Current Affairs 16th July 2015

Current Affairs 16th July 2015 - Important Points

• Who was appointed as Chairman of Narmada Valley Development Authority - Rakesh Sahni

• Which committee was constituted by RBI on Medium-term Path on Financial Inclusion - Deepak Mohanty Committee

• Which bill was unanimously resolved by Manipur Legislative Assembly to withdraw this bill - MRVTMW Bill, 2015

• When was World Youth Skills Day observed - 15th July

• PGS-India, Soil Health Card and FQCS Web Portals were launched by - Union Agriculture Minister

• Which policy was termed as unreasonable and irrational by SC - National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy

• India's oldest port was discovered at - Goa

Current Affairs 16th July 2015 - Details

Who was appointed as Chairman of Narmada Valley Development Authority - Rakesh Sahni

On 14th July 2015, Rakesh Sahni was appointed as Chairman of Narmada Valley Development Authority. Rakesh Sahni is a retired IAS officer of 1972 batch. He retired after serving post of chief secretary of States. 

NVDA is a multidisciplinary organization of the Madhya Pradesh State Government headquartered at Bhopal. 

Which committee was constituted by RBI on Medium-term Path on Financial Inclusion - Deepak Mohanty Committee

On 15th July 2015, A committee to work out a five-year (medium-term) action plan for financial inclusion was constituted by RBI. This committee comprises total 14 members and is headed by RBI executive director Deepak Mohanty.

This committee has been formed to work towards spreading the reach of financial services to unbanked population.

Which bill was unanimously resolved by Manipur Legislative Assembly to withdraw this bill - MRVTMW Bill, 2015

On 15th July 2015, Manipur Legislative Assembly unanimously resolved to withdraw the MRVTMW bill 2015. Earlier this bill was passed by Manipur Legislative Assembly on 16 March 2015.

This bill was passed to experiment the effectiveness of monitoring non-local people through the directorate of registration. If such a directorate would have been set up, it would have become mandatory for all non-locals who are staying in hotels or private houses as tenants to submit their particulars to the directorate. 

Moving the resolution to withdraw the Bill, State Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh announced that a new bill on the Inner Line Permit (ILP) would be introduced in Manipur Assembly within three months. The new Bill will effectively protect indigenous people of Manipur. 

Do You Know : 

MRVTMW - Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers.

When was World Youth Skills Day observed - 15th July

On 15th July 2015, World Youth Skills Day was observed across the globe. This was the first time ever this day was observed as this was established by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on 11 November 2014. The Assembly designated 15 July as the World Youth Skills Day in order to raise awareness about the importance of investing in youth skills development.

Several events were organised to mark this day.

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi launched the National Skill Development Mission. He also unveiled the new National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015.

PGS-India, Soil Health Card and FQCS Web Portals were launched by - Union Agriculture Minister

Among National Current Affairs, On 15th July 2015, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh launched three web portals which are Soil Health Card portal, Fertiliser Quality Control System (FQCS) portal and Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) - India Portal.

These three portals are aimed for following purposes :

Soil Health Card Portal : This portal is designed for registration of soil samples, recording test results of soil samples and generation of Soil Health Card (SHC) along with fertilizer recommendations.

Fertilizer Quality Control System Portal (FQCS) : This portal is developed for processing of sample collection, testing and generation of analysis reports. The system will lead to automation of most of the manual activities and help in online tracking the status of the sample.

Participatory Guarantee System - India Portal : This portal is a process of certifying organic products which ensures agriculture production process in accordance with the standards laid down for organic products and that desired quality has been maintained.

Which policy was termed as unreasonable and irrational by SC - National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy

On 15th July 2015, Supreme Court of India termed National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy, 2012 and the Drug Price Control order (DRCO) 2013 as unreasonable and irrational. 

Supreme Court Bench headed by Justice TS Thakur asked the Department of Pharmaceuticals of Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers to pass a reasoned order on the issue within six months after hearing all parties concerned. 

This statement was given by SC while hearing a PIL filed by NGO All India Drug Action Network alleging that the Market Based Pricing (MBP) was never used for any price regulatory purposes and this was making medicines costlier.

India's oldest port was discovered at - Goa

Among Important National Current Affairs, On 15th July 2015, A team of scientists of National Institute of Oceanography discovered the remnants of a historically important port on Goa's Zuari river which is expected to be amongst the oldest signs of human trade on the central west coast. This port is supposed to be existed between 1000 to 3500 AD.