Union Government Constituted Ashok Dalwai Panel
- The Central government had set-up a panel to prepare a blueprint for doubling farmers’ income by 2022, on April 25, 2016.
- The panel will be headed by Ashok Dalwai, additional secretary at the agriculture Ministry and is expected to submit the report in two months.
- The committee will suggest ways to diversify risks in farming and allied activities like livestock and fisheries to boost income. It would suggest measures for reducing costs of cultivation through judicious use of fertilizers and increasing access to irrigation.
Parliament Passed Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2016
- The Parliament passed the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2016 to exclude Sehajdharis from voting in the elections to Sikh religious bodies on April 25, 2016.
- Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 allows every Sikh who is above 21 years of age and is registered as a voter to vote in the SGPC elections. However, this Act had created an exception for Sehjdhari Sikhs who trim or shave their beard or hair, and allowed them to vote.
- Since 1949, Sehajdhari Sikhs are continuously exercising their voting rights in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections. The amendment bill first was passed in the Rajya Sabha in March, 2016 and later in the Lok Sabha in April, 2016.
Sahapedia—India’s First Encyclopedia for Cultural Heritage
- A compound of Saha, the Hindi word for together, and pedia from encyclopedia, ‘Sahapedia’ went live on April 24, 2016 with about 5000 pages on every imaginable aspect of India’s cultural landscape.
- It has information about heritage monuments, dance forms, poetry and philosophy to film and theatre directors, religious festivals, wildlife parks and even cuisines etc.
- Sahapedia is brainchild of Sudha Gopalakrishnan, who earlier headed India’s National Mission for Manuscripts.
Prime Minister Laid Foundation Stone of Power Plant in Jharkhand
- Prime Minister laid foundation stone for India’s biggest power plant in Jharkhand and addresses Panchayati Raj Sammelan that was celebrated on April 24 of every year.
- Name of this power plant is Patratu Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited. It is a joint venture of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Jharkhand government. It has the total capacity of 8000 MW and in first phase plant having the capacity 4000 MW was inaugurated.
Union Government Launched CGMP Facility
- Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda, inaugurated Current Good Manufacturing Practise (CGMP) compliant facility for manufacturing of DPT and TT vaccine at the Central Research Institute (CRI), Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh on April 24, 2016.
- The CGMP refers to the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations enforced by the U S Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- CGMPs provide for systems that assure proper design, monitoring, and control of manufacturing processes and facilities. The Health Minister also launched the website of CRI at the occasion.
