CHHATTISGARH
- C’garh approves 10,632 more affordable houses under pmay(u)
- Union Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has approved the construction 10,632 more affordable houses in Chhattisgarh for the benefit of urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) (Urban).
- A total of 1,12,213 more affordable houses for the benefit of urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) in the country.
- The approval was given in the 37th meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee in its meeting held in New Delhi recently.
- As reported by the Chhattisgarh Government, the number of people of weaker sections to whom houses were allotted under various schemes in Chhattisgarh during the last three years is 14,824
- Under the PMAY (U), as on July 30, 2018, total 1,76,752 houses have been approved for construction, 46,578 houses grounded for construction, 6,301 houses are completed and out of this, 5,171 houses are occupied in the State of Chhattisgarh.
- As per Census 2011, the number of homeless people in the State of Chhattisgarh is 6,533.
- As per the road map submitted by Chhattisgarh Government, total estimated demand under the PMAY (U) in the State is 3.69 Lakh.
- The projects approved under the PMAY (U) are being implemented by State Level Nodal Agency (SLNA) which is State Urban Development Authority (SUDA), Chhattisgarh through implementing agencies such as Urban Local Bodies, Chhattisgarh Housing Board and other Development Authorities etc.
- To achieve the goal of ‘Housing for All by 2022’, the Union the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has requested Chhattisgarh government to fast track the submission of project proposals to saturate State’s entire demand by end of 2018-19.
- In pursuance of the Central Government’s vision of “Housing for All by 2022”, MoHUA is implementing the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) PMAY (U) since June, 2015. It has been providing assistance to States/Union Territories (UTs) including the State of Chhattisgarh in addressing the housing requirements of slum dwellers and other urban poor.
INTERNATIONAL
· Scotland 1st country in the World to give students free sanitary products
- Scotland has become the world’s first country to provide freesanitary products to all students in a bid to tackle “period poverty”.
- Scottish government approved a £5.2 million ($6.7 million) initiative that will make sanitary products free at all schools, colleges and universities. Nearly 4 lakh pupils and students are expected to benefit from the Scottish government’s scheme.
- One UNESCO report estimates that one in 10 girls in sub-Saharan Africa miss 20 percent of the school year because of their period.
· Trump announces U.S.-Mexico new trade deal, replacing NAFTA
- S. President Donald Trumpannounced a new trade agreement with Mexico, which will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA).
- Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said his country wanted to incorporate NAFTA partner Canada into the new deal.
- The North American Free Trade Agreement is an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America.
- The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994.
NATIONAL
· Experts plan ‘highways’ for movement of butterflies
- A team of experts from Delhi University and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) is exploring if butterfly corridors could be developed crisscrossing the busy national capital by connecting the city’s green patches.
- These corridors or ‘butterfly highways’ would provide a safe passage for them to travel from one park or garden to another within the city. It would, in turn, help maintain a healthy gene pool, necessary for the survival of any species.
- Each butterfly species need a specific kind of nectar-producing flowering plant for food and host plant on which they could lay eggs and the caterpillars could grow.
- Neeraj Chopra wins India’s first javelin gold medal in Asian Games history
- Neeraj Chopra continued his impressive run in 2018 as he bagged gold in men’s javelin throw at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang.
- Chopra managed a personal best throw of 88.06 to win the top prize in javelin throw.
- This was also India’s first-ever gold medal in javelin throw at the Asian Games and the first medal in the sport since 1982, where India bagged bronze.
· Supreme Court clarified Second marriage is valid even if plea against divorce is pending
- Interpreting section 15 of Hindu Marriage Act, SC bench observed that restriction placed on the second marriage in Section 15 of the Act till the dismissal of an appeal would not apply to a case where parties have settled and decided not to pursue the matter.
- Section5(1) of the Hindu Marriage Act places a bar on marriage by a person who has a spouse living at the time of the marriage.
- Section 11makes such a marriage null and void.
- Section 15tells when a divorcee can marry again.
· Government approves commercial flying of drones in India from Dec 1
- The government announced that industries including real estate, power and agriculture will be able to legally fly remotely piloted aircraft or dronesin the country for commercial purposes from December 1, when the ‘Digital Sky‘ platform will become operative.
- The Digital Sky platform will be a first national unmanned traffic management platform that implements ‘no permission, no takeoff‘ for remotely piloted aircraft.
- Initially, drones will be allowed only along visual line-of-sight during day-time with a maximum altitude of 400 feet.
- The usage of drones for delivering goods and food items has been restricted.