By: D.K Chaudhary
1. Jai Ram Thakur Took Oath as 6th CM of Himachal Pradesh
i. Senior BJP leader Jai Ram Thakur took oath as the 6th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the historic Ridge Ground of Shimla. He has replaced Virbhadra Singh.
ii. A five-time MLA, Mr Thakur won Siraj Assembly seat of Mandi district this time. Governor Aacharya Devvrat administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr Thakur.
2. Uttar Pradesh Introduces New Power Scheme
i. Uttar Pradesh has launched a free household power connection scheme for the poor in the state to mark former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary. The scheme is driven by government’s motto ‘Prakash hai to Vikas hai’ (the barometer of development is light).
ii. The government has also introduced Kisan Uday Yojana, a novel scheme for farmers. The scheme would cover 10 lakh farmers by 2022, would lead to 35 percent saving on power consumption.
ii. The government has also introduced Kisan Uday Yojana, a novel scheme for farmers. The scheme would cover 10 lakh farmers by 2022, would lead to 35 percent saving on power consumption.
- Srikant Sharma- Uttar Pradesh Power Minister.
- Raj Kumar Singh- Minister of State (I/C) of the Ministry of Power.
3. $318 Million Loan Agreement Signed with World Bank for Farmers in Tamil Nadu
i. The Government of India, the Government of Tamil Nadu and the World Bank signed a $318 million loan agreement for the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project to promote climate resilient agriculture technologies, improve water management practices, and increase market opportunities for small and marginal farmers.
ii. The $318 million loan from the IBRD has a 5-year grace period and a maturity of 19 years.
- IBRD- International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
- World Bank President- Jim Yong Kim (12th), Headquarters- Washington DC, USA.
4. IRDAI Norms Allow Insurers to Begin Offshore Business From GIFT IFSC
i. Sectoral regulator IRDAI has issued regulations for insurance firms to carry out offshore business from Gujarat-based GIFT International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).
ii. Under the regulations, for the first time in the country, foreign insurers are permitted to open IFSC Insurance Office (IIO) at GIFT IFSC. GIFT IFSC already hosts three major insurance players, GIC Re, New India and ECGC.
- IRDAI- Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India.
- T.S.Vijayan- Chairman of IRDAI.
- GIFT City- Gujarat International Finance-Tec City
- General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) was the first Re-insurance company to open its office in the GIFT City.
5. In a First, Commercial Flight Nod for Made-in-India Plane Dornier 228
i. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has allowed Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL)- manufactured Dornier 228 to be used for civilian flights. The 19-seater aircraft has, till now, been used by defence forces and is the first plane to be made in the country for commercial flights.
ii. HAL can sell this plane to airlines in India and it can be used by them for regional flights under the Indian government’s ambitious UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) scheme.
- HAL Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)- T. Suvarna Raju.
- Dornier 228 aircraft is a highly ‘versatile multi-purpose light transport aircraft’.
- The plane has a wingspan of 16.97 metres.
