Current Affairs : June 15, 2011

Total Lunar Eclipse: Century’s Longest and darkest

• Century’s longest and darkest lunar eclipse
• Total phase lasted over hundred minutes
• The moon completely covered by Earth’s shadow at 11.52 p.m. and eclipse continued till 2.32 a.m.

New Skill Policy introduced by Government

• A new Skill Policy
• Under this 50 crore workers will be trained into different skills in India by 2022
• Aim of the Policy:
• To attain quick and comprehensive growth via better employment scenario and ability

  to adjust to altering technologies and labour market stress.

• Improving productivity and living standards of workers
• Strengthening global competitiveness of the country
• Ensuring social security benefits to the unorganized segment workers was the major challenge before the GOI
• Number of steps taken to achieve this goal:-
• Flagship programmes like RSBY and MGNREGA
• Establishment of Labour Welfare Funds

Enactment of Legislation to provide Social Security to unorganized workers 

After 7th meeting of Drafting Committee still No consensus on Lok Pal

• Differences continue b/w Civil Society’s representatives and Govt over     essential issues regarding Lok Pal Bill.
  
• HRD Minister: Kapil Sibal
  
• Next meeting on 20th of June
  
• Separate Drafts to be presented by the Govt and Civil Society’s     representatives
  
• They will then be sent to the cabinet
  
• HRD Minister: Kapil Sibal once again affirmed that the draft will be ready by 30th of June and the bill will be presented in the Monsoon session of Parliament. 
  

Cross Border Taxation issues: India, OECD agree to strengthen cooperation

• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
• India and OECD established to reinforce cooperation in cross border taxation issues
• The collaboration comes at a time when India is facing issues of tax evasion and black money
• Indian government has adopted a 5-fold strategy to deal with the threat of illegal finances

Includes joining the global campaign against black money and creating appropriate legislative framework. 

Govt considering satellite monitoring of road construction projects

• Satellite Monitoring of road construction projects in the country is being considered by The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
  
• Talks are on with the National Remote Sensing Agency on the same
  
• This will assist in keeping a check on construction projects in difficult terrains.
  
• The country is expected reach the target of constructing 20 km of roads per day by 2013. 
  

613th birthday of Kabirji

• 613th birthday of Bhakt Kabirji being celebrated in Varanasi
  
• State Level Functions at Punjab and Haryana
  
• Bhakt Kabir was a social reformer of medieval times.
  
• 237 couplets of Kabirji have been included in Guru Granth Saheb (The Holy Book of Sikhs) 
  

ECI to chair first Working group meeting

• ECI (Election Commission of India) to Chair the first working group meeting of the CNNEMB (Commonwealth Network of National Election Management Bodies) to be held in New Delhi
  
• CNNEMB : Network of Electoral Commissions of the 54 Commonwealth nations.
  
• 2 day meeting committed to Voter Education and Electoral Participation
  
• Apart from India, delegates from South Africa, Kenya and the Commonwealth Secretariat to attend the meeting.
  
• India is amongst the 11 members of the Steering Committee of CNNEMB.
  
• Participating nations to share their experiences on Voter Education and Electoral Participation.
  

On nuclear programme issue Iran ready to hold dialogue with 6 nations

• Iran is ready to hold a dialogue with 6 nations on its nuclear programme
  
• Tehran willing to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue and cooperation.
  
• Iranian leader in China to attend the summit of the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) 
  
• The Iranian President : Mahmoud Ahmedinejad
  
• Capital of Iran: Tehran
  

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Month: Current Affairs - June, 2011