General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - October 2018

Oct 2018

Dec 27, 2024

BJP Got over Rs. 2,600 crore Donation in 2023-24: EC Reports

The ruling BJP received contributions of over Rs. 2,600 crore during 2023-24 while the opposition Congress got Rs. 281.38 crore in its kitty, according to contribution reports of the two parties put in public domain by the Election Commission (EC).
The donations listed in the reports were received till March 31, ahead of the Lok Sabha election. BJP had declared donations worth over Rs. 740 crore ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha poll, while the Congress had claimed to have received over Rs. 146 crore in 2018-19.

IIT Madras and Odisha Government Collaborate for Road Safety Innovations

IIT Madras' RBG Labs joined hands with the Government of Odisha to implement a data-driven, evidence-based approach to improving road safety in the state. This initiative focusses on reducing road accidents and fatalities through strategic interventions and stakeholder engagement.
The partnership is guided by RBG Labs' '5E Model and Transportation Safety Framework' (TSF), which integrates Engineering, Education, Enforcement, Emergency Care, and Empathy to design impactful road safety solutions.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between IIT Madras RBG Labs and Odisha's Commerce and Transport Department, led by Hon'ble Minister Shri Bibhuti Bhusan Jena.

Dec 26, 2024

Manipur CS Named Higher Education Secretary

In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, the central government appointed new secretaries for higher education, revenue, and the department of personnel and training, among others.
The central government shifted Manipur Chief Secretary and a 1992-batch IAS officer Vineet Joshi to Delhi in his new role as Higher Education Department Secretary.

Defence Ministry Launches 'Rashtraparv' Website, Mobile App for Citizens

The Ministry of Defence launched the 'Rashtraparv' website and mobile app to provide citizens with easy access to information about national festivals organised by the ministry.
The initiative aims to keep the public informed about the events, ensuring they have all the necessary details to participate or learn more about the national celebrations facilitated by the Defence Ministry. The platform will offer a user-friendly experience, ensuring accessibility and real-time updates for users.

Arunish Chawla New Revenue Secretary, Neerja Sekhar Productivity Council Chief

Neerja Sekhar, a 1993-batch Haryana cadre IAS officer, was appointed the Director General of National Productivity Council (NPC).
Sekhar was special secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting before being appointed as NPC chief.
Arunish Chawla was appointed the revenue secretary in the finance ministry. He was secretary in the pharmaceutical department of the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers. He will continue to hold the additional charge of the secretary in the ministry of culture.
Rachna Sah appointed secretary in the department of personnel and training. She was earlier secretary in the textiles ministry.

Dec 25, 2024

President Announces Governors for 5 States

In a significant reshuffle, President Droupadi Murmu appointed two new Governors and reassigned three others, reorganising the leadership in five states.
Ajay Kumar Bhalla, a seasoned administrator, was appointed as the new Governor of Manipur, replacing Anusuiya Uikey.
Another key appointment is Arif Mohammed Khan, the Governor of Kerala, who was reassigned to Bihar.
Other key appointments include Hari Babu Kambhampati, the Governor of Mizoram, who was transferred to Odisha, and General (Dr.) Vijay Kumar Singh, a decorated retired officer, who will now serve as the Governor of Mizoram. Meanwhile, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, the Governor of Bihar, was reassigned to Kerala.

Republic Day 2025: Tableaux Theme 'Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas'

The theme for showcasing tableaux at the 2025 Republic Day Parade is 'Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas', and 15 states and UTs have been selected for presenting them on the Kartavya Path on January 26, the defence ministry said. These states and UTs are -- Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Dadar Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Dec 24, 2024

Nitin Gadkari Inaugurates India's First Bio-Bitumen Stretch

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, inaugurated India's first bio-bitumen-based National Highway stretch on NH-44 in Mansar, Nagpur, Maharashtra. This stretch is a milestone in India's road development sector, being the first to employ lignin-based bio-bitumen technology. The technology, developed by Praj Industries, in collaboration with CSIR – Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and Oriental, represents a significant step forward in India's sustainability and self-reliance goals.

Ex-SC Judge V. Ramasubramanian New NHRC Chairperson

Former Supreme Court judge V Ramasubramanian was appointed as the 9th Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for a tenure of three years until December 2027.
Justice Ramasubramanian retired on June 29, 2023, after serving for over three years as a Supreme Court judge.
The National Human Rights Commission of India (abbreviated as NHRC) is a statutory body constituted on October 12, 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Ordinance of 28 September 1993.
The NHRC consists of the chairperson and five members (excluding the ex-officio members).

Govt. Shortlists Tableaux of 11 Ministries for R-Day Parade

The Centre shortlisted 11 tableaux of various Union Ministries and government departments ahead of the Republic Day Parade 2025 at Kartavya Path. While it will be the first time for the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying since a separate ministry was created, the Department of Rural Development will participate for the first time in 15 years.
The other ministries and departments which will participate are the Department of Financial Services; Department of Social Justice & Empowerment; Indian Coast Guard; Ministry of Culture; Ministry of Earth Sciences (IMD); Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (CPWD); Ministry of New and Renewable Energy; Ministry of Tribal Affairs; and Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Dec 23, 2024

India, Kuwait Sign Pact to Strengthen Cultural, Defence Cooperation

India and Kuwait signed four MoUs in the areas of defence, sports and cultural cooperation during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Gulf nation.
These MoUs are expected to deepen the multifaceted bilateral relationship as well as open avenues for newer areas of cooperation.
Following the delegation level talks, four bilateral documents were signed during the visit. The first one is a Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation, the second one is a Cultural Exchange program for the years 2025-2029, the third is an executive program on cooperation in the field of sports for the period 2025- 2028.

The 55th GST Council Meeting

The 55th GST Council meeting was chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The meeting was also attended by Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, Chief Ministers of Goa, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya and Odisha; Deputy Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana; besides Finance Ministers of States & UTs (with legislature) and senior officers of the Ministry of Finance & States/ UTs.
The GST Council inter-alia made recommendations relating to changes in GST tax rates, provide relief to individuals,measures for facilitation of trade and measures for streamlining compliances in GST.

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