General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - July 2020

Jul 2020

Nov 30, 2020

Ayodhya Airport to be Renamed as Maryada Purushottam Sri Ram Airport

Uttar Pradesh Cabinet led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has cleared the proposal to rename the Ayodhya airport as Maryada Purushottam Sri Ram Airport, Ayodhya. In a statement issued in Lucknow on Tuesday, the Uttar Pradesh Government said that the state cabinet had cleared the proposal to name the airport in Ayodhya as Maryada Purshottam Shriram Airport, Ayodhya.
This decision was taken to bring this proposal for passage in the UP Legislative Assembly, and send it to the Union Civil Aviation Ministry.

UP Governor Promulgates Ordinance Against Forcible Religious Conversions

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel gave assent to an ordinance against forcible or fraudulent religious conversions that provides for imprisonment up to 10 years and a maximum fine of Rs 50,000 under different categories.
The promulgation of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, came four days after the Yogi Adityanath government had approved the draft of the legislation which also curbs religious conversions only for the sake of marriage.

GMRT Accorded Prestigious IEEE Milestone Status

The Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) has been selected as a 'Milestone' facility by the U.S.-based Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), which is the world's largest technical professional organisation dedicated to advancing technology in all areas related to electrical and electronics engineering.
The IEEE Milestones programme honours significant technical achievements which have global or regional impact. This is only the third such IEEE 'Milestone' recognition for an Indian contribution. The previous two Indian IEEE Milestones were for the pioneering work done by Sir J.C. Bose to demonstrate the generation and reception of radio waves in 1895 (recognised in 2012), and for the Nobel Prize-winning (in 1930) 'scattering of light' the phenomenon observed by Sir C.V. Raman in 1928.

Nov 29, 2020

Newly Elected Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattoo Joins Apni Party

A day after getting elected as the Mayor of Srinagar Muncipal Corporation (SMC), Junaid Mattoo joined the Apni Party.
The Apni Party was launched by Altaf Bukhari, a former minister in the PDP-BJP government, after the abrogation of Article 370 in August last year. Mattoo had been removed as the Mayor of the Srinagar Muncipal Corporation in June 2020 after he lost a no-confidence motion moved against him.
Mattoo was a member of the Sajad Lone-led People's Conference (PC). Later, he quit the PC in 2013 to join the National Conference (NC) and became the party spokesperson. He quit the NC and rejoined the PC in 2018.
Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari welcomed Mattoo into the party, and said that their endeavour would be to make Srinagar a world-class city.

India Engages with Neighbours to Consolidate Ties

India's three leading foreign policy managers held talks with leaders of India's extended neighbourhood to consolidate existing relationships.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is in Colombo for a security trilateral with Maldives and Sri Lanka, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar concluded his visit to the UAE and is in Seychelles to meet its newly elected President and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla concluded his two-day visit to Nepal, where he met the top leadership to turn the page on six months of acrimony.

Sushil Kumar Modi Made BJP Candidate for Rajya Sabha By-polls in State

Amid speculations over the Rajya Sabha seat, which was vacated after the demise of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) founder and former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, the Bharatiya Janata Party has made Sushil Kumar Modi as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha by-polls from Bihar.
The election for the Rajya Sabha seat will be held on December 14 and the election process will begin from December 3.

Nov 28, 2020

Jammu and Kashmir DDC Phase 1 Polls, First Election Since Abrogation of Article 370

The first phase of the District Development Councils (DDC) election and panchayat by-polls in Jammu and Kashmir began with 1,427 candidates in the fray and seven lakh voters eligible to exercise their franchise. At least 40 out of 280 constituencies in the Union Territory are going to polls in the first phase of the DDC elections.
The DDC elections in Jammu and Kashmir, is the first major political activity to be held since the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state into two union territories — Jammu and Ladakh.
Parties including the National Conference, People's Democratic Party, People Conference and CPI(M), formed the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration are fighting the maiden DDC elections together. National parties BJP and Congress are also in the fray.

Nov 27, 2020

Narendra Modi Makes Pitch for Single Voters' List, Says 'One Nation, One Election'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched for single voters' list and said that 'One Nation, One Election' is the need of India as polls taking place every few months impact development works.
The PM made these remarks while addressing the concluding session of the 80th All India Presiding Officers Conference via video conference.
The Prime Minister also suggested a single voters' list for Lok Sabha, assembly and panchayat polls, saying separate lists are a waste of resources. Legislature, Executive and Judiciary should work with better coordination and national interest should be the basis for every decision.

India and Nepal Agree to Advance Ties

India and Nepal agreed to step up efforts to advance mutual cooperation as Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla met the country's top leadership and held productive talks with his Nepalese counterpart on a range of bilateral issues.
Shringla also called on Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and handed over 2,000 vials of anti-virus drug Remdesivir to him as part of India's continuing assistance to the Himalayan nation to help it contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both sides appreciated the progress made on the numerous bilateral initiatives and projects. It was agreed to take further steps to advance mutual cooperation.
Prime Minister Oli, who is also the Defence Minister of Nepal, told him that problems between Nepal and India would be resolved through dialogue.

Haryana Sets up 3-member Drafting Committee to Frame Law on 'Love Jihad'

Haryana's government has set up a three-member committee to draft a law against "love jihad", a term used by BJP leaders to describe religious conversions in the guise of marriage. Haryana's decision comes days after the Uttar Pradesh government cleared a draft ordinance against conversion through force or fraudulent means.
The Haryana committee will also study laws enacted by other states on the issue.
The Himachal Pradesh Assembly had passed a bill last year against conversion by force, inducement or through a marriage solemnised for the "sole purpose" of adopting a new religion.

Nov 26, 2020

BJP's Vijay Kumar Sinha New Speaker of Bihar Assembly

Vijay Kumar Sinha, a three-time BJP MLA from Lakhisarai and former state minister, was elected speaker of the Bihar assembly.
Sinha polled 126 votes in favour and 114 votes against. One independent and the lone LJP MLA also voted for Sinha. Members of the AIMIM voted against the NDA candidate. The opposition had fielded RJD MLA Awadh Bihari Choudhary as their speaker candidate.
Opposition members also demanded voting via secret ballot, which was rejected by the pro-tem speaker. During the voting, Manjhi had to briefly adjourn the house amid protests by the Opposition.

Odisha Asks for a Second AIIMS in its Tribal Dominated Region

The Odisha government has proposed the Centre to set up an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in tribal-dominated Sundargarh district. After a review of upcoming healthcare facilities in the State, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy has requested Union Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Rajesh Bhushan to consider Odisha's demand for the second AIIMS at Sankara in the district where the NTPC has already developed infrastructure.
At present, the State has a fully functional AIIMS at Bhubaneswar which has emerged as one of the leading institutes in the country in terms of medical education and quality healthcare. Another satellite centre of the institute is under construction at Balasore.

Modi Releases Special stamp, Rs. 100 Coin at Lucknow University Foundation Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced a special stamp and a Rs. 100 coin, to commemorate the Centennial Foundation Day of the University of Lucknow through a virtual conference. The event was attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is also the Lok Sabha member from Lucknow.
As Lucknow University completed 100 years on November 25 and PM Modi congratulated the entire faculty and students of the educational institution. He also said that completing 100 years is not just a mere number, but it is also the living example of the history of inexhaustible achievements.

NITI Aayog Forms Panel to Study Feasibility of Virgin Hyperloop in India

Government think-tank NITI Aayog has formed a high-level panel to explore the technological and commercial viability of the Virgin Hyperloop technology for ultrahigh speed travel in India, weeks after its first test was completed with humans on board.
The Virgin Hyperloop test run was conducted on a 500-meter track in Las Vegas in the USA with a pod, as the hyperloop vehicles are called.
The committee has Niti Aayog member V. K. Saraswat as its Chairman and Adviser (Infrastructure Connectivity, NITI Aayog) Sudhendu Jyoti Sinha as its convener. Its other members are Railway Board Chairman & CEO V. K. Yadav, the secretaries of the ministries of Housing and Urban Affairs, Road Transport and Highways, and the Maharashtra government's Transport Secretary.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation's Chairman, the Delhi Metro's Managing Director, the IIT-Delhi Director and the Chairman (Technology Information) of the forecasting and assessment council are also its members.

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