Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 21 January 2017

:: National ::

The Centre cleared the Tamil Nadu government’s proposal to promulgate an ordinance to hold jallikattu.
The State government had proposed to issue an ordinance in a day or two to allow jallikattu, a bull taming sport.
Since the subject falls in the Concurrent list of the Constitution, it was mandatory to get a nod from the Centre.
The Home Ministry sent the draft submitted by the State to the Environment and Law Ministries for their response. Environment Ministry sent its reply, and the Home Ministry gave its clearance.
The Tamil Nadu Cabinet is expected to clear the ordinance and recommend it to the Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao for promulgation.
Environment Minister said that Centre wanted a “permanent” solution to the jallikattu issue and a final decision would be taken within a “day or two.”

Deposits above Rs. 80 lakh made between November 9 and December 30 in individual bank accounts are now being examined by the Income Tax Department.
A total of Rs. 17,000 crore of such deposits have been made, says the department and the total amount is expected to increase by January-end.
Banks have been asked to furnish reports of deposits above Rs. 2.5 lakh for savings accounts and Rs. 12.5 lakh for current accounts post-demonetisation. The last date for these reports is January 31.
The I-T department has also asked banks to furnish details of these accounts in the period between April 2016 and November 8 in order to compare the transactions with those made post-demonetisation.
Across the country, a total of Rs. 7.32 lakh crore above the threshold of Rs. 2.5 lakh for savings accounts and Rs. 12.5 lakh for current accounts have been detected so far in 1.34 crore accounts.
In this, Rs. 60,000 crore has been deposited in dormant accounts and Rs. 35,000 crore in Jan Dhan accounts, according to the I-T department.

Days after losing two relatives in the Kandahar bomb blast, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said the incoming U.S. President must keep the promises on ending terror camps in Pakistan that President Obama failed to.
Mr. Karzai confirmed claims made by his former aide Aimal Faizi, who says President Obama had written to then-President Karzai in 2012, where he had expressly promised to “degrade safe havens” in Pakistan.
“He [Mr. Obama] gave many such promises to me, and my disappointment with him was the reason for the difficulties in our [U.S.-Afghanistan] relationship,”.
The former Afghan President had been in India for a conference, but had also been attending to his cousin, businessman Hashim Karzai, who had been flown to India for treatment after he was grievously wounded.
The Kandahar blast has set off a massive blame-game in the region, with Afghanistan blaming the Haqqani group and Pakistan for the blast, a charge India concurred with in its condemnation of the blast.
The Taliban, however, denied any involvement it the attack. Speculation has grown that the UAE diplomats were targeted as a ‘warning’ over India and UAE coming closer.
Crown Prince and deputy supreme commander Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan expected in India next week as the Republic Day Chief Guest.

The government announced that cooperative banks will not be authorised to accept deposits under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme.
“Application for the deposit in the form of Bonds Ledger Account shall be received by any banking company, other than co-operative Banks, to which the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 applies,” the official notification states.
This follows reports of irregularities in book-keeping at cooperative banks.