All India Radio News Summary: 16 SEPTEMBER 2017
- The Government has lifted the ban on the export of Tur, Urad and Moong after a gap of 10 years
The Government has lifted the ban on the export of Tur, Urad and Moong Dal after a gap of 10 years.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade said, the decision will help farmers get remunerative prices and encourage them to expand the sowing area in the coming season.
- The export can be undertaken after taking permission from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.
- The Directorate General of Foreign Trade says the step will also potentially open up greater investments in the agro sector.
- The notification said, exports should be made through customs electronic data interchange ports.
- The exports through Bangladesh and Nepal border will be allowed subject to registration of quantity with the DGFT.
India’s pulses production has touched a record of 22.4 million ton in 2016-17 crop years as against 16.35 million ton in the previous year on account of encouragement from the government.
- India’s exports have recorded a double digit growth of 10.29 per cent during August
India’s exports have recorded a double digit growth of 10.29 per cent during August this year mainly on account of rise in shipments of chemicals, petroleum and engineering products.
- According to the data released by the Commerce Ministry, India exported goods worth 23.8 billion US dollars in August this year as against 21.5 billion dollars in the same period last year.
- Exports grew 8 percent in May and 4.39 percent in June.
- The growth came even as exporters complained over the refund mechanism under Goods and Services Tax (GST), saying it is affecting the outbound shipments.
- Imports also rose by 21.02 per cent to 35.4 billion dollars in August from 29.3 billion dollars in the corresponding period last year.
- However, the trade deficit widened to 11.64 billion dollars in the month under review from 7.7 billion dollars in August 2016.
- The Group of Ministers was set up to look into the technical issues faced by GST Network
The Group of Ministers, set up to look into the technical issues faced by GST Network, will hold its first meeting in Bengaluru today. The GST Council, the highest decision-making body of the new tax regime, had decided to form a five-member panel on Saturday. It is headed by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister.
- GST Network is the information technology backbone and the portal for real-time taxpayer registration, migration, and tax return filing under the GST.
- The Group of Ministers comprising, Finance Minister’s from Telangana and Kerala, Chhatishgarh commercial tax minister and Karnataka agricultural Minister as members will meet in Bengaluru today to listen to problems faced during the process of GST taxation.
- The portal used for the purpose had encountered technical issues due to which dead line for filling of returns was extended by the GST Council.
- The traders body and technical personnel will take part in the meeting
- The Group of Ministers (GoM) working on resolving IT related issues pertaining to GST have appealed to tax payers not to wait till the last date to file their returns.
- The GoM will meet every 15 days and resolve 80 per cent of the glitches by 30th of next month. He informed that 85 lakh dealers in the country have registered under GST and a time frame is fixed to resolve procedural issues in filing GST returns.
- The group of Ministers has consulted IT solution vendors, tax consultants and experts, commercial tax officials, bankers and big companies to flag the issues coming in the way of smooth filing of GST returns.
- The legislators have to play an important role to ensure that fruits of development reach the poorest of the poor.
Vice President has said, the legislators have to play an important role to ensure that fruits of development reach the poorest of the poor.
- VP was addressing a delegation of the Asian Population and Development Association.
- He said, population control, poverty alleviation and environmental protection were the key issues for the growth of any country, and reiterated India’s stand on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Vice President has emphasized the need for empowering women in economic, social and political fields and to make them as partners in nation building.
- He laid foundation stone for the construction of Regional Vocational Training Institute – RTVI in Hyderabad today
- he said the major challenge is to increase the women’s participation in the country’s labour for faster economic growth.
- He felt that successive governments since independence have been trying to correct the distortion and change the mind set of people by according equal importance to boys and girls in all matters.
- He said, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme is a step in the direction of educating and empowering the girl child.
- The Vice President stated that the studies have shown the increasing women and girl’s education contributes to higher economic growth.
- The UNSC has strongly condemned North Korea’s recent launch of a ballistic missile
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has strongly condemned North Korea’s recent launch of a ballistic missile that flew over Japan. The Council said this in a unanimous statement which was backed by China.
- The Security Council emphasized the vital importance of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea immediately showing sincere commitment to denuclearization through concrete action, and stressed the importance of working to reduce tension on the Korean Peninsula; the Council reiterates importance of maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia at large.
North Korea yesterday launched its longest-ever test flight of a ballistic missile from Sunan, the location of Pyongyang’s international airport. The launch was carried out just three weeks after a first missile flew over Japan and less than two weeks after North Korea’s sixth and biggest nuclear test.
- International Day for the preservation of the Ozone Layer is being observed today
International Day for the preservation of the Ozone Layer is being observed today. The day marks the commemoration of the date of signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 on substances that deplete the Ozone layer.
- This year, the theme is ‘Caring for all life under the sun’.
- The Ozone layer is a fragile shield of gas which protects the Earth from the harmful ultraviolet radiation of the sun and thus helping preserve life on the planet.
- Substances like Chlorofluorocarbons, halons, Carbontetrachloride are responsible for ozone layer depletion.
- The principal aim of Montreal Protocol is to protect the ozone layer by taking measures to control total consumption of these chemicals.
- It requires the control of nearly 100 chemicals in several categories. For each group of chemicals the treaty set out a time table for the phase out of production and consumption of those substances.
- Environment and Forest Minister has stressed the need for preservation of the Ozone Layer and mother earth.
- He urged the people to think what they will leave for future generation and start working for preservation of natural resources from today.
- He said entire world is looking towards India on the issue of climate change.
- The Minister said only awareness and agreements will not work in this direction and there is need for positive action at ground level for the preservation of the Ozone Layer.
- Updates regarding Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
- Andhra Pradesh government has embarked on an ambitious programme of constructing over 5 lakh houses for urban poor in the state under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
- Out of them, 2 lakh and 25 thousands houses are coming up in Vijayawada alone.
- AP Township and Infrastructure Development Corporation is chosen as the nodal agency for construction of these houses.
- The government has chosen sheer wall technology to ensure high quality in the construction.
- Both central and state governments will provide a loan of one and half lakhs to the beneficiaries of the houses.
- India has hit back at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, for raking up the Kashmir issue at the UN
India has hit back at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC, for raking up the Kashmir issue at the UN, saying the grouping has no ‘locus standi’, the right or capacity, to comment on New Delhi’s internal affairs.
- In a strong reaction to a statement made by Pakistan on behalf of the OIC at the UN, India advised the organisation to refrain from making such references in future.
- India’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva said, India notes with utmost regret that the OIC statement contains factually incorrect and misleading references to Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral and inseparable part of India.
Speaking on behalf of the OIC, Pakistan had criticized India on the Kashmir issue. The OIC is a 57-nation grouping which claims to be the collected voice of Muslims across the world.
- Yudh Abhyas – 2017
A joint military exercise between Indian and US armies,Yudh Abhyas – 2017, commenced this morning at the Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington, with a brief and impressive opening ceremony.
- United States contingent was represented by Company of 5th Infantry Battalion from 20 Infantry Regiment of the US Army while the Indian side was represented by soldiers of Gorkha Rifles from the Surya Command.
- During the two-week long exercise soldiers from both countries will hone their tactical skills in counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations under a joint brigade headquarter.
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli Wildlife Sanctuary.
Supreme Court has expressed surprise over the Centre’s decision to reduce the radius of eco-sensitive zones from 10 kilometres to 100 metres.
- The court said, the decision appears to be a complete arbitrary exercise of powers, capable of destroying national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
- The Apex court’s remarks came in a case challenging the environmental clearance given to an industrial unit located within the 10-kilometre radius of Dadra and Nagar Haveli Wildlife Sanctuary.
Earlier, the National Green Tribunal in 2013 had banned construction and halted 49 residential projects being built within a 10-kilometre radius of Okhla Bird Sanctuary situated in Gautam Buddh Nagar district on Delhi-UP border.
