General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2016

May 2016

Aug 16, 2025

PM Modi Announces Events for Social Reformer Jyotiba Phule's 200th Birth Anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the 200th birth anniversary of social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule will be commemorated with events aimed at transforming lives.
Mahatma Jyotirao Phule was a renowned Indian social activist, reformer, and writer from Maharashtra. Born in 1827, in Satara, Maharashtra, he is best known for his tireless efforts to eradicate the caste system, promote women's education, and empower the oppressed.
He, along with his followers, formed the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Seekers of Truth) to attain equal rights for peasants and people from lower castes.
Phule is regarded as an important figure in Maharashtra's social reform movement. He and his wife, Savitribai Phule, were pioneers of women's education in India.

Narendra Modi Sets Record with Longest Independence Day Speech in India's History

On August 15, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made history by delivering a 103-minute Independence Day address from the historic Red Fort, marking the longest such speech by any Indian Prime Minister to date. This speech not only surpassed his own previous records but also set new milestones in the annals of India's Independence Day celebrations.
This speech surpassed his 2024 record of 98 minutes and reaffirmed his penchant for using the Red Fort platform to present his government's achievements, share his vision for the future, and speak directly to the people of India. The 2025 speech marks the 12th consecutive Independence Day address by Modi, placing him second only to India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who delivered 17 consecutive speeches.

Aug 15, 2025

Green & Digital Maritime Corridors Dialogue

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and the Indian Ports Association (IPA), under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), organised the "Leaders' Dialogue on Green & Digital Maritime Corridors" in Mumbai, setting the stage for India Maritime Week in October, 2025. The event brought together over 300 delegates including senior government officials, international dignitaries, industry leaders, key maritime stakeholders from India and abroad.

India and Nigeria Discuss Defence Ties in New Delhi Bilateral Meeting

Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth held a bilateral meeting with Nigeria's Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle, in New Delhi, focusing on deepening the growing defence cooperation between the two nations. The discussions centered on advancing military engagements across multiple domains, including counter-terrorism training, research and development, maritime cooperation, hydrography, anti-piracy efforts, and defence industry collaboration.

Aug 14, 2025

Late Ex-President Zail Singh's Grandson Rejoins Congress

Inderjeet Singh, the late former President Giani Zail Singh's grandson, returned to the Congress while the party inducted academics Ratan Lal and Ravikant into the party.
Inderjeet Singh said that he rejoined the Congress after quitting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it had become neat and clean after a few corrupt leaders from Congress moved to the BJP.

Rajiv Pratap Rudy Retains Post CCI General Secretary of Constitution Club of India

Rajiv Pratap Rudy, senior BJP leader and MP from Saran, retained his post as General Secretary (Administration) of the Constitution Club of India (CCI). The fiercely contested election, culminated after 25 rounds of counting, with Rudy defeating fellow BJP leader Sanjeev Kumar Balyan by a decisive margin of 102 votes.
Founded in February 1947, the Constitution Club of India is located on Rafi Marg, close to Parliament House. It serves as a social and professional hub for current and former Members of Parliament, offering a unique space for bipartisan interaction and networking.
The Club is headed by the Lok Sabha Speaker (ex-officio President), with the Deputy Speaker as General Secretary, and also includes a Union Minister and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chair among its Vice-Presidents.

TRAI Launches India's First Property Rating Framework for Digital Connectivity

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released the country's first Manual for Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity, providing a standardised framework to assess how effectively buildings are equipped for high-speed, reliable digital access.
The move came as over 80% of mobile data in India is consumed indoors, where high-frequency 4G and 5G signals are often weakened by modern construction materials.
The manual, developed under the Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity Regulations, 2024, sets a uniform assessment methodology for Digital Connectivity Rating Agencies and serves as a reference framework for property managers and service providers. It outlines clear, transparent criteria for evaluating fibre readiness, in-building mobile coverage, Wi-Fi access, broadband speeds, and overall user experience.

SHRESTH: India's First State Health Regulatory Excellence Index

The Union Health Ministry unveiled SHRESTH – the State Health Regulatory Excellence Index, marking a significant milestone in India's public health governance. This first-of-its-kind national initiative is designed to benchmark and strengthen state drug regulatory systems through a transparent, data-driven framework.
The program reflects India's growing emphasis on medicine quality, safety, and efficacy, reaffirming the government's commitment to ensuring that every Indian—regardless of location—receives safe and effective medicines.

Aug 13, 2025

Western Railway Commissions of India's First 2x25 kV Traction Substation under "Mission Raftaar"

Western Railway achieved a significant milestone with the successful commissioning of the First 2x25 kV Electric Traction System at the Nagda-Khachrod section under the Ratlam Division. The system includes two Scott-connected 100 MVA Power Transformers for efficient feeding of electrical load to the Overhead Equipment (OHE). The Nagda TSS was first to be energised by using Scott Technology of Transformer on PAN India and state of art technology has been erected and commissioned successfully.
The inauguration was carried out by Ranjan Srivastava, Principal Chief Electrical Engineer, Chief Electrical Engineer, Western Railway.
This commissioning marked a historic moment as the first-ever segment of Indian Railways' 2x25 kV Traction Substation became operational under the ambitious "Mission Raftaar" initiative.

Third India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable Convened in Delhi

The third round of the India–Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) was held in New Delhi, with the aim of further expanding and deepening bilateral relations between the two nations.
Representing India at the talks was External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The Singapore delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, accompanied by Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng, and Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow.

UIDAI Partners with ISI for 5-Year R&D Pact

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) took a significant leap toward strengthening the security, reliability, and technological capabilities of Aadhaar, by entering a five-year research and development (R&D) agreement with the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI). The agreement aims to push the frontiers of data-driven innovation in one of the world's largest digital identity systems.
The collaboration will focus on cutting-edge technologies in biometrics, fraud detection, data analysis, and algorithm enhancement—all geared toward improving Aadhaar's effectiveness and trustworthiness for over 1.3 billion citizens.

Aug 12, 2025

Eesha Agrawal Appointed Vice President of BJP Transport Cell

International author and criminal lawyer Advocate Eesha Agrawal was formally appointed as the Vice President of the Transport Cell, Maharashtra State, of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The appointment was marked by a welcome ceremony led by BJP leader and Transport Cell Chairman Haji Arafat Shaikh, who expressed confidence that her experience would bring fresh direction to the organisation's work.

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