The Daily Brief – 9th October 2018

86th Indian Air Force (IAF) day was celebrated on 8 October 2018 to commemorate its official foundation day of the force. The celebration of day seeks to increase the awareness about the importance of IAF as an important part of the national security. IAF is the world’s fourth largest air force (after US, Russia and China) with primary responsibility to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during conflicts. It was officially established on October 8, 1932 as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire.

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and UN Environment signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) for coherent implementation of the environment dimension of sustainable development. The major activity planned under this MoU includes #Un-plastic Initiative. It will begin with ‘Call to Action’ which will include commitments by industry to take action to curb plastic pollution. UN Environment (or UNEP) is leading global environmental authority that was established in 1972.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched ‘Nirman Kusuma’ programme for providing financial assistance to the children of construction workers for their technical education in the state. Under it, ITI student is entitled to get financial assistance of Rs. 23,600 and diploma student to get Rs. 26,300 per annum to benefit a total of 1878 students from the state. State government has also increased financial assistance for girl students by 20% and also has doubled death benefits for the construction workers.

Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sanctioned five new battalions of anti-riot and crowd control Rapid Action Force (RAF). These new battalions will be stationed at Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Hajipur (Bihar), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Mangalore (Karnataka) and Nuh (Haryana). With these, the total number of RAF battalions in the country has gone up to 15. Formed in 1992, RAF is a specially trained and equipped wing of Central Reserve Police Force, the country’s largest paramilitary force or Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) with over 3 lakh personnel.

The 3rd edition of Japan-India Maritime Exercise (JIMEX) will be conducted from 7-15 October, 2018 at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh with an aim to enhance interoperability, improve understanding and imbibe best practices between navies of two countries. JIMEX Exercise was conducted for the first time in January 2012 off Japanese coast and the second edition was conducted in December 2013 off Chennai coast.

Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has reconstituted Supreme Court-empowered 21-membered Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA). This comes after tenure of the last EPCA expired on October 3, 2018. Former IAS officer Bhure Lal will continue to be Chairman of reconstituted EPCA. EPCA tasked with taking various measures to tackle air pollution in the National Capital Region. It was notified in 1998 by Environment Ministry under Environment Protection Act, 1986.

The Union Government has decided to cover damages done to crops in case of wild animal attacks under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna in select districts on an experimental basis. Under the new provisions, the farmers will be paid 12 per cent interest by insurance companies for the delay in settlement claims beyond two months of prescribed cut-off date. The state governments will be required to pay 12 per cent interest for the delay in the release of the state share of subsidy beyond three months of prescribed cut-off date submission of requisition by insurance companies. The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna was launched on February 18, 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga has become first-ever Indian gold medallist in the history of youth Olympics. The fifteen year old achieved the feat by lifting a total weight of 274 kg in the men’s 62kg category at the 2018 youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 8 October, 2018. He had won silver at the youth world weightlifting Championship 2017 in Bangkok, Thailand.