Current affairs 20 August 2023

12% of sitting MPs of Rajya Sabha billionaires: ADR.

• According to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), about 12% of sitting MPs of the Rajya Sabha are billionaires with Andhra Pradesh having the highest percentage of such parliamentarians.
• 5 (45%) out of 11 MPs are from Andhra Pradesh, 3 (43%) out of 7 MPs are from Telangana, and 3 (16%) out of 19 MPs from Maharashtra.
• The ADR and the National Election Watch (NEW) have analyzed and updated the criminal, financial, and other details of Rajya Sabha MPs.

Modi Cabinet approves "PM-eBus Sewa" for augmenting city bus operations.

• The union cabinet approved PM-eBus Sewa for augmenting city bus operations under which 10,000 e-buses will be deployed across cities in the country.
• Aim: To improve public transport in cities and is also in line with India’s objectives concerning climate change.
• Rs 57,613 crores will be spent on this project and around 10,000 new electric buses will be provided across the country.
• Under this scheme, priority will be given to cities not having organized bus services.

Maharashtra Government Launches Bhagwan Birsa Munda Jodaraste Scheme.

• The Maharashtra cabinet decided to implement the Bhagwan Birsa Munda Jodaraste Scheme in Maharashtra to connect all tribal villages in 17 districts of the state with main roads.
• The project is estimated to cost Rs 5,000 crore and nearly 6,838 km of roads will be constructed as part of the scheme.
• In the Budget Session, Deputy CM and Finance Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the implementation of the scheme to connect all the tribal padas by perennial roads.

Trinidad And Tobago inks pact for sharing Indian Technology Stack.

• India and Trinidad and Tobago have recently entered into a significant partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to share the renowned INDIA STACK technology.
• This collection of open APIs and digital public goods, pioneered by India, is designed to enhance identity, data, and payment services on a large scale.
• This move reflects India’s commitment to aiding the digital transformation of nations through collaboration and technology sharing.

WHO South-East Asia region member countries adopt Gandhinagar declaration.

• The WHO South-East Asia Region committed to further accelerate efforts to end tuberculosis by 2030 with member countries adopting the Gandhinagar Declaration.
• The South-East Asia Region bears a disproportionate burden of nearly half of the global TB cases and deaths.
• The Declaration calls for establishing a high-level multi-sectoral commission reporting to the highest political level in each country for synergy of efforts among various stakeholders.