General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2017

Feb 2017

Jan 27, 2020

Peace Accord with Bodo Factions

The Centre is expected to sign a peace accord with all four factions of the banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), a remark that came on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that insurgency in the north-east has reduced substantially and many of those who picked up arms have returned to the mainstream.
Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) chief Hagrama Mohiliary and senior bureaucrats flew to the national capital to participate in the signing of the peace pact with the groups that have been demanding a separate state.
According to Biswajit Daimary, a Rajya Sabha member from the Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF), the deal is expected to be signed. Last-minute discussions are still on in Delhi with all the four groups and other Bodo organisations. This deal will bring the issue of a separate Bodoland to its conclusion.
The accord, which is expected to bring peace in the Bodo-dominated areas of Assam, is likely to be signed in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah, Sonowal, Sarma, Mohiliary and senior bureaucrats. Pramod Bodo, president of the powerful All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), is expected to be a signatory to the accord besides leaders of all four NDFB factions — B Sawraigra, Gobinda Basumatary, Ranjan Daimary and Dhiren Bodo.
This will be the third Bodo accord signed in the past 27 years since the movement for a separate Bodoland for the state's largest tribe began over four decades ago.

Cabinet Likely to Take a Call on Council

The Cabinet meeting is likely to take a decision on abolishing the Legislative Council. The government may table a resolution in the Assembly to this effect after a short discussion on the developments that followed the passage of the decentralisation and repeal of CRDA Bills in the House. The Legislative Council's decision to refer them to a select committee kicked up a controversy.
The ruling YSR Congress Party is seriously contemplating abolishing the Council in the wake of the recent developments. The government would first initiate a discussion on the subject before tabling the resolution. Parliament would have to approve the resolution passed in the Assembly and abolish the Council. "I don't see any hurdle in getting it cleared in Parliament. It is a matter of days," said a senior leader.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had dropped hints that the Council would be abolished. Reddy had said in the Assembly that we need to seriously think whether we need to have such a House which appears to be functioning with only political motives. He further said that it was not mandatory to have the Council. So let us discuss the issue further and take a decision on whether or not to continue the Council.

Kerala CM Seeks Compensation from Nepal

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan sought the intervention of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for suitable monetary compensation from the Nepal government to relatives of eight tourists from Kerala who died at a resort in that country.

Jan 26, 2020

ECI to Host 10th Annual Meeting of Forum of Election Management Bodies of South Asia

Election Commission of India hosted the 10th Annual Meeting of the Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA) in New Delhi. Election Commission of India took over the Chair of the forum for the year 2020. On the occasion, International Conference on the theme 'Strengthening Institutional Capacity' was also being organised. ECI also renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation in the field of election management with the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan.
The International Conference was organised with the purpose of sharing the experience of different Election Management Bodies, International Institutions and Experts.

Panel Headed By Amit Shah to Monitor Disposal of Over 9,400 'Enemy' Properties

A Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah will monitor the disposal of over 9,400 enemy properties, which are likely to fetch about Rs. 1 lakh crore to the exchequer.
Two other high-level committees, one to be headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, and other to be co-chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, will also be set up for disposal of immovable enemy properties vested in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India under the Enemy Property Act.
Enemy properties were those left behind by the people who took citizenship of Pakistan and China.

Jan 25, 2020

Niti Aayog to Develop National Data Platform

Government think-tank Niti Aayog will develop a national data and analytics platform to make all government data accessible to stakeholders in a user-friendly manner.
Releasing the Vision Document for the National Data and Analytics Platform (NDAP), Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar said that the NDAP will strive to ensure that the data is assured, consistent, coherent and credible.

Cabinet Nod to Extension to OBC Sub-categorisation Panel

The Union Cabinet approved an extension of six months in the tenure of a commission set up to examine the issue of sub-categorisation within Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the Central List.
Now, the term of the panel will be till July 31 2020. This is the 8th extension given to the commission, whose term would otherwise have expired on January 31, 2020.
Approval was also granted to adding more Terms of Reference for the Commission to study various entries in the "Central List of OBCs and recommend correction of any repetitions, ambiguities, inconsistencies and errors of spelling or transcription."
Communities that are included in the existing OBC list but unable to get major benefits of OBC reservation for appointment in Central government posts and admissions in Central educational institutions are expected to benefit once the Commission's recommendations are implemented.

Jan 24, 2020

Centre Designates Daman as Headquarters of Merged UTs

The Centre designated Daman as the headquarters of the merged Union Territories of Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
The Central government also approved amendments/extension/repeal in legislations and regulations dealing with the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Value Added Tax (VAT) and state excise in a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
These amendments will lead to 'minimum government, maximum governance' by way of having common taxation authorities, better delivery of services to citizens by reducing duplication of work and improving administrative efficiency.

SC Refuses to Stay CAA

The Supreme Court refused to stay the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), but indicated that the matter would be referred to a Constitution bench.
The court, which issued notice to the central government in December 2019, gave it four more weeks to respond, after a request by Attorney general K. K. Venugopal. Venugopal pointed out that there were only 60 petitions when the case was first heard in December 2019 but at least 144 petitions have been filed till now and copies of the fresh petitions had not been supplied to the central government yet.

India Falls 10 Ranks in Democracy Index

India dropped 10 places in the Democracy Index's global ranking to 51st place, with the survey describing the erosion of civil liberties in the country as the primary cause of the democratic regression.
The Democracy Index - prepared by Economist Intelligence Unit, the research and analysis division of The Economist Group - provides a snapshot of the state of democracy worldwide in 165 independent states and two territories.
It is based on electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties.
Norway topped the index, with a score of 9.87, while North Korea was at the bottom of the global rankings, with a score of 1.08. China's score fell to 2.26, and it is now ranked 153rd, close to the bottom of the rankings.

Jan 23, 2020

Andhra Capital Bill Hits Roadblock

In a temporary setback to YSR Congress party government in Andhra Pradesh led by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the two crucial bills pertaining to the state capital hit a roadblock in the state legislative council. The opposition Telugu Desam Party, which has 28 members in the 58-member legislative council, against only nine members of the YSRC, stonewalled the passage of the bill by invoking Rule 71 of the legislative proceedings, which allows for a debate on disapproving the government bills.
The state assembly had a day earlier passed two bills, one on repealing AP Capital Region Development Authority Act enacted in 2014 to develop Amaravati as the state capital and the second one on creation of three capitals as part of the decentralised administration, after the suspension of 17 TDP members.
Even if the council rejects the bills, they could be re-introduced in the state assembly and passed. But, if the council refers the bills to the select committee, the plans to shift the administrative capital to Visakhapatnam would be delayed by a few weeks.

BJP Backs Haryana CM's Move to Retain CID's Control

The Bharatiya Janata Party's leadership has backed Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's decision to take control of the state's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as it stepped in to iron out differences between him and state Home Minister Anil Vij over the issu. Vij has been unhappy with Khattar's decision.
The leadership has conveyed to Vij that all the CID reports on law and order that his ministry requires will be provided to him as per the precedent, but Khattar will continue to keep control of the department.
Vij opposed the move when Khattar announced his decision to retain the CID's control, saying the agency is an integral part of the home portfolio and the allocation of business rules specify that.

Malls, Shops and Eateries to Remain Open 24/7 in some Mumbai Areas

Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray announced that the state Cabinet has approved the proposal to allow malls, shops and eateries to remain open for 24 hours in some areas of Mumbai.
Aaditya Thackeray said that from January 27, malls, multiplexes, shops and eateries in non-residential areas like Bandra Kurla Complex and Nariman Point will remain open for 24 hours.
Aaditya Thackeray also clarified that the cabinet decision will not increase pressure on Mumbai police as the government will not allow the pubs and bars to remain open for 24 hours. He added that the time limit for pubs and bars is already set at 1:30 am and the state government will not bring any changes in the excise law.

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