Daily Current Affairs, 23rd February 2018

1)  Parivartan Scheme Launched In Haryana

•The Haryana government launched Parivartan, a scheme designed to address 10 issues, including cleanliness and pollution, in 46 developmental blocks of the state. The scheme was launched by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

•The 10 issues include facilitation of financing, making agriculture profitable and sustainable, improving health services, implementing Swachh Bharat, decongesting market areas, engaging the youth, checking air pollution, ensuring availability of identity-related services, effective policing, and ensuring road order and conduct.

2)  NER’s 1st Regional Centre For Agriculture With Israeli Collaboration To Be Inaugurated In Mizoram

•Israeli Ambassador to India, Mr Daniel Carmon has stated that a Centre for Agriculture, with the collaboration of Israeli expertise, is going to be inaugurated in Mizoram in March 2018. This will be the first such centre in the North East region (NER) of India that is being established with Israeli collaboration.

•It has been set up at a cost of Rs 8-10 crore. This Centre has been set up with the tripartite collaboration of India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of Israel and State Government of Mizoram and is exclusively for the processing of citrus fruits.

3)  Manohar Parrikar Presents Rs 17,123-Crore Goa Budget

•Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar presented in the state assembly Rs. 17,123-crore budget for 2018-19,an increase of 6.84% over the ongoing fiscal.

•The Budget focuses on education and job creation.

4)  Asian Development Bank And India Sign $84 Million Loan For Water Supply In Bihar

•The Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $84 million loan for improvement and expansion of water supply in Bhagalpur and Gaya towns in Bihar. The tranche 2 loan is part of the $200 million multi-tranche financing facility (MFF) for the Bihar Urban Development Investment Program that was approved by ADB in 2012.

•The loan will have a 25-year term, including a grace period of 5 years, an annual interest rate determined in accordance with ADB’s lending facility based on the London interbank offered rate (LIBOR), and a commitment charge of 0.15% per year.

5)  RBI Sets Up Committee Under YH Malegam To Monitor Bad Loans

•Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted an expert committee under the chairmanship of YH Malegam to look into a range of issues relating to classification of bad loans, rising incidents of frauds and effectiveness of audits.

•Y H Malegam is a former member of the Central Board of Directors of RBI. A K Misra – Executive Director of RBI will be the Member-Secretary of the committee.

6)  IIndia Signs MoU With Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC)

•An MoU between the Government of India and Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) was signed in New Delhi. The agreement was signed to usher the “programme based research support” in addressing current and future global and local developmental challenges.

•IDRC has funded 551 research activities worth CA$159 million in India through institutions, researchers and NGOs. During the last five years (2012-17), 96 research projects worth CA$ 51 million were funded by the IDRC in India.