General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - July 2015

Jul 2015

Jul 18, 2021

BJP Looks to Downplay 'Kongu Nadu' Controversy

The BJP formally put to rest a controversy on 'Kongu Nadu' by stating that they have no plans to bifurcate Tamil Nadu.
Union Minister of State and outgoing Tamil Nadu BJP chief L Murugan said that it was a "clerical mistake".
The controversy began after the party had released profiles of newly inducted union ministers and it referred to Murugan as hailing from 'Kongu Nadu, Tamil Nadu'.

Sidhu meets Sonia Amid Buzz of Revamp in Punjab

Former Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu met Congress president Sonia Gandhi amid rising tensions in the party over the cricketer-turned-politician's factional fight with chief minister Amarinder Singh.
The meeting at Gandhi's Delhi residence was also attended by party leader Rahul Gandhi. It came after days of talk – with no official announcement – that Sidhu could be appointed the state unit chief overriding objections by Singh.
Singh is bitterly opposed to Sidhu's elevation as party chief and has publicly advocated for a Hindu face for the post.

PM Modi Conveys Grief over Vidisha Tragedy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his anguish over the accident in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha district, where at least four people were killed after falling into a 40-feet-deep well.
Conveying his condolences, PM Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh for the families of each victim who lost their lives in the accident.
Four bodies have been recovered till now from inside the well in Ganj Basoda of Vidisha, about 100 km north of Bhopal and reports indicate the death toll is likely to be higher. About 40 people, who gathered around it to watch the rescue of a 10-year-old boy, fell in after its boundary wall caved under their collective weight.

Ministry Clears Rules for Vintage Cars

For the first time ever, India is set to have rules for regulating the registration process for vintage cars.
The Union Law Ministry has given its nod to an amendment to Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, which are expected to be notified by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways soon, according to a government official.
According to the rules, all two-wheelers and four-wheelers, which have not undergone any substantial overhaul, will be defined as Vintage Motor Vehicles 50 years after the date of first registration.
Vehicles that already carry a registration number would be allowed to retain it. However, classics that are registered afresh, such as those that are imported into the country, would be assigned an identifier "VA" in the registration number. Vintage vehicles would neither be permitted on roads for regular purposes nor would they be used for commercial purposes. They would be allowed only during exhibitions.

Centre Notifies Jurisdiction of Krishna, Godavari River Boards

Seven years after their constitution under the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, the Centre has notified the jurisdiction of Krishna and Godavari River Management Boards (KRMB and GRMB), transferring to them the operation of all projects, including generation of hydel power, in the two river basins in A.P. and Telangana effective from October 14, 2021.
Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) issued the Gazette notification late on July 15 night.
The notification brings 35 projects in the Krishna basin and 71 in the Godavari basin, under the boards' purview, empowering them to operate the headworks of barrages, dams, reservoirs, regulating structures, part of canal network, transmission lines and the power houses at the projects.

Banks Can't Deny Educational Loans to Students Citing Parents' Liabilities: HC

The Kerala high court said that banks cannot deny educational loans to students citing liabilities of their parents and directed a national bank to disburse the loan applied by a meritorious student.
While giving a direction to the Indian Bank in this regard, the single bench of Justice PB Suresh Kumar observed that the very purpose of the educational loan is to ensure that a meritorious student cannot be deprived of an opportunity to higher education on the ground that he/she does not have enough resources for the same.
The petitioner, a second-year student of Bachelor of Ayuveda Medicine and Surgery, approached the court after her loan request was turned down by the bank. In her petition, she contended that she secured admission through the centralised seat allotment process of the state in 2019 on the basis of her rank in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test.

Jul 17, 2021

Borders of Uttarakhand to be Sealed for Kanwariyas

The borders of Uttarakhand will be sealed for Kanwariyas from July 24, 2021.
The Uttarakhand government has decided to suspend the Kanwar Yatra for the safety of people in view of the looming threat of the third wave of Covid-19.
The borders of the state will be sealed for Kanwariyas from July 24, Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar said. However, barring Kanwariyas, there will be no restriction on the movement of others, he added.
With the start of the month of Shravan in the Hindu calendar on July 25, Kanwariyas begin to pour into Haridwar in large numbers to collect the holy water of the Ganga.

Permanent Commission: Army Seeks Clarification from SC Over Women Officers

The Indian Army has sought a clarification from the Supreme Court on the grant of permanent commission to women short service commission officers (WSSCO) pointing out that around 14% of them failed one criteria for this -- and whether an apex court ruling of March meant permanent commissions had to be granted irrespective of the criteria being met.
The issue involves 72 of 514 women short service commission officers (WSSCO).
The Selection Board that considered their case in September 2020 found serious charges of indiscipline, forgery, disobedience and unbecoming conduct as an officer -- and on this basis denied them permanent commission.

NCW Signs MoU with BPR&D on Gender Sensitisation of Police Personnel

The National Commission for Women signed an MoU with the Bureau of Police Research and Development for gender sensitisation of police personnel across the country.
The programme, which aims to sensitise the security personnel on gender issues, will be fully sponsored by the Commission and facilitated by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) with a special module in coordination with its units and other stakeholders.
The aim of the programme is to ensure gender sensitisation of police personnel with respect to legislation and policies concerning women, and bringing attitudinal and behavioural changes in police officers while dealing with crimes against women.

Jul 16, 2021

6th anniversary of Skill India Mission

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on July 15, 2021 on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day 2021 and 6th anniversary of Skill India Mission.
In his address, Prime Minister highlighted "Skill development of youth of new generation is a national need and a huge foundation for self-reliant India".
According to PM, under Skill India Mission, 1.25 crore youth have been trained till date.

Jul 15, 2021

OBC Sub-categorisation Commission's Term Extended by 6 Months

The Union Cabinet extended the term of the commission examining the possibility of sub-categorisation within the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the Central list by six months beyond July 31 this year to January 31 next year, a government statement said.
"The proposed extension of tenure and addition in its terms of reference shall enable the Commission to submit a comprehensive report on the issue of sub-categorization of OBCs, after consultation with various stakeholders," the statement issued after the Cabinet committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said.
The commission, which took charge on October 11, 2017, is headed by retired Delhi high court chief justice G Rohini. The commission is constituted of Centre for Policy Studies director Dr J K Bajaj as a member and two other ex-officio members. It was set up to examine the possibility of creating categories within OBCs for the reservation to ensure "equitable distribution" of representation among all OBC communities.

PM to Inaugurate 1st Station Redeveloped Through PPP Mode

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Gandhinagar capital railway station, the country's first redeveloped railway station in line with the government's plan to modernise railway stations through Public Private Partnerships, on July 16.
"The Station has been provided with world-class amenities, at par with modern airports. Special Care has been taken to make it a Divyang friendly station by providing it with a special ticket booking counter, ramps, lifts, dedicated parking space etc. The complete building is designed and provided with Green Building rating features. The state-of-the-art external façade will have daily theme based lighting with 32 themes. The station will also house a five-star hotel," the PMO said in a statement.
Station redevelopment is planned by leveraging real estate potential of separable land and air space in and around the stations, through private participation. These redeveloped hubs will be called "Railopolis."

PM Modi to Inaugurate Public Projects worth Rs. 1,500 crore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi to inaugurate development works worth over Rs. 1,500 crore there.
The projects include-- a 100-bed model maternal and child health (MCH) wing at the Institute of Medical Sciences of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), multi-level parking facilities, highway development projects, and tourism projects as well.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal Appointed Leader of House in Rajya Sabha

Union minister Piyush Goyal was appointed as the leader of the house in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Goyal replaces Thawar Chand Gehlot, who moved to Karnataka as the governor of the state following the recent cabinet reshuffle.
The appointment also takes significance as the monsoon session of Parliament is set to commence on July 19. It will conclude on August 13.
Goyal has been a member of the upper house of the parliament since 2010. Until now, he was the deputy leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Rajya Sabha. He holds key portfolios in the cabinet including commerce and industry, food and consumer affairs.

Centre Restores, Raises D.A. for its Employees

The Union Cabinet increased the dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) for 11.4 million central government employees and pensioners to 28% of basic pay from 17% effective prospectively from July 1.
However, three instalments of DA and DR held back from last year will not be paid at the new rate, despite a demand by central government staff.
The three additional instalments of DA to central government employees and DR to pensioners, which were due from January 1, 2020, till June 2021, were frozen in April, just a month after the Cabinet approved a hike to 21% of basic pay from 17%.
The government said this was because the pandemic had put central government finances under stress.

Jul 14, 2021

Ladakh first Union Territory to Achieve 100% First Dose Coverage

Ladakh has become first Union Territory to vaccinate all residents and guest population; comprising of migrant labourers, hotel workers and Nepalese citizens earning their livelihood in the territory; with first dose of Covid-19 jab.
As per data, total of 89,404 people from all eligible age groups have been administered with first dose of Covid vaccine.

In a First, Yaks to be Insured

Yak farmers in the remote Himalayas can now afford a smile, thanks to the National Insurance Company Ltd (NICL).
These highlanders living in the harshest of climatic conditions used to incur regular losses due to deaths of the animal. For the first time, the NICL has decided to insure the highly valuable Himalayan cattle.
India has around 58,000 yaks, found on the heights of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh. This bovine species is susceptible to inclement weather conditions due to climate change, diseases, attacks by wild animals, etc.

Share on

TCY Analytics (View Subscription Plans)

Subscribe to GK Updates

I want to receive

GK Tags

September GK, August GK, July GK, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, SPORTS, NATIONAL AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, PERSONS IN NEWS, DAYS AND EVENTS, AWARDS AND HONOURS, GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES, GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION, ART AND CULTURE, BOOKS AND AUTHORS, TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARENESS, ART AND CULTURE, LAW AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Start Discussion

On any topic

Take Tests

Compiled from GK updates

Login

Sign Up

Forgot Password

Download TCY App

Unlock All Services And Enjoy The Premium Benefits

US$ 10

US$ 13

US$ 15

US$ 17

US$ 19

US$ 20

US$ 21

US$ 22

US$ 23

US$ 24

US$ 25

US$ 26