Union Government Launched an e-Payment Module
- Minister of State of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar launched an e-payment module on August 26, 2015 to make the payment of compensatory levies into the Compensatory Afforestation Management Planning Authority (CAMPA) Funds.
- It is launched with an objective to make the payment of compensatory levies receivable in lieu of diversion-of forest land quicker and more transparent and the module will end delays in the deposit of compensatory levies.
- The payment through the e-payment module has to be made to the designated account, depending on the State in which the forest land, proposed to be diverted, is located. With the activation of the e-payment portal, no payments will be accepted other than through the portal, unless specifically ordered by ad-hoc CAMPA.
Names of 98 Cities for Smart Cities Announced
- Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu unveiled a list of 98 cities for the Smart City Mission on August 27,.2015 where Uttar Pradesh taking the largest ; share of developing 13 smart cities followed by Tamil Nadu, which qualified to develop 12.
- With an aim to achieve ‘inclusive growth’, the Smart City Mission promotes integrated city planning, where the government’s policies such as Swachh Bharat Mission and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation complement each other.
- Of the 98 cities and towns that five years down will graduate into smart cities, 24 are capital cities, another 24 are business and industrial centres, 18 are culture and tourism influenced areas, five are port cities and three are education and health care hubs.
Read More – National News – Current Affairs Study Material (Part 3) – July 2015.
Cabinet gave Nod for Royalty Payment to States
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on August 26, 2015 agreed the proposal to pay the differential royalty from the budgetary allocation for 2015-16.
- The difference between the rates of royalty found as pet-provisions contained in respective Production Sharing Contract (PSC) and the notified rate of royalty on crude oil production. The outgo on this account in the current fiscal would be Rs 56 crore.
- Operators produce at the cap rate mentioned in Production Sharing Contract (PSC) dating back to 1990s. These rates were capped at ? 450 per tonne as against the current rate of 12.5% of the price of oil.
- The concerned State governments i.e., Arunachal Pradesh, Asom and Gujarat in. respect of 28 discovered fields were awarded by the government to different companies during the,years 1994-95, 2001 and 2004.
Law Commission Submitted Report on Early Childhood Development
- The Law Commission of India submitted its another Report No. 259 titled Early Childhood Development and Legal Entitlements to the Union Minister of Law and Justice on August 27, 2015.
- The Commission is of the opinion in its report that the constitutional framework of fundamental rights and directive principles should reflect the special status and needs of children in the under-6 age group.
- Statutory backing should be given to the existing schemes and policies in order to create legal entitlements in favour of children.
Prime Minister Inaugurated Birth Centenary Celebrations of Rani Gaidinliu
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the birth centenary celebrations on August 24, 2015 of Rani Gaidinliu, a Naga political and spiritual leader who had led a revolt against British colonial rule in India.
- On this occasion, he launched commemorative coin of Rs 100 and circulation coin of Rs 5 of Rani Gaidinliu to mark her birth centenary celebrations.
- The Prime Minister referred to her as Rani-Maa and also credited Rani Gaidinliu for spreading the message of Mahatma Gandhi in the North-East.
- She was born on January 26, 1915 in Nungkao, a Rongfnei village, Manipur. She died on February 17, 1993 in Longkao, Manipur.
- She devoted her life in the freedom struggle at a very young age of 13 after she came under the influence Heraka religious movement.
We hope you like National Current Affairs September 2015 Part 2, give your feedback in comments and keep visiting Current Affairs.
