General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - October 2018

Oct 2018

Feb 20, 2024

Department of Fisheries Signs a MoU with Open Network for Digital Commerce

The Department of Fisheries signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) in the presence of Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala, Minister of State Dr. L Murugan, Secretary (Fisheries) Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Joint Secretary (Inland Fisheries), Sagar Mehra, MD, ONDC T. Koshy and other esteemed dignitaries at New Delhi. Parshottam Rupala also released a booklet 'From Catch to Commerce, Increasing Market Access through Digital Transformation'.
The objective of the collaboration of Department of Fisheries with ONDC is to provide a digital platform and empower all stakeholders including traditional fishermen, fish farmers producer organisation, entrepreneurs from fisheries sector to buy and sell their products through e-market place. ONDC is a unique platform of e-marketing that will play a significant role in fisheries sector by connecting fishermen, fish farmers, FFPOs, self-help groups and other fishermen cooperatives in a structured manner.

Centre Agrees to Discuss Demands for Ladakh's Statehood

The Centre agreed to discuss the demands for Ladakh's statehood, the inclusion of the Union Territory in the 6th Schedule of the Constitution and the setting up of an exclusive public service commission for the high-altitude region.
The agreement was arrived at a meeting held between the High Powered Committee (HPC) for Ladakh headed by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai and a 14-member delegation of the Apex Body of Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), representing various organisations of the Union Territory.

Empowering Indian Ports: Govt. Launches 'Sagar Aankalan' Guidelines

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched the 'Sagar Aankalan' guidelines for Indian port performance index. The move aims at enhancing the efficiency and competitiveness of Indian ports.
The 'Sagar Aankalan' guidelines for National Benchmarking of Indian Ports Performance will be enforced across all seaports in India, with the goal of boosting their efficiency and competitiveness.

Feb 19, 2024

Arunachal Is 1st Northeast State to Achieve 100% 'Har Ghar Jal' Scheme

Arunachal Pradesh achieved 100 per cent saturation in 'Har Ghar Jal' scheme under the Centre's Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Chief Minister Pema Khandu has said.
The state became the first in the northeast and tenth in the country to achieve a cent per cent saturation under the central government sponsored scheme.
Khandu informed that the Centre's share for the scheme in the state was Rs. 3,965.41 crore, while the state contributed Rs. 455.51 crore to complete the project, ensuring every household gets clean and safe piped water.

Jharkhand CM Champai Soren Gives Go-ahead to Caste-based Survey in State

Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren gave the go-ahead for a caste-based survey in the state on the lines of neighbouring Bihar.
The CM directed the personnel department to prepare a draft (SoP for conducting the survey) and place it before the cabinet for approval.
If everything goes according to the plan, the exercise will begin after the Lok Sabha elections.

Feb 18, 2024

Sonowal Inaugurates Kalughat Inland Waterways Transport Terminal in Bihar

Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW), inaugurated the Kalughat Inland Waterways Transport Terminal and two community jetties in Bettiah, Bihar. The ceremony was graced by Vijay Kumar Sinha, Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar; Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Member of Parliament, along with key officials from both central and state governments.
Kalughat, strategically located on the north bank of the River Ganga in Bihar's Saran District, emerges as a vital nexus in the region's transportation network. With its direct access to NH-19, the terminal serves as a pivotal link for cargo movement, particularly for Nepal-bound shipments via Raxaul and the hinterland of North Bihar.

India, Colombia Sign MoU on Digital Cooperation

India and Colombia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the field of Sharing Successful Digital Solutions Implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation. The agreement aims to foster digital transformation through the sharing of India's open-sourced Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs), particularly focusing on India Stack Solutions.
The signatories were Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, and Jal Shakti from India, and Mr. Mauricio Lizcano, Minister of Information Technologies and Communications of Colombia.
The MoU facilitates the exchange of public officials and experts to enhance cooperation in digital transformation initiatives.

Feb 17, 2024

Hindon Elevated Road Renamed 'Ram Setu'

The 10.3 km Hindon elevated road, connecting Ghaziabad's Raj Nagar Extension with UP Gate near east Delhi, will now be known as Ram Setu, the officials of the Ghaziabad municipal corporation announced, after the executive committee cleared the proposal moved by mayor Sunita Dayal to rename the elevated stretch.
The road also acts as a bypass for vehicles coming from Delhi and moving to western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The move to name the elevated road came on the heels of the corporation approving in January a proposal to rename Ghaziabad city with a name that is to be chosen by the state government. That proposal was moved by the Bharatiya Janata Party councillor Sanjay Singh.

DoT Launches 'Sangam: Digital Twin' Initiative for Transformative Infrastructure Planning

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) introduces the 'Sangam: Digital Twin' initiative, calling upon industry leaders, start-ups, MSMEs, academia, and innovators to join hands in reshaping infrastructure planning and design through cutting-edge technologies and collaborative efforts.
DoT's pioneering venture invites Expressions of Interest (EoI) from diverse stakeholders.
Digital Twin technology facilitates virtual replication of physical assets for real-time monitoring and analysis.
Objectives of the Initiative
Two-stage implementation in a major Indian city for creative exploration and practical demonstration
Generating a future blueprint for scalable infrastructure strategies through collaboration

Pashupati Kumar Paras Launches 'SUFALAM' for Food Entrepreneurs

Union Minister of Food Processing Pashupati Kumar Paras inaugurated 'SUFALAM: Start-Up Forum for Aspiring Leaders and Mentors Start-up Conclave 2024' at New Delhi, stressing the importance of such events in promoting networking, sharing knowledge, and aiding start-ups in accessing government schemes.
The event witnessed participation from over 250 industry stakeholders, start-ups, MSMEs, financial institutions, venture capitalists, and academia.
The two days, the event comprised four knowledge sessions, two pitching sessions, and an exhibition.
The knowledge sessions were held in collaboration with various organisations, while the pitching sessions were conducted in partnership with industry giants.
A total of 35 exhibitors from across India participated in the event.

Feb 16, 2024

Indian Actor Kamal Haasan to Contest 2024 Lok Sabha Election

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan entered the 2024 Lok Sabha election race. Haasan, who is the president of the political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), will be contesting the upcoming general election, either from Coimbatore or Chennai.
Haasan's party was allotted the symbol of 'battery torch'. According to reports, the actor's party MNM is likely to join hands with DMK and Congress and contest as part of the INDIA bloc alliance.
Haasan made his foray into the political world in 2018, and his party has been quite active in Coimbatore. In 2021, he contested the assembly election from Coimbatore South but lost to BJP's Vanathi Srinivasan by a slinder margin of 1,50 votes. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, MNM candidate, Dr R Mahendran fought from the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat.

Sanjay Kumar Jain Assumes Charge as IRCTC Chairman & MD

Mr. Sanjay Kumar Jain, an Indian Railway Traffic Services (IRTS) Officer of 1990 batch took over the charge of Chairman & Managing Director of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC).
With a distinguished career spanning over three decades, Mr Jain brings to the table a wealth of experience and a proven track record of exemplary leadership in various key positions within the Ministry of Railways and public sector undertakings (PSUs).
His professional trajectory has been marked by significant contributions in pivotal roles such as Principal Chief Commercial Manager at Northern Railway, Group General Manager (North Zone) at IRCTC, and Divisional Railway Manager at Mumbai Central Railway, among others.

Nand Kishore Yadav New Speaker of Bihar Assembly

Veteran BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav was elected as the Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav escorted the new speaker to the Chair.
Yadav, a seven-time MLA from Patna Sahib Assembly constituency had filed his nomination for the Speaker's post, a day after his predecessor, Awadh Bihari Choudhary of the RJD, was voted out in a no-confidence motion.
After Choudhary's removal from the Speaker's chair, Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari of JD (U) was conducting the proceedings of the House.
Yadav started his political journey in 1978 when he became the councillor of the Patna Municipal Corporation and deputy mayor of Patna in 1982.

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