What is Smart City scheme?

• Government launched the Smart Cities Mission on 25 June 2015.
• Aim- To promote sustainable and inclusive cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of ‘Smart’ Solutions.
• The Union Ministry of Urban Development is responsible for implementing the mission in collaboration with the state governments of the respective cities.
• The mission initially included 100 cities, with the deadline for completion of the projects set between 2019 and 2023.
• The idea is to look at compact areas, create a replicable model which will act like a light house to other aspiring cities. 
• The strategic components of area-based development are city improvement (retrofitting), city renewal (redevelopment) and city extension (Greenfield development) plus a Pan-city initiative in which Smart Solutions are applied covering larger parts of the city.

India ranks 34th in Global Real Estate Transparency Index 2020

• Higher levels of transparency observed in India due to regulatory reforms, enhanced market data, and sustainability initiatives.
• Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT) framework, RERA Act 2016, Benami Transaction Prohibition (Amendment) Act 2016, Goods and Services Tax (GST) attracting greater interest from institutional investors.
• The Index GRETI has set a unique benchmark in terms of transparency in the real estate market across the globe and has also served as an essential guide.
• GRETI was first released in the year 1999.
• This year marked the 11th edition of GRETI.
• In 2020 edition had made a significant improvement in ranking as in the 2014 edition, India was ranked at the 39th place globally.
• United Kingdom has been ranked at the first place in GRETI 2020 ranking and United States holds second position.

Himachal Pradesh first state to provide LPG connection to all

• Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country in which every household has an LPG gas connection.
• Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojna and ‘Himachal Grihini Suvidha Yojana’ played an important role.
• 1.36 lakh families of the state have been benefitted under PMUY.
• The Himachal Grihini Suvidha Yojana was launched back in May 2018 for providing LPG gas connection to households that were left out under the Ujjwala Yojana.
• A total of 2, 76,243 households were provided with a free LPG gas connection under the Himachal Grihini Suvidha Yojana.
• Collecting fuel wood and cooking food on traditional gas was not only cumbersome but also had adverse effects on the health of the women as well as on environment as lakhs of trees was cut for fuel wood.
• Collecting fuel wood and cooking food on traditional gas was not only cumbersome but also had adverse effects on the health of the women as well as on environment as lakhs of trees was cut for fuel wood.

Haryana drafting Ordinance for 75% reservation to locals in private sector

• The Haryana Cabinet approved a proposal Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Ordinance, 2020 that seeks to bring an ordinance to reserve 75 percent jobs in the private sector for the
• In June 2020, Haryana had the highest unemployment rate among all states in the country.
• Besides privately managed companies, the ordinance covers societies, trusts, partnership firms and Limited Liability Partnership firms located in Haryana.
• The employees getting a monthly salary below Rs 50,000 would now have to register on the portal of labour department, which would be free of cost facility.

NHAI to undertake performance assessment & ranking of highway

• The assessment audit and ranking of the National Highways is aimed to take corrective recourse, wherever needed, to improve the quality and provide higher level of service to highway commuters.
• The criteria for the assessment have been broadly categorised in three main heads.
  • Highway Efficiency
  • Highway Safety
  • User Services.
• Apart from this important parameters like operating speed, time taken at toll plaza, road signages, road markings, accident rate, illumination, availability of Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS), functionality of structures, cleanliness, plantation, wayside amenities and customer satisfaction will also be considered while conducting the assessment.
• Along with overall ranking separate ranking for Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT), Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) and Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) projects will also be done.
• Takeaways –
  • National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was set up under NHAI Act, 1988.
  • NHAI is under Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Current COVID19 Situation in India

QUIZ TIME

What is India’s rank in Global Real Estate Transparency Index 2020?

1. 32
2. 33
3. 34
4. 35

Answer – C

Which of the following is the first state to provide LPG connection to all?

1. Haryana
2. Madhya Pradesh
3. Himachal Pradesh
4. Kerala

Answer – C

United States holds which position in GRETI 2020 ranking?

1. First
2. Second
3. Third
4. Fourth

Answer – B

Haryana is drafting Ordinance for how much reservation to locals in private sector?

1. 10%
2. 70%
3. 100%
4. 75%

Answer – D

Question of the Day

What is UNFCCC?

Answer in next session…