1) Setting up of New Tourism Colleges
- The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has so far sanctioned 12 Institutes of Hospitality Management in the North Eastern States.
- The State Government/Union Territory Administrations have been advised by the MoT to set up Hospitality Development Boards if the same do not exist in their respective States/ Union Territories. The State Government of Maharashtra has reportedly setup Hospitality Development and Promotion Board.
2) Namami Gange Projects Worth Rs. 400 crore Approved.
- Namami Gange in mission mode the empowered steering committee (ESC) of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) approved various projects worth Rs. 400 crore (approx).
- The projects include development of ghats and crematoria in the stretch from Rudraprayag to Guptkashi (Uttrakhand).
3) NRIs can send funds online for Govt schemes.
- NRIs and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) will now be able to make monetary contributions online for government`s flagship programmes `Swachch Bharat` and Clean Ganga among other social sector projects, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj announced.
- India Development Foundation of Overseas Indians (IDF-OI) is presently promoting Government of India`s flagship programmes- Swachh Bharat and National Mission for Clean Ganga.
4) Odisha to recruit members of transgender community as jail warders.
- The Odisha government has decided to recruit members of transgender community as warders in jails of the State.
- The Sub-ordinate Staff Selection Commission to start the process of recruitment of transgender. They will compete in women categories.
- It needs to be mentioned that Odisha had brought members of transgender community under purview of the National Food Security Act.
5) Govt launches performance, credit rating scheme for MSMEs.
- A performance and credit rating scheme has been launched by the MSME Ministry to assess the capabilities and creditworthiness of the industries in the sector.
- The new scheme of Financial Support to MSMEs in Zero Defect Zero Effect Certification has been approved in which the MSMEs will be assessed on ZED Maturity Model on 50 parameters which will strengthen or facilitate the Make in India initiative.
6) Resolution for renaming of Madras High Court passed.
- The State Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the Centre to rename it as the High Court of Tamil Nadu.
- The High Court which has jurisdiction over the whole of Tamil Nadu as the High Court of Chennai.
- These House calls upon the government of India to move necessary amendments to the Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha so as to change the name of the High Court of Madras as the High Court of Tamil Nadu instead of the High Court of Chennai.
7) Cabinet approves Spectrum Usage Charge for the spectrum in various bands held by various operators or to be acquired by them in forthcoming auction.
- Cabinet approves the terms and conditions for transfer of 12 acres of land of Indu-6 Mill land vested in National Textile Corporation Ltd. to Government of Maharashtra for construction of a memorial of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
- Cabinet approves Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016 Historical Step towards making roads safe and save lakhs of innocent lives.
- Cabinet approves signing of Air Services Agreement between India and Lao.
- Cabinet approves recommendations of the Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on Rationalization of Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
- Cabinet approves amendments in the Central List of Other Backward Classes applicable to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
- Cabinet authorized National Highways Authority of India to monetize public funded national highway projects.
- Cabinet approves formula to provide production subsidy to sugar mills.
- Cabinet approves discontinuation of the services of DGS&D for procuring jute bags for food grains.
- • Cabinet approves upgradation of 13 government medical colleges.
8) Over 25 lakh LPG connections released under PM Ujjwala Yojana.
- 25.44 lakh LPG connections have been released to women of BPL families under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. The scheme which was launched by Honorable Prime Minister in Balia, Uttar Pradesh currently under operation in 553 districts of 24 States.
- Under the scheme, 5 crores LPG connections will be provided to BPL families with a support of Rs. 1600 per connection in the next 3 years. Identification of the BPL families is being done through Socio-Economic Caste Census data.
9) Shipping Corporation of India Ltd.
- Signs MoU with Government of India.
- Shipping Corporation of India Ltd. has signed the Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Shipping for the financial year 2016-17 at New Delhi.
- The MOU guidelines 2016-17 issued by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE). It consists of parameters drawn on the prescribed evaluation criteria and factors such as capacity and its expansion, business environment, projects under implementation have been considered.
10) Dredging Corporation of India Ltd. signs MoU with Government of India.
- Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) Ltd. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the financial year 2016-17 in New Delhi.
- The targets agreed in the MoU are in line with the aggressive growth plans of DCI for making foray’s internationally in line with the Ministry of Shipping’s ambitious plans.
11) 3,000 Jan Aushadhi Stores to be opened across India.
- To make quality drugs available at affordable prices to people under Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana (PMJAY), it has been decided to open 3000 Jan Aushadhi Stores (JAS) under the Yojana across the country by the end of March 2017.
- JAS proposed within Government hospital premises, a one-time financial assistance is provided to the extent of Rs. 2.50 lakh (Rs. 1 Lakh for furnishing, Rs. 50000 for computer and peripherals, refrigerator etc and another Rs. 1 Lakh worth medicine to commence operation).
- The margin available for the retailers is 20% so as to ensure a reasonable level of profitability for them.
12) Gujarat High Court quashes State Government`s notification granting 10 per cent reservation for economically backward classes.
- The Gujarat High Court quashed the state government`s notification of granting 10 percent quota to the Economically Backward Classes in educational institutions.
- The Gujarat Unreserved Economically Weaker Sections (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions in the State and of Appointments and Posts in Services under the State) Ordinance, 2016, stating that the provision of 10 per cent quota was a classification of EWS and it should not be treated as reservation prescribed under the Constitution.
13) Vasundhara Raje lays the foundation of 14 projects in Jaipur.
- Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje laid the foundation of 14 projects worth Rs. 2,229 Crore and said the city of Jaipur will be a `wonder city` in next two years.
- The projects include converting Amanishah Nala into its original form of Dravyawati River.
- The project aims to make the 47-km long water body pollution free and beautiful in the next two years.
- Plantation of 16,000 saplings in 65,000 sq meters will also be a part of the beautification of the river.
14) UD Ministry approves investment of Rs. 4,404 crore to 8 states, UTs.
- To improve basic urban infrastructure in eight states and Union Territories, the government approved an investment of Rs. 4,404 crore under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
- An inter-ministerial Apex Committee, chaired by Urban Development Secretary Rajiv Gauba, has approved the State Level Annual Action Plans (SAAP) of these eight states/UTs.
- Under AMRUT, states/UTs have proposed a total investment of Rs. 1,146 crore in improving drainage network in urban areas.
- The amount of Rs. 4,404 crore approved would be used for augmenting water supply, sewerage networks, drainage, urban transport and public and green spaces in urban areas in these areas.
- States and UTs for which investment approved include Karnataka (Rs. 1,625 crore), Andhra Pradesh (Rs. 877 crore), Bihar (Rs. 775 crore), Telangana (Rs. 555 crore), Haryana (Rs. 525 crore), Nagaland (Rs. 40 crore), Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Rs. 3.70 crore) and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Rs. 3.18 crore).
15) Odisha opens 100 new multi-purpose calamity shelter units.
- Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik dedicated 100 multi-purpose shelter houses to the people of Odisha for use during floods and cyclones.
- The shelter houses built across 17 districts of the state. The 100 new shelters will add to the state`s existing 526 multi-purpose shelter houses adding people can take shelter in these places during calamities like floods and cyclones.
16) BHEL commissions 500 Mw Marwa Thermal Power station in Chhattisgarh.
- State-run BHEL has commissioned the 500 MW thermal units at Marwa Thermal Power Station in Chhattisgarh.
- BHEL has contributed a total of 12,500 MW to the state`s installed power generation, including central and private sector utilities.
17) LS Speaker inaugurates DRDO exhibition in Parliament premises.
- Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan inaugurated an exhibition of defence equipment by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in the Parliament House complex.
- The exhibition will display a number of state-of-the-art defence technologies, products and systems developed by various DRDO laboratories - including the BrahMos missile, the "Arjuna" main battle tank, Airborne Early Warning and Control System, Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher "Pinaka" and much more.
18) Swachh Survekshan of 500 cities launched by Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu.
- Minister of Urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu launched `Swachh Suvekshan-2017` to assess and rank 500 cities and towns based on levels of sanitation and efforts made by respective urban local bodies and also to capture progress towards achieving `Open Defecation Free` status.
- The Minister also released in New Delhi various publications and mobile applications to help the 500 cities and towns prepare for the survey to be conducted in January 2017.
19) Centre launches nation-wide breastfeeding programme.
- Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda launched nationwide breast feeding programme "MAA-Mother`s Absolute Affection" aimed at promoting the practice among mothers.
- The breastfeeding programme will greatly help to reduce the under five mortality of children.
- Urban, rural, educated or uneducated mothers, everywhere we have to do this campaign and tell them about advantages of breast feeding.
- The national health indicators like Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Maternal Maternity Rate (MMR) and Total Fertility Rate (TFR) and under five mortality are declining faster in Indian than the world pace.
20) South India`s first Doppler weather radar inaugurated.
- Doppler weather radar, which can provide advance information about storms, cyclones and other severe weather conditions, was inaugurated at the Vikram Sarabahi Space Centre.
- Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar inaugurated the C Band Polarimetric Doppler Weather Radar, first of its kind to be set up in southern states.
- The data from this radar would be available to India Meteorological Department (IMD) to supplement its weather predictions and also to researchers and user agencies.
- The radar has been developed as a national effort to meet the country`s weather forecast requirements and establish a network to seamlessly cover the regions of interest, thereby ensuring effective weather forecast.
21) Kolkata hosts 64-day-long theatre festival.
- The Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), an autonomous organization under Government of India`s Ministry of Culture, has organized a 64-day-long theatre festival in Kolkata.
- The festival- Kolkata Theatre Festival 2016- will showcase as many as 245 theatres of several groups at Bharatiyam Cultural Multiplex in Kolkatas satellite town Salt Lake.
- This is the biggest theatre festival, not even in Kolkata, in the World as well.
- Several groups will play 245 theatres at the same venue and it would be continued for 64 days. Besides play, few exhibitions, seminars and workshops on theatre have also been organized there.
22) HRD Minister inaugurates IIT Raipur.
- Union HRD Minister, Shri Prakas Javedkar inaugurated IIT Raipur in Chhattisgarh at the campus of Government Engineering College, Raipur.
- The institute will have its own campus by the time first batch of students obtains degree.
23) Odisha govt launches new website of state Home department.
- Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a newly designed web portal of the Home Department developed with accessibility guidelines to enable the differently-abled persons to see and hear the website.
- The portal, designed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), is a bilingual website available both in English and Odia languages.
- Its facilitates access to all directorates of different departments along with various citizen services like Secretariat pass, tracking the missing child, reservation of Odisha Bhawan, Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and Systems (CCTNS) and others.
- Social platforms like Facebook and Twitter have been inter-linked with the portal and it has women and employees corners too.
24) GIPCL signs pact with SECI for solar projects in Gujarat.
- Gujarat Industries Power Company (GIPCL) had entered into power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Solar Energy Corporation of India for solar power projects in Gujarat.
- GIPCL has signed PPAs with Solar Energy Corporation of India for 2x40 MW Solar Power Projects in Gujarat Solar Park, Village Charanka, District Patan, under National Solar Mission (NSM) Phase-II.
25) Rs. 142.00 crore Sanctioned for `Biogas Programme` in 2016-17.
- An amount of Rs. 142.00 crore has been allocated under ``Biogas Programme`` during the current year 2016-17.
- The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is setting up of biogas plants under three Central Sector Schemes.
- National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP) caters to setting up of family type biogas plants for cooking energy needs of rural and semi-urban areas of the country.
- A target for setting up of 1,00,000 biogas plants under the NBMMP has been fixed during the current year, 2016-17 and communicated to the States.
26) Odisha Government launches special assistance scheme for elderly weavers.
- The state government announced a new scheme for elderly weavers to mark the National Handloom Day. The Baristha Bunakar Sahayata Yojana aims to improve the financial condition of more than 8000 weavers, who have been working for the last 20 years.
- In this scheme weavers above 60 years of age will get an allowance of Rs. 500 per month, while those above 80 will get Rs. 700 a month.
27) IRCTC signs MoU with Manipur govt to provide hospitality & tourism services.
- Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and the Manipur government have signed a (MoU), which seeks to provide improved hospitality and tourism services to their customers by making `joint use of their capabilities and facilities`.
- Both the parties to identify areas of cooperation and draw up detailed plans for development of joint tourism products and opening and managing various catering and hospitality outlets, budget hotels and handicrafts shops at railway as well as non-railway locations.
28) Tamil Nadu Government launches online service for power consumers.
- In an e-governance initiative aimed at the common man in the power sector, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa launched an online service for consumers to apply for low-tension service connections.
- Consumers can now apply online to secure a new low-tension (LT) service connection, upload all necessary documents on the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) website and also make payment for this purpose.