1) Govt to build one crore houses by 2019 under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
- The government is aiming to construct one crore houses by 2019, according to sources.
- The government has set a target of constructing 38 lakh houses by end of the current financial year (2015-16).
- Punjabi version of PM Narendra Modi`s website launched.
- The Punjabi version of the official website of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was launched today.
- People can now visit the PM website in Punjabi language at the URL www.Pmindia.Gov.In/pa.
2) Govt to announce next set of 27 smart cities.
- Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu announced the next set of 27 cities for financing under the Government flagship Smart City Mission.
- As per the Misison guidelines, as many as 40 cities have to be announced during this financial year, as the government had already announced 13 cities in month of May.
- Each city will receive Central assistance of Rs 200 crore in the first year and Rs 100 crore over the three subsequent financial years.
- State governments and respective urban local bodies will also match the Centre`s contribution.
- The Government aims to transform about 100 cities by 2019-20, with the Centre providing financial support of Rs. 48,000 crore over five years.
3) Railways to launch Yatri Mitra for differently-abled.
- In a move to make rail travel comfortable for elderly, differently-abled and ailing travelers, Railways has launched `Yatri Mitra Sewa` to facilitate access to wheelchairs, battery operated cars and porter services.
- The service will be available at major railway stations across the country.
- The service can be availed at the time of online booking of tickets, calling or messaging `139`, accessing an app to be developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), or by simply dialling a dedicated mobile phone number to be activated for the purpose.
4) Cabinet Approves.
- Cabinet approves merger of rail budget with general budget; advancement of budget presentation and merger of plan and non-plan classification in budget and accounts.
- Cabinet approves the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016.
- Cabinet approves provision of submarine optical fibre cable connectivity between mainland (Chennai) and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
- Cabinet gives ex-post facto approval to enhancement of Pension for Freedom Fighters.
- Cabinet approves enactment of Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill 2016 and to repeal five archaic admiralty statutes.
- Cabinet approves USOF support to BSNL for Rural Wire-line connections installed prior to 1.4.2002.
- Cabinet approves raising Extra Budgetary Resources to augment infrastructure spending.
- Cabinet approves conversion of Government of India loan into equity and waiver of interest in respect of Richardson & Cruddas (1972) Ltd.
- Cabinet approves Agreement between India and Samoa for exchange of information with respect to Taxes.
- Cabinet approves Capital Grant to GAIL for development of Gas Infrastructure in Eastern part of the country.
5) President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, inaugurates Centenary Celebrations and presides over Centenary Convocation of Lady Hardinge Medical College.
- The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the Centenary Celebrations of Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) and presided over the Centenary Convocation of LHMC.
6) MHA sanctions additional 10,000 SPOs for J&K.
- Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sanctioned the engagement of additional 10,000 Special Police Officers (SPOs) in the Police Department of Jammu and Kashmir.
- The orders have been implemented with immediate effect and the additional numbers is over and above the existing strength of the SPOs. The additional SPOs will be utilized especially for the security related requirements. The reimbursement of expenditure to the State Government by the Centre in respect of 10,000 SPOs will be as per existing approved Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Guidelines.
7) Indian Oil and GAIL sign MoU for taking equity stake in upcoming Dhamra LNG terminal.
- Indian Oil Corporation Limited and GAIL (India) Limited today signed an MoU with Dhamra LNG Terminal Private Limited (DLTPL) for taking equity in the 5 MMTPA capacity LNG Receiving, Storage and Regasification Terminal, being put up at Dhamra Port, Odisha.
- The development comes in the backdrop of Government’s consistent focus on undertaking welfare and growth measures in eastern India so as to bring this hitherto underdeveloped region into the economic mainstream of the country.
8) Centre to set up committee to deal with complaints regarding Waqf properties.
- The Centre will soon set up an one-man board of adjudication to deal with complaints regarding waqf properties and a campaign has been launched on "war-footing" to rid them from the clutches of encroachers.
- The government will soon take action against those occupying waqf properties illegally to see the assets are used for welfare of Muslim community and their socio-economic-educational empowerment.
- Nagaland gets Rs. 340 crore for road projects.
- The Central Government has sanctioned Rs. 340 crore two road projects for Nagaland and also assured the state government to set up a separate High Court for the state.
9) Harsh Vardhan adopts village under `Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana`.
- Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has adopted `Dheerpur` and `Ghoga` villages under the ‘Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana` (SAGY).
- Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana is a rural development programme broadly focusing upon the development in the villages which includes social development, cultural development and spread motivation among the people on social mobilization of the village community.
- The programme was launched by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi on the birth anniversary of Jayaprakash Narayan.
10) TN government for Thaaliku Thangam scheme under marriage assistance programme.
- Tamil Nadu government has allotted Rs. 204 crore towards the implementation of the enhanced gold scheme under a marriage assistance programme. Rs. 204 crore has been allotted for `Thaaliku Thangam` (Gold for Mangalsutra) scheme for the year 2016-17 to benefit 12,500 women.
- The scheme involves providing marriage assistance and gold for daughters of poor parents and widows among others to make `thaali`.
- Assistance of Rs. 25,000 for beneficiaries who have passed Class X and Rs. 50,000 to those with an undergraduate degree or diploma is also given as part of the scheme.
11) The `Ksheer Tester` Launched.
- Union Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan on the occasion of the 64th Foundation Day Celebrations of Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CEERI) in Pilani launched the `Ksheer Tester`.
- It is a newly developed handheld GPS-enabled version of the recently launched Ksheer Scanner technology to check adulteration in milk.
- The Ksheer Tester will empower the common man with a technology to tackle a national level health hazard due to adulteration in milk.
12) India seeks BRICS help to meet shortfall in pulses, oilseeds.
- India has sought the cooperation of fellow BRICS members Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa to help meet the country’s production shortfall in pulses and oilseeds.
- Agriculture Ministers from BRICS countries have agreed to promote production of pulses in their respective countries and raise awareness about its nutritional aspects, according to the joint declaration adopted at the end of 6th meeting of BRICS Agriculture Ministers in New Delhi.
- It will offer business opportunities which could be tapped through innovative model like contract farming, leasing surplus land and conventional trade to meet India`s requirements.
13) India asks SAARC nations to strictly enforce sanctions against terrorist entities, individuals.
- India has called upon the SAARC nations to strictly enforce internationally mandated sanctions against terrorist entities and individuals.
- The SAARC Anti-Terrorism Mechanism in New Delhi.
14) NHAI, PFC Allowed to Raise Rs. 31,300 crore.
- Union Cabinet has given its approval for raising a total of Rs. 31,300 crore in the financial year 2016-17 and to service the principal and interest against the Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR) of Rs. 16,300 crore by Government of India to augment infrastructure spending.
- This implies that the principal and the interest in respect of the EBR of Rs. 16,300 crore to be raised by PFC, IREDA, IWAI, and NABARD shall be financed by Government of India by making suitable budget provisions in the Demand of respective Ministries/ Departments.
15) ``Mission Parivar Vikas`` of Government.
- Shri J.P. Nadda, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare had given directions to the Ministry to develop a strategy within 3 months where vulnerable districts in the country will be targeted for intensive and improved family planning services.
- The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will soon launch ``Mission Parivar Vikas`` in 145 high focus districts having the highest total fertility rates in the country.
- The main objective of `Mission Parivar Vikas` will be to accelerate access to high quality family planning choices based on information, reliable services and supplies within a rights-based framework.
16) Committees for the birth centenary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay.
- The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the constitution of two committees for the commemoration of the birth centenary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay.
- The Prime Minister will chair a 149 member National Committee, and the Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, will chair a 23 member Executive Committee.
17) 315 crore Released for Building Toilets Along Ganga.
- The Union Water Resources Ministry has released Rs. 315 crore for construction of toilets along Ganga river.
- The Ministry released the money to Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation for building toilets as per an action plan under Swachh Bharat campaign (Gramin) during 2016-17.
18) Chandigarh Administration, French Development Agency sign MoUs.
- Chandigarh Administration and French Development Agency (AFD) signed a MoUs on Chandigarh Smart City Project and `Technical Cooperation` in the field of Sustainable Urban Mobility.
- FENET assured the Chandigarh Administration that the Indo-French partnership will continue to address the issues pertaining to Smart City Project (SCP) to achieve the vision of making Chandigarh a healthy, happy and happening city, a statement issued.
19) 86 MoUs Aggregating close to Rs. 15,000 Crores Exchanged in IITIS - 2016 & many more are in Pipeline.
- The `Incredible India Tourism Investors Summit (IITIS) - 2016` organized by the Ministry of Tourism in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry and the Tourism Finance Corporation of India from 21st to 23rd September, 2016 to promote investments in Tourism sector in India.
These announcements made by Secretary, M/o Tourism Shri Vinod Zutshi, included:
- Institutionalization of IITIS to be held annually with the next Summit to be organized in September 2017.
- Setting up of a task force headed by Secretary, Tourism, with membership from relevant ministries, state governments, and industry associations to undertake strategic planning.
- Setting up of an investor facilitation desk to handhold investors and facilitate projects.
- Organizing investor meets in States with the support of Ministry of Tourism.
20) Mass mobilization programmes for sanitation awareness taken up across the country.
- Rallies, shramadan, village and ward level meetings were organized in rural and urban areas across the county for further sensitizing the people about cleanliness on the first day of Swachh Bharat Week.
- Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation has drawn up elaborate action plans for the week for rural areas while the Ministry of Urban Development did so for urban areas of the country, centred around celebration of more and more villages, districts and cities becoming Open Defecation Free.
21) Rajasthan replaces 5 lakh streetlights with LED bulbs.
- Rajasthan becomes the first state to adopt Centre`s Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) in all its urban local bodies (ULB). Almost 5 lakh conventional streetlights have been replaced with LED streetlights across the state.
- The project has been funded by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a public energy services company under the administration of Union ministry of power at no cost to the state.
22) National Mission on Bioeconomy.
- In order to boost rural economy by utilising bio-resources, a National Mission on Bioeconomy was launched by the Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
- The mission is unique to south-east Asia and India has become one of the few countries to have tapped bio-resources, which when optimally utilized can create a large number of jobs at village level.
23) PM inaugurates CSIR’s Platinum Jubilee Function on the occasion of its 75th Foundation Day.
- The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated CSIR’s Platinum Jubilee Function on the occasion of its 75th Foundation Day.
- The Prime Minister visited an exhibition showcasing several initiatives of CSIR. The nation interacted with farmers from five different locations across the country: Hyderabad, Cuddalore, Jammu, Jorhat and Palampur.
- The indelible ink which is the hallmark of our democratic fabric, CSIR has left an indelible mark on every sphere of life.
24) Union Agriculture and Farmers` Welfare Minister Inaugrates ``The Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Krishi Unnati Mela – 2016``, Mathura.
- The Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh inaugurated the four day Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Krishi Unnati Mela – 2016, in Mathura.
- Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay was born in Mathura but he gave a new direction to the entire country through his thoughts and works.
25) Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Signed MOU with National Safai Karmachari Finance and Development Corporation.
- Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment signed MOU with National Safai Karmachari Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) stipulating the targets for the Corporation for the year 2016-17.
- NSKFDC is targeting to disburse loans to the tune of approx Rs. 175 crores for the persons of Safai Karmachari, Manual Scavenges and their dependent living below double the poverty line through State Channelizing Agencies, Public Sector Banks, Regional Rural Banks and other channel partners. Further more than 110000 beneficiaries are also to be imparted skill development training.
26) Haryana Kerosene Free on April 1.
- Haryana would become kerosene-free from April 1 next year, while eight of the state’s 21 districts will get the status on November 1 this year.
- With an aim to provide smoke-free healthy environment while cooking, the state government has decided to provide free of cost gas connections under the Centre’s Ujjawala scheme.
- The cost Rs. 1,600 for each connection would be borne by the state.
27) Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurates Seminar on Bamboo Development for NE region.
- The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated a Seminar on Bamboo Development for North Eastern region.
- Green gold revolution through promotion and trade of bamboo which had a vast unexplored potential to bring about a quantum jump in the economic growth of Northeast in particular and whole of India in general.
- The expression “green gold” has been coined to refer to bamboo because it is a miracle plant which is often placed in the category of grass product rather than forest product and matures faster than its other peers.
28) Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda inaugurates National Workshop on indicator framework for Sustainable Development Goals.
- Union Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation, Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda inaugurated a National Consultation Workshop on developing a monitoring framework for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- The two-day workshop will have deliberation sessions with focus upon principles for development and identification of suitable National and State level indicators for measuring the Sustainable Development Goals and Targets including standardization, harmonization and periodicity, and coordination.
29) Cabinet Approves.
Cabinet approves Productivity Linked Bonus to railway employees.
- Cabinet approves ratification of the Paris Agreement.
- Cabinet approves India - Singapore MoU to give a boost to Innovation, Creativity and Technological Advancement.
- Cabinet gives ex-post facto approval to Varistha Pension Bima Yojana, 2003 and Varistha Pension Bima Yojana, 2014.
- Cabinet approves an Undertaking between India and Korea on Mutual Recognition of Certificates for Seafarers, 1978.
- Cabinet approves Closure of Hindustan Cables Limited, Kolkata.
- Cabinet approves Administrative and Financial Sanction towards the implementation of the Project SAKSHAM.
- Cabinet approves financial assistance to retired employees of Bharat Pumps and Compressors Limited, Allahabad.
- Cabinet approves acquisition of 29.9 per cent stake in LLC Taas-Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha and 23.9 per cent stake in JSC Vankorneft by Indian Consortium.
30) Union Home Minister chairs High Level Committee meeting for Central Assistance to Maharashtra.
- The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting of the High Level Committee (HLC) for Central Assistance to drought affected Maharashtra.
- The HLC approved the assistance of Rs. 1,269 crore, of which Rs. 589.47 crore is supplementary assistance for damage to kharif crop and Rs. 679.54 crore for damage to rabi crop.
31) Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana – State launch at Srinagar, J&K.
- Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched in Srinagar for the state of Jammu & Kashmir by Chief Minister of J&K, Ms Mehbooba Mufti.
- This marks another step in the direction of providing LPG connections to 5 crore families who are Below Poverty Line (BPL).
32) Maharashtra govt decides to increase financial assistance given to women convicts.
- The Maharashtra government informed the Bombay High Court that it has decided to increase the financial assistance given to women convicts after their release from prison from Rs. 5000 to Rs. 25,000.
- The issue involved was that when the mother was in jail after conviction in a case what would happen to her child outside and whether the kid would go to school or suffer due to lack of education.