Government Committees, Schemes & Bills - Current Affairs for August, 2015

The facility was simultaneously launched at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna and Pune. All state-run fuel retailers would be joining the e-tail bandwagon with a web-based system for selling new LPG connections. The new system would be available on the websites of each oil company and the government's LPG portal, Pahal.

Under the initiative people will be able to consult doctors through video link and also order generic drugs. The initiative was launched by Communication and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. With this initiative the tele-consultation services are being extended to 60,000 centres across the country.

The AP Shah committee on minimum alternate tax (MAT) has recommended to the finance ministry that the levy shouldn't be imposed for the period preceding April 1, 2015. The panel, headed by Law Commission Chairman A P Shah, was set up to resolve the dispute between FIIs and the government after notices were served to 68 FIIs by the Income Tax Department demanding Rs 602 crore as MAT dues.

A report of the High Powered Committee on UCBs headed by RBI Deputy Governor R Gandhi however clarified that the conversion will not be compulsory for large UCBs and they can continue the way they operate currently in terms of balance sheet or asset size. In order to minimise the systemic risk, the committee has recommended that large UCBs convert themselves into commercial banks. The panel further said smaller UCBs with business size of less than 20,000 crore rupees willing to convert to Small Finance Banks can apply to the Reserve Bank for conversion. It has also suggested that licenses may be issued to financially sound and well-managed cooperative credit societies having a minimum track record of 5-years to operate as UCBs. RBI has invited suggestions and comments from public on this report by 18th of next month.

The portal is a first of its kind provides single window for students to access information and make application for educational loans provided by banks as well as for government scholarships.

It makes Himachal Pradesh the first state in North India to do so. Known as LED based Energy, Efficient and CCMS (Centralized Control and Monitoring System) Smart Street Lighting Scheme for Urban Local bodies and named as Rajiv Gandhi Illuminating Scheme for Hill Town Advancement (RISHTA).

The Urban Development Department has taken this innovative in collaboration with EESL (Energy Efficient Services Limited), a joint venture company formed by 4 power sectors-National Thermal Power Corporation, Power Grid Corporation of India, Power Finance Corporation Ltd. and Rural Electrification Corporation. Under the scheme, the EESL will invest all the capital upfront.

It is associated with Promoting banks to finance start-ups and offer incentives to boost entrepreneurship and job creation. It is expected to give a new dimension to entrepreneurship and help set up a network of start-ups in the country.

The government decided to set up a Bank Board Bureau, BBB through which two dozen state-run banks would be monitored for key performance indicators. The BBB will start the functioning from the 1st of April next year and the selection of its member will start in the next six months.

Indradhanush is a seven pronged plan that includes appointments, capitalisation, de-stressing PSBs, empowerment, framework of accountability and governance reforms.

Government of India launched the `PAHAL’ Scheme in 54 districts of the country on 15.11.2014 and in remaining districts of the country on 1st January, 2015. As on 13.8.2015, 13.9 crore LPG consumers have joined the PAHAL scheme. LPG consumers who join the PAHAL scheme will get the LPG cylinders at market price and receive LPG subsidy (as per their entitlement) directly into their bank accounts.

Urging every student to plant a tree each, Mr Javadekar said that every school must earmark space to prepare a small nursery where the saplings could be planted. The Minister also presented a sapling and a packet of seeds to students from each school for planting in their school. He exhorted the students to take the grown sapling planted by them along with their annual results to their homes.

The move is part of a larger interaction with states called NIYATAM or NITI Initiative to Yield Aspirational Targets and Actionable Means, where the NITI Aayog plans to engage with them on six issues.

The schemes are Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, PMSBY, and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, PMJJBY. The drive launched in the back drop of Raksha Bandhan aims at taking forward the Government’s objective of creating a universal social security system in the country, targeted especially at the poor and the under-privileged.

The idea behind the new scheme is to help the students assimilate with their mainstream counterparts. Muslim clergies and academicians have welcomed the move. According to Government estimates, there are at least three lakh madrasas across the country. With an average of 100 students passing out of each madrasa every year, there are at least three crore new passouts.

The proposed law seeks to amend the Negotiable Instruments Act of 1881 in tune with the modern day requirements for enabling electronic mode of operations. Nearly 40 thousand cheque bouncing cases are pending with High Courts and about 19 lakh cases in lower courts across the country.

It will act as a mirror of all the development activities in the village panchayats. Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana was launched in October last year under which MPs are to develop three Adarsh Gram Panchayats by 2019. The objective of the programme is to create Model Villages.

Briefing media in New Delhi after the launch, Mr Singh said the purpose behind bringing out SAMANVAY is to help MPs in utilising relevant schemes in the planning and implementation of Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. He said more than 1800 state schemes from across all states have been documented in SAMANVAY.

The new guidelines in adoption are intend to provide for more effective regulation for adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered children and would bring more transparency and efficiency in the adoption system.

According to the listed business of the Lok Sabha, the committee’s chairman S S Ahluwalia will move a motion on 3rd Aug’15 in the House for seeking further extension upto 7th of this month to submit its report. The Joint Committee of Parliament, which was constituted in last May for examining the controversial land acquisition bill, had been given a fresh extension till the first working day of first week of this month. This is the third extension sought by the Committee. It was originally mandated to table its report on the first day of the Monsoon session, which began on 21st July.