Current Affairs

1. PRAGATI —Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation :

• It is an ICT based multi-modal platform for Pro active implementation of the programme.
• PM Narendra Modi today chaired the 31st interaction through PRAGATI.
• In total 265 projects with a total investment of Rs. 12.15 lakh crore, 47 programmes/ schemes and grievances related to 17 sectors (22 subjects) had been evaluated in previous years.
• The PRAGATI meeting held today consisting of  reviewing of 9 projects worth Rs. 61,000 crore wrt to 16 states and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
• Other grievances of Indian subjects related to National Agriculture Market & Aspirational District Programme are also discussed in this meeting.  

2 .      Aspirational District Programme :

• PM Narendra Modi was evaluating the progress of Aspirational District Programme, Prime Minister was informed about dashboard based on 49 performance indicators.
• Although ,status such as ‘Status of Nutrition’ which was a slow indicators of growth has also shown huge progress. Few districts of Uttar Pradesh have shown exceptional growth.
• Prime Minister called it as National service & given stress on the importance of focussing on education and healthcare especially for tribal people & their children. 
• He also monitored progress in National Agriculture Market platform which has helped in better price discovery where  E-payments are now being made directly into the account of farmers. 

3.  MoUs signed between India and German in the field of Occupational Diseases, Rehabilitation and vocational training approved by Union Government :

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given ex-post facto approval for the MoUs between India and German regarding collaboration in the field of Occupational Diseases, Rehabilitation and vocational training of Insured Persons with disabilities.
• Various benefits associated with this MOU is Exchanging information and promoting activities in the area of rehabilitation related to medical, occupational and social rehabilitation of Insured Persons with disabilities, and Prevention, detection and treatment of occupational diseases:
• The outcome of this MOU is Exchange of information and collaboration will enable capacity building and social rehabilitation of Insured Persons with disabilities, besides prevention, detection and treatment of occupational diseases.

4. Protocol amending the Convention between India and Brazil for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income is approved by the Union Government ;

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the signing of the Protocol amending the Convention between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of Brazil to avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion .
• It will impact Indian Government through updation of the Double Taxation Avoidance Convention’s (DTAC's) provisions to make it of international standards.
• Protocol between India and the Federative Republic of Brazil will facilitate elimination of double taxation.  
• The ongoing  DTAC between India and Brazil was signed on 26th April, 1988 and was amended through a Protocol signed on 15th October 2013 in respect of exchange of information. 
• The existing Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) between India and Brazil being very old was required to be amended to bring it in line with international developments.

5. ‘ShaalaDarpan’ portal for Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti  :

• ShalaDarpan Portal will bring transparency in NavodayaVidyalayas .
• Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Shri Sanjay Dhotre launched ShaalaDarpan portal, an E-Governance school automation and management system for NavodayaVidyalayaSamiti (NVS) in New Delhi today. 
• This single integrated platform has been developed for information sharing and knowledge dissemination for the 22000 employees and over 2 lakh students across schools and offices of NavodayaVidyalayaSamiti.
• Shaala Darpan is an end to end e-Governance school automation and management system. It has been implemented at Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti as the first major initiative to enable the automation of all activities of the country’s largest residential schooling system through a single umbrella - 636 schools, 8 Regional Offices, 8 NLIs and Head Quarter.

6. First ever ‘BIMSTEC Ports’ Conclave’ in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh :

• Minister of State for Shipping, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya will inaugurate tomorrow the first ever BIMSTEC Ports’ Conclave At Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh to be held on   7-8 November 2019.
• The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an International Organization involving a group of countries in South Asia and SouthEast Asia namely.
• Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal  ,Sri Lanka, Thailand.
• The Ports’ First Conclave of BIMSTEC nations is expected to explore the possibility of increasing economic cooperation by furthering EXIM trade and coastal shipping..

7.  To revive stalled housing projects Govt will infuse 25000 crore ;

• To revive stalled housing projects Govt will infuse 25000 crore .
• Another Rs 15,000 crores will be contributed by LIC and SBI.
• The announcement was made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday
• SBI and LIC, the sovereign and pension funds have also agreed to invest in the market 15000 crore.
• Funds will be set up as Category-II Alternate Investment (AIFs) Fund registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)," Nirmala Sitharaman told media.

8. Development cannot take place on graves of human beings: NGT

• Following a plea alleging violation of environmental norms by industries in Ha­ryana, the National GreenTribunal (NGT) has held that industrial development can­not take place “on the graves of human beings”.
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• The green panel has direct­ed the State government to increase the frequency of in­spections .
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• While stating that indus­trial development in a “sus­tainable manner is neces­sary”
• ‘Increase inspections’ The State government was also directed to inspect 17industries under the ‘highly polluting category’ every three months.

• ‘Red’ catego­ry industries every six months; and ‘orange’ cate­gory industries every year.

9. ‘Disrespect’ to National anthem: Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971  ;

• Fifteen days after the al­leged incident of “disres­pect” to the national an­them at PVR Cinemas here,the Subramanya Nagar pol­ice registered a suo motu case against the accused onMonday.
• Accused had been charged under Section 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. 
• On October 23, a group of people allegedly did not stand up when the national anthem was being played before a movie in Orion Mall .
• A section of the audience created a ruckus and forced the group to go out of the movie hall. 

10. Monkey Park : Karnataka 

• Karnataka go­vernment’s proposal to esta­blish a “monkey park” in the Malnad region to contain the problem of crop raiding pri­mates.
• They fear that this may trigger infections like Kyasanur Forest Disease(KFD) and also upset the nat­ural food chain.
• Defores­tation in recent times owing to the construction of reser­voirs and unauthorised cul­tivation on forest land.

Sources : The Hindu, The Indian Express , The Economic Times, Press Information Bureau website