Government approves amendment of Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951

The government on Thursday approved the amendment of Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951. Union Minister Suresh Prabhu addressed a news conference and confirmed the news. The cabinet meeting was headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

The cabinet, in a release, said that decision to amend the act comes to "secure representation as Trustees, “the Leader of Opposition recognized as such in the House of the People, or where there is no such Leader of Opposition, then the Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in the House”.

The existing act allows the representation of a single national party and removal of the party specific member from the Trust will make it apolitical, the release added. 

The proposed amendment ensures representation of the Opposition Party in the Trust, the release added.

The cabinet also approved agriculture export policy in line with government's committment to double farmer's income by the year 2022, news agency ANI reported. 

According to news agency Reuters, the Cabinet has apporved a policy to boost exports farm commodities such as tea, coffee, fruits and vegetables. The policy is aimed at helping India step up exports of an array of farm goods but also seeks to avoid ad hoc, knee-jerk policy decisions often aimed at keeping a lid on food inflation.

The Union Cabinet has also decided to set up 15 Technology Innovation Hubs, 6 Application Innovation Hubs and 4 Technology translation Research Hubs under National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems.

News Agency ANI also confirmed the approval of implementation of Shahpurkandi Dam on river Ravi in Punjab. The decision would help minimising some of the water of the River Ravi which at present is going waste downstream to Pakistan.