Current Affairs June 2018 - Committees
1 - Baba Kalyani to head committee to study SEZ Policy
The Government of India has constituted a group of eminent persons to study the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Policy of India. It will be headed by Baba Kalyani, Chairman, Bharat Forge. The Group is required to submit its recommendation in 3 months’ time.
The group will evaluate the SEZ policy, suggest measures to cater to the needs of exporters in the present economic scenario and make the SEZ policy WTO compatible, suggest course correction in SEZ policy, make comparative analysis of the SEZ scheme and dovetail the SEZ policy with other similar schemes.
2 - Union Government formed Cauvery Water Management Authority
The central government has constituted a Cauvery Water Management Authority (CMA) to address the dispute over sharing of river water among Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry. The authority would comprise a chairman, eight members besides a secretary.
The Centre will initially contribute a sum of Rs 2 crore for the functioning of the authority. The Supreme court, in its verdict delivered on February 16, had asked the Centre to frame the Cauvery management scheme, including creation of the Cauvery Management Board.
3 - Union Government constituted 3 key panels for Museum Of Prime Ministers Project
The Union Culture Ministry has formed three high-powered panels to set up a unique museum on the 'Prime Ministers of India'. The museum will be set up at the premises of the iconic Teen Murti Estate in the Chanakyapuri area of New Delhi.
The Content Committee is headed by Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) Director Shakti Sinha as its chairman. Another panel, headed by Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta, will vet the content for curation for the museum. The third, project implementation panel, will be headed by NMML Director Shakti Sinha. It will work on setting up the museum.
4 - SEBI formed expert committee for direct listing of Indian firms abroad
Securities and Exchange Board of India has come up to frame rules for direct listing of Indian firms abroad. Considering which, it has formed committee of 9 members. Sebi’s 9 member committee comprises Ranu Vohra (Avendus Capital), Cyril Shroff (Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas), Kamal Yadav (Morgan Stanley), S Ramesh (Kotak), Neeraj Bhargava (Zodius Capital), Deep Kalra (MakeMyTrip.com); Rajiv Gupta (Latham & Watkings LLP) and Jamil Khatri (KPMG) and Sujit Prasad, Executive Dir Sebi (Convener).
The Securities and Exchange Board of India is the regulator for the securities market in India.
5 - Chief Ministers Subgroup constituted to Coordinate Policy approaches for Agriculture and MGNREGS
Government has set up a Chief Ministers Subgroup to Coordinate Policy Approaches for Agriculture and MGNREGS. The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh as the Convener and CMs of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim along with the Member NITI Aayog, Shri Ramesh Chand as its members.
The move comes in the backdrop of the vision of the Prime Minister towards Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022 which requires a multi-dimensional and inclusive approach. The Sub-Group will submit its report within three months from its date of constitution.
6 - IRDAI sets up panel to review norms for insurance marketing firms
Insurance regulator IRDAI has set up a 10-member panel to review norms related to insurance marketing firm (IMF) with an aim to increase insurance penetration in the country. The committee will be headed by Suresh Mathur (ED-IMF, IRDAI).
The committee has been asked to revisit the IRDAI (Registration of Insurance Marketing Firms) Regulations, 2015. It has to submit its recommendations by end of July. The committee has also been asked to provide recommendations for issuing guidelines on the areas on which the regulations are silent.
