General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - September 2015

Sep 2015

Dec 31, 2017

World’s First Robot Citizen makes its India Debut

Sophia, a lifelike robot and the first one to be granted citizenship of a country, made its first appearance in India at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B). The humanoid robot had a 15-minute conversation with a student in front of an audience, on a range of topics.

First Robocop Launched in Hyderabad

India’s first ‘Robocop’ capable of performing police duties, has been launched in Hyderabad. Developed by the city-based Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning startup H-bots Robotics, this 5-foot 7-inch tall smart police robot, can receive complaints, record audio and video clips, identify suspects, detect metals and monitor temperature. The Robocop launched by Telangana Information Technology secretary Jayesh Ranjan, can assist the police in handling law and order and traffic management. It can even take care of security at selected spots at malls or airports and public places.

Hyderabad becomes the first city in the country to deploy a police robot for commercial operations. It is the world’s second humanoid robot after Dubai. It will be totally an Indian-made humanoid robot. The life-size robot has been named after 26/11 martyr Hemant Karkare.

New Meghalaya’s Unit Chief Appointed

A day after five Congress MLAs resigned from the Meghalaya Assembly to join NDA constituent National People’s Party (NPP), party president Rahul Gandhi appointed Celestine Lyngdoh the new state unit chief, replacing DD Lapang. Lyngdoh is a minister in chief minister Mukul Sangma's cabinet. Lapang will be an adviser to the state unit. Gandhi also appointed Vincent H Pala the working president of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee. He formed a 13-member pradesh election committee under Lyngdoh, with Mukul Sangma as a member. The state goes to polls early next year. Gandhi also formed an election committee, campaign committee and media committee of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress in view of elections in the state. K Therie will be the chairman of the election committee for Nagaland. Ayangba Aonokwillhead the campaign committee, while Capt G K Zhimomi will lead the media committee.

Palestinian Ambassador to Pakistan on India Ruse

Palestinian Ambassador to Pakistan Waleed Abu Ali has been recalled to Ramallah following India’s strong objection to his sharing the stage with terror mastermind Hafeez Saeed. After its initial condemnation of the envoy’s action last night, the Ministry of External Affairs summoned Palestinian Ambassador to India Abu Adnan Alhaija. The Government of India has strongly conveyed that the association of the Palestinian Ambassador in Pakistan with terrorist Hafeez Saeed, who is proscribed by the UN, at an event in Rawalpindi is unaccepatable.

Dec 30, 2017

Bill in Lok Sabha to Replace Medical Council of India

The government introduced in Lok Sabha a Bill to replace the apex medical education regulator- Medical Council of India (MCI)- with a new body to ensure transparency, even as Opposition members demanded that the proposed legislation be referred to department-related standing committee on health. Health Minister JP Nadda introduced the National Medical Commission Bill, 2017. The Bill provides for the constitution of four autonomous boards entrusted with conducting undergraduate and post-graduate education , assessment and accreditation of medical institutions and registration of practioners under the National Medical Commission. The Bill is aimed at bringing reform in the medical education sector.

Punjab Govt to Implement Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana

The state government has decided to implement the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, under which a financial assistance of Rs. 5,000 would be given to expectant mothers from conception till delivery. The grant would be disbursed in three instalments to every pregnant woman, irrespective of her income group. Every mother, for the delivery of her first baby from January 1, 2017 would be covered under this special scheme.

Dec 29, 2017

India Tests supersonic interceptor missile

India took another step towards developing a two-tiered ballistic missile defence (BMD) shield-—which has long been in the making—by testing a supersonic interceptor missile to destroy an incoming ballistic missile, over the Bay of Bengal. The experimental two-tier BMD system is supposed to track and destroy nucleartipped ballistic missiles both inside (endo) and outside (exo) the earth’s atmosphere. Phase-I of this BMD system, with interceptors flying at 4.5 Mach high-supersonic speeds to intercept enemy missiles, is meant to tackle hostile missiles with a 2,000-km strike range. Its Phase-II will be geared to take on 5,000-km range missiles, virtually in the class of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The indigenous missile shield, once fully operational, is supposed to protect cities like New Delhi and Mumbai.

DRDO is working on adding a third layer to the BMD system, which will tackle lowflying cruise missiles, artillery projectiles and rockets.

Centre Approves Regional Plan to Tackle Stubble Burning

The Centre approved a regional plan on “Climate resilience building among farmers through crop residue management” under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change to tackle stubble burning. The first phase has been approved for Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan. The project approved at the meeting of the National Steering Committee on Climate change, aims at awareness generation and capacity building activities for farmers to adopt alternative practices and a slew of technological interventions for management of crop residue along with existing machinery.

Tassaduq Takes Oath as Cabinet Minister

Tassaduq Hussain Mufti, who is the younger brother of chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, took oath as a minister in her cabinet.

Tassaduq was allotted the tourism ministry, a portfolio earlier held by the chief minister. He was nominated to the legislative council on December 22 by the governor, following a vacancy created by the resignation of Yuvraj Vikramaditya Singh.

Javed Mustafa Mir was given the portfolios of disaster management, relief and rehabilitation, and reconstruction and floriculture.

With their induction, the state government now has 25 ministers, including the chief minister. PDP has 14 ministers and BJP 11.

According to an order issued by the CM later, the state’s revenue and parliamentary affairs minister Abdul Rehman Veeri was given the additional portfolio of Haj and auqaf, while minister of state for housing and urban development, social welfare, health and medical education Asiea Naqash was given additional charge of power development, industries and commerce.

Minister of state for forests, environment, animal sheep husbandry, fisheries and cooperatives, Mir Zahoor Ahmad, was given additional charge of public health engineering, irrigation and flood control.

First Movement of Cargo through NW 2 Flags Off

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will flag off first movement of cement cargo through National Waterway (NW)2 on the Brahmaputra in Assam, in an effort to push transportation of goods through water. The idea is to develop Brahmaputra River (NW2) for commercial navigation and efforts are part of renewed focus over the last three years to promote inland water transport in North East Region. Nitin Gadkari will lay the foundation stone for bank protection work of the Majuli island in presence of Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal.

Instant Triple Talaq Bill gets a Nod

The Lok Sabha passed a Bill by voice vote to prevent and criminalise instant triple talaq in the Muslim community, amid demands from the opposition to refer the bill to a standing committee for deeper scrutiny- which was rejected by the government. “The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017”, if passed by both Houses, will set aside the practice of talaq-e-biddat. As per the Bill, instant talaq, including in written or electronic form, will be void and not enforceable legally.

Dec 28, 2017

Indian Army Changes Promotion Policy

The Indian Army has changed its promotion policy allowing Generals to serve longer tenures and officers to get promoted at a younger age to the ranks of Mayor- General and Lieutenant General. The Army has also changed the rather stringent requirement of two-year residual service for selection as Army Commander. There are just seven such posts, including Vice Chief. With the change of policy, the annual number of vacancies of promotion from Brigadier to Major General will be curtailed to 33, instead of the existing 44.

Dec 27, 2017

Sumita Misra Appointed as Joint Secretary in Economic Advisory Panel

Senior bureaucrat Sumita Misra was appointed as Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council as part of mid-level bureaucratic reshuffle. She has been appointed to the post for 5 years. Ten officers, including five IAS officers have been appointed as joint secretaries in various central government departments as part of the reshuffle.

Rupani Administers Oath of Office and Secrecy

A 20-member two tier BJP ministry, headed by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was installed in the office in Gujarat with Patidar leader Nitin Patel as his deputy. Rupani Patel, and 18 others- Eight Cabinet rank and 10 ministers of state - were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor OP Kohli in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP Chief Amit Shah, and CMs of the 18- BJP ruled states.

Punjab State Govt Offers Job Generation Subsidy

The Punjab state government is offering an employment generation subsidy of Rs. 30,000 each per year for five years to employees trained and certified by the Punjab Skill Development Mission (PSDM) of any other state/central government skill development scheme or state approved institutions. The aim is moved at giving a fillip to employment generation as well as to attract new investment in the state, especially in the form of anchor-units in sectors such as IT/IT-enabled services, apparel, footwear and accessories, electronics, and food processing.

The upper limit of subsidy per year is the maximum of 20% of net GST deposited by the unit in a year.

Odisha Government to have Heritage Cabinet

The Odisha government decided to set up a unique “Heritage Cabinet” and an Odia Language Commission as part of its move to preserve the relics and monuments in the state and enrich its rich culture and language. Heritage Cabinet would be headed by CM Naveen Patnaik. It would aim to protect ancient monuments, temples and archaeological sites in Odisha, and take steps to preserve the state’s culture, language and literature. The decision was taken at the meeting of the state cabinet in Puri. The cabinet also approved a proposal to bifurcate the tourism and culture department. The cultural wing would be renamed as Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department.

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