General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - December 2016

Dec 2016

Feb 14, 2019

Rajya Sabha Passes Finance Bill

The Rajya Sabha passed the Interim Budget and Finance Bill 2019-20 without a debate.
The Interim Budget, Appropriation Bills and Finance Bill were passed by a voice vote in the Upper House after a broad consensus was arrived among political parties to pass them without debate.
Lok Sabha passed the interim budget amid walk-out by Congress, NCP and Left MPs. The Finance Bill, 2019 has been passed by the Lower House of Parliament by a voice vote.

Feb 13, 2019

Jharkhand Bans Popular Front of India

The Jharkhand government banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) in the State to curb its anti-national activities and for links with terror outfits like the IS.
The PFI has been banned with immediate effect under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1908.

India and Maldives Reverse Visa Stand-off

India and Maldives exchanged an agreement to facilitate visas for travel between the two countries in a number of categories, easing a bilateral stand-off which had resulted in thousands of Indian job seekers being denied work permits in 2018.
This agreement provides a very liberal visa regime for Maldivian nationals to visit India for tourism, business, education and medical purposes.
It also makes it easier for Indians to travel to Maldives for business purposes. The agreement was signed in December 2018 during the visit of Maldives President Ibu Solih.
The agreement will ease visas on arrival for Indian businessmen, and bring cheer to Indians applying for work in the Maldives, as it stipulates that work permits will be issued within 15 days to Indian employees, and the visa fees will be paid by employers in the Maldives.

Feb 12, 2019

Adjournment of Hearing on Art 35A

The Jammu and Kashmir government sought adjournment of hearing on the contentious Article 35A case, which was expected to be taken up by the Supreme Court in February in the second week.
M. Shoeb Alam, the standing counsel of the Jammu and Kashmir government in the Supreme Court, filed a note before the top court's secretary general, requesting postponement of the hearing. The matter was listed for February 12.
Alam submitted that the state will be seeking adjournment in the matter because there is presently no elected government in Jammu and Kashmir and the State is under President's Rule.

New Immigration Checkpoint for Kartarpur Sahib

The Home Ministry has designated the Dera Baba Nanak land check post in Gurdaspur district, the exit and entry point in Punjab for visiting the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan, as an authorised immigration checkpoint.
In a notification, the Ministry said that anyone with valid travel documents could exit or enter through the check post.

Feb 10, 2019

India Set to Overtake Pakistan

According to Union Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, India is likely to overtake Pakistan in terms of the number of pilgrims sent for Haj pilgrimage this year.
There are two Islamic countries – Indonesia, from where around 2 lakh people participate and then there is Pakistan from where 1,84,000 people participate.
As of today, India already has over 1,75,000 participants and is aiming to supersede Pakistan this year.

NPP May Quit NDA

Amid widespread protests across the northeastern region over the contentious Citizenship Bill, National People's Party (NPP) president and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma threatened that his party would quit the BJP-led NDA if the proposed legislation was passed in Rajya Sabha.

BSP Calls Off Alliance with INLD

The Bahujan Samaj Party called off its nearly nine-month-old alliance with Haryana's main opposition INLD and announced to forge ties with LSP, an outfit floated by rebel BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini.
The development comes days after Om Prakash Chautala-led Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) suffered a humiliating defeat in the Jind bypolls, with party candidate Umed Singh Redhu forfeiting his security deposit.
Under the new arrangement, the BSP and the LSP will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and Haryana Assembly polls.
In Haryana, the BSP will contest on eight and the LSP on two Lok Sabha seats, Meghraj said.
He further said that his party would contest on 35 seats and LSP would on 55 seats during the Haryana Assembly polls.

Feb 09, 2019

Dial 1950 to Check your Voter Details

The Election Commission has launched a Voter Verification and Information Programme for citizens to cross-check their names, new registrations, changes in the voter details and corrections in the voter identity cards for the coming Lok Sabha election. The voter helpline number is 1950.
The Commission has enabled various channels for the programme and has also set up contact centres in all districts of India.

Three NE States on Alert

Assam Director General of Police Kuladhar Saikia said that the district police chiefs have been alerted for the possible entry of State-based extremists flushed out of Myanmar during an extensive raid on their bases in that country.
As per Mr. Saikia, the fallout of the operation in the neighbouring country has been discussed with his counterparts in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
Indian security forces had stepped up vigil along the 1,643 km border with Myanmar — specifically the Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland stretch adjoining Myanmar's Sagaing Division, where the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) is based — after the Tatmadaw's crackdown on the bases of the extremists since January 29.
The Myanmar Army is called Tatmadaw.

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