General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - January 2018

Jan 2018

Jul 02, 2025

BJP Gets 5 New State Chiefs

With five more state units of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) electing their presidents, the party crossed the threshold of 50 per cent of its 37 state units getting their respective chiefs.
It paved the way for the party to elect its new national president, who will succeed its sitting chief Union Minister J. P. Nadda.
Nadda's term expired in January last year (2024), which the party had extended till the conclusion of the Lok Sabha polls. It was further extended until the completion of the party's internal elections.

NIPCCD Renamed as Savitribai Phule National Institute of Women and Child Development

The National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) was officially renamed as the Savitribai Phule National Institute of Women and Child Development, reflecting its evolving role and greater focus on region-specific, mission-driven support for the development of women and children across India. This transformation took place under the visionary leadership of Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Annpurna Devi.
Smt. Annpurna Devi said that the renaming of NIPCCD as the Savitribai Phule National Institute of Women and Child Development is a tribute to the legacy of one of India's foremost social reformers and a reaffirmation of our commitment to women and child-centric development.

Punjab, Haryana, Himachal among 21 States Yet to Notify Rules for Digital Evidence Support System

Even as the implementation of the three criminal laws, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, completed one year on July 1, 21 states, including Punjab, Haryana and HP, are yet to notify the e-Sakshya rules.
E-sakshya is a digital evidence management system for streamlining collection of digital evidence in criminal cases, and is aligned with the three laws. Only seven states and four UTs have notified these rules till date. The states and UTs that have notified rules for e-Sakshya are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Delhi, J&K, Ladakh and Puducherry.

Central Electricity Authority and IIT Roorkee Sign MoU

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Ministry of Power, Government of India and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee to foster collaboration in knowledge sharing, capacity building, and interdisciplinary research in the power and energy sector.
The MoU was signed by Ghanshyam Prasad, Chairperson, CEA, and Prof. Kamal Kishore Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, in the presence of Members (Planning/Hydro/GO&D) of Authority, Chief Engineer (ET&I), CEA, Secretary, CEA and other senior officials and faculty members from both institutions.
Key objectives of the MoU are:
Capacity Building: Enhance knowledge and technical capabilities of CEA personnel through short-term project work and access to IIT Roorkee's online courses.
Collaborative Research: Promote joint studies and projects on critical issues related to India's electricity and energy landscape.
Sustainable Development: Advance interdisciplinary research on decarbonisation, energy efficiency, water neutrality, and just transition frameworks.
Energy Transition: Support India's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 or earlier.

AAP's Sanjeev Arora Resigns from Rajya Sabha

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjeev Arora resigned his Rajya Sabha membership after he won the assembly bypoll to Ludhiana West constituency in Punjab.
Arora submitted his resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, who accepted it.
A first-time MP, Arora was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab in April 2022 and his tenure was till April 9, 2028.

Jul 01, 2025

Centre launches BhashaSetu Challenge to Develop Real-Time Language Tech

The centre launched the WAVEX Start-up Challenge 2025, inviting start-ups from across the country to develop an AI-based real-time multilingual translation solution under its flagship accelerator programme, WaveX.
The challenge, titled 'BhashaSetu – Real-Time Language Tech for Bharat', seeks to encourage the creation of innovative tools that can handle translation, transliteration, and voice localisation in real time across at least 12 major Indian languages. Officials said the initiative aims to foster inclusive and accessible communication technologies that are sensitive to India's linguistic diversity.
There is no minimum eligibility criterion for participation, allowing startups at any stage of development to apply.
The winning team will receive incubation support under the WaveX Accelerator, which will include mentorship, workspace, and development assistance until the solution is fully developed and deployed.

India Hosts First-ever ASEAN-India Cruise Dialogue

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the first-ever ASEAN–India Cruise Dialogue in Chennai, marking a significant milestone in maritime cooperation between India and Southeast Asian nations.
Held aboard the MV Empress at Chennai Port, the dialogue brought together over 30 delegates from all ten ASEAN countries, along with Timor Leste, to explore ways to enhance cruise connectivity, promote sustainable tourism, and strengthen cultural and economic ties across the Indo-Pacific region.

India, Bhutan Review Development Partnership

India and Bhutan carried out a full spectrum review of projects being implemented with New Delhi's support of Rs. 10,000 crore for 2024-2029.
New Delhi conveyed that it would continue to work together with Thimphu on its development agenda.
A total of 10 projects, worth Rs. 1,113 crore and covering sectors such as healthcare, connectivity and urban infrastructure in Bhutan, were also approved at the India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks held in New Delhi.

Jun 30, 2025

NeGD Launches AI in Governance Training for Government Officials at IIT Delhi

In a step toward strengthening digital governance in India, the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) conducted a 2-day training programme on Artificial Intelligence in Governance. Hosted at the Department of Management Studies (DMS), IIT Delhi, the initiative aimed to equip government officials from central and state departments with essential AI knowledge and its practical applications in governance, public service delivery, and policy implementation.
The training programme aligned with the Capacity Building Scheme Phase III of the Digital India Programme. With increasing reliance on AI tools in governance, this initiative reflects India's commitment to building technologically empowered governance systems.

Centre Unveils Model Rules to Ease Agroforestry Regulations and Boost Rural Economy

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) released the 'Model Rules for Felling of Trees in Agricultural Lands'. Aimed at simplifying regulatory procedures and encouraging tree-based farming, these model rules will assist States and Union Territories in promoting agroforestry as a viable economic and ecological solution. The initiative also introduces the upcoming National Timber Management System (NTMS) Portal, designed to streamline registrations and approvals for tree harvesting.

Amit Shah Inaugurates National Turmeric Board Headquarters in Telangana

In a major boost to India's turmeric farming sector, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah inaugurated the headquarters of the National Turmeric Board in Nizamabad, Telangana.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, and other senior dignitaries.
The Board will eliminate the role of middlemen and put in place an integrated framework for turmeric packaging, branding, marketing, and export.

Centre Launches 'Adi Karmyogi' to Train Officials for Better Tribal Scheme Execution

The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the "Adi Karmyogi" programme, a nationwide initiative aimed at strengthening the execution of tribal welfare schemes by motivating and training field-level officials. Announced at the conclusion of the "Adi Anveshan" National Conference held at Vanijya Bhavan, New Delhi, the programme targets systemic reform by building a cadre of purpose-driven implementers across states and districts.

Jun 29, 2025

NABARD & NIRCA Launch Training for Chilli, Turmeric Farmers on Post-Harvest Tech

In a move to improve the post-harvest value chain of major spice crops, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the National Institute for Research on Commercial Agriculture (ICAR-NIRCA) launched a training initiative for Farmers' Producers Organisations (FPOs) and individual farmers in East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh. The training focuses on post-harvest management and advanced processing technologies for turmeric and chilli—two crops critical to the region's agricultural economy.
Objectives of the training are:
To equip farmers with scientific post-harvest practices
To reduce crop loss due to microbial contamination and moisture
To improve marketability and export potential of chilli and turmeric
To empower FPOs with value addition techniques

Jun 28, 2025

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Launches WhatsApp Chatbot Integration with MY Bharat Portal

In a move to enhance digital engagement and streamline access to services for India's Youth, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports launched WhatsApp integration with the MY Bharat portal (https://mybharat.gov.in).
The WhatsApp chatbot is now live on the MY Bharat Portal and also accessible directly via WhatsAp), offering users a more seamless, real-time, and user-friendly way to interact with the platform.

India Hosts ICCON 2025 to Tackle Urgent Biodiversity Challenges

India hosted its premier conservation science and policy event, the Indian Conservation Conference (ICCON) 2025, at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The three-day event, organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), brought together over 500 participants from India and the Global South. The conference was inaugurated by Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, and served as a dynamic platform for collaboration among scientists, policymakers, forest officers, NGOs, and youth, all working toward addressing India's pressing biodiversity conservation challenges.

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