General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2022

May 2022

Jun 28, 2024

Kochi Hosts First IDF Regional Dairy Conference Focussing on Asia-Pacific

The Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), and the International Dairy Federation (IDF) jointly organised the first IDF Regional Dairy Conference Asia Pacific-2024 from June 26 to 28 in Kochi, Kerala at Grand Hyatt, Bolgatty.
Themed 'Farmer-centric Innovations in Dairying', the event featured insightful deliberations brought together leaders and experts from the global dairy sector. The goal was to collectively address key issues affecting the dairy sector, particularly in the Asia Pacific region and globally.

Jun 27, 2024

After Assurance, Sam Pitroda Reappointed Overseas Congress Chief

Having stepped down from the post after two of his remarks stirred up a huge political row, putting the Congress on the back foot during the all-important Lok Sabha elections, Sam Pitroda was reappointed the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress.
The reappointment was announced by the party. Later senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the decision was taken after Pitroda clarified the context of the statements and gave an assurance that he will not leave room for such controversies to arise in the future.

India Hosts 64th ISO Council Meeting from 25th-27th June 2024

India hosted a global event in sugar sector 'ISO Council Meeting' in New Delhi from June 25 to 27, 2024. Delegates from more than 30 countries and representatives of many international organisations joined and deliberated on critical issues of sugar and biofuel sector
As India is the world's largest consumer and second largest producer of sugar, ISO Council nominated India as the Chair of the organisation for 2024. As part of the meeting, India held a series of events with industrial tour of the international delegates to one grain-based distillery at Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh and showcased India's adoption of latest technology in production of biofuels and other by-products.
A workshop titled 'Sugar and Biofuels – Emerging Vistas' was organised at Bharat Mandapam. Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and New & Renewable Energy inaugurated the workshop.

Jun 26, 2024

Ministry of Coal Initiates India's First Ever Pilot project for Underground Coal Gasification in ...

The Ministry of Coal has initiated India's first-ever pilot project for Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) at the Kasta coal block in Jamtara District, Jharkhand.
This initiative, under the aegis of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), aims to revolutionise the coal industry by converting coal into valuable gases such as methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide through in-situ gasification.
Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) provides a crucial benefit by unlocking coal deposits that are not economically feasible to extract using conventional mining techniques.
This pilot initiative marks a major milestone for Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries, positioning India at the forefront of adopting cutting-edge coal gasification technologies.

Om Birla Elected as Speaker

BJP leader and NDA candidate Om Birla was elected as Speaker of 18th Lok Sabha. Birla was elected against INDIA bloc's candidate K. Suresh during the voice vote held in the House. Om Birla is the only Lok Sabha speaker after Balram Jakhar in 1985 to get two full terms.
Earlier, the motions to elect Speaker of the Lok Sabha were moved by both NDA and INDIA factions. Traditionally, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha were elected based on consensus between the ruling party and the opposition.
Om Birla is a three-time MP from Kota, Rajasthan. He was the speaker in the previous Lok Sabha (17th) too. K Suresh of the Congress, has served eight terms representing Kerala's Mavelikara constituency. Suresh holds the distinction of being the longest-serving parliamentarian in the 18th Lok Sabha.

Jun 25, 2024

E-medical Visas for Bangladeshis, New Embassy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced that India will commence an e-medical visa facility to facilitate Bangladeshis seeking medical treatment to come to India. He further said that both countries have agreed to open a new Assistant High Commission in Rangpur for the convenience of the people of the North West region of Bangladesh.

'India Africa Postal Leaders Meet' Held in India

The 'India Africa Postal Leaders Meet' was held in India from June 21 to 25, 2024, with the objective of further strengthening relationships among the administrations of African countries and India in the postal sector. This is an initiative under the 'South- South and Triangular Cooperation' programme of the Universal Postal Union, organized with the support of India Post and the United States Postal Service.
The key theme of the meet is 'capacity building, through study visits'. The study visits showcase India's successful model of service delivery through its extensive post office network. India Post's unique approach of combining digital services with traditional postal service delivery to maintain the human touch has garnered international attention and inspired the coordination of this meet by the Universal Postal Union.

Kerala Assembly Passes Resolution to Officially Change State's Name to 'Keralam'

In a unanimous decision, the Kerala Legislative Assembly passed a resolution proposing a constitutional amendment to change the state's official name from 'Kerala' to 'Keralam'.
The resolution, moved by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, calls for invoking Article 3 of the Indian Constitution to effectuate this change in the First Schedule.
This is the second time the assembly has passed such a resolution, after the previous one sent to the central government last year (2023) faced some technical objections.
The assembly will now send the resolution to the central government for approval. This move by the Kerala government is part of a longstanding demand to officially recognise the Malayalam name of the state.

Jun 24, 2024

Pakistan Delegation in India to Discuss Indus Water Treaty

A Pakistani delegation came to India in connection with the 1960 Indus Water Treaty and visited Kishtwar to see the Dam sites.
The Indus Waters Treaty was signed between then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former Pakistan President Ayub Khan in 1960 with the World Bank as a signatory to the pact.
The treaty warrants the two sides to meet once a year, alternately in India and Pakistan. However, the 2022 year's meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi was cancelled in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The last meeting was held in March 2023.
It sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers, known as the Permanent Indus Commission which includes a commissioner from each of the two countries. It also sets out a process for resolving so-called "questions", "differences" and "disputes" that may arise between the parties.
India and Pakistan have engaged in a long outstanding water dispute over two hydroelectric projects.
Pakistan has objected to the building of the Kishanganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric plants by India, saying that it violates the provisions of the treaty. India insists on its right to build these projects and holds that their design is fully in compliance with the guidelines of the treaty.

PM Narendra Modi Unlikely to Attend SCO Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, or SCO, summit in Kazakhstan. The SCO summit will be taking place from July 3 to 4, 2024 in Astana. India is likely to send some other representative to the summit.
Kazakhstan took over the presidency of the grouping from India, which was the president last year (2023). India hosted the SCO summit virtually in July 2023. This year's (2024) host is Kazakhstan.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a political, economic, and security group that was established in 2001. The current members of the SCO are China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Iran became a full member in 2023, under the Indian Presidency of the grouping. Belarus is an observer state and is next in line to gain full membership.

Ayyanna Patrudu Unanimously Elected as Speaker of A.P. Legislative Assembly

Narsipatnam MLA Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly in the absence of any other contestant for the coveted post.
His candidature was proposed by Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan on behalf of the Jana Sena Party (JSP) and IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh and Health Minister Y. Satya Kumar on behalf of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), respectively.

BJP's J. P. Nadda Leader of House in Rajya Sabha

Union Health Minister and senior BJP leader J. P. Nadda was appointed as the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha. Nadda also holds the Chemicals and Fertilizers portfolio in the Cabinet.
The Union Minister replaced Piyush Goyal as the Leader of the House. During Prime Minister Modi's second tenure, Goyal was the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha.

Russia Approves Draft Logistics Agreement with India

In a development aimed at bolstering military cooperation, the Russian government approved a draft logistics agreement with India. The draft agreement is a key step in increasing operational engagement between the armed forces of the two countries.
A logistics pact, such as the one proposed, facilitates mutual logistical support between countries during various military operations, including peacekeeping missions, humanitarian assistance, and joint military exercises. The support usually involves critical services like refuelling, maintenance, and supply of provisions, and increases interoperability.
This draft logistics pact is a continuation of the longstanding military relationship between Russia and India. In 2021, the two countries signed a comprehensive agreement on military-technical cooperation extending until 2030.

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