Current Affairs

Cabinet approves MoU with US on missing, exploited children

The Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding between India and the USA to access tipline reports on Missing and Exploited Children. 

The MoU has been signed between the National Crime Record Bureau, India and the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, NCMEC, USA. 

The MoU will provide access to more than one lakh tipline reports available with NCMEC, USA and enable law enforcement agencies in India. 

It will pave the way for setting up of an innovative mechanism for sharing information about child pornography and child sexual abuse material and taking legal action against offenders. It will further enable law enforcement agencies to remove child pornography and child sexual abuse material from cyberspace, thereby enhance human dignity.

The Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval to the MoU between India and Argentina on cooperation in the field of Medical Products Regulation. 

The approval would facilitate a better understanding of the regulatory aspects between the two sides and help in increasing India’s export of medical products to Argentina and better coordination in the international fora.



Govt bans Jamat-e-Islami J&K for 5 years

The Centre has banned the Jamat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir for five years under anti-terror law on grounds that it is in close touch with terror outfits and is expected to escalate secessionist movement in the state. 

A notification, banning the group under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday after a high-level meeting on security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

The notification said the Centre is of the opinion that the Jamaat is in close touch with terror outfits and is supporting extremism and terrorism in Jammu and Kahsmir and elsewhere. 

The notification comes barely a few days after the Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested around 100 cadres of the group in the state. I

t said, Jamaat has been indulging in activities intended to disrupt the territorial integrity of India. 

The crackdown come after February 14 terrorist attack in Pulwama, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. 



Pakistan to release Wing Commander Abhinandan today

Indian Air Force has said that it is looking forward to the return of its Wing Commander Abhinandan from Pakistan's custody. 

In a joint briefing with Officials of Army and Navy last evening in New Delhi, Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said that IAF learnt that Pakistan has announced that Wing Commander Abhinandan will be returned to India today. 
He said, IAF is happy and looking forward to it.

During his address in the Pakistan National Assembly, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had yesterday announced to release the fighter pilot as a peace gesture.



PM Modi to launch various projects in Tamil Nadu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch five National Highways projects worth around three thousand crore rupees in Kanniyakumari, Tamil Nadu today. He will also launch a Road Safety Park and Transport Museum. 

Mr Modi will dedicate to the nation the two and four laning of the Madurai-Ramnathpuram section of NH-87. 

The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for four-laning of Madurai-Chettikulam-Natham section of NH-785. 

These projects will benefit the local populace by way of reduced pollution, fast and safe journey, reduced travel time and fuel saving.



Cabinet approves 10% reservation for general category poor in J&K

The Union Cabinet has approved the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Amendment Order, 2019. 

Briefing media after the Cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said it will serve the purpose of application of relevant provision of the constitution as amended through the constitution (77th Amendment) act, 2019 for Jammu and Kashmir by issuing the constitution Amendment order. 

He said, once notified, this will pave the way for giving the benefit of promotion in service to the SCs, STs and also extend the reservation of up to 10 per cent for the economically weaker section in educational institution and public employment in addition to the existing reservation in the state.

The Cabinet has approved the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019. Mr Jaitley said, the ordinance provides for amendment in the Jammu and Kashmir reservation act 2004 to bringing persons residing in the areas adjoining International Border within the ambit of reservation at par with persons living in areas adjoining actual line of control. 

In another decision, the Cabinet also approved Agra and Kanpur Metro Rail Projects. 

The Cabinet also approved the promulgation of an Ordinance to make amendments to the Aadhaar Act 2016, Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2005 and the Indian Telegraph Act 1885. 



Shooting World Cup: Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary win 10m mixed team pistol gold

Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary ended India’s campaign at the ISSF World Cup 2019 on a high note with a gold medal, third for the hosts, as they finished top in the 10m air pistol mixed team final with 483.4 points on the final day of the tournament on Wednesday.

India did not had an ideal start to the final as they took the second spot with 99.1 points, trailing the Republic of Korea at the top after the first series of shots. With the 17-year old Manu managing to have only one shot above 10, Saurabh made up for it with three shots above 10.

Manu had a better series 2 with the scores 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.3 and 9.8 and the 16-year old Saurabh going for above 10 in all the five shots. Korea, however, maintained their lead, even though both the sides finished with the same score.

The third series of the final saw the Indian pair coming up with 99.4, slightly higher than Korea but maintained their position at the second spot. It was after the third series that the teenage-pair took the lead, staying clear of elimination till the end. Manu and Bhaker ended the final at the top with a lead of 5.7 points to second-placed China.



Mukesh Ambani added $30 bn to his wealth in the past 7 years, Anil has lost over $5 bn

Reliance Industries chairman and the country's richest man Mukesh Ambani has achieved a new feat by breaking into the top 10 richest list globally with a net worth of $54 billion or Rs 3.8 lakh crore.

The Hurun Global Rich List 2019, which was topped by Amazon boss Jeff Bezos for a second year in a row, placed Mukesh Amabni in the 10th place globally with a net worth of Rs 3.83 lakh crore.

The growth in Ambani's wealth was led by  RIL shares, which had a stellar run over the last one year. RIL's market value has crossed Rs 8 lakh crore last month. Nearly 52% of RIL's shares are owned by Mukesh Ambani.

Meanwhile, his younger brother Anil Ambani, chairman of the ADAG Group, lost 65% of his wealth in last one year after his telecom company Reliance Communications turned bankrupt as it could not sustain the cutthroat competition in the telecom sector which was started by ultra-cheap data and free voice calls offered by  Reliance Jio, a company owned by his elder brother Mukesh Ambani.

Both the Ambani brothers started with similar wealth after the division of their family wealth in 2005. Over the last 14 years, Mukesh's wealth grew multifold while Anil saw his fortune shrunk ever since. 



HRD ministry launches SHREYAS? scheme to provide apprenticeship opportunities for graduates

Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday launched a scheme for providing industry apprenticeship opportunities to fresh graduates.

The Scheme for Higher Education Youth in Apprenticeship and Skills (SHREYAS) is a programme basket comprising the initiatives of three central ministries, including the HRD, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Javadekar said.

"The education with skills is the need of the hour and the SHREYAS will be a major effort in this direction to make our degree students more skilled, capable, employable and aligned to the needs of our economy so that they contribute to country's progress and also obtain gainful employment," he said.

"The education with skills is the need of the hour and the SHREYAS will be a major effort in this direction to make our degree students more skilled, capable, employable and aligned to the needs of our economy so that they contribute to country's progress and also obtain gainful employment," he said.



Andhra Pradesh to get new Railway zone: Rail Minister

Southern Coast Railway will be a new zone of the Indian Railways. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal told this to reporters in New Delhi yesterday. This new 18th railway zone of the country will be headquartered at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The new zone will comprise the existing Guntakal, Guntur and Vijayawada divisions that currently fall under the South Central Railway.Mr. Goyal said the South Central Railway will then consist of the Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Nanded divisions.

The cost of creating infrastructure for a new zone, according to an internal assessment of the Railways, is more than 205 crore rupees. 

The Indian Railways' operations are currently divided into 17 zones, which are further sub-divided into divisions, each having a divisional headquarter. There are a total of 73 divisions at present.

In 2002-2003, seven new zones and eight new divisions were created.



PM Modi to confer Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes for Science & Technology

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will confer the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes for Science and Technology to the awardess in New Delhi today. The award will be conferred for the years 2016, 2017 and 2018. Mr Modi will also address the gathering on the occassion. 

The Prize is named after the founder Director of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar. The Prize is given each year to recognize outstanding Indian work in various disciplines of Science and Technology.