General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2018

May 2018

Oct 08, 2021

India Joins 70-nation Group to Protect Environment

India officially joined the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People, a group of more than 70 countries encouraging the adoption of global goal to protect at least 30 per cent the of world's land and ocean by 2030 (30 x 30). Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Secretary Rameshwar Prasad Gupta handed over the signed agreement in that regard to French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain.
HAC members currently include a mix of countries in the global north and south, European, Latin American, African and Asian countries. India is the first member of the BRICS bloc to join the HAC.

BJP Releases 80-member National Executive List

BJP president J P Nadda announced the 80-member National Executive of the party, with the names of its top brass, ranging from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to many Union Ministers, several state leaders and veterans like L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi figuring on the list.
BJP MP Varun Gandhi, who has been speaking in support of farmers during their ongoing stir against the three agri laws, his MP mother Maneka Gandhi and former Union minister Birender Singh, who has also been supportive of the agitation, have been dropped as executive members.
Besides 80 regular members, the executive will also have 50 special invitees and 179 permanent invitees.

Mamata Banerjee, Two other TMC Lawmakers Sworn in as Assembly Members

In a break from tradition, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was administered the oath as a member of the state Assembly by Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Banerjee, who won the Bhabanipur by-poll by a margin of 58,835 votes, a record for the seat, took the oath in Bengali.
Two other newly-elected TMC legislators Jakir Hossain and Amirul Islam also took oath soon afterwards.
Jakir Hossain was declared victorious by a huge margin of 92,480 votes from Jangipur, Amirul Islam won from Samserganj by 26,379 votes.

Oct 07, 2021

Assam Govt. Launches App Fishwaale, India's First e-fish Market

Assam Fisheries Minister Parimal Suklabaidya launched an application, stated to be India's first e-fish market app.
The app, 'Fishwaale', provides one-stop solution for aquaculture. It will also help both buyers and sellers to place orders and sell fish, aquaculture equipment and medicine, fish feed and fish seed online.
Products such as Freshwater and seawater frozen fish, dry fish, fish pickles and processed fish items will be sold via the app, which was developed by Aqua Blue Global Aquaculture Solutions Pvt Ltd, in collaboration with the state fisheries department.

Nine Judges Appointed to 5 High Courts

Nine judicial officers and advocates were appointed as High Court judges. They were among those whose names were recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium last month.
Four judges were appointed to the Jharkhand High Court and two to the Patna High Court.
One judge each was appointed to the High Courts in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala. Advocate-General of Madhya Pradesh Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav was appointed judge of the state HC. Notifications announcing their appointment were later issued by the Law Ministry.

Oct 06, 2021

BJP Wins Gandhinagar, Two Other Civic Bodies in Gujarat

The ruling BJP retained the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) and won in two other civic bodies in Gujarat, while the Congress took away Bhanvad municipality in Devbhumi-Dwarka district from the saffron party.
The GMC poll was being seen as a litmus test for the BJP in the backdrop of its sudden and surprising decision to change the state's chief minister and the entire cabinet recently, ahead of the state Assembly polls due next year. The party had registered a thumping win in the local bodies polls held in February this year.
As per the final tally released by the State Election Commission (SEC), out of total 44 seats in the GMC, the BJP won 41 seats, the Congress-2 and the AAP bagged 1 seat.

Chirag, Paras Factions Get Separate Names, Poll Symbols

The Election Commission allocated names and poll symbols to the Chirag Paswan and the Pashupati Kumar Paras factions as an interim measure, days after barring them from using the name of the Lok Janshakti Party or its symbol 'bungalow'.
In separate letters to Paswan and Paras, the poll panel said that it has allotted the name 'Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)' and the election symbol 'Helicopter' to the Chirag Paswan group.
Having considered your request, the commission has allotted the name 'Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party' for your group and has allotted the symbol 'Sewing Machine' as the symbol to be allotted to the candidate set up, if any, by your group in the current bye-election," the EC told Paras.

Oct 05, 2021

Kiren Rijiju Inaugurates India's First Sports Arbitration Centre in Gujarat

The Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kiren Rijiju has inaugurated the first Sports Arbitration Centre of India at Ahmedabad in Gujarat. This Sports Arbitration Centre of India (SACI) will serve as an independent body to fast track disputes in the sports sector and serve as a mechanism to redress issues related to sports.
The SACI will be promoted by Ahmedabad-based SE TransStadia Pvt Ltd. and all legal backing will be provided by the Ministry of Law and Justice. The SACI will have a far-reaching impact for the sports sector of the country by creating a reputation and establishing credibility for itself through the provision to settle disputes and other issues and concerns of the sports sector in a fast, transparent and very accountable manner.

Former Punjab Police Chief Dinkar Gupta Gets New Posting

Former Punjab Police chief Dinkar Gupta got a new posting. The Punjab government posted him as Chairman of Punjab Police Housing Corporation.
The government had in September appointed 1988-batch IPS officer Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota as the officiating head of the state police force, relieving DGP Dinkar Gupta of the charge.
According to the orders issued by the state government, Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota would also continue to hold the charge of Special DGP, Armed Battalion, Punjab.

BJP Names its Candidates for Bye-elections to 3 Assembly Seats in Assam

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has named its candidates for bye-elections to three assembly constituencies in Assam.
The BJP has pitted Phanidhar Talukdar from Bhabanipur, Rupjyoti Kumi from Mariani and Sushanta Borgohain from Thowra Assembly constituencies.
Polling in these constituencies will take place on October 30 and the counting of votes will take place on November 2.

Reeta Vasishta is New Legislative Secretary in Law Ministry

Senior Indian Legal Service officer Reeta Vasishta was appointed as the new legislative secretary in the Law Ministry.
Vasishta was so far an additional secretary in the Legislative Department of the ministry.
The post of legislative secretary was lying vacant since early May 2021 following the death of G. Narayan Raju.
Law Secretary Anup Mendiratta was holding the additional charge of the legislative department.

Oct 04, 2021

World's 'Largest' Tricolour Unveiled in Leh

Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, R. K. Mathur inaugurated in the Union Territory a national flag made up of Khadi cloth, the largest such national flag in the world.
The unveiling of the flag took place on a day when the country is observing the birth anniversary of the "Father of the Nation," Mahatma Gandhi, with whom Khadi is synonymous.
This national flag is the world`s largest flag made of Khadi. Its length is 225 ft, width 150 ft, and weighs 1400 kg. The flag covers a 37,500 sq ft area. It took 49 days to complete this flag.

Govt. Forms Panel to Draw Framework for Implementation of Assam Accord

The Assam government has set up an eight-member committee to prepare a framework for implementation of all clauses of the 36-year-old Assam Accord, especially the Clause-6 report prepared by a central panel pertaining to protecting the cultural, social and linguistic identity and heritage of the indigenous people.
The Commissioner and Secretary of the Implementation of Assam Accord Department, G. D. Tripathi, issued a notification announcing the formation of the sub-committee, which will submit its report within the next three months.
The latest panel will also lay emphasis on implementation of Clause 7, 9 and 10 along with update of National Register of Citizens, issues of flood and erosion, rehabilitation of families of martyrs and victims of Assam agitation.

Mamata Banerjee Secures Chief Minister's Seat, Wins Bhabanipur Bypolls

Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee secured her seat as West Bengal Chief Minister after leading the crucial Bhabanipur assembly constituency with a record margin of 58,832 votes.
The poll win was crucial for Mamata Banerjee in order to get as an MLA by the first week of November and continue as the Chief Minister.

Om Birla, Harivansh to Participate in G-20 Speakers Summit in Rome

The seventh G-20 Parliamentary Speakers Summit is scheduled to be held on October 7-8 in Rome, the capital of Italy.
An eight-member parliamentary delegation from India including Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh and Secretary Generals of both Houses of Parliament are set to participate in the summit.
Duarte Pacheco President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will address the Summit in the opening session and Prime Minister of Italy, Mario Draghi will be the keynote speaker.
"The seventh G-20 Parliamentary Speakers Summit will also discuss, rebooting economic growth in terms of social and economic environmental sustainability and 'Sustainability and food Security after the COVID-19 pandemic'.

Baghel is AICC's Senior Observer for UP Assembly Polls

Ahead of the assembly elections in seven states scheduled to be held next year, Congress appointed Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel as All India Congress Committee (AICC) senior observer for the ensuing polls in Uttar Pradesh.
The state of Uttar Pradesh is scheduled to hold an Assembly election in 2022. Previously, in the 2017 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party bagged 312 seats out of the 403-seat Uttar Pradesh Assembly while Samajwadi Party (SP) bagged 47 seats, Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) won 19 and Congress could manage to win only seven seats. The rest of the seats were bagged by other candidates.
Notably, the Congress party has been out of power in the state since 1989, that is, for more than 30 years. The last Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh representing the Congress party was Narayan Dutt Tiwari from June 1988 to December 1989.

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