CURRENT AFFAIRS: 24.06.2017

1.Panel to oversee progress in UN’s SDG

·       The centre is going to set up a high-level committee headed by Chief Statistician of India to oversee the country’s progress towards UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

·       SDG aimed at ending poverty, fighting inequalities and tackling climate change.

·       A dashboard is also being developed with the technical support from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to “strengthen the mechanism” for monitoring progress on these global goals.

·       Data collected by private agencies may be considered for monitoring the SDGs.

·       The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has developed a list of draft national indicators to measure progress of SDGs.

·       These draft indicators have been put out in public domain, based on inputs received national-level indicators will be finalised.

SDGs

Ø Officially known as Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a set of 17 "Global Goals" with 169 targets between them.

Ø Goal 1-    End poverty in all its forms everywhere.

Ø Goal 2-     End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

Ø Goal 3-     Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

Ø Goal 4-     Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Ø Goal 5-     Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Ø Goal 6-     Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Ø Goal 7-     Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Ø Goal 8-     Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

Ø Goal 9-     Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

Ø Goal 10-   Reduce inequality within and among countries.

Ø Goal 11-   Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Ø Goal 12-   Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Ø Goal 13-   Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Ø Goal 14-   Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Ø Goal 15-   Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

Ø Goal 16-   Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Ø Goal 17-   Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

Source: The Hindu

2.M-banking now under ombudsman’s purview

·       The reserve bank of India has widened the scope of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme 2006 by enabling a customer to lodge a complaint against the bank for non-adherance to instructions related to mobile banking and electronic banking services.

·       The pecuniary jurisdiction of the Banking Ombudsman to pass an award has been increased from the existing ?10 lakh to ?20 lakh.

·       Compensation not exceeding ?1 lakh can also be awarded by the Banking Ombudsman to the complainant for loss of time, expenses incurred as also harassment and mental anguish suffered by the complainant.

Banking Ombudsman Scheme 2006

Ø The Banking Ombudsman (A person who investigates complaints and mediates fair settlements, especially between aggrieved parties such as consumers or students and an institution or organization.) are appointed by the Reserve Bank of India to redress customer complaints against certain deficiency in banking services.

Ø The Banking Ombudsman Scheme has been formulated by the Reserve Bank of India to provide an expeditious grievance redressal mechanism to customers of banks.

Ø It provides for an institutional and legal framework for resolution of complaints relating to banking services and other matters as specified under the Scheme.

Ø  The Scheme came into force from January 1, 2006, by way of direction issued by the Reserve Bank in terms of Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

Ø The Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006 enables resolution of complaints of bank customers relating to certain services rendered by banks, such as non-payment or inordinate delay in the payment or collection of cheques, drafts, bills, non-payment or delay in payment of inward remittances etc.

Ø The Banking Ombudsman can be contacted for an expeditious grievance redressal as per their area of operations.

Source: The Hindu

3.30 more cities cleared for Smart Cities Mission

·       The centre announced the names of 30 more smart cities, with Thiruvananthapuram taking the first spot, followed by Naya Raipur and Rajkot.

·       Amaravati, Patna, Srinagar, Bengaluru, Shimla, Dehradun, Aizawl and Gangtok are among the state capitals included this time in list, which now has 89 cities under the mission to develop 100 smart cities across India.

·       A total investment of ?1.91 lakh crore has been proposed for the 89 cities under the mission.

·       Under the Smart City Mission, a relatively small portion of each mission city is being chosen by the citizens and city governments for fixing the infrastructure deficit.

Smart City

Ø Smart Cities focus on their most pressing needs and on the greatest opportunities to improve lives.

Ø They tap a range of approaches - digital and information technologies, urban planning best practices, public-private partnerships, and policy change - to make a difference. They always put people first.

Ø In the approach to the Smart Cities Mission, the objective is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of 'Smart' Solutions.

Ø The focus is on sustainable and inclusive development and the idea is to look at compact areas, create a replicable model which will act like a light house to other aspiring cities.

Ø The Smart Cities Mission is meant to set examples that can be replicated both within and outside the Smart City, catalysing the creation of similar Smart Cities in various regions and parts of the country.

Ø The core infrastructure elements are

§  Adequate water supply,

§  Assured electricity supply,

§  Sanitation, including solid waste management,

§  Efficient urban mobility and public transport,

§  Affordable housing, especially for the poor,

§  Robust IT connectivity and digitalization,

§  Good governance, especially e-Governance and citizen participation,

§  Sustainable environment,

§  Safety and security of citizens, particularly women, children and the elderly, and

§  Health and education.

Ø COVERAGE AND DURATION

§  The Mission will cover 100 cities and its duration will be five years (FY2015-16 to FY2019-20).

§  The Mission may be continued thereafter in the light of an evaluation to be done by the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) and incorporating the learnings into the Mission.

Source: The Hindu

4.Centre launches liveability index to rank 116 cities

·       The centre launched liveability index which will rank the country’s 116 major cities on the basis of the quality of life they offer.

·       This is the first ‘City Liveability Index’.

·       It will cover cities with population above one million, including the capital cities.

·       The first-of-its-kind index will enable the cities know where they stand in terms of the quality of life and the interventions required to improve it.

·       The cities will be assessed on a comprehensive set of 79 parameters, including availability of roads, education, healthcare, mobility, employment opportunities, emergency response, grievance redressal, pollution, availability of open and green spaces, cultural and entertainment opportunities.

·       The ranking will be released in 2018.

·       ?500 crore disbursed as incentive to 16 states thatperformed well in implementing urban reforms during 2016-17.

Source: The Indian Express

QUESTIONS BASED ON

CURRENT AFFAIRS: 24.06.2017

1.                       Sustainable Development goals is a set of how many goals?

(a)        10

(b)        15

(c)         17

(d)        19

2.                       Which Sustainable Development Goal deals with gender equality and empowering of women and girls?

(a)        3

(b)        5

(c)         7

(d)        9

3.                       Banking Ombudsman Scheme was launched by Reserve Bank of India in which year?

(a)        2006

(b)        2010

(c)         2015

(d)        2017

4.