Daily Current Affairs, 17th January 2019

1) MP CM Launches Rs 50,000 cr Farm Loan Waiver Scheme ‘Jai Kisan Rin Mukti Yojana

•Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath launched his government’s Rs 50,000-crore farm debt-waiver scheme named ‘Jai Kisan Rin Mukti Yojana’. It is expected to benefit 55 lakh small and marginal farmers.

•The eligibility cut-off date has been extended to December 12, 2018, from March 31, 2018. Only those farmers who have not registered themselves to pay GST and income tax can avail benefits under this scheme.

2) Maharashtra FM-led GoM To Look At Issues Related To Lottery Under GST

•A ministerial panel headed by Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar will examine uniformity of taxation on lottery under GST or other issues arising out of it.

•Under GST, state-organized lottery falls under the 12% tax slab while state-authorized lottery attracts 28% tax. The GoM for the lottery will submit its report to GST Council in the next meeting for approval.

3) India’s Satyarup Becomes World’s Youngest Mountaineer To Climb 7 Peaks, 7 Volcano Summits

•Mountaineer Satyarup Siddhanta conquered Antartica’s highest point, Mount Sidley. With this feat, he became the first Indian and youngest man to climb the 7 highest peaks and volcanic summits across all continents.

•He achieved the feat at the age of 35 years and 262 days. Satyarup hails from South Kolkata and is a software engineer by profession.

4) Palestine Takes Reins At UN’s Group G77

•Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has pledged to protect the interests of all 134 countries in the UN’s Group of 77, as Palestine took the chairmanship of the groupfrom Egypt for 2019.

•The G77 group was originally founded by 77 members in 1964 but has expanded to 134 mainly developing nations. The decision to elect Palestine as the 2019 Chair of the G77 was taken in September 2018 by the foreign ministers of the Groups’ member states.

5) Cabinet Approves Recapitalization of Export-Import Bank of India

•The Union Cabinet has approved the recapitalization of EXIM Bank. The details are as follows:

1.Issuance of Recapitalization Bonds by the Government of India to the tune of Rs.6,000 crore for capital infusion in Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank).

2.The equity will be infused in two tranches of Rs. 4,500 crore in FY 2018-19 and Rs.1,500 crore in FY 2019-20 respectively.

3.The Cabinet also approved an increase in the authorized capital of Exim Bank from Rs. 10,000 crore to Rs. 20,000 crore.

6) Gandhi Peace Prize Conferred for Last 4 Years

•The Gandhi Peace Prize for the years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 has been conferred on the following:

1. For 2015: Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari for their contribution in Rural Development, Education , Development of natural resources.

2. For 2016: Jointly to Akshaya Patra Foundation for its contribution in providing mid-day meals to millions of children across India and Sulabh International for its contribution in improving the condition of sanitation in India and emancipation of manual scavengers.

3. For 2017: Ekal Abhiyan Trust for their contribution in providing Education for Rural and Tribal Children in remote areas pan India, Rural Empowerment, Gender and Social Equality.

4. For 2018: Shri Yohei Sasakawa for his contribution in Leprosy Eradication in India and across the world.

•The jury under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprising the Chief Justice of India, Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Speaker of Lok Sabha Smt. Sumitra Mahajan etc.

7) India-Myanmar Joint Training Exercise Begins In Chandimandir

•The second edition of the India-Myanmar bilateral army exercise, IMBEX 2018-19,commenced at Chandimandir Military Station, that houses the headquarters of the Western Command, Chandigarh. 

•The aim of this joint training programme, spread over six days, is to train the Myanmar delegation for participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations under the UN flag. The exercise includes the participation of 15 officers from Myanmar Army and 15 officers from the Indian Army.