Table of Contents
Prime Minister
• Mr Modi was speaking at a function in New Delhi after dedicating the Dr. Ambedkar National Memorial to the nation, on the eve of Babasaheb’s birth anniversary.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said, the government will not allow dilution of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
• PM said it is his government which has strengthened this act to prevent atrocities against Dalits.
Prime Minister
• The Prime Minister said, special courts are being set up for urgent hearing of cases involving atrocities on SCs and STs.
•He said, the government has also set up a commission for sub-categorisation of backward castes so that they can get the benefits of reservations in jobs and education.
• The Prime Minister accused the Congress of spreading rumour about scrapping of reservations and weakening of the SCs and STs Act.
• Talking about the recent heinous incident of alleged rape in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh and Kathua, the Prime Minister said, no guilty will be spared and justice will be done in the matter.
• The Prime Minister said the government is following the path shown by Baba Saheb and moving ahead with the mantra of Sabka Saath – Sabka Vikas to ensure that the benefits of development reach all section of society.
• Birthplace of Baba Ambedkar: Mhow in Madhya Pradesh
Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
• The Nation observed the 127th birth anniversary of Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar today.
• The chief architect of the constitution of India, Dr Ambedkar was born on this day in the year 1891
• President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tributes at Babasaheb’s Statue in the Parliament House Complex this morning.
Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
•Dr Ambedkar dedicated his whole life for the poor people.
•He sacrificed a lot for equality of people.
• An amount of 12 thousand crore rupees has been allocated for three crore scholarships for SC students.
• 3800 crore rupees have been allocated for OBC scholarships.
‘Aspirational Districts’
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a scheme for the transformation of ‘Aspirational Districts’ at Jangala village in Maoist affected Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh tomorrow.
• Mr Modi would also launch the first of 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres planned under the Ayushman Bharat Yojna.
• Bijapur is among the 115 poorest districts in the country which have been selected on the basis of their poor indicators in the field of education, health, basic infrastructure and financial inclusion.
‘Aspirational Districts’
• Ayushman Bharat scheme aims to take health care to the next level by setting up health and wellness centres and then cover the primary, secondary healthcare and the tertiary care.
•Under this scheme, 1.5 lakh Health and Wellness Centres will bring health care system closer to the homes of people by 2022.
• Another component of Ayushman Bharat scheme is health insurance cover of Rs five lakh to almost 10 crore poor families.
Unnao gang rape case
• The CBI today interrogated BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, main accused in the Unnao gang rape case and recorded statements of the victim and her family.
• CBI today started its investigation in the Unnao gang rape case by questioning BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar for hours.
• A prime accused in Unnao Rape case, Sengar was detained from his house in wee hours today.
Unnao gang rape case
• Another CBI team visited the hotel in Unnao where the victim is housed under police protection to take her statement.
• They also interrogated officials of Unnao police and the suspended doctors regarding death of victim’s father. Meanwhile, Allahabad High Court today called for Sengar’s arrest and said that mere detention is not enough.
• Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also said that his government will firmly deal with criminals, no matter how influential they might be.
MEA
•India and Russia signed seven MoUs for defence hardware production at the Defence Expo at Thiruvidanthai, near Chennai today.
• These MoUs were signed between Indian Private Defence sector manufacturing companies and Russian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) for manufacture, development of spares, sub-assemblies and assemblies of identified Russian origin platforms in use by the Indian Armed Forces.
MEA
• The MoUs were signed during third India-Russia Military Industrial Conference held on the side-lines of DefExpo 2018.
• The signing of agreements between the two countries was the highlight of the defence expo today. The Government had taken several initiatives to boost trade relationship in the defence sector.
•It has also opted for state of the art technology transfer. The Government is in the process of finalising a new defence production policy for further strengthening defence production.
•National Security Advisor Ajit Doval today held talks with the top official of China’s ruling Communist Party Yang Jiechi in Shanghai.
• Indian Embassy in Beijing said, Mr Doval’s visit is part of regular high-level engagements between India and China.
• The discussions between the two sides covered a wide agenda spanning bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.
• Both sides agreed to maintain the pace of high-level exchanges, with a view to fully realise the potential of a closer partnership between India and China.
UN Security Council
• The UN Security Council will meet tonight at Russia’s request to discuss air strikes launched by the United States, France and Britain on Syria in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack.
• A UN official said, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will brief the council during the public meeting.
• Russia has warned that any military action against Syria would be in violation of international law as it was carried out without UN Security Council approval.
UN Security Council
•India has taken note of the strikes in Syria and is closely following the situation.
• External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the alleged use of chemical weapons, if true, is deplorable.
•India has called for an impartial and objective investigation by the International Chemical Weapons Watchdog OPCW to establish the facts and urged all parties to show restraint and to avoid further escalation of the tension
Air Force exercise
Gaganshakti-2018, the IAF today conducted maritime air operations on the Western sea board, with the clear aim of air dominance and deep strike validation over theextended area of interest in the Indian Ocean Region.
• The Defence Ministry, in a release said, in the long range strike concept validation, the Su-30s, airborne from a base on the eastern coast engaged multiple targets, in the western seaboard, at distances beyond 2500 Kilometre and landed at a southern base, thus covering a total distance of 4000 Kilometre, in a single mission.
Ministry of Home Affairs
• The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launched the web-based application ‘e-FRRO’ (e-Foreigners Regional Registration Office) at a function here today.
• Speaking on the occasion Shri Rajnath Singh said that it has been a constant endeavour of the Home Ministry to provide fast and efficient services to foreigners visiting India so that they have a pleasant experience of their stay here.
Ministry of Home Affairs
• He said the e-FRRO scheme is aimed at building a centralized, transparent online platform for the foreigners to avail visa related services and to provide Faceless, Cashless and Paperless services to the foreigners with user friendly experience.
• The e-FRRO scheme would be a quantum jump in improving the ease of service delivery with respect to foreigners visiting and staying in India. In the new system, foreigners would be able to get as many as 27 Visa and Immigration related services in India from the comfort of their place of stay. Using the e-FRRO application, foreigners can apply online on the portal and obtain the service(s) through email/post without appearing in person at the FRO/FRRO office.
India-China Together
•Differing perceptions on our borders
•India and China coming together to try and bargain for lower oil prices from West Asian crude producers.
• This is a welcome step and practical diplomacy.
• Last year: together we accounted for 17% of world oil consumption
India-China Together
• China is world’s second largest consumer
•India is 3rd largest consumer
• 16th International Energy Forum ministerial
• Oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan rightly argues “(the)future, buyers will be able to dictate prices”.
•Indo-China cooperation is a good step, especially given their common energy needs and climate change goals.
• At a time when the US is increasingly backing away from international commitments, China and India can fill in the vacuum, just as they did in the case of climate change negotiations where both countries pledged they will reducing greenhouse gases by 2020, even as the US later pulled out of the Paris Accord.
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