Current Affairs : August 7, 2011

US & South Korea to practice destroying North’s WMDs

• US and South Korean troops will practice destroying North Korean weapons of mass destruction during a yearly joint exercise this month
  
• They will form a combined unit called the Joint Task Force for Elimination when they begin a 10-day Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise on August 16, 2011-08-09
  
• Ulchi Freedom Guardian: Annual computer-assisted simulation command-post exercise
  
• Some 350 troops from the US Army’s 20th Support Command and South Korean soldiers will simulate the detection and destruction of North Korean atomic bombs, missiles and chemical weapons
  
• US and South Korean officials describe the exercise as defensive and routine
  
• The North habitually describes such joint drills as a practice for invasion
  

Dr. Cornelius Elenjikkal (Former Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Verapoly, Varapuzha) passed away

• In Kerala, former Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Verapoly (Varapuzha) Dr Cornelius Elenjikkal, 93 passed away
  
• Dr Elenjikkal was also the former President of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council and the Bishop of Vijayapuram for nearly 16 years
  
• A lyricist who has penned over 500 devotional songs, Dr Cornelius Elenjikkal has authored ten books
  
• He had deep knowledge in Upanishads and held doctorates in Hindu Philosophy and Canon Law
  

Free electrification under RGGVY provided to 167 Lakh BPL Families till July 15, 2011

• Free electrification connections under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana, RGGVY have been provided to 167 Lakh
  BPL families, till July 15, 2011
  
• Over 98 Lakh villages across the country have been provided free electricity under this Yojana
  
• Government has taken a number of steps for effective implementation of the RGGVY
  
• They include setting up of an inter-Ministerial Monitoring Committee which periodically meets to sanction projects and reviews progress of implementation, States have been asked to set up committees at district level to monitor their progress
  
• Grant amount for free electrification connection to BPL families has been raised from Rs. 1500 in the last plan to Rs. 2200 rupees in the current plan
  

Government aims to speed up construction of roads to 20 km per day

• Government aims to award 7,300 km of highway stretches as part of its drive to take up the pace of construction to 20 km a day
• The pace of construction has remained at four to five km a day
• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had in recent times expressed worry over the pace of progress on the road construction
• In a meeting to reassess the progress of Infrastructure projects,PM Dr. M. Singh opined that the target of completing 20 km a day is neither excessive, nor unrealistic, given the priority India attaches to this sector

Jammu and Kashmir: Special Scholarship Programme for BPL Students in

• CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) approved a special scholarship programme for BPL Students in Jammu & Kashmir
  
• Objective: To improve literacy and financially ameliorate the BPL students
  
• The students of J&K living below poverty line can now take admission in any part of India for pursuing medical, engineering and other degree courses
  
• Under the scheme, 5,000 students to be provided with scholarship every year for the next five years
• The Government will incur an expenditure of Rs. 1,200 Crore for this programme

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Month: Current Affairs - August, 2011

Category: Government Schemes Current Affairs