General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - December 2014

Dec 2014

Jun 05, 2023

StartUp20 Engagement Group Meet Ends

The StartUp20 Engagement Group meeting culminated in Goa with a call of action for G20 nations to invest USD one trillion for start-up ecosystems by 2030.
The two-day meeting ended on a positive note with all participating delegations agreeing on the policy communique drafted during the conference, Chintan Vaishnav, Chair of StartUp20 Engagement Group, said.
This was the third meeting of the engagement group, with the first two rounds taking place in Hyderabad in Telangana and Sikkim.
The five actions the participants agreed to were to create and adopt definition framework for start ups, to create a network institution to support start ups and start up ecosystem across G20 nations, to increase and diversify access to capital, to ease market access and to emphasise the inclusion of underrepresented communities, and to create ability to scale start ups of global interest.

Integrated Command and Control Centre Set up in Srinagar under Smart City Mission

A state-of-the-art Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) was set up on the outskirts of Srinagar city under the Smart City Mission.
The Centre will act as the "brain and nerve" for all Smart City IT-related interventions. It will be responsible for GIS mapping and will have a digital address for all the properties in the City. The Centre is also tasked to lay a 175 km long fibre net for uninterrupted services to the locals.
The ICCC will also have a traffic management system, early warning system, location-based targetted surveillance and messaging service. The system will also provide a monitoring traffic system to keep a check on violations and also provide other traffic-related services. A portal, as well as an app, were set up that will serve as a platform for the people to avail of the services provided by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation.

India G20 - South Centre Event on International Taxation Concludes

Keeping in view the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India's G20 Presidency to attempt to voice the views of the Global South on important international issues, a two-day event on International Taxation was organised on June 1 to 2, 2023 at the National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT), Nagpur in collaboration with South Centre, a Geneva-based intergovernmental policy research think-tank of 55 developing countries, including India.
The G20-South Centre Capacity Building Event on International Taxation titled 'Two Pillar Solution – Understanding the Implications for the Global South' comprised of two panel discussions on the Two-Pillar Solution and its alternatives. The discussions during the event focussed on the ramifications of the Two-Pillar Solution for the developing economies. The event also included a workshop on Tax Treaty Negotiations. This event is an initiative of the Indian Presidency to bolster capacity building for Indian tax officials of both senior and middle management levels in the area of International Taxation, with a global south perspective.
NADT, the apex training institute for the officers of the Indian Revenue Service, hosted the two day Indian G20 Presidency event. The event also included a cultural evening where the vibrant culture of the state of Maharashtra was showcased to the participants and concluded with an excursion for the foreign delegates to explore the rich heritage of Nagpur.

India-US to Deepen Cooperation in Top Defence Technologies

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and US secretary of defence Lloyd Austin met in New Delhi and exchanged ideas on several issues of mutual interest. The two leaders highlighted the cooperation in specific niche technologies in maritime, military, and aerospace domains to boost capabilities.
The two also discussed the greater transfer of technology, to India from the US, co-production, and building indigenous capacities between the two nations in line with India's Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.
Another point of discussion between them was ensuring that countries in different regions - Middle East, South Asia and South East Asia and Indo-Pacific retain their freedom of action in line with their national priorities and are not coerced into poor choices.
The US defence secretary also held wide-ranging talks with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh.

Jun 04, 2023

Union Minister for Jal Shakti Launches Portal for GOBARdhan

The Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched the Unified Registration Portal for GOBARdhan which will act as a one stop repository to assess investment and participation in Biogas/CBG sector at pan India level and more importantly streamline the process of setting up CBG/Biogas plants in India. Any government, cooperative or private entity operating or intending to setup a Biogas/CBG/Bio CNG plant in India can obtain a registration number by enrolling in this unified registration portal. The registration number will enable availing of multitude of benefits and support from the Ministries & Departments of Government of India. States have been advised to get their CBG/Biogas plant operators registered on the portal on priority to avail existing and upcoming support from the Union Government.
Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBARdhan) is a vital umbrella initiative of Government of India, based on the whole of Government approach and aims to convert waste to wealth towards promoting circular economy. Government of India intends to build a robust ecosystem for setting up Biogas/Compressed Biogas (CBG)/ Bio-Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) plants to drive sustainable economic growth and promote a circular economy.

Jun 03, 2023

India, Nepal Ink Several Pacts

Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to take bilateral ties with Nepal to "Himalayan heights" while announcing a fertiliser plant in Nepal, a second intra-country petroleum pipeline, conclusion of a revised trade and transit agreement, fresh joint hydropower projects and a new long-term power trading agreement that will enable India import from Nepal 10,000 MW of power in the next 10 years.
Along with visiting Nepal Prime Minister Pushp Kumar Dahal 'Prachanda', PM Modi also launched several projects through joint inauguration and presided over the exchange of several more MoUs and agreements. Prachanda called the fresh initiatives as path-breaking, which will provide fresh momentum to the ties. He also welcomed the Indian initiative to enable Nepal to export power to Bangladesh.

Ahmednagar Will Now be Called 'Ahilyanagar' in Honour of Maratha Queen

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that Ahmednagar city would be renamed Ahilyanagar after the Maratha warrior queen Ahilyabai Holkar, a development that came on the 298th birth anniversary of the 18th century ruler of Malwa's Holkar dynasty.
This decision was taken by the state government.
This is the third city in Maharashtra to be renamed in a year, this February (2023), the state government formally approved a proposal to rename Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Osmanabad as Dharashiv.
Located in western Maharashtra, Ahmednagar was named after Ahmad Nizam Shah I, the founder of the Nizam Shahi dynasty. The city has been a part of various kingdoms — including the Rashtrakutas, the Western Chalukyas, the Delhi Sultanate and the Deccan Sultanate.
The demand to change the name of Ahmednagar after Ahilyabai was started by BJP leader and MLC Gopichand Padalkar.

Jun 02, 2023

Ajay Yadav is MD of Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited

Ajay Yadav assumed charge of Managing Director of Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI). SECI is a nodal agency of the central government for auctioning renewable energy projects. SECI, a Miniratna Category-I Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) established in 2011, serves as the primary implementing agency for renewable energy schemes and projects under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India.
With over 58 GW of Renewable Energy (RE) project capacities awarded to date, SECI has played a pivotal role in driving the growth of India's renewable energy sector. The corporation has been instrumental in promoting solar energy projects and facilitating investments, contributing significantly to the nation's sustainable energy goals.

India-EU Connectivity Conference in Meghalaya

The India-EU Connectivity Conference, organized jointly by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), EU Delegation to India, and the Asian Confluence, took place in Meghalaya from June 1 to June 2. The conference aims to explore opportunities for enhancing connectivity investments in India's north-eastern states and its neighbouring countries, including Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. The event was a significant outcome of the India-EU Connectivity partnership launched during the India-EU Leaders' Meeting in May 2021.
The conference was inaugurated by Conrad Sangma, the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, along with Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs. The event witness the participation of senior officials from the Indian government, the EU Commission, representatives from north-eastern states, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, as well as stakeholders from the private sector. The collective insights and views shared by the participants would contribute to shaping concrete projects for joint implementation in the areas of digital, energy, and transport connectivity.
The India-EU Connectivity Conference concentrated on three essential pillars of connectivity: digital, energy, and transport. These pillars were identified as key areas for collaboration and development in order to strengthen connectivity and foster regional integration. By focusing on digital infrastructure, energy networks, and transport systems, the conference aims to identify tangible projects that can enhance connectivity in the region.
The primary objective of the conference was to explore opportunities to boost connectivity investments in India's North Eastern States and its neighbouring countries. The North Eastern region of India, with its unique geographical location, presents immense potential for increased connectivity, trade, and economic cooperation.
The India-EU Connectivity Conference recognizes the importance of engaging with neighboring countries such as Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh to promote cross-border connectivity.

Jun 01, 2023

Amarendu Prakash Takes over as SAIL Chairman

Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) said that Amarendu Prakash took charge as the company's new Chairman.
He succeeded Soma Mondal, who retired from the post in April 2023.
A B.Tech in Metallurgy from BIT Sindri, Prakash is an accomplished technocrat and possesses over 30 years of experience, comprising 24 years in plant operations at BSL, 4 years at the Chairman's office in SAIL, and 2 years as a Director on SAIL Board as an In-charge of BSL.
He began his career at SAIL in 1991, with a posting in rolling mills.
SAIL, under the Ministry of Steel, is the country's largest steel-making company, with an annual capacity of around 21 million tonnes.

Angshumali Rastogi is India's Representative to Council of International Civil Aviation Organization

Senior bureaucrat Angshumali Rastogi was appointed India's representative to the council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada, according to a Personnel Ministry order.
Rastogi, a 1995 batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), was appointed in place of Shefali Juneja for three years.
Hemang Jani, Secretary of the Capacity Building Commission, was named Senior Adviser to the Executive Director, World Bank, Washington DC, for three years.
Jani, who has earlier worked as a senior private sector specialist at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC, was appointed in place of Ritesh Kumar Singh.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved 12 appointments for filling up various foreign posts.

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