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All India Radio News Summary: 09 MARCH 2018

All India Radio News Summary: 09 MARCH 2018

  1. Supreme Court legalises passive euthanasia allowing terminally ill patients to die as per their ‘living will’.
  • In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court today allowed the ‘living will’ made by terminally-ill patients for passive euthanasia.
  • A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice on a petition seeking recognition of the ‘living will’, allowed passive euthanasia for patients with terminal-illness, with guidelines and procedures.
  • The bench also laid down guidelines as to who would execute the will and how the nod for passive euthanasia would be granted by the medical board.  
  • The top court said that directions and guidelines lay down by it and its directive shall remain in force till legislation is brought on the issue.
  • The ‘living will’ is a concept where a man or woman decides much in advance whether he or she wants to be kept on life support or vegetative condition, in case of a terminal illness.

 

  1. India has expressed support for Afghanistan government’s offer to Taliban to participate in peace process without preconditions
  • During an open debate on Afghanistan, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations told the UN Security Council that  the efforts of the Afghan government calling on the armed groups to cease violence and join the national peace and reconciliation process deserves full support.
  • Afghan national unity government recently once again issued a new call for peace, and has proposed a concrete approach to the Taliban to join the main stream.
  • India hopes that the Council will better utilize the range of tools available to it to deal with the trans-national networks of drugs, terrorism and crime.

 

  1. Prime Minister inaugurated a two-day National Legislators Conference
  • The Conference aims at providing a platform to Members of Parliament, Legislative Assemblies and Legislative Councils across the country to share their experiences and to develop a perspective on developmental issues in the light of sustainable development Goals.
  • The Conference will also offer special opportunity to the delegates whose constituencies have greater possibilities and aspirations of development.  
  • Union Ministers, Chief Ministers and Presiding Officers of State Legislatures will also attend the function. 

 

  1. Prime Minister and visiting French President Emmanuel Macron hold delegation level talks

During the talks both the leaders are expected to review the progress achieved in bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

  • The visit aims at strengthening the bilateral economic, political and strategic dimension of engagement between the two countries.
  • Besides, the visit is also aimed at forging not only strong manufacturing and technology partnerships, but also greater people to people contacts.
  • The India-France CEO’s Forum will also take place during the visit.
  • The bilateral trade between India and France from April 2016 to March 2017 reached 10.95 billion dollars.
  • France is the 9th largest foreign investor in India with a cumulative investment of over 6 billion dollars from April 2000 to October 2017.
  • The founding conference of the International Solar Alliance will be held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

 

  1. Over one crore tax payers have registered under the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which was rolled out from 1st of July last year.
  • The GST has subsumed over a dozen local taxes, including Excise Duty, Service Tax and VAT.
  • About one crore four lakh taxpayers have registered under the GST as on 2nd March this year.
  • This includes over 64 lakh taxpayers who had migrated from the erstwhile tax regimes and around 40 lakh who had taken new registration.

 

  1. Cleanliness and hygiene are the basic conditions for a leading nation – President
  • After receiving the first copy of the book “Fulfilling Bapu’s Dreams – Prime Minister Modi’s Tribute to Gandhiji”, President said that this book underscores an important aspect of India’s developmental process linking sanitation with broad mass participation, making it a mass movement.
  • The President also said, the effort to connect the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi with nation-building comes at critical juncture in India’s development journey.