Current Affairs – January, 2015

Sergio Mattarella elected as President of Italy

Italy’s parliament has elected constitutional court judge Sergio Mattarella as the country’s president.

He will Italy’s 12th president and succeed Giorgio Napolitano who had resigned earlier in January 2015 citing reason of poor health before his 2020 expiry term.

President of Italy: His role is mainly ceremonial but can declare legislation unconstitutional. He also has the power to dissolve parliament, nominate prime ministers and call early elections. He has tenure of 7 years.

Union Government releases Commemorative Postage Stamps on Swachh Bharat Mission

Union Government has released set of three Commemorative Postage Stamps on Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission).

This set of 3 stamps was released by Union Ministry for Communications & Information Technology and issued by Department of Posts.

These stamps were released to in order to achieve the vision of Clean and Healthy India.

Department of Posts has selected the design for the stamps through a competition among the children on the theme of Swachh Bharat Mission.

Swachh Bharat Mission

• It was launched by the Prime Minister on the 2nd October, 2014 on the occasion of Birth Anniversary of Father of the Nation- Mahatma Gandhi.
• This mission seeks to achieve Clean India and aims to provide access to toilets to all households in the country.
• It also seeks to provide adequate arrangements for Solid and Liquid Waste Management.