· GSI finds platinum deposits in Orissa: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has found Platinum Group of Elements (PGE) in the Baula-Nuasahi Ultramafic complex in Orissa. The PGE comprises a family of six greyish to silver white metals—platinum, palladium, iridium, rhodium, osmium and ruthenium. They have attracted enormous interest from explorers all over the world due to their rarity, high economic value, growing demand in jewellery, pharmaceutical, telecommunication and hi-tech application in fuel cell technology. “The Baula-Nuasahi Ultramafic complex is the only proven PGE deposit in the country with an estimated resource of 14.2 million tonnes. This is confined to the active chromite mines,” GSI sources said. Sitampundi in Tamil Nadu is another place where the GSI has got proof of PGE presence. Efforts are on to intensify survey of heavy metals along the Orissa coast.
· Bank A/cs must for MGNREGA Beneficiaries: The government has amended its landmark Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to ensure that beneficiaries receive wage entitlements under the Act within 15 days through institutionalised channels, like banks and post offices. The amendment to Schedule II of the MGNREGA now makes it mandatory under the law for state governments to ensure that every beneficiary has a bank or post office account and the disbursements are made exclusively through these channels. Moreover, the payment has to be made within 15 days from the last day of employment.
· No Padma Awards for pursuing bureaucrats: The centre has decide not to confer Padma Awards on serving bureaucrats, Minister of State for Home Mullapully Ramachandra informed the Lok Sabha.
· Community mobilization on RTE planned: Faced with lack of awareness about the provisions of Right to Education Act, a massive 100-day campaign involving community mobilization will be launched from November 11, the national Education Day.
· Students can use RTI to see answer-sheets: The Supreme Court held that students have the right to inspect and photocopy their answer sheets after their evaluation under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
· Rajasthan selected for "mission mode project": The Union Ministry of Commerce has selected Rajasthan among ten States where a “mission mode project” would be launched to implement an e-procurement project for purchases made by various departments.
· Coconut Palm Insurance Scheme: A pilot Coconut Palm Insurance Scheme (CPIS) was introduced in 2009-10 for the benefit of coconut growers in major coconut growing States. Coconut plants of the age from 4th year to 60th year are covered. Insurance coverage is provided for total loss/death/becoming useless of the plant. Fifty percent subsidy in premium is provided by Government of India and twenty five percent by the concerned State Government. The scheme is demand driven therefore, no State-wise amount is allocated.
· Ganga Action Plan: The Central Government has approved a project in April 2011, under the National Ganga River Basin Authority for abatement of pollution of river Ganga with World Bank assistance at an estimated cost of Rs.7000 crore. The World Bank will provide financial assistance of US $ 1 billion. The principal objective of the project is to fund creation of pollution abatement infrastructure for conservation and restoration of water quality of the river. The Central Government has been implementing Ganga Action Plan (GAP) since 1985. The pollution abatement works taken up under the Plan include interception and diversion of raw sewage, setting up of sewage treatment plants, creation of low cost sanitation facilities etc. An expenditure of Rs. 896.05 crore has been incurred so far under this Plan and sewage treatment capacity of 1064 mld (million litres per day) has been created.
· Increase in Forest Cover in the Country: Government had decided to increase the green forest area by 5 million hectares Green India Mission and improvement in quality of forest and tree cover on another 5 million hectare area in next 10 years starting from the year 2012-13, besides enhancing eco-system services and increase in forest based livelihood income of households living in and around the forests. The action against the encroachments in the forest areas is the responsibility of the State Government as per prevailing rules and regulation in force.
· Insurance scheme for Domestic Workers: The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), providing for smart card based cashless health insurance cover of Rs. 30,000/- per annum per family to BPL families (a unit of five) in unorganized sector, has since been, extended to domestic workers in the country. It is expected to cover the estimated 47.50 lakh domestic worker's by the year 2014-15. State Governments have been requested to take necessary steps to implement the scheme for domestic workers.
