General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - October 2018

Oct 2018

Feb 05, 2024

Pawan Kumar Assumes Charge as Chief Adviser (Cost) in Ministry of Finance

Pawan Kumar, ICoAS, assumed charge as Chief Adviser (Cost), Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, in Level-17 (Apex level).
Kumar is a 1992-batch officer of the Indian Cost Accounts Service under Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance. Prior to assuming the charge Kumar was holding the charge of Additional Chief Adviser (Cost).
Kumar is a qualified Cost Accountant and possesses a diverse work experience in various capacities at different Ministries/Departments and autonomous bodies like Tariff Commission, Delhi Development Authority, Director General of Trade Remedies, Department of Economic Affairs, Department of Public Enterprises etc.
Kumar played a pivotal role in development of a web-based Online Dashboard for performance evaluation of CPSEs in Department of Public Enterprises, Ministry of Finance. This initiative was conferred 'Gold Award' in the 'e-Governance' category in 2022, by a leading think tank.

Punjab Governor Resigns in a Sudden Move

In a surprise move, Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit resigned from the post, while also stepping down as the administrator of the Union territory (UT) of Chandigarh, the joint capital of the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.
Purohit took charge as the Punjab Governor in September 2021, after serving as the Tamil Nadu Governor for four years.
He had an eventful tenure ever since, during which he remained at loggerheads with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab over several issues, including Punjab Raj Bhawan's pending assent to legislations.

Abhay Thakur, India's New Ambassador to Russia

Abhay Thakur, Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of 1992 batch, was named India's ambassador to Russia. Formerly the High Commissioner to Mauritius and Nigeria, Thakur replaced the present ambassador Pavan Kapoor of 1990 batch.
Kapoor was appointed as new Secretary (west) in the Ministry of External Affairs.
Thakur is an engineer-turned-diplomat. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1992. Thakur played a distinguished role as Office on Special Duty (OSD) at Ministry of External Affairs during the New Delhi G20 Leaders Summit.

Apurva Chandra New Health Secretary

Apurva Chandra, 1988-batch IAS officer from Maharashtra cadre, was appointed as the new Health Secretary, according to an order issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
Chandra was handling the position of Secretary in the Department of Health and Family Welfare for a month as an additional charge, along with serving as the Secretary in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
Senior bureaucrat Sanjay Jaju was appointed as the new I&B Secretary in place of Chandra.
Eight other senior officers were appointed in different central government departments and in the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal, as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle affected by the Centre.

Feb 04, 2024

PM Modi Inaugurate International Legal Conference

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) - Commonwealth Attorneys and Solicitors General Conference (CASGC) 2024 at Vigyan Bhawan. The Prime Minister also addressed the gathering during the event.
The conference focused on the theme 'Cross-Border Challenges in Justice Delivery' and aimed to discuss crucial issues in law and justice. Some key topics included judicial transition, ethical dimensions of legal practice, executive accountability, and the reevaluation of modern-day legal education.
This international gathering saw the participation of Attorney Generals and Solicitors from Commonwealth nations across the Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Caribbean, alongside various international delegations. The conference provided a unique platform for different stakeholders in the Commonwealth legal fraternity to interact and exchange ideas.

Feb 03, 2024

PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates India's First Global Mobility Expo

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Bharat Mobility Global Expo, a groundbreaking event in India's automotive landscape. The expo took place in the national capital, this expo aimed to highlight India's emergence as a global hub for mobility. With over 800 exhibitors and 50 overseas participants, the event covered the entire mobility value chain.
India, one of the largest vehicle markets, aims to increase the export share from the current 14% to 25% of all passenger vehicles by 2030.
Representatives from 47 countries joined the expo, emphasizing its global significance.
The event focused on fostering collaborations and partnerships between domestic and international stakeholders.

India, Maldives Agree to Phased Replacement of Military Personnel from Island

The governments of India and Maldives agreed to a phased replacement of the Indian military personnel posted in the South Asian archipelago. The development came amid New Delhi's emphasis on 'mutually workable solutions' after newly-elected pro-China President Muizzu called upon New Delhi to pull out its personnel from the island nation.
A total of 77 Indian military personnel are posted in the island nation primarily to operate two helicopters and an aircraft used for medical evacuations and humanitarian missions. The ties between New Delhi and Male have faced challenges since pro-China President Muizzu assumed power in November 2023.
India, Maldives agreed that India will replace the military personnel in one of the three aviation platforms by 10 March 2024, and will complete replacing military personnel in the other two platforms by 10 May 2024.
From the looks of the second core group meet readouts and outcomes, the development appears to be a win-win achievement by both sides, with replacement of Indian military personnel with Indian civilian personnel.

Feb 02, 2024

Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) Portal Surpasses 1.45 Crore Youth Registrations

The Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) portal garnered over 1.45 crore youth registrations within a remarkable three-month period, attesting to its widespread popularity. Launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on October 31, 2023, the platform has swiftly become a crucial driver of youth development and engagement.
The portal offers diverse opportunities, events, and volunteering activities, including collaborations with Police, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), and various Ministries.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi acknowledged the overwhelming response to MY Bharat, emphasizing its status as the largest platform for the twenty-first-century youth of Bharat. The platform's swift and impactful outreach was highlighted during a conversation with NCC and NSS Volunteers on January 27, 2024.

Bhutan Gets Lion's Share in MEA Development Aid

Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, and Mauritius got the lion's share of the Ministry of External Affairs' development assistance for 2024-25. The MEA's total development assistance to various countries and regions such as Latin America and Eurasia was pegged at Rs. 4,883 crore.
The ministry was allocated a total of Rs. 22,154 crore for the 2024-25 fiscal in the Interim budget as against last year's outlay of Rs. 18,050 crore.
In line with India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy, the largest share of aid portfolio for 2024-25 went to Bhutan with an allocation of Rs. 2,068 crore as against Rs. 2,400 crore in 2023-24.
Nepal was provided Rs. 700 crore against Rs. 650 crore in 2023-24. The assistance to the Maldives was kept at Rs. 600 crore as against Rs. 770 crore in 2023-24, despite recent strain in the bilateral ties. The allocation for Chabahar Port was maintained at Rs. 100 crore, underlining India's focus on connectivity projects with Iran.
In continuation with India's special relationship with the people of Afghanistan, a budgetary aid of Rs. 200 crore was set aside. In 2023-24, it was Rs. 220 crore. An amount of Rs. 120 crore will be provided to Bangladesh against Rs. 130 crore in 2023-24. As per budget documents, Sri Lanka will get development aid worth Rs. 75 crore (up from Rs. 60 crore in 2023-24), Mauritius to receive Rs. 370 crore (up from Rs. 330 crore), while for Myanmar it is at Rs. 250 crore (down from Rs. 370 cr in 2023-24).

India's First Beachside Start-up Fest in Mangalore

India's first beachside start-up fest, the Mangalore Beachside Start-up Fest is set to unfold from February 16 to 18, marking a significant milestone in the region's entrepreneurial landscape. With a focus on nurturing and promoting nascent ventures, this event promises to be a catalyst for the burgeoning start-up ecosystem in Mangalore.
Taking cues from the acclaimed South Summit held in Spain, the organizers of the fest aim to replicate its success in Mangalore. By adopting proven strategies and best practices, they seek to infuse the local start-up scene with fresh energy and enthusiasm.
Under the banner of Tapasya Beach Festival (TBF), the Mangalore Beachside Start-up Fest is poised to become a hub of creativity and innovation. Beyond merely showcasing startups, it endeavors to foster meaningful connections, spark innovation, and cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit among participants.

Tamil Actor Vijay Names His Political Party as 'Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam'

Tamil Actor Vijay announced his entry into politics ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2024. The actor named his party Tamilaga Vetri Kazham.
Vijay said that his party will not contest the 2024 elections and support any party.
Vijay's entry into politics marked another high-profile entry in Tamil Nadu politics from cinema after the likes of Kamal Haasan, M. G. Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, etc.

Champai Soren Takes Oath as Jharkhand CM

Champai Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha took oath as the Chief Minister of the state after Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan, invited the loyalist of JMM leader Hemant Soren to Raj Bhavan to form the government. Champai Soren has mandated to demonstrate his majority in a floor test, which will be held within the next 10 days.
The invitation came hours after Champai Soren urged the governor to accept his claim to form the government at the earliest amid political uncertainties in the state since the resignation of Hemant Soren.
The ruling JMM-Congress-RJD alliance of Jharkhand has 47 MLAs in the 81-member house, where the majority mark is 41.

Feb 01, 2024

IAS Officer Radha Raturi Appointed First Woman Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand

Senior IAS officer Radha Raturi was appointed as the first woman Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand.
Raturi, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1988 batch, replaced Sukhbir Singh Sandhu whose tenure ended. She is the first woman to hold the top administrative post in Uttarakhand.
During her long administrative career, Raturi has held several important positions. She has worked as a bureaucrat both in undivided Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which came into existence in November 2000.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman Presents Her Sixth Straight Budget

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman equalled the record of former Prime Minister Morarji Desai as she presents her sixth straight budget on February 1. Nirmala Sitharaman has presented five full budgets since July 2019 and is the first full-time woman Finance Minister of the country. With the presentation of interim budget on February 1, Nirmala Sitharaman surpassed the records of her predecessors- Manmohan Singh, Arun Jaitley, P. Chidambaram and Yashwant Sinha- who presented five budgets in a row.
Morarji Desai, as Finance Minister, presented five annual budgets and one interim budget between 1959-1964. He holds the tag of presenting 10 budgets- the maximum by any Finance Minister.
After the PM Modi government came to power in 2014, Arun Jaitley took charge of the finance ministry and presented five budgets in a row from 2014-15 to 2018-19.
Piyush Goyal presented the interim budget for 2019-20 on February 1, 2019.
After the 2019 general elections, Nirmala Sitharaman was given the charge of the finance portfolio, becoming the second woman to have presented budget after Indira Gandhi, who had presented the budget for financial year 1970-71.
The interim budget is presented when general elections are due in the country. The new government, which is likely to be formed around June, will come up with a final budget for 2024-25 sometime in July.

ED Arrests Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren

Hemant Soren, the Jharkhand Chief Minister and head of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), was arrested after more than seven hours of questioning by the Enforcement Directorate over alleged ownership of a piece of land. The agency had also seized Rs. 36 lakh in cash and a luxury SUV from his Delhi residence a day earlier.
Not long before his arrest, Soren submitted his resignation to Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan.

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