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Pib

1. DoNER Minister Dr Jitendra Singh hails exemption of 'bamboo' from Forest Act

Following the approval by the Union Cabinet in a meeting chaired by the Prime Minster Shri Narendra Modi, the President of India yesterday promulgated the Indian Forest (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 to exempt bamboo grown in non-forest areas from the definition “Tree”, thereby dispensing with the requirement of obtaining a permit for felling of bamboo for economic use. The decision has been hailed as historic because the bamboo was legally defined as a "Tree" under the Indian Forest Act, 1927 which proved to be a major impediment for bamboo cultivation by non-farmers on non-forest land.

Hailing the decision, Dr Jitendra Singh said India is one of the major producers of bamboo in the world, found abundantly in the NER. He said, bamboo can be utilized for manufacture of furniture, handicrafts, house construction and several other diverse applications including paper industry, cottage industry, fabric making units, wood substitutes like flooring, roofing, panels etc.

Describing the Amendment as a game-changer reform, Dr Jitendra Singh said this will not only help in generating employability and self-employment but also give a major boost to revenue as well as Start-Up entrepreneurship in the Northeast.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that over 20 million people are involved in bamboo-related activities and just one tonne of bamboo has the capacity to provide employment to 315 people.

2. Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman’s statement on S&P’s sovereign Credit ratings for India, 2017

• S&P Global has lauded the Narendra Modi government for passing a number of reforms that address long standing impediments to the country’s growth,whilst affirming India’s existing rating at BBB-/A-3

• These reforms, as asserted by the S&P Report, include:
v Comprehensive tax reforms through introduction of GST to replace complex and distortive domestic indirect taxes
v Bankruptcy code
v Non-performing loan resolution framework
v Recapitalisation of state owned banks
v Simplification of regulations and strengthening the business climate
v Reforms in the energy sector
v Improvement in contract enforcement & trade
• The report has also appreciated India’s efforts in improving monetary credibility and has noted the presence of strong democratic institutions and free press.

3. Multi State Mega Mock Tsunami Exercise 2017 held - Tsunami disaster scenario simulated to assess preparedness along the vulnerable eastern coastline

The Ministry of Home Affairs through National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) today conducted a first-of-its-kind multi-State mega mock exercise on tsunami preparedness covering the entire eastern coastline of the country.

Simulation exercises were conducted simultaneously in 35 coastal districts across four States of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu and Union Territory of Puducherry along the entire East Coast, to assess and improve the early warning and response mechanism to mitigate the impact of a high-intensity tsunami.

A two-hour reaction time was notified within which the entire State machinery needed to be mobilised so as to efficiently respond to the situation such that the impact of the tsunami is reduced.

In less than half an hour, the State Emergency Operation Centres (SEOCs) were activated. Besides mobilising the State machinery to respond, public warnings were sent out to the communities. Evacuation instructions were issued, rescue teams were formed under Incident Commanders and kept at standby in the Staging areas.

4. Government announces Trajectory to achieve its targets of commissioning 100 GW of Solar generating capacity and 60 GW of Wind power by 2022

The Government today announced the trajectory for achieving its targets of commissioning 175 GW of Renewable Energy (RE), 100 GW of solar generating capacity and 60 GW of wind power, by 2022.

Expressing confidence of comfortably achieving a rather conservative RE target of 175GW by 2022 and even exceed it, along with providing 24x7 affordable, clean and efficient power for all, Shri Singh said that all these targets would be positively achieved with the cooperation of the States in ensuring that their power utilities/ DISCOMS remain financially viable. The Centre has provided all the required support, including funds under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) and Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), to the States to ensure 24x7 Power for All by strengthening the intra-State transmission networks and by ensuring mandatory presence of metered connections. The Ministry is in talks with the States to ensure 100% metered connections through Smart/Pre-paid meters, Shri Singh added.

5. Winter Session of Parliament to be held from December 15, 2017 to January 5, 2018

Three Bills are to be taken up in the coming Winter session to replace three Ordinances viz.,

1. The Goods & Services Tax (Compensation to States) Ordinance, 2017 (promulgated on 02.09.17)
2. Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017
3. Indian Forest (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017
Parliament will also discuss the Supplementary Demands for Grants in this Winter Session.

6. National Law Day to be celebrated jointly by Law Commission and NITI Aayog

The National Law Day-2017 will be celebrated jointly by the Law Commission of India and NITI Aayog on 25th-26th November at Vigyan Bhawan in the capital. President Shri Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate the event on 25th November while the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will deliver the Valedictory Address on 26th November. The significance of the event lies in the fact that the Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26thNovember, 1949.

The Constitution of India envisages and mandates India to be a country governed by the rule of law. It provides that the Constitution shall be the supreme law of the land and all the three wings of the government, i.e., the legislative, the executive and the judiciary must derive their authority only from the Constitution.