9 PM Current Affairs Brief – January 3, 2019

Ujjwala expands LPG coverage from 55% to 90% of households News According to government sources, LPG overage has risen from 55% of households in 2014 to 90%, an increase of 63%. This increase has been attributed to the rapid rollout of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna (PMUY) Important Facts About PMUY Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna is… Continue reading Ujjwala expands LPG coverage from 55% to 90% of households

National Health Authority gets Cabinet nod News: Cabinet approved restructuring of National Health Agency as National Health Authority Important Facts: With this move, the existing National Health Agency will be dissolved and its status now stands to that of an Authority as an attached office to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The creation of… Continue reading National Health Authority gets Cabinet nod

Bill to allow voluntary use of Aadhaar ID introduced News: Government t introduces Aadhaar amendment Bill in Lok Sabha Important Facts: The government has introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha to amend certain existing laws to provide legal backing for voluntary seeding of biometric Aadhaar ID for mobile SIM card and bank account authentication… Continue reading Bill to allow voluntary use of Aadhaar ID introduced

Breaking the stranglehold News: The Global Slavery Index 2016 estimated 1.8 crore Indians in modern slavery, including boundedness. Important Facts: While the bonded labour system is formally abolished and criminalised, recent research indicates that bonded labour is still prevalent in India. The most current available data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) indicate that… Continue reading Breaking the stranglehold

China building ‘advanced’ warships for Pak News: China to build the most advanced naval warships for Pakistan. Important Facts: China as a part of major bilateral arms deal is building one of the four most advanced naval warships for Pakistan to balance the power in the strategic Indian Ocean. The under-construction ship is a version… Continue reading China building ‘advanced’ warships for Pak

Union Cabinet clears panel to promote Assam’s cultural identity News: Cabinet approved setting up of a high-level committee for implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. Important Facts: Clause 6 of Assam record: Assam Accord was signed on 15th August, 1985. It envisaged that appropriate constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, shall be provided to… Continue reading Union Cabinet clears panel to promote Assam’s cultural identity

Taiwan reunification with China ‘inevitable’, says Chinese President Xi Jinping News: China asserting Taiwan’s unification with the mainland is inevitable. Important Facts: Taiwan is a sovereign state, with its own currency, political and judicial systems, but has never declared formal independence from the mainland While Beijing still sees Taiwan as part of China’s sovereign territory… Continue reading Taiwan reunification with China ‘inevitable’, says Chinese President Xi Jinping

Space diplomacy: India to set up ground stations for 5 neighbors News: India to set up five large ground stations and more than 500 small terminals in Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, as part of New Delhi’s space diplomacy to counter China’s influence in the region. Facts: The first of the five ground… Continue reading Space diplomacy: India to set up ground stations for 5 neighbors

Exotic trees eating up Western Ghat’s grasslands News: Western Ghats lost almost one-fourth high-altitude grasslands due to invasion of exotic trees. Important Facts: Most of this loss occurred on the mountain tops of the Nilgiri, Palani and Anamalai hill ranges, which comprise more than half of the Ghat’s shola-grassland ecosystems. The satellite images revealed that… Continue reading Exotic trees eating up Western Ghat’s grasslands