Daily PIB Analysis For UPSC/IAS/Civil Services

Table of Contents

Download Free PDF – Daily PIB analysis

Finance Ministry

• Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said the philosophy behind the budget was to lend support to sectors where actually support is required.
• Interacting with business leaders at an open house session in New Delhi today, Mr Jaitley said, government is on the path of revival in exports, that will be a major positive.
• He said the manufacturing sector has picked up in the last few months and there was a need to focus on infrastructure sector.
• The Finance Minister said large sections of the economy will do well with or without a government.
• But some segments of the economy need a large amount of government’s support.
• The Finance Minister said health care was a priority area and another priority was to increase farmer income.

Health and Family Welfare Ministry-

• J P Nadda has described the Public Health Programme announced in the Union Budget as a revolutionary and bold step to change the health scenario in the country.
• In an interview he said, that the Government will make adequate funds to meet the expenditure of the programme.
“This a very revolutionary step which we have taken, when it is going to make a change as well as the finances concern right from very beginning when the NDA government came in to existence, you might have seen that previously, there use to be slash in the budget but gone are those days now there is no slash, there is enhancement and for every programme we have given adequate funds”.

• Earlier, addressing media in New Delhi, the Health Minister said the government is committed to implementing the health schemes announced in the Union Budget under Ayushman Bharat in letter and spirit.
• Mr Nadda said, the National Health Protection Scheme will provide medical cover of up to 5 lakh rupees per annum to 10 crore poor and vulnerable families.
• He said, fifty crore of the country’s population will be benefited from this scheme. Mr Nadda said, all arrangements are in place for its implementation.
• Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said, in the budget, government has announced to set up 24 new government medical colleges and hospitals by upgrading the existing district hospitals in the country.
• Ms Patel said, of them, eight medical colleges will be opened in Uttar Pradesh and five each in West Bengal and Bihar.
“सेकेनड् फेज मेंहमने24 मेडडकल कॉलेज बनाने का ननर्णय ककया है और ये योजना आगे भी चलेगी। यानी अलग-अलग चरर्ों मेंहम धीरे-धीरे कर के देश के अदंर हर ऐसे क्षेत्र मेंएक मेडडकल कॉलेज देने का कोशशश कर रहे हैं , जहां पर मेडडकल कॉलेज नह ं हैं और जहांआवशय्कता बहुत जयादा ह

NITI Aayog

• Member (Health) in the NITI Aayog Dr V K Paul has said that the Union Budget for 2018-19 is a turning point for health sector as it has given a special focus to health and the vision for New India.
• Briefing media in New Delhi today, Dr Paul said, Health and Wellness Centres will be the foundation for India’s healthcare and Government envisions these centres as the first point of medical assistance and the best medical infrastructure within the common citizens’ reach.
• NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said, it is the first Budget in postindependent India, which has brought the social sector to the centre stage.

PMO

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reaching Guwahati tomorrow, where he will inaugurate the two-day long Global Investors’ Summit being hosted by the Assam government.
• Named as Advantage Assam, the summit will showcase the State’s manufacturing opportunities and geostrategic advantages to foreign and domestic investors.
• The objective of the summit is to position Assam as India’s Expressway to ASEAN countries.
• In a series of tweets, Mr Modi said he is looking forward to joining the Advantage Assam Summit.
• He congratulated the Assam Government for organising the Summit.

External Affairs –

• • External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has returned home after a fruitful goodwill visit to Nepal.
• This was the first high level visit from India after successful completion of historic three-tier elections in Nepal.
• During her stay in Kathmandu, Mrs. Swaraj met leaders of various political parties and discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation and take forward age-old special relationship between India and Nepal.
• Meetings with top leaders of major political parties held in cordial atmosphere and both sides emphasized upon further deepening unique friendship between India and Nepal.

External Affairs –

• After the meeting CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda said that neighbors’ cooperation is needed for political stability and development in Nepal and Mrs. Swaraj has assured India’s full support in it.
• On second day of her visit External Affairs Minister also met Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Sanghiya Samajwadi Forum Nepal, Chairman Upendra Yadav.
• She also paid a courtesy call to President Bidya Devi Bhandari and exchanged views on advancing multi-dimensional India-Nepal relations.

• The visit was seen very significant as the new government under left alliance is likely to be formed soon.

Mediterranean Sea

• At least 90 migrants are feared drowned after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya.
• The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said, in a statement, that 10 bodies are reported to have washed up on Libyan shores.
• Three survivors said most of those who drowned were Pakistani nationals.
• Reports said a Libyan woman had drowned, but that, of the three survivors, two were Libyan nationals.
• A spokesperson for IOM said Pakistanis were increasingly trying to make the perilous crossing to Italy.

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change-

• Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Science & Technology and Earth Science, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has said that Wetlands play a vital role for the cities and for the humanity.
• “They serve as a source of drinking water; reduce flooding and the vegetation of wetlands filters domestic and industrial waste and improves water quality. Save them, save humanity”, the Minister said on the occasion of World Wetlands Day today.
• Every year, February 2 is celebrated as World Wetlands Day, to mark the date of adoption of Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change-
• The 2018 theme ‘Wetlands for a sustainable urban future’ marks the role of healthy wetlands play in making cities and towns liveable, through their role in groundwater recharge, buffering floods, filtering wastewater, enhancing landscape aesthetics, providing income generation opportunities and ultimately supporting well-being.
• The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
• The Convention was adopted in 1971 at the Iranian City of Ramsar.
• India is a party to the Convention since 1982, and committed to the Ramsar approach of wise use of wetlands.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change-
• Management of e-Waste
• The country’s economic growth, rise in per capita income, technological innovations coupled with high obsolescence rate of electronic and electrical equipments etc. are leading to increase in the rate of generation of e-waste in the country.
• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2005 estimated 1.47 lakh ton of ewaste generated in the country and simultaneously had projected likely generation of 8.0 lakh ton of e-waste in the year 2010.
• As per the United Nations University report, “The Global E-Waste Monitor 2014”, 17 lakh ton of e-waste were generated in the country in 2014.
• However, no comprehensive inventorization of e-waste generation in the country has been done.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change-
• The Government has not issued any specific directions to power firms to dispose off the e-waste.
• However, E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 were notification
• The power firms are the bulk consumers of the electrical and electronic equipment.
• As per the provisions of the E-Waste management Rules, 2016 such companies are required to maintain records and file annual report to the concerned State Pollution Control Boards”.