General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - December 2018

Dec 2018

Apr 30, 2021

Last Phase of Bengal Polls

Roughly 76% of the electorate voted in the final phase of the West Bengal assembly election, ending a month long poll season that began with a tense political battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) but was quickly overshadowed by surging Covid-19 infections.
Voting in three districts and a part of Kolkata saw stray violence in some areas but a sharp spike in Covid cases kept many voters indoor. The provisional turnout of 76.07 % is the lowest of eight phases and came on a day the state posted its highest cases and deaths, 17,403 and 89, respectively.
Results will be declared on May 2, along with those for Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry, where polls ended on April 6.
The number of candidates and voters in the last phase was 2,116 and 72, 811, 254, (number seems wrong) respectively. The turnouts for the first to the seventh phases were 84.63%, 86.11%, 84.61%, 79.90%, 82.49%, 82% and 76.90%, respectively.

Interpol again Refuses Red Notice against Zakir Naik

Interpol has for the third time rejected India's request for a Red Notice (RN) to provisionally arrest controversial television evangelist Zakir Naik while questioning the very basis of invoking money laundering and hate speech charges against Naik in the country.
The fact that he raised money from his religious teachings and spent it is irrelevant and cannot amount to money laundering, Interpol's adjudicating panel noted in its order.
Dismissing the evidence furnished by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for the provisional arrest of Naik for extradition to India, the commission for the control of Interpol's files noted that asking for donations during speeches and the recording or diffusion of speeches were not in itself a criminal act that could constitute the component of criminal offence for money laundering.

Apr 29, 2021

Arun Raste New MD & CEO of NCDEX

Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has given approval to the appointment of Arun Raste as MD and CEO of National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) for a period of 5 years.
Raste is currently associated with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) as an Executive Director and prior to NDDB, he has worked with organisations like IDFC First Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, NABARD, ACC Cement, and a non-profit NGO IRFT.

T V Somanathan Finance Secretary

Expenditure Secretary T V Somanathan has been appointed as the finance secretary.
Somanathan, a 1987 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, took charge as the finance secretary, a position earlier held by Ajay Bhushan Pandey who superannuated in February.
The senior-most officer among all the secretaries in the finance ministry is designated as the Finance Secretary.

L-G Baijal Now 'Government' in Delhi

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021, which gives primacy to the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) over the elected government in the city, has come into force.
According to the legislation, the "government" in Delhi means the "Lieutenant Governor" and the city government will now have to seek the opinion of the L-G before taking any executive action.
Parliament had passed the bill last month -- Lok Sabha on March 22 and Rajya Sabha on March 24.
When the bill was passed by Parliament, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had termed it a "sad day for Indian democracy".

Apr 28, 2021

India Ranks 49th in CGGI

India has been ranked 49th in the Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI), which classifies 104 countries in terms of government capabilities and outcomes.
Reuben Abraham, CEO of IDFC Foundation and IDFC Institute, and CGGI Advisory Panel Member, said: "Civil service innovation and capacity building is a key focus for the Indian government. The Chandler Good Government Index shows the importance of measuring and investing in governance capabilities that matter. It highlights a key need for 'pracademics' in government – people who combine a rigorous understanding of research and data with a practical and grounded sense of what governments need to do to succeed."
Finland has topped the CGGI list, in which each country is measured across over 50 open data points. The index focuses on seven pillars: leadership and foresight; robust laws and policies; strong institutions; financial stewardship; attractive marketplace; global influence and reputation; and helping people rise.

Justice Bindal is Acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court

The senior-most Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Rajesh Bindal, was appointed Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta HC. Justice Bindal was transferred to the Calcutta HC four months ago and was functioning as the senior-most Judge there as well.

SC Appointed Panel Suggests Scrapping Railway Project in Western Ghats

Empowered Committee (CEC) constituted by the Supreme Court has recommended withdrawal of the environmental approval to doubling of the single line railway track between Tinaighat in North Karnataka and the port town of Vasco da Gama in Goa. The line cuts across the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats and the CEC said that the project will only marginally enhance railway capacity but cause big damage to the fragile ecosystem of the Western Ghats, an internationally recognised Biodiversity hotspot. The recommendation is being seen as a big win for environmental activists.

Panel to Monitor Air Quality in Delhi-NCR

The Union environment ministry has reconstituted the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas after having disbanded it in March, just five months after it was created.
Earlier this month the Union government promulgated the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance 2021 and now has issued a notification to constitute the commission.
The chairperson of the commission continues to be MM Kutty, former secretary in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas and former chief secretary of Delhi.

Apr 27, 2021

EC Bans All Victory Processions on and after May 2 Election Results

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that it has banned all victory processions on or after the counting of votes for the assembly elections in four states and one Union Territory that is scheduled to be declared on May 2.
The decision comes amid the nation's fight against the unprecedented surge in COVID-19 infections.
The Madras High Court yesterday said that the EC responsible for the second wave of the COVID pandemic by allowing political rallies in the country and that the officials should be booked for murder.

Apr 26, 2021

Indian Navy Deploys 'Oxygen Express' to Lakshadweep Islands

While the scourge of COVID-19 Pandemic is being dealt with on mainland India, its Island territories have also been extended assistance by Indian Navy.
As part of the nation's fight against COVID 19, Indian Navy ships under Headquarters, Southern Naval Command, Kochi took the mission of OXYGEN EXPRESS ahead in order to render support to the local administration of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep (UTL) to begin with.
INS Sharda, based at Kochi, undertook transfer of essential medical supplies to the capital of Union Territory of Lakshadweep, Kavaratti.
The stores consisted of 35 Oxygen cylinders, Rapid Antigen Detection Test (RADT) kits, Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE), masks and other items to fight the COVID 19 pandemic.

Coal India Signs First Ever Power Purchase Pact with GUVNL for Sale of 100 mw Solar Power

State-owned CIL has entered into its first ever power purchase pact with Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL) for sale of 100 mw solar power.
The tenure of power purchase agreement (PPA) is 25 years.
In March, CIL had won a 100 mw solar power project in a reverse auction conducted by GUVNL.
For the 100 mw bid that it won, CIL was awarded the work with a stipulation that it enters a PPA for establishment of a solar power project and supplies the power generated to GUVNL within 18 months from the date of inking the PPA.

Indian Ads further Gender Stereotypes, Shows Study

An analysis of Indian advertisements on television and YouTube has shown that while they are superior to global benchmarks insofar as girls and women have parity of representation in terms of screen and speaking time, their portrayal is problematic as they further gender stereotypes — they are more likely to be shown as married, less likely to be shown in paid occupation, and more likely to be depicted as caretakers and parents than male characters.
These are some of the findings of a study released on Monday by UNICEF and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media (GDI) titled "Gender Bias and Inclusion In Advertising In India".
The research measures over 1,000 television and YouTube advertisements aired across India in 2019. The ads analysed were those that received the most reach.

Share on

TCY Analytics (View Subscription Plans)

Subscribe to GK Updates

I want to receive

GK Tags

October GK, September GK, August GK, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, SPORTS, NATIONAL AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, PERSONS IN NEWS, DAYS AND EVENTS, AWARDS AND HONOURS, GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES, GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION, ART AND CULTURE, BOOKS AND AUTHORS, TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARENESS, ART AND CULTURE, LAW AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Start Discussion

On any topic

Take Tests

Compiled from GK updates

Login

Sign Up

Forgot Password

Download TCY App

Unlock All Services and Enjoy The Premium Benefits

US$ 10

US$ 13

US$ 15

US$ 17

US$ 19

US$ 20

US$ 21

US$ 22

US$ 23

US$ 24

US$ 25

US$ 26