Current Affairs 14th June 2018

Current Affairs 14th June 2018 - Important Points

• Nepal-Bharat Maitri Irrigation Project with - 99 million Financial Help from India
• SEBI constitutes Group to facilitate the stock market listing of startups on - 12th June 2018
• World record by distributing 2330 bee-boxes in one day created by - KVIC
• President Ramnath Kovind to embark on three nation tour between - 16th  to 22nd June 2018
• Solar Charkha Mission to be launched soon in 50 clusters on - 27th June 2018
• NITI Aayog launched Composite Water Management Index on - 13th June 2018

Current Affairs 14th June 2018 - Details

Nepal-Bharat Maitri Irrigation Project with - 99 million Financial Help from India

India stretched financial help to Nepal of Rupees 99 million, for the building of 2,700 shallow tube wells
irrigation systems in twelve districts of southern Terai area for growing agricultural productivity. The aid was extended as part of final payment for Nepal-Bharat Maitri Irrigation Project. India so far has issued a sum of 227.6 million Nepali rupees to Nepal for executing this project.

Nepal-Bharat Maitri Irrigation Project

• The project was released in January 2017 to enhance growth to Nepal’s agricultural sector via enhanced provisions.
• Its eventual aim is to elevate the socio-economic status of farming families in the twelve districts covered under the project.
  Did you know?
  India has been associating with Nepal for development of Deep Tube Wells and Shallow Tube Wells in different areas of Nepal for any years finding scope for educating agriculture productivity in Himalayan nation whose economy is led by agriculture. The fitting of shallow tube wells has been profiting farmers, who previously depended on natural rainwater for irrigation.

SEBI constitutes Group to facilitate the stock market listing of startups on - 12th June 2018

Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India formed a Group on June 12th , 2018, to evaluate Institutional Trading Platform Framework to visualise stock market listing attractive for start-ups. The group will present the report to Securities and Exchange Board of India within a period of single month that is by July 2018.
Terms of Reference of the Group

• To look into the present ITP framework and recommend measures to simplify listing of start-ups.
• To re-enter the present Institutional Trading Platform framework and recognize the areas, which need further alterations.
• To address concerns relevant to Institutional Trading Platform which the group may like to assess.
  Members of the group
• The members of the group include representatives from:
• Indian Software Product Industry Round Table
• The Indus Entrepreneurs 
• Indian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association
• Law firms Merchant bankers Stock exchanges
  Did you know?

Securities and Exchange Board of India had put in place the Institutional Trading Platform framework in 2015 with a facility listing of fresh age enterprises in sectors like e-commerce, data analytics, bio-technology and other start-ups.

World record by distributing 2330 bee-boxes in one day created by - KVIC

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission has formed a world record of dispensing extreme number of bee-boxes in single day under ‘Honey Mission’.
Talking on the eve, Khadi and Village Industries Commission Chairman, Vinai Kumar Saxena, informed that the ‘Honey Mission’ is focused to full fill the call of PM Narendra Modi, for a sweet Kranti.
The Chairman further informed that Khadi and Village Industries Commission is the nodal agency of PM
Employment Generation Programme under which loans will be issued for forming units of processing,
bottling, wrapping and labelling for the honey.
Key Highlights

• The record was attained by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission in the Zangalee Army area at Kupwara, Kashmir.
• The programme was organised in collaboration with the Indian Army, in order to form peace and harmony in the Kashmir valley.
• The Indian Army assisted in deliverig training and also delivered 10% finance for forming of the apiaries, thus, providing the recipients a platform for earning an income.
• Total 2330 bee-boxes were circulated among 233 recipients in the Zangalee Army area.

President Ramnath Kovind to embark on three nation tour between - 16th  to 22nd June 2018

President Ram Nath Kovind will board on 3 countries formal tour to Greece, Suriname and Cuba from 16th -22nd June 2018. Greece will be 1st leg of the visit followed by Suriname and Cuba. President will be escorted by large delegation including Minister of State for Steel Vishnu Deo Sai.
Key Points

Greece 

• President Ram Nath Kovind will meet President of Greek Prokopis Pavlopoulos during his visit. He will also meet his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras.
• He is planned to visit places of historical and archaeological importance and address the Indian migration.
  Suriname
• President will clasp discussions with President Desire Delano Bouterse followed by official level
  discussions.
• Besides, number of agreements in the areas of health and medicine, elections, Information
  and Technology, Ayurveda are planned to be inked.
• India will offer Line of Credit of $54.5 million to Suriname for solar projects because Suriname is a launching member of the International Solar Alliance.
  Cuba 
• President Kovind will have variety of talks with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez. Besides, number of agreements in various fields will be inked between both nations during the visit.

Solar Charkha Mission to be launched soon in 50 clusters on - 27th June 2018

The Solar Charkha Mission of the Ministry of Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) is going to be launched by President Ram Nath Kovind on June 27th, 2018 in capital itself. The Government of India has already approved the mission and will be disbursing subsidy of Rs 550 crore to the artisans.
It will also be covering 50 clusters and every cluster will also be employing 400 to 2000 artisans.

Important Points

• Giriraj Singh, Minister of State (I/C), MSME shared this information during a press conference in New Delhi on 13th June 2018 while releasing a booklet on the 4 years’ achievement of his Ministry.
• The Minister further informed that 15 new state-of-the-art technology centers are being set up all over the country including North-East, of which 10 centers will become operational by March 2019.
• Each of the centres will be building at a cost of around Rs 150 crore. The 10 centers, which will be becoming operational soon, are located in Durg (Chhattisgarh), Bhiwadi (Rajasthan), Rohtak (Haryana), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Bengaluru (Karnataka), Sitarganj (Uttarakhand), Baddi (Himachal Pradesh), Bhopal (M.P.), Kanpur (UP) and Puducherry.
• The Minister further informed that under PMEGP (Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme), budgetary allocation for Financial Year 2018-19 has been enhanced by 75 percent , which is Rs 1,800 crore.
• Further, in order to incentivise entrepreneurs, mainly SC/ST and women, the government will also be making an investment of Rs 10,000 approximately crore in the micro sector  in this financial year.
• The Ministry of MSME has provided training to more than 15 lakh people during the last 4 years through its various initiatives launched time to time.

NITI Aayog launched Composite Water Management Index on - 13th June 2018

NITI Aayog announced to launch the Composite Water Management Index with an aim to achieve the objective of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ on June 13th, 2018.

More about Composite Water Management Index

• It will be a useful tool to assess and improve the performance in efficient management of water resources.
• It is an attempt to inspire States and UTs towards efficient and optimal utilisation of water and recycling, with the sense of urgency.
• The index can also be utilised to formulate and implement suitable strategies to manahe water resources in a better way.
• The index is expected to provide useful information for the States and also for the concerned Central Ministries, hence, enabling them to formulate and implement suitable strategies for better management of water resources.