INTERNATIONAL
- UAE unveils 100 year plan to build first city on Mars by 2117.
- The UAE has unveiled plans to build the first city on Mars by 2117. In this regard energy-rich country has announced the 100-year national project on which it will collaborate with specialised international organisations and scientific institutes.
NATIONAL
- India was ranked 143rd out of 186 economies in the annual Index of Economic Freedom 2017.
- It measures the degree of economic freedom in the countries of the world. The index was released by top US based Think Tank, The Heritage Foundation. In this edition, India’s overall score was 52.6 points, 3.6 points less than scored in 2016 when it was ranked 123rd.
- Top 5 countries in this edition of index are Hong Kong (1st), Singapore (2nd) and NewZealand(3rd),Switzerland(4th)Austria(5th).
- The Supreme Court has introduced Middle Income Group Scheme (MIGS).
- A self-supporting scheme for providing legal services to the middle and relatively lower income groups. Under this scheme, middle class people who cannot afford the expensive litigation in the apex can avail the services of the society for a nominal amount.
- Key Facts MIGS is a self-supporting scheme that will provide legal services to the middle income group citizens whose gross income does not exceed Rs.60, 000 per month or Rs. 7,50,000 per annum.
- A society will be created with Chief Justice of India (CJI) as Patron-in-Chief. Attorney General will be its ex-officio Vice President, Solicitor General its Honorary Secretary and other senior advocates as its members.
- Tarini to be inducted into Indian Navy.
- The sail boat Tariniis being inducted into the Navy and is slated to be the platform for First Indian All Women Circumnavigation of the Globe expedition of the Indian Navy.
- In order to promote ocean sailing activities and to encourage women empowerment, the Indian Navy conceptualized the idea of the First IndianAll Women Circumnavigation of the Globe.
- INSV Tarini is almost identical to her illustrious predecessor, the iconic INSV Mhadei which has sailed over 115000 nautical miles in the past eight years.
- The boat draws her origin from the famous Tara-Tarinitemple of Orissa’s Ganjam district. The word Tarinimeans a Boat and is also a Sanskrit word for Saviour. Tara-Tarini is a patron deity for sailors and merchants and is worshipped for safety and success at sea. Tara-Tarini of Orissa is known to have historical linkages with the river Goddess Mhadei- the exclusive boat deity of the Mhadei river of Goa.
- The successful construction of both the Mhadei andTarini in Goa is a tribute to the Government’s ‘Make in India’ policy.
RAJASTHAN
- Rajasthan government to cancel illegal salt pans in Sambhar Lake, as directions of NGT.
- The central bench of National Green Tribunal has directed the Rajasthan government to cancel allotment of salt pans in Sambhar Salt Lake that fall within the wetland and run against to the order of Wetland Rules 2010.
- The bench has given Six Months time to implement the recommendations which should not exceed 2017 monsoon.
National Green Tribunal (NGT)
- The National Green Tribunal has been established on 18.10.2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.
- New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and other 4 Zonal offices – Bhopal ( Central Zone ), Pune (Western Zone) , Kolkata (Eastern Zone )and Chennai (Southern Zone).
- It would deal with all environmental laws on air and water pollution, the Environment Protection Act, the Forest Conservation Act and the Biodiversity Act, which are as follows –
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974;
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977;
The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980;
The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981;
The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986;
The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991;
The Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
(The above acts with year can be asked in the exam as correct matching type questions)
- The Chairperson of the NGT is a retired Judge of the Supreme Court, Present Chairman is justice Swatanter Kumar.
Difference between the court and tribunal
- Every Court may be a tribunal but every tribunal necessarily may not be a court. A High court for instance, where a PIL would be filed, may have wide ranging powers covering all enacted laws (including the power of contempt) but the NGT has only been vested with powers under the seven laws related to the Environme
