9 PM Current Affairs Brief – March 9, 2019

Cancer drugs 87% cheaper after trade margin cap Government has announced that maximum retail price(MRP) of 390 non-scheduled cancer medicines have been reduced by up to 87% Earlier,National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) had invoked powers under Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 and brought 42 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs under price control by capping trade margin at… Continue reading Cancer drugs 87% cheaper after trade margin cap

SBI links savings account, short term loan rates to repo rate State Bank of India (SBI) has decided to link its interest rate on savings account with balance above ₹1 lakh and short-term loans to Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) repo rate. Repo stands for ‘Repurchasing Option’.It refers to the rate at which commercial banks… Continue reading SBI links savings account, short term loan rates to repo rate

Taliban denies discussing ceasefire with the U.S Taliban has denied that it has been discussing a ceasefire and reconciliation with the Afghanistan government during meeting with the US in Doha,Qatar. Taliban and US are currently focusing on four key issues that are going to decide any future agreement and the issues are (a)counterterrorism (b)troop withdrawal… Continue reading Taliban denies discussing ceasefire with the U.S

China plans new foreign investment law China has proposed a draft bill on foreign investment to address US concerns amid the ongoing talks on trade deal with the United States. The bill addresses key concerns of foreign investors, such as (a)intellectual property rights (IPRs) protection and (b)market access (c)Technology transfer and (d)unfair competition. The draft… Continue reading China plans new foreign investment law

SC appoints 3 member panel to mediate in Ayodhya dispute The Supreme Court has referred the Ayodhya case for mediation. The Ayodhya case pertains to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute The court has formed a three-member panel which will meet all the stakeholders in the Ayodhya dispute case for mediation. The panel is headed… Continue reading SC appoints 3 member panel to mediate in Ayodhya dispute

82% of Ujjwala families return for LPG refill  Recently, Oil Minister has handed over LPG connection under the Ujjwala scheme to beneficiary number 7 crore. Launched in 2016, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna is a scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. aims to safeguard the health of women & children by providing them… Continue reading 82% of Ujjwala families return for LPG refill 

Gadkari flags off project for Delhi-Mumbai Expressway Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways has laid the foundation stone for the Delhi-Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway. The 1320 km long Delhi-Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway is expected to be developed by 2022. The Expressway aims to decongest the congested Delhi-Mumbai national corridor or NH-8 section of the Golden Quadrilateral. Golden Quadrilateral is… Continue reading Gadkari flags off project for Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

UIDAI to levy fees for verification The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has issued the Aadhaar (Pricing of Aadhaar Authentication Services) Regulations 2019. The gazette notification has mandated private organisations using Aadhaar services to pay Rs 20 for each customer verification and 50 paise for authentication of the unique ID. Organizations have been mandated… Continue reading UIDAI to levy fees for verification

‘Do forest surveys separately’ A high-power committee constituted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has recommended that forest surveys should explicitly demarcate trees grown in forests from those grown in plantations and private lands.Currently, both within forests and outside forests are counted together to estimate the portion of India’s geographical area… Continue reading ‘Do forest surveys separately’

You will be in trouble if anything is done to Aravalli, SC warns Haryana govt The Supreme Court has warned the Haryana government that it will be in “trouble” if it has done “anything” with Aravalli hills or forest area. This comes in the backdrop of Haryana government seeking to amend the Punjab Land Preservation… Continue reading You will be in trouble if anything is done to Aravalli, SC warns Haryana govt