General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - November 2019

Nov 2019

Jan 04, 2020

BJP Will Not Move Back on CAA

Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party will not back out in the issue of CAA even if all of the Opposition parties come together.
Shah said this while speaking at a rally in Jodhpur to kick start the saffron party's national campaign to reach out to people and counter "misleading" information against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Shah also launched a special number and urged people to give a missed a call to show their support to CAA.

Peace and Stability in Region of Utmost Importance: India

India called for restraint and de-escalation of the situation in West Asia following the killing of al-Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in a US airstrike, saying stability in the region is of utmost importance to New Delhi.
The call for restraint came soon after Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei threatened severe revenge for the criminals who bloodied their foul hands with Soleimani's blood. Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif described US action as a dangerous escalation.

DMK, Allies Win Rural Body Polls

In a closely fought contest in polls to rural civic bodies in 27 districts in Tamil Nadu, the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its allies emerged winners, relegating the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) combine to the second spot.
The polls, held after a gap of eight years, are the first local body elections since the demise of the towering Dravidian leaders J. Jayalalithaa and M. Karunanidhi.

MHA Yet to Frame Rules on New Law

The Union home ministry is yet to frame rules to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act of 2019 (CAA). The law which sparked nationwide protests was cleared by Parliament on December 11, 2019.
Senior ministry officials said that defining a process to establish the identity of those that have faced religious persecution is proving to be "difficult". The law fast-tracks citizenship to persecuted religious minorities, except Muslims, from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
The official, however, added that the ministry is not waiting for the Supreme Court to rule on various pleas against CAA. Several petitions were filed challenging the constitutional validity of the law. On December 18, the SC, while refusing to stay the implementation of CAA, agreed to examine the law's constitutional validity. The apex court is scheduled to hear the petitions on January 22. "There is no direction from the court holding back the government from framing the CAA rules.

Jan 03, 2020

City's First Smog Tower at Lajpat Nagar

Delhi's first smog tower will start working at Lajpat Nagar central market from Friday. The 20-feet-tall tower is fitted with exhaust fans to suck in polluted air and can remove up to 80% of the particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM10) -- the primary pollutant in Delhi's air.
Following high pollution levels in the national capital, the Supreme Court had in November 2019 asked the Centre and the Delhi government to come up with a roadmap on installing smog towers in the national capital region (NCR) to combat air pollution.
The smog towers were to be installed on the lines of China, which has experimented with this technology.
A proposed pilot project to consider the efficacy of smog towers is being undertaken by the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-Bombay) in collaboration with IIT-Delhi and the University of Minnesota.

Centre Sets Up Desk to Look into Ayodhya Matters

The Union ministry of home affairs has set up a dedicated desk handled by three officers, headed by additional secretary Gyanesh Kumar to look into all matters related to the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya issue, including the formation of a trust for the construction of the Ram temple at the once disputed site.
The creation of an exclusive desk is expected to streamline the work of the trust and also carefully look into the legal aspects involved.

Nineteen CBI Officers Shifted

CBI director Rishi Kumar Shukla transferred 19 senior officers, two DIGs, fourteen SPs and three additional SPs, with immediate effect while claiming that the transfers were being done in public interest. The agency has renewed its policy on transfer according to which no officer will stay in a branch for over five years.

Assam Announces Land Ownership Deeds to Indigenous People

The Assam government announced that it will provide land 'pattas' (ownership deeds) to more than 40,000 landless indigenous people of the state.
The decision was taken after Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal held a review meeting with the revenue and disaster management departments. During the meeting, the CM directed the revenue department officials to take appropriate steps so that the target of giving land deeds to over 1 lakh people in 2020 could be achieved.

Jan 02, 2020

Interests of Indigenous People in Assam will be Protected

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that his government is dedicated to the protection of interests of the indigenous people of Assam and the development of the state. His remarks came amid demonstrations across the state against the amended citizenship law by student organisations, artistes, academics and eminent citizens.
Sonowal said that the state government has sent its suggestions to the Central government on the rules of implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in the state.
A high-level committee is preparing a report to recommend suggestions for the implementation of Clause 6 and the state government has said it will take up the report as soon as it is submitted.

EC Launches Online System for New Parties

The Election Commission launched an online system to allow political parties track their applications for the registration with the poll panel on a real-time basis. The new norms have come into force from 01-01-2020. The salient features of the "Political Parties Registration Tracking Management System (PPRTMS)" are that applicants, applying for the party registration from January 1, will be able to track the progress of application.

India and Pakistan Exchange Lists of Prisoners

India and Pakistan exchanged lists of nuclear installations that cannot be attacked in the event of hostilities, maintaining a tradition dating back nearly three decades.
The two countries also exchanged lists of their nationals held in prisons of the other country, with New Delhi seeking the early release of Indian civilian prisoners, missing defence personnel and fishermen.
The lists of prisoners were exchanged under the Agreement on Consular Access signed in May 2008. Under this pact, the two sides exchange comprehensive lists on January 1 and July 1 every year.

No West Bengal Tableau in R-Day Parade this Year

The proposals of 16 states/Union Territories and six ministries/departments have been shortlisted for taking part in this year's Republic Day parade, but the tableau pitch made by West Bengal did not make the cut.
This comes in the backdrop of Mamta Banerjee leading the protests against the citizenship amendment bill and against the central government.
The tableau proposal of West Bengal government was examined by the expert committee in two rounds of meetings.
The committee examines the proposals on the basis of theme, concept, design and its visual impact before making its recommendations. The selection process leads to participation of the best tableaux in the parade.
A total of 56 tableaux proposals (from 32 from states/UTs and 24 from ministries/departments) were received for being considered for the 2020 parade. Of these, a total of 22 proposals have been shortlisted after five meetings.

VC Resigns Amid Charges

Allahabad University vice chancellor Rattan Lal Hangloo, who was facing allegations of mishandling cases of sexual misconduct in the university, stepped down, while claiming that he has resigned under pressure.
According to a senior HRD ministry official, several complaints have been filed against Hangloo's style of functioning in the past as well. However, in one case, the National Commission of Women (NCW) had made an adverse observation about him.

Jan 01, 2020

Congress Appoints Six Election-related Panel

Ahead of the high-stakes Delhi Assembly polls, the Congress appointed six election-related panels with state unit chief Subhash Chopra heading the 56-member election committee and Kirti Azad made chair of the 165-member campaign committee.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi also approved appointment of 69-member manifesto committee, 164-member publicity committee, 65-member election management committee and 104-member media coordination committee.
After the Jharkhand polls, in which the JMM-led opposition trumped the BJP, all eyes are on Delhi Assembly elections where a three-way contest will take place between the AAP, the BJP and the Congress.

UP Ratifies Bill for 10 Years Extension

The Uttar Pradesh assembly ratified a bill to extend reservation to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in legislatures for another 10 years, with Chief Minister Adityanath accusing the Opposition of being the biggest opponents of deprived people.
Amid vociferous protests from the Opposition over the contentious citizenship law, the resolution was adopted unanimously by both the assembly and the council before the two Houses was adjourned sine die.
During a brief debate, Adityanath launched a broadside at the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress, as he coined an acronym "Sabka" for the three parties.

Kerala Assembly Passes Resolution against CAA

The Kerala Legislative Assembly asked the Centre to scrap the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), approving Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's resolution in a special session convened.
The resolution was backed by the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) led by Indian National Congress. Lone MLA of the BJP in the 140-member Assembly marked his dissent.
The approval of the Citizenship Amendment Bill in both the houses of the Parliament has resulted in several sections of the society getting anxious, leading to protests across the country. The new law is against the basic right of secularism ensured in the Part III of the Constitution, the resolution stated.
In another resolution, the Assembly has requested the Centre to include extension of reservation for Anglo Indian community in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for 10 years from January 26, 2020 under the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019.

Rly Board Chief Gets One-year Extension

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the re-employment Vinod Kumar Yadav as the Chairman, Railway Board, for a period of one year with effect from January, 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. This comes at a time when the Cabinet announced restructuring of the Railway Board. The modalities will be worked out by the Ministry of Railways.

Dec 31, 2019

India Links China's Sikkim Offer with Middle Sector Map

India linked China's "early harvest" proposal for settling the Sikkim land boundary to the simultaneous demarcation of the middle sector in Uttarakhand as a stepping stone to phased resolution of the decades-old border dispute.
New Delhi and Beijing exchanged maps of the middle sector as far back as March 2002, but there has been no movement since then.
The 22nd dialogue of the Special Representatives (SR) on the boundary issue between national security adviser Ajit Doval and state councillor Wang Yi in New Delhi earlier this month ended with both sides committed to maintaining peace and tranquility along the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC).

District Court Posts Open on All-India Basis

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has invited applications from candidates from all over the country to fill 33 vacancies in districts courts of the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh, triggering an opposition outcry against the opening of the state employment to all Indians in the two UTs after the nullification of Article 370.
The 33 vacant posts of non-gazetted officials in district courts of J&K and Ladakh that the HC has opened for eligible candidates from all over the country, include those of senior and junior scale stenographers, typists, compositors, electricians and drivers.
The high court's notification has triggered a vociferous protest from various opposition parties, including the National Conference, JKNPP and various Left parties, which have demanded reservation for locals in government jobs in J&K.

Ajit Pawar Back as Deputy CM

Thirty six ministers were inducted in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra cabinet. The ministers who took oath include Uddhav's son, Aaditya Thackeray.
This is the first time in Maharashtra that a father-son duo will be included in the state's Council of Ministers.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, nephew of party Chief Sharad Pawar, took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. This will be his second stint in over one month after an overnight coup to form government with BJP's Devendra Fadnavis lasted for just three days in November.
Out of the 36 ministers, 26 ministers were sworn-in as cabinet ministers and 10 ministers took oath as junior ministers. There are three women in the expanded Council of Ministers, including two of the cabinet rank - Varsha Gaikwad and Yashomati Thakur from Congress and Aditi Tatkare from NCP.
The new Council of Ministers now has four Muslim ministers. These are Nawab Malik and Hasan Mushariff from NCP, Aslam Shaikh from Congress and Abdul Sattar from Shiv Sena.

MHA Extends AFSPA in Nagaland

The ministry of home affairs declared the entire state of Nagaland a disturbed area for six more months, till June 2020, under the controversial Armed Forces Special Protection Act (AFSPA), which empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without any prior notice.
In a notification, the ministry said that the central government was of the opinion that the area comprising the whole state of Nagaland is in such a disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in aid of civil power is necessary.
The AFSPA was imposed in Nagaland about six decades ago when there was widespread protest in the state seeking more autonomy leading to spurt in insurgency.

Five J&K Leaders Released

Five politicians, including a former state minister and three former legislators, were released by the Jammu & Kashmir administration, 147 days after the nullification of special status of the region and its bifurcation into two Union Territories.
The leaders are Ishfaq Jabbar and Ghulam Nabi of the National Conference (NC), Zahoor Mir and Bashir Ahmad Mir of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former legislative council member Yasir Reshi of the PDP. The five were housed in Srinagar's MLA hostel where at least 25 other politicians are currently under preventive detention.
As per reports, this was the beginning of process of the release other political leaders held in preventive detention. Since things have been peaceful, the process of release of leaders has begun. In coming days more leaders will be released.

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