All India Radio News Summary: 17 MARCH 2018
- Prime Minister says, new Minimum Support Price policy will help in doubling farmers’ income.
Government will fix Minimum Support Price of crops at least 1.5 times of production cost to help in doubling the income of farmers.
Highlights of PM speech:
- PM stressed that farmers should get maximum benefits of their produce.
- Several modern apps have been launched for farmers and the latest technologies will help increase productivity.
- Computerization of all primary agricultural cooperative societies in the country is being done faster.
- There was a record production of milk and vegetables in the country last year just because of the hard work of farmers.
- Government has given around 1300 crore rupees for National Bamboo Mission in this year’s budget.
- Asked farmers not to burn crop residue, cut urea consumption and boost production of oilseeds to reduce imports of cooking oil.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping re-elected for a second five-year term.
Xi Jinping was re-elected as president of China for second five-year tenure by the country’s rubber-stamp Parliament.
- The move comes after country’s Parliament scrapped the two-term rule for the presidency and allowed Xi Jinping to have a life-long tenure.
- Technically, Xi’s second-term would last till 2023. But after the constitutional amendments removed the term limit he is expected to have a limitless tenure.
- Russia to expel 23 British diplomats in retaliation to British action of expelling its 23 diplomats over a nerve agent attack on a former spy in Britain.
- Russia says it is expelling 23 British diplomats and threatened further measures in retaliation to a growing diplomatic dispute over a nerve agent attack on a former spy in Britain.
- The Russian Foreign Ministry is also ordering the closure of the British Council in Russia and ending an agreement to reopen the British consulate in St. Petersburg.
- India again asks Pakistan to investigate incidents related to harassment of Indian High Commission officials and their relatives in Islamabad.
India has asked Pakistan government to investigate the incidents related to harassment of its officials in Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
- Indian High Commission in Islamabad has sent another Verbal note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan protesting against the intimidation and harassment of its officials. This is the 12th Note Verbale this year on the subject. Two incidents were reportedly highlighted in the note.
- Harassment of some of the officials was reported who had gone for shopping to the Blue Area in Islamabad and two people aggressively followed them and hurled abuses.
- On Thursday last, another officer and his family was aggressively followed by two men on a motorbike when he was going to a restaurant.
- UIDAI asked people to take due precautions while sharing their personal information
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has asked people to take due precautions while sharing their personal information such as Aadhaar number on the internet for availing any service.
- UIDAI asserted the robustness of the Aadhaar identity system.
- Publication or posting of Aadhaar cards on internet by some unscrupulous people have absolutely no bearing on UIDAI and not the least on Aadhaar security.
- The nodal body, which issues the 12 digit biometric identifier, emphasized that just like any other identity document, Aadhaar too is not confidential document.
