Govt. Appoints Jaya Verma Sinha as first woman CEO, Chairperson of Railway Board
The Centre appointed Jaya Verma Sinha as the first woman chairperson and CEO of the Railway Board.
Sinha has served at least 35 years at the Indian Railways.
She will be incharge of the top post of the Railways till 31 December, 2024.
An Alumnus of the Allahabad University, Sinha joined the Indian Railway Traffic Service in 1988 and worked in Northern Railway, South-East Railway and Eastern Railway.
Centre Launches 'Awareness Campaign and Training of Trainers' Initiative
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda, inaugurated the 'Awareness Campaign and Training of Trainers' initiative to educate grassroots workers and enable them to raise awareness about sickle cell anaemia, particularly in tribal regions. Announced in the 2023-24 budget, the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission targets the eradication of the disease by 2047.
The comprehensive strategy involves public awareness campaigns, the screening of seven crore individuals aged 0-40 in affected tribal areas, and counselling. This collaborative effort will unite central ministries and state governments.
Ex-President Ram Nath Kovind-headed Committee to Explore Possibility of 'One-nation, One-election'
The government constituted a committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind to explore the possibility of 'one nation, one election'.
The move came a day after the government called a special session of Parliament between September 18 and 22, the agenda for which is under wraps.
Over the years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pushed strongly for the idea of simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, and the decision to task Kovind to look into it underscores the government's seriousness as a host of elections approach.
Assembly polls are due in five states in November-December and they will be followed by the Lok Sabha elections in May-June next year.
Aug 31, 2023
Gujarat Government Hikes Reservations for OBCs to 27% in Panchayats and ULBs
The Gujarat government hiked reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from the existing 10% to 27% in the panchayats and urban local bodies.
The announcement of quotas paves the way for elections for 7000 village panchayats, two district panchayats and 70 municipalities.
The population of the OBCs in the State is about 52%.
India Lodges Strong Protest with China over New Map
India lodged a strong protest with China over the publication of a new map that was released by the Chinese government on August 28, showing all of Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin, and other parts of Indian territory within its borders, that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called absurd claims. The map, that has in the past claimed Indian territories as well, was published just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and discussed resolving the boundary situation.
India, New Zealand Sign MoU to Boost Cooperation in Civil Aviation
India and New Zealand signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost cooperation in civil aviation. This will cover the scheduling of new routes, codeshare services, traffic rights, and capacity entitlement. The MoU was signed by Civil Aviation Secretary, Rajiv Bansal and the New Zealand High Commissioner David Pine in New Delhi.
On the occasion, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O'Connor of New Zealand were also present.
According to the MoU, the designated airlines of New Zealand may operate any number of services with any type of aircraft, with third and fourth freedom traffic rights to and from six points in India, namely New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. The designated airlines of India may operate any number of services with any type of aircraft with third and fourth freedom traffic rights to and from Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Three more points in New Zealand to be named by the Government of India.
NITI Aayog, UNDP Join Hands to Fast-track Sustainable Development Goals
Central think tank NITI Aayog and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a memorandum of understanding to formalise a cooperative framework to fast-track India's pursuit to achieve its sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The memorandum of understanding will focus on the two organisations' cooperation on a range of areas, including SDG localisation, data-driven monitoring, Aspirational Districts and Blocks, among others.
Aug 30, 2023
President Murmu Releases Commemorative Coin on Former Andhra Pradesh CM N. T. Rama Rao
President Droupadi Murmu unveiled a commemorative coin in honour of the legendary actor and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, late N. T. Rama Rao. The ceremony took place at the esteemed Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, marking the centenary year of N. T. Rama Rao's remarkable life and contributions.
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (N. T. Rama Rao) assumed the role of Chief Minister for three terms in United Andhra Pradesh from 1983 to 1995. Notably, he achieved the distinction of being the inaugural non-member of the Indian National Congress to occupy this position. Instead, he represented the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), an entity he established in 1982.
Geetika Srivastava, currently serving as joint secretary at the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), will be India's new chargé d'affaires at its high commission in Islamabad.
Ms. Srivastava is a 2005 batch Indian Foreign Service officer.
The Indian and Pakistani high commissions in Islamabad and Delhi are being headed by their respective charge d'affaires after Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties following India's decision to withdraw the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.
Aug 29, 2023
MP Govt. Hikes Financial Aid, 35% Reservation in Govt. Jobs for Women
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan raised the financial aid given to women in the Ladli Behna Scheme from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1,250 per month. Apart from this, the MP CM also announced 35 per cent reservation for them in government jobs.
Women in the 23-60 age group get Rs. 1,000 per month under the scheme if they are not income tax payees and the annual income of their families is less than Rs. 2.5 lakh annually.
Akashvani Organises Event Related to Know India Programme under the Aegis of Ministry of External...
Akashvani organised an event related to Know India Programme under the aegis of Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. Around 55 students of Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) participated in the programme.
Know India Programme (KIP) is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs for diaspora engagement, which familiarizes Indian-origin youth with their Indian roots. The aim of the programme is to promote awareness on different facets of life in India and the progress made by the country in various fields.
Aug 28, 2023
Piyush Goyal, UK Minister Review FTA Talks
Following the G20 Trade and Investment Ministers' Meeting, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and the UK's Secretary of State for Trade Kemi Badenoch met in Delhi to review the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks.
They expressed commitment to reaching a conclusion on a balanced deal.
Amit Shah Chairs Western Zonal Council in Gandhinagar
Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 26th meeting of the Western Zonal Council in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The meeting was attended by the Chief Ministers of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Goa, along with the Administrator of the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. The meeting was also attended by the Chief Secretaries, Advisors, and other senior officers of the state governments and union territories, the Union Home Secretary, Secretary Inter-State Council, and other senior officers of the central government.
The Western Zonal Council is one of the six zonal councils in India. It was established in 1956 to promote cooperation and coordination between the states and union territories in the Western region. The Council discusses and resolves issues related to interstate matters, such as water resources, border disputes, and crime.
+91-85588-96644
tcy@tcyonline.com
