Daily Current Affairs (CNC) – June 7 , 2018

 

RELEVANT TOPICS IN TODAY’S NEWS

Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY) [ Relevance : Prelims, GS 3 ]

  • To address concerns about depleting groundwater reserves in India, the government has joined hands with the World Bank to execute a ₹6,000-crore scheme called the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY).
  • The scheme is to be implemented over a period of five years from 2018-19 to 2022-23, according to a statement from the Union water Ministry.
  • The Atal Bhujal Yojana “aims to improve ground water management in priority areas in the country through community participation,” the statement said. Priority areas
  • The priority areas identified under the scheme fall in Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, which represent about 25% of the total number of over-exploited, critical and semi-critical blocks in terms of groundwater in India.

Maternal Mortality Ratio [ Relevance : Prelims, GS 2 ]

  • Maternal mortality ratio in the country drops to 130 from 167.
  • Kerala has the lowest MMR of 46.
  • MMR is the number of maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births.
  • The latest evaluation has been done by Sample Registration System (SRS).
  • The SRS segments States into three groups: “Empowered Action Group” (EAG) — Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand and Assam; “Southern States” — Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu; and “Others” — the remaining States and union territories.
  • India has bettered the MDG target of 139 for 2014-2016.
  • Three States have already achieved the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal of MMR 70.

Peace Index [ Relevance : Prelims]

  • India’s rank marginally improves in peace index to 137.
  • Iceland was ranked the most peaceful country.
  • The Global Peace Index (GPI) is released by Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).
  • The best performer of South Asia, Bhutan, slipped from 13th to 19th position.
  • Syria remained the least peaceful country in the world, a position that it had held for the past five years.

Co-operative banks [ Relevance : Prelims ]

  • The Reserve Bank of India has decided to allow urban co-operative banks (UCB) to convert into small finance banks (SFB), a move aimed at bringing these entities into mainstream banking.
  • UCBs had been facing financial trouble till a few years ago, prompting the RBI to stop issuing fresh licences. But their performance has improved recently while their numbers have come down due to mergers and closures.
  • UCBs currently face regulation by both the RBI and the respective State governments.
  • By turning into SFBs, they will be regulated only by the RBI.

Baba Kalyani [ Relevance : Prelims, GS 3 ]

  • Baba Kalyani heads group to study SEZ Policy
  • The SEZ Policy was implemented from 01st April, 2000.
  • Subsequently the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005 was passed by Parliament in 2005.
  • The SEZ Act, 2005 came into effect in 2006.
  • The group will evaluate the SEZ policy, suggest measures to cater to the needs of exporters in the present economic scenario and make the SEZ policy WTO compatible, suggest course correction in SEZ policy, make comparative analysis of the SEZ scheme and dovetail the SEZ policy with other similar schemes.

Postage Stamp [ Relevance : Prelims ]

  • An agreement has been signed in connection with release of Joint Stamps between Department of Posts, India and Russia Post (Joint-Stock Company “MARKA” of Russian Federation) to establish postal cooperation.

IMPORTANT TERM/S IN NEWS EXPLAINED

Small Finance Banks ( SFBs) [ Relevance : Prelims]

  • They are banks that focus and serve the needs of a certain segment of the population.
  • Their main objective is to further financial inclusion by supply of credit to small business units; small and marginal farmers; micro and small industries; and other unorganised sector entities.
  • SFBs was recommended by the NachiketMor committee on financial inclusion.
  • The minimum paid-up equity capital for small finance banks shall be Rs. 100 crore.
  • There can be foreign shareholding in these banks.
  • SFBs have to maintain Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) as per RBI norms.

 

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