General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2017

May 2017

Apr 01, 2024

RLD Vice President Shahid Siddiqui Resigns from Party over Alliance with BJP

Shahid Siddiqui, the national vice president of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), tendered his resignation from the party over Jayant Chaudhary's joining hands with the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
The RLD joined the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and declared its candidates for two seats in Uttar Pradesh for the coming Lok Sabha elections. In the 2014 Parliamentary polls, the RLD fought in alliance with the Congress and in 2019, it fought in alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Rajnath Singh to Head BJP's 27-member Manifesto Panel

The BJP constituted its 27-member election manifesto committee under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for the Lok Sabha elections.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was named the convener of the committee and Union Minister Piyush Goyal is the co-convener.
Some of the other members of the committee include Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
The manifesto-preparation exercise will incorporate suggestions from people online and also via the party's offline outreach to voters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced some time ago. The BJP is already in the process of seeking suggestions from different groups and its national president J. P. Nadda had last month flagged off 'Viksit Bharat Modi ki Guarantee' video vans, which are meant to travel across the country to collect people's inputs on the contents of its manifesto.

Mar 29, 2024

Govinda Makes a Political Comeback, Joins Shinde-led Shiv Sena

Bollywood actor Govinda joined Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena.
The actor, who is the former MP from Mumbai North, joined Shinde Sena at Varsha bungalow in the presence of CM Shinde.
Govinda's first stint in politics was from 2004 to 2009.

Indian Parliamentary Delegation Strengthens Ties with Armenia and IPU

The Indian Parliamentary delegation, led by Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh, held a bilateral meeting with their Armenian counterparts on the sidelines of the 148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) held in Geneva, Switzerland. The Armenian delegation was represented by the Vice President of the National Assembly, Hakob Arshakyan. Harivansh appreciated Armenia's support to India in multilateral initiatives and emphasised the growing partnership between the two countries.
Highlighting the shared democratic values and rich cultural heritage, Harivansh proposed enhancing focus on promoting cultural exchanges, such as art exhibitions, film festivals, and academic collaborations.
He expressed hope for exploring various areas of engagement in parliamentary affairs between India and Armenia.
Harivansh underlined that pluralism and respect for human rights can serve as a foundation for strengthening ties and collaborating on global issues of common concern.
The Deputy Chairman also met with the IPU President, Tulia Ackson, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Tanzania.
He congratulated her on assuming the presidency of the IPU and expressed hope that their meeting will renew their commitment and strengthen collaboration with the IPU and world parliaments.
The Indian delegation comprised five members from Rajya Sabha: S. Niranjan Reddy, Sujeet Kumar, Ashok Mittal, Prashanta Nanda, and Sumitra.

CVIGIL: ECI's App to Monitor Elections

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is keeping a close watch on the election process through the cVIGIL app. The app allows citizens to report violations of the Model Code of Conduct and election expenditures by capturing photos and videos. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that cVIGIL empowers citizens to report violations, with assured action within 100 minutes.
cVIGIL is a user-friendly app that connects vigilant citizens with the District Control Room, Returning Officer, and Flying Squads Teams.
Citizens can immediately report incidents of political misconduct through the app without having to visit the Returning Officer's office.
Upon sending a complaint, the user receives a unique ID to track the status of their complaint on their mobile.
With cVIGIL, the ECI seeks to enhance accountability and build trust among citizens regarding the fairness of the electoral process.

Mar 28, 2024

Hansha Mishra Appointed as Director in UPSC

Hansha Mishra, an officer of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS) from the 2010 batch, was appointed as Director in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Delhi. Her appointment came after she was recommended for central deputation by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.
The central government approved Mishra's appointment to the post under the central staffing scheme. Her tenure as Director in the UPSC will be for a period of five years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The UPSC is a prestigious constitutional body responsible for conducting examinations for recruitment to various civil services in the Indian government, including the coveted Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
The central staffing scheme is a mechanism implemented by the government to ensure efficient governance and facilitate the movement of officers between central and state governments. This scheme allows for the deputation of capable officers to various central government organisations, fostering cross-pollination of ideas and experiences.

C. R. Kesavan is New BJP National Spokesperson

C. R. Kesavan, the great grandson of C. Rajagopalachari was appointed as the national spokesperson for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Kesavan switched over to BJP after quitting Congress in 2023.
The saffron party also appointed its Lok Sabha poll in-charges and co-incharges for several states and union territories, drafting in quite a few leaders who did not get tickets to fight the elections. BJP vice president Baijayant 'Jay' Panda is the poll in-charge for Uttar Pradesh but is likely to be busy in campaigning after he was named the party's candidate for Kendrapara constituency in Odisha.

Mar 27, 2024

Climate Activist Sonam Wangchuk Ends His Fast in Leh

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk ended the 21 days hunger strike he was leading for the statehood of Ladakh and the protection of the fragile Himalayan ecology. Wangchuk, however, stressed that it was the end of his hunger strike and not the movement as women protesters would go on the 'climate fast' from tomorrow.
Wangchuk ended his hunger strike hours after he made a fresh appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfil promises made to the people.

Abhay Thakur India's New Ambassador to Myanmar

Senior diplomat Abhay Thakur, who is at present an Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of External Affairs, was appointed as the country's next ambassador to Myanmar.
The 1992-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) had served as sous-sherpa of the G20 process during India's presidency of the influential bloc.
Thakur's appointment as India's ambassador to the conflict-torn nation comes at a crucial juncture.
Myanmar has been witnessing widespread violent protests demanding restoration of democracy since the military seized power in a coup on February 1, 2021.

Election Commission's Saksham App Revolutionises Voting Accessibility

In a determined effort to ensure accessibility and inclusivity in the electoral process, the Election Commission introduced the Saksham App. This initiative aims to address the needs of voters above 85 years of age and Persons-with-Disabilities (PWDs) with a 40 per cent benchmark disability, allowing them to cast their votes from the comfort of their homes.

Mar 26, 2024

G. Janardhana Reddy Rejoins BJP

Former Karnataka Minister and mining baron G. Janardhana Reddy rejoined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
The Gangavati MLA, who is an accused in an illegal mining case, had formed the 'Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha' (KRPP) ahead of the state assembly polls last year (2023), snapping his two-decade-old association with the BJP.
Reddy merged his KRPP with the BJP as he, along with wife Aruna Lakshmi and some family members, joined the party in the presence of its veteran leader and former Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa, state President B. Y. Vijayendra, and others.

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