Current Affairs March 2017 INDIAN AFFAIRS 1. Narendra Singh Tomar Launches Swachh Shakti Saptah in Haryana The Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar launched the week long Swachh Shakti Saptah at national level on March 1, 2017 in Gurugram, Haryana to highlight the role of women in Swachh Bharat Mission and to recognize their leadership.The week-long programme would be held from March 1-March 8, 2017.Over 1,000 women sarpanches of Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and all women sarpanches of Gurugram division participated in the event. 2.100 districts in India Declared ODF under Swachh Bharat Mission The Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has informed that the number of ODF (Open Defecation Free) districts in India has crossed 100, making it a milestone achievement under the Swachh Bharat Mission. Besides, over 1.7 lakh villages over the country has also become ODF. 3.Ministry of Women & Child Development Observes Swachhta Pakhwada Throughout India The Ministry of Women & Child Development is observing the Swachhta Pakhwada from March 1, 2017 to March 15, 2017 and raise awareness about Swachh Bharat Abhiyan among women and children.Aim: The Swachhta Pakhwada is observed by various Ministries of Government of India to achieve the goal of universal sanitation, hygiene and ‘open defecation free’ India by 2019. During the course of the progamme, various activities would be conducted throughout the country through the wide network of Anganwadi Centres (AWCs). 4.Panneerselvam inaugurates ‘Amma Kalviyagam’ Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has launched a portal named after late chief Minister Jayalalithaa ammakalviyagam.in on her 69th birth anniversary celebrations. The launched portal will a hub of learning, interaction, opportunity, and connection. The portal was based on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) model. This initiative will help students get assistance from reputed teachers free of cost, which reflects Jayalalithaa’s Vision TN 2023. 5.Government approves 4,000 PG seats in medical colleges Union Health Ministry led by J P Nadda announced that it had approved 4000 Post Graduate seats in medical colleges and hospitals across the country for the academic session 2017-18. This increased intake in medical institutions will take the total number of Post Graduate (PG) seats to 35,117. 6.Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu Inaugurates Key Freight Sector Initiatives of Railways The Union Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu inaugurated four key freight sector initiatives on March 2, 2017 at National Rail Museum, New Delhi to attract more freight towards Railways. The 4 Key Freight Sector Initiatives Includes: Policy of ‘Long Term Contracts/Agreements’ with major customers Indian Railways Freight and Passenger Business Action Plan-2017-18 iii .Confirmation trial of Double Stack Dwarf Container Train under wire, a New Delivery Model iv .The demonstration run of Ro-Ro (Roll on–Roll off) service across the National Capital Region- A Pilot project of Indian railways for ‘Green Transportation’ – to reduce road congestion and improve environment. 7.Final Draft of Central GST & Integrated GST Approved By GST Council The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unanimously cleared the crucial Central GST (CGST) and Integrated GST (IGST) draft bills on March 4, 2017 during its 11th meeting at Vigyan Bhavan. The state had recommended as many as 26 changes regarding CGST and IGST, all of which were accepted by the Centre. Under the IGST bill which is related to taxation of inter-state transfer of goods, the legislation has been made for cross empowerment of state and central officers. Both Centre and states have agreed to provide a composition scheme for small businesses. Now the small businesses with an annual turnover of up to Rs 50 lakh will pay 5 percent tax (to be shared equally between the Centre and states). 8.Aadhaar Mandatory to Get Mid Day Meal and Booking Train Tickets Online Mid-Day Meal The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development in its notification on February 28, 2017, made it mandatory for the students across the country to have an Aadhaar number for getting the their midday meals. The stated rule will be applicable across the country except Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya and Assam. Train Ticket As per the new business plan 2017-18, unveiled by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on March 2, 2017, railway will soon make Aadhaar number compulsory for booking railway tickets online. 9.Assam Cabinet Declares Sanskrit as Compulsory Subject upto Class 8 i .In a cabinet meeting on February 28, 2017, the Assam government led by the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal decided to make Sanskrit a compulsory language for students up to class 8 in the state. ii. Besides, the government also decided to promote computer education in the state. The government would also appoint teachers for the two subject. 10.West Bengal Clinical Establishment Bill 2017 Unanimously Passed in State Assembly The West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) Bill, 2017 was passed by the state legislative assembly on March 3, 2017 with full support. The Bill replaces the West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation and Regulation) Bill, 2010. Key Highlights of the Bill Hospitals cannot charge more than as stated in the Bill. In case of death due to negligent treatment, hospital would be liable to pay Rs. 10 lakh as compensation. iii .Every clinical establishment shall maintain a public grievance cell for lodging of complaints on treatment, improper billing, deficit service, behaviour of attending staff. iv. Offer free Cardiac surgery to children under Sishu Sathi Scheme 11.West Bengal Gives Official Status to Tribal Language Kurukh The West Bengal government has given an official status to Kurukh language in the state which has been listed as an endangered language by the UNESCO. The language was given the official status on February 21 on the occasion of the International Mother Language Day. Kurukh is a tribal language that belongs to the Dravidian family. It is spoken by the Oraon tribal community living in Birbhum-Bankura-Purulia-Midnapore belt and the tea garden regions in north Bengal. 12.Maharashtra Cabinet Plans to Regulate Web-Based Taxi Services The Maharashtra government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has decided to implement the Maharashtra City Taxi Regulations 2017 to regulate the web-based taxi services in the state. Key Features of the Regulation As per the new regulation, the vehicle would have GPS/GPRS system in the vehicle and there will be a display of the route and fare to be recovered for the same. Besides, the service providers will have to register in the city where they wish to operate the taxi service. 13.India to supply additional 60 MW power to Bangladesh North Eastern state Tripura has agreed to supply an additional 60 MW to Bangladesh over the 100 MW of power the north-eastern state is supplying to the neighbouring country. This development comes after Bangladesh sought 100 MW electricity from India to solve its power crisis in the eastern part of the nation. They have no transmission facility to receive their entire request of 100 MW now. 14.Cabinet Approves Revival of 50 Un-Served/Under-Served Airstrips The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the proposal for revival of 50 un-served/under-served airports/airstrips of the State Governments, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Civil enclaves on March 6, 2017. The total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs. 4500 crore and will be completed by the financial year 2020. 15.Cabinet approves Revised Cost Estimate-I of Koteshwar Hydro Electric Project in Uttarakhand The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has also approved the Revised Cost Estimate-I of 400 MW Koteshwar Hydro Electric Project (HEP) in Uttarakhand. The estimated completion cost of the project is Rs. 2,717.35 crore and is being implemented by Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) India Limited. 16.Cabinet approves India’s accession to the Customs Convention on International Transport of Goods under cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention) The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has also given its approval for India’s accession to the Customs Convention on International Transport of Goods under cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention) and for completion of necessary procedures for ratification, for its entry into force. 17.Cabinet Approves Settlement of Legacy Food Cash Credit Account in Punjab for Food Procurement Operations The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval for settlement of Legacy Food Cash Credit Accounts (upto crop season 2014-15) of Punjab Government for food procurement operations. The proposal of Department of Expenditure was approved by Prime Minister on January 2, 2017 under Rule 12 of (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961. 18.High Court Declares Over 4 Month Long Economic Blockade in Manipur as Illegal The High Court of Manipur on March 3, 2017 declared the economic blockade in Manipur called by United Naga Council (UNC) as illegal. The order was passed by a bench of three judges Chief Justice R R Prasad, Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice Kh Nobin Singh on public interest litigation. 19.PM Narendra Modi releases Special Commemorative Postage Stamp on 100 years of Yogoda Satsang Math Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a special commemorative postage stamp on 100 years of Yogoda Satsang Math on March 7, 2017. Dakshineswar based Yogoda Satsanga Society is a non-profit religious organization founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1917. 20.Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah launches ‘Pratibimba” to project achievements Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched a comprehensive web-based platform Pratibimba to showcasing the government’s performance and achievements to the citizens on March 7, 2017. This dash board will serve as a tool to improve efficiency in governance and allow citizens to track government’s progress.It is available both in English and Kannada. 21.International Women’s Celeberated on March 8, 2017 International Women’s Day is celebrated by the Governments, NGOs and other Organizations worldwide on March 8 every year since 1900 to highlight the achievements of women in all fields ranging from political to social while calling for greater equality. The theme adopted by the United Nation for 2017 is Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030. PM Modi Addresses National Convention of Women Sarpanch On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Swachh Shakti 2017 – A Convention of Women Sarpanches, at Gandhinagar in Gujarat. Important Highlights of the Conclave As a part of the event, PM Modi gave away Swachh Shakti 2017 awards to women leaders in rural areas who have contributed immensely towards Swachh Bharat Mission. President Mukherjee Presents Nari Shakti Puraskars On the occasion of International Women’s Day, President Pranab Mukherjee gave away the Nari Shakti Puraskars at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on March 8, 2017. Some of the winners included Three women scientists from ISRO namely Subha Varier, B Codananyaguy and Anatta Sonney. An all-women troupe of Kathakali dance was also awarded for claiming a dance form which was traditionally a male preserve. Asia’s first woman to drive a diesel train, Mumtaz Kazi, was also bestowed with an award. Anoyara Khatun, a survivor of trafficking, who has worked to rescue child labourers, victims of human trade and domestic violence. Amruta Patil, a writer and painter. She is also the first female graphic novelist of the country. Textiles Ministry Announces Kamaladevi Chattopadhya National Awards Specially for Women Weavers and Women Artisans On the occasion of International Women’s Day the Union Textiles Minister Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani has announced ‘Kamaladevi Chattopadhya National Awards’, a new category of awards specially for women handloom weavers and women handicraft artisans. Sports Minister Vijay Goel Inaugurate “Women and Sports in India” Conference in New Delhi The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports organized a day-long conference on ‘Women and Sports in India’ on March 8, 2017 to deliberate upon various issues for encouraging more and more women to take up sports. The conference was inaugurated by the Minister of state (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goel. Defence Ministry Organise The Awareness Programme On The Problem Of Anaemia An Anaemia awareness Campaign was organized by the Indian Army in the Army Hospital on the occasion of the International Women’s Day on March 8, 2017. Commonwealth launches ‘Peace in the Home’ Programme to Tackle domestic violence On the occasion of the International Women’s day, the Commonwealth has launched an initiative “Peace in the Home” to help the member states to deal with domestic violence that impacts the life of women. 22.Odisha govt launches 181 helpline for distressed women Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched 24*7 helpline number 181 to assist women in distress on the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2017. A woman from any part of the Odisha can dial 181 to get immediate assistance. 23.Lok Sabha Clears Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Bill, 2016 To Raise Maternity Leave to 26 Weeks The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was passed by the Lok Sabha by voice vote on March 10, 2017 that will benefit about 1.8 million women working in organized sector. The bill seeks to increase the maternity leaves to 26 weeks by amending the Maternity Benefits Act, 1961 that provides for 12 weeks of maternity leave. Aim: To protect the employment of women during the time of pregnancy and entitle them to have full paid absence from work to take care of their child. It will also encourage more women to join the workforce in organised sector. Key Features of the Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Bill, 2016 The Bill will be applicable to the establishments that hire at least 10 or more people. The entitlement will be for only up to first 2 children. For third child, the entitlement will be for only 12 weeks.The Bill also requires every establishment with 50 or more employees to provide creche facilities within a prescribed distance. The woman will be allowed 4 visits to the creche in a day. This will include her interval for rest. The bill also provides for 12 weeks of maternity leave to a woman who legally adopts a child below 3 months of age and a commissioning mother (biological mother) who uses her egg to have a surrogate child. In such cases, 12-week period of maternity leave will be calculated from the date the child is handed over to the adoptive or commissioning mother. 24. 2017 Assembly Election Results of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur The Assembly Elections in the five states- Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur were considered the first big test for the BJP after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation drive, which wiped out 86 per cent of currency from the nation’s economy.Review of the Assembly Election 2017 Uttar Pradesh Election Result 2017 Bhartiya Janta Party(BJP) emerged victorious in state election of Uttar Pradesh. Out of the 403 seats BJP won 325 seats which is much greater than the 202 seats required for majority.This is for the first time since 1980, that any party has crossed the mark of 300 seats in Uttar Pradesh. BJP is set to come in power after 14 years in Uttar Pradesh. BJP Uttar Pradesh President Keshav Prasad Maurya has a major role in this victory as he conducted many rallies across the state. Uttarakhand Election Result 2017 The BJP performed far better than expected to win 57 of the 70 constituencies in Uttarakhand while reducing the ruling Congress to dismal 11 seats. Following the ruling Congress’ poor performance, chief minister Harish Rawat tendered his resignation from the Chief Minister’s post to Governor Krishna Kant Paul. Mr Rawat contested the poll from two constituencies, Hardwar Rural and Kiccha, but failed to win either. A party needs 36 seats to form government in the state. Punjab Election Result 2017 Punjab has given another chance to Congress under Captain Amrinder Singh to form government after a gap of a decade, taking away the power from ruling SAD-BJP combine government. Congress’ candidates have won in 77 seats in the 117 member Punjab Assembly to get a majority win. Manipur Election Result 2017 : Though none of the political parties managed to reach the majority mark of 31 for securing majority win in Manipur assembly polls, Congress and BJP were racing neck and neck.Congress secured 28 seats, the BJP won 21 seats in the north-eastern state. Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh of the Congress party won in Thoubal constituency. Goa Election Result 2017 In the past five years, BJP had a stable government in Goa. But with the assembly election results on March 11, 2017, CM Laxmikant Parsekar of BJP suffered a loss in Mandrem constituency of North Goa by around 3,500 votes from Congress candidate Dayanand Sopte.Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar submitted his resignation to Governor Mridula Sinha after his party finished much behind the majority needed to form the government. 25.Rajya Sabha Passes Enemy Property Amendment Bill Rajya Sabha passed a bill on March 10, 2017 by voice vote to amend a 49-year-old law regarding claims of succession or transfer of properties left by people who migrated to Pakistan and China in the 1960s or later . The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016, which amends the Enemy Property Act, 1968, was passed in the Rajya Sabha to vest all rights, titles and interests over enemy property in the Custodian. 26.Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2016 passed in Lok Sabha The Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2016 was passed in Lok Sabha on March 10, 2017. The bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on November 21, 2016 by the Minister of State for Shipping, Mr. Mansukh Mandaviya. The bill seeks to make changes in the existing laws on civil matters of admiralty jurisdiction of courts (jurisdiction of courts of law over cases concerning ships or the sea), proceedings on maritime claims, and arrest of ships. 27.Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) Bill, 2017 Introduced in Lok Sabha The Commerce & Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) Bill, 2017 in the Lok Sabha on March 14, 2017 in order to declare the FDDI as an Institution of National Importance (INI). Objective: To enable FDDI emerge as Centre of Excellence to meet with the international standards and address the shortage of trained human resource in the sector. Salient Features of the Bill The Bill seeks to facilitate and promote teaching, training and research in all disciplines relating to design and development of Footwear and leather products.The existing FDDI institute is centrally-funded for meeting its capital expenditure. The bill proposes that FDDI shall be established as a body corporate. 28.Inter-state River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2017 introduced in Lok Sabha The Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti introduced Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in Lok Sabha on March 14, 2017 to set up a single permanent tribunal to effectively resolve inter- state river water sharing disputes. Features of the Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2017 The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2017 proposes to ease the adjudication of inter-state river water disputes and make the present legal and institutional architecture stronger and robust.The Bill also proposes a setting up a Single Standing Tribunal (with multiple benches) instead of presently existing multiple tribunals and shall consist of one Chairperson, one Vice-Chairperson and not more than six other Members. 29. Centre Approves 20 Ganga Cleaning Projects Worth Over Rs 1,900 Crore The Executive Committee (EC) of National Mission for Clean Ganga has given approval for 20 new projects worth nearly Rs 1,900 crore during a meeting held on March 2, 2017. Out of the 20 projects, 13 are in Uttarakhand, and rest in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. All these projects will be fully funded by the Central Government, including even the expenditure on operation and maintenance of these projects. 30.Cabinet approves Policy for Early Monetization of Coal Bed Methane Gas Marketing and Pricing Freedom for CBM Gas The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval to provide marketing and pricing freedom to the Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Contractors to sell the CBM Gas at Arm’s Length Price in the domestic market. Besides, while discovering the market price for Arms Length Sales, the Contractor will have to ensure a fully transparent and competitive process for sale of CBM and also that the best possible price is realized for the gas without any restrictive commercial practices. 31.Cabinet approves additional 2% Dearness Allowance / Dearness Relief From January 1 The Centre has also approved to increase the Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners to 4 percent from the existing rate of 2 percent with effect from January 1, 2017. 32.Cabinet Approves Introducing Bill to Declare 15 IIITs as Institutes of National Importance The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved. Introduction of the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Public Private Partnership (IIIT PPP) Bill, 2017; Grant statutory status to the 15 Indian Institutes of Information Technology set up under Public Private Partnership and declare them as Institutions of National Importance; The 15 IIITs includes: Andhra Pradesh (Chittoor), Assam (Guwahati) Gujarat (Vadodara), Haryana (Sonipat), Himachal Pradesh (Una), Jharkhand (Ranchi), Karnataka (Dharwad), Kerala (Kottayam) Maharashtra (Nagpur & Pune), Manipur (Senapati), Rajasthan (Kota), Tamilnadu (Tiruchirappalli), Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow), Kalyani (West Bengal). 33.Govt Approves National Health Policy To Provide Assured Health Services To All The Cabinet has also approved the National Health Policy 2017 to address the current and emerging challenges which arise due to the changing socio-economic, technological and epidemiological landscape. Aim: Provide assured healthcare to all particularly the underserved and underprivileged. Features of the National Health Policy 2017 The policy envisages attainment of the highest possible level of health and well-being for all at all ages through a preventive and promotive health care orientation in all developmental policies. Universal access to good quality health care services without anyone having to face financial hardship as a consequence. It includes increasing access, improving quality and lowering the cost of healthcare delivery. 34.Cabinet Approves Special Assistance for EAPs in Andhra Pradesh During the meeting, the Cabinet Committee gave its approval for the special assistance measure for the successor state of Andhra Pradesh by way of dispensation in funding of Externally Aided Projects (EAPs). The Cabinet also approved funding of irrigation component of Polavaram project. Financial Assistance for Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) The Central Government will provide special assistance measure to Government of Andhra Pradesh if the funding of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) would have been shared at the ratio of 90:10 between the Centre and the State. The special assistance will be provided by way of repayment of loan and interest for the Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) signed and disbursed by Andhra Pradesh during 2015- 2016 to 2019-20. 35.Cabinet Approves Setting Up 50 Kendriya Vidyalayas Besides, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the proposal for opening of 50 new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) under Civil / Defence Sector in India. The total project cost based on Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) norms for the proposed 50 new KVs is Rs.1160 crore. 36.Demands for Grants of Ministry of Defence for 2017-18 Passed in Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha passed the Demands for Grants of Ministry of Defence for 2017-18 on March 17, 2017 after negotiating with the opposition. In 2017-18, the Ministry of Defence has been allocated Rs 3,59,854 crore (including pensions) for expenditure across the various services, production establishments and research and development organisations. This allocation is the highest from all other departments and represents 16.8% of the central government’s budget of 2017-18 and 2.1% of India’s estimated GDP. Labour Ministry Proposes Labour Code to Provide Social Security Cover to All Workers The Union Ministry of Labour & Employment has proposed a preliminary draft of Labour Code on March 16, 2017 to provide social security cover to the entire workforce in the country including self-employed and agricultural workers. Important Features of Draft Code This is for the first time that the ministry has formulated a code to cover agricultural workers along with self-employed people and target to provide social security benefits to 45 crore workers. The Code shall apply to Workers that are employed by any entity; Worker who may also be the owner or the proprietor of an entity or a self-employed unit; International workers; and Indian citizen, working outside the territory of India, who opts to become a member of social security schemes. The code will apply to every working person in the country will be covered under the social security code whether she belongs to the organised sector or the unorganised sector. 37.Punjab Approves 33 Percent Reservation for Women in State Govt Jobs The Punjab government led by new Chief Minister Amarinder Singh chaired his maiden Cabinet Meeting on March 18, 2017 and announced a series of decision for the welfare of the entire citizen of the state. The state government has decided to provide 33 percent reservation for women in all government jobs. 38.Five-Month Long Economic Blockade in Manipur by UNC Comes to Halt With the coming of the new BJP government in Manipur, the five-month-long economic blockade imposed by United Naga Council (UNC) on two National Highways of Manipur finally came to an end on March 19, 2017. The lifting of the blockade was successful after a tripartite talk among the Centre, Manipur government and United Naga Council were held at Senapati District Headquarters along with the Joint Secretary (NE), Ministry of Home Affairs earlier in February 2017. 39.Union Cabinet Clears 4 GST Supplementary Legislations for Introduction to Parliament i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the four supporting GST legislations on March 20, 2017. ii.The four supporting legislations are the Compensation Law, the Central-GST (C-GST), Integrated-GST (I-GST) and Union Territory-GST (UT-GST). iii. These legislations would be introduced as Money Bills in Parliament this week. Passage of all the legislations would pave the way for introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) from July 1. 40.Government Set to Launch India’s First Sign Language Dictionary Soon i.The government has planned to soon launch India's state of the art dictionary depicting the sign languages used by hearing and speech impaired people across the nation to bring uniformity and bridge the communication gap. ii.The Indian Sign Language (ISL) dictionary is being developed by the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) in both print and video format. 41.Assam Government approves recommendation of 7th Pay Commission The Assam state government lead by Sarbananda Sonowal has approved the recommendation of the Seventh Pay Commission and also decided to give the six months’ arrear salary to its employees before the ensuing Bohag Bihu. This new pay structure would be effective from April 1, 2016. 42.BIRAC's 5th Foundation Day Celebrated on March 20-21, 2017 The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) has celebrated it's fifth foundation day on March 20-21, 2017 with the theme “BIRAC@5: Impacting the Biotech Ecosystem”. Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences was the Chief Guest of 2017 foundation day while Y S Chowdary Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences was the Guest of Honour. 43.Rajya Sabha Passes HIV/AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014 The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014, was passed by the Rajya Sabha on March 21, 2017 by voice vote. Features of the HIV/AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014 The Bill protects such people from specific acts of discrimination by the state, or any other person. It also lays down penal provisions for any discrimination practiced against a person with HIV/AIDS and breach of confidentiality. .Under the Bill, central and state governments are obliged to provide for anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and management of opportunistic infections (infections that take advantage of weakness in the immune system and occur frequently). 44. Centre Approves Over 1.17 lakh More Houses For Urban Poor at Rs.5,773 crore The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation on March 21, 2017 approved construction of new 1,17,814 affordable houses under the Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana (Urban) for the benefit of urban poor in six States namely Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Kerala and Karnataka. The total cost of the project is Rs.5,773 cr for which central assistance of Rs.1,816 crore has been approved. New Sanctions to 6 States States New Sanction of Houses Total Assistance Granted Assistance Total Houses Sanctioned Madhya Pradesh 27,475 Rs.1,713 cr Rs.412 cr 2,09,036 Bihar 25,221 Rs.1,208 cr Rs.378 cr 88,254 Jharkhand 20,099 Rs.728 cr Rs.306 cr 64,555 Odisha 2,115 Rs.64.00 cr Rs.32.00 cr 48,845 Karnataka 31,424 Rs.1,222 cr Rs.518 cr 1,46,466 Kerala 11,480 Rs.344 cr Rs.170 cr 28,236 45.CCEA Approves North East Road Network Connectivity Project Phase I The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for development of 403 kms of National Highways in Meghalaya and Mizoram. The two lane National Highway project is being carried out under the "North East Road Network Connectivity Project Phase I" scheme and will get loan assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). 46. CCEA Approves Deepening and Widening of Mumbai Harbour Channel and JN Port Channel (Phase-II) The Cabinet Committee has also approved the Deepening and Widening of Mumbai Harbour Channel and JN Port Channel (Phase-II) project with fresh estimates. The project is estimated to carry a cost of Rs.2029 crore excluding the Service Tax. The entire project cost will be funded through internal resources of JN Port Trust (JNPT) with market borrowing, if necessary. 47.Union Cabinet Approves Setting New National Constitutional Body for OBCs The Union cabinet, in its meeting chaired by PM Modi has decided to amend the Constitution for setting up the National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (NSEBC) as a constitutional body for socially and economically backward classes. A bill conferring Constitutional status to the new commission will be tabled in Parliament shortly. By making the new panel a constitutional body, the advice of the commission shall be binding upon the central government. 48.Cabinet Approves Amendments to NABARD Act, 1981 The Union Cabinet approved the following proposals with regards to NABARD Act, 1981 during the cabinet meeting. Proposals Amendment to National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981 to enable the Central Government to increase the authorized capital of NABARD from Rs. 5,000 crore to Rs. 30,000 crore. The amendment also includes to further increase the capital limit beyond Rs. 30,000 crore in consultation with RBI, as deemed necessary from time to time. Besides, the cabinet also approved to transfer of entire 0.4 percent equity of Reserve Bank of India in NABARD amounting to Rs. 20 crores to the Government of India to remove the conflicting nature of RBI as banking regulator and shareholder in NABARD. 49.Cabinet Approves Amendment to 'The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009' The government also gave its approval to amend the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 on March 22, 2017. The amendment is to ensure that all teachers, in service as on March 31, 2015, acquire the minimum qualifications prescribed by the academic authority to extend the period for such training for four years up to 31st March, 2019. 50.Cabinet Approves Proposal Regarding Fund of Fund for Start-ups (FFS) The Union Cabinet led by PM Modi approved the following proposals with regard to the Fund of Funds of Start-ups (FFS) which was established in June 2016 with a corpus of Rs. 10000 crores. Alternate Investment Funds (AIFs), in which FFS contributes upto 35% corpus, shall invest at least twice the amount of contribution received from FFS in Start-ups. 51.Cabinet approves closure/winding up of CREDA HPCL Biofuel Ltd (CHBL) and Indian Oil CREDA Biofuels Ltd. (ICBL) Further, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the closure/winding up of CREDA HPCL Biofuel Ltd (CHBL) and Indian Oil- Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) Biofuels Limited (ICBL). The closure of CHBL and ICBL would result in saving unfruitful expenditure. 52.Ninth Gurkhas Observes its 200 years of Raising in Secunderabad The Ninth Gorkhas celebrated 200-years of its raising in Secunderabad, Telangana on March 16, 2017. The first battalion of the Ninth Gorkhas was raised by the British government in 1817 as the ‘Fatehgarh Levy’. Ninth Gorkha Rifles has a unique honour that all its battalions have been awarded the Chief of Army Staff’s Citation for exceptional performance in the line of duty. 53.MHA Issues Advisory for Compliance of 'Flag Code of India, 2002' The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an advisory on March 22, 2017 to the chief secretaries, administrators of all state governments, UT administrations and secretaries of all ministries to ensure strict compliance of the provisions contained in the 'Flag Code of India, 2002' and 'The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971'. Key Features of Advisory It states that National Flag represents hopes and aspirations of the people of the country and, therefore, should occupy a position of honour. According to the advisory, the National Flags made of plastic are being used in place of paper flags which are not decomposable. So steps should be taken for proper disposal of these flags after event to maintain the dignity of the flag instead of throwing them everywhere. 54. Gujarat Assembly passes Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 On 31st March 2017, Gujarat State Assembly passed Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 that amends the existing Gujarat Animal Preservation Act, 1954. This amendment bill was passed unopposed as the opposition party members were not present. The Speaker had suspended Congress party member for obstructing the proceedings of the house. This amendment bill is aimed at adopting stringent measure for stopping illegal slaughter of animals protected by the law. 55.Animal Welfare Board Chaired By Environment Ministry The move which is followed by the difference in opinion between Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), the Central government made a bright move to combine both by appointing senior official of MoEF to chair AWBI. This board is to be headed by Sharad Singh Negi, Special Secretary and Director- General (Forests), MoEF. In March 3, center has said that this board will remain head for the three-year term. All the administration and financial sectors will be looked after by the government and there will be no concession and negligence in its work. 56.Bihar’s Technical Move – Free Wifi For Students As Indian government is trying to digitize the whole of India through DIGITAL INDIA campaign, Bihar state made a good move to help this by providing free-Wifi for students. This move is to provide free- zones in colleges and universities which will be helpful for the student studies. It is launched by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on the occasion of Bihar Divas celebrations. It is the part of seven decisions of the Grand Alliance government in Bihar to promote governance. Bihar State It is the 13th largest state of India and 3rd largest by population. This state is governed by Ram Nath Kovind and chaired by Nitish Kumar. It attained the status of statehood on 26 January 1950. Its state animal-gaur, flower-kachnar, tree-peepal and bird- house sparrow 57.Aadhaar Seeding Of Jan Dhan Accounts – Lead By Andra Pradesh On the event of demonetization, more number of Jan Dhan accounts came into existence and it is seeded through Aadhaar card numbers. Out of this, Andhra Pradesh tops the list with most number of aadhaar cards linked with Jan dhan accounts. 58.Centre Approves Constructing 10 Million MT Capacity Silos by 2019-20 End The Government of India has given its approval to the action plan of Food Corporation of India (FCI) for construction of 10 Million MT capacity steel silos by FCI as well as State Governments in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode in a phased manner (3 phases) by the end of year 2019-20. This information was given by Shri C.R. Chaudhary, the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution in Rajya Sabha on March 24, 2017. Under the agreement, Food Corporation of India (FCI) has already awarded contracts for creation of 1.6 Million MT silos while the State Governments have awarded contracts for 2.15 Million MT silos which means that contracts for 3.75 Million MT silos have been awarded. 59.Now Aadhaar made mandatory for mobile connections After the move by government of India to make Aadhar card get linked with bank accounts through demonetization and opening of Jan Dahn accounts, it has made an another move to make Aadhar card mandatory for getting new mobile connections. 60.ESIC launched Mobile Clinic Services in AP, Telangana Andhra Pradesh and Telengana get India’s first Mobile Clinic Service which is launched by Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). This service is flagged off by The Union Minister for Labor and Employment, Bandaru Dattareya. Facilities in Mobile Clinic Each clinic will have a vehicle with a Doctor, pharmacist, attendant, driver and the necessary equipment and medicines. The vehicle will visit two locations in a day for three hours each and conduct basic investigations. 61. Four Holy Cities in UP To Get 24 Hour Power Supply & UP bans pan, tobacco in schools, colleges, govt buildings 24*7 Power supply in holy places The four holy cities of Hindus namely Ayodhya, Mathura, Varanasi and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh are to be provided with 24*7 power supply on the event of its chair took by Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of UP. No for Pan and Tobacco The state government also banned the usage of PAN and TOBBACO products in Schools, Colleges, Hospitals and other Government buildings. On the account of this, the officers are made to take a pledge of spending 100 hours a year for cleanliness. 62.GST Bill Tabled By Arun Jaitely In Lok Sabha The Finance Minister of India, Mr. Arun Jaitely introduced four bills on Goods and Service Tax (GST) on March 27, 2017. These bills mainly focus on the Central Goods and Service Tax (CGST) bill which will amalgamate all the indirect central government levies. The four bills are Central Goods and Service Tax (CGST) Bill, Union Territory GST Bill, Integrated-GST Bill and GST (Compensation to States) Bill As per the details provided by our finance minister, the maximum GST rate will be of 40 percent. He also added the details about anti- profiteering authority and arrests for evading taxes. These are the penultimate steps before the roll out of GST - the biggest tax reform since independence. 63.Prakash Javadekar Introduces IIIT Bill In Lok Sabha On March 27, 2017 a bill stating the inclusion of Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing (IIITDM)-Kurnool as an Institute of National Importance is introduced in Lok Sabha. The bill was introduced by Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar. The main reason behind the bill is to bring the Indian Institute of Technology, Design and Manufacturing at Kurnool within the scope of the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Act 2014. 64.Aadhaar Card Cannot be Made Mandatory for Central Welfare Scheme: Supreme Court With the growing dependence on Aadhaar card for all kinds of monetary and social benefits, the Supreme Court of India on March 27, 2017 ruled out that Aadhaar card cannot be made mandatory for central welfare schemes. However, the apex court also accepted that it can’t stop the government from linking the Aadhaar card for opening bank accounts or filing tax returns.A bench of Justices comprising, Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul have said to set up a seven judge bench to hear the plea but did not confirm the exact date. 65.Arun Jaitley clears major military reforms proposal Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, who currently holds additional charge of the defence ministry, has given approval for implementing comprehensive military reforms. The approval comes after Mr. Jaitley reviewed a presentation on 18th March 2017, which was primarily based on a recommendations made by the Lt General (retired) DB Shekatkar committee. Top Recommendations of DB Shekatkar Committee: Out of the 90 important recommendation of the Shekatkar Committee approved by Mr. Arun Jaitley, following are the prominent ones.The committee considers National Cadet Corps (NCC) as a non-core area and has thus suggested that military should not be involved in its operations. Coordination among three defence services should be enhanced in order to remove duplicity. Most important recommendation of the Shekatkar committee is that the defence budget should be in the range of 2.5% to 3% of the GDP. This recommendation was meant to address the nature of security challenges which India faces from its neighbourhood. 66.Govt signs deal for Hydrocarbon project in Neduvasal Once again, the protest against hydrocarbons exploration in Tamil Nadu’s Neduvasal village is grabbing media attention. Following the signing of contract by Government of India with GEM Laboratories on 27th March 2017, the local villagers have intensified their protest which started a few months ago. Neduvasal Village and the DSF Bid 2016: Neduvasal is a small yet fertile village of the Cauvery Delta Region located in Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu. Under the Discovered Small Fields (DSF) bidding round in 2016, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) awarded 31 mining leases across the state of Tamil Nadu. Contract signed with GEM Laboratories for Neduvasal Village is one of such mining leases. As per information provided by Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, contract area of Neduvasal along with other contract area in Karaikal, Puducherry have an in-place volume of four lakh thirty thousand metric tonnes of oil and oil equivalent gas. 67.Sanction of 101 Cold Chain Projects by Central Government The Ministry of Food Processing Industries on March 28, 2017 sanctioned 101 Cold Chains projects across the country. The top states that will get maximum benefits through these projects are Maharashtra – 21 projects, Uttar Pradesh – 14 projects, Gujarat - 12 projects, Andhra Pradesh – 8 projects, Punjab – 6 projects, Madhya Pradesh – 6 projects and Karnataka – 4 projects.These projects are inaugurated by Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal. 68.Government Set to Redefine Blindness to Meet WHO Criteria The Government of India is soon to amend the definition of Blindness to bring it in line with the definition stated in World Health Organization’s (WHO) criteria. As per National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB), in India, a person unable to count fingers from a distance of six metres is categorised as “blind”.However, as per WHO’s norm, person unable to count beyond a distance of 3 metres is termed as blind. 69.Parliament passes Mental Healthcare Bill 2016 ‘Mental Healthcare Bill, 2016’ has secured parliamentary approval as Lok Sabha on 27th March 2017, passed the Bill through a voice vote. Earlier in August 2016, Rajya Sabha had passed the Bill with 134 official amendments. Definition of ‘Mental Illness’ as per Mental Healthcare Bill, 2016: ”A substantial disorder of thinking, perception, mood, orientation or memory that impairs judgment or ability to meet the ordinary demands of life” Key Provisions of Mental healthcare Bill 2016: Every person will have a right to access Government funded/managed mental healthcare services without any form of discrimination.The Bill supersedes section 309 of the Indian Penal Code and decriminalises suicide attempt by mentally ill people. All mental health establishments are required to be registered with Central or State health Authority. 70.Supreme Court Instruct High Courts to Install CCTV in Courtroom & Bans Sale/Registration of Non-BS-IV Compliant Vehicles In a first of its kind move, the Supreme Court has directed the High Courts of all the states and union territories to install close circuit (CCTV) cameras without audio recording to increase transparency in court proceedings. A bench of Justices Adarsh K Goel and Uday U Lalit, on March 28, 2017, directed the lower courts to ensure that district and session courts in a minimum of two districts in every state and union territories have CCTV cameras installed inside courtrooms as well as in the court precincts within a period of three months. 71. SC Bans Non-Compliant BS-IV Emission Vehicles from April 1 The Supreme Court of India has also ruled out on March 29, 2017 that no vehicles which are Bharat Stage-IV emission non-compliant will be registered or sold in the country after April 1, 2017. The order passed by the bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta has prohibited all the vehicle-registering authorities from registering BS-IV non-compliant vehicles from April 1. 72.Parliament Passes Finance Bill 2017 On 30th March 2017, the Indian parliament passed Finance Bill 2017. The passage of this bill before the beginning of next financial year justifies Govt.’s move of advancing the date of presenting Union Budget and thus will lead to early implementation of proposals. Important events leading to the passage of Finance Bill 2017: Finance Bill 2017, which was laid as Money bill was passed with 40 amendments in Lok Sabha earlier this week. On 29th March 2017, Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament)had returned the Finance Bill 2017 to the Lok Sabha with five amendments moved by the member of opposition party – three amendments moved by Digvijay Singh of Congress Party and two amendments moved by Sitaram Yechury of CPI-M party. In this context, it is important to note that BJP-led NDA Govt. does not have a majority in Rajya Sabha. The five amendments made by Rajya Sabha were pertaining to curtailing the powers of tax authorities and placing a limit on donation made by companies to political parties. On 30th March 2017, during the debate on amendments in Lok Sabha, Union Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley said that amendments made to Finance Bill 2017 by Rajya Sabha are not acceptable to Govt. Thereafter Lok Sabha passed the Finance Bill 2017 through voice vote, rejecting all five amendments made by Rajya Sabha. Latest Development on GST Bill: Aimed at amalgamating all indirect central Govt. taxes, PM Narendra Modi’s Govt. has set a deadline for implementing Goods and Services Tax (GST) by 1st July 2017. GST has been dubbed as India’s most comprehensive tax reforms since independence. On 29th March 2017, Lok Sabha approved four crucial bills required to implement Goods and Services Tax (GST). 73.Manoj Sinha Releases Postage Stamp on ‘Cub Scouts’ To commemorate the Centenary year of Cub Scouts in India and abroad, Minister of Communications and Minister of State for Railways, Shri Manoj Sinha released a Postal Stamp on Cub Scouts on March 30, 2017. 74.India becomes associate member of International Energy Agency India, the world’s third-largest oil consumer has now joined International Energy Agency (IEA) as an associate member. India’s entry into this elite energy group was jointly announced by IEA executive director Mr. Fatih Birol, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, Mr. Piyush Goyal. 75.Chhattisgarh Government Implements 7th Pay Commission for State Employees from April 2017 The state government of Chhattisgarh has announced to implement the Seventh Central Pay Commission for the state government employees from April 1, 2017, the beginning of new financial year. PLACES IN NEWS 1.Central Railway unveils India’s first air-conditioned rail ambulance Central Railway zone of Indian Railway unveiled India’s first air-conditioned rail ambulance on 9 March 2017. The four-coach air conditioned ambulance will be station at Kaylan (Maharashtra) and has been made by modifying AC coaches used for passenger services. This rail ambulance which has been designed at the rail workshop at Matunga in Mumbai, can carry and treat 50 patients at one time. 2.First smart tribal village Habbi inaugurated in Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir’s first smart tribal village Habbi has inaugurated by Ch ZulfkarAli,J & K Minister for food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Ch ZulfkarAli on March 6 2017 in J & K. Habbi village is located in Kotranka in Rajouri District of Jammu and Kashmir. The smart village is developed by the rural development department. The village has been introduced with smart classes in the schools, better roads, electricity and water facility. 3.PM Modi Inaugurates Petrochemicals Complex at Dahej & Extradosed Bridge Across River Narmada at Bharuch in Gujarat Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a two day visit to his native state Gujarat from March 7-8, 2017. Baruch Bridge During his visit to Gujarat, PM Modi dedicated a 4-lane 1.4-kilometre ‘Extradosed’ Cable- Stayed Bridge over the river Narmada in Bharuch. It is considered as the longest bridge of India. 4.Tribal festival ‘Bhagoria’ Begins in Jhabua Bhagoria Festival, also known as Bhagoria Haat Festival, celebrated by the tribal people of the Indian state Madhya Pradesh began on March 6, 2017 in Jhabua district. The festival which has been organized at 34 places in the state is celebrated in the month of March before the Holi Festival by the local tribes called Bhils and Bhilalas. 5. India’s Largest Tricolour Hoisted on Tallest Flag Post at Attari Border India’s largest flag was inaugurated on March 5, 2017 by Anil Joshi, Cabinet Minister of Punjab, on the tallest flag post at the Indo-Pak Attari Border in Amritsar just 150 m away from the border. The flag post measured 110 metres (360ft) in length, 24 metres in width and 55 tons in weight. The flag post was built by Amritsar Improvement Trust Authority of the Punjab government at an approximate cost of Rs. 3.50 crore. 6.Andhra Pradesh Renames Tirupati Airport and Vijayawada Airport The Andhra Pradesh State Cabinet during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on March 2, 2017 approved proposals to rename the Vijayawada Airport and the Tirupati Airport. The cabinet proposed to rename the Vijayawada Airport in Gannavaram as ‘Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR) Amaravati Airport’ after the legendary actor and founder of the ruling Telugu Desam Party and the new capital of Andhra Pradesh. The Tirupati Airport at Renigunta has been renamed as ‘Sri Venkateswara Airport’ after Lord Venkateswara of the temple town. 7.India’s Largest Floating Solar PV Plant Installed by NTPC in Kerala State-run National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) has installed India’s largest floating Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Plant at Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Plant (RGCCPP) at Kayamkulam in Kerala on March 10, 2017. The 100 kWp floating solar generation plant has been indigenously developed as a part of ‘Make in India’ initiative. 8.Government Establishes Banana Research Centre in Vaishali District of Bihar The Union Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh laid the foundation stone of the Banana Research Centre at Gorole, Vaishali, Bihar Centre on March 11, 2017 to fulfill the aspirations of the local banana growers. Venkaiah Naidu Inaugurates India’s Largest Waste-To-Power Plant in New Delhi The North Delhi Municipal Corporation launched India’s largest municipal waste-to-power plant at Narela-Bawana in New Delhi on March 10, 2017. The 24 megawatt (MW) Narela-Bawana waste-to-energy plant was inaugurated by the Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu at the Civic Centre. Features of the Narela-Bawana Plant The project has been developed on public private partnership model by Ramky Group, a Hyderabad-based waste management company, in collaboration with the North Corporation. It has been built at a cost of Rs 650 crore and over 100 acres of land. The plant will use 2,000 metric tonnes of solid waste every day to generate 24 MW of energy. The capacity would be expanded further to process about 4000 metric tonnes of waste. 9.Sanjauli Police Post in Himachal Becomes India’s First CCTNS Linked Police Post Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh inaugurated a Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) in Shimla on March 15, 2017 to connect all the police posts in the state with each other. Thus Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in India to link its police posts in various districts with CCTNS. The CCTNS was first linked at Sanjauli Police Post in Shimla, followed by simultaneous linking of Police posts of Manikaran in district Kullu, Police Post Solan City and that of Dada Siba in district Kangra. All the police posts in Himachal Pradesh would be linked with CCTNS. 10.First Made-In-India Train, Medha, Flagged off at Dadar Station India’s first home made train for Western Railway Fleet, Medha was flagged off for its maiden run by the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, via videoconferencing from Dadar to Borivali at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus on March 18, 2017. The 12-coach, made-in-India train, halted at Bandra and Andheri stations during the transit. Currently there are two rakes of Medha which will run on the Western Railway network. Medha has been manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai. The train has been installed with LED lighting to reduce energy consumption. 11.India’s Longest Road Tunnel, Cheneni-Nashiri Tunnel Ready for Opening The longest road tunnel of India built at Chenani in Jammu's Udhampur district has successfully completed its trail run and is ready for public opening. About the Chennai Nashiri Tunnel The 9-km-long tunnel passes through the Himalayas and is a part of the 286-km-long four-lane project on Jammu- Srinagar National Highway. The twin-tube tunnel has been built at an elevation of 1,200 metres and at a cost of over Rs. 3,720 crore. 12.Assam Government Launches Initiatives to make Majuli India's First Carbon Neutral District & Biodiversity Heritage Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal launched initiative to develop the World’s largest river island, Majuli into country's first ever Carbon Neutral district by 2020 as well as a biodiversity heritage site to preserve its rich heritage and legacy. The project titled 'Sustainable Action for Climate Resilient Development in Majuli' (SACReD, Majuli) was launched on the occasion of the International Day of Forest on March 21, 2017 and has been initiated by the Assam's department of Environment and Forest. iii .The project, SACReD, Majuli has been initiated to combat climate change and ensure reduced greenhouse gas emissions. 13.Following Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand Too Bans Illegal Slaughterhouses Moving on the footprints of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Aditya Nath Yogi, BJP-ruled state of Jharkhand too announced to impose ban on illegal slaughterhouses in the state on March 27, 2017. The state government under the Chief Minister Raghubar Das, has given 72 hours to slaughterhouses to shut their illegal businesses in case they failed to obtain licence from the relevant authorites. 14.Uttarakhand High Court Orders State Government to Ban Mining for 4 Months The state government of Uttarakhand has been strictly directed by the Uttarakhand High Court on March 28, 2017 to stop all the mining activities in the state with immediate effect for a period of four months. The court’s order by a bench of Justices Rajiv Sharma and Sudhanshu Dhulia was based on an incident where a forest guard was allegedly killed by illegal miners near Corbett National Park when he had tried to stop them and a tiger was crushed by an earthmovers used by miners in the region. 15. 'Namami Brahmaputra' Festival Inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee in Assam i. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the five-day Namami Brahmaputra River Festival in Assam on March 31, 2017. ii .The event was inaugurated by the President by lighting a ceremonial lamp at the Kachamari Ghat near Fancy Bazar in Guwahati. The Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay was the special guest at the event. The five-day river festival will conclude on April 4, 2017 and will be organised across 21 districts of Assam. FOREIGN VISITS 1. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s Visit to United Kingdom and Nepal The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was on a 5 day visit to United Kingdom from February 24-28, 2017 particularly to represent India at the royal event of 2017 UK-India Year of Culture. He was followed by a high level delegation nominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As a part of the visit, Jaitley delivered a lecture at the London School of Economics on the theme ‘Transforming India: Vision for the Next Decade’, on February 25 and spoke about India’s desire to be a more open economy. On Sunday, 26th February, 2017, the Finance Minister Shri Jaitley attended a reception being organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), British Council and Indian High Commission at UK Jaitley also attended the market opening ceremony at the London Stock Exchange followed by a Roundtable meeting with foreign investors on February 27. He also held a business interaction with over 100 leaders from the UK-India Business Council Jaitley visited the historic reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II to launch the UK-India Year of Culture 2017 at Buckingham Palace. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Opens London Stock Exchange (LSE) The Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, opened the London Stock Exchange (LSE) during a special ceremony on February 27, 2017. He was accompanied for the special ceremony by Britain’s Minister for International Trade Liam Fox and London Stock Exchange Group CEO Xavier Rolet. After the ceremony, Nikhil Rathi, CEO of LSE, hosted a roundtable session with Arun Jaitley and representatives from FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry), fin-tech firms and major investors. Queen Elizabeth II Hosts Reception in Buckingham Palace to celebrate 2017 UK- India Year of Culture Queen Elizabeth II hosted a reception on February 27, 2017 in Buckingham Palace to launch the 2017 UK-India Year of Culture. The UK-India Year of Culture is aimed at celebrating the deep cultural ties between the two countries. Jaitley who attended the event was accompanied by Indian delegation that included actor Kamal Hassan, Suresh Gopi, cricket legend Kapil Dev, singer and actor Gurdas Mann, fashion designers Manish Arora and Manish Malhotra and sitar maestro Anoushka Shankar. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 1. Russia, China Opposes UN resolution to Impose Sanctions on Syria Russia and China vetoed a UN resolution on February 28, 2017 to impose sanctions on Syria over the alleged use of chemical weapons during the six-year war. The UN Security Council resolution drafted by Britain, France and the United States won nine votes in favor while three countries comprising China, Russia and Bolivia opposed it. Kazakhstan, Ethiopia and Egypt did not vote. 2.Ukraine region to use Russian ruble as currency Ukraine’s self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, state in eastern Ukraine, will use the Russian ruble as its official currency, along with the Ukrainian Hryvnia. The Russian ruble is already being used in pro-Russian territory which serves to stabilise the volatile economic situation in the region. 3. Syrian Army Backed by Russian Jets Recaptures Ancient City Palmyra The Syrian troops on March 2, 2017 successfully recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group for the second time in a year with support from Russian forces and warplanes. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group known as Jihadists first captured Palmyra in May 2015 and began to systematically destroy and loot the UNESCO’s World Heritage Site’s Monuments and Temples. 4.Half of 4,096 KM of India-Bangladesh Border Fenced i. As per the report by the Border Security Force (BSF), India has completed the process of fencing half of the 4,096 km of border area which it shares with Bangladesh and expects to finish fencing the rest by 2019. ii .The aim of fencing is to curb infiltration and smuggling of cattle and fake Indian currency notes. 5.Sweden introduces military draft for both men and women iSweden’s coalition government of Social Democrats and Greens instituted a military draft for both men and women to tackle the deteriorating security environment in Europe and around Sweden. 6. IMF Reaches Preliminary Agreement with Ukraine The International Monetary Fund reached a preliminary agreement with Ukraine on an updated Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies on March 4, 2017.The agreement will pave way for the IMF’s Executive Board to consider the third review of the arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and disburse fresh aid of STUDY MATERIAL FOR PO CLERK billion (0.9 billion euros) to Ukraine in the first half of March 2017. The International Monetary Fund approved a .5 billion loan program for 4 years for Ukraine in 2015 to help the former Soviet republic financially amid a conflict with pro-Russia rebels. 7. China hikes defence budget to 0 billion People’s Republic of China has increased its defence budget by 7% for 2017, the lowest increase in seven years and second year in row. In real terms, the defence budget of the world’s largest armed forces, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is likely to be close to the $ 145 billion-mark. 8.China overtakes eurozone as world’s biggest bank system According to the Financial Times shows latest analysis, China’s banking system has overtaken the b to become the world’s biggest by assets. The value of China’s banking system is more than 3.1 times the size of the country’s annual economic output, compared with 2.8 times for the eurozone and its banks 9.Hawaii Becomes First State to Sue Over Trump’s Revised Travel Ban US State, Hawaii has become the first state to file a lawsuit against Donald Trump’s revised travel ban on 6 Muslim majority countries.The lawsuit was filed by the Attorneys for the state on March 8, 2017 in federal court in Honolulu saying that the order will harm its Muslim population, tourism and foreign students. 10.Mega Cultural Festival ‘India by the Nile’ Begins in Egypt he fifth edition of the mega cultural festival ‘India by the Nile’ (IBN) began in Cairo, Egypt from March 8, 2017. It is the largest foreign festival in Egypt.The IBN Festival is organized by India to showcase Indian culture, arts music, dance, theatre, food, cuisine and Yoga & wellbeing to build a long lasting relationship between the two ancient civilizations. 11. Pakistan to Conduct its First Census in 19 years From March 15 The Pakistan government is set to conduct its first national census in 19 years from March 15, 2017 for proper allocation of funds and resources.The census will be done in two phase. The first phase of the census will begin on March 15 and last on April 1

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