General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - December 2015

Dec 2015

Apr 19, 2021

Italy Launches First Ever Mega Food Park & Food Processing Unit in India

Italy launched its first ever mega food park project in India involving food processing facilities as the two sides plan to expand ties in the backdrop of PM Narendra Modi's proposed visit there.
The pilot project "The Mega Food Park" was launched today, in virtual mode, with the signing of a Letter of Intent between the ICE Office in Mumbai and Fanidhar Mega Food Park, in Gujarat.
Ambassador of Italy to India, Vincenzo de Luca, and the Ambassador of India to Italy, Neena Malothra were part of the launch. This is the first Italian-Indian food park project, an initiative in the food-processing field, which is a pillar of the partnership between India and Italy as stated at the Summit between the two Prime Ministers held last 6 November.
The project aims to create synergy between agriculture and industry of the two countries and focuses on the research and development of new and more efficient technologies in the sector. With this Italy also aims to explore the great opportunities offered by the Indian market.

Indian States Highly Vulnerable to Climate Change: Report

According to a national climate vulnerability assessment report, Eight Indian states -- Jharkhand, Mizoram, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal -- are highly vulnerable to climate change.
Among all states, Assam, Bihar and Jharkhand have over 60 per cent districts in the category of highly vulnerable districts.
The report, titled 'Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Adaptation Planning in India Using a Common Framework', which identifies the most vulnerable states and districts in India with respect to current climate risk and key drivers of vulnerability, was released by Department of Science and Technology (DST) Secretary Ashutosh Sharma.
Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Sikkim and Punjab have been categorised as lower-middle vulnerable states. Uttarakhand, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Nagaland, Goa and Maharashtra have been categorised as states with low vulnerability.

India and Pakistan Foreign Ministers in UAE on Separate Bilateral Visits

Days after a top diplomat from the United Arab Emirates confirmed that the country was playing a role in bringing Delhi and Islamabad to the talks table, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi are visiting the UAE for what is being described as separate bilateral visits.
Sources in New Delhi and Islamabad, however, said that there are no bilateral meetings scheduled so far between the two.
This is the second time they will be in the same country for a visit in less than three weeks – both were in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe for the Heart of Asia meeting on March 30.

Mamata Banerjee Will Not Campaign in Kolkata Anymore

All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O'Brien announced that West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee will not campaign in Kolkata anymore.
The TMC leader has taken this decision in the view of rising COVID-19 infections in the state. The TMC leaders also added that the West Bengal CM will only hold one 'symbolic' meeting on the last day of campaigning in the city, which is April 26.
As per reports, Mamata Banerjee's rallies in other parts of the states will not be longer than 30 minutes.
This announcement from the TMC was made hours after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's statement that he had suspended all his scheduled poll rallies in West Bengal on account of the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Apr 18, 2021

ROPAX Jetty Project on River Dharma

The Government of India recently approved Rs. 50 crore to develop an all-weather ROPAX in Odisha. The total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs. 110 crore. The project aims to launch Roll-on or Roll-off Passenger Jetty connecting Kaninali in Bhadrak district and Talachua in Kendrapara district.
The project will reduce passenger travel time from six hours to one hour. The connecting points of the jetty are located in the northern and southern banks of River Dhamra.
The launch of the jetty service will increase business activities and commercial activities and also will uplift the economic status of the region.

Education Minister Launches World 1st Affordable and Long-lasting Hygiene Product DuroKea Series

Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank launched World 1st affordable and long-lasting hygiene product DuroKea Series. This next generation DuroKea antimicrobial technology starts at 189 rupees, kills 99.99 per cent of germs instantly and leaves behind the long-lasting protective nanoscale coating up to 35 days till next wash. Researcher from Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad has developed this innovative technologies to combat COVID-19 virus spreading.

Ajay Seth Takes over as New Economic Affairs Secretary

Ajay Seth, a 1987 batch IAS officer of Karnataka cadre, assumed charge as Secretary Economic Affairs at a time when the economy which was showing signs of recovery is being threatened by the second wave of COVID-19.
Seth replaced Tarun Bajaj, who moved as Revenue Secretary in the Ministry of Finance.
Seth previously held charge as Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited.

Apr 17, 2021

U.K. Approves Nirav Modi's Extradition

The U.K.'s Home Department has approved the extradition of diamond merchant Nirav Modi to India in connection with the Rs. 13,758-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, about two months after the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London ruled that a prima facie case was made out against him.
According to the U.K. government's website, unless there is an appeal, a requested person must be extradited within 28 days of the Secretary of State's decision to order extradition (subject to any appeal).
The businessman had fled the country on January 1, 2018. On India's request, he was arrested in London on March 19, 2019, and he has since then been in judicial custody there.

S. Jaishankar Holds Talks with Maldivian Foreign Minister

The Maldives requested India for assured supply of essential commodities to it as the two sides discussed a plethora of issues relating to the bilateral, regional and international domains.
The issue of supply of essential commodities figured in the talks between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid who is on a two-day trip to India.
As per reports, Shahid requested the Indian side for renewal of DGFT (directorate general of foreign trade) notifications regarding assured supply of essential commodities to Maldives from India as per the bilateral trade agreement.
Jaishankar assured that Indian commitment will be honoured.
It was the eighth meeting between the two foreign ministers since November 2018 when the government under President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih took office in the Maldives.

Apr 16, 2021

SC Asks Govt. for Reasonable Timeline to Clear Names Given by Collegium

The Supreme Court asked the Centre to apprise it of a reasonable time frame within which it can respond to the recommendations made by its collegium for appointment of judges as the government said that it will adhere to the timeline fixed in the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP).
The government blamed the delay on clearing of names on High Courts for not sending the recommendations on time and said that many of them have not sent the names for the last five years against the existing vacancy.

Housing & Urban Affairs Minister launches EatSmart Cities Challenge and Transport 4 All Challenge

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched the EatSmart Cities Challenge and Transport 4 All Challenge through video conferencing. EatSmart Cities Challenge is an opportunity for India to play a pioneering role in developing the concept of integrating food systems into city planning and development. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Puri said that this movement will nudge the urban populace to make the right food choices and help build a healthier and happier nation. The EatSmart Cities Challenge is envisioned as a competition among cities to recognize their efforts in adopting and scaling up various initiatives under Eat Right India. The challenge is open to all Smart Cities, capital cities of States and Union Territories, and cities with a population of more than five lakh.
The Transport 4 All Challenge aims to bring together cities, citizen groups, and start-ups to develop solutions that improve public transport to better serve the needs of all citizens. Mr. Puri said that COVID-19 has brought the entire world to a halt with transport being one of the worst-hit sectors. He added that the Transport4All Digital Innovation Challenge will support cities to recover from this mobility crisis.

Indian Government Revises OCI Card Rules

Indian-Americans have welcomed the Indian government's decision to simplify the process of maintaining Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cards, saying more overseas citizens will now opt for this form of residency.
OCI cardholders will now be required to get their document re-issued only once at the age of 20 instead of multiple times needed to be done currently, according to the Home Ministry.
Highly popular among overseas Indians, the OCI card provides long term visa free travel and stay in India and gives the cardholders a host of privileges normally not given to a foreign national. So far, India has issued about 37.72 lakh OCI Cards.

Mamata Banerjee Urges EC to Hold Elections for Remaining Phases at One Go

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged the Election Commission to think about conducting polls for the remaining assembly seats at one go, in view of rising cases of COVID-19 in the state. She also stressed that her party had earlier opposed the prolonged eight-phase poll schedule.

Apr 15, 2021

Delhi and EU to Resume Formal Talks on Trade

The resumption of the ad hoc India-EU human rights dialogue earlier this week has paved the way for more substantial talks on trade.
The dialogue held after eight years has led to India and the EU deciding to resume formal negotiations for a trade and investment agreement on May 8, the day PM Narendra Modi will attend the Leader's Meeting during the EU summit in Porto, Portugal.
The need for holding the dialogue had become more pressing after both sides agreed on the need for its resumption during the virtual summit in July last year. This was after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had staved off a potentially embarrassing vote at the European Parliament on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by citing assurances.

Rajnath Singh to Inaugurate First Bi-annual Indian Air Force Commanders' Conference 2021

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate Indian Air Force (IAF) Commanders` Conference at Air Headquarters (Vayu Bhawan).
According to the Defence Ministry, the conference is aimed at addressing the issues of IAF`s operational capabilities in the times to come.
A series of discussions would be conducted over three days to address strategies and policies related to capabilities that would give IAF a significant edge over its adversaries.

Britain PM Boris Johnson to Shorten India Visit

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reduced the length of his trip to India later this month because of the COVID-19 situation in the country.
His visit will be focused on high-level discussions with the Indian government and Indian business leaders. The programme would now take place on April 26.
The British Prime Minister had cancelled his visit to India in January this year due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in the UK. He was invited to take part in Republic Day celebrations as chief guest.

Modi to Attend Leaders' Meet in Portugal in May

The resumption of the ad hoc India-EU human rights dialogue earlier this week has paved the way for more substantial talks on trade.
The dialogue, only one that India holds with an entity, held after eight years has led to India and the EU deciding to resume formal negotiations for a trade and investment agreement on May 8, the day PM Narendra Modi attends the Leader's Meeting during the EU summit in Porto, Portugal.

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