Tags: National Economy/Finance Government Schemes
The Indian Railway will launch the “Amrit Bharat Station Scheme” under which 1000 small but important stations will be modernized. This scheme is different from the ongoing plan to revamp 200 railway stations.
According to the Indian Railways the stations will be selected not only on the passenger traffic but also on the cites they cater to. These stations will be redeveloped under what is called the ''Khurda model of redevelopment''.
Khurda station in Odisha was modernized for Rs 4 crore with all contemporary amenities for passengers. The main structure was renovated, the facade was redone and the number of railway tracks was also increased.
Under the “Amrit Bharat Station Scheme” the Divisional Railway Managers will be responsible for the redevelopment of the railway station. The DRMs have been instructed to review existing buildings in the station premises and release space for passengers near the entrances and enable relocation of rail offices to other places.
Modernisation of these stations would include improved station approaches to ensure smooth access by widening roads, removal of unwanted structures, properly designed signages, dedicated pedestrian pathways, well-planned parking areas, and improved lighting among others.
The station should also have a second entry station building and high-level platforms with a length of 600m.
Union Railway Minister: Ashwini Vaishnaw
Tags: National
In a significant move that will benefit lakhs of Divyangjan, the government has waived the Registration, Diagnostics and Treatment fees at National Institutes and Composite Regional Centres from 1st of January2023. The fee will be waived for those who have Unique ID for Persons with Disabilities- UDID cards and those who have disability certificate and are enrolled on UDID portal.
In addition, full course fee will also be waived off in various courses at such institutes and centres. This will be effective for 2022-23 batch students onwards. Further, the central government has also instructed each National Institutes and Composite Regional Centres to have a dedicated counter to help Persons with Disabilities in filing UDID applications and to provide treatment facilities to all persons on Saturday and Sunday also.
Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar
Tags: place in news National Person in news Important Days
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in a historic programme marking the first ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, Delhi on 26th December 2022.
On the Prakash Purab()birth anniversary) of the 10th Sikh Guru Sri Guru Gobind Singh on 9th January 2022 the Prime Minister had announced that 26th December will be observed as ‘Veer Bal Diwas to mark the martyrdom of Sri Guru Gobind Singh’s sons Sahibzadas Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh.
They were brutally murdered by Wazir Khan the Mughal Governor of Sirhind on this day in 1705. .
During the programme, the Prime Minister will attend a ‘Shabad Kirtan’ performed by Baal Kirtanis. On this occasion, Mr Modi will also flag off a march-past by about three thousand children in Delhi.
Tags: National
On the National Consumer Rights day the Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal launched a host of new initiatives including the Right to Repair portal in New Delhi on 24 December 2022.
The Right to Repair portal
On the 'right to repair' portal, manufacturers will share the manual of product details with customers so that they can either repair by self, by third parties, rather than depend on original manufacturers. Initially, mobile phones, electronic, consumer durables, automobile and farming equipment will be covered.
In July 2022 the Department of Consumer Affairs had set up a committee headed by the Additional Secretary Nidhi Khare to develop a comprehensive framework on ‘Right to Repair’.
National Consumer Helpline
On the occasion the minister opened the new premises of the National Consumer Helpline centre in the national capital. On this day National Consumer Helpline launched its service in 7 new regional languages. The helpline is now offering its service in 12 regional languages.
"Effective disposal of cases in consumer commission"
Speaking on the theme of the "Effective disposal of cases in consumer commission" on the National consumer Rights day the minister praised the consumer commissions for disposing of a higher number of pending cases in the last six months.
Under the Consumer Protection law, a complaint is required to be disposed of within 90 days of its filing and within 150 days wherever expert evidence is required to be taken. There are 673 consumer commissions in the country.
A memorandum of understanding was also signed between the Consumer Affairs Department and IIT (BHU), Varanasi
Tags: National
Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on 24 December 2022 that the Air Suvidha portal will be implemented for passengers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand in view of rising cases of COVID in China.
Air Suvidha forms are self-declarations of the health of passengers travelling to India from the identified international destinations. These forms have been reintroduced to keep a check on the passengers arriving from the countries most affected by the virus.
The Minister also said that the RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) test will be mandatory for them. And they will be quarantined if they test positive.
India has already started random testing 2 percent of international passengers arriving at its airports for COVID-19 as the country steps up surveillance for new virus variants.
The steps come amid a series of high-level meetings following a spike in cases seen in other parts of the world, although experts and officials have reportedly said India has little to worry because of its high baseline immunity.
Tags: Economy/Finance
The Income Tax department on 24 December 2022 issued an advisory that those permanent account numbers (PAN) which are not linked with Aadhaar by the end of March next year will be rendered "inoperative".
According to the Income Tax department "As per Income-tax Act, 1961, it is mandatory for all PAN holders, who do not fall under the exempt category, to link their PAN with Aadhaar before 31 March 2023. From 1 April 2023, the unlinked PAN shall become inoperative,”
Exempt category
According to a notification issued by the Union Finance Ministry in May 2017, following persons are exempt from linking their PAN with Aadhaar;
Consequence of a PAN becoming inoperative
A circular issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on 30 March 2022 said once a PAN becomes inoperative, an individual shall be liable to all the consequences under the I-T Act and will have to suffer a number of implications.
While the 12 digit Aadhaar is issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India to a resident of India, PAN is a 10-digit alphanumeric number allotted by the Income Tax department to a person, firm or entity.
Tags: Important Days
Every Year 24th December is observed as National Consumer Day in India.
Important facts
Background of the day
Tags: Sports Person in news
Arunachal Pradesh's 7 year old Geto Sora has won the Top Arena Junior International Badminton Championship title in the below 9 years category. He won the Championship title after beating Malaysian Jaryl Teh in the final played at Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on 23 December 2022.
The Top Arena Junior International Badminton Championship was held in Kuala Lumpur from 19-23 December 2022.
This is Sora’s second international badminton title in two months.
In November, the 7-year-old Sora had won the U-9 boys singles titles in the BTY-Yonex-Singha Championship, which was held at the Banthongyord Badminton School in Bangkok, Thailand.
Sora has also won gold in the PNB MetLife Junior Badminton Championship which was held in Guwahati, Assam in 2020.
Tags: Government Schemes National News
The government on 23 December decided to provide free foodgrains to 81.35 crore people for one year under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) at an estimated cost of Rs 2 lakh crore. It will be implemented from 1 January 2023.
Important facts
About PMGKAY
Objective of the scheme
National Food Security (NFS) Act, 2013
Tags: Sports Popular Sports News
India's badminton star PV Sindhu is the only Indian sportsperson to feature in the top 25 of Forbes' annual list of the world's highest-paid female athletes.
Important facts
List of 15 highest paid female athletes of the year
Tags: Economy/Finance
World Bank Group member International Financial Corporation (IFC) will provide a $400 million loan to India’s largest housing finance company, Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC).
HDFC will use around 75% of the loan amount ($300 million) to provide loans to the affordable green housing sectors in India.
Green Houses are built with sustainable, environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient, and recyclable resources. These houses are constructed in such a way that water, air, solar, and geothermal energy are optimally utilized, thus reducing energy waste. Affordable houses means that it will target Middle income groups.
According to the IFC “around 275 million people in India, which is 22 percent of the population, do not have access to adequate housing and rural housing shortage is twice that of urban areas.” The loan will support the government effort to provide Housing for All.
Mumbai based HDFC is the first specialized housing finance company in India. Incorporated in 1997, it provides finance to individuals and developers for the purchase, construction, development and repair of houses and commercial properties.
Current chairman: Deepak Parekh
International Finance Corporation
It is a part of the World Bank Group and was set up in 1956.
It does not provide loans to the government but invests in the private sector companies of the member countries. It invests in the shares and the debt instruments of private companies.
Headquarters: Washington DC, United States of America.
Director General: Makhtar Diop
Member Countries: 186
Tags: Festivals
The 10th Edition of the North East Festival began at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on December 23.
Important facts
Tags: Awards
Renowned researcher and Madras IIT Professor Pradeep Thalappil has bagged the VinFuture Prize 2022 instituted by the VinFuture Prize Council to honour breakthrough research projects on 22 December.
Important facts
About VinFuture Prize
Tags: Person in news International News
Sitiveni Rabuka became Fiji's prime minister on 24 December 2022 after a coalition of parties voted narrowly to install him as leader of the country. It also signals the end of the former Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama's 16 years in power. In the 55 member Parliament of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka secured 28 votes against Bainimarama's 27 votes.
Rabuka now heads a three-party coalition government consisting of his People's Alliance, the National Federation Party led by Biman Prasad and the Sodelpa Party, led by Viliame Gavoka.
Fiji will have three deputy prime ministers in Biman Prasad (finance), Viliame Gavoka (tourism), and Manoa Kamikamica (external trade) under the coalition arrangement.
Republic of Fiji
It is an archipelago of 300 islands and 500 islets in the South Pacific Ocean near New Zealand.
It gained Independence from Great Britain in 1970.
About two-fifths of the Fijian populations are Indins who were brought as indentured labourer by the British from North India to work in the sugar fields of Fiji.
English, Fijian, and Fijian Hindi are the official languages of the country.
The Parliament of Fiji is unicameral and consists of 55 members. The term of the Fijian parliament is of four years.
Capital of Fiji: Suva
Currency: Fijian Dollar
President: Jioji Konrote
Tags: Festivals National News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 75th Amrut Mahotsav of Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Rajkot Sansthan via video-conferencing on December 24.
Important facts
About Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Rajkot Sansthan
Tags: Person in news
US President Joe Biden on 23 December nominated Indian American Richard R Verma to a top diplomatic position in the US Department of State.
Important facts
Tags: Sports Sports News
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated the National level Kabaddi championship in Udupi in Karnataka on December 24.
Important fact
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