Current Affairs 3rd January 2018

Current Affairs 3rd January 2018 - Important Points

• Assamese and Manipuri Versions of PM Narendra Modi Official Website Launched on - 1st January 2018
• Women and Child Development Ministry Inaugurated Online Portal NARI on - 2nd January 2018
• Solo Climbing on Mount Everest banned by - Nepal
• Parliament passes NABARD (Amendment) Bill, 2017 on - 2nd January 2018

Current Affairs 3rd January 2018 - Details

Assamese and Manipuri Versions of PM Narendra Modi Official Website Launched on - 1st January 2018

The Assamese and Manipuri language versions of Prime Minister’s Official website- www.pmindia.gov.in were released.
Currently, the PM INDIA website is ready for use in 11 regional languages including Assamese, Marathi,
Bengali, Gujarati, Odia, Kannada, Punjabi, Tamil, Malayalam, Manipuri and Telugu along with English and
Hindi.

More about Site

• This site is designed to give comprehensive information about India's Prime Minister.
• You can share your ideas , thoughts and insights on this site.
• It also provides key information about Lok Sabha, Press Information Bureau. 

Women and Child Development Ministry Inaugurated Online Portal NARI on - 2nd January 2018

Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi launched an online web portal “NARI” in New
Delhi for the empowerment of the females. The web portal will facilitate women with simple entrance to information on government projects and stratergies for women.
The web portal outline more than 350 government plans and other important information. It issues links to the Ministries, Departments and autonomous bodies gifting these projects as well as simple entrance to online applications and wrong redressal.

While speaking on the occasion , Mrs. Gandhi added that for the first time ever since Independence women of the country can access to the benefits given to them by Government.

Important Highlights on Online portal NARI

• It will provide help to women on issues affecting their lives.
• Information on major diseases, tips on good nutrition and suggestions for health check up will be shared.
• It will also be helping in formulation of effective policies and measures for welfare of women and children.

Solo Climbing on Mount Everest banned by - Nepal

Nepal restricted solo climbers from scaling its mountains, including Mount Everest, in a tender to decrease injuries. The new safety guidelines also restrict double amputee and blind climbers from trying to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain peak without a reasonable medical documentation.
The law had been reviewed to enable mountaineering safer and to reduce deaths.

Parliament passes NABARD (Amendment) Bill, 2017 on - 2nd January 2018

Parliament has approved the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill,
2017 with the acceptance of Rajya Sabha. Lok Sabha already had approved the bill in August 2017.
The Bill looks forward to amend National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981. The
Act initiated NABARD for providing and regulating provisions like credit for agricultural and industrial
progress in the rural areas.
Key Features

• The Bill permits Union Government to raise capital of NABARD from Rs. 5000 crores to Rs 30,000
  crores. Furthermore, it permits Union Government to raise the capital more than Rs 30,000 crores in discussion with the Reserve Bank of India, if required.
• The Bill presents that Union Government alone must hold minimum 51 percent capital share of
  NABARD. Furthermore, it shifts share capital held by RBI valued at Rs. 20 crores to Union Government.
• Presently RBI holds 0.4 percent of paid capital of NABARD and balance 99.6 percent is grasped by Union government and this causes disputes in RBI’s role as banking regulator and shareholder in NABARD.
• The Bill substitutes terms small-scale industry and ‘industry in small and decentralised area with terms micro undertaking, small-scale undertaking and medium undertaking as defined in MSME Development Act, 2006.  Furthermore, it permits NABARD to issue financial support to banks if they issue loans to the MSMEs.
• The Bill replaces references to provisions of the Companies Act, 1956 with references to the Companies Act, 2013. It contains provisions dealing with meaning of a government organization and qualifications of auditors.