General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - July 2016

Jul 2016

Feb 10, 2021

Shahnawaz Hussain Inducted into Nitish Cabinet

Union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and BJP's national spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain has finally been rehabilitated in active politics with a position in the Bihar government led by BJP's partner, JD-U's Nitish Kumar.
One of Saffron party's prominent Muslim faces -- apart from union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Rajya Sabha member Syed Zafar Islam, Hussain was the first to be administered the oath of office by Governor Phagu Chauhan at a ceremony held in the Raj Bhavan.
Out of electoral politics since 2014, Hussain was recently named by the BJP as its MLC candidate from Bihar, thus marking his return albeit at the state level.
The Cabinet strength of the Nitish Kumar Government is now 34.

India and China Discuss UNSC Coordination

India and China held consultations on cooperation on issues relating to UN Security Council in an attempt to cool tensions and set the stage for substantial talks on a concrete disengagement schedule in the border areas of eastern Ladakh.
The Chinese delegation was led by Yang Tao from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian team by Prakash Gupta, Joint Secretary in MEA. Both sides discussed a wide range of issues on the UNSC agenda. The Indian delegation briefed the Chinese side on India's priorities during its UNSC tenure. Both sides agreed to continue their engagement on key issues on the UNSC agenda, stated a MEA release. India will occupy a seat on UNSC for two years till the end of 2022 while China is one of the five permanent members.

Feb 09, 2021

India and EU Discuss Possibility of Opening New Areas in Trade Cooperation

In its first high-level dialogue on bilateral trade and investment, India and the European Union exchanged views on the possibility of opening new areas of cooperation, especially on the resilience of global value chains and regulatory mechanisms besides key market access issues.
India hosted the first India-EU high-level dialogue (HLD) through virtual mode. The HLD was co-chaired by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and European Commission Executive Vice-President and Trade Commissioner, Valdis Dombrovskis.
The dialogue has been established as part of the commitment made during the 15th India-EU Leaders' virtual Summit held on July 15, 2020, to provide ministerial-level guidance to the bilateral trade and investment relations.
As per reports, Dombrovskis and Goyal discussed trade and investment issues with an emphasis on the socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as vaccine production and distribution mechanisms, including value chain linkages.

Sharmila Prepares to Launch New Regional Party in Telangana

The stage is set for the launch of a new regional party in Telangana soon by Y. S. Sharmila, who is the sister of Y.S.R. Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
For the last few days, there have been speculations on social media groups of the YSRC about Sharmila's plans to launch a new political outfit exclusively in Telangana, independent of her brother Jagan's party, which is currently in power in Andhra Pradesh.
However, there has been neither denial nor confirmation from Sharmila's camp. The leader quoted above said there had indeed been talk about her plans to launch a new political outfit. "It is still not known why she has chosen to launch a new political party in Telangana and what her strategies are. She might give some clarity at Tuesday's meeting," the leader said.

Sasikala Announces Return to Tamil Nadu Politics

Spelling more trouble for the already jittery All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), expelled general secretary V. K. Sasikala, returned to Chennai with fanfare, announced her return to politics and urged the party cadre to unite to take on common foe M.K. Stalin's Dravida Munnetra Kaqzhagam (DMK) in upcoming assembly elections.
Sasikala's release from prison and her return to Chennai ahead of the assembly elections adds an intriguing new factor to the political dynamics of Tamil Nadu, where the DMK and the Congress are preparing to take on the AIADMK and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while she was in prison, the AIADMK expelled her from the party, and said that she wouldn't be taken back into the party's fold.

Nitish Kumar to Expand Bihar Cabinet

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will expand his cabinet. Induction of new members in the state cabinet will take place at Raj Bhavan where they will be administered the oath by Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan.
The newly elected members of the state legislative council (MLC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shahnawaz Hussain and Vikassheel Insaan Party's Mukesh Sahni are expected to get ministerial berths in the cabinet expansion.

Feb 08, 2021

Pact Signed to Establish India's First Geothermal Field Development Project in Leh

A historic tripartite agreement for establishing India's first-ever geothermal field development project here has been signed, with Ladakh Lieutenant Governor R K Mathur terming it a step towards achieving the goal of carbon-neutral Ladakh.
The pact was signed between Union Territory Administration Ladakh, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Leh and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Energy Centre.
In Phase-1 of this pilot project, 1 megawatt (MW) power generation capacity shall be generated and 100 per cent free power shall be supplied to the public, the spokesperson said adding that ONGC Energy Centre is the implementing agency for this pilot project.
The Phase-2 shall involve deeper and lateral exploration of geothermal reservoir by drilling optimal number of wells and setting up of a higher capacity demo plant in Ladakh, while Phase-3 shall be a commercial project as per discovered capacity.

PM Modi Inaugurates Key Projects Including LPG Import Terminal in Poll-bound Bengal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched multiple development projects including an LPG import terminal built by the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited in Haldia of Purba Medinipur district in West Bengal.
The other development projects launched by the Prime Minister include -- Dobhi-Durgapur Natural Gas Pipeline section of the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga project and a Four-Lane ROB-cum-Flyover at Ranichak, in Haldia.
Addressing the inauguration event, Prime Minister Modi said that these projects would help transform Haldia into a big import-export centre of India.

UP Govt. Announces 16-digit Unicode to Identify Landholdings

The Uttar Pradesh government has introduced a system of issuing a unique 16-digit Unicode to mark all kinds of landholdings in the state.
Every piece of land in the state will have its own unique identity from now onwards that would check cases of land disputes and save people from falling into the trap of fraudsters.
The revenue department will be issuing the Unicode for marking all kinds of agricultural, residential and commercial land and a person will now be able to know the details of the land with a single click, he said.
The Unicode number of the land will be 16 digits with the first six digits based on the population of the land, the next 4 digits determining the unique identity of the land. The digits from 11 to 14 will be the number of the division of the land. The last 2 digits will have the details of the category, through which, the agricultural, residential and commercial land will be identified.

Congress Looks for Ghulam Nabi Azad's Replacement in the Rajya Sabha

As Rajya Sabha's Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad's term comes to an end on February 15, the Congress is weighing its options to pick his replacement.
Former Congress floor leader in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, the party's deputy leader in the RS Anand Sharma and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram are among the names doing the rounds for the post, those familiar with the development said on condition of anonymity. The possibility of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh becoming the next LoP was also not discounted.
The Rajya Sabha will have no representatives from Jammu and Kashmir by February 15, when the four Upper House members from the Union Territory (UT) carved out of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 complete their stints.
As the UT does not have an elected assembly at present, there will be no representatives in the upper chamber of Parliament until elections are held in J&K.

AIMIM to Contest in Gujarat Civic Body Polls in Alliance with BTP

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) will contest the municipal elections in Gujarat in alliance with the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP).
Owaisi addressed two public meetings--one in Bharuch and one in Ahmedabad.
AIMIM supremo added that his party will contest the municipal elections in the state and said, "This is the first time we are contesting elections here, hope the people bestow us with love."
The six cities in Gujarat are going to have civic body election-- Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar--on February 21.

2021 Uttarakhand glacial outburst flood

On 7 February 2021, a glacial lake outburst flood centered on the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand led to massive flooding along the Alaknanda and Dhauliganga rivers.
Primary reports suggest the reduced snowfall this winter in Uttarakhand played a part in the disaster.
The Rishiganga power project on the Rishiganga River, a tributary to the Dhauliganga River, was damaged and 35 laborers working on the project are missing. The district of Chamoli in Uttarakhand appeared to have been hit the hardest by the surging Dhauliganga River.

PM Modi Visits Poll-bound Assam to Launch 'Asom Mala',

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Assam to lay the foundation stone of two hospitals and launch 'Asom Mala', a programme for state highways and major district roads, at Dhekiajuli in Sonitpur district in Assam.
- This was PM Modi's second visit to these two election-bound states in a month after his last visit on the occasion of Parikrama Diwas celebrated on January 23.

Feb 07, 2021

Nana Patole Appointed Maharashtra Cong President

The Congress appointed Nana Patole as the president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee. Patole's appointment comes a day after he resigned as the Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly.
Patole replaced Balasaheb Thorat, who had an 18-month stint at the helm of the state Congress and is presently Maharashtra's revenue minister.
The party also appointed six working presidents as part of its organisational rejig.

Govt. Invites Applications for Joint Secretaries, Director Posts

The Centre invited applications for the post of joint secretaries and directors in various ministries, including finance, civil aviation, law, agriculture and education, as part of its lateral entry policy.
Online Applications are invited from talented and motivated Indian nationals willing to contribute towards nation building to join the Government at the level of Joint Secretary or Director, Group 'A' for a period of 3 years, by March 22, 2021.
The government is looking to appoint three joint secretaries and 27 directors through the lateral entry route to work for 13 ministries on contract basis.

Centre Asks U'khand to Revisit Proposal Regarding Non-forestry Use of Forest Land

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has asked the Uttarakhand government to revisit its proposal regarding non-forestry use of 87 hectares (ha) of forest land in Dehradun for the expansion of Jolly Grant Airport.
The move comes in the wake of Uttarakhand High Court's observations pertaining to conservation of wildlife and fragmentation of the forest area serving as a link for movement for wildlife species.
In its January 11 order, the High Court stayed implementation of the state government's January 8 notification to denotify Shivalik Elephant Reserve.

Mamata Presents Vote on Account, Announces Pension for All Ahead of Bengal Polls

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sought a vote on account for Rs. 2.99 lakh crore as she opened the doors of state exchequer for common people ahead of the assembly polls, showering the farm sector with sops and wooing the elderly and widows with pensions.
Banerjee presented the vote on account in the absence of Finance Minister Amit Mitra, who is not keeping well.
The estimates for the first few months of the new fiscal, starting April, will be taken up for discussion over the next two days before the assembly passes it.
Banerjee, while criticising the Centre for not extending "necessary help", insisted the state tirelessly undertook welfare measures for its people.
The TMC supremo, who is locked in a tug of war with challenger BJP ahead of the elections over claiming the legacy of Bengal icons, said her government will construct an Azad Hind Munument in Kolkata, Jai Hind Bhavans in districts and a State Planning Commission after legendary freeedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose. She announced an overall outlay of Rs. 215 crore for the projects.

Odisha Unveils Welfare Projects for Villages Caught in Border Row with Andhra

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik unveiled a slew of developmental projects for the villages bordering Andhra Pradesh in Koraput district even as the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government stoked the on-going border dispute by allegedly including three villages of Odisha in its electoral roll and conducting gram panchayat elections there.
Inaugurating several welfare projects worth Rs. 18 crore including laying the foundation stone of a Rs. 5 crore bridge through video-conferencing, Patnaik said that Kotia gram panchayat on the Andhra-Odisha border would be developed into a model gram panchayat. "The state government has already implemented developmental activities in the sectors of education, health, communication, drinking water, and electricity," he said, assuring that he would be visiting the panchayat soon.
The CM's unveiling of projects worth Rs. 18 crore came in addition to the on-going projects of Rs. 150 crore for the development of 21 disputed villages in Kotia gram panchayat under Potangi block of Koraput where neighbouring Andhra Pradesh is also asserting its authority by distributing forest land rights and buildings roads.

Feb 06, 2021

JP Nadda Set to Launch Rath Yatra in Bengal

BJP president J P Nadda is set to launch the party's 'Rath Yatra' in West Bengal to mobilise public support ahead of the assembly elections but confusion prevails over the grant of permission for the march during which party leaders intend to crisscross the state.
Nadda is scheduled to kick off the 'Parivartan Yatra' from Nabadwip, the birthplace of 15th century saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Nadia district. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also likely to inaugurate two of the five proposed yatras later this month.
However, confusion prevailed till Friday evening over its prospects as Nadia district administration is yet to accord permission for the Rath Yatra.
Although the BJP claimed it has received permission, the district police insisted it is for a public meeting and not the Rath Yatra.

Andhra Pradesh to Set up 3 IT-related Concept Cities to Create more Jobs

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the officers to come up with an motion plan to set up three concept cities close to Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, and Bengaluru to home info expertise and related industries within the state.
As per an official launch, the Chief Minister stated that these cities ought to contribute to the IT progress and assist in the event of the state by bringing in as many industries as doable and deal with creating numerous jobs.
The Chief Minister has directed officials to focus on ensuring uninterrupted internet service should be provided in every village. He had stressed on the construction of libraries with accessible bandwidth internet connections in every village. Apart from building libraries, the Chief Minister instructed that all the secretariats and Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) in the village should also be connected to the internet.

Over 22 lakh Public Grievances, Highest in Last 3 Years, Received in 2020

Over 20 lakh public grievances, highest in the last three years, have been received on an online platform run by the central government, the Rajya Sabha was informed.
In a written reply to the Upper House, Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said that a total of 22,71,270 grievances were received on the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) in 2020, as against 18,67,758 in 2019 and 15,86,415 in 2018.
Of these, 23,19,569 grievances were disposed last year, 16,39,856 in 2019 and 15,05,950 in 2018.
As many as 10,23,300 grievances were pending in 2020.

Share on

TCY Analytics (View Subscription Plans)

Subscribe to GK Updates

I want to receive

GK Tags

September GK, August GK, July GK, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, SPORTS, NATIONAL AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, PERSONS IN NEWS, DAYS AND EVENTS, AWARDS AND HONOURS, GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES, GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION, ART AND CULTURE, BOOKS AND AUTHORS, TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARENESS, ART AND CULTURE, LAW AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Start Discussion

On any topic

Take Tests

Compiled from GK updates

Login

Sign Up

Forgot Password

Download TCY App

Unlock All Services And Enjoy The Premium Benefits

US$ 10

US$ 13

US$ 15

US$ 17

US$ 19

US$ 20

US$ 21

US$ 22

US$ 23

US$ 24

US$ 25

US$ 26