9 PM Current Affairs Brief – February 9, 2019

Startups to be listed for angel tax exemption The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) soon will come up with a list of startups eligible for angel tax exemption, based on their audited financial statements and income tax returns of the previous year Angel… Continue reading Startups to be listed for angel tax exemption

SC declines stay on 10% quota 1.The Supreme Court has declined to order a stay on the Centre’s decision to grant 10% reservation in jobs and educational institutions to economically weak sections in the general category. 2.The petitioners has sought the quashing of the bill due to following reasons a) The economic criterion cannot be… Continue reading SC declines stay on 10% quota

TB survivors challenge patent to end J&J monopoly In an attempt to ensure that anti-TB drug Bedaquiline – which is safer and more effective –is made affordable and accessible to everybody with drug resistant TB (DR-TB),  two tuberculosis survivors from India and South Africa have filed a patent challenge against Johnson and Johnson’s application to… Continue reading TB survivors challenge patent to end J&J monopoly

Medical devices to be treated as drugs The Health Ministry has announced certain medical devices viz. a) all implantable devices, b) CT scan, c) PET and MRI equipment, d) defibrillators, e) dialysis machines and f) bone marrow separators to be brought under the purview of Drugs and Cosmetics Act and thus treated as “drugs” with… Continue reading Medical devices to be treated as drugs

Government introduces Bill on northeast The government has introduced the Constitution (125th Amendment) Bill, 2019 in Rajya Sabha which seeks to bring 10 tribal dominated Autonomous District Councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of the north-eastern region under purview of the Finance Commission. The proposed amendments provide for a) devolution of financial resources to the… Continue reading Government introduces Bill on northeast

Vet institute, ambulances mooted in ₹98 crore lion conservation plan The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched the ‘Asiatic Lion Conservation Project’ which aims to protect and conserve the world’s last ranging free population of Asiatic Lion, a species endemic to the Gir landscape of Gujarat. The conservation project which has a… Continue reading Vet institute, ambulances mooted in ₹98 crore lion conservation plan

Ladakh gets divisional status Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved divisional status to Ladakh, which was part of the Kashmir division till now. The division of Ladakh, comprising of Leh and Kargil Districts, would be provided with a) separate administrative and revenue division with its headquarters at Leh, b) Divisional Commissioner, c) Inspector General of… Continue reading Ladakh gets divisional status