General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - November 2016

Nov 2016

Jul 06, 2024

Dhirendra Ojha Appointed Principal Spokesperson of Government

In a move to strengthen the government's communication strategy, senior Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Dhirendra K. Ojha was appointed as the principal spokesperson of the central government. This appointment marks an important day in the realm of government communications, as it brings fresh leadership to crucial information dissemination roles.
His appointment came with the additional responsibility of serving as the principal Director General of the Press Information Bureau (PIB). This dual role positions Ojha at the forefront of government-media relations and public information dissemination.

Jul 05, 2024

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav Launches Lokpath Mobile App

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav introduced the 'Lokpath Mobile App' in Bhopal. This app aims to resolve road problems within seven days, ensuring officer accountability. The app was developed by Madhya Pradesh State Electronic Development Corporation Limited.
The app allows the public to report road issues by taking photos and submitting them directly to concerned officers. The officers are required to fix the problems within seven days and update the status on the app.

Senior (IIS) Officer Dhirendra Ojha Appointed as Director General of PIB

Senior Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Dhirendra Ojha was appointed as Director General of Press Information Bureau (PIB). Ojha replaced Sheyphali Sharan, who was appointed as the Director General of the Publications Division.
The Press Information Bureau, commonly abbreviated as PIB, is a nodal agency of the Government of India under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Based in National Media Centre, New Delhi, Press Information Bureau disseminates information to print, electronic and web media on government plans, policies, programme initiatives and achievements.

Govt. Forms 8 Cabinet Committees; Security, Appointments Panels Remain Unchanged

The Union government constituted eight Cabinet committees, with the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) getting three new faces and the two most powerful panels — the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) and Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) — remaining unchanged.
Home Minister Amit Shah is the sole Cabinet member to feature on all these panels.
The three new faces in the CCEA are Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Heavy Industries Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy, and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Rajiv Ranjan 'Lalan' Singh.
The eight Cabinet Committees are the CCEA, ACC, CCS, Cabinet Committee on Accommodation, Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, Cabinet Committee on Investment and Growth, and Cabinet Committee on Skill, Employment and Livelihood.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads six committees but is not part of two — Cabinet Committee on Accommodation and Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.

Hemant Soren Takes Oath as Chief Minister for Third Time

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren was sworn in as Jharkhand Chief Minister for the third term. He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi.
Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 31, 2024, however before his arrest, he resigned from the post of Chief Minister and Champai Soren, close to the JMM family, was made the Chief Minister.

Jul 04, 2024

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj Gets Appointed to New Delhi Municipal Council

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notified the appointment of Lok Sabha MP Bansuri Swaraj as a member of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).
Bansuri Swaraj, daughter of the late BJP stalwart Sushma Swaraj, currently represents the New Delhi constituency in the Lok Sabha.
This appointment follows Bansuri Swaraj's electoral debut from the New Delhi seat, succeeding Meenakshi Lekhi, who held the position for the past decade.
A member of the NDMC plays a significant role in the governance and administration of the New Delhi municipal area. The NDMC members contribute to the formulation and implementation of policies related to urban planning, including land use, zoning regulations, and infrastructure development.

Dr. Gangadhar Appointed NMC Chairperson

The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet appointed officiating chairperson Dr. B. N. Gangadhar as the head of the National Medical Commission (NMC) while appointing Dr. Sanjay Behari as president of Medical Assessment and Rating Board.
Dr. Gangadhar, former director of NIMHANS, was also the president of the autonomous Medical Assessment and Rating Board.

Government of India and ADB Sign $170 Million Loan to Strengthen Pandemic Preparedness and Response

India signed a $170 million policy-based loan with the Asian Development Bank to enhance the country's health system preparedness for pandemics.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the loan will help to consolidate and strengthen India's health system preparedness and response capacity to future pandemics.
The loan agreement 'Strengthened and Measurable Actions for Resilient and Transformative Health Systems Programme (Subprogramme 1)' was signed by Juhi Mukherjee, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Government of India and Mio Oka, Country Director of ADB's India Resident Mission for ADB.

Jul 03, 2024

Rajinder Khanna Additional NSA, T. V. Ravichandran Appointed Deputy

Deputy National Security Adviser (NSA) Rajinder Khanna, a former chief of India's external intelligence agency R&AW, was promoted as Additional NSA while T. V. Ravichandran, a 1990-batch IPS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, was made Deputy NSA in the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).
Khanna, a 1978-batch IPS officer of the Odisha cadre, served as the R&AW chief from December 2014 to December 2016. He has also led the R&AW operations desk and is known to be an expert on Pakistan and terrorism. He was appointed Deputy NSA (T&I) in January 2018. As in most other appointments, this signalled continuity in the NSCS too.
According to an order issued by the NSCS, Ravichandran is currently Special Director, Intelligence Bureau, and was appointed Deputy NSA for a period of two years from the date of assumption of charge, which would initially be up to his date of superannuation, i.e. August 31, 2024. Afterwards, Ravichandran would be re-employed on contractual basis.

First-ever India-Belarus Consular Dialogue Held in Minsk

A wide gamut of consular issues ranging from welfare of the Indian students in Belarus to enhancing tourism between the two countries was discussed during the first-ever India-Belarus Consular Dialogue in Minsk, Belarus.
The Indian delegation was led by Aman Puri, Joint Secretary (Consular, Passport & Visa), while the Belarusian delegation was led by Andrei Kozhan, Head of General Directorate for Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus.
The visiting Indian delegation also met with senior officials of the Belarusian Ministry of Sports and Tourism as well as representatives of the Indian student community in Belarus.
The two sides agreed to follow up on the decisions of the Dialogue and review them at the next edition of the India-Belarus Consular Dialogue which will be held in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date.

Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy Launches NIRMAN Portal

Union Minister for Coal and Mines, G Kishan Reddy launched a portal 'Noble Initiative for Rewarding Mains Aspirants of National Civil Services Examination (NIRMAN)' in New Delhi. In alignment with the vision 'Mission Karmayogi' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this is a unique CSR scheme by Coal India Limited for meritorious youth of its operating districts who have qualified the Preliminary round of UPSC examination (for Civil Services & Forest Service) in 2024. Secretary, Ministry of Coal Amrit Lal Meena, other senior officers of the Coal Ministry and CMDs of Coal Companies were present on the occasion.
The scheme is aimed towards providing support of Rs. 1,00,000 to the Preliminary examination qualified candidates with annual family income less than 8 lakh and belonging to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, female or third gender; who are permanent residents of any of the 39 operational districts of CIL.

Jul 02, 2024

Sujata Saunik Becomes First Woman Chief Secretary of Maharashtra

Sujata Saunik, a 1987 batch IAS officer, became the first female Chief Secretary of Maharashtra when she took over from retiring Chief Secretary Nitin Kareer. Incidentally, Kareer had taken the charge of this post from Saunik's husband Manoj Saunik.
Earlier, Sujata Saunik worked as additional chief secretary in the Home Department and General Administration Department, Government of Maharashtra. She is the 45th Chief Secretary of Maharashtra since 1960, when the state came into being.

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