Pib

Pib

1. PM congratulates Aanchal Thakur on winning India’s first international medal in skiing at FIS International Skiing Competition in Turkey

“Well done Aanchal Thakur for winning an international medal in skiing! The entire nation is ecstatic on your historic accomplishment at the FIS International Skiing Competition in Turkey. Wishing you the very best for your future endeavours”, the Prime Minister said.

2. Cabinet approves MoU between India and Canada for cooperation in the field of Science & Technology

The MoU was concluded in pursuance to the inter-governmental Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation between the India and Canada concluded in November 2005.

Salient features:

• An innovative model of R&D cooperation between India and Canada will be implemented under a MoU concluded by the Department of Science and Technology with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada.

• Under this MoU, the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnership to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability (IC-IMPACTS) programme will be supported to promote India-Canada multidisciplinary research partnerships.

• The R&D projects will be aimed at accelerating social transformation by providing solutions through application of science and technology.

• The participants will include researchers from scientific organizations, academia and R&D laboratories from India and Canada.

• Identified areas of mutual cooperation include safe and sustainable infrastructure and integrated water management.

• This will help to develop institutional networking and support the establishment of connections between scientific organizations, scientists and specialists of India and Canada.

3. Cabinet approves amendments in FDI policy

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is a major driver of economic growth and a source of non-debt finance for the economic development of the country. Government has put in place an investor friendly policy on FDI, under which FDI up to 100%, is permitted on the automatic route in most sectors/ activities. In the recent past, the Government has brought FDI policy reforms in a number of sectors viz. Defence, Construction Development, Insurance, Pension, Other Financial Services, Asset reconstruction Companies, Broadcasting, Civil Aviation, Pharmaceuticals, Trading etc.

Measures undertaken by the Government have resulted in increased FDI inflows in to the country. During the year 2014-15, total FDI inflows received were US $ 45.15 billion as against US $ 36.05 billion in 2013-14. During 2015-16, country received total FDI of US $ 55.46 billion. In the financial year 2016-17, total FDI of US $ 60.08 billion has been received, which is an all-time high.

• 100% FDI under automatic route for Single Brand Retail Trading • 100% FDI under automatic route in Construction Development • Foreign airlines allowed to invest up to 49% under approval route in Air India • FIIs/FPIs allowed to invest in Power Exchanges through primary market • Definition of ‘medical devices’ amended in the FDI Policy

4. Cabinet approves continuation of Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme beyond 12th Plan

The MPLAD Scheme is an ongoing Central Sector Scheme which was launched in 1993-94. Since the inception of the Scheme till August, 2017, a total number of 18,82,180 works for Rs. 44,929.17 crore have been sanctioned from MPLADS fund.

The Scheme enables the Members of Parliament to recommend works for creation of durable community assets based on locally felt needs to be taken up in their constituencies in the area of national priorities namely drinking water, education, public health, sanitation, roads etc. The Scheme is governed by a set of guidelines, which have been last revised in June, 2016.

Impact:

The entire population across the country stands to benefit through creation of durable assets of locally felt needs, namely drinking water, education, public health, sanitation and roads etc., under MPLAD Scheme.

The MPLAD Scheme has resulted into creation of various durable community assets which have impacted the social, cultural and economic life of the local communities in one way or the other.