National
The Coconut Development Board (Amendment) Bill, 2021
⇒ Recently, Parliament passed the Coconut Development Board (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The Bill seeks to amend a Section of the Coconut Development Board Act, 1979.
About Bill:
- The bill seeks to create the post of ”non-executive chairman” for the board.
- The bill provides for the appointment of a non-executive chairman, a chief executive officer and an ex-officio joint secretary to the Government of India, in-charge of the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, as member of the board.
- It also provides for the appointment of six members instead of the existing four members.
Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2021
⇒ Recently, Parliament passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2021. The Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2021 has replaced the Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance, 2021.
The bill seeks to abolish nine appellate tribunals, including the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT).
The bill seeks to amend the Cinematograph Act, 1952, the Customs Act, 1962, the Airports Authority of India Act, 1994, the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001 and certain other legislations.
The tribunals which the bill seeks to abolish, include, the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999; the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001; and the Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002.
About Bill:
» The Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Bill, 2021 provides for a mechanism to file an appeal directly to the Commercial Court or the High Courts, as the case may be.
» The Bill also proposes to set up a search-cum-selection committee that will select and appoint the Chairperson and the Members of the various tribunals.
» The Bill also limits the tenure of the Chairperson of a tribunal to four years or till he/ she attains the age of seventy years, whichever is earlier. The members of the tribunal will have a term of four years or till he or she attains the age of sixty-seven years, whichever is earlier.
First Batch of Multi-Mode Hand Grenades
Recently, the first batch of Multi-Mode Hand Grenades (MMHG), manufactured by Economic Explosives Limited (EEL) following Transfer of Technology from Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory of Defence Research & Development Organisation, has been handed over to the Indian Army.
About MMHG:
- It has a distinctive design that gives flexibility of employment in both defensive (fragmentation) and offensive (stun) modes.
- It has a highly accurate delay time, very high reliability in usage and safe for carriage.
- These new grenades will replace Grenade No 36 of World War I vintage design, which had been continuing in service till date.
President of the IEG Society
⇒ The 15th Finance Commission chairman, NK Singh, has been elected as the president of the Institute of Economic Growth (IEG) Society on 16 August 2021.
He replaced former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh who had held the position since 1992.
About IEG:
The Institute of Economic Growth (IEG) is an autonomous, multidisciplinary centre for advanced research and training. It was founded in 1952 by renowned economist, VKRV Rao.
Constitution of Karnataka State Mental Healthcare Rules (2021)
⇒ Recently, the Karnataka Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, approved the constitution of Karnataka State Mental Healthcare Rules (2021), which falls in line with the Centre’s Mental Healthcare Act (2017).
Under the act, a State Mental Health Authority will be set up. A committee under the chairmanship of the Director of the NIMHANS Institute will be constituted for the drafting of guidelines for the authority.
International
‘Forum for Decarbonizing Transport’ in India
⇒ NITI Aayog and World Resources Institute (WRI), India, jointly launched the ‘Forum for Decarbonizing Transport’ in India as part of the NDC-Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA) project on 23 August 2021.
Aim:
The project aims at bringing down the peak level of GHG emissions (transport sector) in Asia (in line with a well below 2-degree pathway), resulting in problems like congestion and air pollution.
The NDC-TIA India component focuses on developing a coherent strategy of effective policies and the formation of a multi-stakeholder platform for decarbonizing transport in the country.
About NDC-TIA:
The NDC Transport Initiative for Asia (TIA 2020-2023) is a joint programme of seven organisations that will engage China, India, and Vietnam in promoting a comprehensive approach to decarbonizing transport in their respective countries. The project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI).
Heads of BRICS Space Agencies signed an Agreement
⇒ As per the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), under the India’s BRICS Chairship, the BRICS Space Agencies Heads have signed an agreement for cooperation in remote sensing satellite data sharing on August 18, 2021.
About the Agreement:
This Agreement enables building a virtual constellation of specified remote sensing satellites of BRICS space agencies and their respective ground stations will receive the data.
This will contribute in strengthening multilateral cooperation among BRICS space agencies in meeting the challenges faced by mankind, such as global climate change, major disasters and environmental protection.
The five BRICS nations are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Death
Renowned athletics coach, OM Nambiar
⇒ Renowned athletics coach, OM Nambiar died in Kozhikode on August 19, 2021. He was 89. Mr. Nambiar, who coached one of India’s greatest track and field stars, PT Usha.
He was one of the three recipients of the first Dronacharya Award in 1985. He was also conferred the Padma Shri Award in 2021.