Important Current Affairs 31st December 2018

National

Government to appoint Committee to monitor DFI implementation 
The government will soon be appointing a committee to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the Doubling Farmers’ Income (DFI) committee. This committee will oversee the implementations of various recommendations and have specific terms of reference.
Together with supervising and monitoring, it will even handhold those involved in implementing the recommendations.
Committee on Doubling Farmers Income (DFI)
The government had appointed an expert committee headed by Ashok Dalwai in 2016 to look into the entire agriculture ecosystem in the country to suggest ways and means to reform it so that farmers’ income can be doubled by 2022.

Delhi Police becomes first police force in India to digitise all malkhanas
With the launch of ‘E-Malkhana’ in the remaining 10 districts at Chinamaya Mission, the Delhi Police has become first in country to have digitalised malkhana in Police Stations of its all districts. Malkhanas are rooms for keeping seized arms and ammunition. According to the release, around 3,11,600 case properties have been encrypted in digital form across all the police stations in the state.

PM releases commemorative stamp on Maharaja Suheldev 
PM Narendra Modi released a commemorative stamp on Maharaja Suheldev. He described Maharaja Suheldev as a brave warrior and a hero who inspires the people and said that the Union Government is determined to preserve the legacy of all those who contributed to the cause of India’s defence and security, and to its social life.
Legacy of Maharaja Suheldev
Maharaja Suheldev is a semi-legendary king whose references are found somewhere between the boundary of fiction and history.

Khushi Scheme of Odisha 
Khushi scheme of Odisha aims to provide good menstrual hygiene care to women of the state. The initiative aims to promote health and hygiene among school going adolescent girls leading to higher retention in school and greater empowerment of women.
About the Initiative
Under the scheme, the government will provide free sanitary napkins to 17 lakh girls studying in Classes 6 to 12 in government and government-aided schools. The scheme is being implemented by the health and family welfare department of the state at a cost of Rs 70 crore per year.

Ujjwala Sanitary Napkin initiative 
The oil marketing companies have launched Ujjwala Sanitary Napkin Initiative, as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Odisha.
According to the data from the National Family Health Survey-4, overall use of sanitary napkins in Odisha is 33.5 per cent and only 42.8 per cent of rural women between the age of 15 and 24 years use proper hygienic methods of protection during menstruation. The oil companies came up with this initiative keeping this scenario in mind.

PM launches comprehensive pension management software SAMPANN 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 29th December launched a comprehensive pension management software SAMPANN to facilitate pensioners of the telecom department. SAMPANN, an acronym for System for Accounting and Management of Pension, will help in the timely disbursement of pensions, he said at a public meeting in Varanasi. PM Modi said the Centre is using technology to improve ease of living and greater ease of access to citizen-centric services.
 

Obituary

Noted filmmaker Mrinal Sen passes away
Legendary filmmaker Mrinal Sen passed away at the age of 95 in Kolkata this morning. A Padma Bhushan and Dada Saheb Phalke awardee, Sen paved the way for parallel cinema in the country with films like Ek Din Achanak, Padatik, Mrigaya, Akaler Sandhane, Chorus, Kharij, Khandahar, Bhuwan Shome, Akash Kusum and Calcutta 71.