National
PM Narendra Modi Launched India’s First National Air Quality Index
The National Air Quality Index (NAQI) was launched for the first time in India by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 6 April 2015 primarily for assessing the quality of air in major urban centres across the country on a real-time basis. This National Air Quality Index will provide information on the quality of air in 10 major cities in the country on a real-time basis.The ten cities where the quality of air can be monitored are Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Faridabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad.
Union Government Notified NJAC 2014
The Union Government on 13 April 2015 notified the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, 2014 and the Constitution (Ninety-ninth Amendment) Act, 2014. The NJAC Act and 99th Amendment Act were notified in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Act. With this new law the collegium system to appoint members to the higher judiciary has come to an end. Now President will appoint judges in the Supreme Court (SC) and 24 High Courts (HCs) in consultation with the NJAC.
MHA renames Visa On Arrival Scheme To E-Tourist Visa
Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on 14 April decided to rename Tourist Visa on Arrival-Electronic Travel Authorization (TVoA-ETA) scheme as e-Tourist Visa (eTV) scheme.
Rajya Sabha Passed Transgenders Rights Bill
The Rajya Sabha on 24 April passed a bill that seeks equal rights for the transgenders.“The Rights of Transgender Persons Bill 2014” was introduced by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva. It was the first private member’s bill to be passed by the Upper House in 45 years. The last time the Lok Sabha passed a private member’s bill was in 1970. In the Rajya Sabha a private member’s bill was passed in 1969.
Railways Launches Mobile App for Paperless Ticketing of Unreserved Category
The Railway Ministry has launched ‘utsonmobile’, a mobile application for paperless unreserved tickets. The application service was launched by Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on 22 April in New Delhi. This application will allow its passenger to buy a ticket on the move and to board the train with the ticket secured on his mobile phone in digital format, without any need for printing the ticket. Initially, it has been launched as a pilot project and cover 15 stations in Southern Railway. Later on it will be extended to entire country in phases.