General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - December 2016

Dec 2016

Jul 10, 2018

No Friday Prayers at Taj Mahal for Agra Non-Residents

People, who are not residents of Agra, would not be allowed to enter a mosque located inside the Taj Mahal complex, to offer Friday prayers, as per the Supreme Court order, saying the monument was one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and it cannot be "decimated". A Bench of Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan observed that there were several other mosques in Agra and the non-residents could offer the customary prayers there.

Bio-Ethanol Project to Curb Stubble Burning in Punjab

To curb stubble burning and create a positive atmosphere for industrialisation, the Punjab state government has taken a decision to set up a bio-ethanol project. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Punjab Government, and SAB Industries Ltd.

SC upholds Dealth Penalty for Nirbhaya Convicts

The Supreme court dismissed the petitions of the convicts in Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, and upheld the death penalty given to them. The court also rejected the petitioners' plea for abolition of capital punishment. According to CJI Dipak Misra, the petitions didn't disclose any grounds for invoking its review jurisdiction under Article 137.

The Bench had reserved its order in May after hearing the counsel for three review petitioners and special public prosecutor Siddharth Luthra.

IIT Delhi among Six Institutions of Eminence

The UGC granted 'Institutions of Emine-nce' (IoE) status to three public and three private institutes, giving them autonomy in range of activities, and additionally for public universities, more money. The government has granted IoE status to IIT-Delhi, IIT- Bombay, and Bengaluru based IISC in the public sector and Manipal Academy of Higher Education, BITS Pilani, and Jio Institute promoted by the Reliance Foundation in the private sector.

Jul 09, 2018

India Rethinks Russia Deal

As per reports, India has conveyed to Russia its unwillingness to go ahead with the joint development of a fifth-generation fighter aircraft, primarily because of the high costs involved in the project.

The project has been estimated at around $30 billion or Rs. 2 lakh crore.

Jul 08, 2018

JEE Main and NEET UG 2019 Dates

Tentative schedule for JEE Main exams 2019 has been announced. The tests will be held in January and April. JEE (Main) January 2019 will be held from January 6 to 20. JEE (Main) April 2019 will be held from April 7 to 21.

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) exams 2019 will be held in February and May. NEET (UG) February 2019 will be held from February 3 to 17. NEET (UG) May 2019 will be held from May 12 to 26.

NEET, JEE Twice a Year

National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and National Eligibility Test will now be conducted by National Testing Agency. Till now, these exams were organised by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

Students can appear for NEET twice a year and the best score will be considered for admission. It will be conducted in February and May every year.

NET, the test to determine eligibility for college and university level lectureship, will be conducted in December. JEE (Mains), for admission to various undergraduate engineering and architecture courses, will be held in January and April every year.

Jul 07, 2018

Virbhadra Singh Will Not Contest Lok Sabha Elections

Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh declared that he won't contest Lok Sabha elections any further. The 84-year-old also lashed out at his own party leadership in the state, holding them responsible for Congress' debacle in Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections in 2017.

The six-time CM of Himachal Pradesh, however, refuted all rumours of rift within the party.

Plastic Bags Banned in UP

The Uttar Pradesh government banned the use of polythene bags and items of common use made of plastic in the entire state effective from July 15.

Jul 06, 2018

UP Panel Sends Notice to AMU

The Uttar Pradesh SC/ST Commission asked Aligarh Muslim University to explain why it was not following the quota system despite not enjoying "minority" status.

This came more than a week after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asked if Banaras Hindu University could provide quota to OBC and Dalit students, why not AMU.

According to Brij Lal, U.P. SC/ST Commission chairman, there has been no such ruling from the Supreme Court that barred AMU from providing reservation to SC/ST students.

ABB India Signs MoU with IIT Roorkee

The ABB (India) Limited has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR) to technical cooperation for the construction of an operational smart electricity distribution network and management system in the campus. The move is aimed to serve as a pilot project for the Smart Cities mission of the Narendra Modi government.

J&K Local Polls

The Centre has asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to prepare for urban local bodies elections that were last held in 2005.

The local body polls could be used to test the waters for holding Assembly elections.

J&K has 78 urban local bodies, which includes two municipal corporations in Jammu and Srinagar.

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