General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - December 2016

Dec 2016

May 14, 2018

BJP's Andhra and Jammu and Kashmir Chiefs

BJP president Amit Shah appointed Kanna Lakshminarayana, who had left the Congress to join the party in 2014, as its Andhra Pradesh chief and made Somu Veerraju, also a contender for the post, the state convener of the election management committee. Shah also appointed Ravindra Raina as president of its Jammu and Kashmir unit following the induction of Raina's predecessor Sat Sharma into the PDP-BJP government as a minister.

Repolling in 3 Polling Booths

A day before counting of votes in the Karnataka Assembly elections, repolling is being held in three polling booths. The repolling in the polling booths was necessitated due to technical errors during polling on May 12.

The three booths are number 20 and 21 in Kushtagi constituency and booth number 2 in Hebbala.

Karnataka's 72% Turnout is a Record

The 72.36% turnout in Karnataka's Assembly elections is new record for the State, surpassing the 71.90% polling 40 years ago in 1978. The 2013 Assembly polls recorded a turnout of 71.45%.

Army Finalises Ammunition Project

After years of deliberations, the Army has finalised a mega Rs. 15,000-crore project under which a range of ammunition for its critical weapons and tanks will be produced indigenously to overcome long delays in imports and address the problem of a dwindling stockpile.

As per reports, 11 private firms would be involved in the ambitious project, the implementation of which is being monitored by the top brass of the Army and the Defence Ministry.

May 13, 2018

Rabri Becomes Leader of Opposition

Former Bihar Chief Minister and senior Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Rabri Devi was accorded the status of the Leader of Opposition in the State Legislative Council on the basis of her party's enhanced strength in the Upper House. The development followed the recent biennial elections to the Legislative Council after which the RJD's tally rose from seven to nine, required to get the status.

May 12, 2018

Withdrawal of AFSPA in Phases

Citing an improved situation, the Assam government has decided to urge the Centre for withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from parts of the state in phases and not at one go. The Act has been in force in the state for 28 years now.

Assam will become the fourth state after Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya to lift the controversial legislation if the Centre gives its nod to the state government's proposal, which it plans to submit before the expiry of the current six-month period of the Act in August. The Act is also currently enforced in parts of Arunachal and Manipur and the whole of Nagaland.

Himanshu Roy Commits Suicide

Additional Director General of Police and former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief Himanshu Roy allegedly committed suicide. The former ATS chief allegedly shot himself using his own revolver at his residence.

A 1988 batch IPS officer, Roy played a major role in solving several key cases.

Pokhran Nuclear Test

India marked the 20th anniversary of the Pokhran nuclear tests (on 11th May), covering a journey from being a sanctions-hit country to getting a special waiver from the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group paving the way for signing civil nuclear deals with the US and several other countries.

India had conducted five underground nuclear tests on May 11 and 13, 1998 in Pokhran in the Rajasthan desert and declared it crossed the nuclear threshold.

May 11, 2018

Ram Nath Kovind Visits Siachen

President Ram Nath Kovind visited Siachen Base Camp and addressed the soldiers posted there. He also visited the Kumar Post. President Kovind is the second President of India to visit Siachen. The previous visit was undertaken by President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam in April 2004. This makes President Kovind the first President to travel to Siachen in 14 years.

Rail Activist Bipin Passes Away

Rail activist Bipin Gandhi, the brain behind the 'Adarsh Coach' in the Panchavati Express, passed away in Nashik following a cardiac arrest.
The idea of 'Adarsh Coach' hit Gandhi in 1981 as an ordinary commuter on the Nashik-Mumbai line. Two decades later, he founded the Rail Parishad. In 2007, Gandhi planned to introduce the ideal coach, and the Railways gave him a rake for experiment.
The 'Adarsh Coach' entered the Limca Book of Records in 2012 and 2015.

South Western Railway Bags Safety Shield Award

During the year 2017-18, South Western Railway (SWR) has registered best figures and tremendous improvements in key areas of safety pertaining to train operations among all Zonal Railways. Recognizing the efforts of SWR undertaken for improving safety, Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal awarded the Railway Minister's Safety Shield for 2017-18 to South Western Railway in an annual award event.

May 10, 2018

Nagaland LS Bypoll

The ruling People's Democratic Alliance decided to field former Minister Tokheho Yepthomi to take on the Opposition Naga People's Front (NPF) nominee C. Apok Jamir in May bypoll for the lone Lok Sabha seat of Nagaland.

The bypoll has been necessitated due to Neiphiu Rio becoming the Chief Minister and vacating the seat.

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