General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - November 2018

Nov 2018

Aug 06, 2022

For Next "Make in Odisha" Summit in 2022, Odisha and FICCI Ink an MoU

A Memorandum of Understanding between the state-run Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha and the business organisation Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) designates the latter as a national industry partner for the Make in Odisha Conclave 2022. The Odisha government's Principal Secretary for Industries, Hemant Sharma, emphasised that "Make in Odisha" is the state's most entrepreneurial event and draws investors, businesspeople, and industrialists alike.
Pratap Keshari Deb, the Minister for Industries, MSME, and Energy for the Government of Odisha, stated that the Make in Odisha Conclave will be held for the third time this year.
The inaugural edition in 2016 received approximately Rs. 2 Lakh crore in investment intent, which was a tremendous response.
The Odisha government has made proactive steps to diversify the state's economic ecosystem, putting particular emphasis on industries like chemicals and petrochemicals, textiles, and apparel.

India's Updated NDC will be Communicated to UNFCCC: Centre to HC

The Centre informed the Delhi High Court that it approved India's updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and it will be communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Union Cabinet approved India's updated NDC, incorporating two of the promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Glasgow conference -- reducing emissions intensity of GDP by 45 per cent by 2030, compared to 2005 levels, and achieving about 50 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by that year.
A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad was informed about the development during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking constitution of an expert committee for the realisation of the promises made by India at the UNFCCC.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing the Centre, said the Cabinet has approved the updated NDC on Wednesday itself.
Taking note of the submissions, the bench allowed petitioner lawyer Rohit Madan, who was represented through advocate Akshay R, to withdraw the petition.

Aug 05, 2022

IFS Officer Shweta Singh is Director of PMO

Shweta Singh, a 2008 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, was appointed as a director in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved Singh's appointment for a period of three years from the date of her joining.
The ACC cancelled the appointment of Aniket Govind Mandavgane, a 2009-batch IFS officer, as the Deputy Secretary in the PMO. Mandavgane was on July 18 appointed as the Deputy Secretary.
The Prime Minister's Office consists of the immediate staff of the Prime Minister of India, as well as multiple levels of support staff reporting to the Prime Minister. The PMO is headed by the Principal Secretary, currently Pramod Kumar Misra.

Haryana Congress Leader Kuldeep Bishnoi Resigns as MLA

Adampur Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi resigned from the Haryana Vidhan Sabha. Kuldeep handed over his resignation to Vidhan Sabha Speaker Gian Chand Gupta in the presence of his wife and former MLA Renuka Bishnoi. He is likely to join the BJP.
Kuldeep is a two-time Member of Parliament, and four-time member of legislative assembly from Adampur. He is the younger son of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal.

Aug 04, 2022

India to Host UN Security Council Members for Special Meeting on Counter-terrorism in October

India will host diplomats of the 15-nation UN Security Council on October 29 for a special meeting on counter-terrorism.
India is halfway through the second year of its two-year term as an elected non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
India's tenure at the Council will end in December when the country will also preside as president of the powerful UN organ for the month.
India chairs the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee for 2022 and will in October host diplomats of the 15-nation Security Council, including the US, China and Russia, for the counter-terrorism committee's special meeting.

Tiranga Bike Rally Organised by Union Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy

The Vice President flagged off the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' bike rally of MPs from Red Fort to Vijay Chowk. The rally was organised by the Ministry of Culture to amplify the awareness of 'Har Ghar Tiranga', the Govt of India initiative to inculcate a personal connect between the citizens of India and the National Flag. Various Union Ministers too participated in the bike rally. The bike rally was held from Red Fort to Vijay Chowk.

Mamata Reshuffles Cabinet, Supriyo and 7 others Take Oath as Ministers

Former Union minister Babul Supriyo, agricultural expert Pradip Majumdar and six other Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators took oath as West Bengal ministers after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee carried out a major reshuffle of her cabinet amid a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the bribe-for-job scam that has rocked the state.
Four MLAs – Supriyo (Ballygunge constituency), Majumdar (Durgapur East), Snehasish Chakraborty (Jangipara) and Udayan Guha (Dinhata) – were sworn in as cabinet ministers by Governor La Ganesan at Raj Bhawan in the presence of the Chief Minister.
Majumdar, Chakraborty and Guha, whose father Kamal Guha was a well-known minister in the Left Front era, were given charge of the departments of panchayat and rural development, transport and north Bengal development, respectively.

Centre Withdraws Personal Data Protection Bill

After four years of deliberations, the government on Wednesday withdrew the Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill, 2019, which is to be replaced with one that has a comprehensive framework and is in alignment with contemporary digital privacy laws.
As per Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the government withdrew the Bill because the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) had recommended 81 amendments to it, which has 99 sections. The JPC had made 12 recommendations.

Aug 03, 2022

India, Maldives Ink Six Agreements to Broad-base Ties in Key Areas

India and Maldives inked six agreements to expand cooperation in several key areas with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting that New Delhi has been and would continue to be the "first responder" to any need or crisis facing the island nation. After wide-ranging talks with visiting Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Modi announced a Line of Credit of USD 100 million (one million = 10 lakh) for the neighbouring country for the completion of development projects in a time-bound manner.
The six pacts inked between the two sides will facilitate cooperation in capacity building, cyber security, housing, disaster management and infrastructure development in the Maldives.

Suresh N. Patel Sworn in as Central Vigilance Commissioner

Vigilance Commissioner Suresh N. Patel was appointed as the Central Vigilance Commissioner, a year after the post fell vacant.
Patel, who has been working as the acting Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) since June 2022, was sworn in as the chief of the probity watchdog Central Vigilance Commission by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The ceremony was also attended by the prime minister and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu.
Patel, former managing director and chief executive officer of Andhra Bank, was in April 2020 appointed as the Vigilance Commissioner.

Punjab's First Integrated Command and Control Centre Launched in Ludhiana

Punjab Local Bodies Minister Dr. Inderbir Singh Nijjar inaugurated Punjab's first hi-tech Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) under which 1,401 CCTV cameras were installed in the city.
The centre has been set up at a cost of Rs. 35.96 crore to comprehensively monitor the city and will operate from the municipal corporation's D Zone office in Sarabha Nagar.
The ICCC will help to oversee traffic, law and order, monitoring of LED lights, sewage treatment plants, common effluent treatment plants, rooftop solar panels, encroachments and defacement, revenue collection of Municipal Corporation that will include property tax, water and sewerage, disposal, pet registration etc.

Assam CM Launches Digital Issuance of Caste Certificates for Students

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched 'Mission Bhumiputra', a digital way to issue digitalised caste certificates to students.
The Chief Minister inaugurated a Bhumiputra Portal at a programme held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra.
Implemented by the Departments of Tribal Affairs (Plain) and Social Justice Empowerment, the mission was implemented to carry forward the government's mission of easy public service to the public.

Aug 02, 2022

Maldives President Ibrahim Solih 4-day Visit

Maldives President Ibrahim Solih began a four-day visit to India aimed at shoring up strategic and business relations between the two countries, which are close partners in the Indian Ocean region.
The Maldives, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean with a population of about half a million, has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of India's "Neighbourhood First" policy, with New Delhi developing projects worth some $2 billion in the archipelago, including ports, roads, bridges and socio-economic development schemes.
Solih's visit to India came amid his widening political rift with Mohammed Nasheed, former President of the island nation and the current parliament speaker. Both Solih and Nasheed are senior leaders of the Maldivian Democratic Party.

Satyendra Prakash is New Chief of PIB

Satyendra Prakash, a 1988-batch Indian Information Service officer, assumed charge as head of the Press Information Bureau of the government.
He was serving as director general, Bureau of Outreach and Communication, and succeeded Jaideep Bhatnagar who retired on July 31.
Prakash has wide experience in the central government in the fields of public communication, media management, administration, policy formulation and programme implementation and has represented the Centre on national and international fora like UNESCO, UNICEF and UNDP.
The Press Information Bureau was established in June 1919 as a small cell under Home Ministry under the British government. Its main task was to prepare a report on India to be placed before the British Parliament. It was then located in Shimla.
The first head of the publicity cell was Dr. L.F. Rushbrook Williams of Allahabad University who was designated as Officer on Special Duty. Prof. Williams had earlier worked with Sir Stanley Reed on the Central Publicity Board.
In 1941, J. Natrajan became the first Indian to be head the Bureau as Principal Information Officer. The organisation's name was changed to the Press Information Bureau in 1946.

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