General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2022

May 2022

Sep 24, 2024

Union Minister Piyush Goyal Inaugurates Invest India's New Office in Singapore

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated Invest India's new office in Singapore. The office will serve as a dedicated point of contact for companies from the region looking to invest in India, fostering collaboration across sectors.
Invest India is the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of India, established as a non-profit initiative under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
As part of the "Make in India" campaign, Invest India enables and supports investors in launching, operating, and expanding their businesses in India.
Invest India serves as a one-stop center created to attract and retain high- quality investments in the country.
This significant move reinforces India's commitment to deepening investment part partnerships and making it easier for global investors to engage with India.

India to Host World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit Early Next Year

The Indian government will host the inaugural World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) from February 5 to 9, 2025, to boost the country's media and entertainment industry and enhance its global influence. This will be the first global summit covering the entire media and entertainment spectrum.
WAVES aims to foster dialogue, innovation, and trade partnerships among key players in the media and entertainment industry. The summit will feature discussions on trends, challenges, and opportunities, especially as new technologies reshape the sector.
The Telangana government is backing the summit, highlighting its innovative ecosystem for media and entertainment. Additionally, the government is committed to combating piracy and supporting the growing gaming industry. This includes governmental initiatives to protect content creators and industry stakeholders.
Before the main event in 2025, the government is organising WAVES in Goa from November 20 to 25, 2024, with challenges under the 'Create in India Challenge – Season 1'. This platform will bring together finalists from 25 events for global exposure.

Venu Vasudevan Appointed Chairperson of Kochi Biennale Foundation

Former Chief Secretary to the Government of Kerala and former Director General of the National Museum in Delhi, Venu Vasudevan, was appointed chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Kochi Biennale Foundation. "He has been associated with the biennale since the very beginning and we are extremely happy that he will now be part of the organisation. Aware of the achievements of the biennale, he is most capable of taking it forward from here," stated Bose Krishnamachari, president of Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF).
India's first biennale of international contemporary art, the event that had its inaugural edition in December 2012 has been grappling with challenges in recent years.

ADB Funds Rs. 530 Crore Water Supply Schemes for 12 Cities in Tripura

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha launched the 'Mukhyamantri Nagar Unnayan Prakalp,' a Rs. 530 crore water supply project funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), aiming to upgrade drinking water infrastructure in 12 cities. The project, expected to be completed in three years, will address water needs for over 75,000 families across the state.
The project will cover 12 cities: Udaipur, Amarpur, Belonia, Melaghar, Bishramganj, Khowai, Ranir Bazar, Mohanpur, Dharmanagar, Kailashhar, Kumarghat, and Ambassa. Seven of these are district headquarters.
The scheme includes laying 305 km of water pipelines, constructing 25 deep tubewells, 18 Iron Removal Plants, four water treatment plants, and 19 water reservoirs.

Sep 23, 2024

Uday Bhanu Chib New Indian Youth Congress Chief

The Congress appointed Uday Bhanu Chib the president of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), making him the second president of the frontal organisation from J&K after Ghulam Nabi Azad in 1980. Chib replaced Srinivas B. V.
Chib was serving as the general secretary of IYC and is a former president of the J&K Pradesh Youth Congress. Chib hails from Paloura, Jammu, and is the son of Congress leader Hari Singh Chib.

Sep 22, 2024

Atishi Takes Oath as Delhi's Youngest Chief Minister with 5 Ministers

AAP leader Atishi took oath as the youngest Chief Minister of Delhi along with five MLAs who are part of the new Council of Ministers. The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Raj Bhavan.
Along with Atishi, AAP veterans Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Imran Hussain were also sworn-in. The Delhi Cabinet also has a new entrant - first-time MLA from Sultanpur Majra and AAP's Dalit face Mukesh Ahlawat.
It remains to be seen if there is a rejig of the portfolios in the new Council of Ministers. Atishi held 13 key portfolios, including finance, revenue, PWD, power and education, in the outgoing Kejriwal government.

Raksha Mantri flags-in first-of-its-kind Open Water Swimming Expedition to 21 Islands of Andaman ...

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, flagged-in, in New Delhi, a first-of-its-kind Open Water Swimming Expedition to the 21 Islands of the Andaman & Nicobar archipelago named after the Param Vir Chakra (PVC) Awardees. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had named 21 largest unnamed islands of Andaman & Nicobar after the PVC awardees in January 2023 on Parakram Diwas commemorating the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. To commemorate the first anniversary, the Tri-service Andaman & Nicobar Command launched 'Expedition Param Vir', wherein a team of personnel from the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard undertook swimming to all the 21 islands as a tribute to the valour & sacrifice of the 21 gallantry awardees and unfurled the National Flag at each island. The 11-member expedition team was led by the acclaimed open water swimmer and Tenzing Norway National Adventure Awardee Wing Commander Paramvir Singh.

Modi Announces 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' Program Ahead of Polls

Ahead of the assembly elections in Haryana on October 5, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' programme, where he will interact with Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) workers, volunteers and supporters from Haryana.
The Prime Minister also urged party workers to continuously interact with voters of their respective constituencies and ensure that at least 20 families and youth are working with the party in every polling booth.

Sep 21, 2024

Shashi Tharoor to Head Standing Committee on External Affairs, Digvijaya Singh to Chair Panel on ...

Days after the government and Congress wrapped up negotiations for the Parliamentary Standing Committees, the Opposition party has decided the allocations for chairs of the four committees it was allotted.
While Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor will head the Standing Committee on External Affairs, former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will lead the Parliamentary panel on Agriculture. Koraput MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka will head the panel on Rural Development and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh will head the Standing Committee on Education.

National Centre of Excellence for Animation

The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of a National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) in Mumbai. Tentatively named the Indian Institute for Immersive Creators (IIIC), this hub is set to transform the AVGC sector and drive innovation in immersive technologies. It's modelled after the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).
The NCoE will offer specialised training programs for both amateurs and professionals, aiming to develop Indian intellectual property that reflects the nation's cultural heritage.

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Inaugurates Second Edition of Inclusion Conclave

Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the Second Edition of the Inclusion Conclave organised by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), India in New Delhi. Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, Ms. Raksha Nikhil Khadse was also present on the occasion.
The Conclave aims to create a more inclusive landscape in anti-doping efforts, focusing on diversity, accessibility, and the protection of athletes' rights.
By fostering inclusivity, the Conclave will explore ways to better integrate all stakeholders in the global fight against doping, including athletes with disability.
Established under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in 2009,
India's National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) operates as an impartial entity.
The fundamental aim is to aid, prepare, and oversee anti-doping initiatives in Indian sports, guaranteeing adherence to the World Anti-Doping Code.
NADA India's goal is to establish drug-unfastened surroundings through the implementation of large anti-doping projects, which include instructing athletes and stakeholders, sporting out doping checks, and coping with breaches of anti-doping rules.

Sep 20, 2024

India Joins Exclusive Club of Four G-20 Nations with 'Regular Follow-up' Rating from FATF

India joined an elite group of just four G20 nations, who have received a 'regular follow-up' rating from Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Union finance ministry's additional secretary Vivek Aggarwal said.
Aggarwal further said that the country was given a high rating for an immediate outcome on anti-money laundering and terror financing cases. "Measures taken for financial transparency through JAM trinity (Jan Dhan, Aadhar, and Mobile) was recognised by FATF," he said, adding that India's risk assessment will be done every three years by the global body, with the next one being in 2025.
Aggarwal also pointed out that FATF noted the steps taken against risks from cash-based economy and the deregistration of over 4 lakh shell companies between 2017 and 2021.

International WASH Conference 2024 Concludes at 8th India Water Week

The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, organised the International WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) Conference during the 8th India Water Week from September 17 to 19, 2024 in New Delhi. The conference, with the theme 'Sustaining Rural Water Supply', focused on knowledge exchange, innovations, and best practices to tackle global WASH challenges, especially Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6).
The event saw significant participation from key officials, including Smt. Vini Mahajan, Secretary, DDWS, and others, and featured over 40 sessions, 143 paper presentations, and 5 panel discussions on water quality, greywater management, community engagement, and climate change adaptation.

Cabinet Approves Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan

The Union Cabinet approved a package that will provide up to Rs. 5 lakh each to tribal households and villages across the country, to turn their homes into tourist homestays or to build new ones under the Tourism Ministry's Swadesh Darshan scheme. This is meant to tap the tourist potential of tribal areas and to provide alternate livelihood.
The PMJUGA package is aimed at ensuring the saturation of basic schemes in tribal villages, with interventions to be implemented by 17 Ministries, and funding coming from each Ministry's allocated share in the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes. Together, this will involve an outlay of Rs. 79,156 crore, to be spent over five years, with a Central share of Rs. 56,333 crore, and a States' share of Rs. 22,823 crore.

India, European Union Agree to Deepen Cooperation in Sustainable Water Management

India and the European Union agreed to enhance cooperation in sustainable water management and both sides committed to advance cooperation in river basin management, fostering innovation and technology transfer while promoting sustainable investments.
The forum explored trilateral collaboration between East Africa, India and the EU, to address challenges in East Africa's water bodies such as Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika, leveraging the combined strength of India and the EU.
At the 6th EU-India Water Forum held on the sidelines of the 8th India Water Week in New Delhi, the India-EU Water Partnership (IEWP), established in 2016, aims to enhance technological, scientific, and policy frameworks in water management.
The IEWP, currently in Phase III, focuses on creating impactful and sustainable solutions in key areas such as river basin management, climate resilience, urban flooding, and water governance.
Under the IEWP, the EU and India are collaborating on river management in the Tapi and Ramganga River Basins. Under Phase III, the partnership will extend its efforts to other key basins like the Brahmaputra.

Share on

TCY Analytics (View Subscription Plans)

Subscribe to GK Updates

I want to receive

GK Tags

July GK, June GK, May GK, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, SPORTS, NATIONAL AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, PERSONS IN NEWS, DAYS AND EVENTS, AWARDS AND HONOURS, GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES, GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION, ART AND CULTURE, BOOKS AND AUTHORS, TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARENESS, ART AND CULTURE, LAW AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Start Discussion

On any topic

Take Tests

Compiled from GK updates

Login

Sign Up

Forgot Password

Download TCY App

Unlock All Services And Enjoy The Premium Benefits

US$ 10

US$ 13

US$ 15

US$ 17

US$ 19

US$ 20

US$ 21

US$ 22

US$ 23

US$ 24

US$ 25

US$ 26