General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - December 2016

Dec 2016

Jan 05, 2019

Women MPs Push for Quota

Women members in the Rajya Sabha urged the government to ensure the passage of the women's reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha.
The Bill, which proposes a 33% reservation for women in Parliament and State legislatures, was passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but has been stuck in the Lower House for nine years.
The Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill, commonly known as the women's reservation Bill, needs to be approved by the Lok Sabha in order to become law.

Jan 04, 2019

Retirement Age of Judges

According to the Law Ministry, there was no proposal as of now to increase the retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 and of High Court judges from 62 to 65.
The Ministry was responding to the recommendation of a Parliamentary Standing Committee that raising the retirement age of judges would help retain the existing judges, which in turn would help in reducing both vacancy and pendency of cases in short run.

Jan 03, 2019

Panel to Protect Assam's Heritage

The Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of a high-level committee for the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord which provides for constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of Assam.
It also recommended reserving Assembly seats for indigenous communities in the state.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh had assured Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in May 2018 that a committee would be set up at the earliest in consultation with the State government.

Jan 02, 2019

Aadhaar Act Norms

As per reports, the government has proposed a penalty of up to Rs. 1 crore on entities that violate the provisions of the Aadhaar Act, with an additional fine of up to Rs. 10 lakh per day in case of continuous non-compliance.
Amid privacy concerns over Aadhaar, amendments have been planned in the Act, under which the government also proposes to arm the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) with more powers, similar to that of regulators.
The Aadhaar Act, at present, does not empower the body to take enforcement action against errant entities in the Aadhaar ecosystem.

New Police stations and Police District in Delhi

Fifteen new police stations and a new police district in Delhi have started functioning from January 01.
This will take the total number of territorial police stations in Delhi to 178 and police districts to 15.
The new district, to be known as 'Outer North' district, will help keep a better check on the city's borders near Rohini.
The new 'Outer North' district has been formed by carving out the existing Rohini, North-West and Outer districts.

Separate High Courts for AP and Telangana

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana got separate High Courts a week after the Centre issued a notification in this regard.
The notification was issued for the bifurcation of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
The two states had shared the High Court since Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh over four years ago in June 2014.
In Hyderabad, Justice Thottathil Bhaskaran Nair Radhakrishnan was sworn in as Telangana High Court's first Chief Justice.
Justice C. Praveen Kumar took oath as Andhra Pradesh's acting Chief Justice.

India and Pakistan Exchanged Lists of Nuclear Installations

India and Pakistan exchanged lists of installations covered under an agreement against attacks on nuclear facilities and lists of prisoners held in each other's jails against the backdrop of a downturn in bilateral relations.
The lists of nuclear installations and facilities were exchanged simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear installations that was signed in December 1988 and came into force in January 1991.
The pact states the two countries must inform each other of nuclear facilities to be covered under the agreement on January 1 every year. This was the 28th consecutive exchange of the lists since January 1992.

Jan 01, 2019

Sajjan Sent to Jail

Former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar surrendered before a local court to serve the life sentence awarded to him by the Delhi High Court for murder of five Sikhs during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Former MLAs Krishan Khokhar and Mahender Yadav, who were also convicted in the same case and awarded 10-year jail terms each, surrendered before the court earlier during the day.
The court was informed by authorities that all convicts have been taken to Mandoli jail.

Entire Nagaland Declared Disturbed

The entire state of Nagaland has been declared disturbed area for six more months, till June-end, under the controversial AFSPA, which empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without any prior notice.
The AFSPA has been in force in Nagaland for several decades. It has not been withdrawn even after a framework agreement was signed on August 3, 2015 by Naga insurgent group NSCN-IM general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah and government interlocutor R. N. Ravi in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Share on

TCY Analytics (View Subscription Plans)

Subscribe to GK Updates

I want to receive

GK Tags

October GK, September GK, August 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