Daily News Notes

· Union Finance Minister launched the signature tune of the Indian Customs “Pragati ki Dhadkan” to mark the year 2012 as 50th year of the Customs Act 1962. He said that the Indian Customs Department has played an active role in automation of its processes to facilitate genuine trade for filing all documentation relating to imports and exports by EDI System thereby reducing dwell time, expediting decision making, lessening paper work and lowering transaction costs. This tune will also be played alongside the tableau of the Central Board of Excise and Customs during the Republic Day Parade on Rajpath on 26th January, 2012.
· The Government has approved creation of three National Land Records Modernization Programme, NLRMP Centres at Salboni in West Bengal, Union territory of Puducherry and at Berhampur. The National Land Records Modernization Programme (NLRMP) has been conceptualized as a major system and reform initiative that is concerned not merely with computerization, updating and maintenance of land records and validation of titles, but also as a programme that will add value and provide a comprehensive database for planning developmental, regulatory and disaster management activities by providing location-specific information, while providing citizen services based on land records data. The activities to be supported under the Programme, inter alia, include survey/resurvey using modern technology including aerial photogrammetry, updating of land records including mutation records, completion of computerization of the records of rights (RoRs), computerization of registration, automatic generation of mutation notices, digitization of maps , integration of the entire system digitization of maps and training and capacity building of the concerned officials and functionaries.
· So far, 23 states and all Union Territories have brought The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizen Act, 2007 into force. The Act provide for: 1.Maintenance of Parents/Senior Citizens by children/relative made obligatory and justiciable through Tribunals; 2.Revocation of transfer of property by senior citizens in case of negligence by relatives; 3.Penal provision for abandonment of senior citizens; 4.Establishments of Old Age homes for Indigent Senior Citizens; 5.Adequate medical Facilities and protection of life and property of Senior Citizens.
· A day-long National Consultation on the Draft Real Estate (Development and Regulation) Bill was organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA). Real Estate Regulator seeks to enforce public disclosure and brings in much needed transparency and accountability, while ensuring an enabling environment. The Bill aims at establishing a uniform regulatory environment for the Real Estate sector in the country. It also provides for the establishment of a State level Regulatory Authority in each state and aims to institute transparency and accountability in real estate and housing transactions by enforcing mandatory public disclosure, standardization and fair practices.
· A high level delegation from the United States led by United States Secretary of Health and Human Services met the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister for a bilateral meeting on health issues. The hour long discussions focused on the progress of the US India Health Initiative launched in 2010. The Health Initiative is an inter-agency umbrella organizing mechanism for bilateral discussions between the United States and India on health collaborations and program implementation. To take the agenda further, four Working Groups had been constituted namely 1.Working group on Non Communicable Diseases (discussed issues of Tobacco control, Cancer control, Human resources, mental health and prevention as areas of collaboration); 2.Working group on Infectious diseases (been deliberating on vaccination preventable diseases, innovations in technology); 3.Working group on Maternal and Child Health (focusing on Human resources for MCH response, registries of vital records like the Mother and Child Tracking System); 4.Working group on Strengthening Health System and Services (discussed issues on public and private health care, management information system).
A Norwegian delegation led by Minister for Local Government and Regional Development, Royal Kingdom of Norway, is visit’s India to study the functioning of decentralised governance in India. Earlier, a delegation from India visited Norway led by the Additional Secretary Ministry of Panchayati Raj gave the Indian officials an insight into the structure and functioning of local governance – especially the Municipalities and the ombuds and the strategies to improve women’s political leadership.