RAJASTHAN
‘23% habitations in Rajasthan have no access to secondary schools’
The objectives of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), launched by the Centre in March 2009 to make quality education accessible and affordable, have not been met, according to the 2017-18 CAG report tabled in the assembly.
The project had targeted students in the 14-18 age group.
While there has been steady progress in implementing the scheme during the 2013-18 period, the report noted that 22.55% habitations (34,065 out of 1,51,042) did not have access to secondary schools within the prescribed limit of five kilometres.
This shows that the objective of RMSA to ensure universal access to secondary education by 2017 has not been met.
In 44% (99 out of 225) schools, the pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) ranged between 31:1 and 190:1. This pointed to the asymmetrical distribution of teachers in schools and did not reflect the overall state-level PTR that stood within the prescribed limit of 30:1. The government has failed to provide basic infrastructure facilities in every school even after nine years of implementing RMSA, it said.
Though the gross enrolment ratio (enrolment in Class IX and X as a percentage of total population) in the 14-15 age group in the state increased from 71.12% in 2013-14 to 78.87% in 2017-18, it’s still far away from achieving the goal of universal access to secondary education.
INTERNATIONAL
Luxembourg becomes first country to make public transport free
Luxembourg has become the first country with a free public transport system, with all fares for trams, trains and buses abolished as of February 29 2020.
The one exception is first-class train travel, which will cost £2.60 (€3) per journey.
The scheme was originally announced in 2018, with a summer 2019 launch planned, but delays pushed the move back to this year.
Luxembourg has just over 600,000 inhabitants, but 214,000 more travel in for work every day from neighbouring Germany, Belgium and France, causing heavy traffic jams as the majority of workers commute by car.
NATIONAL
Janaushadhi Week being celebrated from March 1 to 7
Janaushadhi week is being celebrated across the country from the 1st of this month through more than 6200 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras.
Jan Aushadhi Kendra owners are organising different types of activities for making awareness about health and hygiene.
Free distribution camps for Suvidha Sanitary Napkins were held at about 2000 places and more than 50,000 Sanitary Napkin packets were given free of cost to the women.
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana is a noble initiative of the Government which is now making an impact on masses in its endeavor to provide quality medicines at an affordable price.
The total sales in the financial year 2019-20 till February have crossed 383 crore which led to total savings of about 2200 crore rupees of common citizens.
Setu Bharatam scheme: All level crossings on NH to be replaced by Over/under Bridges
Government has envisaged replacement of all the level crossings on National Highways by Road Over Bridges or Road Under Bridges under the Setu Bharatam scheme.
The programme is being implemented by the Road Transport and Highways Ministry to ensure safe and smooth flow of traffic and reduce road fatalities by 50 percent by 2020.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Setu Bharatam scheme on 4th March in 2016 for building rail over-bridges or underpasses for safe and seamless travel on National Highways.
Setu Bharatam programme was launched to make all National Highways free of railway level crossings in order to prevent the frequent accidents and loss of lives at level crossings.
208 places were identified for construction of rail over-bridges or underpasses under the project at a cost of nearly 10,200 crore rupees.
Cabinet gives nod for FDI policy on civil aviation
The Cabinet approved Foreign Direct Investment, FDI policy on civil aviation.
FDI policy was amended to permit foreign investment in Air India.
The Non Resident Indians can acquire up to 100 per cent equity in Air India under automatic route.
The Minister said, earlier only 49 per cent were available for sale to NRIs but now they can purchase 100 percent.
Govt sanctions projects worth over Rs 301 crore in food processing sector
The Union Government has sanctioned ten projects worth over 301 crore rupees in the food processing sector.
These projects are likely to generate employment for ten thousand people and benefit nearly forty thousand farmers.
The projects were sanctioned under the Agro Processing Cluster Scheme of Kisan Sampada Yojana.
100 per cent FDI is permitted under the automatic route in Food Processing Industries and 100 per cent FDI is allowed through approval route for trading including e-commerce in respect of food products manufacture and produced in India.
One hundred per cent Income Tax exemption from profit derived from activities such as post-harvest value addition to agriculture by FPO’s having annual turnover up to 100 crore rupees.
Gairsain named Uttarakhand’s new summer capital
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat named Gairsain as the new summer capital of the state.
Rawat made the announcement immediately after concluding his budget speech on the third day of the assembly session convened in Gairsain.
Gairsain, located in Chamoli district between the Kumaon and Garhwal regions, will function as the summer capital.
The state’s current winter capital is Dehradun.
Uttarakhand was carved out as a separate state from Uttar Pradesh in 1998.
Bimal Julka takes oath as Chief Information Commissioner
President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office to Bimal Julka as Chief Information Commissioner (CIC).
Julka, who has earlier served as the Union Information and Broadcasting Secretary, was administered the oath of the office at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The post was vacant after the transparency watchdog chief Sudhir Bhargava retired on January 11.
