General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - January 2016

Jan 2016

May 05, 2022

President of India Graces the 61st Annual Conference of Bodo Sahitya Sabha

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind graced the 61st annual conference of Bodo Sahitya Sabha at Tamulpur, Assam. The President noted that the month of May is very important for the Bodo people as they remember Bodofa Upendra Nath Brahma on May 1 which is his death anniversary. He said that Bodofa had spread the message of "live and let live". His message of maintaining harmony with all communities while conscious of Bodo self-pride will be forever relevant.
So far 17 writers have been awarded Sahitya Akademi Awards for their works in Bodo language. And out of that 10 have been awarded for poetry work.

Delimitation Commission Finalises The Delimitation Order

The Delimitation Commission headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, (a retired Judge of the Supreme Court of India), and Sushil Chandra, (Chief Election Commissioner) and Sh. K. K. Sharma, (State Election Commissioner, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir), as Ex-Officio members of the Delimitation Commission met to finalise the Delimitation Order for the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. The Gazette notification for the same was also published.
Out of the 90 Assembly Constituencies in the region, 43 will be part of Jammu region and 47 for Kashmir region keeping in view the provisions of Section 9(1)(a) of the Delimitation Act, 2002 and Section 60(2)(b) of Jammu & Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019.
After consultation with Associate Members, representatives of political parties, citizens, civil society groups, 9ACs have been reserved for STs, out of which,6 are in Jammu region and 3 ACs in the Valley.
Names of some ACs were also changed keeping in view the demand of local representatives.

Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Health and Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya La...

Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya launched Plastindia 2023-11th International Plastic Exhibition & Conference.
India's Petrochemical Industries has been one of the fastest-growing industries in the Indian economy with high demand growth. India is projected to contribute more than 10% of the incremental global growth in Petrochemicals over the next decades.
PLASTINDIA refers to a series of exhibitions under the Plastindia Foundation, which will hold the 11th International Plastics Exhibition, Conference and Convention from 1st-5th February, 2023 at ITPO Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The exhibition will provide opportunities for employment generation, facilitate the growth of the Indian plastic industry and make India a hub for sourcing plastic for global needs.

May 04, 2022

PM Modi Meets Norwegian Counterpart in Denmark, Discusses Ways to Deepen Developmental Cooperation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store and the two leaders took stock of the full range of bilateral relations, discussed ways to deepen developmental cooperation and exchanged views on regional and global developments. This was the first meeting between the two leaders since the assumption of office by Prime Minister Store in October 2021.
Discussions also took place on regional and global developments. As members of the UN Security Council, India and Norway have been engaging with each other in the UN on global issues of mutual interest.
Modi's visit comes amid the Ukraine crisis, which has united much of Europe against Russia.

Home Minister Inaugurates NATGRID Bengaluru Campus

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) campus in Bengaluru that will help in stopping modern day crimes and have the upper hand against any threats. The central government will soon be developing a national database to monitor hawala transactions, terrorist funding, counterfeit currency, narcotics, bomb threats, illegal arms smuggling and other terrorist activities.
India, like many other countries worldwide, has seen a rise in modern-day crimes operated from remote locations, making it harder for law enforcement agencies to trace the source or diffuse the threat.
NATGRID will be available to 11 central agencies and police of all states and union territories.

RPF Launches Focused Effort under "Operation Satark"

Railway Protection Force is an armed force of the union entrusted with the security of railway property, passenger area and passengers. It is the lead security agency in the field of railway security having a pan India reach. Focused effort under "Operation Satark" was launched from 5th April to 30th April 2022 wherein 26 cases of transportation of illegal tobacco products were detected with seizure of tobacco products worth more than Rs. 44 lakh and arrest of 14 persons involved. 177 cases of transportation of illicit liquor were intercepted with arrest of 97 persons and seizure of illicit liquor worth about Rs. 18 lakh. Unaccounted gold/silver jewellery and unaccounted cash is transported through rail for the purpose of tax evasion. RPF detected 23 such cases of tax evasion and handed over unaccounted cash/gold/silver worth about Rs. 2.60 crore to the respective tax authorities.

Meta Took Down over 27 Million Pieces of Bad Content in India in March 2022

Meta (formerly Facebook) took down 24.6 million pieces of content across 13 policies for Facebook and over 2.7 million pieces of content across 12 policies for Instagram in the month of March, in accordance with the IT Rules 2021.
Between March 1-31, Meta received 656 reports through the Indian grievance mechanism for Facebook, and responded to 100 per cent of those reports. For Instagram, the company received 1,150 reports through the Indian grievance mechanism, and it responded to 100 per cent of those 1,150 reports.
Under the new IT Rules 2021, big digital and social media platforms, with more than 5 million users, have to publish monthly compliance reports.

May 03, 2022

Bihar CM Inaugurates India's First Ethanol Plant in Purnia

The country's first ethanol plant was inaugurated in Purnia district (Bihar). On this occasion Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that ethanol production would help reduce the cost of petrol and generate fresh employment opportunities in the state.
The rupees 105 crore plant set up by a private investor is the first one developed since the Union government approved the Bihar government's ethanol production and promotion policy -2021.
The ethanol plant set up with the latest technology using zero waste discharge has been built in 15 acres. It would buy 130 tonnes of rice husk and 150 tonnes of maize or rice from farmers every day. It is country's first grain-based ethanol plant.

IRS Officer Sangeeta Singh given Additional Charge of CBDT Chairman

Sangeeta Singh, a 1986 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer was given additional charge of Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), after incumbent JB Mohapatra retired as the head of the direct taxes administration body on April 30.
Singh is currently holding charge of Audit and Judicial. She is also holding additional charge of Income Tax and Revenue and Tax Payers services. Currently, the board has four members including Sangeeta Singh. Her Husband, Arvind Singh is a Maharashtra Cadre IAS and presently serving as Secretary of Tourism, Government of India.

India's First Bridgital Autism Support Network Set up

In a bid to create awareness about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and help people understand, accept and support individuals with autism and their parents and caregivers, the Tata Power Community Development Trust (TPCDT) partnered with the Center for Autism and other Disabilities Rehabilitation Research and Education (CADRRE) to launch 'Pay Autention - A different mind is a gifted mind', India's first bridgital autism support network.
The initiative shall pave the way for small towns and rural India to access specialised care and support and help create an auxiliary network of champions for the differently abled. This platform shall also enable mentoring, skilling and meaningful livelihoods for people with autism.
In addition to this, a toll-free autism support helpline was also launched at 1800 2099 488 to provide interactive support and much-needed professional aid for families in need.

Ex-Petroleum Secretary Kapoor is Adviser to PM

The Centre appointed former Petroleum Secretary Tarun Kapoor as Adviser to PM. It also named Gyanesh Kumar as Secretary, Cooperation Ministry, and Alkesh Kumar Sharma as Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity). Kapoor, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, superannuated as the Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, on November 30, 2021.
Hari Ranjan Rao, a 1994-batch lAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, and his batchmate from Bihar cadre Atish Chandra were appointed as additional secretaries in the PMO.
Meanwhile, in a top bureaucratic reshuffle, the government named senior IAS officer Gyanesh Kumar as Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation.

Narayan Rane Inaugurates Maharashtra MSME Expo 2022 in Mumbai

Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Narayan Rane inaugurated the Maharashtra MSME Expo 2022 in Mumbai. Addressing the function, Narayan Rane said that the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises would provide all possible support to create entrepreneurs in the country and in job creation in order we realize the dream of an Aatma Nirbhar Bharat.
The MSME sector accounts for 50 per cent of the country's total exports and contributes 30 per cent to economic growth, but there is scope for development in this sector. 37 clusters would be set up in Maharashtra under MSME in the next two years.
27 Districts from Maharashtra will showcase trade and investment opportunities at the Maharashtra MSME Expo 2022. The Expo will showcase a range of products and services offered by MSME.

May 02, 2022

'Miyan ka Bada' Railway Station Renamed as 'Mahesh Nagar Halt' in Rajasthan's Barmer

The name of a railway station in Rajasthan's Barmer district was changed, with the inauguration ceremony of the renamed station being attended by Union Ministers and government officials. According to officials, the name of the Mian Ka Bada village under the Samdari Panchayat Samiti was changed to Mahesh Nagar in 2018 by the then BJP government in the state and changes were made in the state revenue records as well.
The renaming of the railway station is done by the central government and the railway board. After the name of the village was changed, proposals were sent to the railway ministry for renaming the station.

Railway Ministry Signs MoU with Centre for Development of Telematics to Modernise Telecommunicati...

The Ministry of Railways and the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to form a strong collaborative working partnership for coordination and resource sharing in the provision of telecommunication facilities in the delivery and implementation of C-Telecom DOT's Solutions and services in railways.
This MoU will allow C-DOT and the Ministry of Railways to collaborate on telecommunications modernization in Indian Railways for Public Safety and Security Services using Long Term Evolution (LTE-R) for Railways in accordance with world standards, 5G Use Cases in Indian Railways in accordance with Make in India policy, Internet of Things, Unified Network Management System, Network Management System, Video Conference software, Chatting application, Routers and Switches.

Bijli Utsav' Organised by REC in Three States as Part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav

As part of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' – to celebrate 75 years of India's Independence, Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, a public infrastructure finance company under the Ministry of Power organised a 'Bijli Utsav' in the states of Manipur, Odisha and Chattisgarh. The day also marked the fourth anniversary of successfully providing access to electricity infrastructure to all villages under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY). As a mark of the occasion, Leisang Village of Manipur was one of the villages where the event was held since it was the last village to be connected to the grid under the DDUGJY Scheme. The village electrification drive of the country was also recognized as one of the greatest success stories by the International Energy Agency.

Integrated Election Complex with State-of-art Infrastructure Inaugurated by CEC Sushil Chandra

Chief Election Commissioner of India, Sushil Chandra along with Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey inaugurated the Integrated Election Complex at Bakhtawarpur, Delhi for warehousing and management of EVMs & VVPATs of NCT of Delhi. The Integrated Election Complex was built by the Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi and Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation Limited (DTTDC) is the executing agency for the project.
The first of its kind, integrated complex is a multi-functional state-of-the-art facility aimed at modernising the warehousing and management of EVMs and VVPATs. The IEC has sufficient storage capacity for EVMs & VVPATs to serve as the State Level Warehouse covering all 11 districts of NCT of Delhi.

May 01, 2022

ReNew Power Inks 5 PPAs to Supply around 1500 MW Solar Energy

ReNew Power signed five power purchase agreements (PPAs) for the supply of around 1,500 MW electricity generated from solar plants. The company signed PPAs with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL), as well as multiple long-term purchase agreements with corporate buyers together totalling around 2 GW. The new utility solar projects will be located in the western state of Rajasthan and have flat tariffs over 25 years.

7th International Conference of Pharma and Medical Devices Sector

Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the 7th edition of International conference on Pharma and Medical Devices sector 2022. The annual flagship three-day conference was held at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.
This year, the India Pharma was planned around the theme: 'India Pharma-Vision 2047: Transformative agenda for future'. For India Medical Device, the theme is 'Transforming Healthcare through Innovation & Integrated Services'. The discussions planned in a span of 3 days will bring in new opportunities and ideas to make India, the global leader in quality medicines and to ensure the availability, accessibility, and affordability of drugs and medical devices in the country.

Reserved Category Candidates are Entitled to General Seats on the Basis of Merit

The Supreme Court held that the reserved category candidates securing higher marks than the last of the general category candidates are entitled to get a seat/post in the General Category.
The Supreme Court was dealing with an appeal by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) against an order of the Rajasthan High Court which had held that the selection of the two reserved category candidates was required to be adjusted against the general category since they had scored more than the last of the general category candidates appointed, according to Bar & Bench.
The candidates belonging to reserved categories can as well stake claim to seats in unreserved categories if their merit and position in the merit list entitles them to do so, the bench comprising Justices MR Shah and BV Nagarathna observed.

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