1. Akhil Reed Amar appointed as member of the National Council on Humanities of US
Akhil Amar, an Indian-American professor from Yale University, was appointed as a member of the prestigious National Council on Humanities of United States (US) by President Barack Obama.
Presently, Amar is Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at the Yale University.
He has been serving as the Professor at both Yale College and Yale Law School since 1985. He had held various posts of professorships, including Southmayd Professor (1993-2008), Professor (1990-1993), Associate Professor (1988-1990) and Assistant Professor (1985-1988).
Akhil Amar also had worked as a law clerk from 1984 to 1985 to Judge Stephen Breyer. He was co-editor of Processes of Constitutional Decision-making, a constitutional law casebook. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Coalition of Freedom Advisory Board of the National Constitution Center and Constitutional Accountability Center.
He holds a BA degree from Yale College and a JD from Yale Law School.
2. Pawan Goenka appointed honorary ambassador for Korea
Mahindra & Mahindra’s (M&M) Executive Director Pawan Goenka was appointed Honorary Ambassador of Foreign Investment Promotion for Korea at a ceremony held in Mumbai.
He was conferred this title in the presence of several dignitaries and officials. As Honorary Ambassador, Goenka will promote economic ties between India and Korea and advise corporate India on potential investment opportunities in South Korea.
“It is an honour for me to be appointed the Honorary Ambassador of Foreign Investment Promotion for Korea. Both countries have a remarkable history of ties and a strong bilateral trade relationship which contributes significantly to the economy of the two countries,” said Goenka.
3. India ranks 24th out of 70 countries in the first Environmental Democracy Index
India has ranked 24th out of 70 countries in the first Environmental Democracy Index that is topped by Lithuania and evaluates nations’ progress in enacting laws to promote transparency, accountability and citizen engagement in environmental decision-making. Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, the US, South Africa, the UK, Hungary, Bulgaria, Panama and Colombia are the top 10 nations in the list launched by Washington-based World Resources Institute (WRI) and Access Initiative yesterday.
The index evaluates environmental democracy in 70 countries, including 75 legal and 24 practice indicators, based on recognised international standards. “With a number of critical moments in environment and sustainability in 2015, advancing good governance and environmental rights are essential.
This index is a powerful lever that will help governments to become more transparent and ordinary citizens to advocate for more rights,” said Mark Robinson, global director, Governance, WRI.
“For the first time, we have an objective, common index to understand the state of environmental democracy for countries around the world, which is essential to strengthen laws and public participation around environmental issues,” he said.
According to the report, 93 per cent of the assessed countries have established the right to environmental information.
However, almost half of these countries (45 per cent) do not have strong protections to ensure that access to information is affordable and timely, it said.
4. Parvinder Singh first Sikh mayor of Wokingham
An Indian-origin councillor on Friday took charge as the mayor of Britain’s Wokingham Borough Council, the first-ever Sikh to hold this position.
Parvinder Singh Batth, a Conservative party councillor has served his local borough of Wokingham in Berkshire in south east England as Deputy Mayor, took over the role from Councillor UllaKarin Clark and will serve till 2016.
“Councillor Clark has helped me immensely. She will be a tough act to follow, and to her I say thank you,” Councillor Batth thanked Ms. Clark for her support.
“I will duly and faithfully fulfil the duties of my role to the best of my judgment. Being born in Punjab to a farming family, I come from a humble background.
“However, I now feel even more humbled being chosen as the new Mayor,” Councillor Batth said.
5. O Panneerselvam resigned as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam resigned . He tendered his resignation to the Governor Konijeti Rosaiah.
He resigned minutes after Jayalalithaa was elected as the legislature party leader at a meeting in Chennai. With this, his eight months long tenure as Chief Minister of the state came to an end.He was appointed as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 29 September 2014 as replacement of former AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa, who resigned after being convicted in the 18 year old disproportionate assets case of over 66 crore rupees. She was awarded a four year prison term by Bangalore Special Court after it found her guilty of amassing unaccounted wealth.
6. World Bank approved 250 million dollar credit for Enhancing Teacher Effectiveness in Bihar
The World Bank approved 250 million US dollar credit for the Enhancing Teacher Effectiveness in Bihar Programme. The credit will be provided to improve the effectiveness of elementary school teachers in Bihar by making them more qualified, accountable and responsive.
The credit is being provided from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s concessionary lending arm, and the credit is on IDA terms with a maturity of 25 years, including a 5 year grace period.
The programme will be implemented over a five year period and will support the state in
• Development of high quality education institutions
• Ensure certification for unqualified elementary school teachers and continuous professional development of teachers in service
• Help effective teacher management and performance and improve teacher accountability at the school level
The problem of quality of education in Bihar
Among many problems affecting Bihar education system, quality of education is the worrisome problem. The quality of education in turn is the result of lack of trained teachers in Bihar. By 2020, the number of teachers is expected to exceed 6 lakhs but the state’s training capacity is less than 5000 teachers annually. It means state needs to train at least ten times more teachers annually.
7. Govt. relaxes FDI norms for NRIs, PIOs, OCI
In a bid to increase capital flows into the country, the Union Cabinet, on Thursday, announced a major shift in foreign direct investment policy by categorising non-repatriable investments by non-resident Indians (NRIs), overseas citizens of India (OCIs) and persons of Indian origin (PIOs) as domestic investment.
“The Cabinet approved amendments to FDI policy on investments by NRIs, PIOs & OCIs. This will give PIOs & OCIs parity with NRIs in economy and education,” an official spokesperson said.
Increased inflow
An official release from the government added that the measure is expected to result in increased investments across sectors and greater inflow of foreign exchange remittance leading to economic growth of the country.
The proposal was floated by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and the government had formed a committee to deliberate on this matter last year. The Narendra Modi-led government, which has liberalised the FDI policy for sectors such as defence, railways, construction development, medical devices and insurance, is keen to tap NRIs, OCIs and PIOs.
During the April-February period of the previous fiscal, FDI rose by 39 per cent to $28.81 billion against $20.76 billion in the same period last fiscal.
Revival of urea plants
In another decision the Cabinet also approved the revival of closed urea plant in Sindri, Jharkhand, and setting up of a new fertilizer plant in Namrup in Assam at a total investment of Rs.10,500 crore. The government also extended the timeline for completing the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infra Project (NATRIP) by three years.
The extension of timeline will help the project to be completed as per the objectives, and ensure that state-of-the-art automotive testing, homologation and R&D facilities are made available in India, an official release said.
Akhil Amar, an Indian-American professor from Yale University, was appointed as a member of the prestigious National Council on Humanities of United States (US) by President Barack Obama. Presently, Amar is Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at the Yale University.
He has been serving as the Professor at both Yale College and Yale Law School since 1985. He had held various posts of professorships, including Southmayd Professor (1993-2008), Professor (1990-1993), Associate Professor (1988-1990) and Assistant Professor (1985-1988).
Akhil Amar also had worked as a law clerk from 1984 to 1985 to Judge Stephen Breyer. He was co-editor of Processes of Constitutional Decision-making, a constitutional law casebook. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Coalition of Freedom Advisory Board of the National Constitution Center and Constitutional Accountability Center.
He holds a BA degree from Yale College and a JD from Yale Law School.
2. Pawan Goenka appointed honorary ambassador for Korea
Mahindra & Mahindra’s (M&M) Executive Director Pawan Goenka was appointed Honorary Ambassador of Foreign Investment Promotion for Korea at a ceremony held in Mumbai.
He was conferred this title in the presence of several dignitaries and officials. As Honorary Ambassador, Goenka will promote economic ties between India and Korea and advise corporate India on potential investment opportunities in South Korea.
“It is an honour for me to be appointed the Honorary Ambassador of Foreign Investment Promotion for Korea. Both countries have a remarkable history of ties and a strong bilateral trade relationship which contributes significantly to the economy of the two countries,” said Goenka.
3. India ranks 24th out of 70 countries in the first Environmental Democracy Index
India has ranked 24th out of 70 countries in the first Environmental Democracy Index that is topped by Lithuania and evaluates nations’ progress in enacting laws to promote transparency, accountability and citizen engagement in environmental decision-making. Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, the US, South Africa, the UK, Hungary, Bulgaria, Panama and Colombia are the top 10 nations in the list launched by Washington-based World Resources Institute (WRI) and Access Initiative yesterday.
The index evaluates environmental democracy in 70 countries, including 75 legal and 24 practice indicators, based on recognised international standards. “With a number of critical moments in environment and sustainability in 2015, advancing good governance and environmental rights are essential.
This index is a powerful lever that will help governments to become more transparent and ordinary citizens to advocate for more rights,” said Mark Robinson, global director, Governance, WRI.
“For the first time, we have an objective, common index to understand the state of environmental democracy for countries around the world, which is essential to strengthen laws and public participation around environmental issues,” he said.
According to the report, 93 per cent of the assessed countries have established the right to environmental information.
However, almost half of these countries (45 per cent) do not have strong protections to ensure that access to information is affordable and timely, it said.
4. Parvinder Singh first Sikh mayor of Wokingham
An Indian-origin councillor on Friday took charge as the mayor of Britain’s Wokingham Borough Council, the first-ever Sikh to hold this position.
Parvinder Singh Batth, a Conservative party councillor has served his local borough of Wokingham in Berkshire in south east England as Deputy Mayor, took over the role from Councillor UllaKarin Clark and will serve till 2016.
“Councillor Clark has helped me immensely. She will be a tough act to follow, and to her I say thank you,” Councillor Batth thanked Ms. Clark for her support.
“I will duly and faithfully fulfil the duties of my role to the best of my judgment. Being born in Punjab to a farming family, I come from a humble background.
“However, I now feel even more humbled being chosen as the new Mayor,” Councillor Batth said.
5. O Panneerselvam resigned as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam resigned . He tendered his resignation to the Governor Konijeti Rosaiah.
He resigned minutes after Jayalalithaa was elected as the legislature party leader at a meeting in Chennai. With this, his eight months long tenure as Chief Minister of the state came to an end.He was appointed as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 29 September 2014 as replacement of former AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa, who resigned after being convicted in the 18 year old disproportionate assets case of over 66 crore rupees. She was awarded a four year prison term by Bangalore Special Court after it found her guilty of amassing unaccounted wealth.
6. World Bank approved 250 million dollar credit for Enhancing Teacher Effectiveness in Bihar
The World Bank approved 250 million US dollar credit for the Enhancing Teacher Effectiveness in Bihar Programme. The credit will be provided to improve the effectiveness of elementary school teachers in Bihar by making them more qualified, accountable and responsive.
The credit is being provided from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s concessionary lending arm, and the credit is on IDA terms with a maturity of 25 years, including a 5 year grace period.
The programme will be implemented over a five year period and will support the state in
• Development of high quality education institutions
• Ensure certification for unqualified elementary school teachers and continuous professional development of teachers in service
• Help effective teacher management and performance and improve teacher accountability at the school level
The problem of quality of education in Bihar
Among many problems affecting Bihar education system, quality of education is the worrisome problem. The quality of education in turn is the result of lack of trained teachers in Bihar. By 2020, the number of teachers is expected to exceed 6 lakhs but the state’s training capacity is less than 5000 teachers annually. It means state needs to train at least ten times more teachers annually.
7. Govt. relaxes FDI norms for NRIs, PIOs, OCI
In a bid to increase capital flows into the country, the Union Cabinet, on Thursday, announced a major shift in foreign direct investment policy by categorising non-repatriable investments by non-resident Indians (NRIs), overseas citizens of India (OCIs) and persons of Indian origin (PIOs) as domestic investment.
“The Cabinet approved amendments to FDI policy on investments by NRIs, PIOs & OCIs. This will give PIOs & OCIs parity with NRIs in economy and education,” an official spokesperson said.
Increased inflow
An official release from the government added that the measure is expected to result in increased investments across sectors and greater inflow of foreign exchange remittance leading to economic growth of the country.
The proposal was floated by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and the government had formed a committee to deliberate on this matter last year. The Narendra Modi-led government, which has liberalised the FDI policy for sectors such as defence, railways, construction development, medical devices and insurance, is keen to tap NRIs, OCIs and PIOs.
During the April-February period of the previous fiscal, FDI rose by 39 per cent to $28.81 billion against $20.76 billion in the same period last fiscal.
Revival of urea plants
In another decision the Cabinet also approved the revival of closed urea plant in Sindri, Jharkhand, and setting up of a new fertilizer plant in Namrup in Assam at a total investment of Rs.10,500 crore. The government also extended the timeline for completing the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infra Project (NATRIP) by three years.
The extension of timeline will help the project to be completed as per the objectives, and ensure that state-of-the-art automotive testing, homologation and R&D facilities are made available in India, an official release said.
1. Akhil Reed Amar appointed as member of the National Council on Humanities of US
Akhil Amar, an Indian-American professor from Yale University, was appointed as a member of the prestigious National Council on Humanities of United States (US) by President Barack Obama.
Presently, Amar is Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at the Yale University.
He has been serving as the Professor at both Yale College and Yale Law School since 1985. He had held various posts of professorships, including Southmayd Professor (1993-2008), Professor (1990-1993), Associate Professor (1988-1990) and Assistant Professor (1985-1988).
Akhil Amar also had worked as a law clerk from 1984 to 1985 to Judge Stephen Breyer. He was co-editor of Processes of Constitutional Decision-making, a constitutional law casebook. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Coalition of Freedom Advisory Board of the National Constitution Center and Constitutional Accountability Center.
He holds a BA degree from Yale College and a JD from Yale Law School.
2. Pawan Goenka appointed honorary ambassador for Korea
Mahindra & Mahindra’s (M&M) Executive Director Pawan Goenka was appointed Honorary Ambassador of Foreign Investment Promotion for Korea at a ceremony held in Mumbai.
He was conferred this title in the presence of several dignitaries and officials. As Honorary Ambassador, Goenka will promote economic ties between India and Korea and advise corporate India on potential investment opportunities in South Korea.
“It is an honour for me to be appointed the Honorary Ambassador of Foreign Investment Promotion for Korea. Both countries have a remarkable history of ties and a strong bilateral trade relationship which contributes significantly to the economy of the two countries,” said Goenka.
3. India ranks 24th out of 70 countries in the first Environmental Democracy Index
India has ranked 24th out of 70 countries in the first Environmental Democracy Index that is topped by Lithuania and evaluates nations’ progress in enacting laws to promote transparency, accountability and citizen engagement in environmental decision-making. Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, the US, South Africa, the UK, Hungary, Bulgaria, Panama and Colombia are the top 10 nations in the list launched by Washington-based World Resources Institute (WRI) and Access Initiative yesterday.
The index evaluates environmental democracy in 70 countries, including 75 legal and 24 practice indicators, based on recognised international standards. “With a number of critical moments in environment and sustainability in 2015, advancing good governance and environmental rights are essential.
This index is a powerful lever that will help governments to become more transparent and ordinary citizens to advocate for more rights,” said Mark Robinson, global director, Governance, WRI.
“For the first time, we have an objective, common index to understand the state of environmental democracy for countries around the world, which is essential to strengthen laws and public participation around environmental issues,” he said.
According to the report, 93 per cent of the assessed countries have established the right to environmental information.
However, almost half of these countries (45 per cent) do not have strong protections to ensure that access to information is affordable and timely, it said.
4. Parvinder Singh first Sikh mayor of Wokingham
An Indian-origin councillor on Friday took charge as the mayor of Britain’s Wokingham Borough Council, the first-ever Sikh to hold this position.
Parvinder Singh Batth, a Conservative party councillor has served his local borough of Wokingham in Berkshire in south east England as Deputy Mayor, took over the role from Councillor UllaKarin Clark and will serve till 2016.
“Councillor Clark has helped me immensely. She will be a tough act to follow, and to her I say thank you,” Councillor Batth thanked Ms. Clark for her support.
“I will duly and faithfully fulfil the duties of my role to the best of my judgment. Being born in Punjab to a farming family, I come from a humble background.
“However, I now feel even more humbled being chosen as the new Mayor,” Councillor Batth said.
5. O Panneerselvam resigned as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam resigned . He tendered his resignation to the Governor Konijeti Rosaiah.
He resigned minutes after Jayalalithaa was elected as the legislature party leader at a meeting in Chennai. With this, his eight months long tenure as Chief Minister of the state came to an end.He was appointed as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 29 September 2014 as replacement of former AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa, who resigned after being convicted in the 18 year old disproportionate assets case of over 66 crore rupees. She was awarded a four year prison term by Bangalore Special Court after it found her guilty of amassing unaccounted wealth.
6. World Bank approved 250 million dollar credit for Enhancing Teacher Effectiveness in Bihar
The World Bank approved 250 million US dollar credit for the Enhancing Teacher Effectiveness in Bihar Programme. The credit will be provided to improve the effectiveness of elementary school teachers in Bihar by making them more qualified, accountable and responsive.
The credit is being provided from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s concessionary lending arm, and the credit is on IDA terms with a maturity of 25 years, including a 5 year grace period.
The programme will be implemented over a five year period and will support the state in
• Development of high quality education institutions
• Ensure certification for unqualified elementary school teachers and continuous professional development of teachers in service
• Help effective teacher management and performance and improve teacher accountability at the school level
The problem of quality of education in Bihar
Among many problems affecting Bihar education system, quality of education is the worrisome problem. The quality of education in turn is the result of lack of trained teachers in Bihar. By 2020, the number of teachers is expected to exceed 6 lakhs but the state’s training capacity is less than 5000 teachers annually. It means state needs to train at least ten times more teachers annually.
7. Govt. relaxes FDI norms for NRIs, PIOs, OCI
In a bid to increase capital flows into the country, the Union Cabinet, on Thursday, announced a major shift in foreign direct investment policy by categorising non-repatriable investments by non-resident Indians (NRIs), overseas citizens of India (OCIs) and persons of Indian origin (PIOs) as domestic investment.
“The Cabinet approved amendments to FDI policy on investments by NRIs, PIOs & OCIs. This will give PIOs & OCIs parity with NRIs in economy and education,” an official spokesperson said.
Increased inflow
An official release from the government added that the measure is expected to result in increased investments across sectors and greater inflow of foreign exchange remittance leading to economic growth of the country.
The proposal was floated by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and the government had formed a committee to deliberate on this matter last year. The Narendra Modi-led government, which has liberalised the FDI policy for sectors such as defence, railways, construction development, medical devices and insurance, is keen to tap NRIs, OCIs and PIOs.
During the April-February period of the previous fiscal, FDI rose by 39 per cent to $28.81 billion against $20.76 billion in the same period last fiscal.
Revival of urea plants
In another decision the Cabinet also approved the revival of closed urea plant in Sindri, Jharkhand, and setting up of a new fertilizer plant in Namrup in Assam at a total investment of Rs.10,500 crore. The government also extended the timeline for completing the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infra Project (NATRIP) by three years.
The extension of timeline will help the project to be completed as per the objectives, and ensure that state-of-the-art automotive testing, homologation and R&D facilities are made available in India, an official release said.
Akhil Amar, an Indian-American professor from Yale University, was appointed as a member of the prestigious National Council on Humanities of United States (US) by President Barack Obama. Presently, Amar is Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at the Yale University.
He has been serving as the Professor at both Yale College and Yale Law School since 1985. He had held various posts of professorships, including Southmayd Professor (1993-2008), Professor (1990-1993), Associate Professor (1988-1990) and Assistant Professor (1985-1988).
Akhil Amar also had worked as a law clerk from 1984 to 1985 to Judge Stephen Breyer. He was co-editor of Processes of Constitutional Decision-making, a constitutional law casebook. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Coalition of Freedom Advisory Board of the National Constitution Center and Constitutional Accountability Center.
He holds a BA degree from Yale College and a JD from Yale Law School.
2. Pawan Goenka appointed honorary ambassador for Korea
Mahindra & Mahindra’s (M&M) Executive Director Pawan Goenka was appointed Honorary Ambassador of Foreign Investment Promotion for Korea at a ceremony held in Mumbai.
He was conferred this title in the presence of several dignitaries and officials. As Honorary Ambassador, Goenka will promote economic ties between India and Korea and advise corporate India on potential investment opportunities in South Korea.
“It is an honour for me to be appointed the Honorary Ambassador of Foreign Investment Promotion for Korea. Both countries have a remarkable history of ties and a strong bilateral trade relationship which contributes significantly to the economy of the two countries,” said Goenka.
3. India ranks 24th out of 70 countries in the first Environmental Democracy Index
India has ranked 24th out of 70 countries in the first Environmental Democracy Index that is topped by Lithuania and evaluates nations’ progress in enacting laws to promote transparency, accountability and citizen engagement in environmental decision-making. Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, the US, South Africa, the UK, Hungary, Bulgaria, Panama and Colombia are the top 10 nations in the list launched by Washington-based World Resources Institute (WRI) and Access Initiative yesterday.
The index evaluates environmental democracy in 70 countries, including 75 legal and 24 practice indicators, based on recognised international standards. “With a number of critical moments in environment and sustainability in 2015, advancing good governance and environmental rights are essential.
This index is a powerful lever that will help governments to become more transparent and ordinary citizens to advocate for more rights,” said Mark Robinson, global director, Governance, WRI.
“For the first time, we have an objective, common index to understand the state of environmental democracy for countries around the world, which is essential to strengthen laws and public participation around environmental issues,” he said.
According to the report, 93 per cent of the assessed countries have established the right to environmental information.
However, almost half of these countries (45 per cent) do not have strong protections to ensure that access to information is affordable and timely, it said.
4. Parvinder Singh first Sikh mayor of Wokingham
An Indian-origin councillor on Friday took charge as the mayor of Britain’s Wokingham Borough Council, the first-ever Sikh to hold this position.
Parvinder Singh Batth, a Conservative party councillor has served his local borough of Wokingham in Berkshire in south east England as Deputy Mayor, took over the role from Councillor UllaKarin Clark and will serve till 2016.
“Councillor Clark has helped me immensely. She will be a tough act to follow, and to her I say thank you,” Councillor Batth thanked Ms. Clark for her support.
“I will duly and faithfully fulfil the duties of my role to the best of my judgment. Being born in Punjab to a farming family, I come from a humble background.
“However, I now feel even more humbled being chosen as the new Mayor,” Councillor Batth said.
5. O Panneerselvam resigned as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam resigned . He tendered his resignation to the Governor Konijeti Rosaiah.
He resigned minutes after Jayalalithaa was elected as the legislature party leader at a meeting in Chennai. With this, his eight months long tenure as Chief Minister of the state came to an end.He was appointed as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 29 September 2014 as replacement of former AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa, who resigned after being convicted in the 18 year old disproportionate assets case of over 66 crore rupees. She was awarded a four year prison term by Bangalore Special Court after it found her guilty of amassing unaccounted wealth.
6. World Bank approved 250 million dollar credit for Enhancing Teacher Effectiveness in Bihar
The World Bank approved 250 million US dollar credit for the Enhancing Teacher Effectiveness in Bihar Programme. The credit will be provided to improve the effectiveness of elementary school teachers in Bihar by making them more qualified, accountable and responsive.
The credit is being provided from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s concessionary lending arm, and the credit is on IDA terms with a maturity of 25 years, including a 5 year grace period.
The programme will be implemented over a five year period and will support the state in
• Development of high quality education institutions
• Ensure certification for unqualified elementary school teachers and continuous professional development of teachers in service
• Help effective teacher management and performance and improve teacher accountability at the school level
The problem of quality of education in Bihar
Among many problems affecting Bihar education system, quality of education is the worrisome problem. The quality of education in turn is the result of lack of trained teachers in Bihar. By 2020, the number of teachers is expected to exceed 6 lakhs but the state’s training capacity is less than 5000 teachers annually. It means state needs to train at least ten times more teachers annually.
7. Govt. relaxes FDI norms for NRIs, PIOs, OCI
In a bid to increase capital flows into the country, the Union Cabinet, on Thursday, announced a major shift in foreign direct investment policy by categorising non-repatriable investments by non-resident Indians (NRIs), overseas citizens of India (OCIs) and persons of Indian origin (PIOs) as domestic investment.
“The Cabinet approved amendments to FDI policy on investments by NRIs, PIOs & OCIs. This will give PIOs & OCIs parity with NRIs in economy and education,” an official spokesperson said.
Increased inflow
An official release from the government added that the measure is expected to result in increased investments across sectors and greater inflow of foreign exchange remittance leading to economic growth of the country.
The proposal was floated by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and the government had formed a committee to deliberate on this matter last year. The Narendra Modi-led government, which has liberalised the FDI policy for sectors such as defence, railways, construction development, medical devices and insurance, is keen to tap NRIs, OCIs and PIOs.
During the April-February period of the previous fiscal, FDI rose by 39 per cent to $28.81 billion against $20.76 billion in the same period last fiscal.
Revival of urea plants
In another decision the Cabinet also approved the revival of closed urea plant in Sindri, Jharkhand, and setting up of a new fertilizer plant in Namrup in Assam at a total investment of Rs.10,500 crore. The government also extended the timeline for completing the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infra Project (NATRIP) by three years.
The extension of timeline will help the project to be completed as per the objectives, and ensure that state-of-the-art automotive testing, homologation and R&D facilities are made available in India, an official release said.
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