Current Affairs 20th September 2018

Current Affairs 20th September 2018 - Important Points

• President launches logo, web portal for commemoration of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on - 18th September 2018
• Union Cabinet approves Triple Talaq Ordinance, making triple talaq an offence on - 19th September 2018
• Government modifies operational guidelines for Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana on - 18th September 2018
• Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna launched for unemployed insured persons  by - ESI

Current Affairs 20th September 2018 - Details

President launches logo, web portal for commemoration of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on - 18th September 2018

President Ram Nath Kovind on September 18th, 2018 initiated the logo and the web portal for tribute of 150th birth anniversary of Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
The logo and the web portal were publicized in the presence of Minister of State for Culture Dr Mahesh Sharma and Secretary of Ministry of Culture, Arun Goel.
Web portal on 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

• The web portal “http://gandhi.gov.in” is participating in nature and all the participating firms will be enable to upload their events regarding tribute on the website. 
• It has a unique feature known as “Gandhipedia” which will be a storehouse of Gandhian knowledge and will continue to expand with the passage of time.
• Data related to Gandhian literature, philosophy, audios and videos, rare photos are accessible in the web portal.
• The portal will classify visitors from diverse geography and serve them personalised data.
• Firms and individuals can link celebration and upload their work via an easy upload procedure.
  150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
• The 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi is celebrated in the form of 2-year-long festivities from October 2nd, 2018 to October 2nd, 2020 around the nation and all over the world. 
• A meeting of National Committee led by the President of India was organised in May 2018 to draw out an action plan for the biggest festivity where a sum of 92 proposals were received. 
• Out of those 92, a sum of 33 proposals were sanctioned by the Executive Committee led by the PM to arrange countrywide and around the world remembrance. 
• As per this, all Ministries and all State, Union Territory Governments have initiated actions and these action plans have been uploaded on the web portal.

Government modifies operational guidelines for Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana on - 18th September 2018

The Union Government on September 18th, 2018 published the fresh operational rules for the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.  The fresh improved provisions consist of the provision of penalties for states and insurance firms for the interruption in settlement of insurance entitlements under the PMFBY. The new operational rules address the present challenges tackled while applying the plan by putting forth effective solutions. 
New operational rules for Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

• The farmers will be paid 12% interest by insurance firms for the interruption in settlement claims beyond 2 months of agreed cut-off date. 
• The State Governments will have to pay 12% interest for the interruption in release of State share of subsidy beyond 3 months of preagreed cut-off date submission by insurance firms. 
• The rules detail a Standard Operating Procedure for assessment of insurance firms and eliminates them from the scheme, if found unsuccessful in providing services. 
• It consists of Perennial horticultural crops on pilot basis under the ambit of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. 
• It comprises cloud burst and natural fire in localised calamities in addition to non-seasonal and cyclonic rainfalls, hailstorm, landslide, and inundation in post-harvest fatalities. 
• It delivers additional coverage for crop loss because of attack by wild animals on pilot basis with the extra financial obligations to be borne by related state government.
• It includes definition of major crops, unseasonal rainfall and inundation for clarity and sufficient coverage.
• Aadhaar card number will be compulsarly taken to sidestep duplication of recipients.
• To make sure that more non-loanee farmers are covered under the scheme, the insurance firms are given a target of enrolling 10% more non-loanee farmers than the preceding corresponding season.

Union Cabinet approves Triple Talaq Ordinance, making triple talaq an offence on - 19th September 2018

The Union Cabinet sanctioned an ordinance on September 19th, 2018 making immediate triple talaq a
punishable offence. The approval by the Union Cabinet takes the bill a step near to becoming a law.
The order has same provisions as stated in original the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which was approved by the Lok Sabha in December 2017. However, the bill was stuck in the Rajya Sabha. 
It encountered a rigid resistance in the Rajya Sabha where various opposition lawmakers debated over the criminal provisions in the draft law. In view of the increasing opposition, the Government on August 9th, 2018 sanctioned 3 alterations in the instant triple talaq bill, making it permitted for a magistrate to give bail for the offence.
Alterations 

• The alteration orders that the magistrate can agree on releasing the husband on bail only after hearing the wife.
• However, the crime remains non-bailable. Under a non-bailable law, bail cannot be approved by police at the police station itself. The government has not struck down the 3-year jail penalty for the husband or the provision that only authorizes a magistrate to set free the accused on bail.
• Another alteration permits only a woman, or a close relative, to file a police complaint against her husband for instant triple talaq.
• The 3rd alteration makes the offence of instant triple talaq compoundable, where a magistrate can utilise his powers to settle down the disagreement between a husband and his wife.
• It permits a wife to withdraw the case, if husband returns to her later and they come to a compromise.

Two Koreas sign agreement on denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula on - 19th September 2018

In a historic initiative, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in on September 19th, 2018 inked an accordance on denuclearisation, diminishing military tensions and calming crisis on the Korean peninsula. The talks were held by North Korea in its capital city Pyongyang. The South Korea President was welcomed at the Sunan International Airport, for his 3 days visit to the country.
Importance

• It's the 3rd meeting between Moon and Kim but the 1st to take place outside the ‘truce village’ of Panmunjom, on the border.
• Earlier, 2 different South Korean Presidents were held by Kim's father, the late Kim Jong II for summit sessions at the capital in 2000 and 2007.
• The key agenda of the Moon-Kim meeting was to augment relations between the 2 Koreas for the
  denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. 
  Important Highlights
• North Korea has decided to forever dismantle engine testing facilities and missile launch pads in the presence of international inspectors.
• The North Korean leader informed that his government is also willing to take extra steps in harmony with the June 12th North Korea-US Joint Declaration, for instance, dismantle the nation's largest nuclear facility in Yongbyon if the US takes corresponding measures. 
• The Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Centre is a chief complex and its enduring closure would be a noteworthy change towards safeguarding that the North gives up its nuclear arsenal. 
• Besides this, Kim Jong Un promised to visit Seoul, which would be the 1st visit by a North Korean leader to the South since the Korean War.
• Both the leaders want the United States to ink off on official ending the Korean War, which still technically continues because no peace agreement was inked.

Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna launched for unemployed insured persons  by - ESI

The ESI has sanctioned a scheme known as “Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna” for Insured Persons under the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948. The conclusion was taken by the Employee's State Insurance Corporation during its 175th meeting, which was organised in New Delhi on September 18th, 2018, under the Chairmanship of Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment.
During the meeting, the Employee's State Insurance Corporation took few important decisions towards the development of its services and advantages being provided to Insured Persons and their dependents. The conclusions were approved considering the modification in employment pattern and the present scenario of employment in India which has altered from a long-term employment to fixed short-term appointment as contract and temping.
More about Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna

• This plan is a relief payable as cash directly to the bank account of insured persons under ESI in case of unemployment and while they seek for a new job contract.
• The detailed instructions of the scheme counting the entitlement conditions and request format will be released separately.
• The Employee's State Insurance sanctioned the proposal for reimbursement of Rupees 10/ person to the employers to boost the seeding of Aadhar in Employee's State Insurance Corporation’s database of their workers and their family persons. The initiative will limit the multiple registrations of similar Insured Persons and thus permit them to avail the advantages necessitating longer contributory conditions.
• Further, the Employee's State Insurance sanctioned the proposal for upsurging the funeral expenses from present Rupees 10,000 to Rupees 15,000 being paid on the death of Insured Person.