CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
World Bicycle Day
- In April 2018, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 3 as International World Bicycle Day.
- The idea behind it is to recognise the longevity, uniqueness and versatility of the bicycle, and that it is an affordable, reliable, simple, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transport.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
Odisha, Sikkim, Mizoram join ‘One Nation-One Ration Card’ scheme
- Three more States — Odisha, Sikkim and Mizoram — have joined the ‘One Nation-One Ration Card’ scheme, taking the number of States and union territories (UTs) which have joined the scheme to
- By August, Uttarakhand, Nagaland and Manipur will also be added to the national cluster.
- Under the ‘One Nation-One Ration Card’ initiative, eligible beneficiaries would be able to avail their entitled foodgrains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) from any fair price shop in the country using the same ration card.
- The Food Ministry aims to implement this facility across the country by March 2021.
- Upgradation of electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) software, integration with central Integrated Management of PDS (IM-PDS) and Annavitran portals, availability of ration cards/beneficiaries data in central repository and requisite testing of national portability transactions — required for ration card portability has been completed in these three States.
- So far, ration card portability has been enabled in 17 States and UTs — Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, Telangana, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh.
