General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2016

Feb 2016

Aug 15, 2021

Kamlesh Kumar Pant is New NPPA Chairman

Kamlesh Kumar Pant, a 1993-batch IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the new chairman of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) by the Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet. The pharmaceutical pricing agency was currently headed by IAS officer Shubhra Singh, who was appointed to the post in 2018. Singh has been repatriated to her cadre state Rajasthan, according to an order of the personnel ministry.
Pant, formerly the Principal Secretary (Revenue) in the government of Himachal Pradesh and also the Financial Commissioner (Appeals) at Himachal Pradesh and the head of the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board, has taken charge of NPPA with immediate effect.

Chhattisgarh Becomes 1st State to Recognise Forest Resource Rights in Urban Region

Chhattisgarh became the first state to recognise Community Forest Resource Rights in an urban area, with the state government recognising rights of residents of Dhamtari district over 4,127 hectares of forests.
Community resource rights over 5,544 hectares of forest within the core area of the tiger reserve area were also recognised.
Under Forest Rights Act, 2006, Community Forest Resource Rights give gram sabhas the right to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any forest resources used by the entire community, or village.

Independence Day 2021: INDIA Gets Official Website for Celebrations

The central government has revealed a new website for the 75th Independence Day celebrations this year -- indianidc2021.mod.gov.in. The website was launched by defence secretary Dr Ajay Kumar on August 3 to mark the upcoming Independence Day 2021 celebrations. The website will serve as a platform to connect Indians all over the world to celebrate the national festival, the release stated, adding that a mobile app for the Independence Day Celebrations (IDC), 2021, will soon be launched as well.

Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad Gets Additional Charge of Manipur

Sikkim governor Ganga Prasad Chaurasia was sworn in as the governor of Manipur at a ceremony held at the Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan, Imphal.
Manipur High Court Chief Justice P. V. Sanjay Kumar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Ganga Prasad.
Sikkim governor will take charge of Manipur as well during the absence of Dr. Najma Heptulla who is on leave.

Government Launches Fit India Freedom Run

Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Thakur, launched a nationwide programme of Fit India Freedom Run 2.0 in August 2021 to celebrate the Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav.
According to Union Sports Minister, programme has been launched at 75 'iconic' locations.
In the freedom run 1.0, about 5 crore people had joined. While, this year, the number has increased to 7.5 crore people.
Fit India Freedom Run 2.0 was flagged off from Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi.

Aug 14, 2021

India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Meeting in September

India and Australia are expected to hold their first minister-level 2+2 meeting in September 2021.
This first ever meeting between Foreign and Defence Ministers will be held as a part of bilateral plan to upgrade Secretary-level 2 plus 2 interactions.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Peter is to visit India and Indonesia in September.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is also expected to attend a Quad summit level meeting the line of U.N. General Assembly in September in New York.
This meeting was planned during a virtual meeting between Ms. Payne and S. Jaishankar amid covid-19 pandemic.
Besides the Quad initiative, Australia and India also have to deal with travel restrictions, placed because of covid-19 pandemic.
Defence Minister Peter Dutton is also expected to invite India to join next round of Talisman Sabre exercises in Queensland.

UP Renames Kakori Train Conspiracy to Kakori Train Action

Uttar Pradesh government has renamed a landmark freedom movement called "Kakori Train Conspiracy" as "Kakori Train Action" and paid tributes to the revolutionaries who were hanged for robbing a train at Kakori in Uttar Pradesh.
Revolutionaries had robbed the train in order to buy weapons in 1925.
Family members of the freedom fighters were also honoured on this occasion.
Those revolutionaries were some passionate people who were having a single goal of independence of India from British rule. So, name was changed considering that, they did not commit any conspiracy as they were fighting for freedom.
Freedom fighters Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan and Roshan Singh were hanged to death on December 19, 1927 for their involvement in Kakori robbery.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla Gets One Year Extension

Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla was given a one year extension, beyond his present tenure that was to end next week.
Bhalla, a 1984 batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, was appointed as the Home Secretary in August 2019.
His tenure was extended till August 22, 2021 in October 2020.

Aug 13, 2021

Sudhir Kumar Saxena Appointed Secretary-Security, Cabinet Secretariat

Senior IPS officer Sudhir Kumar Saxena was appointed Secretary (Security), Cabinet Secretariat.
Saxena, a 1987 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, is currently Special Director General, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
The Secretary (Security) is the administrative head of the Special Protection Group (SPG) that provides security to the prime minister and members of his immediate family residing with him at his official residence.

In a First, Surat Gets Diamond Exhibition-cum-auction Centre

Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) has developed India's first diamond auction-cum-exhibition centre in Surat.
The centre, developed on a 2,200 square feet area at Vesu, will be inaugurated by GJEPC chairman Colin Shah on August 16. The auction centre has come up at a cost of Rs. 4 crore, which was borne by GJEPC.
With the auction centre having all the facilities of safe vaults, locker systems, conference halls, exhibition area with advance security systems, the diamond mining companies can come to Surat for carrying out auction process of diamonds.

Aug 12, 2021

Indore Becomes India's First 'Water Plus' City

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that Indore, which is the country's cleanest city, has now been declared as the first 'water plus' city of India under the Swachh Survekshan 2021.
Swachh Survekshan, which was launch as a part of Swachh Bharat Mission, is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in cities and towns in India.

Congress Constitutes UP Poll Panel

Gearing up for the Assembly polls next year, the Congress constituted the election committee for Uttar Pradesh, which includes state unit chief Ajay Kumar Lallu and former Union Ministers Salman Khurshid, Rajeev Shukla and R. P. N. Singh.
Apart from 38 members named in the panel, national president/chairperson of AICC organisations/departments from Uttar Pradesh, state heads of frontal organisations, vice-presidents and general secretaries of the UPCC will be its ex-officio members.

Nagaland Opposition, Ruling PDA to Come Together for United Government

The opposition Naga People's Front (NPF), the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), and the BJP, a major ally of the government, have agreed in principle to form an oppositionless "Nagaland United Government" including two Independent MLAs. This follows NPF's July 20 proposal to the NDPP-led People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) to come together for the Naga peace process.
This was resolved in a meeting held at the residential office of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio with the representatives of all the political parties involved.
Nagaland has had an oppositionless government earlier in 2015 during the third tenure of the NPF-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland when Congress MLAs joined the government and subsequently merged with the ruling NPF.

Aug 11, 2021

MP Assembly Clears Bill on Death Penalty

The Madhya Pradesh Assembly passed a bill prescribing capital punishment and life imprisonment in cases related to deaths caused by consumption of spurious liquor.
The bill amending the state Excise Act to enhance punishment in spurious liquor cases was presented by Finance and Excise Minister Jagdish Devda, and the legislation came in the wake of the death of a dozen people.
Assembly speaker Girish Gautam declared it passed without any discussion amid sloganeering by Congress legislators who were demanding the implementation of the 27 per cent quota for OBCs in jobs and education announced by the erstwhile Kamal Nath government.
Under the Bill, provisions of life imprisonment and the death penalty have been made in cases related to deaths due to spurious liquor besides imposing a fine of Rs. 20 lakh on culprits.

Gujarat CM Launches eNagar Mobile Application and Portal

Gujarat Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani has launched eNagar mobile application and portal. The eNagar covers 10 modules with 52 services including property tax, professional tax, water & drainage, Complaints and grievance redressal, building permission, fire and emergency services.
Gujarat Urban Development Mission has been appointed as a nodal agency for eNagar project. Total 170 locations including 162 municipalities and 8 Municipal Corporations are covered under the eNagar project.

A. Amuthan is Private Secretary to Puducherry CM

The Lieutenant Governor has appointed A. Amuthan, associate dean (Autonomy and Accreditation) and professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Pondicherry Engineering College, as private secretary to the Chief Minister on deputation.
The appointment order said that he would be on deputation for the tenure of the present Chief Minister or till his services are required by the Chief Minister.

India Invited to Afghanistan Meet

India has been invited for a meeting of regional countries on Afghanistan in Doha later this week, which will see the participation of countries like Turkey and Indonesia as well. The invite was extended during the visit of Qatari special envoy for Counter-Terrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution Mutlaq Al Qahtani.
The Regional Conference on Afghanistan is expected to take place on August 12. The meet comes even as Doha is hosting the Troika Plus meet on Wednesday involving the US, Russia, China and Pakistan.

PM Modi Launches Ujjwala 2.0

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Ujjwala 2.0 -- the second phase of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) -- by handing over LPG connections in Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh.
After the formal launch, the Prime Minister distributed free gas connections to 10 women virtually.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath handed over the documents to the women on behalf of the PM.

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