Table of Contents
Parliament
• Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die today.
• With this, the Budget session came to a close.
• The Session began on the 29th of January with President Ram Nath Kovind’s address to the Joint Sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
• The first phase of the session concluded on the 9th of February.
Parliament
• After nearly a month long recess, the second leg of the session began on the 5th of March.
•In his valedictory remarks in the Rajya Sabha, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu expressed anguish over frequent disruptions in the House during the second part of the Budget Session.
•He said, a total of 124 hours of precious time has been lost due to disruptions as against only 45 hours of
functioning.
• In the Lok Sabha, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan gave a brief account of the business and proceedings of the House during the second part of the Budget Session.
• She said, 127 hours 45 minutes were wasted during the session due to disruptions and the house functioned for only 33 hours 50 minutes.
• Parliament passed four bills including Finance bill and the Payments of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2018.
• Under the Gratuity Bill, the ceiling of gratuity has been enhanced from 10 lakh rupees to 20 lakh rupees for employees falling under the Payment of Gratuity Act.
• The government wanted to pass some key legislations including the Prevention of Corruption(Amendment) Bill, 2013 and Triple Talaq bill in the session but they could not be taken up due to stalling of proceedings by the opposition.
• During the entire Budget session, the productivity of the Lok Sabha was 23 per cent while the Rajya Sabha functioned 28 per cent.
• Five MPs of the YSR Congress Party today resigned from the Lok Sabha.
• They submitted their resignations to Speaker Sumitra Mahanjan in protest against the denial of Special Category status to Andhra Pradesh.
• The MPs are Dr. Vara Prasadarao, Y B Subba Reddy, Midhun Reddy, YS Avinash Reddy and Mekhapati Rajamohan Reddy.
India-Nepal Business Forum
•Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today invited Indian investors to participate in the development process of the Himalayan nation.
• Mr Oli said, Nepal is a safe investment destination following the formation of a stable government.
•Nepal can be a good business destination for Indian investors due to geographical access and cultural similarity with India.
India-Nepal Business Forum
•Nepalese Prime Minister today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi.
• The two leaders are believed to have discussed issues of mutual interest.
• Mr Oli will be accorded a ceremonial reception at the forecourts of the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, India and Nepal have strong relations in the area of security and are committed to stopping misuse of open borders.
• Prime Minister of Nepal K P Sharma Oli in New Delhi today, Mr Modi assured his Nepalese counterpart that
India remains committed to strengthening its partnership with the Himalayan nation.
•He stated that the government’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’ is a guiding framework for India’s engagement with its neighbours for a shared vision of inclusive development and prosperity.
• The Prime Minister said, there is a long history of India’s contribution in Nepal’s development and assured that it will continue in future.
•He said, India would like to improve waterways and rail connectivity.
• Mr Modi and Mr Oli agreed to construct a new electrified rail line, with India’s financial support.
• This will connect the border city of Raxaul in India to Kathmandu.
• Taking cognizance of their geographies and noting the development of inland waterways in both countries, the two leaders took the landmark decision to develop the inland waterways for the movement of cargo.
• They appreciated the progress made in the implementation of Phase-I of the India-Nepal crossborder rail link projects.
• The Nepalese Prime Minister stated that his government attaches high importance to further strengthening friendly relations with India.
•He expressed his government’s desire to develop bilateral relations in a way so as to benefit from India’s progress and prosperity for economic transformation and development.
• Mr Oli also underlined the importance of regional and sub regional cooperation for the common prosperity of the people of the region.
Jammu and Kashmir
•In Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan forces again resorted to heavy mortar shelling along the Line of Control in Rajouri district.
• As per defence sources that Pakistani forces started unprovoked firing and shelling targetting some Indian positions and civilian areas in Naushera sector at around 5 this evening.
• Army troops guarding the borderline retaliated to the firing effectively.
Padman
• Taking a cue from Padman Arunachalam Muruganantham’s low-cost pad-making, women at Ghagwal in Jammu have started making low cost sanitary pads.
• They are being assisted by the Department of Rural Development under the Umeed scheme.
• The State Rural Livelihood Mission has installed a lowcost pad making unit at Gagwal. The women from Self Help Groups of this block are managing the whole process of making sanitary pads and its marketing.
Padman
• With an aim to ensure menstrual hygiene by selling the sanitary pads for less than a third of the cost of commercial pads, the women will not only sell the sanitary pads to the women at low cost but also earn their livelihood from the business.
• The State Rural Development Department trained about seven members of Self Help Groups at Arunachalam Muruganantham’s Pad-making industry in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu and also acquired the machines from there.
• The investment in the unit is nominal and the product price will be affordable to the rural women.
Finance Minister
• President Ram Nath Kovind is en route his official visit to three African countries – Equatorial Guinea, Swaziland and Zambia.
• The President is accompanied by Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways & Shipping Mansukh Mandavia and four Members of Parliament.
•During his three-day stay in Equatorial Guinea, Mr Kovind will hold talks with his counterpart Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
President
• Both leaders are expected to discuss a host of issues and review the bilateral relations.
• The President will also address the country’s Parliament and the Indian community living there. Later, Mr Kovind will visit Swaziland and Zambia.
• The visit to Swaziland will also be the first-ever by any Indian head of state, while the visit to Zambia is taking place after 29 years.
• The aim of the visit is to further deepen India’s relation with the African nations.
Petroleum and Natural Gas
• Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana for Delhi.
•Over 1000 free gas connections were given to beneficiaries.
•Nine thousand more gas connections will be distributed later on.
• The scheme aims to curb air pollution and provide clean energy source to poor women.
Petroleum and Natural Gas
•Dharmendra Pradhan said, LPG cover has reached the 22 crore mark in the country.
•He said, the government has distributed over 9 crore gas connections in just the last 4 years.
•He urged citizens to make the initiative a mass movement.
United States
• The Pentagon has said it is a cause for concern for the United States that China is engaging in massive land grabbing in the Maldives.
•Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia, Joe Felter said the US is committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific rules-based order.
•He said they have seen worring developments in the Maldives with regard to Chinese influence. He noted that other countries in the region, including India, have expressed similar concern.
United States
• The top Pentagon official said Maldives is in India’s backyard and the situation there is a concern for India.
•He said, they will see how it plays out.
•He was responding to a question on the allegations of a Maldivian opposition leader and a former foreign minister, on the Chinese land grabbing activities in the island nation with the potential of developing them into a military outpost.
World Health Day
• World Health Day is being observed today.
• This year’s theme is “Universal health coverageeveryone, everywhere”.
• The day is celebrated on the 7th of April every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization.
• The day focuses on increasing life expectancy by adding good health to the lives of people and promoting healthier living habits across the globe.
Kim and Xi
• After a spell of speculation, rumors died down.
•Donald Trump’s confirmation for holding a spring summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un
• Big Question: what each would be willing to offer or concede at the meeting?
• Trump: CVID
• complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities or CVID Kim and Xi
•North Korea: nominal commitment to this goal, but possibly with hard conditions.
• Extra time requirement
• Russia suggests: temporary suspension of nuclear and missile flight-testing
• Kim is unlikely to concede easily without demanding some sanctions or relief or other incentive.
• Trump most likely would reject minimalist concession
• USA has full knowledge that Pyongyang’s unchecked arsenal is already worrisome and it could continue to grow even without full-scale tests.
China visit?
• Kim wants China’s cooperation as it prepares for larger economic reforms.
• Xi is the undisputed and most powerful leader in Asia.
• Kim did put Xi in embarrassing situations through his questionable acts, which Xi is not expected to forget so soon.
• Kim’s father visited China several times when he was in power, but all visits took place in secrecy.
• China has compelling reasons to see a stable Korean peninsula and it does not want chaos in North Korea.
• The other reason for Xi to engage with Kim is the feeling that North Korea was slipping out of China’s control and, therefore, the consideration that China ought to be at the centre-stage in any international forum dealing with North Korea.
• Xi Jinping is not a leader who wants to sit back and wait and see what happens.
• Though much of what transpired during the Xi-Kim discussion remains shrouded in secrecy, the possibility of Kim opting now for byungjin (parallel development) after having the nuclear ambition could make a happy ending.
• Kim could be preparing for larger economic reforms for which China’s cooperation seems indispensable.
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