Top Headlines - 23.02.2016

Top Headlines - 23.02.2016
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1. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, launched the National Rurban Mission from Kurubhat, in Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh. This scheme would complement the Smart Cities initiative by creating Smart Villages.

2. The Public Investment Board has approved the Rs. 800-crore proposal from India Post for setting up a payments bank. PIB, under the Finance Ministry, whets the investment proposals by state-run entities. The department is also in the process of finalising selection of a consultant for setting up of the India Post payments bank.

3. K. Sanath Kumar has taken charge as the Chairman-cum Managing Director of Kolkata-based National Insurance Company. The post of CMD at National Insurance had been lying vacant for the last two years.

4. The Environment Ministry has extended to December 2018 a scheme granting default Forest Department approval for public utility projects in Naxal-affected regions. Such a scheme has been in place since 2011 in 117 districts, including those in Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Telangana. This directive is an extension of this programme that lapsed in December 2015.

5. “Swachh Parayatan Mobile App” was launched by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, the Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism & Culture and Minister of State for Civil Aviation at a function. This Mobile App is available on Google Search Engine as ‘Swachh Paryatan’ and initially it is available on Android Phones.

6. Minister of Urban Development Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu asked the first batch of 20 cities selected in the first round of competition to launch respective smart city projects by 25th of June this year marking the one year of launch of the Mission by Prime Minister last year.

7. Justice Vineet Saran will be the new Chief Justice of Orissa High Court. The new CJ will take oath on February 26. Prior to his present appointment, Justice Saran was officiating as a senior judge of Karnataka High Court.

8. Aiming to strengthen India-UAE economic ties, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has signed an MoU with Dubai Exports to boost trade and explore business opportunities. CII, a non-government organisation, has signed an memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai Exports, which works with other Dubai Government Departments to simplify the export process.

9. Nicole Kidman has won best actress in a play honours at London’s WhatsOnStage Awards for her depiction of a real-life scientific heroine in “Photograph 51.”

10. India has overtaken China’s air pollution levels in 2015 and the average particulate matter exposure was higher for the first time in the 21st century, a Greenpeace analysis of NASA satellite data has shown.As per World Health Organization (WHO), India is home to 13 out of 20 most polluted cities in the world.