Current Affairs May 6-7, 2015

Lok Sabha  passed GST Bill

Goods and Service Tax (GST) bill passed in the Lok Sabha. Aim of the new bill is to create uniform tax regime. The Constitution Amendment Bill to implement GST, originally mooted by the UPA, was passed by 352 votes against 37 after the government rejected the opposition demand of referring it to a standing committee.

GST, which is proposed to be implemented from April 1, 2016, will subsume excise, service tax, state VAT, entry tax, octroi and other state levies.  

Akash missile inducted in Indian Army

Akash missile system (Surface-to-air short range) inducted into the Indian Army. It is developed by the Defence Research Development Laboratory. It can evaluate and track danger and is capable of launching missile on the basis of information obtained by the radar systems. DRDO has been working on it since 1983. This missile has a range from 3 to 25 km. It has an altitude from as low as 30 metres going upto 20 kms. It flies several macs, upto 2.5 mac."

Rs.1700 crore has been provided under XII Plan for projects under Radiation Technologies and their applications

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has developed and deployed technologies to use atomic energy in the areas of electricity generation, nuclear agriculture, food preservation, healthcare, isotope hydrology, research, development and deployment in areas pertaining to national security, etc. Ionizing radiation has been used to induce mutations in plant breeding to develop new crop varieties having better yield, stress resistance and early maturity.
An outlay of approximately Rs.1700 crore has been provided under XII Plan for projects under Radiation Technologies and their applications.
This information was given by MoS in the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, PG & Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha.

PM Modi joins Chinese social media Weibo

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has joined Chinese social media platform Weibo. Weibo is often referred to as Twitter of China.  PM Modi has joined Chinese social media platform just weeks before his scheduled visit to the country.

Real estate bill sent to select committee of Rajya Sabha

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is set to send the real estate bill to a select committee of the Rajya Sabha.

The formation of the committee, comprising 20 members from all parties, was listed in the business for the day on Wednesday. The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2013, aimed at establishing a regulatory authority for the real estate sector, was deferred by the Rajya Sabha last week with opposition members insisting that it be sent to a select committee of the house.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated Pakistan’s first-ever solar energy project

The project is built with Chinese assistance, a step forward to provide relief to people in the country plagued by perpetual power shortages. Sharif inaugurated the 100 megawatt (MW) unit of Quaid-e -Azam Solar Park in Bhawalpur district of Punjab province.

India signed agreement with Iran

India signed an agreement with Iran for the development of the strategically important Chabahar port which will give India sea­land access route to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan.

India slipped to 140th rank in annual Global Mother's Index

India has slipped to 140th rank in an annual Global Mother's Index, analyzing the world's best places to be a mother. This Index measures countries on four indicators of moms’ wellbeing: risk of maternal death; underfive mortality rate; expected number of years of formal schooling; the gross national income per capita and participation of women in government. In 2014, India was 137th out of 178 countries in the global mother’s index.

  

Source: The Hindu, PIB