General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - September 2015

Sep 2015

Aug 14, 2020

Modi Becomes Fourth Longest Serving Indian PM

Narendra Modi has become the longest serving non-Congress Prime Minister and the fourth longest serving overall.
Today, PM Narendra Modi becomes the fourth longest serving PM in the history of India! He now also holds the distinction of being the longest serving non-Congress PM. Vajpayee ji served for 2,268 days, with all his terms put together. Today PM Modi has surpassed that duration," BJP IT department in-charge Amit Malviya tweeted.
Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, all from the Congress, are the three longest serving Indian Prime Ministers in that order.

Goa's Moira Bananas, Harmal Chillies, Khaje Get GI Tag

The Geographical Indications Registry headquartered in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) granted Geographical Indications(GI) to Goa's Harmal Chillies which are grown only in Harmal village and adjacent areas of Pernem taluka (specifically in the coastal village of Arambol), Moira bananas, an unique banana grown in Moira village of Bardez taluka & Bicholim Taluka and Khaje, the traditional state sweet.
Khaje got a GI tag under foodstuffs falling in Class-30 and Moira Banana under Class-31.
The Bicholim- based All-Goa Khaje Producers Association (AGKPA) applied for the GI tag of Khaje through the department of science and technology in 2019.
Myndoli Banana Growers Association, Ibrampur, Pernem applied for the GI tag of Moira bananas.
The Harmal-Pernem Chilli Growers Association had made the application for the GI tag of Harmal Chillies.

India Unveils Economic Aid Package for Maldives

India unveiled a $500-million package to help the Maldives build a connectivity project linking its capital Male with three islands, and provided $250 million as budgetary support to help the Indian Ocean archipelago cope with the Covid-19 crisis.
A new cargo ferry service will be launched between the two countries, and people familiar with developments said this will help India replace other countries to become the Maldives' top trade partner. An air travel bubble between the two sides will become operational from August 18, and India also renewed quotas for supplying essential commodities to the Maldives during 2020-21.
The measures were announced during a virtual meeting between external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and his Maldives counterpart Abdulla Shahid. Responding to a request from the Maldives, Jaishankar announced India's decision to back the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) through a package comprising a grant of $100 million and a new line of credit for $400 million.
India's total financial commitment in the Maldives is more than $2 billion, with all loan and grant projects being announced after President Ibrahim Solih came to power in November 2018 and put in place his "India first" policy.

Goa Signs Tripartite MoU with GIZ India and Siemens Limited to Provide German Vocational Training...

The Goa government signed a tri-partite agreement to carry out world-class German dual vocational education and training in the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) of the state.
This will ensure optimal up-skilling of ITI graduates, including green skilling at par with the latest technological developments in the industry, thereby remarkably enhancing the employability of graduates from these ITIs.
The MoU was signed virtually between the Directorate of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Siemens Limited and the German-headquartered GIZ.
"The MoU will facilitate in-plant training of the students so that they can get practical hands on experience in their respective trades," Mr Rane said, adding that students will be exposed to the latest advancement in the industry and this would help vastly improve their employability.

Aug 13, 2020

Anyone with Qualification from PoJKL Colleges Cannot Practice Medicine in India

India's top medical education regulator has stated that any qualification obtained from medical colleges located in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh (PoJKL) shall not entitle a person to practice modern medicine in India.
In a public notice, the board of governors (BoG) in supersession of the Medical Council of India (MCI) said that the entire territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh is an integral part of India. Pakistan is in the illegal and forcible occupation of a part of the territory.
Accordingly, any medical institution in Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh (PoJKL) requires permission and recognition under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, " the notice said. Such permission has not been granted to any medical college in PoJKL.

E-passports for All Indian Citizens Next Year Onwards

If you apply for a new passport or seek a re-issue in 2021, chances are you could get an e-passport embedded with an electronic microprocessor chip. After issuing 20,000 official and diplomatic e-passports on a trial basis with such chips, the government has now begun the process for issuance of e-passports for all citizens and is selecting an agency that will set up the IT Infrastructure and solution to implement the big project. This will make passports difficult to forge and quicker immigration for international passengers. So far, passports issued to citizens are personalised and printed on booklets.
The agency will set up a dedicated unit and processes for preparing personalised e-passports to enable issuance of 10,000 to 20,000 per hour and IT systems will be set up in Delhi and Chennai to handle this load. The National Informatics Centre, which is working in tandem with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to select an agency to set up an IT Infrastructure and solution for e-personalisation of passports. ET accessed this RFP. So far, e-passports were issued only from CPV Division at MEA headquarters for diplomatic and official passports.
Now, all 36 passport offices in India will issue e-passports after the components of the e-passport personalisation system are inducted in the existing passport issuance system at all passport offices. The e-passports will be based on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standard to ensure interoperability between countries.

Aug 12, 2020

Govt Abolishes Cotton Advisory Board

On the lines of Government of India vision of "Minimum Government and Maximum Governance", the Ministry of textiles has abolished it's another advisory body, Cotton Advisory Board (CAB), and notified that all eight Textiles Research Associations (TRAs) have ceased to be "affiliated bodies" of the ministry.
Hereafter, TRAs will be approved bodies for conducting testing, research and developmental activities related to the textiles sector.
Any disposal/sale/transfer of assets created out of the central government grant shall require prior specific approval of the ministry.
The eight associations are: Ahmedabad Textile Industry's Research Association (Atira) in Gujarat, Bombay Textile Research Association (BTRA) in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh (UP), South India Textile Research Association (SITRA), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Synthetic & Art Silk Mills Research Association (SASMIRA), Mumbai, Maharashtra, Man-Made Textile Research Association (MANTRA), Surat, Gujarat, Wool Research Association (WRA), Thane, Maharashtra and Indian Jute Industries Research Association (IJIRA), Kolkata, West Bengal.

IC-IMPACTS 2020 Research Conference Held Virtually

IC-IMPACTS (the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability) 2020 Research Conference held Virtually on Aug 6-7, 2020 to discuss the ways to elevate the inter-country cooperation to the next Level by strengthening existing international connections, sharing best practices in multiple areas, and initiating new collaborations in government and institutions. The Conference was organised by IC-IMPACTS.
The major focus areas of research cooperation under the IC-IMPACT are as follows:
Green buildings and smart cities; occupants' survivability in buildings during fires; integrated water management & safe and sustainable infrastructure; and health problems arising from water-borne and infectious diseases.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has been working with IC-IMPACTS for research partnerships since 2013.
This partnership aimed to work hand-in-hand with communities in both countries creating community-based solutions to the most urgent needs.
This year (2020) Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition has been introduced to create opportunities for students and HQP (Highly Qualified Personnel)to network with like-minded innovation leaders.

Agriculture Minister Tomar Launches ICAR's Data Recovery Centre Krishi Megh

To protect the precious data of the government's premier research body ICAR, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched a data recovery centre 'Krishi Megh' set up in Hyderabad.
Currently, the main data centre of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is at the Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute (IASRI) in the national capital.
The data recovery centre has been set up at National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM), Hyderabad.
Krishi Megh has been set up under the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP), funded by both the government and World Bank.
"NAARM, Hyderabad has been chosen as it lies in a different seismic zone with regard to the Data Centre at ICAR-IASRI in New Delhi. Hyderabad is also suitable as skilled IT manpower is available along with other suitable climatic conditions such as low humidity level which is controllable in the data center environment.
The data recovery centre at NAARM is synchronised with the data centre at IASRI, It has been built to mitigate the risk, enhance the quality, availability and accessibility of e-governance, research, extension and education in the field of agriculture in India.

Rajasthan Crisis Ends, Pilot Returns after Meeting Rahul

The month-long crisis in the Rajasthan Congress ended with rebel Sachin Pilot calling a truce with the party and dissident MLAs heading home.
The state government was marked safe ahead of the August 14 Assembly session after Pilot, who had rebelled against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi here and buried the hatchet.
The Congress later said the two leaders had a "frank, open and conclusive discussion and Pilot committed to working in the interest of the Congress and the party government in Rajasthan". Party chief Sonia Gandhi spoke to Gehlot this evening and decided to set up a three-member panel comprising Priyanka Gandhi, Ahmed Patel and KC Venugopal to "address the issues raised by Pilot and the aggrieved MLAs". Pilot met the panel members late in the evening.
What was immediately clear was that CM Gehlot had succeeded in the battle of nerves with young Pilot, who ran out of options and decided to return.
As Pilot bought peace with the Congress, rebel party lawmakers began returning to Jaipur today and meeting Gehlot, who recently said he would do whatever the central leadership decided in respect of dissidents.
The first rebel to resurface in Jaipur after days of staying at a resort in BJP-ruled Haryana was Bhanwar Lal Sharma.

Aug 11, 2020

Jagdalpur Country's First Municipal Corporation to Provide Forestland Right Certificates to Peopl...

Chhattisgarh's Jagdalpur has become the first municipal corporation in the country where people of an urban area have been provided forest land right certificates.
On the occasion of the International Day of World's Indigenous Peoples, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel commenced the distribution of forestland right certificates by giving away the certificates to four beneficiaries of Jagdalpur via video conferencing.
Jagdalpur is among the few municipal corporations, jurisdiction areas of which includes forestlands. Nearly 1,777 applications have been received for forestland right certificates, which will be resolved as per the rules.
Baghel said the Forest Rights Act has the provision of allotting forestland lease to the eligible forest dwellers in forestland of urban areas. But till date, this provision was not enacted.
Enactment of this provision has started in Chhattisgarh in public interest.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister approved sanction of Rs. 6 crores and allotment of 5 acres of land to the Koya Kutma community on the request of MLA Chitrakote Rajman Benham.
He also approved a community hall for Koya Kutma community and a museum for preserving the historical and archaeological heritages, art and culture of Bastar.

Modi Launches Submarine Optical Fibre Cable to Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a submarine optical fibre cable connecting Andaman & Nicobar Islands with the mainland that would give residents of the islands faster Internet connection.
At the launch held through videoconferencing, he said the connectivity enabled by the cable would bring new opportunities for the islands' residents. The laying of the 2,300-km-long cable before the deadline of the project deserved praise.
The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the project in Port Blair on December 30, 2018.
The Indian Ocean and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands had been important centres for trade and strategic cooperation. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands had an important role to play in India's "Act East" policy.

Shah Faesal Quits as Chief of J&K People's Movement

Former bureaucrat-turned-politician Shah Faesal resigned as president of J&K People's Movement, a political party which he launched in 2019 after quitting as an IAS officer.
Businessman and party's VP Peerzada Feroze was nominated as interim president. Faesal's resignation comes at a time when New Delhi, with the appointment of a new Lieutenant Governor in Manoj Sinha, has hinted at resuming J&K's political process.
Incidentally, the Centre hasn't yet accepted Faesal's resignation from the IAS. Faesal himself has remained tightlipped about his future course of action after being released in June this year. But his frequent trips to New Delhi over the past few weeks hints at his efforts to chalk out a strategy for his future endeavours.

Aug 10, 2020

Government Forms Panel Under RoDTEP Scheme for Exporters to be Headed by G. K. Pillai

The Government of India under the Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue has set up a three-member committee headed by Secretary (retired) G. K. Pillai for determination of ceiling rates under Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme.
The two other members are Y. G. Parande, retired Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs member and Gautam Ray, retired chief commissioner of custom and central excise.
The Remission of Duties and Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP) scheme aims to reimburse taxes and duties incurred by exporters such as Duty on power charges, Value Added Tax on fuel in transportation, farm sector, captive power generation, mandi tax, stamp duty and central excise duty which are not compensated under any other scheme.
It is a World Trade Organization (WTO) compliant scheme.

Meghalaya Cabinet Approves Policy on Reservation of Seats for Women in Village Employment Councils

Conrad Kongkal Sangma, Chief Minister of Meghalaya informed the cabinet's approval for the passage of the "Policy on Reservation of seats for Women in Village Employment Councils(VECs)", the policy of reserving 50% seats for women in the village level community institutions.
This policy ensures the empowerment of Women by establishing a forum for women to exercise their leadership and freedom.
The VECs are a political organisation established to implement the works of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Under MGNREGA, in 2006 VECs were constituted in Every village of the state.
The VECs consist of all male and female heads of every household with a headman as a head of the council.
The available data states that only a few VEC's have female members in chairperson Secretaries positions (112 and 260 respectively).

Rajnath Singh Bans Import of 101 Defence Items,

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that India is now ready for the big push to the atma nirbhar or self-dependent initiative announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The defence ministry has decided to put 101 items put on embargo to boost indigenisation of defence production.
The embargoed items include high technology weapon systems like artillery guns, assault rifles, corvettes, sonar systems, and transport aircraft.
The list of items was prepared after consultations with the armed forces, state-owned and private companies to assess current and future capabilities of the Indian industry for manufacturing various ammunition & equipment within India.

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