General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - July 2016

Jul 2016

Apr 26, 2022

India Creates Guinness World Record by Waving 78,220 Flags Simultaneously

India saw a new feat as a Guinness world record was created with 78,220 people in Bihar's Bhojpur simultaneously waving the national flag together in a celebration of 75 years of independence - 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.' " In the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, India created the record in waving the National Flag at the same time.
Tricolour was waived for full five minutes, as the national song 'Vande Mataram' played in the background.

Ministry of Civil Aviation Organizes "Yog Prabha" at Safdarjung Airport

The Ministry of Civil Aviation organized a mega event- Yog Prabha at Safdarjung Airport in New Delhi. The event was inaugurated by Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia and the Minister of State for Civil Aviation Dr. V.K. Singh. Over 900 officials participated in this mega event. Yoga instructors from Morarji Desai Institute of Yoga guided the participants in performing various Yog, Asana and Pranayama techniques.
At the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the United Nations General Assembly took a historic decision in 2014 to declare 21st June as the International Day of Yoga. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said, Yog Prabha will help in creating awareness among the participants about the importance of Yoga and will motivate others to do Yoga on a daily basis.

PM Modi Inaugurats 7th Edition of Raisina Dialogue

The Raisina Dialogue was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The chief guest of the event was European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen. It is the flagship geo-economics and multilateral foreign policy conference of the country. "Terranova- Impassioned, Impatient, Imperilled" is the theme of the Raisina Dialogue 2022.
This dialogue is the country's premier conference on geo-economics and geo-politics. In the year 2016, the Raisina Dialogue was started. The conference aims to address the most challenging issues that are being faced by the global community. The Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) organizes this conference. This conference brings together various leaders in business, politics, civil society, and media annually to explore cooperation opportunities and to discuss the current state of the world.

Apr 25, 2022

Justice Vineet Saran is Chairman of Ravi-Beas Water Tribunal

Justice Vineet Saran, judge of the Supreme Court, was appointed as the Ravi-Beas Water Tribunal chairman, a post that was vacant since Justice Ashok Bhushan had joined the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal as its chairperson in November 2021.
The appointments were made under section 5A of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 (33 of 1956) by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
The Ravi-Beas Water Tribunal is important in view of the issue of water availability and allocation discussed at various levels as part of concerted efforts to reach an amicable resolution for the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue between Punjab and Haryana. The term of the Tribunal is being extended on a yearly basis, and the current term has been extended for a period of one year from August 5, 2021.

NIXI-CSC and Tripura Sign MOU to Set up International Data Centre

The Tripura state government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the NIXI-CSC Data Services Centre to develop an international grade Data Centre in the state. To establish the projected Data Centre, the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) and CSE e-governance services Ltd have formed a joint venture called NIXI-CSC Data Services Centre.
The joint venture company will invest Rs. 150 crore in the Data Centre, while the state government will simply supply space.
The joint venture will allow the state government to host all of its data in the projected Data Centre, as well as offer data to the state at no cost, according to the MoU. In addition to the state, the corporation will charge for data exchange with other government and private players.

APEDA Signs MoU with NRDC for the Implementation of the Agri Export Policy

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) to synergise the activities in the interest of agriculture and allied sectors. The MoU between APEDA & NRDC aims to implement the Agri Export Policy of the government while also strengthening the export value chain.
Agri Export Policy was launched in 2018 with a focus on agriculture export-oriented production, export promotion, better farmer realization and synchronization within policies and programmes of the Government. APEDA has been focused on a collaborative strategy to bring synergy with a variety of organisations and institutions that have intrinsic professional and specialised skills in various fields.

PM Modi Visits J-K Participates in Panchayati Raj Day Event, Inaugurates Amrit Sarovar Initiative

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Palli Gram Panchayat under Samba District in Jammu and Kashmir to participate in the celebration of National Panchayati Raj Day and addressed all the Gram Sabhas across the country, from there. The Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development initiatives worth around Rs. 20,000 crore. He also launched the Amrit Sarovar initiative. Lt Governor Jammu and Kashmir Shri Manoj Sinha, Union Ministers Shri Giriraj Singh, Dr. Jitendra Singh and Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil were among those present on the occasion.
The Prime Minister handed over SVAMITVA cards to beneficiaries. He also transferred award money of Rs. 44.70 crore to Panchayats which are winners of National Panchayat Awards given across different categories on National Panchayati Raj Day for their achievements.
Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of three road packages of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, being built at a cost of over Rs. 7500 crore. They are for the construction of 4/6 lane access controlled Delhi-Katra-Amritsar Expressway from: Balsua on NH-44 to GurhaBaildaran, Hiranagar; GurhaBaildaran, Hiranagar to Jakh, Vijaypur; and Jakh, Vijaypur to Kunjwani, Jammu with spur connectivity to Jammu Airport.

Suman Bery Appointed NITI Aayog Vice Chairman

NITI Aayog vice chairman Rajiv Kumar, who was appointed to India's policy think tank in 2017, resigned in April 2022. He was succeeded by economist Suman Bery. Suman Bery was the director-general of the National Council of Applied Economic Research, or NCAER, one of the country's leading independent policy research institutions, for 10 years from 2001 to 2011. Suman Bery, a senior visiting fellow at the Delhii-headquartered Centre for Policy Research, is a Global Fellow in the Asia program of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington DC. He is a Non-resident Fellow of Bruegel, an economic policy research institution located in Brussels.
He also served as a member of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, India's Statistical Commission and of the Reserve Bank of India's Technical Advisory Committee on Monetary Policy.

Maharashtra's Tourism Minister Inaugurates India's 1st Bus Service with 'Tap In, Tap Out' or Full...

Maharashtra's Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray inaugurated India's first bus service with 'Tap In, Tap Out' or the fully digital ticketing facility. The service was inaugurated on one of the BEST buses plying on the Gateway of India to Churchgate route, with plans afoot to expand the facility on all 438 routes in the near future.
Under the 'Tap In, Tap Out' service, a passenger will have to 'Tap In' his Chalo smartcard or the Chalo mobile app in front of the machine installed at the entrance. A green tick will allow the passenger to board the bus while the fare will be deducted when the passenger deboards the bus after 'Tapping Out' the smart card or mobile app. These buses will have 'Digital Bus' mentioned at the entrance. Only those passengers who are using the app or smartcard for cashless payment will be allowed to travel on the bus.

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah Attends 13th NIA Day Celebrations of National Inves...

NIA set 'Gold Standard' with more than 90 per cent conviction rate and NIA has a very important role to play in fulfilling the Prime Minister's goal of a terror-free India and Zero Tolerance Against Terrorism. NIA investigates crimes where it is difficult to gather evidences; however its achievements are an inspiration for the police and all anti terrorism agencies of the country.
The Union Home Minister said that NIA has been in existence for 13 years, during this period more than 400 cases were registered, challans were filed in more than 349 cases, 2,494 criminals were apprehended, 391 persons were successfully sentenced and the conviction ratio is 93.25 per cent.

Apr 24, 2022

Union Minister Sonowal Announces 1st Incredible India International Cruise Conference-2022 to be ...

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal announced that the 1st Incredible India International Cruise Conference-2022 will be held in Mumbai from 14th to 15th of May.
The Indian cruise market has the potential to grow by ten times over the next decade, driven by rising demand and disposable incomes.
Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal also unveiled the brochure, logo, and the mascot of the Conference- Captain Cruzo.

Apr 23, 2022

India's First Pure Green Hydrogen Plant Commissioned in Jorhat

India's first 99.999% pure Green Hydrogen pilot plant was commissioned by the Oil India Limited (OIL) at its Jorhat Pump Station in Assam. The plant has an installed capacity of 10 kg per day. The plant produces Green Hydrogen from the electricity generated by a 500kW Solar plant using a 100 kW Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) Electrolyser array. The use of AEM technology is being used for the first time in India.
This plant is expected to increase its production of green hydrogen from 10 kg per day to 30 kg per day in future. The company has initiated a detailed study in collaboration with IIT Guwahati on the blending of Green Hydrogen with Natural Gas and its effect on the existing infrastructure of OIL. The company also plans to study use cases for commercial applications of the blended fuel.

PM Modi Releases Coin, Stamp on Guru Tegh Bahadur's 400th Parkash Purab

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a commemorative coin and a postage stamp to mark the 400th anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru. Modi also addressed the nation from the historic Red Fort to mark the celebrations.
The programme was organised by the Centre in collaboration with the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. The programme was focused on highlighting the teachings of Guru Tegh Bahadur - the Sikh Guru who sacrificed his life to protect religion and human values, ideals and principles in world history. He was executed for supporting the religious freedom of Kashmiri Pandits on the orders of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb.

UK's PM Boris Johnson Opens New JCB factory Built at Halol Near Vadodara in Gujarat

National Apprenticeship Mela-2022 was organized across the country in more than over 700 locations. Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched the Apprenticeship Mela at an event in New Delhi. He said the initiative will empower the youth of the nation. He stated that people will be job creators through this Apprenticeship programme. Mr. Pradhan said apprenticeship boosts the confidence level of a person.
The event witnessed participation from more than four thousand organizations across the country, operating in more than 30 sectors such as Power, Retail, Telecom, IT/ITeS, Electronics, and Automotive. In addition, the aspiring youth had the opportunity to engage and select from more than 500 trades including Welder, Electrician, Housekeeper, Beautician, and Mechanic.

Apr 22, 2022

Integrated & Hi-tech Online Portals,CROP and PQMS, to Strengthen Indian Agriculture

In a bid to strengthen the agriculture sector of India, the Ministry of Agriculture has launched two portals that intend to create a smooth channel for the export/import of agricultural commodities and pesticides registration.
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar launched these two portals, one for the Computerized Registration of pesticide (CROP) and the other for the Plant Quarantine Management System (PQMS).

KVIC Puts Jammu & Kashmir Ahead of All Indian States in Creating Self-Employment Under PMEGP

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) scripted the golden chapter of industrial growth and employment boom in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). In the year 2021-22, KVIC, in J&K, has established the highest number of manufacturing and service units under its flagship scheme- Prime Minister's Employment Generation Program (PMEGP) and created the highest number of jobs in comparison with all other states and UTs in India. With a record 21,640 manufacturing and service units, J&K stands way ahead of bigger states like Uttar Pradesh (12,594 units), Madhya Pradesh (8082 units), Tamil Nadu (5972 units), Karnataka (5877) and Gujarat (4140 units). A massive 1.73 lakh new employment in J&K in 2021-22, under PMEGP alone, is also the highest across all states and UTs in India.
In 2021-22, KVIC had set a target of 3360 PMEGP units in J&K but buoyed by the Centre's major push to local manufacturing, it ended up establishing a whopping 21,640 units and thus exceeding the target by a massive 544%.
It is noteworthy that in 2021-22, a majority of the PMEGP units in J&K have been set up in districts like Baramula, Badgam, Pulwama, Anantnag, Ganderbal, Kupwara, Bandipora and Doda that are largely prone to militancy.

PM Modi Announces Electric Locomotive Plant in Tribal-dominated Dahod in Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that an electric locomotive manufacturing plant with an investment of Rs. 20,000 crore would be set up in the tribal-dominated Dahod district of Gujarat.
Dahod is one of the 100 cities which are part of the Smart Cities Mission of the Union government.
Indian-made electric locomotives are in demand in foreign countries too, and India is one of the very few countries which has manufactured the 9,000-horsepower locomotives which are very powerful.

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