Indian Affairs, October 1st, 2018, Current Affairs PDF Download

INDIAN AFFAIRS

President gives assent to Karnataka’s 2016 Good Samaritan Bill
On October 1, 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to Karnataka Good Samaritan and Medical Professional (Protection and Regulation during Emergency Situations) Bill, 2016.
i. This bill aims to provide legal protection to the good samaritans in the state, who help accident victims with emergency medical care in the golden hour.
ii. In medical term the ‘golden hour’ is the first hour after a traumatic injury when emergency treatment is very crucial.
iii. Also, a proposed ‘Good Samaritan Fund’ has been set up for the help of the Samaritans with the expenses for attendance in courts and police stations by them.
iv. Karnataka has become the first state in the country to give legal protection to good samaritans.

Karnataka:
♦ Chief Minister: H D Kumaraswamy.
♦ Governor: Shri Vajubhai Vala.
♦ National parks: Anshi National Park, Bandipur National Park, Bannerghatta National Park, Kudremukh National Park, Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarhole) National Park.

SATAT initiative to promote Compressed Bio-Gas as an alternative, green transport fuel launched by Petroleum Minister
On October 1, 2018, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative.

Objective:
To boost availability of more affordable transport fuels with better usage of agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste.

Key Points:
i. It was launched as a part of Swachhta Hi Seva movement.
ii. During this launch, the PSU Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs ,i.e. IOC, BPCL and HPCL) invited xpression of Interest (EoI) from potential entrepreneurs to set up Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) production plant.
iii. These plants would provide available CBG for use in  automotive fuels.
iv. This practice of using bio gas as a fuel would help provide an additional revenue source to farmers and  vehicle-users.
v. It would also help reduce polluted urban air due to farm stubble-burning and carbon emissions.

Other News:
i. According to National Policy on Biofuels 2018, 5,000 Compressed Bio-Gas plants across India will be rolled out in a phased manner:

• 250 plants by the year 2020,
• 1,000 plants by 2022 and
• 5,000 plants by 2025.

ii. These project will have an investment of around one lakh 75 thousand crore rupees. 

Background:
The 1,500-strong CNG stations network in the country currently serves about 32 lakh gas-based vehicles. The Working Group on Biofuels, set up under the National Policy on Biofuels 2018, is in the process of finalising a pan-India pricing model for Compressed Bio-Gas.

1st installment of Rs 122 crore to rain & snowfall-hit Himachal Pradesh for immediate rehabilitation: Centre
On September 29, 2018, the Central government released the 1^st installment amounting Rs. 122 crore to the Himachal Pradesh  government.

Objective:
For rehabilitation measures due to heavy rain and snowfall.

Key Points:
Himachal Pradesh suffered a loss of around 1,500 crores during the current monsoon season.

Himachal Pradesh:
♦ Capital: Shimla.
♦ Chief Minister: Jai Ram Thakur.
♦ Governor: Acharya  Devvrat.
♦ National Parks: Great Himalayan National Park, Pin Valley National Park.