General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - September 2015

Sep 2015

Nov 23, 2019

NITI Aayog Discusses Challenges and Opportunities in Assistive Devices Industry

NITI Aayog deliberated upon emerging opportunities in technological innovations, product development in assistive devices industry and policy interventions in the country.
The existing state of affairs pertaining to disability, assistive technology, allied industry and emerging opportunities in India was discussed.
Broad areas of discussion included regulatory control and capacity building in the sector; incentivisation for the private players to invest in the industry; formulation of a concrete set-up involving the government, private industries, innovation centres like the IITs and the NGOs in order to transform the present reality; building and encouraging entrepreneurship; an economically viable model inclusive of affordability, adaptability, functionality and productivity; and strengthening indigenous R&D and promoting mass manufacturing of assistive devices technology in India.

Jammu and Kashmir completes highest 11,400 km road length under PMGSY in 2019

Jammu and Kashmir has achieved the highest road length in the country this year (2019) so far under a Centre's rural roads' programme with the completion of around 11,400 kilometres covering 1,838 habitations.
This includes 1,161 km for the current financial year (2019) against the total sanctioned road length of 19,700 km.
The work is being carried under the centrally-sponsored Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), which is a mega flagship programme with the main objective of providing connectivity to rural areas.
The programme is being implemented by the Public Works (Roads and Buildings) Department of the Union Territory.

Gadkari Directs NHAI to Issue free FASTags at Toll Booths

Union Road and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to issue FASTags free until December 1, 2019, ostensibly to encourage people to move towards cashless and seamless travel.
Free FASTags will be available at all points of sale of the NHAI and they will also be made available at other places having a high potential of sales. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is putting in deposit money of Rs 150 on behalf of each user for now.
Almost 90 per cent toll plazas are ready with FASTag infrastructure as of now and only some new toll plazas will face teething issues.
The government had announced that it would make FASTags or electronic toll collection system mandatory across all 537 toll plazas from December 1, 2019.

Nov 22, 2019

UIDAI Operationalizes 21 Aadhaar Seva Kendras

Unique Identification Authority of India, UIDAI has operationalized 21 Aadhaar Seva Kendras as part of its plan to open 114 stand-alone Aadhaar enrollment and centres across the country.
These are in addition to 35,000 Aadhaar Enrollment Centers run by Banks, Post Offices and State Governments.
These centres will be operational all days of the week including weekends, from 9.30 A.M. to 5.30 P.M. They will be closed only on public holidays. The centres will have the capacity to handle up to 1,000 enrollment and requests per day.
UIDAI plans to set up 114 Aadhaar Seva Kendras in 53 cities across the country.
While Aadhaar enrollment is free, a nominal charge of 50 rupees is payable for updating details like adding a mobile number to Aadhaar and updating address.

Bengalureans To Get Free WiFi One Hour Each Day

Bengaluru, India's information technology capital, will get free WiFi services for one hour each day, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka CN Ashwath Narayan said.
The proposed scheme, which will take nine months to be implemented, follows similar efforts by Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh governments which have tried to offer data as a commodity to their people.

Nov 21, 2019

CCEA Approves Amendments Proposed in Toll Operate Transfer Model by NHAI

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA, has approved the amendments proposed in the Toll Operate Transfer (TOT) Model by National Highways Authority of India.
The Model would facilitate efficient toll realization through private sector. The CCEA approval will ensure a wider set of assets for Monetization and providing a more attractive model for the investors.
The fund generated from such monetization shall be utilized for development of highways in the country, which will benefit users throughout the country.
Around 75 operational National highways projects have been identified for potential monetization using the TOT Model, and bundled into 10 separate bids to attract economics of scale for the private sector.

Govt May Need ₹8,754 Crore To Conduct Census 2021 In 16 Languages

The Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) expects Census 2021, which will be conducted in 16 languages, to cost around ₹8,754 crore.
"Certain changes have been made in the questionnaire on the suggestions of Technical Advisory Committee," the minister said in a written reply in the Lower House.
In September, 2019 Home Minister Amit Shah had said the mammoth nationwide exercise will be carried out in 16 languages.
The reference date for the census will be 1 March, 2021, but for snow-bound Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, it will be 1 October, 2020.

Report on 'Road Accidents in India-2018'

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has released the 'Road Accidents in India, 2018'.
It is an annual publication brought out by the Transport Research Wing of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways which reports on accidents, related deaths and injuries, calendar year-wise, based on information supplied by the Police Departments of States and UTs.
As per the Report, Road accidents in the country have increased marginally by 0.46 % during 2018 with the year seeing 4,67,044 road accidents as against 4,64,910 in 2017.
The fatalities during the same period have also risen by about 2.37% and 151471 persons were killed in 2018 as against 1,47,913 in 2017.
Road accident injuries have however showed a decrease of 0.33% in 2018 as compared to 2017.

Nov 20, 2019

Google Removes 'Anti-India App'

Acceding to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's demand, IT giant Google has removed the secessionist, anti-India mobile application '2020 Sikh Referendum' from its Play Store.
A spokesperson for the Chief Minister's Office said this app was not available any more on Google Play Store for mobile users in India.
The Chief Minister, who had also urged the Central government to persuade Google in the matter, had asked the Director-General of Police to coordinate with Central security agencies to tackle the threat resulting from the launch of the app, created by 'ICETECH'.
The app had asked the general public to register themselves to vote in the 'Punjab Referendum 2020 Khalistan'.

Network for Intel Agencies to Share Info will go Live in 2020

The ambitious National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) project will be operational by December 31, 2020.
The NATGRID will enable multiple security and intelligence agencies to access a database related to immigration entry and exit, banking and telephone details, among others, from a common platform.
The project, initially started in 2009 with a budget of ₹2,800 crore, is an online database for collating scattered pieces of information and putting them together on one platform.

Govt Plans to Change Agra's Name to Agravan

The Uttar Pradesh government led by CM Yogi Adityanath is planning to change the name of Agra district to Agravan. The government has sought expert advice from the Ambedkar University in this regard.
The Ambedkar University in Agra has been asked to look into the historical aspect of the name. The history department of the university is now looking at the proposal.
Sources say the government has moved to change Agra's name to Agravan as it is believed by some that earlier the place was known as Agravan. Historians and experts have been asked to look into the circumstances and time when Agravan's name was changed to Agra.
Earlier the Uttar Pradesh government had changed the name of Allahabad to Prayagraj and the historic Mughal Sarai railway station was renamed after Deendayal Upadhyay.

Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurates SARAS IITF 2019 in New Delhi

The Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Agriculture Shri Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the SARAS India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2019 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on November 18, 2019.
SARAS Mela is an initiative by the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India.
It aims to bring the rural women SHG members formed under DAY-NRLM, in one platform to showcase their skills, sell and build linkages with potential market players.

Survey identifies 153 Encroachments on a 10.5-km stretch of Raja Nala

The officials concerned have completed the survey works to identify the encroachment of Raj Nala along a 10.5-km stretch from Gabbur to Unkal.
Speaking at a Meet-the-Press programme organised by the Dharwad Journalists Guild, Mr. Itnal, Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) Commissioner said that during the survey, a total of 153 encroachments were identified.
These form 128 full encroachments and 25 partial encroachments. The length of the encroachments is a minimum seven metres and a maximum 21 metres.
It was noticed during the survey that encroachers had taken land on lease for short periods several years ago.
The lease was for constructing sheds but large buildings have been raised. In some cases, the Slum Board has issued title deeds.
The officials are looking into these matters and cross checking the documents.

Bio-mining to be Taken up at Alevoor Plant

Bio-mining would be taken up to clear heaps of garbage at the solid waste management (SWM) plant at Alevoor.
'Swachh Nildana – Udupi City Bus Nildana' (Clean Udupi City Bus) programme was inaugurated by Mr. Jagdeesh on 19 November, 2019.
Mr. Jagadeesh said that the district administration was in talks with a Tamil Nadu-based firm for this purpose. This project was expected to cost ₹3 crore and it would be made available under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Rajya Sabha passes the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment), Bill

Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 has been passed by the Parliament after it was passed in Rajya Sabha. The Bill was earlier passed in Lok Sabha on 2nd August 2019.
It seeks to make apolitical the trust that runs Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial by removing the clause pertaining to the President of INC as a permanent member of the trust.
The Bill also amends to include the Leader of Opposition recognised as such in the House of the People (Lok Sabha) or where there is no such Leader of Opposition, then the Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in that House as a member of the trust.

Nov 19, 2019

India, France to jointly patrol Indian Ocean Region

In a move aimed at strengthening the defence ties, French Navy Chief Admiral Christophe Prazuck announced that the navies of India and France will carry out joint patrolling in the Indian Ocean region.
Prazuck said that the joint patrolling could be carried out in the northwestern or southern Indian ocean around the island administered by France.
Region could be the northwestern Indian Ocean or southern Indian ocean around the island which are part of France. The idea is that if you don't control an area then it will be pillaged and when it is pillaged then it can be contested.

Meghalaya-Based Insurgent Group HNLC Banned By Government

Meghalaya-based insurgent group Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has been banned by the central government for its increased activities of violence and other subversive acts.
In a notification, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the HNLC along with all its factions, wings and frontal organisations has been openly declaring as its objective the secession of the state's areas, which are largely inhabited by Khasi and Jaintia tribals, from the Indian Union.
The group continues to intimidate and bully civilians to extort funds, maintains links with other insurgent groups of the Northeast to carry out acts of extortion and intimidation, and maintains camps in Bangladesh to give sanctuary and training to its cadre.

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