General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - December 2015

Dec 2015

Apr 29, 2021

Arun Raste New MD & CEO of NCDEX

Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has given approval to the appointment of Arun Raste as MD and CEO of National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) for a period of 5 years.
Raste is currently associated with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) as an Executive Director and prior to NDDB, he has worked with organisations like IDFC First Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, NABARD, ACC Cement, and a non-profit NGO IRFT.

T V Somanathan Finance Secretary

Expenditure Secretary T V Somanathan has been appointed as the finance secretary.
Somanathan, a 1987 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, took charge as the finance secretary, a position earlier held by Ajay Bhushan Pandey who superannuated in February.
The senior-most officer among all the secretaries in the finance ministry is designated as the Finance Secretary.

L-G Baijal Now 'Government' in Delhi

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021, which gives primacy to the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) over the elected government in the city, has come into force.
According to the legislation, the "government" in Delhi means the "Lieutenant Governor" and the city government will now have to seek the opinion of the L-G before taking any executive action.
Parliament had passed the bill last month -- Lok Sabha on March 22 and Rajya Sabha on March 24.
When the bill was passed by Parliament, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had termed it a "sad day for Indian democracy".

Apr 28, 2021

India Ranks 49th in CGGI

India has been ranked 49th in the Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI), which classifies 104 countries in terms of government capabilities and outcomes.
Reuben Abraham, CEO of IDFC Foundation and IDFC Institute, and CGGI Advisory Panel Member, said: "Civil service innovation and capacity building is a key focus for the Indian government. The Chandler Good Government Index shows the importance of measuring and investing in governance capabilities that matter. It highlights a key need for 'pracademics' in government – people who combine a rigorous understanding of research and data with a practical and grounded sense of what governments need to do to succeed."
Finland has topped the CGGI list, in which each country is measured across over 50 open data points. The index focuses on seven pillars: leadership and foresight; robust laws and policies; strong institutions; financial stewardship; attractive marketplace; global influence and reputation; and helping people rise.

Justice Bindal is Acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court

The senior-most Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Rajesh Bindal, was appointed Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta HC. Justice Bindal was transferred to the Calcutta HC four months ago and was functioning as the senior-most Judge there as well.

SC Appointed Panel Suggests Scrapping Railway Project in Western Ghats

Empowered Committee (CEC) constituted by the Supreme Court has recommended withdrawal of the environmental approval to doubling of the single line railway track between Tinaighat in North Karnataka and the port town of Vasco da Gama in Goa. The line cuts across the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats and the CEC said that the project will only marginally enhance railway capacity but cause big damage to the fragile ecosystem of the Western Ghats, an internationally recognised Biodiversity hotspot. The recommendation is being seen as a big win for environmental activists.

Panel to Monitor Air Quality in Delhi-NCR

The Union environment ministry has reconstituted the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas after having disbanded it in March, just five months after it was created.
Earlier this month the Union government promulgated the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance 2021 and now has issued a notification to constitute the commission.
The chairperson of the commission continues to be MM Kutty, former secretary in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas and former chief secretary of Delhi.

Apr 27, 2021

EC Bans All Victory Processions on and after May 2 Election Results

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that it has banned all victory processions on or after the counting of votes for the assembly elections in four states and one Union Territory that is scheduled to be declared on May 2.
The decision comes amid the nation's fight against the unprecedented surge in COVID-19 infections.
The Madras High Court yesterday said that the EC responsible for the second wave of the COVID pandemic by allowing political rallies in the country and that the officials should be booked for murder.

Apr 26, 2021

Indian Navy Deploys 'Oxygen Express' to Lakshadweep Islands

While the scourge of COVID-19 Pandemic is being dealt with on mainland India, its Island territories have also been extended assistance by Indian Navy.
As part of the nation's fight against COVID 19, Indian Navy ships under Headquarters, Southern Naval Command, Kochi took the mission of OXYGEN EXPRESS ahead in order to render support to the local administration of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep (UTL) to begin with.
INS Sharda, based at Kochi, undertook transfer of essential medical supplies to the capital of Union Territory of Lakshadweep, Kavaratti.
The stores consisted of 35 Oxygen cylinders, Rapid Antigen Detection Test (RADT) kits, Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE), masks and other items to fight the COVID 19 pandemic.

Coal India Signs First Ever Power Purchase Pact with GUVNL for Sale of 100 mw Solar Power

State-owned CIL has entered into its first ever power purchase pact with Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL) for sale of 100 mw solar power.
The tenure of power purchase agreement (PPA) is 25 years.
In March, CIL had won a 100 mw solar power project in a reverse auction conducted by GUVNL.
For the 100 mw bid that it won, CIL was awarded the work with a stipulation that it enters a PPA for establishment of a solar power project and supplies the power generated to GUVNL within 18 months from the date of inking the PPA.

Indian Ads further Gender Stereotypes, Shows Study

An analysis of Indian advertisements on television and YouTube has shown that while they are superior to global benchmarks insofar as girls and women have parity of representation in terms of screen and speaking time, their portrayal is problematic as they further gender stereotypes — they are more likely to be shown as married, less likely to be shown in paid occupation, and more likely to be depicted as caretakers and parents than male characters.
These are some of the findings of a study released on Monday by UNICEF and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media (GDI) titled "Gender Bias and Inclusion In Advertising In India".
The research measures over 1,000 television and YouTube advertisements aired across India in 2019. The ads analysed were those that received the most reach.

Apr 25, 2021

India and US Announce Clean Energy Initiative

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of a joint climate and clean energy initiative with the United States to mobilise investments, demonstrate clean technologies and enable green collaborations in India that could also create templates of sustainable development for other developing countries.
PM Modi, speaking at the Leaders Summit on Climate convened by US President Joe Biden on Thursday, did not announce any changes or upgrades to commitments under the Paris Agreement but underlined that India was already doing its part and that the country's per capita carbon emissions are 60% lower than the global average.

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