ASSAM

 

• Govt policy to check food adulteration in State soon

 

• Taking serious note of food adulteration cases detected recently in Assam, the State government may frame a policy to check the menace.Sources said the policy would also have guidelines to prevent rampant use of toxic chemicals used by unscrupulous traders for ripening fruits which endangers human health. The Health Minister is likely to hold a review meeting with officials on the issue soon.
• Over the last few days, a special drive was launched in Guwahati, and some 400 bunches of banana and 40 quintals of mango which were ripened using calcium carbide were destroyed by the inspectors. At least six traders faced prosecution in Kamrup (Metro) district alone. Today, over two drums of substandard milk, which had high water content, were destroyed by an inspecting team at Hengrabari.

 

• Calcium carbide produces acetylene, a combustible gas with a distinctive odour, which is used as a raw material for producing several organic chemicals, as well as a fuel component in metal cutting and oxy-acetylene welding. Acetylene is also used in production of several plastics. Calcium carbide also contains arsenic and phosphorus, both of which can be fatal for human beings.

 

• The State government may promote use of ethylene to ripen fruits. Ethylene is a natural plant hormone which accelerates the normal process of fruit maturation

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL

 

• International ICT conference to be held in Nepal

 

• The Computer Association Nepal (CAN) is organizing an international-level ‘Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Conference-2018’ in Kathmandu on June 17-18.

 

• The objective of the conference is to exchange information on the improved practices of information technology.

 

• Various international experts will attend and present their working papers on the occasion.

 

• Experts from China, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and UNDP are participating in the two-day conference.

 

 

• World Day Against Child Labour: 12 June

 

• The World Day Against Child Labour, which is held every year on June 12, is intended to foster the worldwide movement against child labour in any of its forms.

 

• The International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations body that regulates the world of work, launched the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 in order to bring attention and join efforts to fight against child labour.

 

Previous Paper (PP) – UPSC IAS 2018

 

• International Labour Organization’s Conventions 138 and 182 are related to :

 

• Child labour
• Adaptation of agricultural practices to global climate change
• Regulation of food prices and food security

(d) Gender parity at the workplace

 

Answer – (A)

 

NATIONAL

 

• 3,000 Additional Atal Tinkering Labs Announced

 

• NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) has selected 3,000 additional schools for the establishment of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs), bringing the total number of ATL schools to 5,441.

 

• The selected schools shall receive a grant of Rs 20 lakh spread over the next five years to establish Atal Tinkering Labs for nurturing innovation and entrepreneurial spirit among secondary school children across India.

 

• ATLs will soon be established in every district of India, seeking to enable an innovation ecosystem, which will facilitate transformational change in technological innovation and pedagogy.

 

 

• India to host first BIMSTEC Military Exercise in September

 

• India will host the first military exercise of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) group focussing on counter-terrorism in September.

 

• As part of this, a conclave of the Army chiefs of all seven member-states is being planned.

 

• The exercise is scheduled to be held in Pune in the second week of September.

 

• BIMSTEC was set up in 1997 and includes India, Bangladesh, Bhutan Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

 

 

·        New Telecom Policy is expected to be cleared by Union Cabinet by end of next month: Communications Minister

 

• The government has recently issued the National Digital Communications Policy which aims at creating 40 lakh new jobs by 2022, attract investment of around 6.5 lakh crore rupees in the sector and ensuring broadband coverage at 50 mbps for every citizen.
• Briefing reporters in New Delhi on the achievements of his Ministry in the last four years,
• The telecom sector was in turmoil when the NDA government came to power and there was trust deficit among stakeholders.
• The last four year his Ministry has brought in transparency and good governance.

 

 

·        Union Government approves revision of carpet area of houses eligible for interest subsidy under PMAY (Urban)

 

 

• The Union Government approved a 33percentt increasein carpet area of houses eligible for interest subsidy under its affordable housing scheme Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) to attract more beneficiaries.
• The carpet area of a house has been enhanced to 160 square metres from 120 square metres for Middle Income Group-1, while it has been increased to 200 square metres from 150 square metres in case of Middle Income Group-2.
• AIR correspondent reports, the new rules will be effective from 1st of January, 2017, the date on which the scheme became operational.
• The enhancements will now enable more Middle Income Group customers to qualify for a subsidy and avail the benefits provided under the flagship mission of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban.
• Apart from increasing the number of beneficiaries, the enhancement in carpet area will increase the construction activity and will give a push to the housing sector.
• Under the Credit-Linked Subsidy Scheme, each beneficiary can avail subsidy up to two lakh 35 thousand on the purchase of a house under the scheme.

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