5th March Daily Updates

1. Kathmandu-Varanasi bus service launched

i. The Government of Nepal and India has launched a direct bus service from Kathmandu and Varanasi from today.
ii The bus service was launched under the ambit of Motor Vehicle agreement between Nepal and India signed during 18th SAARC summit.

iii. This will be the second bus service between Nepal and India, after the one connected between Kathmandu and New Delhi.
iv. Both the countries are also planning to launch another bus service between Kathmandu and Patna in future.

2. PM inaugurates power units in MP

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, launched the two units each of 600 MW of Shree Singaji Thermal Power Plant in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh.

ii. Shree Singaji Thermal Power Plant is a coal-fired project located in Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh.

3.India& Spain inks agreement on Mutual Protection of Classified Information

i. To provide the framework for enhanced cooperation in the defence sector, India and Spain has signed an agreement on Mutual Protection of Classified Information today.

ii. Defence Ministry officials said that this is the primary pact that a country agrees to before embarking on deeper talks on defence cooperation.
iii. Both sides also agreed to work on enhancing bilateral defence cooperation.

4. "Shrimad Bhagwad Gita" to introduce in Haryana  schools

i. The Haryana government is planning to introduced  "Shrimad Bhagwad Gita" for students of all classes in schools after the recommendation of the State Council of Educational Research and Training.

ii. The motive behind, introducing Shrimad Bhagwad Gita" in schools to yield values among students and improve the education system, said Haryana Chief Minister.

5. Maharashtra govt. scraps 5% Muslim quota

i. Maharashtra government has scrapped the five per cent reservation for Muslims in government jobs today.

ii. A Government Resolution (GR) issued by the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP-Sena government has now cancel out the previous notification issued by the NCP-Congress government in July 2014.

iii. The reservation was given to, two separate categories the namely the Educationally and Socially Backward Category (ESBC) for Marathas as well as a Special Backward Class (Muslims) segment for the Muslims.

iv. Now the GR issued by the State Minority Affairs Department means that the quota for Muslims in both jobs and education has been scrapped.

6. Sunil Sabharwal re-nominates as Alternate ED at IMF

i. US President Barack Obama has re-nominated Sunil Sabhrawal as Alternate Executive Director at IMF.

ii. He was nominated to the position of Alternate Executive Director at IMF in 2014. He was an independent investor in the payments sector since 2006.

7.BBC released a documentary film India's Daughter

i. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on 4 March 2015 released a documentary film India's Daughter.  The documentary film has been directed by Leslee Udwin.

ii. The film is based on the Delhi gang rape and murder of the 23-year-old female named Nirbhaya that took place on 16 December 2012. The film was simultaneously released in Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and Canada.

iii. The documentary includes an interview conducted by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin and BBC of Mukesh Singh, the driver of the bus. Mukesh has made derogatory statements against women.

iv. A Delhi court has restrained the media from publishing, broadcasting, telecasting or uploading the interview on the internet. Also, Indian Parliament witnessed outrage over the interview and demanded to ban the screening of the documentary to which Union Government heeded.

v. The makers of the documentary had earlier decided to release the film on the occasion of International Women’s Day on 8 March 2015. However, they decided it to launch it earlier following the decision by the Indian authorities to ban the film.
8. CCEA gives nod to extend PDS Kerosene, Domestic LPG Subsidy Scheme and Freight Subsidy Scheme
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given its nod to extend the PDS Kerosene and Domestic LPG Subsidy Scheme, 2002 for a period of one year that is up to 31st March, 2015. This decision was taken by CCEA meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 
CCEA also gave its nod to extend Freight Subsidy Scheme, 2002 which is for far-flung areas for the same period. This extension comes after both the schemes ended on 31 March, 2014 and to help Oil Marketing Companies to reduce its under-recovery. Under the PDS Kerosene and Domestic LPG Subsidy Scheme, Union Government was providing a subsidy 82 paise per litre on PDS Kerosene and 22 rupees 58 paise per 14.2 kg. LPG cylinder. 
Other decision taken by CCEA 
i. CCEA also approved six projects in the 5 States under various phases of National Highways Development Project. The 5 states are Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. 
ii. These approved projects are of a total length of 712 kilometres and will cost around 12,646 crore rupees. Union Government is going borne the expenditure incurred on these projects. 
iii. Approved projects will convert the existing two-laning highway projects into high quality four-laning highway projects. 
iv. These projects seek to catalyze the economic development in these regions along the corridors of these highways.