General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - July 2019

Jul 2019

Jul 29, 2019

Speaker Disqualifies 14 more Karnataka Rebels

Karnataka speaker KR Ramesh Kumar disqualified 14 rebel lawmakers whose decision to skip a trust vote last week toppled the state government, a ruling that came a day ahead of a floor test where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is widely seen to have the edge.
Kumar said that the 14 legislators, 11 from the Congress and three from its ally, the Janata Dal (Secular), stood disqualified until the term of the current assembly, due to end in 2023, and could not even contest bypolls. The decision also forecloses the possibility of any of the rebel legislators being named as ministers in the new government. He said, however, that they would be free to contest if fresh assembly elections were called.
The rebels said they would move the Supreme Court on Monday against this "unconstitutional" decision, and some constitutional experts said the ruling, including the decision to bar them from contesting in bypolls, was based on Kumar's interpretation of Article 164 1(b) of the Constitution, which deals with disqualification, and was bound to be challenged.
Kumar, who disqualified three other rebel MLAs last Thursday, stressed that he had been impartial but had to hurry because he was asked to preside over Monday's floor test.

Jul 28, 2019

Panel to Frame RIIN Modalities

The Nagaland government constituted a commission to frame the modalities of creating the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland.
The RIIN, a register of all the indigenous inhabitants of the State, is required to prevent issuance of indigenous inhabitant certificates to ineligible persons.
A notification on setting up of the panel to develop the modalities was issued, after the administration held meetings with tribal bodies, civil societies and non-Naga communities of the State.
It was decided that the policies and modalities of preparing the RIIN would be framed and made public before the actual enumeration begins.
The notification said the commission would recommend the eligibility criteria to be an indigenous inhabitant, the documents to be acceptable as proof for being an indigenous inhabitant, the manner in which the exercise is to be carried out and any other issue relating to implementation of the RIIN.
The panel would submit its report within three months.
The Commission would be headed by retired Chief Secretary Banuo Z. Jamir as chairman and T. Kiheto Sema and S. Chingwang Konyak as members. Justice (Retd.) Zelre Angami will function as the advisor to the Commission. The Home Commissioner and the Commissioner Nagaland will be ex-officio members of the panel.

Jul 27, 2019

Some JD(S) MLAs Want to Back BJP

A few JD(S) legislators have impressed upon HD Kumaraswamy to extend external support to the BJP government in Karnataka, party MLA and former minister GT Devegowda said but asserted that the former chief minister would take the final decision.
Barely four days after losing power, the JD(S) legislators were a divided lot over their next course of action.
The difference of opinion among the legislators surfaced in a meeting convened by Kumaraswamy on Friday night to decide the party's future course of action in the wake of upheavals in Karnataka politics.

Yediyurappa Takes Oath as CM

B.S. Yediyurappa took oath as the 31st Chief Minister of Karnataka, three days after the collapse of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government, and is set to take the floor test on Monday to prove his majority. This is Yediyurappa's fourth stint at the helm of the State.
Mr. Yediyurappa's first announcements after assuming office were sops for farmers and weavers. He said that an additional sum of Rs. 4,000 in two instalments would be given to farmers from the State government under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, which will take the total benefit to Rs. 10,000, including Rs. 6,000 from the Centre. He also announced, after the Cabinet meeting, waiver of about Rs. 100 crore loans borrowed by weavers before March 31, 2019. He hinted that he would take a re-look into all the programmes of the previous Kumaraswamy government.

Extra Security Forces for J&K

In an unprecedented move, the Home Ministry granted approval for the mobilisation of 100 additional companies of security forces in Jammu & Kashmir.
According to a senior government official, the movement of troops was necessitated as the security forces deployed in Kashmir Valley were stretched in securing the Amarnath Yatra route.
However, the move has raised speculation about the Centre planning to unroll fresh measures in Kashmir.
The move comes despite additional 40,000 security personnel stationed in Kashmir to maintain security of the Amarnath yatra, which concludes on August 15 and already more than two lakh pilgrims have visited the holy shrine in Kashmir.

Jul 26, 2019

Karnataka speaker Disqualifies Three Rebel Lawmakers

Karnataka speaker KR Ramesh Kumar disqualified three rebel lawmakers and said decisions on other dissident MLAs would be pronounced soon, adding to the suspense of government formation in the southern state days after the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition was toppled in a trust vote.
Kumar announced that Congress MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumathahalli and Ranebennur legislator R Shankar stood disqualified. Jarkiholi and Kumathahalli were part of the 15 MLAs who resigned as legislators earlier in July 2019, bringing the coalition government to the brink of collapse. Shankar has resigned as a minister and pledged support to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The speaker insisted that the disqualified lawmakers couldn't contest election until the term of the current assembly – due to expire in 2023 – is over.
There are disqualification petitions against 14 more MLAs – 13 rebels and one Congress lawmaker who didn't turn up for trust vote –pending before Kumar.
With this decision, the strength of the 225-member assembly comes down to 222. The BJP has 105 MLAs.

Speaker Forms Four House Committees

The Speaker Om Birla formed four parliamentary committees and their chairpersons for the 17th Lok Sabha.
The Public Accounts Committee has Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as its Chairperson. BJP MP Kirit bhai Solanki has been made the chairman of the committee for welfare of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Ganesh Singh has been made chairman of the committee for welfare of OBCs while Meenakshi Lekhi is the chair of the committee on public undertaking.

Jul 25, 2019

Five Members Bid Farewell to Rajya Sabha

Five members bid an emotional farewell to Rajya Sabha. The five members from Tamil Nadu completed their term.
V Maitreyan, D Raja, K R Arjunan, R Lakshmanan and T Rathinavel, completed their term. Barring Raja was from CPI, all others were from AIADMK.

Aadhar Could be used for State Schemes

The Cabinet approved official changes to Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019 that incorporates a clause to allow the use of Aadhaar data for state schemes and subsidies.
The amendment to the Aadhaar Act entails the use of India's national biometric id by states governments for their schemes that are funded through the 'Consolidated Fund of the State'.
As per Supreme Court order, Aadhaar is allowed where the funds are going for beneficiary schemes coming straight from the central government.
It will enable the subsidies from the central schemes to be transferred from the central fund. Aadhaar can now be used for transferring state subsidies.

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