General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - July 2016

Jul 2016

Nov 22, 2020

Centre Releases Backend Code of Aarogya Setu to Enhance Transparency

In a bid to enhance transparency, the Centre on Friday released the backend code of Aarogya Setu in the open domain that will help people understand the functioning of the COVID-19 contact-tracing app and allay apprehensions they may have around privacy and security.
The source code of the Android and iOS versions of the Aarogya Setu app was released earlier and the backend source code has been released as per the government policy to share all code repositories with the developer community.
MeitY has released the backend code of Aarogya Setu on the OpenForge platform set up by the government to promote sharing and reuse of e-governance application source codes.

BJP-BPF Alliance Headed for Split before Assam Assembly Elections

Ahead of assembly polls in Assam next year, the partnership between ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and coalition partner Bodoland People's Front (BPF) is headed for a split.
Both parties, which along with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) have been in power since 2016, are contesting next month's polls to the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) independently.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, state BJP chief Ranjeet Kumar Dass and senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma left for New Delhi to discuss the party's strategy for the assembly polls.
The leaders will meet BJP national president JP Nadda, where a decision on separation from BPF is expected to be taken. Both BJP and AGP are expected to continue the alliance and contest the assembly polls scheduled in March-April together.

India, Uzbekistan Resolve to Strengthen Ties in Economic and Defence Sectors

India and Uzbekistan vowed to deepen cooperation in diverse areas, including economic and defence sectors, with a special emphasis on timely implementation of projects in the Central Asian country being carried out under the Indian Line of Credit.
The 14th round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Uzbekistan was held through virtual mode with the Indian side led by Vikas Swarup, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Uzbek side headed by Farhod Arziev, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan.
The two sides exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and agreed to enhance cooperation in the UN and multilateral arena.

Nov 21, 2020

Punjab Congress Chief Jakhar Moots Early Elections

Amid the standoff between the Punjab farmers and the Centre over the resumption of goods trains, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Sunil Jakhar advocated early polls in Punjab which as per him would be a referendum on the three central farm laws. He described these laws as nothing but slow poisoning.
Jakhar said that the election outcome will come as a shock to the BJP which will be outrightly rejected by the people of Punjab. The way the Centre has been treating Punjab is regrettable. The state is being held to ransom by holding back GST and Rural Development Fund and suspending goods trains.

Congress Forms Panels on Economic, Foreign Affairs and National Security

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has set up three separate committees for discussing policy issues related to economic affairs, foreign affairs and national security, with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh part of all the three panels.
While former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, and party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Digvijaya Singh will be part of the economic affairs committee, Jairam Ramesh will be its convener.
The committee on foreign affairs will have Anand Sharma, Shashi Tharoor, Salman Khurshid and Saptagiri Ulaka. Khurshid will be the convener of the panel. The committee on national security will have leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, party leaders Veerappa Moily, Vincent H Pala and V Vaithilingam, with Pala as its convener.

Nov 20, 2020

Vijayanagar to be Karnataka's 31st District

The Karnataka cabinet gave in principle approval for the creation of Vijayanagara as the state's 31st district, carving it out from the mine-rich Ballari. The decision for the creation of Vijayanagara district was taken after informal discussions.
Minister for Forest and Ballari district in-charge Anand Singh, who anchored the efforts for the new district, said that the demand for it was long-standing.
The Vijayanagara district will be carved out of Ballari district.

Nov 19, 2020

Ajit Pawar's Call to Include Karnataka Districts in Maharashtra

Pawar sparked a controversy, when he called the incorporation of Belgaum (Belagavi), Karwar and Nipani areas of Karnataka into Maharashtra a "dream" of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, as he paid tributes to the leader on his eighth death anniversary.
The controversy comes weeks after the Maharashtra government asked all its ministers to wear black bands on November 1, celebrated in Karnataka as Rajyotsava or state Formation Day, to express support for Marathi-speaking people in the region.

Nov 18, 2020

India and Kazakhstan Sign MoU

India and Kazakhstan held the seventh round of foreign office consultations via video conference. The countries signed the "Indian Grant Assistance for Implementation of High Impact Community Projects in Kazakhstan".
During the consultations, the countries reviewed their bilateral cooperation within the framework of their strategic partnership. The consultations covered economic, political, defence, energy, space, cultural matters. Also, the countries shared their experiences in combating COVID-19 pandemic.
The countries also agreed to enhance their cooperation in multilateral forums including the forthcoming term of India as a member of United Nations Security Council for the period 2021-22.
Kazakhstan sources 80% of India's Uranium needs. Under India-Kazakhstan nuclear deal, so far Kazakhstan has supplied 9,000 tonnes of Uranium to India. In 2019, India and Kazakhstan renewed their nuclear deal for a period of 2020-24.

Not Part of J&K Alliance: Congress

Hours after Home Minister Amit Shah questioned the Congress over its truck with the PAGD, the party said it was not part of the alliance and did not subscribe to any foreign intervention on the Kashmir issue.
"The Congress believes in democratic elections in J&K and is participating in the district development council poll to expose nefarious designs of the BJP," said party media head Randeep Singh Surjewala.

Bihar Portfolio Allocation

A day after taking oath as Bihar CM, Nitish Kumar announced the portfolio allocation. He retained Home Department, General Administration and Vigilance. One of the two Deputy CMs, Tarkishore Prasad, got Finance, Urban Development. The other Deputy CM Renu Devi got Panchayati Raj, Backward Caste Upliftment and Industry.
Mukesh Sahni got Animal Husbandry and Fishery, Mangal Pandey got Health and Art and Culture and Bijendra Yadav got Energy, Planning and Food and Consumer Affairs.
JDU leader Mewa Lal Choudhary has been given the education ministry in the NDA government, Sheila Kumari has been handed the transport ministry.
BJP's Ram Surat has been handed the revenue ministry and law ministry while Jivesh Kumar has been given the tourism department and labour department.

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