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- The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously passed tougher sanctions against North Korea due to its sixth and most powerful nuclear test of a Hydrogen bomb. It id the ninth sanctions resolution unanimously adopted by UNSC since 2006 over North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs. This resolution limits import of crude oil and oil products to North Korea.
- The Central Government has reconstituted six Committees of the Cabinet. Newly appointed Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was inducted as full time member of the Cabinet Committee on Security Cabinet Committees on Economic and Political Affairs. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Dharmendra Pradhan were also included as permanent members of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
- The Union Cabinet has approved proposal for hiving off mobile tower assets of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) into a separate tower infrastructure company, fully owned by BSNL.
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved survey project to acquire 48,243 Line Kilometer (LKM) 2D seismic data for appraisal of Indian sedimentary basins where limited data is available. India has total 26 sedimentary basins covering area of 3.14 Million Sq Km (MSK) spread over onland, shallow water and deep water.
- The Union Cabinet has approved the introduction of the Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in the Parliament. The Bill seeks to amend Payment Gratuity Act, 1972. The Amendment will increase maximum limit of gratuity of employees, in Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs)/Autonomous Organizations under Government and in private sector who are not covered under Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, at par with Central Government employees.
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched ‘FoSCoRIS’, a pan-India online platform to bring in transparency in food safety inspection and sampling. It will help in verifying compliance of food safety and hygiene standards by food businesses as per the government norms.
- London has topped the 2017 Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) among 92 financial centres released by the Z/Yen and China Development Institute. Mumbai was ranked at 60th position.
