Indian Affairs, December 22th, 2017, Current Affairs PDF Download

INDIAN AFFAIRS

MEA launches SAMEEP to take Indian foreign policy to students across the country

Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has launched Students and MEA Engagement Programme (SAMEEP), which aims to take Indian foreign policy and its global engagements to students in small towns and cities across India.

i. The objective behind this programme is not only to familiarise students about India’s foreign policy and functions of MEA but also to inspire them for considering diplomacy as a career option.

ii. MEA has also started an interactive program on social media called “ask the spokesperson”……………………………………

India-Switzerland sign agreement for automatic sharing of tax related information

In a bid to curb and trace black money stashed abroad, India Government has signed an agreement with Switzerland to allow automatic sharing of tax- related information.

i. This agreement was signed on December 21, 2017 and will be effective from January 1, 2018.

ii. It was signed by Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman, Sushil Chandra and Swiss Ambassador to India Andreas Baum.

iii. Under this agreement, from 2018, India and Switzerland would start collecting data in line with global standards and will exchange it from 2019 onwards.

Quick Facts about Switzerland:

♦ Currency – Swiss franc
♦ Important Rivers – Rhine, Aare, Rhone

Lok Sabha passes Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill

On December 20, 2017, Lok Sabha passed Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to amend regulations pertaining to compensation payable for acquisition of immovable property by the Centre for defence and security purposes.

More Information about Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill:

i. The bill was moved by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri.

ii. This is the 12th amendment to the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Act and contains a provision to allow Central Government to re-issue the notice of acquisition, so as to ensure that the property’s owner gets an opportunity to be heard.

iii. Those individuals whose land is acquired by the centre will be able to get justice through this amendment.

iv. However, cases where the compensation has already been provided will not be taken up post this amendment is passed.

Government forms panel to examine complaints against PSU top bosses

Central Government has formed a committee to examine complaints filed against Chairman and Managing Directors (CMDs), chief executives, directors of public sector enterprises, public sector banks, insurance companies and financial institutions

More Information about Committee to examine complaints against PSU top bosses:

i. This committee will be chaired by the Secretary (Coordination) in the Cabinet Secretariat.

ii. Secretaries of Department of Public Enterprises and Department of Financial Services and Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) secretary will be the members of this committee.

iii. This committee will also examine complaints against workmen directors, chartered accountant directors (excluding government nominee directors, shareholder directors, RBI nominee directors) and officers’ directors of public sector banks.

iv. After initial examination, if the complaint is found to be valid, the committee would recommend further investigation/course of action.

v. Complaints which do not hold any substance will be closed by the committee.

Bengaluru to host 7th India International Coffee Festival (IICF)

The 7^th India International Coffee Festival (IICF) will be hosted by Bengaluru from 16 to 19 January, 2018, at Hotel Lalit Ashok.

7th India International Coffee Festival (IICF):

i.The India International Coffee Festival (IICF) is organised by India Coffee Trust and Coffee Board of India. This festival will promote coffee tourism in Karnataka.

ii. Around 500 international delegates would participate in this festival. The festival will include seven skill building workshops in roasting, brewing and post-harvest technologies.

iii. It will conduct an expo, in which latest coffee-related technologies will be exhibited by more than 60 companies. Also, a startup pavilion and golf championship will be arranged as part of this festival.

About Coffee Board of India:

♦ Secretary – Srivatsa Krishna
♦ Managed by – Ministry of Commerce and Industry
♦ Aim – to promote coffee production in India