Current Affairs June 17, 2011

New Land acquisition Policy in Kerala

• Kerala Govt. planning to bring new land acquisition policy
  
• It will please the interests of the land owners whose property is acquired for expansion projects
  
• Govt examining possibility of making land owners shareholders, whose property is acquired for BOT projects
  
• Kerala Chief Minister : Ommen Chandy
  

Law to be brought to protect Journalists

• Govt considering to bring central law to protect journalists
  
• The objective: To avoid recurrence of incidents like murder of investigative journalist J Dey in Mumbai. To prepare a draft bill to protect journalists and their properties, such as cameras.
  
• Main provision of the draft bill is to make attacks on journalists a non-bailable offence
  
• The Law Minister of India: M Veerappa Moily
  

PM: Manual scavenging to be eradicated within 6 months

At the inaugural session of the conference of the state ministers of Welfare and Social Justice, Dr. Manmohan Singh (PM) stated the following points:-

• In the next 6 Months : Manual Scavenging will be eliminated from every part of the country
  
• Conversion of dry latrines to be completed once and for all.
  
• Centre to bear the financial liability of the post metric scholarship schemes for SC Students for the entire 12th Plan period.
  
• The State Govt to ensure that the benefits of the scheme reach the SC Students in a transparent manner.
  
• The expert group of the ministry of Social justice and Empowerment to draft a new Law in place of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995
  
• After consulting the state governments and other stake holders, the government will introduce the bill in Parliament
  

For CECA, India, Russia expresses political intent

• CECA: Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement
  
• During the bilateral meeting b/w Mr. Anand Sharma (Union Minister of Commerce and Industry) and Elvira Nebullina (Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation), Mr Sharma said that the economic collaboration b/w two nations must expand further than G-2-G trade and investment
  The two Nations to jointly set up steel plant worth Rs 9K crore rupees near Bellary in Karnataka by
  
• National Mineral Development Corporation, NMDC (India’s largest iron ore producer) and Russian steel maker OJSC Severstal
  
• The two nations also agreed to form 6 working groups under India Russia Working Group on Trade and Economic Cooperation, with Government and private participation on :
  
  • IT
    
  • Pharma
    
  • Banking and Finance modernization
    
  • Precision Engineering
    
  • Nano Technology
    

Political Parties’ Tax Return details to be provided by the IT Department

• Under the RTI Act, the Income Tax Department to provide full details of tax returns of political parties
  
• This came after the CIC (Central Information Commission) issued it orders in this regard
  
• Thus a step to bring in transparency in the funding of parties
  
• Earlier such information was restricted by the IT Dept. citing the section of the Income Tax Act, which allowed denial of any such information. 
  
• Chief Election Commissioner S Y Qureshi. 
  
• The general public will now be able to obtain the details of income, donations and expenditure by all the political parties, which file their income tax returns. 
  

Hi-tech shelters for high altitudes handed over by DRDO to Indian Army

• DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) handed over hi-tech shelters to the Indian Army for use at high altitudes
  
• These Shelters designed and developed by DRDO are Integrated Thermally Regulated Shelters
  
• They will provide protection to the soldiers against extreme climatic condition of the Himalayan regions
  
• Equipped with integrated air monitoring systems bio digesters and temperature regulators.
  
• Shelter design is modular and all the services like electrical, plumbing and water supply, sewage disposal, kerosene gensets and solar power are well integrated
  
• Shelters have been designed to withstand seismic activities upto a level of zone 5 and sub-zero temperature upto minus 35 degree Celsius. 
  
• Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister : Dr V K Saraswat committed the shelters to the HQ 14 Corps at a function in Leh, Ladakh. 
  

Germany restates its plea to India to sign the CTBT

• Germany restates plea to India to sign the CTBT
  
• Germany said that it would support India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
  
• Thomas Matussek: German Ambassador
  

In ongoing Kharif season area under paddy slightly higher so far than last year

• In the ongoing Kharif season the area under Paddy is slightly higher so far than last year
  

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Month: Current Affairs - June, 2011

Category: Government Schemes Current Affairs