[CA] May 01, 2020 Headlines

MAY 01, 2020
CAUVERY WATER MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY BROUGHT UNDER JAL SHAKTI MINISTRY    The central government has brought the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) under the Jal Shakti Ministry, which was earlier under the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. This decision is a formality of business allotment, which means that the authority must report to the Ministry of Jal Shakti. The move will have no impact on the independent nature of the functioning of the authority. Water management authorities of other rivers have also been brought under the ministry, which was earlier under the same ministry as CWMA. [Click for more details] USAID GRANTS 3 MN USD TO INDIA The United States Agency of International Development (USAID), one of the leading aid agency of the government of United States has announced an additional grant of 3 million USD in addition to the 2.9 million USD announced on April 06, 2020 to help India to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The Funds are provided to the innovative financing platform, Partnerships for Affordable Healthcare Access and Longevity (PAHAL) project. MANIPURI DOCTOR RECEIVES HONOUR FROM JAPAN Thangjam Dhabali Singh, Manipuri allopathic doctor, was conferred with “Order of Rising Sun- Gold and Silver Rays” by the Japan government for promoting a better understanding of Japan in India and deepening ties between 2 countries. The ”Order of the Rising Sun” is conferred on persons with achievements in international relations, promotion of Japanese culture, environmental preservation, welfare or achievements in their fields. [Click for more details] T. S. TIRUMURTI T S Tirumurti an Indian Foreign Service officer of 1985 currently serving as the Secretary, Economic Relations in the Ministry of External Affairs was appointed as the permanent representative of India to the United Nations (UN) at New York, succeeding Syed Akbaruddin following his retirement. [Click for more details] RUSSIAN PM TESTED +VE FOR CORONA Russian Prime Minister, Mr. Mikhail Mishustin said that he has tested positive for coronavirus. He  was made the Prime Minister in January this year and he has been actively involved in the country's battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.	NATIONAL INFRA PIPELINE (NIP) The task force on National Infra Pipeline (NIP) chaired by economic affairs secretary Atanu Chakraborty submitted its Final Report on NIP for FY 2019-25 to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The report highlighted policy deficits and challenges in India’s infrastructure sector and recommended reforms to scale up investment in the sector. CHHATTISGARH TOPS IN PROVIDING JOBS UNDER MGNREGS Chhattisgarh is 1st in the state to provide employment to over 18 (18.51) lakh unskilled labourers, followed by  Rajasthan (2nd) to 10.79 lakh workers & Uttar Pradesh (3rd) to around 9.06 lakh workers  under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).  [Click for more details] BUDGET TRANSPERANCY: INDIA AT 53rd PLACE According to the 7th edition of ‘Open Budget Survey 2019’ conducted by International Budget Partnership (IBP), India has been ranked at 53rd position among 117 nations in terms of budget transparency and accountability with the score of 49 out of 100. New Zealand has been topped the list with a score of 87. KOVILPATTI SWEET GETS GI TAG After a five year wait, Kovilpatti kadalai mittai (chikki or sweet made of peanuts and jaggery) has finally got geographical indication (GI) tag. Kovilpatti is in Thoothukudi District of Tamil Nadu. GI tags are granted for produce or products originating from and having unique qualities corresponding to a geographical area. The tag gives exclusive right to its holders over the uniqueness of the product. Darjeeling Tea (West Bengal) was the first product in India to get GI tag and Salem Fabric was the first product from Tamil Nadu to receive GI tag. RISHI KAPOOR Hindi film actor Rishi Kapoor (67 years) passed away in Mumbai due to leukaemia. Rishi Kapoor did almost 150 films over five decades. His father (Raj Kapoor), grandfather (Prithviraj Kapoor) also film actors and his son (Ranbir Kapoor) also a film star. S. KRISHNAN PANEL The expert panel chaired by Finance Secretary S Krishnan, which held two meetings with industry members recently, has submitted a detailed 50-page report to the government of Tamil Nadu on reopening of industries after the lockdown period.
Prepared by K. M. Senthil Kumar