Current Affairs 2019 National Event

PM Modi Launched Revival of Talcher Fertilizer Plant.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced on September 22, 2018 to revive the Talcher Fertilizer plant of 1300 crore- project in Odisha which will for the first time see coal being converted into gas for use as feedstock and for producing   Neem-coated urea.
•  The project, which will start production in 36 months, will help cut important of natural gas and fertilizer and make India self- reliant.

J& K Declared ODF State

• Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyal Pal Malik on September 15, 2018  declared  the state Open Defecation Free (ODF).
• The Governor also observed that due to sustained effort of all the stakeholders, Jammu and Kashmir has achieved 100% toilet coverage and has become ODF one year in advance.
• All the 22 districts, 4,171 gram panchayats and 7,565 villages in the state of Jammu & Kashmir are self-declared ODF as per Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Guideline of Government of India.

‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ movement launched

• The prime Minister Narendra Modi ,  on September 15,2018 launched the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ Movement, to Boost nationwide public participation in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
• The Swachhata Hi Seva movement aims at generating greater public participation towards Swachhta.
• It is being organized in the run up to the fourth anniversary of the Swachh bharat Mission, on October 2, 2018, which will also mark the commencement of the 150^th year celebrations of Mahatma  Gandhi.

New Umberella Scheme ‘PM –AASHA’

• The new umberella policy ‘ Pardhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan  Abhiyan’(PM-AASHA) was approved in the cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister   Narendra Modi on September 12, 2018.
• The   PM-AASHA is aimed at ensuring remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce as announced in the Union Budget for 2018.

HIV/ AIDS Act came into Effect

• The HIV/AIDS Act 2017 ,  which seek to prohibit discrimination against affected persons, has come into effect with the government notifying it on September 11, 2018
• The Act, which received Presidential assent in the year 2017, prohibits discrimination against People living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (PLHIV) in accessing healthcare, getting jobs, renting  accommodation or in admission to public and private educational institutions.

Supreme Court Decriminalised Section-377

• A five-judge Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court on September 6, 2018  legalised same- sex relations between consenting adults. It termed the 2013 judgment constitutionally impermissible.
• The five-judge bench headed  by Chief Justice of india Dipak Mishra and comprised Justices RF Nariman, AM Khanwailkar , DY Chandrachud & Indu Malhota  inanimously decriminalized part of the 158 years old colonial law under Section 377 of the IPC which criminalizes consensual unnatural sex, saying it violated the Rights to Equality.

72^nd Independence day Celebrations

• On August 15, 2018 , Pm Narendra Modi delivered his fifth Independence Day speech in which he highlighted major achievements of his government and also gave a future roadmap.
•  He  mainly emphasized on his welfare schemes and economic reforms which were started to empower poor and marginalized sections of the society.

Ayushman Bharat Scheme

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 14, 2018 announced his flagship programme, Ayushman Bharat Scheme in New Delhi on the eve of Independence day.
•  It will be launched on September 25, on he birth anniversary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay.
• The national Health programme scheme is a world’, biggest government-funded project which aim to cover over 10 crore vulnerable families(appox 50 crore beneficiaries.)
• The scheme also aims to provide health cove upto 5 lakh per family per year. However, there will be no cap on family size and age in  ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme.

56^th Annual Convocation Of IIT Mumbai

• On the occasion of 56^th Convocation of the IIt Mumbai on August 11, 2018, PM Narendra Modi gave away gold medals to three top students of OOT-B and silver medals to 43 other in various categories. He also delivered his convocation address.
• Later, he inaugurated the building of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering and the Centre for Environmental Science and engineering at IIT-B that has been selected as one  of the institutions of Eminence by the government.

Parliament passed Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Bill

• A bill to amend the insolvency and bankruptcy Code(IBC) 2016, allowing home buyers to be treated as financial creditors and seeking to set up a special dispensation for small sector enterprise, was passed by parliament on August 10, 2018.
•  The bill was passed in Lok Sabha on July 31, 2018.

Lok Sabha Passed Representation of People (Amendment) Bill

• The Lok Sabha passed the Representation of people (Amendment Bill) on August 9, 2018m which seeks to amend the provisions of Representation of people Act 1950  and Representation  of people Act 1951.

• The Amendment Bill seeks to enable Non- Resident Indians to cast vote through their proxies in the constituency. The 1950 Act deals with allocation of seats and delimitation of constituencies for elections, qualifications of voters, and preparation of electoral rolls.
• The 1951 Act provides for the conduct of elections and offences and disputes related to elections.

Operation ‘Madad and Sahyog launched

• Operation “Madad “ has been launched by the  Southern Naval Command (SNC) at Kochi since August 9, 2018 for assisting the state administration & undertaking disaster relief operations due to the unprecedented flooding experienced in many parts of kerala.
•  The flooding is caused due to incessant rainfall and release of excess water form Idukki and other dams.

Solar Charkhas Mission

• The Ministry of Micro, small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has launched on August 1, 2018 the Mission Solar Charkha Clusters across the country with a budget of 550 crore for the year 2018-19 and 2019-20.
•  Solar Charkha Units have been classified as village industries. The scheme will generate direct employment to nearly one lakh persons.

NITI Aayog launched ‘Pitch to Move’

• The NITI Aayog has launched ‘Pitch to MOVE’ – a mobility pitch competition that aims o provide budding entrepreneurs of India a Unique to Pitch their business ideas to distinguished jury.
•  Startups working in the various fields of mobility can pitch their ideas to industry leaders and Venture Capitalists for raising investments.

NDA Government Cleared No Confidence Motion

• The No confidence Motion moved by the Telugu Desham party against the Narendra Modi led-NDA government wasn’t the first one brought by Opposition in the Parliament.
• As  of July 2018, total 27 No Confidence Motions have been moved so far, which is itself a record in any form of the democratic government in the world.
•  The last one was introduced in 2003 against the Atal Bihari Vajpayee led NDA government.

National Biofuel Policy unveiled

• On world Biofuels Day, Prime minister released Biofuels Policy 2018 booklet. Biofuels can help reduce import dependency on crude oil.
•  They can contribute to a cleaner environment, generate additional income for farmers & boost rural employment.
• The prime Minister also launched the digital platform the “ Pro Active and Responsive facilitation by interactive and Virtuous Environment Single Window Hub” ‘ Parivesh’.

NRC Draft in Assam

• On july 30, 2018, the National Register of Citizens(NRC) published the final draft excluding more than four million people out of the List, keeping them on the verge of losing their citizenship and effectively making them stateless.
• However, the NRC authorities have assured that they would be provided with sufficient opportunity to prove their citizenship during the claims and objection process.
• The NRC is the list of Indian citizen in  Assam. Assam, which faced  influx of immigrants from Bangladesh since the early 20^th century, is the only state having an NCR. It was first prepared in 1951, following the census of 1951. Then , it had recorded 80 lakh citizens in the State.

Indian Railways launched Mission Satyanishtha

• The first of its kind event held by any government organization, the Indian Railways organized a programme on Ethics in Public Governance and launched ‘Mission Satyanishtha’ on July 27, 2018 by Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal.
• “Mission Satyanishtha “ aims at sensitizing all railways employees about the need to adhere to good ethics  and to maintain high standard of integrity at work.

Lok Sabha passed Trafficking of Persons Bill, 2018

•  The lok Sabha on July 27, 2018 has passed the Trafficking of persons  (PREVENTION,PROTRCTION and REHABILITATION) Bill 2018.
• The Bill provides for the prevention, rescue, and rehabilitation of trafficked persons and seeks to establish a National Anti- Trafficking Bureau to  investigate trafficking case.
• It also provides for the  setting  up of Anti- Trafficking units (ATUs) at the district level  which will deal with the  investigation, prevention, rescue, and protection of victims witnesses. 

National Digital Comunication Policy 2018

• Digital infrastructure and services are increasingly emerging as the key enablers and critical determinants of a country’s growth and well-being.
• With significantly advanced capabilities in both telecommunications and software, India , more than most countries, stands firmed to get benefit from harnessing the new digital technologies and platforms; as a means to unlock productivity, as well as to reach un-served and under-served markets.
• The focus of the new Digital Communications Policy 2018 will be on the end users and newer opportunities for expanding the availability of telecom services.

Committee to probe Mob Lynching in India

• Centre Government has formed on Group of Ministers(GoM) under Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and a heigh-Level Committee July 23,2018 under Union Home Secretary  Rajiv Gauba to “deliberate” and “make recommendations” for a separate penal provision on incidents of mob violence.
• The committee led by Gauba will submit its recommendations to the GoM, which includes Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Thaawar Chand Gehlot.

Gov. Slashed Minimum Deposit for Sukanya Samriddhi Account

• The government on July 23 2018 has slashed the minimum annual deposit requirement for accounts under the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana to 250 from 1000 earlier ,which will possibly enable more number of people to take advantage of the giri child saving scheme.
•  The interest rate on Sukanya Samriddhi Account is revised every quarter, just like other small savings scheme and PPF.

HRD Ministry Proposed Two Commissions in Place of UGC

• The Human Resource Development Ministry has formed  two commissions on July 23, 2018 one for providing grants and the other for carrying out regulatory functions.
• In a draft bill released by the  Human Resource Development Ministry in June, it was proposed that a Higher Education  Commission of india would replace the existing higher education regulator, University Grants Commission.

Haryana launched ‘Paudhagiri’ campaign

• Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on July 15, 2018 launched the ‘Paudhagiri’ campaign, aimed at increasing the green cover in the state.
• Under this campaign , 22 lakh students form class 6 to 12 of all government and private schools in Haryana will plant a sapling each during three months of monsoon July, August and September every year.

PM Modi launched Purvanchal Expressway in Up

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 14, 2018 laid the foundation stone for the 23000 crore Purvanchal  Highway in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh.
• He decribed the occasion as the beginning of a new chapter in the development of the state, particulary its  eastern part. The 340km  Purvanchal Expressway will transform the towns and cities that it passes through.

J&K Sealdah Humsafar Express Flagged-off

• Union minister of state for railways Rajen Gohain on July 4, 2018 flagged off a new weekly Humsafar Superfast Express train from the Jammu  railway station.
• The Humsafar  Express provides state-of-the art facilities like fully air-conditioned, modern and safe LHB coaches, Gps enabled train positioning LED display, Bio-toilets, Smoke Alarm, CCTV camera and fir extinguishers.