On December 20, 2017, Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved following bilateral agreements and initiatives:
Cabinet approves extension of term of the Commission to examine the issue of sub-categorization of Other Backward Classes
Commission to examine the issue of sub-categorization of Other Backward Classes, headed by Justice (Retd.) Smt. G. Rohini, was constituted on October 2, 2017 under article 340 of Indian Constitution and started functioning from October 11, 2017.
- The commission was supposed to submit its report within twelve weeks from the assumption of charge by the Chairperson.
- However, commission sought extension owing to huge size of data which is yet to be analysed.
- Union Cabinet has thus granted extension by twelve weeks i.e. up to April 2, 2018.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Cuba on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine
Union Cabinet has given its ex-post-facto approval for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Cuba on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine.
Details about India-Cuba MoU on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine:
- This MoU was signed on December 6, 2017 in New Delhi.
- Under this MoU, India and Cuba will cooperate in several areas including exchange & training of medical doctors, short term training of human resources in health, procurement of generic and essential drugs and regulation of pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
- A Joint Working Group (JWG), comprising representatives from both the ides will be set up to oversee the implementation of this MoU.
Quick Facts about Cuba:
- Capital – Havana
- Currency – Peso
- Current President – Raul Castro
- Important Rivers – Cauto, Tao
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Italy on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine
Union Cabinet has given its ex-post-facto approval for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Italy on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine.
Detail about India-Italy MoU on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine:
- This MoU was signed on November 29, 2017, in New Delhi.
- Under this MoU, India and Italy will cooperate in several areas including exchange & training of medical doctors, short term training of human resources in health, procurement of generic and essential drugs and collaboration in the field of climate change impact on communicable diseases and vector borne diseases.
- A Joint Working Group (JWG), comprising representatives from both the ides will be set up to oversee the implementation of this MoU.
Quick Facts about Italy:
- Capital – Rome
- Currency – Euro
- Current Prime Minister – Paolo Gentiloni
- Important Rivers – Po, Tiber
Cabinet gives nod to India’s first rail university in Vadodara
Union Cabinet has approved Railway Ministry’s initiative to set up the first ever National Rail and Transport University (NRTU) in Vadodara, Gujarat.
Details about National Rail and Transport University (NRTU):
Primary objective for setting up NRTU is to skill Indian Railways workforce and build capability.
- The university will be managed by a not-for-profit Company registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013.
- NRTU will be equipped with technology applications including satellite based tracking, Radio Frequency Identification and Artificial Intelligence to improve on-the-job performance and productivity.
- All approvals related to setting up of NRTU will be procured by April 2018 and Government is planning to launch the first academic program in July 2018.
Cabinet approves new skill development scheme in Textiles sector
On December 20, 2017, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved “Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SCBTS)”, a new skill development scheme, covering the entire value chain of textile sector.
Salient Features of “Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SCBTS)”:
- The scheme will be implemented from 2017-18 to 2019-20 with financial outlay of Rs 1300 crore.
- Spinning and weaving in the organised sector have not been included in this scheme.
- Training courses conducted under SCBTS will be National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF)
- Main objective of this scheme is to provide demand driven and placement oriented skilling programme.
Union Cabinet approves new Consumer Protection Bill seeking to establish authority to safeguard consumer rights
Union Cabinet has approved a new Consumer Protection Bill, 2017, that seeks to establish a central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) for protecting consumers’ rights.
Information about Consumer Protection Bill, 2017:
This bill will result in withdrawal of the bill introduced in August 2015. The bill introduced in August 2015 was meant to repeal the 30-year-old Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
- However, there were many amendments to the 2015 bill including recommendations from Parliamentary Standing Committee. Thus, Consumer Affairs Ministry brought in the new Consumer Protection Bill, 2017.
- The new bill includes provisions for penalty and jail terms in case of adulteration and misleading advertisements.
- Even the celebrities endorsing misleading ads will be fined or may face a ban of up to three years.