Table of Contents
Rajya Sabha
• The election for the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha will be held tomorrow. Ruling NDA candidate Harivansh from JD(U) and B K Hariprasad of Congress are locking horns for the coveted constitutional post.
• Both of them filed their notices of motion for the post on the last day today.
• The election for the Deputy Chairman will be held during the first hour of the Upper House tomorrow.
• Sources in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said the election will be held by voice vote and in case of division, it will be through voting.
• Mr Harivansh has been a veteran journalist representing the state of Bihar while Hariprasad represents Karnataka in the Upper House.
• The current strength of the Rajya Sabha is 244 and support of 123 members would be needed for a win in the full House.
• The BJP is the largest party in the House with 73 members and the Congress has 50 members.
• The post of Deputy Chairman has been lying vacant since the retirement of Prof. P J Kurien last month.
Minister of State for Personnel
• Dr. Jitendra Singh today said, only the resident citizens of India have the right to seek information under the provisions of RTI Act and NonResident Indians are not eligible.
• In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Dr Singh said, resident citizens can file on-line application and currently, systems of 2,200 public authorities have been aligned to receive, process and reply to online RTIs from the applicants.
• The Minister said, any applicant can visit the portal — www.rtionline.gov.in– and select the desired ministry or department under the central government and file an on-line RTI application.
• He said, the applicant can pay the requisite fee through on-line payment.
Supreme Court
• The Supreme Court today reserved its verdict on pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the penal law on adultery.
• A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said, it would pass orders, after Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand, appearing for the Centre, concluded her arguments.
• Earlier, the bench asked the Centre, what public good, the penal law on adultery served as it provided that no offence would be made if the husband of a woman approves an adulterous relationship.
• The ASG had commenced her arguments by saying that adultery has been made an offence by keeping in mind the sanctity of marriage as an institution.
Commerce and Industry Minister
• Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu today launched Niryat Mitra – mobile App in New Delhi.
• The app provides wide range of information required to undertake international trade right from the policy provisions for export and import, applicable GST rate, available export incentives and tariff.
• Mr Prabhu said, digital technology is going to play a key role in trade and business and this app is a step towards Digital India. He said that exports are showing good sign and registering increase at the rate of 20 per cent.
• He said, the government is working to further increase the ease of doing business.
• The Minister also said, the app will provide big opportunity to everybody and help promote export interests in the country.
PMO
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reviewed the progress of key infrastructure sectors of power, renewable energy, petroleum and natural gas, coal, and mining.
• Top officials from infrastructure-related Ministries, NITI Aayog and the PMO attended the review meeting yesterday.
• The Prime Minister urged the officials to work towards ensuring that the benefits from increase in solar energy capacity, reach the farmers, through interventions such as solar pumps and user-friendly solar cooking solutions.
• CEO NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant said during his presentation that the installed power generation capacity in India has risen to 344 GigaWatts.
• India’s energy deficit, which stood at over four per cent in 2014, has shrunk to less than one per cent this year.
• The PMO in a release said, India now ranks 26th in the World Bank’s Ease of Getting Electricity Index, up from 99th in 2014.
• The progress in household electrification under the SAUBHAGYA initiative, was also reviewed.
Finance World
• Benchmarks domestic stocks today rallied to fresh lifetime highs. Amid IMF’s take that India is a source of growth for the global economy for the next few decades, broader buying momentum got a fillip.
• Sensex at Bombay Stock Exchange climbed 0.59 percent or 222 points to 37,888. Nifty at National Stock Exchange also jumped up 0.53 percent or 61 points to 11,450.
• The rupee today appreciated six paise to close at 68 rupees 62 paise against the US dollar. Gold prices today softened by 20 rupees to 30,565 rupees per 10 grams at Delhi bullion market. • Brent crude prices were trading around 74 dollars.
Social Justice and Empowerment Minister
• Parliament has passed the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018, with the Rajya Sabha approving it by voice vote. Lok Sabha has already passed it.
• The amended bill has done away with the provision of seeking prior permission for the arrest of those committing atrocities against Dalits.
• Thaawar Chand Gehlot said, the government is committed to the welfare of the poor and protecting the interests of the Dalits. He said, under the legislation there is a provision for setting up special courts to deal with the cases related to atrocities against SCs and STs.
• Mr Gehlot rejected opposition charges that the bill has been brought under any pressure saying the government has taken several steps for the welfare of weaker section of society.
• Earlier, initiating the discussion in the post lunch session, Kumari Selja of the Congress alleged the highest number of crimes against SCs and STs have taken place in the BJP-ruled states.
• Dr Kirodi Lal Meena of the BJP called for greater representation of SCs and STs in the higher judiciary and demanded abolition of the Collegium system.
Sports Minister
• Parliament has also passed the National Sports University Bill 2018 with the Rajya Sabha approving it today. The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill last week.
• The Bill seeks to establish a first-of-its-kind National Sports University in Manipur for promotion of sports. Replying to the debate on the bill, Sports Minister Col Rajyavardhan Rathore said, the Chancellor of the University will be from the sports field and the academic council will also have members from the sports field.
• Mr Rathore said, it is a major step towards bringing to reality Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of developing a world class 360 degree sports ecosystem in India.
Minister for AYUSH
• The Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill 2018 was also passed in Parliament with the Rajya Sabha approving it.
• The Bill seeks to replace the Central Council of Homoeopathy with a board of Governors and is aimed at bringing accountability and quality in Homeopathy Education System.
• The Bill will replace the ordinance promulgated in this regard in May this year.
• Shripad Yesso Naik said, it will help identify bogus colleges running in the name of Homeopathy. • He said, the government is committed to promoting Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy in the country.
Finance Minister
• The Lok Sabha today passed the Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, Integrated Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, Union Territory Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill and the Good and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill.
• The four Bills seek to amend the Goods and Services Tax laws to make return forms simpler and raise the turnover threshold for availing composition scheme to 1.5 crore rupees.
• Piyush Goyal said, the Government is empowering 125 crore people through GST and it is the best example of cooperative federalism.
• Finance Minister said, GST collections are in-line with the budget aim and the government expects the economy to grow faster than the IMF projections. The IMF has forecast India’s GDP to grow at 7.5 percent in the next financial year.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the release of pulses to States and Union territories at discounted rate to be utilized for various Welfare Schemes from the stock of pulses procured under Price Support Schemes.
• Briefing reporters in New Delhi, Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, under the Scheme, the States are offered to lift 34 lakh 88 thousand Metric tonne of pulses.
• For 12 months the stock of 34.88 lakh metric tonnes of pulses shall be released and what we are proposing that Tur, Chana, Masoor, Moong and Urad at a discount of rupees 15 per kg shall be made available.
• The Minister said this decision will enable the States and UTs to use pulses in various Welfare Schemes like PDS and Mid-Day Meal Scheme.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs also gave its approval for continuation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) beyond 12th Five Year Plan period. Briefing reporters, Mr. Prasad said, it will help in connecting 38 thousand 412 habitations at an estimated cost of 84 thousand 934 crore rupees.
• The Yojana was launched with the objective to provide All-Weather road connectivity to the eligible unconnected habitations in rural areas of the Country.
Law Minister
• The Union Cabinet has approved changes in triple talaq bill including the provision of granting bail to men found guilty of giving instant triple talaq to their wives.
• Talking to reporters after cabinet meeting in New Delhi, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, the cabinet approved three amendments to the Bill which has been cleared by the Lok Sabha and is pending for approval of Rajya Sabha.
• “Any husband giving a tripple talaq instantaneously and breaking the marriage then the FIR shall become cognizable only and only when FIR is filed by victim wife or the blood relations or relations by marriage. Second, it has been made compoundable . If the wife and husband desire to settle their differences the magistra
• Tomorrow is the last day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament and the government could introduce amendments to the bill in the Rajya Sabha.
• If the bill is cleared by the upper house, it will have to go back to Lok Sabha for approval of the amendments.
• The Cabinet also approved raising of four additional battalions of National Disaster Response Force, (NDRF) to strengthen the country’s disaster response.
Road Transport and Highways Ministry
• Road Transport and Highways Ministry has asked the transport authorities to accept Driving Licence, Registration Certificate and other documents presented through DigiLocker platform. An official release said, the Ministry has issued an advisory to states in this regard.
• This is in response to a number of Grievances and RTI applications received in the Ministry where citizens have raised the issue that the documents available in DigiLocker or Parivahan app are not considered valid by the traffic police or the motor vehicles department, when asked to produce them.
• The Advisory clarifies that the DigiLocker platform of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the m-Parivahan mobile app of the Road Transport and Highways Ministry has the facility to pull a citizen’s Driving Licence or the Registration Certificate or any other certificate in an electronic form.
• The Ministry said, these electronic records available on Digi Locker or mParivahan are deemed to be legally recognised at par with the original documents as per the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
HM
• Death toll in heavy rain and landslides has risen to 22 in Kerala. As per disaster control room sources, of the total deaths, 11 people were killed in a massive landslide in Idukki, five in northern Malappuram district, two others in Kannur, three in Wayanad and one in Kozhikode district since last night.
• Five people are reported to be missing. Alerts have been issued to the people residing on the banks of the rivers in the affected districts.
• Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan convened an emergency meeting today to assess the situation. • Talking to reporters after the meeting, the Chief Minister said the flood situation in the state was very grim and assistance of Army, Navy and Coast Guard has been sought. A monitoring cell has been set up at the Secretariat to coordinate the relief works with various district collectors.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
• The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve has become the 11th Biosphere Reserve from India that has been included in the UNESCO designated World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).
• The decision to include Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in WNBR was taken at the 30th Session of International Coordinating Council (ICC) of Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme of UNESCO held at Palembang, Indonesia, from July 23-27, 2018.
• India has 18 Biosphere Reserves and with the inclusion of Khangchendzonga, the number of internationally designated WNBR has become 11, with 7 Biosphere Reserves being domestic Biosphere Reserves.
• Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in Sikkim is one of the highest ecosystems in the world, reaching elevations of 1, 220 metres above sea-level.
• It includes a range of ecolines , varying from sub-tropic to Arctic, as well as natural forests in different biomes, that support an immensely rich diversity of forest types and habitats.
• The core area of the Biosphere Reserve is a major transboundary Wildlife Protected Area.
• The southern and central landscape, which makes up 86% of the core area, is situated in the Greater Himalayas.
• The northern part of the area accounts for 14% is characterized by trans-Himalayan features. Buffer zones are being developed to promote eco-tourism activities. Plantation and soil conservation work is also being carried out.
• The core zone – Khangchendzonga National Park was designated a World Heritage Site in 2016 under the ‘mixed’ category. Many of the mountains, peaks, lakes, caves, rocks, Stupas (shrines) and hot springs function as pilgrimage sites.
• Over 118 species of the large number of medicinal plants found in Dzongu Valley in north Sikkim are of ethno-medical utility. The transition zone is targeted for eco-development activities, afforestation, plantation of medicinal herbs and soil conservation measures.
PMO
• In Madhya Pradesh, around one crore people have secured their lives by getting insurance cover under affordable Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.
• More than 18 lakh people of Madhya Pradesh are covered under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana while approximately 74 lakh people were enrolled under Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana. The only earning son of Wahid Khan of Ahmadpur village died due to electric shock but his family is living a respectful life today.
• After the death of her husband in the road accident, there was darkness in Manjusha’s life but these insurance schemes have brought her lives back on track.
• Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) are providing insurance cover to common people, especially poor and the under-privileged sections of the society.
• The MP Government is organizing massive campaign amongst large sections of population to create awareness and to facilitate access to the schemes.
Soil Health Card Scheme
• Farmers in Gujarat are largely being benefited by the Soil Health Card Scheme.
• Even in rain deficit districts of Saurashtra, farmers are able to increase production as well as income by taking benefit of the Scheme.
• Though Soil Health Card Scheme is being implemented nation wide since last two years, in Gujarat it has been implemented from year 2003, when Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was then Chief Minister of Gujarat. Farmers of Amreli district are prosper due to this scheme.
• Not only farmers of Amreli, but all over Gujarat, farmers are benefitted by Soil Health Card Scheme.
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