General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - September 2015

Sep 2015

Feb 26, 2020

Polls for 55 Rajya Sabha Seats in March

Fifty-five Rajya Sabha seats will be up for grabs next month in the biggest biennial polls since Prime Minister Narendra Modi won his second term.
According to calculations based on the election process to the House of Elders, voting across 17 state assemblies, set for March 26, may lead to a net loss of four seats for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and a gain of three seats for the Congress and its allies. At the same time, pro-BJP parties will see a net gain of two seats in this round, while K. Chandrasekhar Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samithi, considered a fence sitter, will also gain two seats.
The results are likely to see the BJP's dependence on its allies and outside supporters to pass bills growing, at least for the time being. But BJP insiders said the results are unlikely to have a major impact on the current equation in the Upper House as the NDA, despite being in the minority, was able to push key bills such as Triple Talaq, Citizenship (Amendment) Act, and nullification of Article 370, by taking advantage of a fractured Opposition.
The BJP-led NDA, the largest grouping in the Upper House with 99 seats, will be reduced to 95 seats while the Congress and allies (64 seats) are set to reach the tally of 67 at the end of this election.

Bihar Assembly Passes Unanimous Resolution

The Bihar assembly passed a unanimous resolution categorically stating that there is no need of NRC in the State and that the National Population Register (NPR) exercise be done strictly according to the 2010 format.
The all-party resolution got the approval of the legislative assembly in the post-lunch session following a debate on the adjournment motion moved by leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav and others in the House.
Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary read out the resolution in the presence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi and opposition leaders among others to which all the members approved by thumping of desks.
Besides saying no to NRC, and conducting NPR strictly on 2010 pattern, the resolution stated that "transgenders" be included in the gender column of the NPR.

Deepak Prakash Jharkhand's New BJP President

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief J. P. Nadda appointed Deepak Prakash as the party's Jharkhand unit president.
A new team now helms the BJP in Jharkhand with Prakash's appointment two months after the party lost power in the state under former Chief Minister Raghubar Das and state president Laxman Gilua's leadership. Both Das and Gilua lost assembly elections.
The BJP separately nominated Abdul Khader Haji as the chief of its Lakshadweep unit.

Himachal Pradesh 1st State to Achieve 100% LPG Coverage

Himachal Pradesh became the 1^ststate in the country to have 100% LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) coverage due to the implementation of PMUY (Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana) scheme.
Following the implementation of the PMUY scheme, the state government launched 'Himachal Grihini Suvidha Yojana' in May 2018 to cover the scheme to remaining households.
Under the scheme except families having a pensioner, income taxpayer or any member employed with the government, board, corporation etc, all households of the state without an LPG connection were eligible.
Nearly 2.64 lakh free gas connections were provided through the state funded Grihini Suvidha Yojana & 1.36 lakh were benefited through PMUY scheme.
About PMUY scheme: The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 1st May, 2016 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh (UP). Under this scheme 5 Crore LPG connections will be provided to BPL (Below Poverty Line) families & Rs. 8000 crore were allocated towards the implementation of the scheme.
PMUY scheme aims to safeguard the health of women & children by providing them with a clean cooking fuel – LPG, so that they don't have to compromise their health in smoky kitchens or wander in unsafe areas collecting firewood.

Madhya Pradesh Launches Unified Vehicle Registration Card

Madhya Pradesh became the first state in the country to launch the unified vehicle registration card and the second state to launch the unified driving license.
The Chief Minister launched the service to issue the unified vehicle registration card and the unified driving license at the state secretariat.
Madhya Pradesh Transport Department Commissioner V. Madhu Kumar said that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had issued the guidelines to bring uniformity in driving licenses and vehicle registration cards across the country in March last year.
Kumar said that the unified smart cards for driving license and vehicle registration will each have a QR code that will help in verifying authenticity of the data printed on the cards.
These cards will be a standard across the country.

B. P. Dharmadhikari May Be Chief Justice of Bombay HC

Acting Chief Justice of Bombay High Court (HC), Justice B. P. Dharmadhikari, was recommended by the Supreme Court (SC) collegium for appointment as the Chief Justice of that HC. Justice B. P. Dharmadhikari was the second senior-most judge in Bombay HC after the retirement of former Chief Justice, Pradeep Nandrajog.

Haryana Tops in Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Payouts rating for 2019-20

According to the recent ratings regarding Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) payouts, prepared for the 1st time by the Central Government,
Haryana emerged as the best state in DBT payouts (Rs. 4782 crore in over 4 crore transactions) in 2019-20. While West Bengal emerged as the worst performer in DBT payouts (Rs. 8793 crore through 5 crore transactions) and ranked 36th position.
The rating, which ranked 36 states and UTs (Union Territories), according to DBT payouts compared to their population.

Punjab Resolution Seeks Waiver of Passport Rule and Fee for Kartarpur

The Punjab assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre to ask Pakistan to remove the condition of having a passport and paying $20 (Rs. 1,436) to visit the Kartarpur Sahib shrine using the corridor inaugurated in November 2019.
Punjab Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa moved the resolution in the assembly.
The resolution comes close on the heels of Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh's demand that the governments of India and Pakistan waive the condition of passport for Indian pilgrims visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan through the Kartarpur Corridor.
Addressing a religious function organised by the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee at Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Sikhism's founder Guru Nanak, Giani Harpreet Singh said that the condition of carrying a passport as identity proof is the main reason behind the low turnout of Indian pilgrims at the Kartarpur shrine, the last resting place of Guru Nanak.

India-US Finalise Defence Deals, Sign 3 MoUs in Energy Sector

A successful two-day trip culminated with a carefully handled press interaction by US President Donald Trump. India and US decided to forge ahead on all spheres of the relationship despite the concerns regarding the tough negotiations on trade but the US President clearly side-stepped all domestic issues of India or those that India considers "internal".
The biggest take away from the visit was moving forward in the energetic, defense and strategic sphere. The $3 billion-worth of helicopter purchase was a significant deal and sources say $8-10 billion-worth of deals are in the offing.
The two sides increased cooperation in the area of homeland security and in fighting international crime. The thrust of the conversations was also on fighting drug trafficking.
The two countries concluded three bilateral agreements in the health and energy sectors: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on mental health, the second one that deals with the safety of medical products and a Letter of Cooperation was also signed by Indian Oil Corporation and ExxonMobil India LNG Limited, with Chart Industries of the US.

Feb 25, 2020

Govt. Will Complete 5-year Term, Uddhav Tells Alliance MLAs

Amid speculation about the stability of his government, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who held a meeting with all ruling parties legislators, assured them that their government would complete its five year tenure.
Thackeray, who held the meeting on day one of the budget session of the state legislature, also told legislators that co-ordination among the senior brass of the three parties was perfect.

MoU to Develop Crematoria, Ghats in Gangotri and Badrinath

A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was inked among the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), State Programme Management Group-Uttarakhand (SPMG-UK) and Indorama Charitable Trust (ICT) to work together for giving a facelift to the bathing ghat at Badrinath and ghat and crematoria at Gangotri in Uttarakhand.
The cost outlay of the project is Rs. 26 crore. It will be financed by Indrona Group as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The project is under the Clean Ganga Mission.
The project's implementation will commence by March 2020 and is expected to be completed in 15 months. The MoU was signed in the presence of Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Jal Shakti Minister.
This project was taken up under the government initiative of "Har Kaam Desh Ke Naam".

Narendra Singh Tomar Inaugurates the 4th Anniversary Celebration of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurba...

The Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the 4th anniversary celebration of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi. The Mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 21st February 2016, with the vision to deliver catalytic interventions to rural areas on the threshold of growth. The objective is to develop the clusters in a holistic manner by providing all the basic amenities, infrastructure as well as economic development opportunities in an integrated and time bound manner.

Feb 24, 2020

Equal Opportunities in RS for Members of All Parties

A first-ever audit of the activities of the Rajya Sabha revealed that the Opposition got time proportionate to its strength in the House and regional parties were a bright spot in individual performance.
The audit assumes significance with many Opposition parties alleging they were denied enough time to speak in the House and members of one or two smaller parties had regularly sought more time from the Chair.
The time utilisation audit was done by the Rajya Sabha secretariat for only the first half of the budget session. It mapped the number of opportunities—questions, debates, short-duration debate, calling attention motion, etc—created in the House during the session.
The analysis showed the ruling BJP, the largest political outfit with 82 members in the Upper House, bagged 33% of 1,460 opportunities created in the House. In other words, BJP members used 481 chances to speak or otherwise participate in the Upper House. BJP represents 34% of the House and got 33% of total opportunities. The Congress, which represents 19% of the House, got 24% share in participation.

Ministry of MSME Launches National Level Awareness Programme(NLAP) 2020

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) launched a National Level Awareness Programme (NLAP) 2020 from February 17, 2020 to February 28, 2020.
The main objective of NLAP is to spread awareness about the schemes & activities undertaken by the Ministry and its attached organisations such as Office of Development Commissioner (MSME), Khadi & Village Industries Commission, Coir Board, National Small Industries Corporation Limited, National Institute of MSME, MSME Technology Centres, and Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Rural Industrialisation.
A total of 126 field offices of the Ministry & its organisations are conducting the awareness programmes across the country to spread the information among students of colleges and educational institutes.
The awareness drive will be conducted in more than 600 colleges covering almost 60,000 students from all parts of the country.
Audio-Video films about the activities of the Ministry & its organisations, details of the schemes implemented by the Ministry are displayed to the students.

Country's First Floating Jetty in Goa

Union Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the country's first floating jetty and an immigration facility at a cruise terminal in Vasco.
The jetty is located in the state port department's premises on the banks of Mandovi River.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik and Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar were present on the occasion.
Mandaviya said that this floating jetty is the first such facility in the country. It is made of cement concrete. It will boost inland waterways. They are environment friendly and can be built in a short time. Three more will be built in Goa.
The Union minister said that the immigration counter at the cruise terminal in Mormugao Port will help foreign nationals who arrive on cruise ships.

First Anniversary of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme

The Centre has disbursed Rs. 50,850 crore to farmers so far under its landmark scheme PM-KISAN, enabling them to meet farm input cost and household expenses.
The agriculture ministry shared the progress made under the scheme, ahead of its first anniversary on February 24.
The PM-KISAN was formally launched on February 24 last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
Under the scheme, the Centre transfers an amount of Rs. 6,000 per year, in three equal instalments, directly into the bank accounts of the farmers, subject to certain exclusion criteria relating to higher income status.
February 24, 2020 was the 1st anniversary of starting of a new Central Sector Scheme, namely, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN).

Feb 23, 2020

Kerala Moves SC against Airport Handover to Adani

The Kerala government approached the Supreme Court challenging a decision by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to hand over Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to Adani Enterprises Ltd which, in February 2019, won the bid to manage and operate the facility for 50 years.
The petition in the Supreme Court follows a December 2019 ruling by the Kerala High Court which dismissed a plea by the Kerala government on grounds that the case involved a dispute between the Centre and the state which only the Supreme Court is empowered to hear under Article 131 of the Constitution.

Jasmine Shah Appointed Vice-chief of Delhi Government Key Policy Body

The Delhi government reappointed Jasmine Shah as the vice-chairperson of the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD).
In his last tenure which lasted for over a year, Shah worked on Delhi government's flagship projects, schemes and policies including the electric vehicles policy, the Delhi solar policy, setting up of mohalla clinics, free bus ride for women scheme and so on. The vice-chairman of DDCD enjoys cabinet-level position, while its chairperson is Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Shah, an alumni of IIT-Madras and Columbia University, has been advising the government since 2016 on budgetary and transport reforms.

Feb 22, 2020

Madhya Pradesh Breaks Own record in Thermal Power Generation

Madhya Pradesh has surpassed its earlier record of thermal power generation by producing 1099.7 lakh units in one day.
The Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Company created a new record by producing 1099.7 lakh units of thermal power in one day.
The state's previous highest power generation in a day was recorded at 1074.5 lakh units in March 2019.

India and Norway Sign LoI for Collaboration on Blue Economy for Sustainable Development in New Delhi

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan along with Norway's Minister for Climate and Environment, H.E. Mr. Sveinung Rotevatn have jointly inaugurated the 'India-Norway Task Force on Blue Economy for Sustainable Development' at the 3rd meeting of the Task Force in New Delhi, India.
The two countries also signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) and agreed to support and work together on Integrated Ocean Management & Research.
The Task Force on Blue Economy:
It was launched jointly by the Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, and the Norwegian Prime Minister (PM) Ms. Erna Solberg, during her visit to India in January 2019.
It primarily aims to promote and undertake joint initiatives between the two nations. It enables respective stakeholders from both the countries at the highest level. It will also ensure continued commitment and progress across ministries and agencies.

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