General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - October 2015

Oct 2015

Aug 26, 2020

AFSPA Extended for Six Months in Assam

The Assam government extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in the state for six more months with effect from August 28.
The state has been declared a "disturbed area" on account of recent insurgent attacks on security forces in the Northeast and recovery of illegal arms and ammunition from different areas of Assam.
Many civil society groups and activists have been demanding the withdrawal of the draconian law from the state.
The AFSPA, which empowers security forces to conduct operations, arrest anyone anywhere without prior notice, has been continuing in Assam since November 1990. It is renewed every six months.

DRDO Chairman G. Satheesh Reddy Gets Extension

G. Satheesh Reddy was given a two-year extension as the Chairman of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in an order issued by the Personnel Ministry.
He was appointed to the post in August 2018 for two years.

APEDA Signs MoUs with AFC India Ltd and NCUI for Cooperation in Interest of Agriculture & Allied ...

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has signed two MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) one each with AFC ((formerly Agricultural Finance Corporation Ltd) India Limited, and National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI), Delhi for working together in the interest of agriculture and allied sectors.
APEDA MoU with AFC India inked by Diwakar Nath Misra, Chairman APEDA and B.Ganeshan, Managing Director (MD), AFC India Ltd. to introduce critical technology intervention requirement for organic production system.
APEDA MoU with NCUI was signed by Dr. Tarun Bajaj, Director APEDA and Mr. N.Satyanarayana, Chief Executive, NCUI to achieve the goal of Doubling the Farmers Income.

Aug 25, 2020

India and Uzbekistan Co-chair the First National Coordination Committee Meeting

V. Muraleedharan, Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs, Government of India and Sardor Umurzakov, Deputy Prime Minister for Investments and Foregin Economic Relations, Uzbekistan co-chaired the first National Coordination Committee Meeting over a virtual platform.
Issues on bilateral interests like, Line of Credit (LoC) projects, bilateral trade and investments were discussed during the meeting.
The works of the committee will strengthen the strategic relations between India and Uzbekistan.
The bilateral trade turnover of India and Uzbekistan is over 300 million USD.
The major trade and investment by India is in the field of Pharmaceuticals.
Indian Companies in the fields of pharmaceuticals, amusement parks, automobile components and hospitality industry are the major Indian investment in Uzbekistan.
A Joint Centre by India and Uzbekistan for Information technology was established in 2006, which was upgraded in 2014.

M. V. Shreyams Kumar of LJD Wins Vacant Rajya Sabha Seat from Kerala

In the bypoll held in Kerala for one vacant Rajya Sabha seat, M. V. Shreyams Kumar of the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD), an ally of the ruling Left Democratic Front, sailed to victory.
He defeated Congress rival Lal Varghese Kalpakavady by 37 votes. While Mr Kumar bagged 88 votes, Mr Varghese got 41. One vote was declared invalid.
A two-time legislator, Shreyams Kumar won the Rajya Sabha seat held by his late father, M. P. Veerendra Kumar. The death of the 83-year veteran leader on May 28 had necessitated the bypoll.

Driving Licenses, Vehicle Documents to Stay Valid Till December 31: Govt

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to extend the validity of driving licences and required documents of motor vehicles till December 30, 2020, in wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The ministry had earlier extended the validity of the documents till September 30.
It has further advised that all concerned documents whose extension of validity could not or not likely be granted due to the lockdown and which had expired since February 1, 2020 or would expire by December 31, 2020, may be treated to be valid till December 31, 2020.
Enforcement authorities have been advised to treat such documents valid till December 31, 2020.

Centre Constitutes National Council to Monitor, Evaluate Impact of Policies for Transgender Persons

The Central Government has constituted a National Council for Transgender Persons to monitor and evaluate impact of policies designed for the transgender persons.
The Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment will be Chairperson (ex-officio) and Union Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment will be Vice-Chairperson (ex-officio).
The National Council shall perform the following functions:
To advise the Central Government on the formulation of policies, programmes, legislation and projects with respect to transgender persons;
To monitor and evaluate the impact of policies and programmes designed for achieving equality and full participation of transgender persons;
To review and coordinate the activities of all the departments of Government and other Governmental and non-Governmental Organisations which are dealing with matters relating to transgender persons;
To redress the grievances of transgender persons; and
To perform such other functions as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
The other members of the Council include representatives of various Ministries/Departments, five representatives of transgender community, representatives of NHRC and NCW, representatives of State Governments and UTs and experts representing NGOs.

Aug 24, 2020

BJP to Fight Bengal Elections Without Projecting Chief Minister Face

As per repports, the BJP will not project any Chief Ministerial candidate for West Bengal Assembly polls and bank on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development plank to fight against the TMC.
The saffron camp will pick its Chief Minister, once voted to power.
Incidentally, in 2016, too, the BJP had fought the Assembly polls without any CM face. But a lot of water has flown under the Howrah Bridge over the last four years, with the saffron party having emerged as the prime challenger of the ruling TMC in Bengal, by pushing the traditional opposition parties—the CPI (M) and the Congress—to distant third and fourth positions.
The saffron camp reached its all-time high in Bengal politics last year when it stunned political pundits by bagging 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, four less than the ruling TMC, and with a staggering vote share of 41 per cent.

NCC Looks at Paramilitary for Training Facilities

With the expansion of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) underway, the organisation has approached the Ministry of Home Affairs for utilising training facilities available with the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).
In a letter written to the Union Home Ministry, the Directorate General, NCC, has sought details of the CAPF training areas that can be made available to the organisation for the conduct of its annual camps and proposed that the Ministry's permission be accorded for the same.
While the NCC functions under the operational, administrative and financial control of the Ministry of Defence and draws its officers and instructional staff form the armed forces, the CAPF like the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force, Border Security Force or the Central Reserve Police Force, come under the purview of the Home Ministry.
NCC cadets are entitled to additional weightage in marks for recruitment in the CAPF if they hold A, B, or C certificates.

BJP, JD(U) and LJP to Jointly Fight Polls

Putting an end to speculation and drawing the line for NDA's warring Bihar partners LJP and JD(U), the BJP chief, J. P. Nadda, said that the party-led coalition would contest the Assembly elections as one force with CM Nitish Kumar as the face of the alliance.
Nadda's remarks, at a virtual meet of the Bihar BJP, come amid a war of words between the Janata Dal (U) and the Chirag Paswan-headed Lok Janshakti Party. Chirag has been targeting Nitish over his handling of the migrant crisis, Covid pandemic and floods. However, Nadda not only praised the Bihar Government's handling of the pandemic and floods, but also made it clear that the polls would be fought under Nitish.
It will be the first time that the three parties will be contesting together.

National Council for Transgender Persons Formed

The Centre constituted the national council for transgender persons, headed by the Union social justice minster and comprising representatives from 10 central departments, five states and members of the community.
The council – India's first and formed under Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 – was announced in a gazette notification.
According to the legislation, the council has five main functions -- advising the central government on the formulation of policies, programmes, legislation and projects with respect to transgender persons; monitoring and evaluating the impact of policies and programmes designed for achieving equality and full participation of transgender persons; reviewing and coordinating the activities of all the departments; redressing grievances of transgender persons; and performing such other functions as prescribed by the Centre.
The council will have joint secretary-level members from the ministries of health, home, minority affairs, education, rural development, labour and law. In addition, there will be a member from the department of pensions, Niti Aayog, National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Women.
Representatives from five states or Union Territories, on a rotational basis, will be members of the commission. The first such clutch comprises Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tripura and Gujarat.

Aug 23, 2020

Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti to Launch Political Party for Fighting Assam Polls

The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) announced that it will launch a political party to fight the Assam elections in 2021, and its jailed leader Akhil Gogoi will be the CM candidate.
The KMSS leadership said that the proposed party's name will be announced by Gogoi once he is released from jail.
The new outfit will be a non-compromising political force and it will not be named after KMSS' earlier venture Gana Mukti Sangram-Asom, but a new name will be given.

Aug 22, 2020

MEA and Thailand's Foreign Ministry Organise 6th Round Table of AINTT

Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand organized the 6th Round Table of ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks (AINTT) through video conference on 20-21 August 2020. The ASEAN-India Centre (AIC) at the Research and Information System for Development Countries (RIS) and ASEAN Studies Centre (ASC) at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok were the organizing partners of the Round Table. The theme of the Round Table was 'ASEAN-India: Strengthening Partnership in the Post COVID Era'.
The Round Table was jointly inaugurated by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Thailand Mr. Don Pramudwinai. ASEAN Secretary General Mr. Lim Jock Hoi also addressed the inaugural session. SOM Leaders / their representatives from all ten ASEAN Member States were also present in the Session.
The Round Table had five thematic sessions spread over two days namely, Changing Landscape of Global Order and ASEAN-India relations in the post Covid-19 Era; Emerging Value Chains: Opportunities for ASEAN and India in the post Covid-19 Era; New Normal and Significance of 4IR on ASEAN-India Partnership and Future Collaborations; ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI): Complementarities and Cooperation; and Way Forward. Each Session saw presentation of research papers by 4-5 panelists from prominent think-tanks, universities, institutes both from India and ASEAN, followed by Q&A.
More than 400 people from academia, industry, government and diplomatic community attended the Round Table.
The ASEAN-India Round Table comprising think tanks, policy makers, scholars, media and business representatives was established at the 7th ASEAN-India Summit in Thailand in 2009 to provide policy inputs to Governments on future direction of cooperation. The forum serves as a high quality research platform and provides long-term perspectives to further strengthen ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership.

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