30 April 2016 Current Affairs
SC Approves Holding of MBBS, BDS Entrance Through NEET
Supreme Court has approved holding a single common entrance test National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to MBBS and BDS courses for the academic year 2016-17. The SC bench comprising Justices A R Dave, Shiva Kirti Singh and A K Goel gave nod to the NEET proposal put before it by the Union Government, CBSE and the Medical Medical Council of India (MCI). The proposal had requested for treating All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) fixed for May 1, 2016 as NEET-1. The SC order would imply that all government medical colleges, deemed universities and private medical colleges will be covered under the NEET. Those examinations which have already taken place or slated to be conducted separately stands scrapped.
South India’s First Underground Metro Services Flagged Off
Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated the underground corridor of Bangalore Metro Rail on 30 April. Bangalore Metro Rail is also known as Namma Metro. The newly inaugurated underground section of about 5.12 kilometers long from Cubbon Park to City railway station completes the 18.10 kilometers long east west corridor which is also called Purple Line. This makes the Namma Metro or Bangalore Metro as the first in South India to have an operational underground section of Metro Rail.With the opening of the east-west corridor of Namma Metro, a total of 28 km of the first phase of Bengaluru Metro (spanning total 42 km) has become operational. Phase II of Namma Metro work has already commenced and it may become operational by 2020.
Union Govt Launched UJALA Scheme In Madhya Pradesh
Union Minister for State (IC) for Power, Coal and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal on 30 April launched National LED programme – Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) in Madhya Pradesh. He launched the programme along with the state CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan at a function in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The UJALA scheme is being implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the Union Ministry of Power. It is LED based Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP). Under it, 3 crore LED Bulbs will be distributed in Madhya Pradesh in the next 6 months. Under it, people of Madhya Pradesh will get subsidiesed 9W energy efficient LED bulbs by paying just 85 rupees per LED bulb. The scheme will help reduce electricity bills of consumers, contribute to the energy security of India and also help in environment protection.
Supreme Court Banned Diesel Cabs In NCR-Delhi
The Supreme Court of India on 30 April decided against extending the deadline for phasing out diesel cabs in National Capital Region (NCR). It ordered the diesel cabs to go off the roads from 1 May 2016.The earlier deadline for phasing out diesel cabs was 1 April 2016, but it was extended for a month.The earlier extension was given so that private cab aggregators could switch to compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles by 1 May 2016.