General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - October 2015

Oct 2015

Aug 21, 2020

IIT Roorkee and BIS Sign MoU to Cooperate in Standardisation and Conformity Assessment

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee and Bureau of India Standards (BIS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for collaboration in areas of Standardisation and Conformity Assessment based on equality and reciprocity.
In Accordance with the agreement, the collaboration will include several fields like Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Earthquake Engineering, Development and Management of Water Resources and Renewable Energy Projects, Infrastructure Development, Medical Biotechnology and Nanotechnology biomaterials.
IIT Roorkee and BIS will participate in the standardisation activity through technical committees of BIS at the national and international levels.
Research and Development projects related to standardisation and conformity assessment will be undertaken.

Madhya Pradesh First State to Offer Govt. Jobs on Basis of NRA Test Score

Madhya Pradesh will become the first state in the country to offer government jobs on the basis of marks obtained in the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) test.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's announcement came a day after the Union cabinet approved the setting up of NRA to conduct a Common Eligibility Test (CET) for selecting candidates for a majority of central government jobs. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar had said that the decision will allow job seekers to take one common test and save costs and time spent on writing multiple exams.
Madhya Pradesh is the first state in the country to take this unprecedented decision of giving government jobs to youths of the state on the basis of their NRA score. Other states can also emulate it to give relief to their sons and daughters.
NRA will conduct a separate CET each for graduates, higher secondary (Class 12) students and Class 10 candidates for non-technical posts to which recruitment is currently carried out by SSC, RRBs and IBPS. It will benefit around 25 million aspirants who apply for multiple government jobs every year and have to apply for each exam separately.

Three RJD MLAs Join the Ruling Janata Dal (United)

In a major development ahead of the Assembly poll in Bihar, three Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLAs joined the ruling Janata Dal (United) in Patna.
The three MLAs Chandrika Rai, Faraz Fatmi and Jaivardhan Yadav joined the Nitish Kumar-led JDU in the presence of senior party leaders and ministers Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Sravan Kumar.
The Assembly Election in Bihar is scheduled to take place in October-November this year.

Aug 20, 2020

India in Talks with 13 Nations for Air Bubble Arrangement

According to Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, India is negotiating with 13 countries, including Australia, Japan and Singapore, to establish separate bilateral air bubble arrangements for international flight operations.
Under a bilateral air bubble pact, airlines of both the countries can operate international flights with certain restrictions.
Since July, India has established such bubbles with the following countries - the US, the UK, France, Germany, the UAE, Qatar and the Maldives.
Puri said that the government is taking these efforts forward and is negotiating with 13 more countries to establish such arrangements.
These countries include Australia, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Bahrain, Israel, Kenya, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.
As per Puri, air bubbles have also been proposed with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan.

Maharashtra Exempts All Serving and Retired Soldiers from Panchayat Property Tax

As per Rural Development Minister Hasan Mushrif, Maharashtra, all serving and retired soldiers in Maharashtra will be exempted from the Gram Panchayat property tax. A government resolution for this was issued.
The decision was taken following pursuance by Agriculture Minister Dadaji Bhuse.
Till now, the recipients of defence gallantry awards or their dependents were exempted from the Gram Panchayat property tax for one residential building.
Now, the relaxation has been widened to cover all serving and retired soldiers.
This decision was taken to honour the soldiers who protect the country by risking their lives.

President Accepts Ashok Lavasa's Resignation as Election Commissioner

President Ram Nath Kovind accepted the resignation of Ashok Lavasa as Election Commissioner.
Lavasa had sent his resignation as Election Commissioner to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Lavasa was next in line to head the poll panel. He would soon be joining the Asian Development Bank as vice president, sources said. He would be joining the Philippines-based ADB sometime in September 2020.
The ADB had appointed Ashok Lavasa as Vice-President for Private Sector Operations and Public-Private Partnerships. He will succeed Diwakar Gupta, whose term will end on August 31.
Lavasa's term in the EC would have ended in October 2022 had he become the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). He is the second election commissioner to step down from the poll panel before the completion of his term. In 1973, CEC Nagendra Singh resigned after he was appointed a judge in the International Court of Justice at The Hague.

National Recruitment Agency for Conducting Common Eligibility Test for Various Govt. Jobs

The Union Cabinet approved a proposal to set up National Recruitment Agency that will conduct a Common Eligibility Test (CET) for selection to non-gazetted posts in the central government and public sector banks. As per Narendra Modi, the National Recruitment Agency will prove to be a boon for crores of youngsters.
There will be single entrance examination for all non-gazetted posts — Group B and C posts. Candidates who qualify this Common Entrance Test (CET) can apply to any recruitment agencies for higher level of examination. The score will be valid for three years during which candidate can apply for jobs in different sectors depending upon his/her aptitude and preferences.
Through the Common Eligibility Test, it will eliminate multiple tests and save precious time as well as resources. This will also be a big boost to transparency.
Cabinet's decision to set up National Recruitment Agency (NRA) to conduct Common Eligibility Test (CET) for preliminary selection to various Government vacancies is a revolutionary reform.
National Recruitment Agency will conduct a common eligibility test for Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) and the Institute of Banking Service Personnel (IBPS). "There are almost more than 20 recruitment agencies in central govt. At present the exams are only for three agencies common as of now.

Railways Procures Drones to Protect Assets

Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said that the Railways has procured unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for monitoring its assets and ensure safety for passengers.
The Mumbai Division of Central Railway has procured two Ninja UAVs for better security and surveillance in railway areas like station premises, railway track sections, yards, workshops.
Eye in the Sky: Improving Surveillance System, Railways has procured Ninja Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. With real-time tracking, video streaming & automatic failsafe mode.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has planned extensive use of drones for the purpose of railway security.
Nine drones have been procured by RPF so far at a cost of Rs. 31.87 lakh at South Eastern Railway, Central Railway, Modern Coaching Factory, Raebareilli and South Western Railway.
It is further proposed to procure 17 more drones in future at a cost of Rs. 97.52 Lakh. Nineteen RPF personnel have so far been trained in operation and maintenance of drones out of which four have received licenses for flying drones.

Aug 19, 2020

India Ranks 1st in Number of Organic Farmers and 9th in Terms of Area under Organic Farming

In accordance with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), India ranked first in number of organic farmers and 9th in terms of area under organic farming. Notably, Sikkim was the first state in the world to become completely organic and other states including Tripura and Uttarakhand have set targets to be on the same line.
In 2015, two dedicated programs namely Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCD) and Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) were launched to encourage chemical free farming.
The major organic exports from India have been flax seeds, sesame, soybean, tea, medicinal plants, rice and pulses.

Home Ministry Approves Renaming of Manduadih Railway Station as Banaras

The Union Home Ministry approved the renaming of Manduadih railway station in Uttar Pradesh as 'Banaras'. The Uttar Pradesh government had sent a request for renaming the railway station in Varanasi district.
The home ministry considers proposals for name change according to the existing guidelines in consultations with agencies concerned.
It gives its approval to any proposal for change of name of any place after taking no-objections from the Ministry of Railways, Department of Posts and Survey of India.
For changing the name of a village or town or a city, an executive order is needed. The renaming of a state requires amendment of the Constitution with a simple majority in Parliament.

Satya Pal Malik New Governor of Meghalaya; Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari Gets Additi...

Ram Nath Kovind, President of India appointed Satya Pal Malik, Goa Governor as the Governor of Meghalaya. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was given the additional charge as Governor of Goa. Satya Pal Malik replaced Tathagata Roy who completed his 5 year term by serving as governor of Tripura for 3 years and remaining in Meghalaya.
The appointments will be effective from the dates they assume charge of their respective offices.
Satya Pal Malik served as the Governor of Bihar. After this, he served as the Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir from August 2018 to October 2019.
During his tenure the constitutional decision to abrogate Article 370, which gave special status to J&K, was taken in August 2019.
He was appointed as the Governor of Goa in October 2019.
Bhaghat Singh Koshyari was appointed Minister of Energy, Irrigation, Law, and Legislative Affairs of the newly created state of Uttaranchal in 2000.
He replaced Nityanand Swami as the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand in 2001.
He also has had a successful career as a teacher and journalist.

Aug 18, 2020

Gwalior Chambal Expressway will be Named Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Chambal Progressway

Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan, announced that the Gwalior Chambal Expressway will be named as Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Chambal Progressway. Chouhan also stated that a grand statue of Vajpayee will be set up in Bhopal.
The Gwalior Chambal Expressway is a 6 lane expressway connecting Madhya Pradesh with Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, through the ravines of Chambal region.
The expressway will go parallel to the Chambal river via Shivpuri, Bhind, Morena to Kota (Rajasthan).
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first BJP member to become the Prime Minister of India.
He served as the Prime Minister in 1996, from 1998 to 1999 and a term of five years from 1999 to 2004.
Under his leadership the 1998 nuclear tests were conducted in Pokhran, Rajasthan.
In honour of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, 25th December is celebrated as Good Governance Day.

Govt. Launches E-portal on Tribal Health & Nutrition

Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda inaugurated the e-portal on tribal health and nutrition named 'Swasthya'. The portal provides all health and nutrition related information of the tribal population of India on a single platform. Swasthya will also curate innovative practices, case studies, and best practices collected from different parts of India to facilitate the exchange of evidence, expertise and experiences.
Mr. Munda said that the launch of the portal is a first step towards the much bigger goal of serving the tribal population of the nation. He informed about the initiatives of the Ministry in partnership with Facebook through the Going Online as Leaders (GOAL) Programme. Mr Munda said, through the GOAL Programme, the Ministry aims to mentor five thousand tribal youth across India and enable them to become village-level digital young leaders for their communities.

UK Launches £3 Million Innovation Challenge Fund for India to Tackle Covid-19 Challenges & Clima...

The government of United Kingdom (UK) launched a £3 million "Innovation Challenge Fund 2020" in India to support scientists in academia and industry to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.
In this regard, tech innovators with connections to the AI-Data cluster in Karnataka and the future mobility cluster in Maharashtra will submit research and development proposals for tackling COVID-19 or which promote a greener planet till August 31, 2020.
At least 6 grants up to £250,000 are expected to be awarded for projects lasting 12 months, with a proposed start in January 2021.
These grants are part of a wider initiative under the tech partnership known as 'Tech Clusters'.
The Innovation Challenge Fund 2020 of £3 million to India is provided to Maharashtra(£1.5 million) & Karnataka(£1.5 million).
U.K.'s Innovation Challenge Fund 2020 will fund £1.5 million for innovative research and development projects in Future Mobility in Maharashtra. The aim of the Innovation Challenge Fund is also to support the development of the Maharashtra Future Mobility Tech Cluster by promoting closer scientific collaboration between industry and academia.
Innovation Challenge Fund 2020 will fund £1.5 million for innovative research and development projects in AI. The aim of the Innovation Challenge Fund is also to support the development of the Karnataka AI / Data Science Tech Cluster by promoting closer scientific collaboration between industry and academia, and by promoting links with international counterparts and centres of excellence, including in the UK.
This initiative is on the lines of the Indian and British Prime Ministers' commitment to bring together the best minds from both countries under the UK-India Tech Partnership, which was initiated in 2018 to deliver high-skilled jobs and economic growth as well as to collaborate on some of the world's biggest challenges.

Aug 17, 2020

Shyam Rajak Sacked as Bihar Minister

Bihar's Industries Minister and JD(U)'s national general secretary Shyam Rajak was sacked from the state cabinet and expelled from the party.
Shyam Rajak has been sacked from the state cabinet and he has also been expelled from the party for six years for his anti-party activities
The JD(U) giving more weightage to party leader Arun Manjhi who is touring the Phulwari Sharif assembly segment that Rajak represents is said to have miffed him.
He was apprehensive that the JD(U) may not give him the nomination in the state polls due later this year.
Rajak, who also served as a minister in the RJD government, had left the Lalu Prasad-led party in 2009 to join the JD(U).

Nepal and India Hold High-level Talks Amidst Border Row

Senior diplomats of India and Nepal held a virtual meeting to review the progress made on various India-aided developmental projects being implemented in the Himalayan nation.
The meeting came days after Nepal Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli telephoned his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to greet him on India's 74th Independence Day, in the first high-level contact after bilateral ties came under severe strain following the issuance of a new political map by Nepal in May.
The meeting held virtually assessed the progress made on various India aided development projects being implemented in Nepal.
The ties between India and Nepal came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand in May 2020.

Atal Innovation Mission, NASSCOM Launches ATL AI Step Up Module for School Students

NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission in collaboration with NASSCOM was launched the 'ATL AI Step Up Module' for students. The move is to drive AI education and innovation to the next level in schools across the country. The module is the next step in bringing Artificial Intelligence to classrooms and is a successor to the AI Base module launched in February this year, according to NITI Aayog.
After a successful launch of a unique initiative to take Artificial Intelligence (AI) to schools through 'ATL AI Modules' in February this year, this module is the next step in bringing AI to Indian classrooms. The module will provide a comprehensive set of learning it yourself Advanced modules to those who wish to expand their knowledge base after becoming familiar with the basics of the AI discipline through the AI base module.
With this new launch, through hands-on projects and activities, the step-up module encourages a deeper understanding of AI which can be applied in the real world. The module is designed in an attractive graphical manner that is comprehensible for all students belonging to rural and urban areas.
The step-up module needs no previous knowledge and introduces the concepts to students from the basics using interactive tools and activities so as to keep their attention undivided.

Ajay Maken New Rajasthan Congress Incharge

Two days after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government won the trust vote, the Congress has given Ajay Maken, former Union Minister and trusted confidant of Rahul Gandhi the charge of Rajasthan.
The high command removed Avinash Pande apparently on Sachin Pilot's demand.
Also, the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has constituted a high-powered committee which includes senior leaders Ahmed Patel, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and Ajay Maken. According to the announcement, the committee will look to resolve issues between party leaders in Rajasthan.
The appointments come in the wake of a rebellion in the Rajasthan government with former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs revolting against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Defence Ministry Approves Major Expansion of NCC

National Cadet Corps is all set for a major expansion with a scheme focusing on the border and coastal districts of the country getting approved by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The proposals of the scheme were announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address on 15 August. According Ministry of Defence spokesperson Bharat Bhushan Babu, a total of one lakh cadets from 173 border and coastal districts will be inducted in the NCC. One-third of the cadets would be girls.
As per Mr. Babu added that more than 1000 schools and colleges have been identified in border and coastal districts where NCC will be introduced.
As part of the expansion plan, a total of 83 NCC units will be upgraded (Army 53, Navy 20, Air Force 10), to impart NCC training to the cadets in the border and coastal areas. At present NCC is in 716 of the 718 districts of the country.
NCC DG Lt Gen Rajeev Chopra described the scheme to be farsighted as it will catalyse positive change. "This plan will be implemented in partnership with the States and will help prepare the youth for unique challenges faced in these areas and will integrate them into main stream. Trainers will be holding regular training camps which will lead to availability of trained manpower in cases of national calamity and emergency.

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