General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - October 2018

Oct 2018

Jan 31, 2024

Anil Kumar Lahoti is New TRAI Chairman

The government appointed former railway board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Anil Kumar Lahoti as Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The post was lying vacant for nearly four months since the retirement of P. D. Vaghela on September 30, 2023.
During his more than 36 years of career in railways, Lahoti worked in various capacities over Central, Northern, North Central, Western and West Central Railways and in Railway Board.
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India was established on February 20, 1997 by an Act of Parliament to regulate telecom services and tariffs in India. Earlier, regulation of telecom services and tariffs was overseen by the Central Government.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Revokes Suspension of 11 Opposition MPs

The Rajya Sabha Privileges Committee held 11 suspended opposition MPs guilty of breach of privilege and contempt of the Council of States, but Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar revoked their suspension allowing them to attend the Budget session.
The MPs held 'guilty of breach of privilege and contempt of the Council' of States were Jebi Mather Hisham, L. Hanumanthaiah, Neeraj Dangi, Rajmani Patel, Kumar Ketkar, G. C. Chandrashekhar, Binoy Viswam, Sandosh Kumar P, M. Mohamed Abdulla, John Brittas and A. A. Rahim.

Jan 30, 2024

Nitish Kumar Forms Govt. in Bihar with NDA

Nitish Kumar, who resigned as Bihar Chief Minister, formed a government in the state once again in alliance with the BJP.
In the aftermath of the alliance with the BJP, two Deputy Chief Ministers were appointed—Vijay Sinha and Samrat Choudhary. A total of 8 leaders took oath as cabinet ministers in the new government led by Nitish Kumar. The newly formed Cabinet includes members from both the BJP and JD(U), along with representatives from other parties. The list of ministers who took oath includes Samrat Choudhary, Vijay Kumar Sinha, Dr. Prem Kumar, Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Shravan Kumar, Santosh Kumar Suman, and Sumit Kumar Singh.

IREDA Releases Vigilance Journal 'Pahal'

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), Government of India enterprise under the administrative control of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, released 'Pahal'- the insightful house journal of its Vigilance Department. The journal was unveiled by Chairman & Managing Director of IREDA, Pradip Kumar Das. The ceremony took place at the registered office of IREDA in New Delhi, where Chief Vigilance Officer Ajay Kumar Sahani and other senior officials graced the occasion. The initiative marked a significant step towards transparency, accountability, and the promotion of renewable energy initiatives by IREDA.

Centre Extends Ban on SIMI under UAPA for another 5 Years

The Centre extended ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) as an 'unlawful association' for five years under the UAPA.
The Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was first banned on February 1, 2014 by the Indian government. The ban was extended by five years in 2019. Founded in 1977 in UP's Aligarh with Mohammad Ahmadullah Siddiqi, professor of Journalism and Public Relations at the Western Illinois University Macomb as its founding president, this organisation operates on the agenda to convert India into an Islamic nation. SIMI was first declared as an outlawed outfit in 2001 and has been banned on several occasions.
SIMI operated in states including Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Delhi, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra and parts of Gujarat.

Beating Retreat Ceremony 2024

Beating retreat ceremony that officially marked the end of Republic Day festivities was held at Vijay Chowk.
The ceremony began with the massed band's 'Shankhnaad' tune, which was followed by the enthralling tunes such as 'Veer Bharat', 'Sangam Dur', 'Deshon ka Sartaj Bharat', 'Bhagirathi', and 'Arjuna' by Pipes and Drums band. The CAPF bands will play 'Bharat Ke Jawan' and 'Vijay Bharat' among others.
The principal conductor of the ceremony was Lt Col Vimal Joshi. While the Army Band conductor was Subedar Major Moti Lal, MCPO MUS II M Antony and Warrant Officer Ashok Kumar was the Conductors of Indian Navy and Indian Air Force respectively. The conductor of CAPF band was Constable G. D. Ranidevi. The Buglers performed under the leadership of Naib Subedar Umesh Kumar, and Pipes and Drums band was played under the instructions of Subedar Major Rajender Singh.
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Mister Rajnath Singh were among the dignitaries who attended the ceremony.

Jan 29, 2024

Nitish Kumar Resigns as Bihar Chief Minister amidst Alliance Turmoil

Nitish Kumar, who was uniting the Opposition to take on BJP, took oath as Bihar Chief Minister with BJP as the new alliance partner.
The Bihar leader dumped his partner RJD and resigned as Chief Minister earlier.
After meeting the governor, he said, that I have resigned from the post of Chief Minister. The new Grand Alliance that was created (in August 2022) is not in a good condition. The situation is not looking good.

BJP Appoints LS Poll in-charges: Panda Gets UP, Tawde Bihar

The BJP appointed its election in-charges and co-in-charges for states and Union Territories for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Baijayant Panda was given the charge of the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh while Vinod Tawde was appointed as election in-charge of political affairs in Bihar, where JD(U) president and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned to the NDA. Some of the other names included Bihar ex-minister Mangal Pandey in West Bengal, Tripura ex-CM Biplab Kumar Deb in Haryana and BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh in J&K and Ladakh.

Rajasthan, MP, Centre Sign MoU for Modified River Linking Project

An MoU was signed by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh with the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti for implementation of the Modified Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal-ERCP (Modified PKC-ERCP) Link Project.
The project envisages integration of original PKC river link project with Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project to implement it as an inter-state river linking project under the national perspective plan of interlinking of rivers (ILR) programme of the Government of India.

Jan 28, 2024

UNICEF Joins Hands with NIUA to Empower Young People for Urban Governance

The Urban Youth Unit at NIUA and YuWaah - UNICEF came into a partnership to solidify their commitment to empowering young people for urban governance. The Statement of Intent was exchanged between Lovlesh Sharma, Head, Urban Youth Unit and Abhishek Gupta, COO, YuWaah at the National Youth Day celebrations hosted by National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
Over the next three years, the organisations will co-create and implement scalable youth-driven solutions to address the challenges faced by cities. The primary focus of this partnership is enhancing youth leadership, participation and action research towards strengthening civic behaviours and urban governance.

Lok Sabha Speaker Inaugurates Presiding Officers' Conference

Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla inaugurated the 84th All India Presiding Officers' Conference (AIPOC) in Mumbai.
During the two-day conference, the attendees held discussions on strengthening people's trust in democratic institutions and the need to maintain discipline and decorum in Parliament and the legislatures of states and Union Territories. It also deliberated on how to make the committee system more purposeful and effective.
The Presiding Officers' Conference was preceded by the 60th Conference of Secretaries of Legislative bodies in India.
Lok Sabhac Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh chaired the Conference of Secretaries of Legislative bodies in India in which they discussed 'Making Use of Cutting Edge Technologies in the Service of Legislature'.

Jan 27, 2024

Republic Day 2024

The Republic Day Parade at Kartavya Path in 2024 was a vibrant and eclectic celebration of India's unity in diversity. With 25 captivating tableaux from 16 states and Union Territories, the parade showcased a kaleidoscope of themes ranging from education and empowerment to traditional arts and sports achievements. Each tableau represented the unique cultural, social, and technological facets of the participating regions, contributing to the rich tapestry of India's national identity.
The selection of tableaux for the Republic Day Parade follows a rigorous process overseen by an expert committee comprising eminent individuals from various artistic and cultural fields. To ensure equitable representation, the Ministry of Defence introduced a unique three-year roll-over plan. This plan guarantees rotational participation for all states and Union Territories, addressing concerns of non-inclusion and fostering inclusivity on the grand stage of the Republic Day Parade.
The themes for Republic Day 2024, "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India) and "Bharat – Loktantra ki Matruka" (India – Mother of Democracy), encapsulated the aspirations and democratic ethos of the nation.
For the Republic Day 2024 celebrations, the guest of honour was Emmanuel Macron, the President of France.
Here is the list of tableaux displayed on 75th Republic Day of India:
State/ Ministry Theme Highlights
Andhra Pradesh - Revolutionising School Education - Focus on global competitiveness in education.
Rajasthan - Women's Handicraft Industries - Showcasing Ghoomar dance, Meera Bai's statue, and traditional handicrafts.
Odisha - Women in Handicrafts and Handlooms - Emphasising women's role in preserving and promoting traditional arts.
Haryana - Empowerment of Women - Illustrating empowerment through the 'Mera Parivar – Meri Pehchan' program.
Madhya Pradesh - Women's Integration in Development - Featuring Avani Chaturvedi, the first woman fighter pilot, and women in various sectors.
Chhattisgarh - Muria Darbar Tradition in Bastar - Highlighting tribal community decision-making and equal involvement of men and women.
Ladakh - Indian Women's Ice Hockey Team - Showcasing achievements and contributions of Ladakhi women in sports.
Manipur - Women in Socio-Economic Activities - Featuring women working with lotus stems, Ima Keithel market, and lotus silk making.
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology - AI in various sectors - Illustrating the role of artificial intelligence in diverse industries.
CRPF - Women Empowerment - Central Armed Police Forces' tableaux focusing on empowering women.
IAF - Power Beyond Boundaries - Showcasing major assets of the Indian Air Force, including recent inductions

PM Modi Addresses NCC Event

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the annual NCC PM rally at the Cariappa Parade Ground in Delhi.
The event included a cultural programme on the theme 'Amrit Kaal Ki NCC', which showcased contribution and empowerment of the Amrit Peedhi. In the true Indian spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, more than 2,200 NCC cadets and young cadets from 24 foreign countries were part of this year's rally.
As special guests, more than 400 Sarpanches of the Vibrant Villages and more than 100 women belonging to various Self-Help Groups from different parts of the country attended the NCC PM Rally.

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