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ALIMCO signed ToT Agreement with Motivation Charitable Trust of U.K to Manufacture WHO compliant wheelchairs in India 

Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment signed the Transfer of Technology (ToT) and Consultancy Services agreement with U.K based Motivation Charitable Trust here today to be its partner in the field of manufacturing of Active wheelchairs in India. The agreement is a step forward in continuation to the MoU signed between the two firms in April last year. The ceremony accomplished in the presence of Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri N. S Kang, Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disablities (Divyangjan), M/o SJ&E and Smt. Latha Krishna Rao, Secretary, MoSJ&E. The MoU was signed by Shri D R Sarin, CMD, ALIMCO and Mr. Richard Frost, Chief Executive Officer, M/s Motivation Trust, U.K.
●    ALIMCO bought 140 products from Motivation for User Trial. The purpose was to reaffirm the quality & appropriateness of Motivation wheelchairs, tricycles & supportive seats in line with the WHO guidelines on wheelchair services.Further, Motivation to buy at least 20% of the quantity produced at ALIMCO at cost price minus the royalty charges.
●    As per agreement Motivation will train the personnel of ALIMCO who in turn will train the ALIMCO persons. Motivation to deploy 05 supervisors at different locations as decided by ALIMCO all over the country to supervise the services rendered at different camps organised across the country.
●    Technology Transfer will enable ALIMCO to produce and provide cost effective and affordable Wheel chairs to PwDs through its wide spread national network across the country. Production of technologically advanced Wheel chairs will improve the independence and mobility of PwDs from all sections of society in the country. 
●    The agreement is seen as step to gradually decrease the dependency of import of the products from China and to promote the products made at ALIMCO under the ‘Make In India’ initiative.

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Centre to set up single tribunal to decide inter-state water disputes

The Union government has taken the call of setting up a single committee to hear all the inter-state river water disputes.
●    The government has proposed the creation of one permanent Tribunal. It will be chaired by a retired judge of the Supreme Court.
●    In comparison to earlier tribunals that took very long to deliver the final verdict, this tribunal will be expected to deliver its verdict within three years.
●    Apart from this, the government has also proposed to set up a Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) comprising experts and policy makers. 
●    The DRC will be expected to handle the water disputes before they go to the Tribunal. 
●    The DRC will be formed by the centre at the request of a state. Most disputes will be expected to be solved at the DRC level itself.

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Lanura becomes first village to go cashless in J&K

Lanura, a village in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), became the first village in the state to go cashless.
●    Lanura village is located some 30 kilometres away from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. The village falls in Panchayat Bugroo-B in block Khansahab of the district.
●    Budgam was created as a district of the state in 1979.
●    Prior to its creation, it was part of Srinagar district, before that Budgam was a part of Baramulla district when Srinagar itself was a constituent of the Anantnag district.
●    It is one of the districts in Kashmir with a majority Muslim Shiite population.
●    According to the 2011 census, Badgam district has a population of 735753, roughly equal to the US state of Alaska or the nation of Guyana.
●    It had a sex ratio of 883 females for every 1000 males.


 

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Prime Minister to lay foundation of first ever Indian Institute of Skills in India at Kanpur Tomorrow 

In line with his vision of making India the Skill Capital of the World by empowering its youth to be more employable and self-sustainable, Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of the first ever “Indian Institute of Skills” in the country at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The Institute has been conceptualized by Shri Narendra Modi during his visit to Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education. 
●    Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in partnership with the Institute of Technical Education, Singapore has decided to open an institute first ever of its kind in the country, the institute is inspired by the Singapore model of training and would adopt various best practices from the country. The Ministry has decided to have six such institutes 
●    The event is being organized in the presence of Governor of Uttar Pradesh Shri Ram Naik, Union Minister of State(I/C) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister of Panchayati Raj, Uttar Pradesh Shri Ram Govind Chaudhary and MPs Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and Shri Bhole Singh. 
●    MSDE also has plans to felicitate skilled candidates who have been trained under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (RPL) in Kanpur where the Hon’ble Prime Minister himself will distribute skill certificates to Street Food Vendors, Leather industry Workers under the recognition of prior learning program of the government. 
●    This program helps in assessment of the existing work experience of a person and certifies him on his current skill-set basis the National Skill Qualification Framework approved by both the industry and the government of India. 

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Majuli to become India's first ever carbon neutral district

Assam’s island district, Majuli will now become India's first ever Carbon neutral district by 2020.
●    The project titled ‘'Sustainable Action for Climate Resilient Development in Majuli' was launched by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, A K Johari on 14 December 2016. 
●    It was initiated by Assam’s department of Environment and Forest to fight against climate change and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
●    District is located towards the east of Assam’s largest city – Guwahati. 
●    District was formed due to change in the course of Brahmaputra and its tributaries. 
●    The sole mode of transportation that connects the district to the mainland is ferry service. 
●    Over the period, the district has modernised, especially with the setting up of medical centres and educational institutions.
●    Carbon neutrality refers to achieving net zero carbon footprint by removing as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as the amount released into it.


 

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Rio de Janeiro accorded UNESCO World Heritage Status

The UN cultural body UNESCO has accorded world heritage status to Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.  
●    It has been registered as “Carioca Landscapes between Mountain and Sea” on the UNESCO world heritage list. 
●    Rio de Janeiro has been accorded this status in recognition of its extraordinary fusion of manmade and natural beauty, soaring granite cliffs, urban rainforest and beaches. 
●    It also had hosted 2014 football World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics. 
●    The UNESCO status to Rio de Janeiro was announced in 2012. 
●    The UNESCO World Heritage Sites are sites having special cultural or physical significance. 
●    The list is maintained by international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. 

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Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana launched

Union Government on 15 December 2016 launched Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojana to promote digital payments in the country. 
●    These schemes are aimed at increasing the overall transparency in the economy and removing the influence of cash on the political and economic system.
●    Under these schemes, government will be giving cash awards to consumers and merchants who utilize digital payment instruments for personal consumption expenditures. 
●    The National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) will be the implementing agency of these schemes. 
●    The primary aim of these schemes is to incentivize digital transactions so that electronic payments are adopted by all sections of the society, especially the poor and the middle class. 
●    It has been designed keeping in mind all sections of the society and their usage patterns.
●    The schemes will become operational with the first draw on 25 December 2016 and will lead up to a Mega Draw on Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti on 14 April 2017. 


 

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Minister of Railways launch the Campaign “Innovation Challenges for Indian Railways” 

In order to call for innovative ideas from all citizens/ sections of the country, the Minister of Railways, Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu in a programme held today i.e. on 14.12.2016 at Rail Bhawan launched a campaign innovation challenges for Indian Railways in line with his Budget Announcement 2016-17.  Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain was especially present on the occasion. Chairman, Railway Board, Shri A. K. Mital, Member Traffic, Railway Board Mohd. Jamshed, other Railway Board Members and senior officials were also present on the occasion at Rail Bhawan.         
●    Hon’ble Prime Minister had launched Innovation Challenge at Rail Vikas Shivir, Surajkund on 20.11.2016. The Challenge is open to all Indian Resident Nationals and Companies/Institutions. 
●    The following five challenges are aimed at promoting innovation in our country by focusing on specific problems being faced by Indian Railways: 
●    Innovation Challenge for ‘Design of Wagons for efficient loading and transportation of new commodities’.
●    Innovation Challenge for ‘Easy Accessibility to Trains from Low Level Platforms’.
●    Innovation Challenge for ‘New Idea/ Suggestion to improve the working of Indian Railways’.
●    Innovation Challenge for ‘Increasing Passenger Carrying Capacity of Coaches of Indian Railways’.
●    Innovation Challenge for Developing New Digital Capabilities at the Stations of Indian Railways’.
 


 

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6 Airports start trial to drop baggage tags

The week-long trial of doing away with the stamping of baggage tags at the Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Ahmedabad airports started.
●    But international passengers flying out of these airports need to get handbags stamped, a senior official of the Civil Aviation Ministry said.
●    The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had initiated a project, in collaboration with the Hyderabad International Airport Limited and the Central Industrial Security Force, for doing away with the stamping of baggage tags in one of the lanes at the Hyderabad airport.
●    After its successful completion, the BCAS has advised to do away with the stamping of hand baggage tags for hassle-free movement of passengers.
●    After the BCAS goes through the outcome of the exercise, the practice will be extended to other airports.
●    The Ministry said high-resolution CCTV cameras and other “appropriate technologies” were used by the airport operators to strengthen baggage screening. 
●    Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju called it a “progressive step” and said it would bring down the time spent at the airports.

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Centre Announces Notification of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2016 

The Government has issued the notification for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2016 here today.  
●    In an interaction with media persons here today, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) in Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Anil Madhav Dave said that this is meant to regulate pet shops.  
●    It will be mandatory for all pet shop owners to register themselves with the State Animal Welfare Board of the respective State Governments/Union Territories.
●    Such shops will be registered only after inspection by the representatives of State Board, a veterinary practitioner and a representative of Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
●    The rules define space requirement for birds, cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pig, hamster, rats and mice in the pet shops.
●    It defines the basic amenities, power back-up, general care, veterinary care and other operational requirement for animals kept in pet shops.
●    It is mandatory to maintain proper records of sale, purchase, death of animals in pet shop, sick animals etc.
●    Every pet shop owner is required to submit yearly report to the State Board regarding animals, sold, traded, bartered, brokered, given away, boarded or exhibited during previous year, or any other information asked for by the State Board.

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