By: D.K Chaudhary
1. 10 New Swachh Iconic Places Launched Under Swachh Bharat Mission
i. Ten new iconic sites have been taken up under Phase III of the flagship project Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) of the Swachh Bharat Mission. The project envisioned by the Prime Minister is being coordinated by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation with the support of State governments and local administration.
ii. The consultation is in process for finalising the PSUs/corporates for extending support to new sites as CSR partners. These new sites have joined the 20 iconic places under Phase I & II.
10 New Iconic Sites are as follows:
1. Raghavendra Swamy Temple (Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh);
2. Hazardwari Palace (Murshidabad, West Bengal);
3. Brahma Sarovar Temple (Kurukshetra, Haryana);
4. VidurKuti (Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh);
5. Mana village (Chamoli, Uttarakhand);
6. Pangong Lake (Leh-Ladakh, J&K);
7. Nagvasuki Temple (Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh);
8. ImaKeithal/market (Imphal, Manipur);
9. Sabarimala Temple (Kerala); and
10. Kanvashram (Uttarakhand).
2. Govt Approves 33% Increase In Carpet Area Of Houses Under PMAY-U
i. The government has approved a 33% increase in carpet area of houses eligible for interest subsidy under its affordable housing scheme Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) to attract more beneficiaries.
ii. The carpet area of a house has been enhanced to 160 sq m from 120 sq m for Middle Income Group-I (MIG-I), while it has been increased to 200 sq m from 150 sq m in case of MIG-II. Under the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS), each beneficiary can avail subsidy up to Rs 2.35 lakh on purchase of a house under the scheme.
ii. The carpet area of a house has been enhanced to 160 sq m from 120 sq m for Middle Income Group-I (MIG-I), while it has been increased to 200 sq m from 150 sq m in case of MIG-II. Under the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS), each beneficiary can avail subsidy up to Rs 2.35 lakh on purchase of a house under the scheme.
- The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Housing For All (Urban) will be implemented during 2015-2022 and will provide central assistance to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
- Hardeep Singh Puri is the Minister of State (I/C) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
3. India’s 1st National Police Museum To Come Up In Delhi
i. The Union Government has announced to establish India’s first national police museum in Lutyens’ Delhi. The museum is expected to be inaugurated on 21st October 2018 on the occasion of Police Commemoration Day.
ii. The unique museum, depicting the history, artefacts, uniforms and gear of central and state police forces, will come up as an underground facility in the premises of the national police memorial in Chanakyapuri area.
ii. The unique museum, depicting the history, artefacts, uniforms and gear of central and state police forces, will come up as an underground facility in the premises of the national police memorial in Chanakyapuri area.
4. SEBI Constitutes Expert Committee to Frame Rules for Direct Listing of Indian firms Abroad
i. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) constituted an Expert Committee to frame rules for direct listing of Indian firms abroad.
ii. The committee will examine the economic case for permitting direct listing of Indian companies overseas and listing of Indian companies on foreign bourses in India. The committee includes nine members.
ii. The committee will examine the economic case for permitting direct listing of Indian companies overseas and listing of Indian companies on foreign bourses in India. The committee includes nine members.
- SEBI- Securities and Exchange Board of India.
- SEBI Chairman- Ajay Tyagi, Headquarters- Mumbai.
5. Union Steel Minister Dedicates to Nation Rebuilt Blast Furnace-1 of Rourkela Steel Plant
i. The Union Minister of Steel, Chaudhary Birender Singh dedicated the rebuilt Blast Furnace-1 ‘Parvati’ of SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) to the Nation. Parvati is the first Blast Furnace of SAIL that was dedicated to the nation on 3rd February 1959 by the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
ii. With the rebuilding, the annual production capacity, of the furnace has increased from 0.438 Million tonnes (MT) to 1.015 MT.
