General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - December 2018

Dec 2018

Aug 25, 2021

India's Ambassador to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu Meets US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo

Indian ambassador to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu and US commerce secretary Gina Raimondo held talks in Washington to discuss the evolving business relationship between the two world powers. The duo stressed the importance of the bilateral commercial relationship and their commitment to the growing business ties in support of the broader strategic relationship.
As per reports, the duo discussed scheduling US-India CEO Forum and US-India Commercial Dialogue and rescheduling of US-India High Technology Cooperation Group meeting. They also discussed US-India technology collaboration and improving digital economy policies to strengthen it.

JD(U) Demands Restoration of Statehood before Holding Assembly Polls in J&K

Janata Dal (United) National President Lalan Singh demanded restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir before holding of Assembly elections in the Union Territory.
The case related to abrogation of Article 370 (in August 2019) is before the Supreme Court and until the matter is resolved by the judiciary, the government should restore statehood to J&K before holding Assembly elections.
He said that his party had opposed the abrogation of Article 370 in Parliament when the bill was tabled but could not save it because we were short of the majority.

'Operation Devi Shakti': India Evacuates over 800 from Afghanistan

India's complex mission to evacuate its citizens and Afghan partners from Kabul after its swift takeover by the Taliban last week has been named as "Operation Devi Shakti".
The name of the operation was known when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar mentioned it in a tweet while referring to the arrival of a fresh batch of 78 evacuees in Delhi.
So far, India has evacuated over 800 people amid a deteriorating security situation in Kabul and scramble by various nations to rescue their citizens.

Aug 24, 2021

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav Meet PM Modi to Push for Caste Census

Stepping up their campaign for a caste-based census, a delegation of 10 parties from Bihar headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in support of the demand.
Kumar said that all parties from Bihar spoke in one voice on the need for a caste-based census, and asserted that statistics about different castes will help in formulating development schemes effectively as many of them have not benefitted so far in line with their actual population.
According to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who was part of the delegation, such a census was in national interest and will be a historic measure and help the poor and the most deprived sections of the society.
Kumar was joined by representatives of all major parties, including the BJP and Congress, as they submitted their demand to Modi.

Abhay Kumar Singh is Joint Secretary in Newly Created Ministry of Cooperation

Abhay Kumar Singh has been appointed as joint secretary in the newly created Ministry of Cooperation which was formed with an aim to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country.
Singh, a 2004-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Bihar cadre, has been appointed as joint secretary in the ministry for a combined tenure of seven years against the newly created post.

Two BJP Councilors, Senior Congress Leaders Join Aam Aadmi Party

Two sitting councillors from BJP and senior Congress leaders joined the Aam Aadmi Party along with their entire teams. BJP councillors Poonam Pawan Sehrawat and Savita Naresh Khatri, former Congress assembly candidate Suresh Kumar and Congress District President Pradeep Sharma, joined the Aam Aadmi Party along with several supporters.
Several BJP-Congress members were inducted to the Aam Aadmi Party in the presence of AAP Chief Spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj, MLA Girish Soni, MLA Rajesh Rishi, MLA Sharad Chauhan, and MLA Jai Bhagwan Upkaar. The new members will work alongside CM Arvind Kejriwal and the fellow MLAs of their region to take their assemblies to new heights, informed Saurabh Bhardwaj.

Aug 23, 2021

Country's Highest Herbal Park Inaugurated in Uttarakhand

India's highest altitude herbal park situated at a height of 11,000 feet was inaugurated at Mana village close to the Indo-China border in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district.
Mana is the last Indian village in Chamoli bordering China and is adjacent to the famous Himalayan temple of Badrinath.
The research wing of Uttarakhand's forest department has developed the park over three acres of land given by Mana Van panchayat, under the central government's CAMPA, or Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, scheme.
The herbal park has around 40 species found in high altitude alpine areas in the Himalayan region.

Hisar Airport Renamed as Maharaja Agrasen International Airport

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar renamed the Hisar Airport as Maharaja Agrasen International Airport. The Hisar Airport is a domestic airport and the first DGCA licensed Public Aerodrome of the State. This airport is presently under up-gradation to be transformed as an international airport by 30 March 2024.

Tripura Congress Chief Withdraws Resignation

Tripura state Congress president Pijush Kanti Biswas, who earlier resigned and announced to quit politics "for the time being", withdrew his resignation following the request of the party high command.
Congress Working Committee Member and party's Tripura in-charge Ajoy Kumar spoke to Biswas and requested him to withdraw his resignation letter.
Biswas, who was appointed Tripura state president in December 2019 after the former state chief quit the party, intended to quit the Congress six days after the All India Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev left the party and joined Trinamool Congress on August 16.

La Ganesan is Governor of Manipur

Senior BJP leader and former RSS Pracharak La Ganesan was appointed as the Governor of Manipur.
Ganesan is currently a member of BJP`s National Council. He has previously held several posts in BJP including General Secretary of Tamil Nadu BJP unit. Before that, he was an RSS Pracharak.
He is the 17th Governor of Manipur.
The Manipur Governor`s post had fallen vacant after the retirement of Najma Heptulla on August 10. Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad was given additional charge of the state.

Aug 22, 2021

U. Raja Babu is Director of Hyderabad-based Research Centre Imarat

An Outstanding Scientist and Programme Director U. Raja Babu has been appointed as Director of the Hyderabad-based Research Centre Imarat (RCI). RCI is the premier avionics laboratory of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Missile Complex of DRDO in Hyderabad. Raja Babu is renowned for his significant contribution as Programme Director at RCI.
He provided necessary thrust to the design, development and successful demonstration of Ballistic Missile Defence system capabilities. Strengthening indigenous defence capabilities, India's first Anti Satellite Missile Test (A-SAT), 'Mission Shakti' has been successfully demonstrated under his leadership.

Amarinder and Sidhu Agree on 10-member Policy Group

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu agreed to set up a 10-member 'Strategic Policy Group' to ensure better coordination between the ruling party and the state government and to further expedite the implementation of the various government programmes and reform initiatives.
To be headed by the CM, the group constitutes of Local Government Minister Brahm Mohindra, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and Social Security Minister Aruna Chaudhary, along with Sidhu and the four working presidents of the party- Kuljit Singh Nagra, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Sangat Singh Gilzian and Pawan Goel, as well as Pargat Singh.
The 10-member group will hold weekly meetings, in consultation with other ministers, experts etc as may be required.

Aug 21, 2021

Apurva Chandra is Next I&B Secretary

Apurva Chandra, a 1988-batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre, has been appointed the secretary of information and broadcasting ministry.
Chandra will succeed Amit Khare, the current higher education secretary who holds the additional charge of the post of I&B secretary. Khare is scheduled to retire in September.
Chandra, a post-graduate in Structural Engineering from IIT Delhi, currently holds the post of labour & employment ministry secretary. "He has a long experience of dealing with issues relating to industries while working in Government of Maharashtra and Government of India.

Supreme Court Collegium Approves Six Permanent Judges of Karnataka HC

The Supreme Court Collegium has approved the proposal for appointment of six Additional Judges of the Karnataka High Court as Permanent Judges.
The Collegium headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana in a meeting okayed the proposal.
The judges who have been made permanent are — Justices Neranahalli Srinivasan Sanjay Gowda, Jyoti Mulimani, Nataraj Rangaswamy, Hemant Chandangoudar, Pradeep Singh Yerur and Maheshan Nagaprasanna.
The present Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court is Abhay Shreeniwas Oka.

Hyderabad to Have 1st Arbitration Centre

An international arbitration and mediation centre, a first in the country, is being set up in Hyderabad. The Centre will undertake commercial arbitration and mediation for which the trust deed was executed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana.

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