General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - September 2015

Sep 2015

Sep 23, 2018

Rural Gujarat Still Needs Lakhs of Toilets

According to a reply to an RTI query, months after being declared as 'Open Defecation Free' (ODF), Gujarat still has requirement of lakhs of toilets in rural households.

Parliament Nod for Triple Talaq Bill

Days after the promulgation of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Ordinance, 2018, Prime Minister has announced that the NDA government would soon get the triple talaq Bill approved by Parliament.

Sep 22, 2018

Olympiad for Teachers

The fourth edition of the CENTA Teaching Professionals Olympiad (TPO) 2018, a national competition to recognise and reward teachers, will be held in December in 45 cities across the country.

TPO now has more subjects tracks and language mediums. The test is available in 20 subject tracks across different school levels from the Primary to Senior Secondary level in English medium. Teachers could take up test in four regional languages �" Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu �" in the Primary level.

Nearly 20,000 teachers across the country may participate this year.

Hotline in Delhi to Talk to Pakistan Rangers

The Border Security Force (BSF) has opened a new hotline in Delhi to communicate with the Pakistan Rangers. It was set up last month after the BSF was unable to reach its counterpart through the existing hotline in Jammu in June when four BSF personnel were killed. This year, 12 BSF personnel had been killed along the 192-km International Border in Jammu, the highest death toll in five years.

Karnataka Rejects Centre's Plan

The Union environment ministry will be soon issuing a draft notification declaring the Western Ghats as eco-sensitive area (ESA) for a second time after a similar draft in 2014 expired due to a lack of consensus among states and the Centre. Karnataka, one of the six states to be affected, has already said it will not accept the fresh notification as "it will have an adverse effect on state's economy".

The affected states that also include Tamil Nadu, Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala and Gujarat will have 60 days time to respond to the draft.

Governments had No Say in Rafale Offset Decision

India is verifying a report that claimed former French President Francois Hollande saying that Dassault Aviation was given no choice but to partner with Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence for the offset clause in the Rafale fighter jet deal. The Ministry of Defence spokesperson, however, reiterated that neither India nor the French government had any say in the commercial decision.

India seeks Russia's Help for Gaganyaan Mission

India has sought cooperation from Russia in specific areas of its manned space programme, life-support systems, crew modules and training of astronauts, to fulfil its mission of putting an Indian in space by 2022.

India plans to complete Gaganyaan, the country's first manned space mission, in the next four years.

If successful, India will be the fourth country in the world to launch a manned space mission after Russia, the US and China.

Sep 21, 2018

Mayawati's Tie-up with Ajit Jogi

Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party has formed an alliance with former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi's party for the Chhattisgarh assembly elections later this year, forcing a triangular contest for the first time in the history of the tribal state.

New Forest Draft Policy

A revised draft of the forest policy retains the controversial idea of commercial plantations in forest areas, although it now says local communities will get a share of the benefits.

The change, which activists are still not happy with, is part of several significant amendments in the draft forest policy based on more than 1200 comments received from stake-holders. The finalised draft will now be sent to the Cabinet.

Ballistic Missile Prahaar Test-fired

India successfully test fired the surface-to-surface short-range tactical ballistic missile Prahaar from the Odisha coast.

The missile is developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The Prahaar missile has a strike range of 150 km.

Sep 20, 2018

Project Cost for Dams' Safety Revised

In the wake of recent floods in some states, including most-hit Kerala, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) revised the cost of a project to improve the safety and efficiency of the existing 198 dams located in seven states.

The revised cost of the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) is Rs. 3,466 crore which includes Rs. 2,628 crore World Bank assistance. DRIP states/implementing agencies (IAs) will fund Rs. 747 crore and the balance Rs. 91 crore will be funded by the Central Water Commission.

Quota for Jats

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has declared that his government is in favour of giving reservation to Jats from the OBC quota.

Resolution Seeking 'Rashtra Mata' Status for Cow

The Uttarakhand Assembly passed a resolution and sought that cow to be given the status of 'rashtra mata' (mother of the nation).

The resolution will, now, be sent to the Centre for its approval.

The resolution was moved by state Animal Husbandry Minister Rekha Arya and passed. It got the support of both the Opposition and treasury benches.

Special Financial Package for J&K Extended

The Union cabinet approved extension for one year, during financial year 2018-19, of special financial package for implementation of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission for Jammu and Kashmir.

The cabinet also approved allocation of funds to the state under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) on a need basis for implementation of the special package without linking it with poverty ratio.

Triple Talaq Ordinance Gets President's Nod

President Ram Nath Kovind cleared the triple talaq ordinance making it a punishable offence.

The law makes instant triple talaq a "non-bailable" offence.

Mizoram Tops Adult HIV Prevalence

Mizoram had the highest adult HIV prevalence among states in India last year with the infection being detected in 2.04 per cent of the people whose blood samples were tested.

Mizoram is followed by Manipur at 1.43 per cent and Nagaland at 1.15 per cent.

Sep 19, 2018

India Slams UN Security Council

India has slammed the United Nations Security Council for failing to cripple the Taliban's roaring drug trade, saying the terror outfit gets significant support from criminal networks operating drug cartels and stealing Afghanistan's natural resources.

India called for crippling the illicit drug trade which provides financial sustenance to terror outfits like the Taliban and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Atomic Energy Commission Gets New Chief

Renowned scientist Kamlesh Nilakanth Vyas, director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, has been appointed the secretary of Department of Atomic Energy, and chairman of Atomic Energy Commission till May 2021. In another top appointment, Anindo Majumdar, has been appointed as secretary, Central Vigilance Commission.

Khanduri Removed as Defence Panel Chairman

BJP MP and former Minister Major General B. C. Khanduri has been removed as Chairman of the standing committee on Defence.

Mr. Khanduri has been replaced by former Union Minister Kalraj Mishra.

The other change is replacing Madhya Pradesh MP Rakesh Singh as Chairman of Coal and Steel panel with another BJP MP from the same State, Chintamani Malviya.

New Akash Missiles

The Army, which is inducting the indigenously developed Akash short-range surface-to-air missile (SRSAM) system, will get an upgraded variant. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) gave its procedural approval to the variant.

The upgraded version will include the seeker technology and possess 360-degree coverage, and will be of compact configuration. It is an operationally critical equipment, which will provide protection to vital assets.

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