BIHAR
- Rejecting the existing insurance scheme, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pitches new insurance scheme entitled to the farmers
- As a game changer, the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar rejected the insurance scheme pitched by the center for the farmers by chalking out his own scheme, which entitles farmers to compensation without having to pay any premium.
- The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
- Under the scheme, farmers would be paid a compensation of seven thousand five hundred rupees per hectare if less than 20% of the standing crop is damaged and ten thousand in case damage is more than 20%. Farmers do not have to pay any premium as per the scheme.
- The Bihar government also suggested that the new scheme‘Bihar Rajya Fasal Sahayata Yojna‘ will have a wider coverage than the ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana’ that covers farmers who have taken loans from national and cooperative banks or financial institutions.
- According to the central scheme, both the state and the center bear 49 percent of the cost of the premium.
INTERNATIONAL
- India ranks 137th on Global Peace Index 2018
- According to a report by an Australian think tank, India has moved up four places to the 137th rank among 163 countries on the 2018 Global Peace Index.
- Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008. New Zealand, Austria, Portugal and Denmark also sit in the top five most peaceful rankings.
- Syria remains the least peaceful country in the world, a position it has held for the past five years.
· World Oceans Day 2018 observed across the world
- The World Oceans Daywas observed across the world on June 8, 2018, to highlight the major role of the oceans in everyday life.
- The action focus for the 2018 World Oceans Day was ‘preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean’.
- The agenda also coincided with the theme of 2018 World Environment Day –‘Beat Plastic Pollution’.
- Plastic pollution is causing tremendous harm to the marine resources:
- Around 80 percent of all pollution in the ocean comes from people on land.
- There are 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the ocean every year, causing damage to wildlife, fisheries, and tourism.
- The Plastic pollution costs the lives of 1 million seabirds and 100000 marine mammals per year.
- The Plastic pollution costs the lives of 1 million seabirds and 100000 marine mammals per year.
· Central Government seeks explanation from Facebook over users’ data sharing without consent
- Union Government sought an explanation from Facebook over reports of data sharing without explicit consent.
- Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology asked for a detailed factual report from the Facebook by 20th of this month.
- Recently, there were media reports claiming that Facebook has agreements which are allowing phone and other device manufacturers’ access to its users’ personal information including that of their friends without taking their explicit consent.
- The IT Ministry it is deeply concerned about reports of such lapses and violations.
- They earlier notices about breaches of personal data relating to the Cambridge Analytica episode, Facebook had apologized and given strong assurances to the Government of India that they will take sincere efforts to protect the privacy of users’ data on the platform.
- However, such reports raise uncomfortable questions about the assurances made by Facebook.
- FDI Inflows to India Fall by $4 Billion Last Year: UN Report
- Foreign Direct Investmentto India decreased to 40 billion dollars last year from 44 billion dollars in 2016 while outflows from India, the main source of investment in South Asia, more than doubled, according to a new trade report by the UN.
- According to the World Investment Report, 2018 by the 124.1c-6.3-23.7-24.8-42.3-48.3-48.6C458.8 64 288 64 288 64S117.2 64 74.6 75.5c-23.5 6.3-42 24.9-48.3 48.6-11.4 42.9-11.4 132.3-11.4 132.3s0 89.4 11.4 132.3c6.3 23.7 24.8 41.5 48.3 47.8C117.2 448 288 448 288 448s170.8 0 213.4-11.5c23.5-6.3 42-24.2 48.3-47.8 11.4-42.9 11.4-132.3 11.4-132.3s0-89.4-11.4-132.3zm-317.5 213.5V175.2l142.7 81.2-142.7 81.2z"/> Subscribe on YouTube