General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - September 2015

Sep 2015

Nov 30, 2017

Cities to Get Star Rating Based on their Garbage Disposal

The urban affairs ministry will soon launch star rating of cities on a scale of zero to seven (0-7) in its bid to push cities to achieve “garbage free” status. The 10 parameters identified for rating the cities include percentage of door-todoor collection of waste, segregation of garbage at source, cleaning public areas and waste treatment.

One of the parameters will be charging user fees and imposing penalties and spot fines for littering. The cities will also get scores for enforcement of ban on using thin plastic. Daily sweeping, including night sweeping, will also be a parameter for rating of cities. The cities will get five and seven star rating only after third party agencies certify them.

OrcaPod- India’s Only Entry to SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Design Competition

Orcapod, India’s only entry to the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Design Competition in California , has become the cynosure of all eyes at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES 2017). The prototype of the transport capsule designed by Hyperloop India, a group of students from BITS Pilani, Indian School of Business, and Indian Institute of Management (Ahmedabad), was showcased at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre.

The young developers of Hyperloop India had sent their capsule to California to compete with 24 other designs from all over the world. It was the only entry selected from India for the design competition held in August.

SC Library to Get First Woman Lawyer’s Portrait

The Supreme Court will put a portrait of a woman lawyer in one of its libraries for the first time in the 67-year history of India’s top court. A colour photograph of illustrious barrister Kapila Hingorani, known in legal circles as the Mother of PILs, will be seen alongside images of judicial luminaries MC Setalvad, CK Daphtry and RK Jain in the court’s second library.

Hingorani, the first Indian woman to graduate from Cardiff Law School in Britain, was the first lawyer to file a public interest litigation (PIL) in the top court in 1979. Her plea was for prisoners awaiting trial for years — sometimes spending more time in prison than the maximum sentence they would have got if convicted for the crimes they were accused of.

BCCI Fined by Fair Trade Regulator CCI

Fair Trade Regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) has fined the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for anti-competitive conduct and directed it to allow the organisation of domestic cricket leagues by non-members. The BCCI had been fined Rs. 52.24 crore for its assurance to the broadcasters of the IPL that “it shall not organise, sanction, recognise, or support another professional domestic Indian T20 competition that is competitive to IPL, for a sustained period of 10 years”.

Shrivastava Appointed as First Woman LS Secy Gen

Retired bureaucrat Snehlata Shrivastava was appointed Lok Sabha’s new Secretary General. She will be the first woman LS Secretary General and will assume charge on December 1.

External Affairs Minister Leaves for Sochi for SCO Summit

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj left for the Russian city of Sochi to represent India at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) . The SCO Summit will be held on November 30 and December 1. This is the first meeting in the eight- country format since the expansion of the regional bloc to include India and Pakistan as full members. China that holds the rotational Presidency will be represented by its premier Li Keqiang.

Nov 29, 2017

SAFAR- Pollution Forecasting System Coming for Better Forecast

Delhiites would be able to receive more accurate pollution forecasts compared to what they get now. Handicapped by its present pollution forecasting models that are unable to track sudden changes in local weather patterns and emission sources, SAFAR – the pollution forecasting system under the union ministry of earth sciences – is planning to come up with street-level modelling for better forecast. Street-level modelling would allow to take into account all those local aspects, which play important roles in either pushing up or bringing down pollution levels. These may include the city’s skyline and its skyscrapers, vehicular traffic, the city’s terrain including forests and water bodies, the wind tunnels available within highly congested areas among others.

Badri Narain Appointed First Chairman of National Anti- Profiteering Authority

The newly-created National Anti-Profiteering Authority got its first chairman on Tuesday with the Centre appointing Badri Narain Sharma, a 1985 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, to the post. Sharma was working as additional secretary in the department of revenue. He will head the panel that is entrusted to handle complaints of at the apex level.

GC Murmu, a 1985 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre and at present additional secretary in department of financial services, has been moved to the revenue department in the same capacity.

Global Entreprenurship Summit 2017

Over 1,600 delegates from 150 countries, a majority of them women entrepreneurs and investors, are participating in the three-day summit being held in South Asia for the first time. Ivanka Trump, the adviser to the US President Donald Trump, is leading a 350-member strong American contingent. With the theme “Women First, Prosperity for All”, the summit is being co-hosted by NITI Ayog and the United States.

Pradeep Singh Kharola Appointed Chairman of Air India

Senior IAS Officer Pradeep Singh Kharola has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Air India and would replace Rajiv Bansal, who has been serving as the interim CMD. Kharola is the Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.

WE CARE- For Treatment of Non- Recyclable Plastic

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) launched a pilot project for the efficient collection and treatment of non-recyclable plastic. The project — WE CARE (Waste Efficient Collection and Recycling) — will be carried out in association with Indian Pollution Control Association, an NGO empanelled with the Central Pollution Control Board . The NGO will assist in collection and segregation of non-recyclable (including multi- layered plastic or printed plastic) with support of waste-pickers.

The civic agency will use waste as fuel to generate electricity at the Ghazipur waste-energy plant. Every day, 2-3 tonnes of waste will be used as fuel at the plant. The project — WE CARE (Waste Efficient Collection and Recycling) — will be carried out in association with Indian Pollution Control Association, an NGO empanelled with the Central Pollution Control Board .

The NGO will assist in collection and segregation of non-recyclable (including multi- layered plastic or printed plastic) with support of waste-pickers. The civic agency will use waste as fuel to generate electricity at the Ghazipur waste-energy plant. Every day, 2-3 tonnes of waste will be used as fuel at the plant.

New Secretary for Defence Production

Ajay Kumar, a Kerala-cadre IAS officer has been appointed Secretary, Department of Defence Production. AK Gupta, previous incumbent has superannuated recently, and the charge was held by Sanjay Mitra, Defence Secretary.

Nov 28, 2017

NK Singh Appointed as Chairman of 15th Planning Commission

Former Planning Commissioner Member NK Singh was appointed Chairman of 15th Planning Commission, which among other things have been asked to look into the impact of GST on finances of both Centre and states. The other members of the commission, which is required to submit its report by October 2019, are former Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das and former Economic Chief Advisor Ashok Lahiri, Niti Ayog member Ramesh Chand and George Town University Professor, Anoop Singh.

Himachal Formulates Heritage Tourism Policy 2017

Himachal has formulated and notified the Himachal Pradesh Heritage Tourism Polcy 2017, on the footsteps of Rajasthan. The main objective of the policy is to preserve forts, palaces, and havelis, and open new areas and divert tourist influx from the saturated tourist destinations, like Shimla, Manali, and Kasauli. It is being expected that the policy with its attractive incentives will encourage owners of forts, palaces, and havelis to run these as heritage properties.

Shaktikanta Das Appointed as G20 Sherpa

Shaktikanta Das, former Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, has been appointed as India’s G20 Sherpa till December 31, 2018 for the development track of the G20. Former NITI Ayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya was holding the position of the G20 Sherpa.

Maharashtra Gets Award for Ranking 2nd in Organ Donations

Maharashtra won national recognition from the Centre for performing the second highest number of organ donations between November 2016 and 2017. With 142 donations, the state came a close second to Tamil Nadu that recorded 160 donations.

Nov 27, 2017

MP clears bill to award death for rape of girls aged below 12

The Madhya Pradesh government approved a bill to award capital punishment to those convicted of raping girls aged 12 and below.

The bill came up for discussion in the cabinet following a recent announcement by CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan that laws will be strengthened to protect girls. Briefing journalists after the meeting, state finance minister Jayant Malaiya said the bill known as Public Safety Bill would be introduced in the assembly’s winter session beginning Monday.

Rare Species of Birds Flock to Delhi

With winter on Delhi’s doorsteps, the city’s feathered guests have started arriving. While thousands of migratory birds have already made the capital’s water bodies their temporary homes till summer, more are expected to arrive as the mercury dips further.The list of birds arriving in Delhi this year include the pallid harrier — a raptor— which has been spotted for the first time at Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. Though the pallid harrier has been spotted in Delhi before, it remains an uncommon sight.

While experts have spotted black redstart, grey-headed canary-flycatcher and red-breasted flycatcher among the passerine birds, water birds such as barheaded goose, greylag goose, lesser whistling duck and tufted duck have also arrived in large numbers at the wildlife sanctuary.

Nov 26, 2017

Mumbai Airport Sets a New World Record

Creating a new world record for single-runway operations, Mumbai airport handled 969 take-offs and landings in 24 hours on Friday. It broke its own record of 935.

Central Marine Police Force to Patrol India’s Coastline

Nine years after the November 26 terror attacks, guarding Mumbai’s 114-km coastline – used by the Lashkare-taiba terrorists to enter the city – may become the responsibility of a police force under the Central government. The government plans to form the central marine police force (CMPF) to exclusively patrol India’s 7,000-km coastline.

Although the Maharashtra police beefed up the security after the attacks by upgrading infrastructure and deploying more staff, policing the state’s 700-km coastline is an additional burden on the state force. Taking this into account, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis came up with the suggestion, which has got an in-principle nod from Union home minister Rajnath Singh.

First Children- Only Toilet in Delhi

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation inaugurated a first-of-its kind toilet made exclusively for children in a slum at RK Puram Sector 7. The latest children friendly toilet boasts of small pots, wash basins, urinals, taps and changing area that can be used by a chid aged between 2 and 12 years.Rainbow tiles, cartoon figures, alphabets and numerical numbers on walls have been used to make the toilets attractive for children. The floor is also colourful.

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