General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2016

Feb 2016

Sep 22, 2020

Pakistan Globally-recognised Epicentre of Terrorism: India at United Nations

In a scathing attack on Pakistan, India has said that if there is an "unfinished agenda" at the UN, it is that of tackling the scourge of terrorism and the country, a globally-recognised epicentre of the menace, which harbours and trains terrorists and hails them as martyrs.
Exercising India's right to reply, First Secretary in the country's Permanent Mission to the UN Vidisha Maitra said that Pakistan is a country which is globally recognised as the epicentre of terrorism, which by its own admission harbours and trains terrorists, and hails them as martyrs and consistently persecutes its ethnic and religious minorities.
She was referring to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's remarks in the country's Parliament where he had termed former al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden as a "martyr".

Ruckus as Eight MPs Suspended

The Rajya Sabha suspended eight Opposition MPs for the remainder of monsoon session for their yesterday's unprecedented display of aggression, including threat of physical harm and use of abusive language for Deputy Chairman of the House Harivansh Singh, during the passage of two farm Bills.
Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen (TMC), Rajeev Satav, Ripun Bora and Syed Naseer Hussain (Congress), K. K. Ragesh and Elamaram Kareem (CPM) and Sanjay Singh (AAP) were suspended for their "unruly behaviour, especially with the Chair, and gross disorderly conduct". The motion in this regard was moved by the government and approved by a voice vote.

Sep 21, 2020

India Extends $250 mn Aid to Maldives to Tackle Covid

India handed over emergency financial aid of $250 million to the Maldives, 10 days after the US signed an agreement with the island nation to develop military ties.
The grant was in response to the request made by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to overcome the difficult economic situation in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Maldives.
A handover ceremony was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Maldives.
The financial assistance was announced first during a virtual meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
India has gone the extra mile to help the Maldives whose economy is projected to contract by eight per cent this year. The RBI raised treasury bonds that were sold to the State Bank of India (SBI), Male, for handover to the Maldives Government.
This was a reversal of the situation in 2013 when India fought tooth and nail to keep away the US from entering into a security partnership with the Maldives. The UPA government had then assessed that American entry would give rise to misgivings at a time when it thought India and China could co-exist in the Indian Ocean.

MoU Signed between AYUSH Ministry and MoWCD to Control Malnutrition

The Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to control malnutrition in the country. The MoU was signed under the Poshan Abhiyaan.
Women and Child Development Ministry would initiate scientifically proven and user based solutions to control malnutrition in the country.
Medicinal and nutri Gardens would be established at the Anganwadi centres.
Under the MoU, specific areas have been identified for co-operation:
Integration of AYUSH into POSHAN Abhiyaan.
Controlling malnutrition through the principles and practices of Ayurveda, Yoga and other Ayush initiatives.
The MoU seeks to implement following activities:
Yoga programmes at Anganwadi centers.
Visit of AYUSH workforce to Anganwadi centers once in a month.
Sensitisation meeting of AYUSH medical officers with Anganwadi workers.
Development of Poshan Vatika.
Generation of baseline data in nutritional status of targeted population.
Implementation of region specific nutrition values.

Sep 20, 2020

National Generic Document Registration System Launched in J&K

Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha launched the National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS) at a ceremony organized at Deputy Commissioner Srinagar's office.
NGDRS represents a major shift from the existing manual registration system to online registration of all transactions in sale-purchase/transfer of land and the stamp papers have been replaced by e-stamps which have been incorporated in coordination with Stockholding Corporation of India.
J&K will be the 10th among States/UTs to become part of NGDRS.

Govt Looking Into Reports That China Tracking 10,000 Indians via 'Hybrid Warfare' Firm

The Narendra Modi government, it is learnt, is looking into reports that a Chinese data firm that pioneers in "hybrid warfare" and is linked to the country's administration tracked over 10,000 Indian nationals, including leading personalities like PM Modi and interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, as well as their families.
The report is centred on one firm, Zhenhua Data Information Technology Co. Limited, which reportedly counts the Chinese government and military among its clients.

Rajya Sabha Passes Epidemic Diseases Amendment Bill, 2020

The Upper House passed the Epidemic Diseases Amendment Bill, 2020 to bring a law that punishes those who attack health workers or doctors who are fighting the coronavirus outbreak or during any situation similar to the current Covid-19 pandemic.
The legislation provides for up to five years in jail for those who attack doctors and health care personnel.
The Centre implemented the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance 2020 to amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 in order to provide protection to health care service personnel, their living premises as well as their workplaces against any violence during the course of a pandemic.

Sep 19, 2020

India's First Terminal for Private Jets Inaugurated at Delhi Airport

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated India's first General Aviation Terminal at Delhi airport. The exclusive terminal will handle the flight operations of private jets.
With the facility, Delhi Airport marks a milestone of setting up high-end infrastructure for passengers. The new terminal has been built to support the movement and processing of passengers flying through chartered flights from IGI Airport.
The terminal has 57 parking bays and can handle up to 150 private jet flights per day.

PM Dedicates Kosi Rail Mega Bridge to Nation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the historical Kosi Rail Mega Bridge to the nation and inaugurated new rail lines and electrification projects in Bihar via video-conferencing. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal was present at the event.
These projects will improve Bihar's railway network and also strengthen connectivity in areas of West Bengal and West India.
The PM took a dig at the Congress government for not expediting the Kosi Rail line programme for which foundation stone was laid by Atal Bihari Vajpayee when his government was in power before 2004.

Sep 18, 2020

Two Bills Aimed at Transforming Agriculture Passed

Two bills aimed at transforming agriculture in the country and raising farmers' income were passed by Lok Sabha today. The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 were introduced in Lok Sabha on 14th September 2020 by Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, to replace ordinances promulgated on 5th June 2020.
The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 seeks to provide for the creation of an ecosystem where the farmers and traders enjoy the freedom of choice relating to sale and purchase of farmers' produce which facilitates remunerative prices through competitive alternative trading channels to promote efficient, transparent and barrier-free inter-State and intra-State trade and commerce of farmers' produce outside physical premises of markets or deemed markets notified under various State agricultural produce market legislations; to provide a facilitative framework for electronic trading and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 seeks to provide for a national framework on farming agreements that protects and empowers farmers to engage with agri-business firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters or large retailers for farm services and sale of future farming produce at a mutually agreed remunerative price framework in a fair and transparent manner and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

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