General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - November 2018

Nov 2018

Sep 16, 2022

Sanjay Kumar Rakesh, former IAS, Named Managing Director of CSC e-Governance SPV

Sanjay Kumar Rakesh, a former IAS officer, was named Managing Director of the CSC e-Governance India SPV, which is run by the central government. The appointment followed Dinesh Tyagi's resignation from the position, who was instrumental in increasing the number of CSCs from 60,000 in 2014 to over 5 lakh at the moment.
He has approximately 30 years of experience working for the government in a variety of capacities.
He is an IAS officer from the Tripura cadre, class of 1990.
Sanjay Kumar Rakesh served as the additional chief secretary in Tripura before joining the CSC.

Indore Becomes India's First 'Smart City' with 'Smart Addresses'

The city of Indore signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the firm Pataa Navigations to implement a fully digital addressing system, making it the first city in India to do so. The MoU is signed by Rajat Jain, co-founder of Pataa Navigations, and Rishav Gupta, CEO of Indore Smart City.
Pataa developed patented technology for the system and is working with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to develop a digital addressing system for the nation.
Pataa is a brief and distinctive code that would help the user find the specific geotagged location. Users of the Pataa App can upload images of their homes, landmarks, etc. along with their addresses in the full text.
Additionally, the user has the option to record voice instructions, which eliminates the need to repeat the address over the phone and makes it simpler for the guest to find the location.
According to reports, India is reportedly losing an estimated Rs. 75,000 crore annually as a result of its complicated addressing system.

Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk Meets with PM Modi in Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wanghchuck, the King of Bhutan, and discuss bilateral ties and ways to strengthen relations between the two countries.
Diplomatic relations between India and Bhutan were established in 1968 after the then Indian government established a special office in Thimphu. There are a number of institutional and diplomatic mechanisms in areas like security, border management, trade and water resources.
Bhutan ratified the International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement, providing an action-oriented, member-driven, collaborative framework for increased implementation.
Ambassador of Bhutan to India Maj Gen Vetsop Namgyel handed over the instrument of ratification to Secretary E.R. Dammu Ravi, in the presence of DG International Solar Alliance.

Sep 15, 2022

Govt. Clears Proposal to Grant ST Status to Several Communities in 5 States

The Union Cabinet cleared the proposal to notify several tribal communities under the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category in Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said that these proposals were lying pending for several years.
The Cabinet approved the ministry's proposal for the inclusion of Narikoravan, along with the Kurivikkaran, community of Tamil Nadu under ST category through the introduction of a Bill in Parliament to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950.
Similarly,it granted ST status to the Betta-Kuruba community as a synonym of Kadu Kuruba of Karnataka. This also would be done through the introduction of a Bill in Parliament to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950.

Prakash Chand Appointed as Indian Ambassador to Eritrea

Prakash Chand was appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Eritrea.
Chand, a 2004 IFS officer, is Consul General, Consulate General of India, in Indonesia's Bali.
He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
Prior to his assignment in Bali, he was working as Director (Consular) in the Consular, Passport & Visa Division in the Ministry of External Affairs.
He also served as First Secretary (Consular) in the Philippines from 2010 to 2014. Just before that he worked as Deputy Chief of Protocol (Conferences/Facilities) from 2008 to 2010 in New Delhi.

Election Commission Delists 86 Parties, Declares 253 Inactive

The Election Commission ordered the delisting of 86 registered unrecognised political parties it found to be non-existent and declared 253 others inactive.
The commission, comprising Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey, acted against the 253 parties based on reports by Chief Electoral Officers of Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.
These 253 [parties] were declared inactive, as they have not responded to the letter/notice delivered to them and have not contested a single election either to the General Assembly of a State or the Parliament Election 2014 and 2019," the EC said. Among these were at least 14 from Tamil Nadu, 34 from Uttar Pradesh, 33 from Delhi, 9 from Telangana and 6 from Karnataka.

Sep 14, 2022

Sibi George Appointed India's Next Ambassador to Japan

Senior diplomat Sibi George was appointed as the next Indian ambassador to Japan.
George, a 1993-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently the Ambassador of India to Kuwait. He will replace Sanjay Kumar Verma as India's envoy to Japan.
Notably, India and Japan share a very Special Strategic and Global Partnership and the two sides continue to maintain the momentum in diverse areas to advance their partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

National Maritime Heritage Complex to be Built in Gujarat

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is building the National Maritime Heritage Complex at the historic Indus Valley civilization region of Lothal in Gujarat with a total cost of Rs. 3500 crore. The first-of-its-kind complex in India, this centre will showcase India's rich and diverse maritime heritage. The foundation stone for the NMHC project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the consent for the master plan was given in March 2019.
The project is planned to be completed in different phases. In phase 1A, a museum will be built with 5 galleries and a naval gallery on 35 acres of land at an investment of Rs. 774.23 crore.
In phase 1B, the remaining portions of the museum will be built, including galleries, lighthouse, 5D dome theatre, Bagicha Complex and other infrastructure. This phase is proposed to be developed under EPC mode.
Phase 2 will consist of state pavilions, Lothal city, Maritime Institute including hostel, eco-resorts, maritime & naval theme park, climate change theme park, monument theme park and adventure & amusement park. Components under this phase shall be executed under PPP mode.

International Conference on Green Ship Recycling & Vehicle Scrapping

The Union Shipping Ministry hosted an international conference on green ship recycling and vehicle scrapping in Gandhinagar, Gajarat. The conference was organised by Ministry of Shipping, Ports & Waterways along with Gujarat Maritime Board and FICCI to showcase the status of the ship recycling industry in Alang and exploring synergies of Alang's ship recycling industry with the vehicle scrapping industry.
Union Minister for Shipping, Ports & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the international conference in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel at Mahatma Mandir. The conference showcased the current status of the ship recycling industry in Gujarat and the adoption of HKC Convention compliances. It will facilitate a discussion on how the European Union shipping industry can take advantage of the ship recycling facilities in Gujarat and explore partnerships with EU member countries.

Uttar Pradesh Tops in Country, 8462 Lakes Developed under Mission Amrit Sarovar

Uttar Pradesh topped the states in the country with the construction of 8,462 Amrit Sarovars (lakes), while implementing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious Mission Amrit Sarovar, aimed at conserving water for the future. Madhya Pradesh was ranked second, Jammu and Kashmir third, Rajasthan fourth and Tamil Nadu fifth in the mission implementation.
Within Uttar Pradesh, Lakhimpur Kheri secured the first position by constructing 256 Amrit Sarovars, while Gorakhpur and Pratapgarh got second and third positions, with 244 and 231 lakes, respectively.

A.N. Shamseer Elected as Kerala Assembly Speaker

CPI(M) legislator and the candidate of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) A. N. Shamseer was elected Speaker of the Kerala Assembly.
Shamseer defeated Congress MLA and United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Anwar Sadat by 96 to 40 votes in the ballot held at the Kerala Legislative Assembly.
Shamseer succeeded his party colleague M. B. Rajesh as the Speaker. The post fell vacant after the latter replaced M. V. Govindan as Minister for Local Self Government following a rejig in the Pinarayi Vijayan Ministry.

Sep 13, 2022

PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates World Dairy Summit 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit (IDF WDS) 2022, being organised at India Expo Centre and Mart in Greater Noida.
Union Minister Purshottam Rupala, addressing the World Diary Summit 2022, said that it has been organised in India after 48 years.
The four-day long IDF WDS 2022 is being held from September 12 to September 15. According to the statement, around 1,500 participants from 50 countries are likely to participate in IDF WDS 2022.
The Indian dairy industry is unique as it is based on a cooperative model that empowers small and marginal dairy farmers, especially women.The government has taken multiple steps for the betterment of the dairy industry resulting in an increase of milk production by more than 44% in the last eight years.

First National Conference on Sustainable Coastal Management

Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the first National Conference on Sustainable Coastal Management in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
This conference was organised by the Green Climate Fund-supported project – Enhancing Climate Resilience of India's Coastal Communities.
As per the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the objective of the conference is to bring officials from all 13 coastal states of India under one roof to focus on the three interrelated themes of coastal and marine biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation and coastal pollution.

Mukul Rohatgi to Return as Attorney-General

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi is set to become the Attorney-General of India again. He is scheduled to begin his second stint as the top law officer of the country from October 1.
As per reports, the term of incumbent Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal is ending on September 30, and he has refused to continue, citing his advanced age.
Venugopal was appointed the country's top law officer on June 30, 2017, and was given several extensions.
Rohatgi, who is one of the top court lawyers in the country, gave his consent for the top post.
He was first appointed as the Attorney General in 2014 for a three-year term.

PM Modi Inaugurates Centre-State Science Conclave

With the aim to facilitate an ecosystem of technology and innovation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Centre-State Science Conclave via video conferencing.
The first of its kind Conclave would strengthen Centre-State coordination and collaboration mechanisms, in the spirit of cooperative federalism, to build a robust science, technology and innovation (STI) ecosystem across the country.
The two-day Conclave included sessions on different thematic areas including STI Vision 2047; Future Growth Pathways and Vision for STI in States; Health - Digital Health Care for All; Doubling Private Sector investment in R&D by 2030; Agriculture - Technological interventions for improving farmers' income; Water - Innovation for producing potable drinking water; Energy- Clean Energy for All including S&T role in Hydrogen mission; Deep Ocean Mission and its relevance for Coastal States/UTs as well as country's future economy.
The first-of-its-kind Conclave witnessed the participation of Science and Technology Ministers and Secretaries of States and Union Territories, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, NGOs, young scientists and students.

Sep 12, 2022

In a First, Gujjar Muslim from J&K Sent to Upper House as Nominated Member

The government nominated Gulam Ali, a Gujjar leader from Jammu and Kashmir, to Rajya Sabha.
This is perhaps the first time a Gujjar leader from the region was sent to the Upper House as a nominated member.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-clause (a) of clause (I) of Article 80 of the Constitution of India, read with clause (3) of that article, the President nominated Gulam Ali to the Council of States to fill the vacancy caused due to the retirement of one of the nominated members.
Ali's nomination is considered to be significant as, before the abrogation of Article 370, the community had little representation in legislative bodies.

E-FAST- India's First National Electric Freight Platform

NITI Aayog, in collaboration with World Resources Institute (WRI), India, launched the country's first national electric freight platform – e-FAST India (Electric Freight Accelerator for Sustainable Transport – India). Supported by the World Economic Forum, CALSTART and RMI India, the platform brings different stakeholders together, from across the freight ecosystem. It will help strengthen partnerships and identify and support innovative freight solutions. The platform also aims to raise awareness on freight electrification bolstered by on-ground demonstration pilots and evidence-based research.

India's Eastern-most Military Garrison of Kibithu Named after Bipin Rawat

The strategically key Kibithu military garrison on the banks of the Lohit Valley, Arunachal Pradesh along the line of actual control (LAC) and a key road in this mountain hamlet were named after India's first chief of defence staff, Gen. Bipin Rawat, around nine months after he died in a helicopter crash.
As a young colonel, Rawat commanded his battalion, the 5/11 Gorkha Rifles, in Kibithu from 1999-2000 and contributed immensely to strengthening the security structure in the area.
The military garrison looks after the LAC in the sensitive sector. Chinese People's Liberation Army's Rima post is just opposite the Indian garrison.
Nestled in the mountainous and arduous terrain of the Lohit valley, Kibithu is located near the LAC and is the eastern-most military garrison of India.

Chhattisgarh CM Inaugurates 2 New Districts in the State

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel inaugurated Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur and Sakti as the 32nd and 33rd districts of the state.
Sakti is carved out from Janjgir-Champa while Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur has been demarcated from Koriya district.
The Chattisgarh Chief Minister said that people have been demanding the creation of the Manendragarh district for a very long time and it has been a long-term struggle to create Manendragarh as a district.

CM Sangma Launches 'Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act' Portal

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma launched the online portal of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA) in presence of Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui and other officials in state capital Shillong.
The Chief Minister said that the digitised system will not only ensure the safety and security of the residents, but it will also act as a strong intelligence gathering system for authorities. It will be beneficial for monitoring and better implementation of other services and programmes of the government, especially in critical areas such as health care.
The digitisation process would connect more than 6,000 villages in the state to the online system.
The web-based system is first being rolled out in seven localities of Shillong- Nongrim Hills, Lapalang, Nongmynsong, Nongrah, Pohkseh, Riat Laban and Wahdienglieng.

Bihar CM Inaugurated India's Longest Rubber Dam on Falgu River

Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar inaugurated India's longest rubber dam 'Gayaji Dam' on the Falgu River in Gaya. The dam was built at an estimated cost of Rs. 324 crore. Experts from IIT (Roorkee) were involved with the project. There would be enough water in the dam round the year for the convenience of pilgrims. With its construction, now at least two feet of water would be available in the Falgu River near Vishnupad Ghat throughout the year for the devotees who come here to do Pind Daan.
The rubber dam on the Falgu River, which is a vast stretch of sand dunes, would draw more pilgrims and change the landscape. The dam, aimed at providing uninterrupted water supply to Vishnupad Temple in Gaya throughout the year.

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