16) Union Cabinet cleared 4 months extension for 7th Pay Commission.
- Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave 4 months extension (up to 31 December 2015) to the 7th Central Pay Commission.
- The extension was approved after the commission sought extension of 4 months due to volume of work and intensive stake-holders’ consultations. The Commission constituted by the Central Government in February 2014 was mandated to submit its recommendations by 27 August 2015.
- The Sixth Pay Commission headed by Justice BN Srikrishna was implemented with effect from 1 January 2006.
The 7th pay Commission:
- Chairman: Justice Ashok Kumar Mathur
- Member (Full Time): Vivek Rae
- Member (Part Time): Dr. Rathin Ro
- Secretary: Meena Agarwal
About Pay Commission:
- Pay Commission is set up intermittently by government of India, and gives its recommendation to regarding changes in salary structure of its employees.
- the Commission is given 18 months from date of its constitution to make its recommendations
- Headquartered: Delhi
- The first pay commission: January, 1946
- first pay commission chairmanship: Srinivasa Varadachariar
- Third Pay Commission: recommended for OROP (One Rank, One Pension)
17) Modi govt approves amendments in OBC quota Central list of Gujarat, Uttarakhand.
- The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its approval for the amendments in the Central List of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) quota of Gujarat and Uttarakhand.
- In Gujarat, Sipai and Patni Jamat or Turk Jamat (all Muslims) have been included in the Central List of OBCs; while in Uttarakhand, Kahar and Tanwar Singhariya have been included.
Background:
- The amendments, as per the advices from the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), will enable the persons, belonging to these castes or communities, to avail the benefits of reservation in Government services and posts as well as in Central Educational Institutions as per the existing policy.
18) NDMC decides to rename Aurangzeb road as APJ Abdul Kalam road.
- Aurangzeb road one of the most important addresses in Lutyen`s Delhi will be renamed as Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam road.
- Aurangzeb road begins at the Taj Mansingh hotel near India Gate and joins Safdarjang Road near the official residence of the Prime Minister.
- One of the finest heritage hotels in Delhi, The Claridges is also located on the same road.
- 11th President of India: Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
19) Union Government launches E-Payment Module to deposit compensatory levies into CAMPA Funds.
- CAMPA: Compensatory Afforestation Management Planning Authority.
- Objective: It was launched by Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi in order to make these payments for diversion of forest land quicker and more transparent.
- The e-payment module has a designated account for the payment purpose, depending on the States in which the forest land is proposed to be diverted.
- Initially, the payments will be allowed through two modes viz. online challan mode through RTGS and NEFT and offline challan mode. The deposit of compensatory levies through the e-portal will be optional till August 31, 2015 and will be accepted only through the e-module from 1 September 2015.
About CAMPA:
- Any user agency which diverts forest land for non-forest purpose is required to deposit prescribed amount to the government body. This amount is managed by an ad-hoc body, Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).
- The CAMPA was created by the Union Government under the Supreme Court order of October, 2002. So far, 38,000 crore rupees have been accumulated with the ad-hoc CAMPA.
20) Tripura decided to implement National Food Security Act.
- State Cabinet of Tripura decided to implement the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
- The NFSA will be come into effect from 1 September 2015 and will be continued till 2021.
- Note: Implementation of the Act will make Tripura the first state to implement the NFSA in entire north-eastern region.
- Its implementation will benefit over 25 lakh people from more than six lakh families of the state. This would cause an extra burden of over 16.73 crore rupees on the State Government in the form of subsidy.
National Food Security Act (NFSA):
- The National Food Security Act (NFSA) came into effect on 5 July 2013. It aims at providing legal entitlement to 5 kg of subsidised foodgrains per person per month at 1 rupee to 3 rupees per kilogram to two-thirds (67 percent) of the country’s population.
21) NITI Aayog launched second version of India Energy Security Scenarios 2047.
- NITI Aayog launched the second version of the India Energy Security Scenarios 2047 (IESS 2047) by its Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya in New Delhi.
- The open source web based tool aims to explore a range of potential future energy scenarios for India, for diverse energy demand and supply sectors leading up to 2047.
- The first version of the energy calculator was launched by Planning Commission, which is now defunct, on 28 February 2014.
22) Law Commission of India submitted report on Early Childhood Development and Legal Entitlements.
- The Law Commission of India submitted the 259th report titled Early Childhood Development and Legal Entitlements to the Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda.
- The report examined the present constitutional, legal and policy framework including international agreements and conventions related to early childhood and presented suggestions to improve conditions of children under age of 6 years.
Important suggestions of the report
- A new Article 24A be inserted to Part III of the Constitution to ensure that the child’s right to basic care and assistance becomes an enforceable right. The Article should read as 24A. Every child shall have the right to care and assistance in basic needs and protection from all forms of neglect, harm and exploitation.
- In order to extend the right to education to children in the under-6 age group as well, Article 21A of the Constitution should be amended to read as follows The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children in such a manner as the State may by law determine.
- Article 51 A(k) of the Constitution should be amended so that the duty is placed on every citizen who is a parent or guardian to provide opportunities for education to his/her child or, as the case may be, ward under his/her care.
- The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 should be amended so that maternity benefits should be increased from twelve weeks to 180 days.
- A statutory authority or Council for Early Childhood Development be created in order to ensure proper emphasis on the promotion of early childhood development.
- It is suggested that every child under six should have an unconditional right to crèche and day care provided, regulated and operated by the State, as found for example in the Act on Children’s Day 69 Care of 1973, Finland.
23) Union Government announced names of 98 smart cities.
- The Union Government declared the names of 98 cities for its ambitious smart cities project. The aspirant cities were selected by the States and Union Territories on the parametres set by the Centre.
- Name of the selected cities were announced by Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi.
- The selected cities include 12 cities from Uttar Pradesh, 12 from Tamil Nadu, 10 from Maharashtra, 7 from Madhya Pradesh, 3 each from Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. All other states have also got one or two cities for the purpose, except Jammu and Kashmir. Nearly 13 crore population across 98 cities, which constitute 35 percent of urban population, will be covered under the mission.
24) Union Cabinet approved Amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Bill, 2015.
- The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its nod for amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Bill, 2015. The amendments are based on the Law Commission’s recommendations of 246th reports and suggestions received from stakeholders.
- The Union Government has decided to amend the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 by introducing the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2015 in the Parliament. These amendments will help India to become a hub of International Commercial Arbitration.
25) Union Government announced names of 98 smart cities.
- The Union Government declared the names of 98 cities for its ambitious smart cities project. The aspirant cities were selected by the States and Union Territories on the parametres set by the Centre.
- Name of the selected cities were announced by Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi.
- The selected cities include 12 cities from Uttar Pradesh, 12 from Tamil Nadu, 10 from Maharashtra, 7 from Madhya Pradesh, 3 each from Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. All other states have also got one or two cities for the purpose, except Jammu and Kashmir.
- Nearly 13 crore population across 98 cities, which constitute 35 percent of urban population, will be covered under the mission.
Andhra Pradesh:
- Kakinada
- Visakhapatnam
- Tirupati
Telangana
- Greater Hyderabad
- Greater Warangal
26) Manipur government handed over 336.93 acres land for National Sports University.
- Manipur Government handed over 336.93 acres of land at Yaithibi Khunou in Thoubal district to Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for construction of National Sports University.
- The University will introduce B.PEd, MPEd, diploma/ certificate courses, physiotherapy, fitness, sports management, sports journalism and others.
Capital of Manipur: Imphal
27) NTPC sets a record in single-day power generation.
- India’s largest power generator National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited has achieved a record of highest single-day electricity generation of over 733 million units.
- The record generation of electricity was achieved from NTPC’s 18 coal-based power plants, and 8 solar and hydro power stations and 7 gas-based units. On the record day, the Declared Cumulative Capability (DCC) of the stations was 91.10 per cent and Plant Load Factor (PLF) was of 86.34 per cent.
- NTPC limited is a Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU), operational under the aegis of Union Ministry of Power.
- During financial year 2014-15, NTPC had contributed 25 per cent of total electricity generated in the country and accounted for 16 per cent share of country’s total installed capacity of 45,548 MW (including 6,196 MW through its joint ventures).
28) 51,000 ‘sisters’ get insurance as Rakhi gift in PM’s constituency.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (an accidental insurance scheme) to 51,000 `sisters` of his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
- To kickstart the initiative, Union minister of state for power and coal Piyush Goyal handed over the certificates to 14 of these women and girls from poor families on behalf of the PM at a function at Bhagwandas Vidyalaya in Meerapur Bisahi village here.
- Extending Raksha Bandhan greetings on behalf of the PM, he added that the scheme would be provided free of cost as the BJP workers of the Kashi region would pay the premium.
29) 305 cities identified under Housing for All scheme.
- The government has identified 305 cities and towns across nine states for implementation of its ambitious ‘Housing for All’ scheme.
- As many as 305 cities and towns have been identified in nine states for beginning of construction of houses for the urban poor under the scheme, said a senior Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) Ministry official.
- The HUPA Ministry would provide assistance of over Rs. 2 lakh crore over the next six years for enabling two crore urban poor own their own houses.
- The selected cities and towns are in Chhattisgarh (36 cities/towns), Gujarat (30), Jammu and Kashmir (19), Jharkhand (15), Kerala (15), Madhya Pradesh (74), Odisha (42), Rajasthan (40) and Telangana (34).
- Under the ‘Housing for All’ initiative of the central government, named as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 25 this year, two crore houses are targeted to be built for the poor in urban areas by year 2022, coinciding with 75 years of Independence.
30) E. Railway to run superfast special trains.
- Eastern Railway will run four pairs of superfast special trains between Sealdah and Ajmer stations between Octobre 20 and November 12.
- These trains will have AC 2-Tier and AC 3-Tier accommodations. Booking for Ajmer will start from August 30, Eastern Railway said in a release.
- Cluster booking, BPT booking, block booking, and current booking will be available on the railway counters as well as internet. These trains will not have unreserved compartments. No concession/pre-bought booking or Tatkal quota will be available for these trains.
31) NITI Aayog launched second version of India Energy Security Scenarios 2047.
- NITI Aayog launched the second version of the India Energy Security Scenarios 2047 (IESS 2047) by its Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya in New Delhi.
- The open source web based tool aims to explore a range of potential future energy scenarios for India, for diverse energy demand and supply sectors leading up to 2047.
- The first version of the energy calculator was launched by Planning Commission, which is now defunct, on 28 February 2014.
32) USITC extended anti-dumping duty on Indian preserved mushrooms for 5 years.
- The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) extended the anti-dumping duty on Indian preserved mushrooms for another five years. The decision to extend the ban was taken on 29 July 2015 but it became public on 30 August 2015.
- The extension was done as part of extension of anti-dumping duty orders on preserved mushrooms from Chile, China, India, and Indonesia. The anti-dumping duty was imposed on preserved mushrooms from these nations on 3 February 2015 and was suppose to end on 14 August 2015.
- The USITC decided to extend the ban on import of preserved mushrooms from these nations after it found that revoking the anti-dumping duty orders would lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time.
33) PM Modi released digitally restored recordings of epic `Ramcharitmanas`.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi released digital recordings of epic Ramcharitmanas, as a set of digital CDs produced by All India Radio (AIR).
- Digital recordings of the epic is a part of AIR’s attempt to go digital in a big way so that the public broadcaster can reach audiences globally.
- The recordings of Goswami Tulsidas work, sung by leading singers of Bhopal gharana, have been done by the AIR over several years and are regularly broadcast especially in the Hindi heartland.
- The Ramcharitmanas was composed and recorded for the first time in 1980 at Akashvani Bhopal.
34) SC stayed Rajasthan HC judgment banning Santhara ritual of Jainism.
- The Supreme Court of India (SC) stayed the Rajasthan High Court (HC) judgment that banned Santhara ritual of Jainism.
- Santhara is a voluntary religious practice of facing death at the end of one`s life.
- The stay was ordered by a bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) H L Dattu while hearing a batch of petitions filed by Jain religious organizations that were on protest mode since the HC judgment.
Background:
- The Rajasthan HC termed the Santhara as illegal and an offence punishable under the section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The section deals with abetment to committing suicide.
- Further, the HC held the view that right to death is not a fundamental right extended by the article 21 of the constitution that provides for the right to life.
- Union Government launched SAHAJ scheme for online release of new LPG connections.
35) Union Government launched a scheme named SAHAJ for online release of new LPG connections for the consumers.
- The scheme launched by Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan can be availed through the portal mylpg.in.
- At present, the scheme will be available in 13 cities of the country, namely Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna and Pune. It will be launched pan-India within the next few days.
- SAHAJ facility will enable the prospective customers to post online request for a new connection by filing Know Your Customer (KYC) form, uploading photographs and bank account details. After submission, the customer will receive the registration number to know the connection status.