GOA
- Goa debt hits Rs 20,500 crore
- Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco said the government has taken a Rs 20,500 crore loan to run the state.
- Participating in a discussion on the motion of thanks, Lourenco said data indicated that the state’s debt was Rs 13,600 crore as of March last year. “Add to it Rs 4,000 crore towards general provident fund and securities. Our market borrowing comes to Rs 2,350 crore as per assembly figures,” he said. “In the first week of July, the state borrowed Rs 400 crore, taking the total debt to Rs 20,500 crore.”
INTERNATIONAL
- World Day for International Justice: 17 July
- World Day for International Justice is also known as International Criminal Justice Day.
- It is observed globally on 17 July every year to recognise the strengthening system of international justice.
- On this is the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute in 1998.
- With the help of this treaty, the International Criminal Court (ICC) was established.
NATIONAL
- India will host ISSF World Cup 2020
- International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) approved India’s application to host the ISSF World Cup stages.
- The last edition of ISSF World Cup was held in Munich, Germany.
- The ISSF World Cup will be held in New Delhi from March 15 to 26 next year.
- The high-level committee proposes to set up a National Digital Health Mission
- A high-level committee formed by the government has proposed setting up of a National Digital Health Mission.
- The report of the committee entitled ‘National Digital Health Blueprint’ was released by Health Minister Dr Harshavardhan in New Delhi.
- Both the Centre and state governments will be the owners and stakeholders in the new organisation.
- The proposal has been put in the public domain for suggestions from all stakeholders, including common people.
- Per capita water availability has declined: Govt
- The per capita water availability has declined to 1,544 cubic metre in 2011 from 1,816 cubic metre in 2001.
- In many countries sewage water is being recycled to make potable water, but there is no such need in India.
- “Water is a State subject and planning, funding, implementation and maintenance of water supply schemes are primarily the responsibility of the state governments.
- The Central government provides technical and financial assistance to States for improving coverage of safe drinking water in rural habitations under centrally sponsored National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP).
- “According to NITI Aayog’s documents ‘Strategy for New India @75’ due to growing population, the per capita water availability in the country has decreased from 1816 cubic metre in 2001 to 1544 cubic metre in 2011
- Bill seeking ban on commercial surrogacy tabled
- Commercial surrogacy will soon be banned and only close relatives will be permitted to act as surrogates to infertile couples for “ethical altruistic” reasons.
- The government introduced the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha that also provides for constitution of surrogacy boards at national and state levels, as well as that the intending couples should not abandon such a child under any condition.
- Only Indian couples who have been legally married for at least five years would be allowed to opt for surrogacy, as per the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill, which was introduced by health and family welfare minister Harsh Vardhan.
- The bill seeks to “allow ethical altruistic surrogacy to the intending infertile Indian married couple between the age of 23-50 years and 26-55 years for female and male, respectively.
- Plan to double health centres to 40k by FY20′
- The government plans to double the number of health and wellness centres to 40,000 by end of this financial year (2019-20), giving a push to preventive and primary health care services across the country.
- Currently, there are 19,567 such centres operating in the country, while the government has set a target to start 1.5 lakh HWCs under Ayushman Bharat by 2022.
- There are over 15,000 hospitals empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana — the government-run health insurance scheme.
- Rajya Sabha passed the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on 16 July
- TheRajya Sabha passed the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) (Amendment) Bill, 2019 . The Bill aims to raise the threshold for an airport to qualify as major airport and in turn to reduce the tariff-fixing power of airport regulator to fewer airports.
- The approval of the Bill will make as many as 16 airports under the purview of AERA. All other airports will continue to be looked after by the Civil Aviation Ministry.The amendment of the Bill does not subserve the interest of consumers.
- AERA (Amendment) Bill was earlier approved by the Cabinet in December 2017 during the first tenure of Modi government. The Bill gotlapsed as it could not be passed in last year’s Monsoon Session.
In the second term of the NDA government, the new Lok Sabha has approved the Bill again. The Bill got the Cabinet approval on June 24.