General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2017

Feb 2017

Jul 17, 2021

Borders of Uttarakhand to be Sealed for Kanwariyas

The borders of Uttarakhand will be sealed for Kanwariyas from July 24, 2021.
The Uttarakhand government has decided to suspend the Kanwar Yatra for the safety of people in view of the looming threat of the third wave of Covid-19.
The borders of the state will be sealed for Kanwariyas from July 24, Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar said. However, barring Kanwariyas, there will be no restriction on the movement of others, he added.
With the start of the month of Shravan in the Hindu calendar on July 25, Kanwariyas begin to pour into Haridwar in large numbers to collect the holy water of the Ganga.

Permanent Commission: Army Seeks Clarification from SC Over Women Officers

The Indian Army has sought a clarification from the Supreme Court on the grant of permanent commission to women short service commission officers (WSSCO) pointing out that around 14% of them failed one criteria for this -- and whether an apex court ruling of March meant permanent commissions had to be granted irrespective of the criteria being met.
The issue involves 72 of 514 women short service commission officers (WSSCO).
The Selection Board that considered their case in September 2020 found serious charges of indiscipline, forgery, disobedience and unbecoming conduct as an officer -- and on this basis denied them permanent commission.

NCW Signs MoU with BPR&D on Gender Sensitisation of Police Personnel

The National Commission for Women signed an MoU with the Bureau of Police Research and Development for gender sensitisation of police personnel across the country.
The programme, which aims to sensitise the security personnel on gender issues, will be fully sponsored by the Commission and facilitated by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) with a special module in coordination with its units and other stakeholders.
The aim of the programme is to ensure gender sensitisation of police personnel with respect to legislation and policies concerning women, and bringing attitudinal and behavioural changes in police officers while dealing with crimes against women.

Jul 16, 2021

6th anniversary of Skill India Mission

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on July 15, 2021 on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day 2021 and 6th anniversary of Skill India Mission.
In his address, Prime Minister highlighted "Skill development of youth of new generation is a national need and a huge foundation for self-reliant India".
According to PM, under Skill India Mission, 1.25 crore youth have been trained till date.

Jul 15, 2021

OBC Sub-categorisation Commission's Term Extended by 6 Months

The Union Cabinet extended the term of the commission examining the possibility of sub-categorisation within the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the Central list by six months beyond July 31 this year to January 31 next year, a government statement said.
"The proposed extension of tenure and addition in its terms of reference shall enable the Commission to submit a comprehensive report on the issue of sub-categorization of OBCs, after consultation with various stakeholders," the statement issued after the Cabinet committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said.
The commission, which took charge on October 11, 2017, is headed by retired Delhi high court chief justice G Rohini. The commission is constituted of Centre for Policy Studies director Dr J K Bajaj as a member and two other ex-officio members. It was set up to examine the possibility of creating categories within OBCs for the reservation to ensure "equitable distribution" of representation among all OBC communities.

PM to Inaugurate 1st Station Redeveloped Through PPP Mode

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Gandhinagar capital railway station, the country's first redeveloped railway station in line with the government's plan to modernise railway stations through Public Private Partnerships, on July 16.
"The Station has been provided with world-class amenities, at par with modern airports. Special Care has been taken to make it a Divyang friendly station by providing it with a special ticket booking counter, ramps, lifts, dedicated parking space etc. The complete building is designed and provided with Green Building rating features. The state-of-the-art external façade will have daily theme based lighting with 32 themes. The station will also house a five-star hotel," the PMO said in a statement.
Station redevelopment is planned by leveraging real estate potential of separable land and air space in and around the stations, through private participation. These redeveloped hubs will be called "Railopolis."

PM Modi to Inaugurate Public Projects worth Rs. 1,500 crore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi to inaugurate development works worth over Rs. 1,500 crore there.
The projects include-- a 100-bed model maternal and child health (MCH) wing at the Institute of Medical Sciences of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), multi-level parking facilities, highway development projects, and tourism projects as well.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal Appointed Leader of House in Rajya Sabha

Union minister Piyush Goyal was appointed as the leader of the house in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Goyal replaces Thawar Chand Gehlot, who moved to Karnataka as the governor of the state following the recent cabinet reshuffle.
The appointment also takes significance as the monsoon session of Parliament is set to commence on July 19. It will conclude on August 13.
Goyal has been a member of the upper house of the parliament since 2010. Until now, he was the deputy leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Rajya Sabha. He holds key portfolios in the cabinet including commerce and industry, food and consumer affairs.

Centre Restores, Raises D.A. for its Employees

The Union Cabinet increased the dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) for 11.4 million central government employees and pensioners to 28% of basic pay from 17% effective prospectively from July 1.
However, three instalments of DA and DR held back from last year will not be paid at the new rate, despite a demand by central government staff.
The three additional instalments of DA to central government employees and DR to pensioners, which were due from January 1, 2020, till June 2021, were frozen in April, just a month after the Cabinet approved a hike to 21% of basic pay from 17%.
The government said this was because the pandemic had put central government finances under stress.

Jul 14, 2021

Ladakh first Union Territory to Achieve 100% First Dose Coverage

Ladakh has become first Union Territory to vaccinate all residents and guest population; comprising of migrant labourers, hotel workers and Nepalese citizens earning their livelihood in the territory; with first dose of Covid-19 jab.
As per data, total of 89,404 people from all eligible age groups have been administered with first dose of Covid vaccine.

In a First, Yaks to be Insured

Yak farmers in the remote Himalayas can now afford a smile, thanks to the National Insurance Company Ltd (NICL).
These highlanders living in the harshest of climatic conditions used to incur regular losses due to deaths of the animal. For the first time, the NICL has decided to insure the highly valuable Himalayan cattle.
India has around 58,000 yaks, found on the heights of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh. This bovine species is susceptible to inclement weather conditions due to climate change, diseases, attacks by wild animals, etc.

Jul 13, 2021

Newly Inducted Ministers Find Place in Key Cabinet Committees

Union ministers who were sworn in during the expansion and reshuffle of the Union council of ministers have been included in various Cabinet committees that were reconstituted.
Newly inducted Union ministers Bhupender Yadav, Sarbananda Sonowal, and Mansukh Mandaviya have been included in the Cabinet committee on political affairs along with Smriti Irani and Giriraj Singh in place of former ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Harsh Vardhan, and the late Ram Vilas Paswan.
This committee has a key role to play in addressing Centre-state issues and also examines economic and political issues that have no internal or external security implications.
Newly inducted ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia, Narayan Rane and Ashwini Vaishnaw have been included in the committee to oversee investment and growth.
The committee has the task to identify key projects required to be implemented on a time-bound basis, involving investments of Rs.1,000 crore or more, or any other critical projects, as may be specified by the committee, in sectors such as infrastructure, manufacturing, and to prescribe time limits for issue of requisite approvals and clearances by the ministries/departments concerned.

Harsh Lodha wins Supreme Court battle

The Supreme Court declined to entertain a special leave petition (SLP) filed by the Birlas against a Calcutta High Court Division Bench order that had dismissed contempt petitions against Harsh Vardhan Lodha for continuing as director and chairman in Birla Corporation, Universal Cables, Vindhya Telelinks and Birla Cable.
The apex court directed Calcutta High Court to dispose of all outstanding appeals and cross-appeals over Lodha holding office as a director in MP Birla Group companies by March 31, 2022.

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