General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2018

May 2018

Jul 10, 2023

India & Panama Sign MoU on Electoral Cooperation

India's Election Commission (ECI) and Panama's Electoral Tribunal (ET) took a significant step towards enhancing their collaboration in the field of election management and administration. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the two institutions in Panama City, establishing an institutional framework for ongoing cooperation.
The ECI delegation, led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, engaged in discussions with Alfredo Juncá Wendehake, the Presiding Magistrate of Panama's Electoral Tribunal, on various aspects of strengthening collaboration and knowledge exchange between the two Election Management Bodies.
This MoU sets the stage for a fruitful exchange of knowledge, expertise, and technological advancements, benefiting not only India and Panama but also contributing to the broader advancement of democratic principles worldwide. The ECI's dedication to engage with its international counterparts underscores India's commitment to promoting democratic values and strengthening the foundations of electoral systems globally.
The signing of this MoU with Panama marks a significant milestone in the ECI's efforts to expand its international cooperation. Under its 'International Cooperation Programme,' the ECI has previously signed MoUs with Mexico, Brazil, and Chile. This latest agreement is the fourth MoU signed by the ECI with an EMB in the Latin Americas region, bringing the total number of MoUs between the ECI and EMBs/international organizations worldwide to 31.

Centre Brings GSTN Under PMLA

The Centre issued a notification to include the Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) under the ambit of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). With this, the GSTN is among those entities that have been mandated to share information with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) under the PMLA Act. These changes were made under Section 66 of the PMLA, which provides for disclosure of information.
As per this notification, the FIU and the ED will also share information with the GSTN if they find that any GST assessee is involved in suspicious forex transactions. GST offences such as taking fake input tax credits, fake invoices, etc. will also be covered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) is an information technology system which manages the GST portal. The government is aided by private players in its efforts to monitor domestic financial activity with the GSTN.

National Water Mission Inks Pact with Indian Plumbing Association

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Bureau of Water Use Efficiency (BWUE), National Water Mission (NWM), Ministry of Jal Shakti and Indian Plumbing Association (IPA) for a Water Positive India by awareness creation & promotion of rain water harvesting structures, low flow fixtures & sanitary ware, treatment of grey & black water, water audit of built environment. The MoU was signed by Archana Varma, Additional Secretary & Mission Director, on behalf of National Water Mission, Ministry of Jal Shakti and Gurmit Singh Arora, National President, Indian Plumbing Association based in Okhla, New Delhi.

Jul 09, 2023

Four-member GoM to Study UCC Issues

The government constituted a four-member group of ministers (GoM) to study issues related to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The GoM comprises Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju, Smriti Irani, Arjun Ram Meghwal and G. Kishan Reddy. While Rijiju was tasked with studying issues related to tribal societies and their customs, Women and Child Development Minister Irani will look at women-related issues. Law Minister Meghwal will give an overall legal perspective to the debatable issues while Reddy will peruse matters concerning north-eastern states.

In A First, Haryana Announces Monthly Pension for Unmarried People, Widowers

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced that unmarried people in the age group of 45 to 60 years will now get a monthly pension of Rs. 2,750, provided that their annual income is less than Rs. 1.80 lakh.
He also announced that widowers in the age group of 40 to 60 will get a monthly pension of Rs. 2,750, provided their annual income is less than Rs. 3 lakh.

Punjab Regiment to Represent Indian Army at Bastille Day Parade in France

Punjab Regiment was selected to represent the Indian Army at the Bastille Day celebrations in France this year (2023). The parade will include a 269 member tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces marching alongside their French counterparts.
The Punjab Regiment contingent comprises three officers, four junior commissioned officers and 69 other ranks, led by Captain Aman Jagtap. The Indian Navy contingent is being led by Commander Vrat Baghel and the Indian Air Force contingent by Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy.
The tri-service team also includes a 38-member band from the Rajputana Rifles, the senior-most Rifle Regiment of the Army. In addition, four IAF Rafale fighter jets will also form part of the fly past during the parade.

Jul 08, 2023

India, Singapore Extend MoU to Co-operate on Public Administration

The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, and the Public Service Division, of the Republic of Singapore signed a protocol document, extending for five years the current memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of personnel management and public administration till 2028.
The MoU was signed by V. Srinivas, secretary on behalf of DARPG, and Simon Wong, High Commissioner of Singapore to India.
The MoU aims at strengthening the partnership between the two countries through various forms of cooperation between both countries' public service.
The cooperation in areas such as administrative reforms & public sector transformation, public service delivery, leadership, and talent development, e-governance, capacity building, and training form part of the areas to be covered under the activities of MoU.

U20 Engagement Group of G20 Meet for the Mayoral Summit

U20 Engagement Group of G20 met on July 7-8 for the Mayoral Summit, which was attended by over 500 participants including mayors, Deputy Mayors, city officials and knowledge partners. Delegates and participants from 57 cities across the world and 35 cities from India gathered in the twin cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, Guharat.
This sixth cycle of Urban 20, was an Engagement Group under the G20. By facilitating discussions among cities from the G20 countries, the U20 established a platform for cities to collectively inform G20 negotiations with respect to urban priorities.
Besides the inaugural session and the handover of the U20 Communiqué by the Mayors to the G20 leaders, a number of thematic sessions and spotlight events were included in the two-day schedule. In this endeavour, Ahmedabad was supported by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) as the nodal ministry, the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), the Technical Secretariat of U20, and the U20 Conveners, C40 Cities and UCLG (United Cities and Local Governments).
This meeting was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendrabhai Patel. Thematic sessions on the six U20 priority areas was organised during the summit. The U20 priority areas echoed the emphasis G20 is laying on environmental responsibility, climate finance, and cities of the future.
The six priorities under U20 were namely- 'encouraging environmentally responsible behaviours', 'accelerating climate finance', 'ensuring water security', 'promoting local culture and economy', 'reinventing frameworks for urban governance and planning', and 'catalyzing digital urban futures.'

World Food India-2023: Roundtable interaction in New Delhi

Ministry of Food Processing Industries organised Roundtable with Heads of Foreign Missions in India to discuss overseas participation in the World Food India (WFI) 2023, at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi. The second edition of 'World Food India 2023' is being organised by the Ministry from November 3-5, 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi to showcase Indian Food Processing Sector seeking collaborations and investments from global Stakeholders. The event is being organised as part of International Year of Millets 2023 activities and will have Millets (Shree Anna), organic produce and indigenous processed food as some of the focus areas.
The interaction was co-chaired by Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Anita Praveen, and Special Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Prabhat Kumar. It was attended by Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Charge d' Affaires and other senior representatives from wide spectrum of countries. In all, 47 countries were represented in the interaction. Senior officers from Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Department of Commerce, APEDA, MPEDA and other Commodity Boards, apart from organizations associated with organizing the event (FICCI, Invest India & EY) participated in the deliberations.

Jul 07, 2023

DGCA Ties Up with European Agency to Develop Unmanned aircraft Systems

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) India and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) decided to work together in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and innovative air mobility.
The DGCA India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with EASA to foster growth and development in both areas.
The agreement facilitates cooperation between the DGCA and EASA in aspects including the establishment of certification standards & environmental requirements for UAS and innovative air mobility operations. These further include licensing of personnel, training, air traffic management, and infrastructure, including unmanned aircraft system traffic management (UTM) standards and services.
The MoU also adds that valuable information must be shared between the two aviation authorities. This will encompass technological advancements and research in the field, as well as strategies to engage with relevant stakeholders. Additionally, the agreement promotes joint efforts in organising conferences, workshops, and training programmes by both DGCA and EASA in the area of unmanned aircraft systems and innovative air mobility.
The signing of this MoU is a significant step towards harmonising standards and making progress in India's unmanned aviation sector. By aligning their efforts and sharing expertise, India and the European Union aim to accelerate the growth of this critical industry.

Congress Appoints Kanhaiya Kumar as AICC In-charge of NSUI

The Congress appointed former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar as the AICC in-charge of its students' wing NSUI.
The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) is headed by Neeraj Kundan.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge appointed Kanhaiya Kumar as AICC in-charge of NSUI with immediate effect.
A former Communist Party of India (CPI) leader, Kumar joined the Congress in the presence of Rahul Gandhi at the party's headquarters in the national capital in September 2021.
He had gained prominence as the president of JNU students' union. He had been accused in a sedition case for allegedly raising "anti-national slogans" during an event on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus in February 2016.
He had also unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha polls against BJP's Giriraj Singh from Begusarai in Bihar.

B. Neeraja Prabhakar is New Oil Palm RAC Chairperson

B. Neeraja Prabhakar, the Vice-Chancellor of Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University, was appointed as the chairperson of the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) for the ICAR-Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research (IIOPR) in Pedavegi, Andhra Pradesh. Prabhaka will lead a committee of ten members for a duration of three years.
The ICAR-Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research (IIOPR) located in Pedavegi is the sole esteemed institute in India dedicated to conducting research on oil palm and developing technologies applicable to all oil palm-growing states. The Research Advisory Committee (RAC) will play a crucial role in providing guidance to the IIOPR regarding research initiatives, specifically focusing on addressing the challenges encountered by oil palm farmers across the country.

Jul 06, 2023

Govt. Organising International Conference on Green Hydrogen Ecosystem

The International Conference on Green Hydrogen is being organised by the Government of India from July 5 to 7, 2023 in New Delhi. It aims to bring together the global scientific, policy, academic and industrial leaders to discuss recent advances and emerging technologies in the entire green hydrogen value chain.
The event is expected to enable the sector stakeholders to explore the evolving green hydrogen landscape and innovation-driven solutions in the sector. In this way, it aims at strengthening the sustainability ecosystem of the sector.
Organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in partnership with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Office of Principal Scientific Advisor to Government of India in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the event was inaugurated by R. K. Singh, Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy.

Taiwan to Expand Diplomatic Presence in India with Opening of Mumbai Office

Taiwan is gearing up to strengthen its diplomatic presence in India by opening the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC) in Mumbai.
Taiwan's foreign ministry expressed its intention to establish the TECC in order to deepen exchanges and cooperation between the two sides.
The centre will offer visa services, document authentication, and emergency assistance, and will cater to business- people, tourists, and Taiwanese nationals in Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman.
The existing Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in Delhi, which has been operating as the de facto embassy of Taiwan in India, was established in 1995.
In 2012, a TECC centre, de facto Taiwanese consulate, was established in the southern Indian city of Chennai.

AIMPLB Opposes Uniform Civil Code, Sends Draft to Law Commission with Objections

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) submitted a 100-page response to the Law Commission of India objecting to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) wherein it also questioned the government's silence over the report of the previous law commission which had said that a UCC was neither necessary nor desirable. It also started a digital campaign to enable ordinary citizens to send in their replies to the panel rejecting the code.
The panel had on June 14 given a one month deadline to religious organisations and the general public to submit their views and suggestions regarding the code. AIMPLB had requested an extension of six months given the vast nature of the issue, however the same was declined.

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