Current Affairs 1st March 2019

Current Affairs 1st March 2019 - Important Points

• Tribal Affairs Minister launched MSP for Minor Forest Products on - 28th February 2019
• Sanath Jayasuriya barred from cricket for - 2 years
• Government brings 42 non-scheduled cancer medicines under price control on - 27th February 2019
• National Science Day 2019 celebrataed on - 28th February 2019
• Reserve Bank of India Removes 3 Banks from PCA Framework  on - 26th February 2019
• Tata Steel recognised as one of World’s Most Ethical Companies for - 2019
• New Railway Zone for Andhra Pradesh declared by - Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal 

Current Affairs 1st March 2019 - Details

Tribal Affairs Minister launched MSP for Minor Forest Products on - 28th February 2019

The Union Tribal Affairs Minister, Jual Oram released the MSP for Minor Forest Products & the Value Addition component of Van Dhan scheme on February 28th, 2019 at a workshop held by TRIFED at Dr.Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi. 
The day-long workshop witnessed participation from representatives from 30 state governments & shareholding organisations. Mainly, the rollout &implementation plan of the scheme was discoursed with the delegates. 
Important Highlights

• The Van Dhan Scheme was released by PM Narendra Modi in Bijapur District, Chhattisgarh in April 2018.  
• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is now aligning the Van Dhan Scheme & is ready to spread it to all tribal districts of the nation in phases starting with the ambitious districts with substantial tribal population. 
• The Ministry has also finalised to expand the coverage of the MSP for Minor Forest Product scheme to 50 minor forest products.
• The MSP has also been elevated between 30% & 40% in case of each of the commodities. 
• The procurement of the Minor Forest Product will begin in Haat Bazaars, where tribal bring their product through the state government agencies & district collectors of the concerned districts.

Sanath Jayasuriya barred from cricket for - 2 years

Former Sri Lankan Cricket captain Sanath Jayasuriya has been barred from cricket for a time period of 2 years. The data was shared by the ICC through a statement on February 26th, 2019.
The veteran cricketer has been barred from all forms of cricket for 2 years after he self-confessed to breaching the following 2 provisions of the International Cricket Council Anti-Corruption Code. Article 2.4.6– Failure/refusal, without compelling justification, to co-operate with any enquiry carried out by International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Unit, including failure to provide precise & complete data/documentation requested by the Anti-Corruption Unit as part of such enquiry.
Article 2.4.7– Obstructing/delaying any enquiry that may be carried out by the Anti-Corruption Unit, including concealing, tampering with/destroying any documentation/other data that may be applicable to that enquiry/that
may be evidence/may lead to the discovery of evidence of corrupt conduct under the Anti-Corruption Code.
Important Highlights 

• The 49 years old former cricketer admitted failing to cooperate with an enquiry & concealing, tampering with/destroying evidence.
• The cricketer was charged in October 2018. The charge came after a year-long enquiry in Sri Lanka, where the Anti-Corruption Unit informed corruption had become an inherent part of the system. 
• Jayasuriya was charged after he failed to provide a phone & SIM card for the enquiry after being requested by Anti-Corruption Unit. 
• The statement from the International Cricket Council read that the opinion is the latest part of a much broader International Cricket Council enquiry into corruption in cricket in Sri Lanka. 
• It validates the reputation of participants in cricket, cooperating with enquiries.
• The International Cricket Council had recently held an amnesty in relation to Sri Lankan Cricket resulting in eleven players & other participants coming forward with new data. 
• This data has reportedly supported in a number of Anti-Corruption Unit’s ongoing enquiries & has resulted in some new enquiries getting underway.

Government brings 42 non-scheduled cancer medicines under price control on - 27th February 2019

The Union Government declared on February 27th, 2019 that it has brought 42 non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines under price control, covering trade margin at 30%, which would decrease their retail prices by about 85%. 
This was accomplished following the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority appealed extraordinary powers in public interest, under Para 19 of the Medicines (Prices Control) Order, 2013 to bring 42 non-scheduled anti-cancer medicines under price control via trade margin rationalisation.
Important Highlights 

• As per to National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority’s available data, the Maximum Retail Price for 105 brands will be decreased about 85% resulting in a minimum saving of Rupees 105 crore for the consumers. 
• Presently, 57 anti-cancer medicines are under price control as scheduled preparations. 
  Now 42 non-scheduled anti-cancer drugs have been selected for price regulation by restricting trade margin on the selling price about 30%.
• The medicines would cover 72 preparations & 355 brands, according to the data available with National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority. 
• The drug manufacturers have been issued 7 days to re-calculate the prices & inform the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, state drug controllers, stockists & retailers.
• The revised prices shall come into effect from March 8th, 2019.

National Science Day 2019 celebrataed on - 28th February 2019

The National Science Day 2019 was celebrated across India on February 28th, 2019 to mark the discovery of the Raman Effect by Indian physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman.  This year celebrations of the Day were held by the Department of Science & Technology. The theme of National Science Day 2019 was & Science for the People & the People for Science.” The National Science Day is celebrated on February 28th to highlight the discovery of the Raman Effect (a phenomenon of scattering of photons) by Indian physicist, Sir CV Raman on February 28th, 1928. For his path-breaking discovery, Sir CV Raman were knighted in 1929 & awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. This was the 1st Nobel Prize secured by an Indian/any Asian in the field of Science.
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize

• On the occasion of National Science Day 2019, PM Narendra Modi will deliberate the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science & Technology for the years 2016, 2017 & 2018 to the awardees.
• The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize is named following the founder Director of the CSIR, Dr.Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar. 
• The Prize is distributed every year to recognise outstanding Indian work in various disciplines of Science & Technology.

Tata Steel recognised as one of World’s Most Ethical Companies for - 2019

Tata Steel has been recognised as one of World’s Most Ethical Companies by the ‘Ethisphere Institute’
for 2019. Ethisphere Institute is a global leader in naming & advancing the standards of
ethical business practices.
For the 8th time, Tata Steel has received the recognition 8 times in the ‘Metals, Minerals & Mining’
category. Tata Steel is one of the only 2 honourees in the ‘Metals, Minerals & Mining’ industry.
World’s Most Ethical Companies 2019
128 organisations are recognized for exemplifying & advancing business citizenship, transparency & the standards of integrity in the year 2019.
The honourees are from 21 nations & 50 industries. The list comprises 16 1st-time honourees & 8 firms that have been named to the list every year since 2007.
The firms are listed World’s Most Ethical Companies grounded on their score in the Ethisphere’s Ethics
Quotient which collects & accurately scores self-reported data in 5 weighted categories namely:
1. Leadership & Reputation
2. Ethics Compliance Programme
3. Culture of Ethics
4. Corporate Citizenship & Responsibility
5. Governance

Reserve Bank of India Removes 3 Banks from PCA Framework  on - 26th February 2019

The RBI has detached 3 banks, Dhanlaxmi Bank, Allahabad Bank & Corporation Bank from the PCA
framework by moving them out of its weak-bank watchlist.
Basis for the decision of RBI

• The government has pervaded fresh capital  into various banks including few of the banks presently
  under the PCA framework.
• As part of the capital infusion, Corporation Bank had received Rupees 9086 crore & Allahabad Bank had received 6896 crores.
• Capital Infusion to both of these banks has shored-up their capital funds & also augmented their loan loss provision to make sure that the PCA parameters were complied with.
• Dhanlaxmi Bank was taken out of the PCA framework, subject to certain circumstances & it would be under continuous monitoring, as the bank is found to be not fulfilling any of the Risk Thresholds of the PCA framework.
• Earlier in the year, the Reserve Bank of India had detached the  Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra &  Oriental Bank of Commerce from the PCA framework .
• With the removal of Allahabad Bank & Corporation Bank from the list, 5 PSBs which includes United Bank of India, UCO Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank & Dena Bank remain under the PCA framework.

New Railway Zone for Andhra Pradesh declared by - Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal 

The Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal has declared the creation of new railway zone for Andra
Pradesh, Southern Coast Railway Zone to be HQ in Visakhapatnam.
Important Facts about the Southern Coast Railway Zone

• The Southern Coast Railway zone would include current Guntakal, Guntur & Vijayawada divisions that presently fall under the South-Central Railway & the South-Central Railway will then contain the Hyderabad, Secunderabad & Nanded divisions.
• Waltair division under the East Coast Railway Zone, covering the Northern districts of Andhra Pradesh, parts of Chhattisgarh & Odisha will be divided into 2.
• One part will be combined in the new zone & merged with the neighbouring Vijayawada division, the remaining portion will be transformed into a new division, headquartered at Rayagada, under the East-Coast Railways. 
• Under item 8 of Schedule 13 (Infrastructure) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014 Indian Railways was needed to examine starting a new railway zone in the successor state of Andhra Pradesh.
• Southern Coast Railway Zone is a step forward in this way.
• The launch is largely seen as a political initiative since the Railway Minister has given acceptance to the formation of new zone despite the internal report of the Railway Board calling it ‘catastrophic’.