3rd December Daily Current Affairs – English

Street Lighting National Programme:

• The Street Lighting National Programme was launched in 2015.
• The scheme aims to reduce energy consumption and electricity cost of public lighting by introducing LED lights in street lighting across India.
• The scheme is being implemented in collaboration with Energy Efficiency Services Corporation, a Central Government Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Power.
• The advance for the scheme is being invested by EESL.
• The investment money is recovered through monthly/quarterly/annual instalments paid by the local bodies during the implementation period.
• Thus, the scheme relieves the local bodies from the investment burden.
• Over 13.1 million LED street lights have been installed in various urban and rural areas across the country under the SLNP scheme.
• This saves about 880 crore kWh of electricity per annum.
• The scheme was launched in Bihar on November 20.

AYUSH treatment coverage in foreign health insurance: India

• Indian traditional medicine is establishing itself as a global leader.
• International patients coming to India for AYUSH medical treatment are granted AYUSH entry permit (visa).
• Since the launch of the Ministry of AYUSH in 2014 by the Prime Minister Modi-led government, bringing together all the disciplines of Indian medicine, the medicine has made significant strides in public health, education, research and economic development.
• It is particularly linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and universal health coverage.
• In the first phase, AYUSH medical treatment has been made 100 percent cashless in all health insurance packages in the country.
• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has issued guidelines for this.
• Currently, the Ministry of AYUSH has made efforts with the Ministry of External Affairs to make AYUSH treatment packages available to patients coming from abroad.
• In this, AYUSH treatment is included in insurance in countries like Britain. A proposal has also been received from the European Trade and Technology Centre.
• The Union Home Ministry has approved the issuance of special entry permits (visas) to foreign tourists coming for AYUSH medicine, education, yoga, etc.
• A separate category has been created for this, named ‘AYUSH Visa’.

Confederation of Indian Industry’s ‘Partnership’ Summit:

• The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)’s ‘Partnership’ Summit was held in Delhi.
• Sustainability, space, satellites were the main topics of discussion at this summit.
• The summit was attended by trade ministers from countries like Italy, Israel, Bhutan, Bahrain, Algeria, Nepal, Senegal, South Africa, Myanmar, Qatar, Cambodia, etc.
• Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal.

India’s first water transport service launched:

• Uber, a leading company providing transport services in many countries of the world, has launched its first water transport service in India.
• Now, through the Uber app, not only car, auto, and bike services, but also boat services have been introduced.
• Uber has launched a boat transport service called ‘Uber Shikara’ for tourists in Srinagar’s ‘Dal’ Lake.

December 3: World Disability Day or International Day of Persons with Disabilities

• The World Day of Persons with Disabilities is also known as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD).
• December 3rd is observed to raise awareness about understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities.

Important Facts:

1. The Sabarmati Express was set on fire at Godhra railway station in Panchmahal district of Gujarat on February 27, 2002.
2. Director Dheeraj Sarna has made the film ‘Sabarmati Report’ based on the Sabarmati Express burning incident.
3. The film ‘Sabarmati Report’ was screened for Prime Minister Modi at the Balayogi Hall in the Parliament Library building.
4. The central government has accepted the demand of the opposition parties to allow debate in both the Houses of Parliament to mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly.
5. The GST Council had set up a committee in September to study the possibility of reducing or eliminating GST on life insurance and senior citizen health insurance premiums. The committee recommended exempting GST on health insurance premiums up to Rs. 5 lakh and levying 18 percent GST on health insurance premiums above Rs. 5 lakh.
6. India is set to sign a deal to purchase 26 Rafale-M fighter jets and 3 Scorpene-class submarines from France.
7. Chief Economic Advisor Anantha Nageswaran said that the country’s economic growth is likely to increase to 6.5 percent to 7 percent.
8. Sakthi Masala Chairman P.C. Duraisamy was awarded the Helen Keller Award.