General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - October 2018

Oct 2018

May 01, 2023

Road Transport and Highways Sector has Maximum Number of Delayed Projects

The road transport and highways sector has the maximum number of delayed projects at 402, followed by railways at 115 and the petroleum industry at 86, showed a government report.
In the road transport and highways sector, 402 out of 749 projects are delayed. For Railways, out of 173 projects, 115 are delayed, while in the petroleum sector, 86 out of 145 projects are running behind schedule, as per the latest report on infrastructure projects for March 2023.
The Infrastructure and Project Monitoring Division (IPMD) is mandated to monitor central sector infrastructure projects costing Rs. 150 crore and above based on the information provided on the Online Computerised Monitoring System (OCMS) by the project implementing agencies.
The IPMD comes under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The report showed that the Muneerabad-Mahaboobnagar rail project is the most delayed. It is delayed by 276 months.

Dhankhar to Attend Charles Coronation Event in May

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will represent the country at the coronation of King Charles III in London, his office confirmed.
The ceremony will be held on May 6 at the Westminster Abbey, with 2,000 guests in attendance, including several heads of states and ruling monarchs.
Dhankhar's participation at the coronation comes seven decades after the last such ceremony was held in the UK – that of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, wherein former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had represented India. In September 2022, President Droupadi Murmu visited London to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on behalf of the Indian government, following her demise at the age of 96.

First ever OBC Survey Gets Underway in Odisha

The Odisha government began its first-ever survey of social and educational conditions of people belonging to 208 backward castes with a questionnaire on the kind of houses they live in, their livelihoods, access to infrastructure, hospitals, schools, markets, colleges, etc.
The survey came against the backdrop of the demands for a caste census across the country. Bihar earlier initiated its own caste census in January 2023.
The survey in Odisha will be conducted until May 27, 2023. It aims to find out the social and educational status of backward classes. It is crucial for focused planning for their socio-economic development. The survey data would help the Odisha government plan for the OBC [Other Backward Classes] better.

K. Mohanty is New Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission

Renowned physicist and Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Ajit Kumar Mohanty was appointed as the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and the secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy. Mohanty succeeded K. N. Vyas to the posts that oversee India's nuclear programme and forays into harnessing atomic power for civilian needs.
Mohanty was appointed as the BARC director in March 2019.
In 1983, he joined the Nuclear Physics Division of the BARC after graduating from the 26th batch of the BARC Training School. He obtained his doctorate from the Mumbai University.
The Atomic Energy Commission of India is the governing body of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India. The DAE is under the direct charge of the Prime Minister.
The Indian Atomic Energy Commission was set up on 3 August 1948.
The functions of the Atomic Energy Commission are: (i) to organise research in atomic science in the country (ii) to train atomic scientists in the country (iii) to promote nuclear research in commission's own laboratories in India (iv) to undertake prospecting of atomic minerals in India and to extract such minerals for use on industrial scale.

Apr 30, 2023

Expelled from JD(U), Ajay Alok Joins BJP

Former JD(U) leader Ajay Alok, a regular on TV debates, joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
He has been a strong defender of the BJP's policies and is seen by the party as a sharp and articulate voice.
Vaishnaw lauded Alok's contribution and praised him as a sharp analyst.
In June 2022, the JD(U) had expelled Ajay Alok from the primary membership of the party.
Besides Ajay Alok, JD(U) also suspended state general secretaries Anil Kumar and Vipin Kumar Yadav from primary membership.

Dima Hasao Insurgent Group Signs Peace Pact with Assam, Centre

An Assam-based insurgent group, Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA)/Dimasa People's Supreme Council (DPSC), which operates in the Dima Hasao district, signed a peace agreement with the State Government and the Centre in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
After the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU), Mr. Shah said that the agreement has put a complete end to insurgency and with this, there are no more armed groups in Assam.
Dimasa Welfare Council will be set up by the Government of Assam to protect, preserve and promote a social, cultural, and linguistic identity to meet political, economic and educational aspirations and will ensure speedy and focused development of the Dimasa people residing outside the jurisdiction of the Autonomous Council.

Apr 29, 2023

Rajnath Singh Chairs SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Delhi

The Defence Ministers of India, Russia, China and other member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) deliberated on pressing regional security challenges and related issues at a conclave hosted by New Delhi.
The meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu, Russia's Sergei Shoigu, Tajikistan's Colonel General Sherali Mirzo, Iran's Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani and Kazakhstan's Colonel General Ruslan Zhaksylykov were among those who attended the meeting in Delhi.
The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.
The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar Inaugurates Summit on Farm Machinery Technology

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the Summit on Farm Machinery Technology, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Tractor and Mechanisation Association (TMA) in New Delhi. Mr. Tomar said that there are about 85 per cent of small farmers in the country, who should get the benefit of technology and machinery.

Apr 28, 2023

NITI Aayog Releases Report Titled Promoting Millets in Diets: Best Practices across States and UTs

NITI Aayog released a report titled Promoting Millets in Diets: Best Practices across States and Union Territories of India. The report was released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman K. Bery in the presence of Member (Health) Dr. V.K. Paul, Member (Agriculture) Dr. Ramesh Chand, and CEO B. V. R. Subrahmanyam. The report presents a set of good and innovative practices adopted by state governments and organizations in various aspects of the millet value chain, especially production, processing, and consumption. The report will serve as a guiding repository to revive and mainstream millets in our diets.

Apr 26, 2023

Rajesh Kumar Singh Takes Charge as Secretary, DPIIT

Senior IAS officer Rajesh Kumar Singh assumed the charge of secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Singh replaced Anurag Jain, who was appointed as secretary in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Before DPIIT, Singh was serving as Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
Singh is an Indian Administrative Service officer of 1989 Batch from Kerala cadre.
He has held many important positions in the Union Government as Commissioner - DDA, Joint Secretary - Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Joint Secretary - Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare and Chief Vigilance Officer - Food Corporation of India.

Y20 Pre-Summit under India's G20 Presidency to take place today in Ladakh

The Y20 Pre-Summit under India's G20 Presidency started from 26th April and will continue till 28th April in Ladakh. It will bring together over 100 delegates from 30 countries to discuss issues concerning the youth of the world.
The meeting will focus on five Y20 themes, including climate change, peace-building, and health. The event will provide a platform for open discussions and interactive sessions to address the challenges faced by young people and formulate a roadmap for their development. The Summit will also have parallel Deliberation and Negotiation sessions on each of the Y20 themes. It is the second Y 20 Pre-Summit after the first was held at Guwahati in February this year.

Maharashtra cities top ease of moving index, Delhi shows max decline in transport reliability

Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad in Maharashtra topped the list of 40 prominent cities in terms of ease of movement and ease of reaching destination in 2022, according to a study carried out by a not-for-profit entity. In the list, Mumbai ranked second and Coimbatore came third, followed by Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Indore.
The second edition of 'Ease of Moving Index' by the Ola Mobility Institute (OMI) Foundation was released based on the survey of more than 50,000 citizens, focus group discussions and government data. As per the report, Aizawl in Mizoram emerged as a top performer in clean mobility, while almost everyone in Nagaland's capital Kohima had a bicycle. Among the cities, mobility spend was the lowest in Jabalpur and Kanpur emerged as the safest city to travel on public transport.

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