National Housing Bank
Why in News?
Keeping in view the current scenario, National Housing Bank (NHB has decided to increase the Refinance limit to Rs.30,000 crore. Now, eligible Housing Finance Companies & Other entities will have increased availability of funds.
About
- National Housing Bank (NHB), a wholly owned subsidiary of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), was set up on 9 July 1988 under the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.
- NHB is an apex financial institution for housing. NHB has been established with an objective to operate as a principal agency to promote housing finance institutions both at local and regional levels and to provide financial and other support incidental to such institutions and for matters connected therewith.
What are its Functions?
- NHB registers, regulates and supervises Housing Finance Company (HFCs), keeps surveillance through On-site & Off-site Mechanisms and co-ordinates with other Regulators.
- National Housing Bank (NHB) is the Principal Agency to promote Housing Finance Institutions, currently 97 in number, and to provide financial support to eligible institutions.
- As a regulator, National Housing Bank regularly monitors the liquidity position of Housing Finance Companies.
ZIKA Virus
Why in News?
Few cases of Zika virus disease have been reported in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The present outbreak in Jaipur, Rajasthan was detected through the ICMR surveillance system.
About
- Zika virus (ZIKV) is a member of the virus family Flaviviridae. It is spread by daytime-active Aedes mosquitoes, such as A. aegypti and A. albopictus.Its name comes from the Ziika Forest of Uganda, where the virus was first isolated in 1947.
- Zika virus is related to the dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile viruses. Since the 1950s, it has been known to occur within a narrow equatorial belt from Africa to Asia.
- From 2007 to 2016, the virus spread eastward, across the Pacific Ocean to the Americas, leading to the 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic.
What are its Symptoms, mode of Transmission and Remedial measures?
- The infection, known as Zika fever or Zika virus disease, often causes no or only mild symptoms, similar to a very mild form of dengue fever.
- Fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis, or red eyes, muscle pain, headache, pain behind the eyes, vomiting
- While there is no specific treatment, paracetamol (acetaminophen) and rest may help with the symptoms.
- Zika can spread from a pregnant woman to her baby.
- This can result in Microcephaly, severe brain malformations, and other birth defects.
- Zika infections in adults may result rarely in Guillain–Barré syndrome.
National Waterways
Why in News?
Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari will lay the foundation stone for the development work of Ghagra river as National Waterway (NW)-40 tomorrow at Basti in Uttar Pradesh, under the Sagarmala Programme of Ministry of Shipping.
Why National Waterways came into existence?
- India has an extensive network of inland waterways in the form of rivers, canals, backwaters and creeks.
- Freight transportation by waterways is highly under-utilized in the country as compared to countries and regions like the United States, China and the European Union.
- National waterways of India are well in line to become the lifeline of the country.
- Not only will these serve the transportation obligations of our nation, but also will serve as recreational centers.
Which is the authority in charge?
- Ministry of Shipping, Govt. of India had directed IWAI to identify the viable waterways in India for their phased development.
- Accordingly, 106 new waterways were identified by IWAI and intimated to MoS.
- In this regard, National Waterways Act, 2016 was published in the Gazette of India.
Where are they located?
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