General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - November 2019

Nov 2019

Feb 23, 2020

Kerala Moves SC against Airport Handover to Adani

The Kerala government approached the Supreme Court challenging a decision by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to hand over Thiruvananthapuram International Airport to Adani Enterprises Ltd which, in February 2019, won the bid to manage and operate the facility for 50 years.
The petition in the Supreme Court follows a December 2019 ruling by the Kerala High Court which dismissed a plea by the Kerala government on grounds that the case involved a dispute between the Centre and the state which only the Supreme Court is empowered to hear under Article 131 of the Constitution.

Jasmine Shah Appointed Vice-chief of Delhi Government Key Policy Body

The Delhi government reappointed Jasmine Shah as the vice-chairperson of the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD).
In his last tenure which lasted for over a year, Shah worked on Delhi government's flagship projects, schemes and policies including the electric vehicles policy, the Delhi solar policy, setting up of mohalla clinics, free bus ride for women scheme and so on. The vice-chairman of DDCD enjoys cabinet-level position, while its chairperson is Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Shah, an alumni of IIT-Madras and Columbia University, has been advising the government since 2016 on budgetary and transport reforms.

Feb 22, 2020

Madhya Pradesh Breaks Own record in Thermal Power Generation

Madhya Pradesh has surpassed its earlier record of thermal power generation by producing 1099.7 lakh units in one day.
The Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Company created a new record by producing 1099.7 lakh units of thermal power in one day.
The state's previous highest power generation in a day was recorded at 1074.5 lakh units in March 2019.

India and Norway Sign LoI for Collaboration on Blue Economy for Sustainable Development in New Delhi

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan along with Norway's Minister for Climate and Environment, H.E. Mr. Sveinung Rotevatn have jointly inaugurated the 'India-Norway Task Force on Blue Economy for Sustainable Development' at the 3rd meeting of the Task Force in New Delhi, India.
The two countries also signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) and agreed to support and work together on Integrated Ocean Management & Research.
The Task Force on Blue Economy:
It was launched jointly by the Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, and the Norwegian Prime Minister (PM) Ms. Erna Solberg, during her visit to India in January 2019.
It primarily aims to promote and undertake joint initiatives between the two nations. It enables respective stakeholders from both the countries at the highest level. It will also ensure continued commitment and progress across ministries and agencies.

Feb 21, 2020

Centre Changes Pension Rules of Government Employees Recruited Before January 1, 2004 But Joined ...

The Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare under Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has notified that all Central Government employees whose selection for appointment was finalized before January 1, 2004 but who joined service on or after 01.01.2004, for administrative reasons, can now opt to be covered under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 instead of the NPS (National Pension System). This decision followed the demand of Central Government employees whose recruitment was finalized before January 1, 2004 but who had, joined the services on or after January 1, 2004.
The pensioner, who was recruited before 2004 has been provided with the option of either switch over to the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 or continue to be covered under the National Pension System.
The last date to exercise this option is May 31, 2020 and who failed to do so would continue to be covered by the National Pension System.
The employees who exercise option to switch over to the pension scheme under CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, will be required to subscribe to the General Provident Fund (GPF).

Union Cabinet Gives Nod for Empowered Technology Group to Fix Tech Woes

The Union Cabinet approved the setting up of an empowered technology group to help address issues such as sub-optimal industrial development.
Among the key issues the 12-member panel headed by the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) will address is "dual-use technologies not being optimally commercialised". Dual-use technologies have civilian and military applications.
The group is expected to develop in-house expertise in aspects of policy and use of emerging technologies, and ensure sustainability of technology being developed at public sector organisations.
The government said that the group would also work to ensure that India had an updated map of technology and technology products available and being developed; develop an indigenisation road map for selected key technologies; encourage Union Ministries and departments and State governments to develop in-house expertise in policy; and use aspects of emerging technologies.

Article 371 Will Not be Touched, Amit Shah Assures Arunachal Pradesh

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Centre will not scrap Article 371 of the Constitution, which accords special provision to most states in northeast to preserve their tribal culture.
Following revocation of Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir in August last year, some people spread rumours that Article 371 would also be scrapped. He assured the entire northeast on the statehood day of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram that no one can remove Article 371 and there's no such thought on it.
Shah had given the same assurance during his visit to Guwahati in September last year where he took part in a meeting of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), the BJP-led anti-Congress front in the region.

Feb 20, 2020

Army HQ to be Shifted to Delhi Cantonment

As per reports, the Army headquarters will be moved from the iconic South Block at Raisina Hill to the Delhi Cantonment area.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is slated to "perform the 'bhoomipujan' (ground-breaking) ceremony" for the construction of the new 'Sena Bhawan'.
The 'Sena Bhawan' spread over 39 acres would come up in five years time near the Manekshaw Centre in the Delhi Cantonment area.
South Block is part of the historic Raisina Hill complex built during the colonial era as part of the "new imperial capital" of the British Raj.

Union Cabinet Approves Creation of 22nd Law Commission

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the setting up of the 22nd Law Commission.
The commission, constituted for a period of three years from the date of publication of the order in the official gazette, will consist of a full-time Chairperson, four full-time Members (including the Member-Secretary) and the Secretaries, Legal Affairs and the Legislative Departments as ex-officio Members, and not more than five part-time Members.
The Law Commission is a non-statutory body constituted by the government from time to time. Originally constituted in 1955, it is re-constituted every three years. The tenure of the 21st Law Commission was up to August 31, 2018.
The various Law Commissions have been able to make an important contribution towards the progressive development and codification of law of the country and have so far submitted 277 reports.

Centre Renames IDSA

The Central government renamed Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), a government think tank, as Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in order to honour the commitment and legacy of the late Defence Minister.
Parrikar, who was Defence Minister from 9th November, 2014 to 14th March, 2017, died on 17th March 2019.
He steered the defence ministry "through the tough challenges of attacks like Pathankot and Uri and responded to these with exemplary boldness.
When Parrikar was the defence minister, India witnessed a series of decisions that "enhanced its security capacities, boosted indigenous defence production and bettered the lives of ex-servicemen", it said. His "biggest" contribution was towards the implementation of long-standing One Rank One Pension (OROP) demand for the armed forces.

Foundation Stone Laid for Lighthouse at Dhanushkodi

Minister of State (independent charge) for shipping Mansukh Laxman Mandaviya laid the foundation stone for a 50-metre-high lighthouse at Dhanushkodi near Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu.
The new lighthouse at Dhanushkodi will be the 5th lighthouse in the district after Pasipattinam, Olakuda, Pamban, and Keelakarai.
A visitors' gallery will be established at a height of 42 m and it will have a lift facility.
Light equipment has been fixed with a range of 18 to 20 nautical miles (33 to 37 km) to facilitate navigation.
The Coast Guard will monitor the data round-the-clock.
The lighthouse will be fully operated using solar energy.

Feb 19, 2020

PM Sets 10 Million Enrolment Target for Kisan Cards

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the agriculture ministry to enrol at least 10 million farmers for Kisan Credit Cards by February 23, expressing concern over the slow progress of a programme aimed at increasing access of cultivators to formal sources of lending.
As per reports, Modi was open to attend an event to distribute cards to farmers, but after US President Donald Trump's visit to India.
PM-KISAN is a flagship income support scheme of the government for all landholding farmers, under which registered cultivators get cash transfers of ~6,000 a year in three instalments.

Won't Block NPR in Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray assured the people that there is nothing to worry about Citizenship (Amendment) Act, saying CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) are two different issues.
On the National Population Register, Uddhav Thackeray said that he will personally check the columns in the NPR and that there shouldn't be any problem with the exercise. Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, however, said that he will not allow NRC to be implemented in the state.
As per Uddhav Thackeray, if NRC is implemented then it will affect not only Hindus or Muslims but also Adivasis. Centre has not discussed NRC as of now. NPR is a census, and I don't find that anyone will be affected as it happens every ten years.

J&K Local Body Polls Deferred

Bypolls to over 12,500 panchayat seats in Jammu & Kashmir that were scheduled to be held in eight phases from March 5 have been postponed for three weeks due to security concerns, chief electoral officer Shailendra Kumar said, almost a week after he announced the schedule for the elections.
The announcement came hours after former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti-led People's Democratic Party (PDP) walked out of an all-party meeting called for the polls after Kumar expressed his helplessness in addressing the issues it had raised.

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