Current Affairs: February 15, 2012

Uniform telecom license fee policy declared by the Government

• A uniform licence fee of 8% of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) across services and circles as compared to range of 6-8% now. Licence fee is a levy paid by all operators as the annual fee.
• At present, access service providers (Telecom companies) are charged a license fee of 10% in the Metros and category A areas, 8% in category B areas and 6% in category C areas.

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“White Label ATMs” now !

• For the growth of ATMs across the country, the Reserve Bank of India has given guidelines to allow non-banking entities to set up, own and operate money  dispensing machines.
• Such ATMs will be White Label Automated Teller Machines-WLAs and will provide ATM services to customers of all banks.

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End to Air India’s monopoly over exclusive rights on bilateral traffic

• The Civil Aviation Ministry decided to allow all scheduled Indian carriers including Air India to make use of allocated bilateral until they reach the utmost permissible limit under Air Service Agreement (ASA) with various countries.
• Allocation of the traffic rights to Indian Scheduled Carriers shall be done well in advance upto a maximum limit of five schedules with concern to their demands, their capacities and capabilities, operational plans and other relevant factors.
• Steps will be undertaken by the government for creation of traffic rights through ASAs with the countries where ASAs do not exists.

Pak postpones decision on switching to a negative list for trade with India

• The Pakistan’s cabinet postponed a key decision on switching to a negative list approach for trade with India from the present restrictive positive list
• Inability to take all stakeholders on board was cited as the official reason for deferring the decision.
• Pakistan to continue with the positive list approach and trade will continue to be restricted to 1,961 items

Govt aims to control open defecation in next decade

• The Rural Development Minister, Jairam Ramesh asserted that the Govt will focus more on sanitation in the 12th Five Year Plan.
• Under “Nirmal Gram Yojana”, around 10 million toilets will be made.
• The minister urged all stakeholders especially the Gram Panchayats for a greater participation in sanitation work in the country.

3 Member Panel to Examine “Justice Dharmadhikari Committee Report”

• 3 member committee formed by Ch. Ajit Singh, Minister of Civil Aviation to inspect the recommendations of “Justice Dharmadhikari Committee” on several  HR issues after the merger of the two national carriers Air India and Indian Airlines.
• The committee has been asked to give the schedule of implementation of the recommendations of Justice Dharmadhikari Committee.

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“Cent Vayushakti” – A special scheme by Central Bank of India

• Bank of India, the third largest public sector bank launched a special scheme CENT VAYUSHAKTI for promoting a defence salary package. 
• The scheme aims to provide high end range of banking facilities to the serving and retired Air Force personnel all over India.

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Joint Committee to be setup by India and Saudi Arabia

India and Saudi Arabia agree to set up a Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation. The decision to set up a committee was taken between the two countries in Riyadh.

The Committee will evolve plans for cooperation in the following areas

• Signing of an MoU on defence cooperation
• High level reciprocal visits at all levels- political, official and Services, ship visits and conducting Passage Exercises during such visits.
• Possibility of signing an MoU on cooperation in hydrography,
• Increased participation in training programmes on both sides and examine the possibility of cooperation in defence industries.
• The navies of the two countries could explore practical cooperation in the fight against piracy and an active role of the Royal Saudi Navy in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS).

Interest Subsidy Scheme for Housing the Urban Poor (ISHUP)

• ISHUP launched w.e.f. December 26, 2008
• The scheme was to be implemented in the 11^th Five Year Plan as on pilot basis. 
• The total plan outlay for the scheme was Rs.1,100 crores.
• Objective: To enable the access of urban poor to the long term institutional finance.
• Since June 2011, ISHUP has been dovetailed with the Government`s flagship Mission of Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) for a Slum free India.
• The innovative Interest Subsidy Scheme for Housing the Urban Poor (ISHUP) is being redrafted into two parts to be implemented in the 12^th Plan period:

1. Revised ISHUP Scheme
2. Rajiv Rin Yojana (RRY)

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Saakshar Bharat Yatra

• A nationwide mobilization campaign is being organized by National Literacy Mission during February-March 2012 in collaboration with a Non-Government Organisation: Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti for promotingSaakshar Bharat Programme. 
• A country wide jatha will be organized covering 22 States, 180 districts, 1000 blocks, over 16,000 panchayats.

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44th Session of Indian Labour Conference: Key Recommendations

• Minimum Wages Act Coverage for all Employments
• Raising The Wage Ceiling in the Employees Provident Fund, Enhancement of Pension Under Employees Pension Scheme 95, Portability of PF Account, Reduction in the Requirement of Minimum Continuous Service, Etc.
• Stress on Matching the Large Scale Skilling Targets with Creating Similar Number of Openings in the Area of Employment
• Maternity Leave Under the Maternity Benefit Act be Increased from the Present Level of 12 Weeks to 24 Weeks

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