13 May 2015 Current Affairs
Union Cabinet Approved Amendments To Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2012
The Union Cabinet on 13 May gave its approval to official amendments to the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2012. The Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act (CLPR Act) 1986 bans employing children as labor in 18 occupations and 65 processes. The Act also regulates working condition of children in other occupations and processes. A person who is less than 14 years of age is considered to be child under the Act.
Achal Kumar Jyoti Takes Over as new Election Commissioner
Former Gujarat chief secretary Achal Kumar Jyoti assumed charge as the new Election Commissioner on 13 May, filling one of the two vacancies in the three-member body. Achal Kumar Jyoti, who has joined a month after Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi, will have a tenure of three years as the Election Commissioner. Jyoti had served as Gujarat chief secretary when Narendra Modi was Gujarat Chief Minister. He has also worked as Secretary in the Industry, Revenue and Water Supply Departments.
Union Govt. Approved Rs.20,000-crore Budget For ‘Namami Gange’ Scheme
The government has approved Rs. 20,000 crore budget for “Namami Gange” programme, which integrates the efforts to clean and protect the River Ganga in a comprehensive manner. The amount was a significant four-fold increase over the expenditure allocated to the task of cleaning the Ganga over the past 30 years. The programme would be implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart organisations, that is, the State Programme Management Groups (SPMGs).
Union Cabinet Approved Benami Transactions (Prohibition) (Amendment) Bill, 2015
The Union Cabinet on 13 May gave its approval for a proposal to amend the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 1988 by moving of the Benami Transactions (Prohibition)(Amendment) Bill, 2015 in Parliament. It also adds provisions for attachment and confiscation of benami properties and imposes fine with imprisonment.This is in pursuance of an announcement made in this regard in the Union Budget for 2015-16.