General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2018

May 2018

Mar 06, 2023

Amit Shah Launches Bengaluru Safe City Project

Union Home Minister Amit Shah flagged off the Bengaluru Safe City project, Hoysala ERSS 112 Fleet and Mobile Command and Control Centre of Bengaluru city police. At the event, Shah said that the project was launched for the safety of women.
The government spent Rs. 2,500 crore to implement it in eight cities, and Rs. 670 crore for phase 1 in Bengaluru. In all, 4,100 cameras and eight drone cameras are being set up, while 96 command and control centres are also coming up, of which one is in Bengaluru. Also, 111 Mahila helpdesks are being set up and the moment people press the panic button, police teams will reach the spot. Besides, six mobile forensic units too have been launched.
The Safe City project will help policemen deal with tech-savvy criminals better.

National Youth Parliament Festival Fourth Edition

The 4th edition of the National Youth Parliament Festival (NYPF) was held in the Central Hall of Parliament, New Delhi. The Youth Parliament has been organised since 2019, with the objective of strengthening democracy and enabling the student community to understand the working of Parliament.
Youth Parliament is a powerful dialogue on democracy with the vision to engage and enlighten the youth of the country to understand politics and the functioning of Parliament. It provides a platform to the youth to understand and serve society.
The National Youth Parliament Festival's (NYPF) goal is to give young people a platform to express themselves as they choose careers in public service and other fields. On the concept presented by the Prime Minister in his Mann Ki Baat Speech on December 31, 2017, NYPF was founded. The first edition of NYPF 2019 was held with the topic "Be the Voice of New India and Discover Solutions and Contribute to Policy" with the involvement of 88,000 youth in physical mode, drawing inspiration from the concept.

World's First Bamboo Crash Barrier Installed in Maharashtra

The world's first 200-metre-long bamboo crash barrier was installed on a highway connecting Chandrapur and Yavatmal districts in Maharashtra.
Named 'Bahu Balli', the bamboo crash barrier underwent rigorous testing at various government-run institutions like the National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) in Pithampur, Indore and was rated as class 1 during the Fire Rating Test conducted at the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) in Roorkee and it was also accredited by the Indian Road Congress, as per a statement from the Nitin Gadkari-led Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Calling it a "remarkable achievement" for the country and its bamboo sector, Gadkari said that this crash barrier offers a perfect alternative to steel and addresses environmental concerns.

President Murmu Launches 'Catch the Rain-2023' Campaign

President Droupadi Murmu launched the 'Catch the Rain-2023' as part of efforts to turn conservation of water into a mass campaign in the run-up to the monsoon season.
The theme of the 2023 campaign was 'Source Sustainability for Drinking Water'.
During Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain-2023, the significant role that water plays in the empowerment of women was acknowledged with the theme 'Jal Shakti se Nari Shakti'.
The President also confered 18 awards under Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen, Jal Jeevan Mission and National Water Mission under various categories and released a compendium of case stories titled 'Swachh Sujal Shakti Ki Abhivyakti'.

India and Mexico Sign MoU on Research and Technology

India and Mexico signed an MoU on research, technology and innovation collaborations in New Delhi. It will specifically focus on several key technology areas including aerospace, electronics, earth and ocean sciences and water, mining, minerals, clean energy, biotech and healthcare. Terming both the countries as Privileged Partners, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh assured Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard that India with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and sister Organizations will provide tangible results in the three priority areas of water, lithium and vaccines flagged by the Mexican side.

Mar 05, 2023

Neiphiu Rio Set to be Nagaland's Chief Minister for a Record Fifth Term

Nagaland political stalwart and its longest serving Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio is set to assume office as Chief Minister for a fifth consecutive term after a convincing win for his party and its ally, the BJP.
Together, the two parties secured 33 seats in the 60-member Nagaland assembly.
The septuagenarian leader has with this victory, broken the record of veteran leader S. C. Jamir, who helmed the north-eastern state thrice.

President Murmu Inaugurates International 'Dharma-Dhamma' Conference

President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the 7th International Dharma-Dhamma Conference in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
The three-day conference, under the theme 'Eastern Humanism for the New Era' was organised by India Foundation in collaboration with Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies, and aimed to bring together religious, political and thought leaders from Dharma-Dhamma traditions to ponder over building a philosophical framework for the emerging new world order.
The India Foundation is a New Delhi-based independent think tank that focuses on the issues, challenges and opportunities of Indian polity.

Mar 04, 2023

New Delhi Host Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting

A day after the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting (FMM) was held in New Delhi, the city hosted a meeting of the Quad Foreign Ministers. The meeting focused on the Indo-Pacific against the backdrop of increasing assertiveness by China in the region.
The meeting, presided over by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, was attended by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, and Australia's Penny Wong.
According to the MEA, the meeting was an opportunity for the ministers to continue the discussions held at their last meeting in New York in September 2022.

Trinamool Congress Second Richest Party after BJP

As per a report by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) on the income of different political parties, by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) on the income of different political parties during the fiscal under review, while BJP continued to be the highest income generating party at Rs. 1,917 crore, Trinamool Congress emerged the second highest on this count at Rs. 545.75 crore. Congress moved to the third position at Rs. 541.27 crore.
However, in terms of the percentage of income from electoral bonds of total income, Trinamool Congress moved to the first position pitting BJP behind in the second position.

Mar 03, 2023

Power Regulator CERC Gets New Chairperson

Jishnu Barua became the new chairperson of power regulator Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC). Union Minister for Power R. K. Singh administered the oath of office and secrecy to Jishnu Barua, chairperson, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC).
Barua was chief secretary of Assam from October 2020 to August 2022. Prior to this, he was additional chief secretary to Assam looking after various departments of the state from August 2017 to October 2020.
Post-retirement, Barua held the charge of chairperson of Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd.
The CERC has been 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 four other members, including Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority, who is the ex-officio member of the commission.

All Chhattisgarh BJP MLAs Suspended from Assembly

All the 13 BJP MLAs were suspended for protesting in the well of the Chhattisgarh Assembly over the alleged targeted killings of the party's leaders. The proceedings had to be adjourned thrice within two hours.
The Opposition MLAs submitted a notice for an adjournment motion demanding a discussion on the murders of three BJP leaders by maoists earlier this year. But the request was denied, following which the MLAs protested alleging the BJP leaders had been targeted because they had spoken against religious conversions.

Nagaland Gets its First Women MLAs

Two women created history in Nagaland, becoming the first two women to win the Assembly polls. Hekani Jakhalu and Salhoutuonuo Kruse are both from Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio's Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP).
Hekani Jakhalu won the Dimapur III seat by defeating Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Azheto Zhimomi by 1,536 votes.
Salhoutuonuo Kruse won the Western Angami 8 constituency by a slender margin of just seven votes. She defeated Keneizhakho Nakhro, who contested as an Independent candidate.
No woman was elected an MLA in Nagaland, though the state has witnessed 14 Assembly elections since its formation.
The NDPP, led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, has been in an alliance with the BJP since the last elections in 2018. The alliance, which had won 30 seats in the previous election, has won or is currently leading in 37 seats and is set to retain power in Nagaland. The majority mark is 31 in the 60-seat Nagaland Assembly.

BJP and its Allies Win the Assembly Elections in Tripura and Nagaland

Maintaining the status quo in the North-eastern states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland, the BJP and its allies returned to power in the results declared.
The party overcame a Left-Congress alliance and the TIPRA Motha, which had emerged as a force to reckon with in tribal seats, to bag 32 seats in Tripura, two more than the halfway mark. It retained power in Nagaland along with senior alliance partner Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP). In Meghalaya, BJP's senior ruling ally National People's Party (NPP) emerged as the single-largest party – both are expected to tie up again after fighting the elections separately.
The Tripura result underlined the party's popular acceptance in the erstwhile Left bastion that it won for the first time in 2018 even though its seat tally came down from 36 five years ago to 32. As the final numbers emerge in Meghalaya, it will be 45-year-old Conrad Sangma, the son of former Lok Sabha Speaker P. A. Sangma, who will call the shots on the final seat-sharing arrangement. In Nagaland, the NDPP-BJP alliance increased its tally from 29 to 37 and Neiphiu Rio is poised to return as CM for the fifth term.

Mar 02, 2023

PM Modi Inaugurates 3-Day Raisina Dialogue

The eighth edition of the annual Raisina Dialogue, the flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-strategy, began in New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was the chief guest and keynote speaker at its inaugural session, according to the Foreign Ministry which is organising the event in collaboration with the Observer Research Foundation from March 2-4.
The conference, organised under the theme "Provocation, Uncertainty, Turbulence: Lighthouse in the Tempest?", will witness the participation of representatives from over 100 countries.
The Raisina Dialogue is India's flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-strategy. During the past eight years, the Raisina Dialogue has consistently grown in stature and profile to establish itself as one of the leading global conferences on international affairs.

Kejriwal Forwards Names of Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj to L-G for Appointment

After two jailed ministers of the Aam Aadmi party (AAP) -- Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain -- stepped down, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal forwarded the names of two party leaders for their appointment to the Cabinet to Lt. Governor V.K. Saxena.
Kejriwal recommended the names of party' MLA Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj for the induction into the cabinet to L-G Saxena. Atishi and Bharadwaj are supposed to take the seat of Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain in the Delhi Cabinet.

Share on

TCY Analytics (View Subscription Plans)

Subscribe to GK Updates

I want to receive

GK Tags

August GK, July GK, June GK, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, SPORTS, NATIONAL AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, PERSONS IN NEWS, DAYS AND EVENTS, AWARDS AND HONOURS, GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES, GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION, ART AND CULTURE, BOOKS AND AUTHORS, TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARENESS, ART AND CULTURE, LAW AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Start Discussion

On any topic

Take Tests

Compiled from GK updates

Login

Sign Up

Forgot Password

Download TCY App

Unlock All Services And Enjoy The Premium Benefits

US$ 10

US$ 13

US$ 15

US$ 17

US$ 19

US$ 20

US$ 21

US$ 22

US$ 23

US$ 24

US$ 25

US$ 26