General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - September 2015

Sep 2015

Feb 16, 2019

Inter-State Frictions Are Back

Inter-State frictions have resurfaced in the northeast after a show of unity by the region's constituent States over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
Less than 24 hours after the Centre's failure in getting the Bill passed in Rajya Sabha triggered celebrations across the north-eastern States, several people, including women, were injured during a clash between the Assam police and people of Umwali village in Meghalaya.

Feb 15, 2019

Voting Through Electronic Ballots

The Supreme Court approved the Election Commission's proposal to provide electronic ballots or the internet-based voting facility to armed forces personnel who opt to vote through postal ballots.
A bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL) that had asked for an effective mechanism to ensure implementation of voting rights for soldiers of the armed forces after recording the poll panel's decision.

Security Pact between India and Sweden

India and Sweden have concluded a security protection agreement that will enable both countries to share classified information with each other.
The two countries signed the pact in Stockholm, at a time when the Scandinavian country is eyeing projects worth billions of dollars under the "Make in India" initiative.
Swedish defence firm Saab is pursuing opportunities to build fighter jets and next-generation submarines in the country under the government's strategic partnership (SP) model that seeks to provide impetus to the 'Make in India' programme.

Puducherry CM, Cabinet Protest Intensifies

Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy continued his sit-in protest against lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi outside her residence for the second day along with his ministerial colleagues. He has been protesting against Bedi's "negative stand" towards his government's proposals awaiting her approval.
Narayanasamy and his colleagues slept on a pavement near Bedi's residence wearing black shirts in support of their demand that she sanctions 39 government proposals, including a free rice scheme.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) functionaries, too, joined the ruling Congress's protest even as Bedi left for New Delhi.

Shiv Sena Wants CM Post for BJP's Allies

In an indication that the Shiv Sena is eyeing the Chief Minister's (CM) post in Maharashtra if it enters into an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a Sena leader said that the BJP should offer the CM position to its alliance partners in their states.
The leader also said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies like Sena and Akali Dal will play a bigger role after the Lok Sabha elections.
The fresh statement from the Sena indicates that it is willing for a pre-poll tie-up provided it gets the CM post.

Suicide Attack on CRPF Convoy

At least 37 CRPF personnel were killed when a convoy in which they were travelling was attacked by a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) suicide bomber, who rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into one of the convoy's buses near Awantipora on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.
The bombing in Awantipora's Lethpora area in Pulwama district also left at least eight troops critically injured and was the deadliest attack in terms of casualties in the last three decades of militancy in the State.
Immediately after the attack, the JeM claimed responsibility and released a picture of its local operative who had carried out the attack. He was identified as Adil Ahmad Dar alias 'Waqas Commando', a resident of Pulwama's Kakapora.

Feb 14, 2019

Rajya Sabha Passes Finance Bill

The Rajya Sabha passed the Interim Budget and Finance Bill 2019-20 without a debate.
The Interim Budget, Appropriation Bills and Finance Bill were passed by a voice vote in the Upper House after a broad consensus was arrived among political parties to pass them without debate.
Lok Sabha passed the interim budget amid walk-out by Congress, NCP and Left MPs. The Finance Bill, 2019 has been passed by the Lower House of Parliament by a voice vote.

Feb 13, 2019

Jharkhand Bans Popular Front of India

The Jharkhand government banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) in the State to curb its anti-national activities and for links with terror outfits like the IS.
The PFI has been banned with immediate effect under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1908.

India and Maldives Reverse Visa Stand-off

India and Maldives exchanged an agreement to facilitate visas for travel between the two countries in a number of categories, easing a bilateral stand-off which had resulted in thousands of Indian job seekers being denied work permits in 2018.
This agreement provides a very liberal visa regime for Maldivian nationals to visit India for tourism, business, education and medical purposes.
It also makes it easier for Indians to travel to Maldives for business purposes. The agreement was signed in December 2018 during the visit of Maldives President Ibu Solih.
The agreement will ease visas on arrival for Indian businessmen, and bring cheer to Indians applying for work in the Maldives, as it stipulates that work permits will be issued within 15 days to Indian employees, and the visa fees will be paid by employers in the Maldives.

Feb 12, 2019

Adjournment of Hearing on Art 35A

The Jammu and Kashmir government sought adjournment of hearing on the contentious Article 35A case, which was expected to be taken up by the Supreme Court in February in the second week.
M. Shoeb Alam, the standing counsel of the Jammu and Kashmir government in the Supreme Court, filed a note before the top court's secretary general, requesting postponement of the hearing. The matter was listed for February 12.
Alam submitted that the state will be seeking adjournment in the matter because there is presently no elected government in Jammu and Kashmir and the State is under President's Rule.

New Immigration Checkpoint for Kartarpur Sahib

The Home Ministry has designated the Dera Baba Nanak land check post in Gurdaspur district, the exit and entry point in Punjab for visiting the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan, as an authorised immigration checkpoint.
In a notification, the Ministry said that anyone with valid travel documents could exit or enter through the check post.

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