Sanitation Conference Held
• The day long INDOSAN (India Sanitation Conference) meant for taking stock of the progress made under the Swachh Bharat mission held in New Delhi on September 30, 2016.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, other leaders and ‘ participants signed a declaration reiterating the country’s commitment to ensure Open Defecation Free and Clean India.
• Swachh Bharat Mission, launched on October 2,2014 envisages a Clean India by October 2, 2019 coinciding with the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
‘Progress Panchayat’ for Minorities Launched
• The Union government launched ‘Progress Panchayat’, an outreach campaign to create awareness about its programmes for the welfare of religious minorities and remove their ‘fear and misconceptions’ on September 30, 2016.
• The campaign will be launched by Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs (independent charge) Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi from Haryana’s Mewat, which witnessed tension following the murder of a couple and gangrape of two members of the family allegedly by a cow protection group last month.
• This is the first, unique and different kind of outreach programme launched by us, during which government will inform people about developmental activities in social, educational, health and infrastructural sectors and their employment.
Two Committees Constituted for the Commemoration of Birth Centenary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay
• The Prime Minister approved the constitution of two committees for the commemoration of the birth centenary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay oh September 22, 2016.
• The members of the National Committee include former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Manohar Parrikar, former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, and BJP President Amit Shah.
India Suspended Talks on Indus Water Pact
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 26, 2016 held a meeting of senior officials from the Water Resources ministry to discuss the government’s options on the India-Pakistan Indus Waters Treaty in the wake of the Uri attack.
• While, the meeting decided to suspend further water talks and increase the utilisation of rivers flowing through Jammu and Kashmir to maximise India’s share, there was no decision on either reviewing or abrogating the 1960 treaty.
• Under the treaty, which was signed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan in September 1960, water of six rivers – Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum were to be shared between the two countries.
• According to Article-VIII of the Indus Waters Treaty, the Commission must meet once a year, alternately in India and Pakistan.
‘Race Course Road’ Renamed as ‘Lok Kalyan Marg’
• The Prime Minister’s residence and adjoining road known as Race Course Road renamed as Lok Kalyan Marg from September 22, 2016. Prime Minister’s residence will now known as 7-Lok Kalyan Marg (7 LKM).
• The bungalows of the 7 LKM were originally designed by Robert Tor Russell, who was part of British architect Edwin Lutyens’ team, when he was designing New Delhi in the 1920s and 1930s.
• Special Protection Group (SPG) is the primary agency in charge of the security, it is aided by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Delhi Police to provide three-rung security for the estate. There is only one entrance to 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, which is guarded by the SPG.
