General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - October 2018

Oct 2018

Aug 22, 2024

Two-Day India-EU Regional Conference

The European Union (EU) and the external affairs ministry organised a regional conference in New Delhi and discuss emerging threats in online radicalisation and to jointly counter the exploitation of online spaces by terrorists.
The Track 1.5 conference was held on August 21-22 in collaboration with organising partner Global Counter-Terrorism Council (GCTC), an international think tank, which gathered experts, policymakers, academia and law enforcement officials from India, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Europe.
The conference aims to enhance counter-terror dialogues and partnerships in the region, in line with the EU's Indo-Pacific strategy that envisages a deeper and stronger engagement with partners which share common goals and face common challenges.
The EU and India have strongly condemned all forms of terrorism and emphasised the need for strengthening international cooperation in dealing with such challenges.

Amardeep Singh Bhatia Appointed as DPIIT Secretary

Amardeep Singh Bhatia, a 1993-batch IAS officer from the Nagaland cadre, officially assumed the role of Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). He succeeded Rajesh Kumar Singh, who was appointed as Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Defence. Bhatia's extensive experience includes key roles in both central and state governments, particularly in the Ministries of Corporate Affairs and Health & Family Welfare.
Before his current role, Bhatia served as Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, where he played a significant part in shaping trade policies and negotiating free trade agreements.

Ram Madhav, G. Kishan Reddy Appointed as BJP In-charge for Assembly Polls in J-K

RSS functionary and former BJP general secretary Ram Madhav was appointed the party in-charge for the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir along with Union Minister G Kishan Reddy.
Madhav's return to the organisation is closely linked to the BJP's aspirations in J&K.
G. Kishan Reddy, the Secunderabad MP and the current minister of coal and mines, will also help Ram Madhav in planning and preparation of the elections, the first to be held in the Union Territories since 2014 and also the first after the 2019 abrogation of Article 370, which ended the erstwhile state's special status.

Aug 21, 2024

Dalit, Adivasi Bodies Call for Bharat Bandh

Dalit and Adivasi organisations called for a 'Bharat Bandh' on August 21 over their demand for stronger representation and protection for marginalised communities.
The National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations (NACDAOR) released a list of demands, including justice and equality for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
The NACDAOR took an opposing view to a recent Supreme Court judgement by a seven-judge bench that, according to them, undermines the earlier ruling of a nine-judge bench in the landmark Indira Sawhney case, which established the framework for reservations in India.
The NACDAOR urged the government to reject this judgement, arguing it threatens the constitutional rights of SCs and STs.

India, Japan Emphasise Rules-based International Order, Peaceful Settlement of Disputes

India and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining and strengthening rules-based international order founded on the principles of the UN Charter, respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and peaceful settlement of disputes. The two sides emphasised, without naming any country, the need for all countries to refrain from any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo.
This was stated in a joint statement released by both countries following the third Japan-India 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting in New Delhi. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended the meeting with their Japanese counterparts Kihara Minoru and Kamikawa Yoko.
They have decided to hold the next 2+2 Ministerial Meeting in Japan.

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Launches Portal for Online Monitoring Of Projects - Thermal (P...

The Union Minister of Power and Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, launched Portal for Online monitoring of Projects – Thermal (PROMPT) in New Delhi.
Speaking at the launch, Union Minister Manohar Lal remarked that the electricity is the key driver for the ongoing economic activities in the country. Accordingly, the demand for power is also increasing therefore completion of ongoing schemes and thermal projects in time bound manner is extremely critical. The launch of the portal PROMPT will enable transparent, coordinated, and effective working of the power sector in the country.

India, Malaysia Ink Key Pact on Recruitment, Elevate Ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

India and Malaysia elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim held extensive talks focusing on expanding cooperation in several sectors, including trade, investment and defence.
A pact on promoting recruitment of Indian workers in Malaysia and protection of their interests was one of the at least eight agreements inked between the two sides.
The pact on recruitment of Indian workers assumes significance as illegal immigration and human trafficking from India to Malaysia are among major concerns of the two governments.

Aug 20, 2024

Arunachal Makes Inner Line Permit Mandatory for Non-Residents to Enter State

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu took steps to strengthen the existing Inner Line Permit (ILP) system that makes it mandatory for a non-Arunachalee person to obtain a permit to enter the state.
In a joint meeting with top government officials and leaders of the All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) in Itanagar, Khandu emphasised the need to strengthen the ILP system to prevent illegal entry and prolonged stay of non-local migrants in the state.
"Our main objective is to protect our indigenous tribes from outside influx and we are committed to it," he said.

CAG Signs Pact with Uzbekistan's Chamber of Accounts to Foster Cooperation

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India signed a pact with Uzbekistan's Chamber of Accounts in Tashkent to foster international cooperation.
The agreement, inked by the two supreme audit institutions, aims to enhance collaboration and exchange of expertise in the field of auditing between the two nations.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishes a collaboration platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience amongst auditing professionals to develop the capacity for conducting audits.
Girish Chandra Murmu, the CAG of India, expressed his confidence in the partnership, stating, "Our MoU is important as collaborative efforts and knowledge sharing among SAIs promote the dissemination of best practices and innovative solutions, creating a global network of expertise".

Centenary Commemorative Coin Honouring M. Karunanidhi

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, released the centenary commemorative coin of former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi in Chennai. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister paid rich tributes to the late leader and described him as one of the icons of Indian politics.
Karunanidhi was an Indian writer and politician who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for almost two decades over five terms between 1969 and 2011. He is popularly referred to as Kalaignar (Artist) and Mutthamizh Arignar (Tamil Scholar) for his contributions to Tamil literature.
He had the longest intermittent tenure as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu with 6,863 days in office. He was also a long-standing leader of the Dravidian movement and ten-time president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam political party.

Restoration of Statehood, Article 370, among 12 Guarantees in NC Manifesto

The J&K National Conference's (JKNC) manifesto released, pledges to push for an India-Pakistan dialogue on Kashmir, introduce laws to protect jobs and land, seek the release of political prisoners, and review the cases of employees terminated over the past five years. It also promised a number of freebies, including gas, electricity, healthcare, and food.
NC vice president Omar Abdullah released the party manifesto for the Assembly elections, which are taking place after 10 years. Jammu and Kashmir's special status was revoked by the Centre in 2019.
Mr. Abdullah reiterated the party's goal to introduce a resolution on the restoration of Statehood and the legal status of J&K and to express its dissatisfaction over the revocation of J&K's special status in the Assembly.

PM Modi Proposes 'Global Development Compact' to Assist Partner Countries in Balanced, Inclusive ...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed a comprehensive 'Global Development Compact' that will assist partner countries in the Global South in achieving balanced and inclusive growth using India's experience in development journey and development partnerships.
India will start a USD 2.5 million special fund to assist in trade promotion activities and will also provide USD 1 million fund for capacity building and trade promotion, Prime Minister Modi announced in his closing remarks at the third edition of the Voice of Global South Summit.
PM Modi emphasised that the Global Development Compact will be inspired by development journeys decided by countries of the Global South and won't crush poor nations under huge debt.

Aug 19, 2024

Congress Appoints Tariq Hameed Karra as J-K unit President, Keshav Mahto Kamlesh Named Party Chie...

In a significant organisational reshuffle ahead of the assembly polls, the Congress appointed Tariq Hameed Karra as president of its Jammu and Kashmir unit and Keshav Mahto Kamlesh as chief of the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee.
While Karra replaced Vikar Rasool Wani in Jammu and Kashmir, Kamlesh took over from Rajesh Thakur.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also appointed two working presidents for Jammu and Kashmir -- Tara Chand and Raman Bhalla -- as the party gets battle ready for assembly polls in the Union Territory, the dates of which were announced by the Election Commission.

Key Parliamentary Panels Constituted, Congress' Venugopal to Head PAC

Key parliamentary panels, including the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that will be headed by Congress' K. C. Venugopal, were constituted.
BJP's Sanjay Jaiswal will head the Committee on Estimates while his party colleague Baijayant Panda will chair the Committee on Public Undertakings.
The Public Accounts Committee, Committee on Public Undertakings (CoPU) and Committee on Estimates are the key financial committees of Parliament tasked with keeping a watch on the government's accounts and the functioning of public undertakings.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat issued a bulletin announcing the constitution of parliamentary committees.
The three committees have a tenure of one year and have members from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. They are elected by the two Houses.

Governor Grants Sanction for Corruption Case against Siddaramaiah, Congress Gears up for Legal Ba...

Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot gave sanction to three private complainants to file court cases seeking a probe against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over a 2021 allotment of 14 housing sites in Mysuru to his wife Parvathi B. M. in exchange for 3.16 acres of land acquired from her by the authorities. The land allotment took place when the BJP was in power in the state.
The three complainants, anti-corruption activists T. J. Abraham, Snehamayi Krishna and Pradeep Kumar, had approached the Governor last month (July) for sanction to file private court complaints against Siddaramaiah, seeking an investigation into the land allotments made by the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to Parvathi.

Aug 18, 2024

ACC Approves 18 Transfers, Rajesh Kumar Singh to be Defence Secretary

Days after a new Cabinet Secretary and Union Home Secretary were appointed, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), in a major bureaucratic reshuffle across ministries, approved 18 appointments at the Secretary level, including that of Rajesh Kumar Singh, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, who is set to take over as Defence Secretary.
Singh — who was Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry — will initially take charge as Officer on Special Duty in the Ministry of Defence, before he takes over as Defence Secretary when the incumbent Secretary Giridhar Aramane ends his tenure on October 31 this year. Singh's tenure as Defence Secretary has been extended until October 31, 2026, beyond the age of superannuation.

India Hosts 3rd Voice of Global South Summit

India hosted the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit (VOGSS) on August 17 2024. This unique initiative began as an extension of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas aur Sabka Prayas', and is underpinned by India's philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. It envisages bringing together countries of the Global South to share their perspectives and priorities on a common platform across a whole range of issues.
India had hosted the 1st Voice of Global South Summit (VOGSS) on January 12 and 13, 2023, and the 2nd Voice of Global South Summit on November 17, 2023, both in virtual format. Both the previous editions of the Summit saw participation of over 100 countries from the Global South. The inputs and feedback received from the leaders of the developing countries in these two Summits was appropriately reflected in the agenda and discussions of the G-20 Summit under India's Presidency last year, including in the G-20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration.
The 3rd VOGSS, with the overarching theme of 'An Empowered Global South for a Sustainable Future', acted as a platform to expand discussions held in the previous Summits on a range of complex challenges that continue to affect the world, such as conflicts, food and energy security crises, climate change - all of which disproportionately affect developing countries in a severe manner.

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