CBEC launches mobile application for baggage rules information

The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has launched mobile app “Indian Customs- Guide to Travellers” for dissemination of information about Customs Baggage Rules, 2016. 

• The application has been launched to inform traders, exporters and importers about Customs Baggage Rules, 2016. 

About the Rule :

•  It has been developed by Bengaluru Customs and is available on Android Play store, Apple Store and Windows Store. 
• The app serves as a useful tool for quick and effective dissemination of information about baggage rules and entitlements. 
• It is user friendly and serves to clarify doubts and concern of International passengers and also ensure better compliance. 
• The CBEC is the nodal national agency under the aegis of Union Finance Ministry responsible for administering customs, central excise, service tax and narcotics in India.

 Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) :

• The Central Board of Excise and Custom is the nodal national agency responsible for administering Customs, Central Excise, Service Tax & Narcotics in India.

Maharashtra has launched Adi Praman app for caste validity certificate

Maharashtra Government has launched Adi Praman, a web-based application for state’s tribal population to get the caste validity certificates online.

• It was launched along with portal named etribalvalidity.mahaonline@gov.in by Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao. 
• The application is first of its kind for any state in India. 

About Adi Praman  :

• The tribal people from the state can obtain caste validity certificates online using this application.
•  The validity certificate will be bar-coded with a unique identification number and enable authorities to directly verify the status of validity certificate using the unique barcode number.
•  The web portal will show the real-time status of the applications through email and text messages. 
• The applicants will also be informed on the status of their application through SMS alert and Email. 
• The app will make the entire process of securing caste validity certificate easy, fast and transparent and would effectively curb the menace of bogus certificates.
•  It will also help the state government to achieve the goal of inclusion as envisioned under the Digital India programme.

Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 comes into force

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 came into force on 1 May 2016.

•  In this regard, Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) had notified 69 of the total 92 sections of the Act to bring it into force from 1 May 2016.

About the Act :

•  Sets up in motion the process of making necessary operational rules and creation of institutional infrastructure for protecting the interests of consumers.
•  Promotes the growth of real estate sector in an environment of trust, confidence, credible transactions and efficient and time bound execution of projects. 
• Real Estate Regulatory Authority will be formulated within one year as per the mandate of Act.
•  Regulatory Authorities will have to dispose of complaints in 60 days and Appellate Tribunals will be required to adjudicate cases in 60 days.

UJALA will be implemented across country by 2019

 The Centre’s ambitious National LED programme – Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) – will be implemented across the country by 2019.

•  A total of 9 crore LED bulbs were sold in the country since the scheme was launched a year ago on May 1, which means people will get the benefit of Rs 5,500 crore in their electricity bills.
•  It will be implemented across the country by 2019. Nearly 77 crore incandescent bulbs will be replaced till 2019 in the country which will ensure an annual benefit of Rs 40,000 crore to the people in their electricity bills and this will lead the country to fulfil its need of energy security, which is very vital for the nation as it will reduce dependability on coal.

Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) :

• The Scheme was launched as part of Union Government’s efforts to spread the message of energy efficiency in the country.
•  LED bulbs have a very long life, almost 50 times more than ordinary bulbs, and 8-10 times that of CFLs, and therefore provide both energy and cost savings in the medium term.
•  It will help in saving of energy around 24 crore units every year.

BSF to put tallest ‘Tiranga’ at Wagah border by January 2017

 The Border Security Force (BSF) is planning to install the tallest national flag near the Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post, famously known as the Wagah border.

•  The flag at 350 feet is part of BSF’s expansion plans for the visitors’ gallery at the site of the iconic Retreat ceremony. 
• The tallest tricolour can be seen both from Lahore as well as Amritsar. 
• Currently, Jharkhand holds the record of hoisting the largest tricolour – a massive 99X66 feet – on the country’s tallest flag post at 293 feet in Ranchi.

Wagah border :

• Wagah is a village situated near a road border crossing, goods transit terminal and a railway station between Pakistan and India, and lies on the Grand Trunk Road between the cities of Amritsar, Punjab, India, and Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.

India, Papua New Guinea sign four agreements

 India and Papua New Guinea have signed four Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) in various sectors to boost bilateral cooperation.

•  The MoUs were signed in the presence of the visiting President Pranab Mukherjee and the Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’ Neil in Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea. 
• MoU regarding $100 Million Credit Line: India will provide a Line of Credit of 100 million dollars for specific projects in Transport and infrastructure sectors. 
• MoU in the field of Health Care and Medical Science MoU in the field of Agriculture MoU in the field of IT

Papua New Guinea  :

• Capital- Port Moresby
• Currency-  Papua New Guinean kina (PGK)

Swat activist Tabassum Adnan wins 2016 Nelson Mandela Award

 Pakistani women’s rights activist from Swat valley Tabassum Adnan has won prestigious 2016 Nelson Mandela Graça Machel Innovation Award. 

• She won the award for the individual activist category on the concluding day of the International Civil Society Week (ICSW) held from April 25-28, 2016 in Bogota, Colombia.
•  With this Tabassum Adnan becomes the second woman from Pakistan’s Swat valley to win this international recognition after Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai.

 About Tabassum Adnan Tabassum :

•  Adnan was a victim of child marriage and was married at the age of 13.
•  The marriage was marked by frequent domestic abuse and ended after 20 years when she gathered the courage to divorce her abusive husband. 
• Later she launched NGO Khwendo Jirga (Sister’s Council), a women-only Jirga where women meet weekly to discuss issues such as honour killings, swara and acid attacks the practice of giving women as compensation for crimes.