India first time ranks among top ten in Climate Change Performance Index

Shankar School of Banking January 2 , 2020 423

NATIONAL NEWS

India for the first time ranks among the top ten in the Climate Change Performance Index, CCPI, which goes further to prove that all efforts and activities being currently undertaken by the government are setting a tone of vast improvements.
Government aims to increase the share of non-fossil fuels to 175 GigaWatt by 2022 and further take it to 450 GW.
Air pollution is one of the biggest global environmental challenges of today. A time bound national level strategy for pan India implementation to tackle the increasing air pollution problem in a comprehensive manner in the form of National Clean Air Programme was launched last year.
India is among few countries in the world where forest cover is consistently increasing.
The total forest and tree cover rises to over 24 percent of the total geographical area of the Country.

EC launches Political Parties Registration Tracking Management System

The Election Commission has launched a Political Parties Registration Tracking Management System to enable applicants to track the status of the applications.
The Commission had amended the guidelines for registration last month.
Under it, applicants, applying for the party registration from 1st of this month will be able to track the progress of applications and will get the status through SMS and e-mail.
An association seeking registration has to submit an application to the Commission within a period of 30 days from the date of its formation.

RBI launches mobile app for visually challenged to identify denomination of currency notes

Reserve Bank of India, RBI has launched a mobile app, MANI, Mobile Aided Note Identifier, to help visually challenged people to identify denomination of currency notes.
The app, which is available both on Android and iOS operating systems, was launched by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das.
RBI said that the visually challenged can identify the denomination of a note by using the application, which can also work offline once it is installed. Through the downloaded app, users can scan the notes using the camera. The audio output will give the result in Hindi and English.

TRAI amends new regulatory framework for cable & broadcasting services

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, TRAI has made amendments to the new regulatory framework for cable and broadcasting services with a view to protect the consumer interests. Under it, cable TV users will be able to access more channels at lower subion price.
The Authority has also capped at 160 rupees the amount consumers will have to pay monthly for all free to air channels.
Consumers have also highlighted huge charges taken by Distribution Platform Operators (DPOs) in the form of Network Capacity Fee -NCF for a multi-TV home.
The homes where more than one TV connection is working in the name of one person, it will charge maximum 40 per cent of declared NCF for second and additional TV connections.
Authority has also permitted DPOs to offer discounts on long term subions which is for 6 months or more. TRAI has also reduced the maximum NCF charge to 130 rupees excluding taxes for 200 channels.
It has also been decided that channels declared mandatory by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will not be counted in the number of channels in the NCF.
The Authority said that only those channels which have an MRP of 12 rupees or less will be permitted to be part of the bouquet offered by broadcasters.

The University of Agricultural Sciences in Bengaluru is all set to host the 107th Indian Science Congress.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will tomorrow inaugurate the conference to be attended by over 15,000 delegates including Nobel laureates, scientists, academicians, students, farmers among others.

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