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  • Current Affairs 15th January 2019

    Updated : 15-Jan-2019

    Current Affairs 15th January 2019 - Important Points

    • Hunar Haat Expositions Inaugurated in - New Delhi
    • Women of India Organic Festival Celebrated in - Chandigarh
    • PM Narendra Modi receives first ever - Philip Kotler Presidential Award
    • Puducherry to Restrict Single-Utilise Plastic from - 1stMarch 2019
    • Who will be  heading to committee to look into GST revenue shortfall faced by states ? -  Sushil Modi
    • Right to Disconnect Bill introduced in - Lok Sabha

    Current Affairs 15th January 2019 - Details

    Hunar Haat Expositions Inaugurated in - New Delhi

    Finance Minister Arun Jaitley & Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi initiated Hunar Haat expositions in New Delhi. Hunar Haat plays an imperative role in national & international branding of the heritage of master artisans in India. Hunar Haat is goaled at ‘Development with Dignity’ of the artisans & craftsmen from the minority communities.

    Key Benefits

    • Highlighting the talent of Indian artisans.
    • Build a trustworthy brand of Indigenous Talent of Indian artisans & craftspersons.
    • Encouraging the artisan & craftsperson’s heritage of India which had been marginalised for a long time.
    • Delivers an Empowerment & Employment Exchange platform for master artisans & crafts-persons.
    • Delivers a platform to achieve the commitments under ‘Make in India’, ‘Stand-Up India’ & ‘Start-up India’.

    More about Hunar Haat

    • Hunar Haat expositions are planned by the Ministry of Minority affairs under its Upgrading the Skills & Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development scheme.
    • Upgrading the Skills & Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development scheme goals to preserve the heritage of traditional art & craft of minority communities, shaping the capacity of traditional craftsmen & artisans & establish connection of traditional skills with the global market.

    Women of India Organic Festival Celebrated in - Chandigarh

    The Women of India Organic Festival has been planned by the Ministry of Women & Child Development at Leisure Valley, Sector-10, Chandigarh, to observe & promote females’ farmers & entrepreneurs in the organic sector from the remotest parts of India.

    More about the Festival

    • To inspire Indian female’s entrepreneurs & farmers to connect with extra buyers & thus, empower them via financial inclusion, while promoting organic culture in India.
    • To teach people about its various initiatives & plans relating to females & children.
    • To deliver a platform to showcase the varied products of female farmers & entrepreneurs.
    • The festival would issue an opportunity to display more than 1000 varied organic products, including fabric, wellness, grains, seeds, jewellery, bakery items & a lot more.
    • The Festival is being organised annually since 2015 & for the 1st time, it is being organised in Chandigarh.

    PM Narendra Modi receives first ever - Philip Kotler Presidential Award

    PM Narendra Modi was bestowed 1st ever Philip Kotler Presidential Award. Philip Kotler Presidential Award goals to spread examples of individuals & organisations who create an innovative culture for the economic, social & technological advancements of an industry/nation.

    Reason behind award

    • Prime Minister Modi was nominated for his outstanding leadership for the country.
    • Prime Minister Modi’s selfless service towards India, joint with his tireless energy has resulted in extraordinary economic, social & technological advances in the nation.
    • Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, India is now recognized as the centre for innovation & value-added manufacturing, and a global hub for professional services including Information Technology, accounting & finance.
    • Prime Minister Modi’s visionary leadership has also led to in the digital revolution, including the Aadhaar, for social assistances & financial inclusion.
    • Initiatives such as Make in India, Start-up India, Digital India & Swachh Bharat have placed India as one of the most lucrative industrial & business destinations in the world

    Philip Kotler Presidential Award

    Philip Kotler, a professor of marketing at North-Western University, Kellogg School of Management is also known as “Father of Modern Marketing”. Apart from marketing, Philip Kotler has widely written on education, environment, government marketing, healthcare, hospitality & innovation.

    Who will be  heading to committee to look into GST revenue shortfall faced by states ? -  Sushil Modi

    The Deputy CM Bihar, Sushil Modi will be leading the 7-member group of ministers that will examine revenue shortfall being faced by the states after the Goods & Services Tax roll-out & suggest steps for expanding collections.

    Besides Sushil Modi, the other members of the committee would be Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, Karnataka Rural Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Odisha Finance Minister Shashi Bhushan Behera, Haryana Taxation Minister Captain Abhimanyu & Goa Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho.

    Significant Role

    According to the terms of reference of the Group of Ministers, the 7-member committee will undertake information analysis using econometric & statistical tools & guide suitable measures & policy intervention for course correction for revenue growth, particularly for the states suffering mega revenue shortfall. 

    The committee would also consider trends of revenue assortment before & after implementation of GST.  It would also seek structural patterns of major sectors of the economy affecting revenue collection, including the services sector. 

    It would also classify the reasons for deviation in revenue collection trends & compare it with unique assumptions worked out at the time of design & implementation of Goods & Services Tax. 

    Puducherry to Restrict Single-Utilise Plastic from - 1stMarch 2019

    The government of Puducherry has finalised to restrict the manufacturing, sale & utilise of single-usable plastic products from March 1st. To make sure the restriction is effective on the ground both in letter & spirit, the government of Puducherry would be conducting a massive drive to spread awareness among the merchants & the public on the need of the restriction.

    The government of the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu had declared on World Environment Day 2018, that it would restrict the usage of plastic items including non-biodegradable carry bags from January 1st, 2019.

    Industrialists contend that it is not the plastics which have become a problem. It is the way in which

    human beings deal with disposable plastics is the real cauterise concern. Thus, it would be intelligent to regulate the usage rather than restriction so that it doesn’t harm the industry. The government has informed that the decision to restriction of single-usable plastic was taken to gift a plastic-free Puducherry to the future generation & control the plastic in the larger interest of the environment.

    Right to Disconnect Bill introduced in - Lok Sabha

    A private members bill, Right to Disconnect Bill, was presented in the Lok Sabha by MP Supriya Sule.

    Features of the Bill

    • The bill authorizes the employee with the right not to respond to employers’ calls, texts/emails after their office hours.
    • The bill goals to decrease work-related stress & strive for a better work-life equilibrium.
    • The bill applicable to organisations with above Ten employees.
    • Such organisations are needed to form an Employee Welfare Committee to ensure compliance.
    • The bill specifies that no disciplinary action can be taken against you if you select to not respond to your employer after your specified working hours.

    Global Examples

    Some measures have been already taken in authorizing the employees with Right to disconnect. France has already issued Right to disconnect since 2017 in organisations with above 50 employees with an objective to re-build the boundary between professional & personal life.

    Even Spain has an alike law which provides Right to Disconnect without any least employee criterion. German automobile manufacturer Daimler had taken this bold action of introducing software that inevitably deletes any emails you get while on vacation, back in 2014.