HIMACHAL PRADESH

Himachal Pradesh’s Government has launched various schemes to enable the state’s farmers to double their income by the year 2022.

“Three irrigation schemes — Jal Se Krishi Ko Bal, Flow Irrigation Scheme and Solar Irrigation Scheme — have been launched with sanctioned outlays of Rs 250 crore, Rs 150 crore and Rs 200 crore respectively for this purpose

Under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Irrigation Scheme, new units of 111 minor irrigation schemes have been set up with a budgetary provision of Rs 338 crore. The first instalment of Rs 49 crore in the form of central assistance has already been received.

Simultaneously, a sum of Rs 277 crore has been set aside for the development of small irrigation schemes in the hill state.

The state has already sent a proposal entailing an expenditure of Rs 800 crore to the Central Government to strengthen irrigation facilities and to repair old irrigation and drinking water sources.

The government has also reduced electricity tariff for irrigation from Re 1 per unit to 75 paise per unit

The Cabinet had approved guidelines for the implementation of the Prakritik Kheti-Khushaal Kisan scheme under which the income of farmers will increase through natural farming and a provision of Rs 25 crore has been made for its implementation.

This scheme will give a new direction to natural agriculture and farmers will get encouraged to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers. State agricultural universities will prepare a package of practices for implementation of the scheme.

The state has also taken a decision to bring more areas under fruit and vegetable production

Currently, the Japan International Cooperation Agency has been providing assistance of Rs 321 crore to the state under a crop diversification project for enhancing the socio-economic conditions of farmers in Mandi, Kangra, Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Una districts.

Now, the second phase of this scheme will be implemented in all 12 districts at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore

Himachal Pradesh is the only state where 89.96 per cent of its population lives in rural areas and dependence on agriculture and horticulture is much higher compared with other states.

INTERNATIONAL

· Russia became the first team in FIFA World Cup history to use fourth substitute

Russian midfielder Aleksandr Erokhin has become the first-ever playerto come on as a fourth substitute during a FIFA World Cup match.
He replaced Daler Kuziaev during the extra time’s first half against Spain in Round of 16 match.
FIFA 2018 has allowed teams to make a fourth substitution but only in extra time of knockouts during this edition.

NATIONAL

In yet another landmark achievement, India’s nomination of the “Victorian and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai” has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

The decision was taken at the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO at Manama in Bahrain.

As recommended by the World Heritage Committee, India accepted the renaming of the ensemble as “Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai”.

India has been successful in securing the inscription of the “Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai” on UNESCO’s World Heritage List under Criteria (ii) and (iv) as defined in the UNESCO’s Operational Guidelines.

This makes Mumbai city the second city in India after Ahmedabad to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Government of India is celebrating the 1st Anniversary of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) coming into force. GST was launched on the 1st July, 2017.

The first year has been remarkable both for the sheer variety of challenges that its implementation has thrown up and for the willingness and ability of policy makers and tax administrators to rise up to these challenges and respond befittingly.

But more importantly, the first year of GST has been an example to the world of the readiness of the Indian taxpayer to be a partner in this unprecedented reform of Indian taxation.

Accordingly, it has been decided that Sunday, the 1st of July, 2018 shall be commemorated as ‘GST Day’.

Before implementation of GST, Indian taxation system was a farrago of central, state and local area levies.

Indigenously built stealth frigate, INS Sahyadri, which is participating in RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific Exercise), the world’s largest international maritime exercise, has been adjudged runner-up in an innovation competition during the harbour phase of the exercise.

The 26th edition of RIMPAC, hosted by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), commenced off the Hawaii coast with the participation of about 25,000 personnel and more than 45 surface ships and submarines from 25 countries.

The new PAN will have the same name, date of birth, gender, mobile number and address as in the Aadhaar.

The e-PAN facility is only for resident individuals and not for Hindu Undivided Family, firms, trusts and companies.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), which makes policies for the Income Tax Department, has extended the deadline for the PAN-Aadhaar linking to March 31 next.

· DISHA Week is being celebrated from 25th to 29th June

District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DDCMC) is named as “DISHA” by the Ministry of Rural Development.
To mark the successful completion of 2 years of the DISHA, the Union Minister of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Mines, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, held wide ranging discussions on the DISHA initiative with Special Secretaries of the states/ UTs at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
Chhattisgarh is among the five States which received an “award of appreciation” for exemplary work towards regular holding of DISHA meetings. The other States include Jharkhand, Kerala, Mizoram and Uttarakhand.

As per provisions of the Scheme, Electoral Bonds may be purchased by a person, who is a citizen of India or incorporated or established in India.
A person being an individual can buy Electoral Bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals.
Only the Political Parties registered under Section 29A of Representation of People Act, 1951 & which secured not less than 1% of the votes polled in last General Election or the Legislative Assembly of the State, shall be eligible to receive Electoral Bonds.
Electoral Bonds shall be encashed by an eligible Political Party only through a Bank account with the Authorized Bank.
Electoral Bonds shall be valid for fifteen calendar days from the date of issue and no payment shall be made to any payee Political Party if the Electoral Bond is deposited after expiry of the validity period.
The Electoral Bond deposited by an eligible Political Party in its account shall be credited on the same day.