General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - September 2015

Sep 2015

Jan 26, 2020

ECI to Host 10th Annual Meeting of Forum of Election Management Bodies of South Asia

Election Commission of India hosted the 10th Annual Meeting of the Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA) in New Delhi. Election Commission of India took over the Chair of the forum for the year 2020. On the occasion, International Conference on the theme 'Strengthening Institutional Capacity' was also being organised. ECI also renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation in the field of election management with the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan.
The International Conference was organised with the purpose of sharing the experience of different Election Management Bodies, International Institutions and Experts.

Panel Headed By Amit Shah to Monitor Disposal of Over 9,400 'Enemy' Properties

A Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah will monitor the disposal of over 9,400 enemy properties, which are likely to fetch about Rs. 1 lakh crore to the exchequer.
Two other high-level committees, one to be headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, and other to be co-chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, will also be set up for disposal of immovable enemy properties vested in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India under the Enemy Property Act.
Enemy properties were those left behind by the people who took citizenship of Pakistan and China.

Jan 25, 2020

Niti Aayog to Develop National Data Platform

Government think-tank Niti Aayog will develop a national data and analytics platform to make all government data accessible to stakeholders in a user-friendly manner.
Releasing the Vision Document for the National Data and Analytics Platform (NDAP), Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar said that the NDAP will strive to ensure that the data is assured, consistent, coherent and credible.

Cabinet Nod to Extension to OBC Sub-categorisation Panel

The Union Cabinet approved an extension of six months in the tenure of a commission set up to examine the issue of sub-categorisation within Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the Central List.
Now, the term of the panel will be till July 31 2020. This is the 8th extension given to the commission, whose term would otherwise have expired on January 31, 2020.
Approval was also granted to adding more Terms of Reference for the Commission to study various entries in the "Central List of OBCs and recommend correction of any repetitions, ambiguities, inconsistencies and errors of spelling or transcription."
Communities that are included in the existing OBC list but unable to get major benefits of OBC reservation for appointment in Central government posts and admissions in Central educational institutions are expected to benefit once the Commission's recommendations are implemented.

Jan 24, 2020

Centre Designates Daman as Headquarters of Merged UTs

The Centre designated Daman as the headquarters of the merged Union Territories of Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
The Central government also approved amendments/extension/repeal in legislations and regulations dealing with the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Value Added Tax (VAT) and state excise in a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
These amendments will lead to 'minimum government, maximum governance' by way of having common taxation authorities, better delivery of services to citizens by reducing duplication of work and improving administrative efficiency.

SC Refuses to Stay CAA

The Supreme Court refused to stay the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), but indicated that the matter would be referred to a Constitution bench.
The court, which issued notice to the central government in December 2019, gave it four more weeks to respond, after a request by Attorney general K. K. Venugopal. Venugopal pointed out that there were only 60 petitions when the case was first heard in December 2019 but at least 144 petitions have been filed till now and copies of the fresh petitions had not been supplied to the central government yet.

India Falls 10 Ranks in Democracy Index

India dropped 10 places in the Democracy Index's global ranking to 51st place, with the survey describing the erosion of civil liberties in the country as the primary cause of the democratic regression.
The Democracy Index - prepared by Economist Intelligence Unit, the research and analysis division of The Economist Group - provides a snapshot of the state of democracy worldwide in 165 independent states and two territories.
It is based on electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties.
Norway topped the index, with a score of 9.87, while North Korea was at the bottom of the global rankings, with a score of 1.08. China's score fell to 2.26, and it is now ranked 153rd, close to the bottom of the rankings.

Jan 23, 2020

Andhra Capital Bill Hits Roadblock

In a temporary setback to YSR Congress party government in Andhra Pradesh led by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the two crucial bills pertaining to the state capital hit a roadblock in the state legislative council. The opposition Telugu Desam Party, which has 28 members in the 58-member legislative council, against only nine members of the YSRC, stonewalled the passage of the bill by invoking Rule 71 of the legislative proceedings, which allows for a debate on disapproving the government bills.
The state assembly had a day earlier passed two bills, one on repealing AP Capital Region Development Authority Act enacted in 2014 to develop Amaravati as the state capital and the second one on creation of three capitals as part of the decentralised administration, after the suspension of 17 TDP members.
Even if the council rejects the bills, they could be re-introduced in the state assembly and passed. But, if the council refers the bills to the select committee, the plans to shift the administrative capital to Visakhapatnam would be delayed by a few weeks.

BJP Backs Haryana CM's Move to Retain CID's Control

The Bharatiya Janata Party's leadership has backed Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's decision to take control of the state's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as it stepped in to iron out differences between him and state Home Minister Anil Vij over the issu. Vij has been unhappy with Khattar's decision.
The leadership has conveyed to Vij that all the CID reports on law and order that his ministry requires will be provided to him as per the precedent, but Khattar will continue to keep control of the department.
Vij opposed the move when Khattar announced his decision to retain the CID's control, saying the agency is an integral part of the home portfolio and the allocation of business rules specify that.

Malls, Shops and Eateries to Remain Open 24/7 in some Mumbai Areas

Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray announced that the state Cabinet has approved the proposal to allow malls, shops and eateries to remain open for 24 hours in some areas of Mumbai.
Aaditya Thackeray said that from January 27, malls, multiplexes, shops and eateries in non-residential areas like Bandra Kurla Complex and Nariman Point will remain open for 24 hours.
Aaditya Thackeray also clarified that the cabinet decision will not increase pressure on Mumbai police as the government will not allow the pubs and bars to remain open for 24 hours. He added that the time limit for pubs and bars is already set at 1:30 am and the state government will not bring any changes in the excise law.

Jan 22, 2020

SC on Speakers

The wisdom of the legislature in entrusting Speakers (of the state assembly or parliament) with the responsibility of ruling on the disqualification of lawmakers who defect (shift parties) needs to be revisited, the Supreme Court ruled in a case on defection of a Congress MLA from Manipur.
The judgment comes at a time when a discussion is already underway among presiding officers of legislatures on how to secure the legislative Speaker's dignity in the matters related to the defection of lawmakers. As first reported earlier, in two conferences in as many months, many presiding officers have expressed the view that their role vis-à-vis the tenth schedule should be limited and other mechanisms must be evolved to decide cases of defection. The tenth schedule deals with the anti-defection law.
A top functionary of the Lok Sabha said that a panel has already been constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on the issue and that many assembly Speakers have voluntarily sought a reduction of their power as far as the tenth schedule is concerned.

Goa Lokayukta Indicts Former CM

The Goa Lokayukta has indicted former Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and two officials for renewing mining leases, including 31 in a single day in 2015, which the Supreme Court later cancelled in 2018. It has asked Goa's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to file a case against Parsekar and the two officials—P. K. Sain and Prasanna Acharya--for alleged corruption and recommended a further probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Sain is a former mines secretary and Acharya ex-director of mines. Parsekar headed a Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in the state from 2014 to 2017.

TMC to Introduce Anti-CAA Resolution

Bengal's parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee said that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will introduce a resolution in the state assembly later in January 2020 demanding the withdrawal of the amended citizenship act.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee followed Kerala and Punjab, saying her government too would pass a resolution in the assembly.

Trade in Focus of Brazil President's Visit

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will arrive in India for a four-day visit, during which he will be the chief guest at the annual Republic Day parade 2020 and hold talks with the Indian leadership on bolstering trade and investment.
Bolsonaro will be accompanied by seven ministers, the chairman of Brazil-India Friendship Group in Brazil's Parliament, senior officials and a delegation of over 80 businessmen.
According to Brazil's ambassador André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, India and Brazil will sign more than 15 agreements and launch an action plan for their strategic partnership during the visit.
This is Bolsonaro's first state visit to India. Former Presidents of Brazil have been the chief guest at the Republic Day parades in 1996 and 2004.

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