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- The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has initiated an inter-ministerial consultation note to rename the Indian Forest Service as Indian Forest and Tribal Service. The consultation note also contains the proposal to train the cadre to be more receptive towards tribals and forest dwellers. The erstwhile Imperial Forest Service was constituted in 1867. In the year 1966, the government of India constituted Indian Forest Service as one of the three All India Services under the All India Services Act, 1951.
- The Airports Authority of India has banned the single-use plastic items at its 129 airports across the country. The AAI has already declared 16 of its airports as “Single-Use Plastic Free” based on the third-party assessment carried out by Quality Council of India. The Airports Authority of India was created under the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994. The Airports Authority of India came into being on 1st April 1995.
Alok Kumar Verma - The Supreme Court of India has reinstated CBI director Alok Kumar Verma, setting aside the Centre’s order to divest him of his powers. The Supreme Court has restrained him from taking any major policy decision till the CVC probe into corruption charges against him is over. There is no provision in the law which permits the government to divest the CBI director of his powers and functions without prior consent from the high powered selection committee. The selection committee comprises the Prime Minister, the leader of opposition and the Chief Justice of India.
- The government has granted an exemption to Battery Operated Transport Vehicles and Transport Vehicles running on Ethanol and Methanol fuels from the requirement of a permit. The Ministry of the Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises has launched FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacture of (Hybrid and) Electric Vehicles) to incentivize the production and promotion of eco-friendly vehicles including electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles.
- The Defence India Startup Challenge has been launched by the Defence Innovation Organisation to boost innovations under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) scheme. It calls for proposals to address specific technological needs of the Indian defence establishment. Defence Innovation Organisation is a ‘not for profit’ company under section 8 of the Companies Act.
- The Ministry of Industries and Commerce had initiated the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) to assist the organic producers to tap the market which is growing steadily in the both in domestic and export segments. The APEDA (Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) was established by the Government of India in December 1985.
- The Union Cabinet on January 7, 2019 approved a proposal for introduction of the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, extending 10 per cent quota to “the economically weaker sections in the general category who are not covered by any of the existing schemes of reservation”. The 10 per cent reservation will be in addition to the existing cap of 50 per cent reservation for the SC, STs and the Other Backward Classes, taking total reservation to 60 per cent. The quota targets the poor among the upper castes. This will be over and above 50 percent mandated by Constitution and hence the need for Constitution amendment Bill.
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