8 AUGUST 2014: Arun Jaiteley & others will get Outstanding Parliamentararian Award

Ø  The Centre said there was “force” in the argument that the Civil Services Examination should be conducted in all languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and assured the Lok Sabha that this demand would be considered. Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu was responding to a specific demand by AIADMK member M. Thambidurai that students be allowed to take the exam in their native language. At present, while question papers are set in English and Hindi and the main examination can be attempted in any language in the Eighth Schedule, the preliminary examination are available only in English and Hindi. As protests continued within and outside Parliament over the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), the government reiterated that the preliminary examination would be held as scheduled on August 24. The Union Public Service Commission is yet to clear the air on whether it has accepted the government’s view that the English comprehension skill component of CSAT — paper II of the prelims — should not be counted for merit or gradation, and how this will be implemented.

Ø  Gujarat Governor Om Prakash Kohli assumed additional charge as the Governor of Goa. Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, Justice Mohit Shah, administered the oath of office to Kohli in the presence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. Mr. Kohli replaced Margaret Alva, who too was holding an additional charge in Goa.

Ø A function much awaited by parliamentarians, to confer the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for three successive years from 2010, is now finally scheduled for August 14. Three MPs — Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, veteran Congress leader Karan Singh and seasoned political leader Sharad Yadav — incidentally all from the Rajya Sabha, would be felicitated by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Ø  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), issued draft guidelines for the implementation of Bharat Bill Payment System (BPPS). The draft guidelines outline the requirement and the basic tenets of operating the BBPS, and prescribe the eligibility criteria, standards for settlement model and customer grievance redressal, roles and responsibilities and scope for entities seeking to be part of BBPS. The RBI has invited comments from stakeholders by September 5.