General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2018

May 2018

Aug 12, 2024

Somanathan, Who Cleaned up Finances of Govt, is New Cabinet Secretary

The government appointed 1987-batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer TV Somanathan as the next Cabinet Secretary of India. He will have a two-year tenure beginning August 30. He will take over the charge from Rajiv Gauba, a 1992-batch IAS officer, who has been the Cabinet Secretary since 2019.
Somanathan, who is presently the Finance Secretary in charge of the Department of Expenditure, will be the Officer on Special Duty in the Cabinet Secretariat till he takes over as the Cabinet Secretary.
Somanathan has worked closely with M Karunanidhi for three years from 2007 to 2019, when the latter was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He had a ring side view of how the veteran DMK leader pushed through politically some tough economic reforms such as increasing power tariff.

India-New Zealand Sign Bilateral Customs Cooperation Agreement

President Droupadi Murmu held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Vinston Peters at Government House in Wellington. Discussions were held on wide range issues including customs co-operation, traditional medicine and renewable energy. The bilateral engagements between President Droupadi Murmu and leaders of New Zealand ended on positive note. India and New Zealand inked the bilateral customs cooperation arrangement which is expected to ease trade between the two countries.

Aug 11, 2024

Centre Forms Panel to Ensure Safety of Indians, Minorities in Bangladesh

The centre formed a committee to monitor the situation in Bangladesh amid reports of targeted violence against minorities. The committee will also ensure the safety of Indians and other minorities in the country amid deadly protests that saw the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.
The Committee is headed by ADG, Border Security Force (BSF), Eastern Command and has IG, BSF Frontier HQ South Bengal, IG, BSF Frontier HQ Tripura, Member (Planning & Development), Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), and, Secretary, LPAI, as its members.

UNICEF and Bengal Partner to Engage Fathers in Breastfeeding

The West Bengal government and UNICEF teamed up to encourage fathers to play an active role in promoting breastfeeding among new mothers. This initiative aims to enhance family support for breastfeeding and improve the rates of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a child's life.
The West Bengal Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Department partnered with UNICEF to involve fathers in breastfeeding advocacy.

Aug 10, 2024

Assam and Mizoram Hold Border Talks

Assam and Mizoram held ministerial-level talks to address the long-standing border dispute between the two north-eastern states.
The Assam delegation was headed by Order Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora, while the Mizoram delegation was led by Home Minister K. Sapdanga.
It's worth noting that this was the first border talks between Assam and Mizoram since the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), led by Chief Minister Lalduhoma, assumed power in December 2023.
The border dispute between Mizoram and Assam involves three Mizoram districts—Aizawl, Kolasib, and Mamit, which share a 164.6 km boundary with Assam's Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi districts.

Aug 09, 2024

Third Edition of 'Har Ghar Tiranga' Campaign

The third edition of the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign, aimed at fostering patriotism and national pride by encouraging citizens to display the national flag at their homes, will run from August 9 to August 15. This initiative has seen significant public participation in the past two years, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging citizens to continue the tradition.
Launched in 2022 under the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' program, the campaign garnered massive engagement. In its inaugural year, over 23 crore people participated, with around 6 crore selfies shared. The following year saw even greater involvement, with around 10 crore selfies uploaded.

Centre Reshuffles Senior Bureaucrats, Amit Negi Made Additional Secretary

The Centre implemented a significant top-level reshuffle, appointing senior IAS officer Amit Singh Negi as additional secretary in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Mr. Negi, a 1999-batch IAS officer of the Uttarakhand cadre, is currently the joint secretary in the Department of Expenditure under the Union Ministry of Finance.
Key Appointments
Prime Minister's Office (PMO): Amit Singh Negi appointed as additional secretary.
Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO): Samir Ashwin Vakil appointed as director.
Election Commission of India: Maneesh Garg, Sanjay Kumar, and Ajeet Kumar appointed as deputy election commissioners.
Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT): Manisha Saxena appointed as additional secretary; Mugdha Sinha to take over as director general (tourism).
Union Ministry of Home Affairs: Ashutosh Agnihotri and Niraj Kumar Bansod appointed as additional secretary and joint secretary, respectively.

Aug 08, 2024

India to Build Green Highways with World Bank Aid

The Government of India and the World Bank joined forces to construct the Green National Highway Corridor Project (GNHCP). This project aims to build 781 km of eco-friendly highways across four states (Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh) with a focus on safety and climate resilience.
The World Bank will provide a loan of US $500 million for the project, with a total cost of US $1288.24 million (Rs. 7,662.47 crore).
The GNHCP will showcase the use of green technologies in highway construction, including:
Conservation of natural resources through recycled materials
Utilisation of local and sustainable materials like fly ash and waste plastic
Bio-engineering techniques for slope protection

Central Government Appoints Harish Dudani as Member in Central Electricity Regulatory Commission

Harish Dudani was administered Oath of Office and Secrecy as member in Central Electricity Regulatory Commission by Minister for Power.
The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) was established by the Government of India under the provisions of the Electricity Regulatory Commissions Act, 1998. CERC is the Central Commission for the purposes of the Electricity Act, 2003 which has repealed the ERC Act, 1998. The Commission consists of a Chairperson and three other Members. Additionally, Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority, is the ex-officio Member of the Commission. At present (as in 2024) Jishnu Barua is the Chairperson of the Commission.
Major functions of CERC under the Electricity Act, 2003 are, inter-alia, to regulate the tariff of generating companies owned or controlled by the Central Government, other generating companies having generation and sale of electricity in more than one State. CERC determines tariff for inter-state transmission of electricity also. CERC is mandated to issue of licenses for inter-state transmission and trading. Other functions of CERC include adjudication of disputes to promote competition, efficiency and economy in activities of electricity industry and to promote investment in electricity industry.

Controversial NCW Chief Rekha Sharma Steps Down as Tenure Ends

National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma stepped down from her post after her tenure came to an end.
Sharma assumed the role of women's commission chief in August 2018. She was given additional charge as the NCW chairperson from September 29, 2017, before officially becoming its chief in 2018.
Notably, Sharma's tenure was at times mired in controversy for allegedly turning a blind eye to the atrocities committed against women, especially in BJP-ruled states.
She faced criticism for her alleged inaction in violence-hit Manipur last year and has been criticised for failing to take action against alleged crimes in other BJP-ruled states or accused members affiliated with the party.

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