General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - February 2017

Feb 2017

Apr 08, 2025

Ministry of Women and Child Development Celebrates 7th Edition of Poshan Pakhwada

The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) is celebrating the 7th edition of Poshan Pakhwada from April 8 to 22, 2025, as part of the Government of India's ongoing commitment to address malnutrition. This year's Poshan Pakhwada emphasises four key themes: Focus on the First 1000 Days of Life, Popularisation of the Beneficiary/Citizen Module of Poshan Tracker, Management of Malnutrition through CMAM, and Healthy Lifestyle to Address Obesity in Children.
Poshan Abhiyaan, a flagship initiative launched by the Prime Minister, continues its mission to combat malnutrition, improving nutritional outcomes for pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls, and children under the age of 06. This year's (2025) Poshan Pakhwada will be instrumental in strengthening content, delivery, outreach, and outcomes. As part of the broader Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, the initiative focuses on fostering health, wellness, and immunity against diseases and malnutrition.

Dubai Crown Prince on Official Visit to India

Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum is on a two-day official visit to India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Sheikh Hamdan, who also serves as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), visits at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This is Sheikh Hamdan's first official visit to India as the Crown Prince of Dubai. He is accompanied by a delegation comprising several UAE ministers, senior officials, and a high-level business contingent.

MeitY and UNESCO Hosts the 3rd AI Readiness Consultation in Hyderabad

The UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Ikigai Law as the implementing partner, organised a stakeholder consultation on the AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) in India. This event took place at T-Works in Hyderabad.
A key segment of the event was a fireside chat on the IndiaAI Mission, featuring Abhishek Singh, CEO, IndiaAI Mission, and Additional Secretary, MeitY. The event also included a panel discussion on "Shaping Ethics in AI Governance: Government and Multilateral Perspectives", with participation from senior officials representing the MeitY, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Amrita University, UNESCO, and the Government of Telangana. Participants will also engage in four thematic breakout groups on governance, workforce readiness, infrastructure, and use cases, facilitating deeper dialogue and input on key dimensions of India's AI readiness.

Apr 07, 2025

Karnataka Signs Letter of Intent with Chile to Strengthen Innovation, Technology Ties

In a significant step towards fostering international collaboration in science, technology, and innovation, the Karnataka government announced that it signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the Government of Chile during the Innovation Summit held in Bengaluru.
The summit was organised as part of the official visit of Gabriel Boric, President of Chile, and his accompanying high-level delegation to India.
Notably, Chile became the first Latin American country to partner with Karnataka under the Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) – a flagship initiative through which the Government of Karnataka collaborates with over 30 countries to promote cross-border innovation, research, and entrepreneurship.

President Droupadi Murmu Gives Assent to Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025

President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, marking a significant shift in the administrative dynamics of Waqf properties in India. The bill, passed after three days of intense debate in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, has stirred nationwide discussions and legal challenges. While the government argues it ensures transparency and accountability, critics claim it potentially violates constitutional principles related to religious freedom.

Apr 06, 2025

First International Research Conference on Pension (IRCP) 2025 Concludes

The First International Research Conference on Pension (IRCP) 2025 held in New Delhi concluded on April 4. It was inaugurated at Bharat Mandapam by Pankaj Chaudhary, Minister of State for Finance, Government of India. The two-day event was organised by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), to mark a historic milestone in India's journey toward robust old-age income security.
This platform brought together policymakers, scholars, industry leaders, and international experts to deliberate on the evolving dynamics of pension reforms, financial preparedness for retirement, and innovative strategies to secure the future of aging populations.

Centre Withdraws Controversial 'Star-rating System' for State Green Clearances

The Union environment ministry "gave up" on a star-rating system it had introduced in January 2022 to evaluate expert environmental bodies in states on their efficiency and promptness in granting prior environmental clearances to industry and infrastructure projects, according to an order by the National Green Tribunal's (NGT's) southern zone bench in Chennai.
The Centre informed the NGT of its stand as part of the proceedings of a plea which had challenged an office memorandum (OM) rolling out the star-rating system.
The Centre had introduced the star-rating system on January 17, 2022, to incentivise the states through a star-rating system based on efficiency and timelines in the grant of environmental clearances.

Apr 05, 2025

NITI Aayog Hosts National Workshop on 'Mainstreaming Climate Adaptation into Local Development Pl...

NITI Aayog convened a National Workshop on 'Mainstreaming Climate Adaptation into Local Development Planning,' bringing together policymakers, climate experts, civil society organisations, and development practitioners to explore effective strategies for integrating climate resilience into Panchayat Development Plans.
The workshop emphasised the need for equipping Gram Panchayats with tools, knowledge, and resources to effectively address climate challenges. It was emphasised that climate adaptation must be woven into all aspects of sectoral planning at the Panchayat level, rather than being treated as a standalone effort. It was underscored that climate modelling must be coupled with community-level knowledge to develop locally relevant adaptation strategies.
A major focus was on institutionalising climate resilience within Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and embedding climate-responsive planning into local development frameworks. Discussions highlighted the growing frequency of extreme weather events and their impacts on rural livelihoods, agriculture, and water security, reinforcing the need for disaggregated Gram Panchayat-level data for precise planning and informed decision-making.
The workshop emphasised the need to encourage Panchayats to integrate climate-smart approaches into their development planning by strengthening their capacity.

Apr 04, 2025

Lok Sabha passes Aircraft Objects and Coastal Shipping Bills

The Lok Sabha passed two Bills — 'Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects' and 'Coastal Shipping' — by a voice vote.
The Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, which is meant to protect international lessors and financiers from protracted legal battles, is likely to boost the civil aviation industry and bring down air fares.
The Coastal Shipping Bill is meant to regulate vessels engaged in trade within Indian coastal waters.

Free Bus Service for Women in Jammu & Kashmir

The Jammu and Kashmir government launched a groundbreaking initiative by introducing a free bus service for women, marking a significant step towards gender-inclusive mobility. The service, aimed at empowering women, provides free travel on smart city e-buses and J&K Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC) buses across the Union Territory. This initiative is seen as a major development for women's safety, accessibility, and empowerment, allowing them to travel freely and confidently. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah officially flagged off the service in Srinagar, highlighting its role in ensuring women can access mobility without financial barriers.

Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu Launches 'P4' initiative to Eradicate Poverty by 2029

As part of the ambitious Swarna Andhra-2047 vision, the Government of Andhra Pradesh launched its flagship poverty eradication initiative, the 'Zero Poverty – P4 Policy.' This program aims to eradicate poverty in the state by 2047 and is one of the key principles under 'Padi Sutralu' (Ten Principles) of Swarna Andhra-2047.
The 'P4' Policy stands for 'Public, Private, People Partnership', a unique model that fosters collaboration between the government, private entities, and individuals to eliminate poverty and uplift underprivileged families. This initiative aims to create a sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development model.

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