UN award for govt’s Mobile Seva initiative

1.    UN award for govt’s Mobile Seva initiative

i. An initiative conceptualised by Indian government’s Department of Electronics and Information Technology to enable delivery of public services electronically through the mobile platform has been awarded a United Nations public service award.

ii. Mobile Seva, a nationwide initiative conceptualised, funded and implemented by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), is among the second-place winners of the 2014 UN Public Service Awards, along with Bahrain, Brazil, Cameroon, Republic of Korea and Spain.

iii. The vision of Mobile Seva is to mainstream mobile governance in India as a new paradigm for e-delivery of public services through mobile devices. It leverages the massive penetration of mobile phones in India to substantially enhance access to electronic services, especially in the rural areas.

iv. The main objectives of the initiative are to be a one-stop solution for all mobile-based public service delivery needs through mobile-based channels, including SMS, voice/Integrated Voice Response System and mobile applications, a statement said.

Note: i. The first place winners are Austria, Bahrain, Brazil, Morocco, Oman, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay.

ii. Winners from 14 countries will be honoured for their innovative projects in fighting poverty and promoting sustainable development at a ceremony on June 26 in Seoul.

2.    RBI directs banking bodies to cooperate with SIT on black money

i. The Reserve Bank of India has directed all banks and financial institutions to provide information and documents sought by the Special Investigation Team, SIT set up to unearth black money.
ii. RBI issued a notification to this effect yesterday. The SIT under the chairmanship of former Justice M B Shah was constituted by the Narendra Modi-led government on its first day in office.

3.    General Budget to be presented on 10th July & Rail Budget on 8^th

i. The Budget session of Parliament will begin from 7th of the next month. The session spread over five weeks will come to end on 14th of August.
ii. The decision was taken at a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi this morning.
iii. Official sources said in New Delhi that the General Budget will be presented on 10th and Rail Budget on 8th. The sources said, Economic Survey will be tabled on 9th of July.

4.    Import ban on milk items from China extended till June 2015

i. The government has again extended the ban on imports of milk and its products from China for one more year till June 2015.

ii. “Prohibition on import of milk and milk products (including chocolates and chocolate products and candies/ confectionery/ food preparations with milk or milk solids as an ingredient) from China is extended for one more year, i.e., till 23.6.2015 or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

iii. The ban, which expired on June 23, is extended every year.

iv. India had first imposed the ban in September 2008 due to presence of melamine, used for making plastics and fertiliser.

v. India, however, does not import milk products from China, but as a preventive measure, it has imposed the ban.