General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - January 2018

Jan 2018

May 14, 2025

Former Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar Appointed UPSC Chairman

The government appointed former defence secretary Ajay Kumar as the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), filling the vacancy caused by former Chairperson Preeti Sudan's retirement in April.
Members of the commission have a term of six years or till they attain the age of 65 years.
Kumar, a 1985 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre, retired as defence secretary in 2022. His term as UPSC Chairman would be till October 2027, when he turns 65.

Western Regional Power Conference

The Regional Power Conference for Western States was held in Mumbai, with the presence of key Union and State leaders, including Union Power Minister Manohar Lal and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. The conference brought together power ministers, officials, and utility leaders from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, and Madhya Pradesh to address pressing challenges and opportunities in the power sector. Key focus areas included smart metering, reducing AT&C losses, enhancing transmission capacity, and creating special green energy zones to help India achieve Net Zero emissions by 2070.
The Western Regional Power Conference aimed to strengthen cooperation between Central and State governments to address the evolving needs of the Indian power sector.

Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, MoS Communications, Addresses 'Bharat 6G 2025'-3rd International Confer...

Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, emphasised India's resolve to lead globally in the development of next-generation 6G technologies. Addressing the 'Bharat 6G 2025'-3rd International Conference and Exhibition in New Delhi, he highlighted the country's transformation from a technology adopter to a standard-setter, and urged all stakeholders to treat Bharat 6G not merely as a technical pursuit but as a national mission.
The event brought together global technology leaders, researchers, and policymakers to align on India's roadmap to becoming a pioneer in sixth-generation (6G) communications technology.

IWAI Sets Up Its New Office in Srinagar

In a move that is set to strengthen the Inland Water Transport (IWT) sector in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways set up its new office in Srinagar's Transport Bhawan. This office will be central to all the IWT works being undertaken by the Authority in the region.
IWAI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to develop river navigation infrastructure in three national waterways in the Union Territory i.e. NW-26 (River Chenab), NW-49 (River Jhelum), NW-84 (River Ravi).

May 13, 2025

Telangana Hosts Miss World 2025

The 72nd Miss World pageant began at Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad with a grand opening ceremony, in the presence of Telangana Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy.
Miss India Nandini Gupta walked into the event with the Indian national flag held in her hands. This was followed by all the Miss World contestants walking in holding their respective countries' national flags.
The event began with the tunes of the Telangana's state song 'Jaya Jaya He Telangana' being echoed across the venue.
This is for the first time in Miss World's history that a country hosts the pageant for two consecutive years, following the 71st edition held in Mumbai in March last year.
The event is being held from May 10 to 31, 2025.

Union Minister Manohar Lal Inaugurates 'Bharat Bodh Kendra' at India Habitat Centre

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal inaugurated the 'Bharat Bodh Kendra' at the India Habitat Centre (IHC) in New Delhi. This new addition to IHC's Habitat Library and Resource Centre is envisioned as a dedicated space for deepening the understanding of India's cultural and civilisational heritage through curated books and resources related to art, philosophy, spirituality, and history.

May 12, 2025

Uttar Pradesh Partners with World Bank to Launch UP AGREES & AI Pragya Initiatives

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath along with World Bank President Ajay Banga unveiled the 'UP AGREES' (Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Growth and Rural Enterprise Ecosystem Strengthening) and 'AI Pragya' projects in Lucknow.
Under the UP AGREES project, the state government will get Rs. 2,737 crore loan from the World Bank for a period of six years, which will directly benefit farmers, farmer organisations, fishers, and agriculture-based micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Under the 'AI Pragya' initiative, the state government aims to train 10 lakh youth in artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging digital technologies. The programme will provide certification in key domains like AI, machine learning, data analytics, and cybersecurity — paving the way for more employment opportunities and a thriving startup ecosystem in the state.

India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement: First Round of Negotiations Concludes in New Delhi

The first round of negotiations for the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) concluded successfully in the national capital. The talks, held from May 5 to May 9, represent a significant milestone in the growing economic relations between the two nations.
The initiative builds on the visit of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to India in March 2025, where he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed expanding economic cooperation. The FTA was formally launched during a meeting in March, between Piyush Goyal, India's Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Todd McClay, New Zealand's Minister for Trade and Investment.

Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra Join Hands for Tapti Basin Mega Recharge Project

In a move aimed at securing water resources and promoting inter-state cooperation, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra signed an MoU to jointly implement the Tapti Basin Mega Recharge Project. The agreement seeks to mitigate water scarcity and improve irrigation across select districts of both States, especially in Vidarbha, North Maharashtra, and Southern Madhya Pradesh.
The project marks a major step forward in water-sharing cooperation between States and aims to receive national project status and 90% Central funding.

May 10, 2025

KIYG 2025: Urva Chaudhary Wins 10m Air Pistol Gold Medal

Uttar Pradesh's Urva Chaudhary claimed 10m air pistol gold as her second medal at the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 Bihar at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range. She had teamed up Dev Pratap to win silver in the mixed team event a couple of days earlier.
She stayed ahead of the field in the final, scoring 237.7 points against 236.3 scored by Vidhi Sharma (Rajasthan). Haryana's Kanak, also a Khelo India Athlete, won bronze.

May 09, 2025

Maharashtra Launches 'Adishakti Abhiyan' for Women's Empowerment

On the historic occasion of the 300th birth anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar, the Maharashtra government launched the 'Adishakti Abhiyan', a women-centric empowerment campaign. The initiative focuses on ensuring effective delivery and awareness of existing government schemes for women and children, with an allocated budget of Rs. 10.50 crore. It aims to tackle critical social issues such as malnutrition, maternal and infant mortality, child marriage, and gender-based violence, while also enhancing women's participation in local governance.

India Launches Chip-Based E-Passports to Enhance Travel Security

India has officially rolled out chip-based e-passports as part of its ongoing digital transformation of travel documentation. These new passports, embedded with RFID chips and biometric data, aim to enhance the security, efficiency, and convenience of international travel for Indian citizens. The move places India alongside countries like the USA, UK, and Germany, which already use advanced e-passport technology.

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