General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - November 2019

Nov 2019

Feb 08, 2020

PM Modi Announces 15-member Trust for Ayodhya Temple

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in Parliament about the formation of a trust to oversee the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. In this regard, 67.703 acres of land near the temple area was allocated to the trust.
This 15 member's trust will also include a Dalit representative who would be in-charge of the entire land.
The trust has been set up on the lines of Supreme Court direction to the central government in November 2019 to formulate a scheme with necessary provisions for the setting up of a trust within three months for the construction of the temple.

Dissent Brews within K'taka BJP after Cabinet Expansion

Ten new MLAs were inducted into the seven-month -old BS Yediyurappa-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka amid murmurs of discontent from party loyalists even as members officially played down any talk of dissent. All the ten new ministers had shifted from Congress and Janata Dal (Secular), or JD(S), helping the saffron party topple the 14-month-old coalition government led by HD Kumaraswamy. The BJP had promised the defectors ministerships after they won bypolls.

India-Africa Look to Boost Anti-terror Ties

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that New Delhi looked forward to deepening cooperation with African nations, especially in combating terrorism, extremism, and for strengthening maritime security.
Addressing the first India- Africa Defence Ministers' Conclave held as part of the DefExpo- 2020 in Lucknow, Singh said that India was interested in taking its defence engagements with African countries to the next level. He recalled how this year's African Union theme was in sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision for the India Pacific region.
Spurred by Prime Minister's SAGAR vision, India in recent years has enhanced maritime cooperation with the Indian Ocean littoral states in Africa. Indian Navy has been actively engaged in anti-piracy operations.
Singh's African counterparts also thanked India for taking the initiative in organising the first Indo-African Defence Ministers' Conclave and both India and African nations decided to hold such interactions frequently.

Feb 06, 2020

Madhya Pradesh to Pass Resolution against CAA

Madhya Pradesh Cabinet passed a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), requesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre to repeal the new legislation.
Notably, Kerala, Punjab, West Bengal and Rajasthan assemblies have already passed a resolution against the CAA and it is expected that Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh would also pass a resolution against the CAA in the Budget session of its Assembly. The Telangana government has also announced that it will not implement the CAA but the state assembly is yet to pass any resolution against the new legislation.

Feb 05, 2020

Jaishankar may Highlight India's Stance on CAA at Munich Meet

The Indian government will have an opportunity to highlight its position on the country's new citizenship law and discuss regional issues such as the situation in Afghanistan when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visits Germany and Belgium later in Feb 2020.
Jaishankar is expected to attend the Munich Security Conference, which will bring together top leaders from around the world during February 14-16, and to travel to Brussels for meetings with leaders of European Union (EU) states.
The trip to Brussels will also help prepare the ground for the India-EU Summit that is expected to be held on March.
The Munich Security Conference, which bills itself as the world's leading forum for debating global security policy, will be attended by Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, Canada's PM Justin Trudeau and other leaders.

RJD Picks for RS Election

As per reports, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad, currently in jail, is keen on sending his wife, former Chief Minister of Bihar Rabri Devi to the Upper House of Parliament and it is likely that she will be the official nominee of the party in the April Rajya Sabha polls.
Former union minister and sitting Rajya Sabha MP Prem Chand Gupta is likely to be the second candidate of the party in the polls. The party is hoping to win two seats out of the five vacancies from Bihar in the Upper House of Parliament.

Andhra Free to Decide on its Capital

As per the Centre, it is the prerogative of the state to decide the location of its capital city, indicating that it cannot interfere in the decision of the Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh to shift the administrative capital of the state from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam.

No Decision Yet on Pan-India NRC

The Centre informed the Lok Sabha that it had not taken any decision on preparing the National Register of Citizen (NRC) at the national level.
This was the Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai's written response to a question on whether the government has any plan to introduce NRC across the country.
Members of Parliament (MPs) Chandan Singh and Nama Nageswara Rao, who belong to the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) respectively, had also sought clarification from the Home Ministry on "whether the government is aware that NRC will put extra burden on Indian citizens" and "whether all the state governments are being taken into confidence before introduction of NRC".

Feb 04, 2020

Peace Deals on Lines of Bodo Accord in Other Areas

Having sealed the Bodo Accord in Assam, the Union government is keen to use the same template to resolve other thorny agitations in other areas.
In an address in Assam's Kokrajhar on February 7, 2020 Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to indicate that his government is looking to resolve other issues – such as the years-long armed conflict with Naga groups in the north-east or Gorkha demonstrators in northern Bengal – using a road map similar to the successful negotiations with all four factions of banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland.

Goa House Adopts Resolution Lauding PM for CAA Move

The Goa legislative assembly adopted a resolution congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for having passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) after a walkout by Opposition claiming that the government was using its "brute" majority to pass the resolution. In the 40-member assembly, the ruling BJP has 27 MLAs, besides two Independent legislators who support the government. NCP's Churchil Alemao, who supports the government, was absent.
The Opposition had moved a motion before Speaker Rajesh Patnekar to hold a 'long discussion' on the CAA, National Population Register and National Register of Citizens but the Speaker allowed a congratulatory motion.

Son of AAP MLA from Kalkaji Joins Congress

AAP MLA Avtar Singh's son, Manpreet Singh, joined the Congress ahead of the February 8, 2020 Delhi assembly polls. Avtar Singh had won from Kalkaji assembly seat in 2015 but was dropped by the party for this year's polls. The AAP gave the Kalkaji ticket to Atishi, who had earlier contested the general election from East Delhi.
Manpreet Singh pledged his support to the Congress and the party's Kalkaji candidate Shivani Chopra in the upcoming polls. Shivani, contesting for the first time, is the daughter of three-time MLA and Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra.

Siachen Troops Given Poor Gear

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) pulled up the Army for delays in the procurement of snow goggles, multipurpose boots and other high-altitude clothing and equipment (HACE) essential for troops posted in areas such as Ladakh and Siachen.
In a report tabled in both houses of Parliament, the CAG also questioned the government for the inordinate delay in the establishment of the Indian National Defence University, which was recommended by the Kargil review committee in 1999.
It has pointed out irregularities in certain procurements and pulled up the defence ministry for losses to the tune of Rs. 25.48 crore on account of delayed lease renewals for defence land.

Feb 03, 2020

E-visas for Chinese Residents Put on Hold

India temporarily suspended e-visa facility for Chinese travellers and foreigners residing in China in view of the coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 300 people, infected over 14,000 others and spread to 25 countries.
This applies to holders of Chinese passports and applicants of other nationalities residing in the People's Republic of China. Holders of already issued e-visas may note that these are no longer valid. All those who have a compelling reason to visit India may contact the Embassy of India in Beijing or Indian consulates in Shanghai or Guangzhou, as well as the Indian Visa Application Centres in these cities.

Congress Manifesto for Delhi Assembly Elections

The Congress released its manifesto for the Delhi assembly elections, focussing on environment and transport. The party promises 300 units of free electricity and free water up to 20,000 litres.
Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra said that the party will also move the Supreme Court against the implementation of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register, if voted to power. They also pledged to regularise all unauthorised colonies in Delhi.
After ruling the national capital for three terms, between 1998 to 2013, the Congress did not win a seat in the 2015 assembly polls.

Sabarimala Case: SC to Frame Issues on Gender Discrimination

The Supreme Court is scheduled to frame issues for deliberation regarding discrimination against women in various religions and at religious places, including Kerala's Sabarimala temple.
A nine-judge Constitution bench will consider the issues related to the entry of Muslim women into mosques, female genital mutilation in the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community and barring of Parsi women, married to non-Parsi men, in the holy fire place at an agiary.
Besides Chief Justice S. A. Bobde, other judges on the bench are justices R. Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan, L. Nageswara Rao, M. M. Shantanagoudar, S. A. Nazeer, R. Subhash Reddy, B. R. Gavai and Surya Kant.

Major Reshuffle of IAS Officers

In the first major reshuffle of IAS officers in the present term of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi government as many as 65 top bureaucrats have been transferred at one go. As many as 51 officers were given new postings in the process.

Uddhav Backs CAA, But Will Not Allow NRC in Maharashtra

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has said that he will not allow the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to be implemented in the state but also defended the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) saying that it is not about taking away citizenship rights from anyone.
Thackeray's backing of the Citizenship Act may create issues in the coalition government in Maharashtra. The Congress and NCP — Sena's new alliance partners — have already opposed the amendment.

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