol and diesel prices, and the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala
Yojana Scheme for expanding LPG connections.
• But what the WHO has highlighted is the enormity of the problem, and how it’s
growing faster than the patchy fixes.
1. Which is the busiest ocean route of the world
1. Indian ocean
2. North Atlantic ocean
3. South Atlantic ocean
4. Pacific ocean
2. In which one of the followin countreis co-operative
farming was the most successful experiment?
1. Russia
2. India
3. Denmark
4. The Netherlands
Answers-
1. Who among the following national leader was not
associated with the Quit India Movement?
1. Usha Mehta
2. Mahatma Gandhi
3. Aruna Asif Ali
4. Dadabhai Naoroji
2. Who was the British Prime Minister at the time of 2nd
Round Table Conference?
1. Clemet Attlee
2. Neville Chamberlian
3. Ramsay MacDonald
4. None of the above
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