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NATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2016

Feb 2016

Dec 09, 2020

China Cancels Commemorative Stamps with India

China has cancelled plans to jointly launch commemorative stamps with India, an apparent reflection of strained relations over a military standoff at the Asian neighbours' border.
China's State Post Bureau had planned with India to jointly launch a stamp in April commemorating 2020 as the 70th year of bilateral relations and a special stamp showing the Mogao Caves, a renowned site in China's Gansu province where the Buddhist grottoes reflect the two countries' cultural links.

Govt. to Set up National Advisory Board for Road and Vehicle Safety

For the first time in India, the Narendra Modi-led NDA government will set up an Advisory National Road Safety Board that will work to promote road and vehicle safety.
The Advisory National Road Safety Board will consist of experts and professionals who will guide and advise the government on issues of road and vehicle safety. The move is being seen as the Modi govt's yet another push for Road Safety Reform.
The government has also proposed to set a National Road Safety Board and has issued a draft notification to establish National Road Safety Board.
The proposed Safety Board will consist of a Chairman and a maximum of 7 other members.

Dec 08, 2020

Rajasthan Panchayat Election Results 2020

The BJP won 1,835 of the 4,371 Panchayat Samiti constituencies in Rajasthan and managed to cross the majority mark on its own in 11 Zilla Parishad seats, winning 312 of the 636 Zilla Parishad seats. The result is based on the data published by the Rajasthan State Election Commission website.
In 222 Panchayat Samitis in Rajasthan, the BJP has won 1,835 wards while the Congress has managed to win 1,718 wards. Independent candidates won in 422 constituencies while the RLP has bagged 56 constituencies. The CPM managed to win in 16 constituencies, the BSP three.

Sushil Kumar Modi Elected Unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Bihar

Senior Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi was declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha in a by-poll that was necessitated by the death of Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party founder Ram Vilas Paswan.
In addition to the former deputy chief minister a lone Independent candidate, Shyam Nandan Prasad had filed his nomination papers which were rejected during scrutiny.
Sushil Modi was handed over his certificate in the presence of a host of dignitaries, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, with whom he is known to enjoy an excellent rapport, his successors as deputy chief minister Tar Kishore Prasad and Renu Devi and state BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal.

Dec 07, 2020

Vijayashanti Quits Congress to Join BJP

Actress-turned-politician Vijayashanthi resigned from the Congress party and is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Vijayashanthi had joined the Congress in 2014. The former MP, a senior Congress leader, has not been active in the party's activities in Telangana for the past few months.
Vijayashanti, who began her political career with BJP, joined TRS Party and switched loyalties to Congress in 2014 before the formation of Telangana state.

In West Bengal, BJP Says Citizenship Amendment Act Rollout by January-end

BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya has said that the Citizenship Amendment Act rules will be framed in the next one month, after which the Act will be ready for implementation in the state.
Accusing the TMC government of not being sympathetic to the refugees' cause, he said that the CAA will change the lives of many members of the Matua, Namasudra and Rajbhanshi communities who do not have citizenship of India, despite having come here many years ago.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act that seeks to grant citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain and Parsi refugees, who have come to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan on or before 31st December, 2014, was passed by Parliament in December last year and also notified, but the Centre is yet to frame rules under the Act.
In August, the government applied for a three-month extension. BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda had cited the Covid-19 pandemic as the reason for the delay.

Dec 06, 2020

First Time after Independence, Waqf Boards to be Established in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh

As per Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Waqf Boards will soon be established in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and the process for it has already started.
After chairing a Central Waqf Council meeting, Naqvi in a statement said that Waqf Boards will be established in the Jammu-Kashmir and the Leh-Kargil areas for the first time since Independence. It has become possible to do so only after the revocation of Article 370, he said and added that the Waqf Boards in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will ensure proper utilisation of Waqf properties for the welfare of society.
The central government will provide adequate financial assistance to construct infrastructure for socio-economic and educational activities on Waqf properties in the Union Territories under the 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karykram (PMJVK).

SC Rejects Plea for Appointment of Govt. Nominees in Trust for Ayodhya Mosque

The Supreme Court rejected a PIL seeking directions for nominating Central and state government representatives to the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation trust for building a mosque in Ayodhya.
A Bench headed by Justice RF Nariman rejected the PIL filed by two lawyers who said that apart from private individuals and members of state Sunni Wakf Board, the presence of Central and state government representatives was essential to ensure proper management of funds.
The Sunni Waqf Board had in July declared creating a trust under the title of "Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation" for building a mosque, cultural and research centre and public utility facilities including a community kitchen, a hospital and a library within 5 acres land allotted to it.

Dec 05, 2020

BJP Loses Varanasi in UP local Elections

The BJP has won three seats in the UP Legislative Council, of the six where results have been announced. All these six seats are in the teachers' constituency. While the BJP won in Lucknow, Meerut and Bareilly, it lost in Varanasi, PM Modi's Lok Sabha constituency.

TRS Emerges as Single Largest Party, BJP Clinches Second Spot

The ruling TRS in Telangana emerged as the single largest party in the 150-ward Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) election, winning 55 wards.
BJP bagged 48 wards and the AIMIM of Asaduddin Owaisi secured 44. Congress could win only two wards.
While the election was held for 150 wards, the results of 149 were announced as counting of votes had to be stopped in a ward as per a High Court order. Counting had to be stopped in Neredmet ward as marks other than the standard Swastik symbol (crossed arrow mark) were in majority.
Though the ruling TRS emerged as the single largest party, the mayoral election depends on the votes that include co-option members such as MLAs, MLCs and MPs belonging to the GHMC area, besides 150 elected members.

Centre Approves Creation of New Post of Deputy Chief for Military Operations and Strategic Planni...

In a major move, the Defence Ministry has approved the creation of a new post of deputy chief for military operations and strategic planning in the Army as part of mega reforms in the Army headquarters. The ministry has also completed formalities for creation of another new post of director-general of information warfare.
The ministry had given in-principle approval for creation of both the posts last year as part of the first batch of reforms in the Army, and now the formal process for it has been completed.
The post of deputy chief of the Army staff (strategy) has been created to deal with military operations, military intelligence, strategic planning and operational logistics. It will be the third post of deputy chief in the Army.
Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Paramjit Singh is set to become the first deputy chief of Army staff (strategy).
The new post of director-general of information warfare has been created in keeping with the needs of the future battlefield, hybrid warfare and social media realities.

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