General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2022

May 2022

Dec 15, 2023

NITI Aayog and IFPRI Sign SoI to Strengthen Policy Frameworks for Agricultural Transformation and...

The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) signed a Statement of Intent (SoI), aiming to fortify policy and program frameworks contributing to India's developmental objectives.
The five-year SoI grants IFPRI a broad mandate to support NITI's Agriculture Vertical in crucial areas. The SoI activities include developing and tracking Rural Transformation Indicators, supporting the design and evaluation of flagship programs, providing policy analytical tools, and generating evidence on India's agri-food trade in regional and global contexts. To ensure sustainable and inclusive agricultural and rural transformation, NITI Aayog has been actively guiding India's development programs through periodic monitoring and evaluation with a specific focus on agriculture.
IFPRI will provide policy analytics and support to NITI Aayog in mutually identified areas within the broader realm of food systems transformation, initially focusing on agriculture, rural development, trade, and climate change policies in India.

India, ADB Sign $200 Million Loan Agreement for Uttarakhand Power System Project

The Centre signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for availing a $200 million loan from the latter to improve the quality, efficiency, and reliability of power supply in the state of Uttarakhand.
The signatories to the loan agreement for the Uttarakhand Climate Resilient Power System Development Project were Juhi Mukherjee, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Finance Ministry and Hoe Yun Jeong, Deputy Country Director and Officer-in-Charge of ADB's India Resident Mission, for ADB.
The ADB funding for the project will strengthen power system infrastructure and help Uttarakhand in achieving its goal of providing 24x7 power to its residents.

Dec 14, 2023

India Hosts 27th World Investment Conference in New Delhi

Invest India, the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of the Government of India, hosted the 27th World Investment Conference (WIC) from December 11-14, 2023 at the India International Convention & Expo Centre - Yashobhoomi, New Delhi.. The event, under the aegis of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), was a groundbreaking platform for global investment promotion and innovation stakeholders.
This year's (2023) conference was themed 'Empowering Investors: IPAs Pioneering Future Growth'.
WIC, an annual flagship event of World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), serves as a platform for global investment promotion and innovation stakeholders. This year (2023), the conference brought together Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs), international organisations, academia, and the private sector, including startups, to discuss investment policies and trends, providing a unique opportunity for collaboration, trade, investments and knowledge sharing.
Spanning over four days, the WIC was the largest WIC ever, with participation from more than 1000 attendees, over 50 IPAs and various multilateral agencies. Some of the marquee sessions included a Meeting of 'IPAs of G20 Nations' and IPAs of G20 Compendium on Sustainable FDI, Meeting of World Investment for Development Alliance (WIDA), a coalition of 13 multilateral organisations including UNCTAD, WEF, WBG, UNESCAP and WAIPA, and a roundtable on "The India Opportunity: Investing in an Emerging Economy Poised for a Fast-Track Growth. Invest India may also release white papers on key topics such as E-Commerce, Electronics, Sustainable textiles and Responsible AI.
The World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies was created in 1995 in Geneva, as a non-governmental organisation. Its mission is to empower and support investment promotion agencies in the important work they do to develop their economies; to be a voice for IPAs internationally; and to serve as a bridge between the public and private sectors. The association has more than 120 member agencies representing more than 100 countries.
This was the first time that the World Investment Conference was held in India.

Parliament Security Breach

The Delhi Police registered a case under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the Parliament security breach.
In a major security breach on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, two persons -- Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D -- jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by MPs.
Around the same time, two other accused -- Amol Shinde and Neelam Devi -- sprayed coloured gas from canisters while shouting "tanashahi nahi chalegi" outside Parliament premises.
Police said the four were part of a group of six people who planned the incident.

Mercer's Survey: Pune 2nd in India for Quality of Living after Hyderabad

In a release of the Quality of Living Index 2023 by Mercer, a renowned global consultant for businesses, Pune secured the second-best position in terms of 'quality of life' in India. The city trails just behind Hyderabad, marking a significant improvement from the previous rankings.
The Quality of Living City Index by Mercer positions Pune at 154th, with Hyderabad slightly ahead at 153rd, and Bengaluru following closely at 156th. Vienna (Austria), Zurich (Switzerland), and Vancouver (Canada) clinched the top three spots globally in that order, according to the 2023 index.

Dec 13, 2023

Bhajan Lal Sharma Newly Elected Chief Minister of Rajasthan

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) picked Bhajan Lal Sharma as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. He won the recently concluded elections from the Sanganer assembly seat, defeating Congress's Pushpendra Bhardwaj with over 48,081 votes.
Bhajan Lal Sharma's name as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan was proposed by BJP's Vasundhara Raje, who was also among the contenders for the top post. His name was announced by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The BJP's Bhajan Lal Sharma's political journey in Rajasthan has been marked by significant achievements. He has served as the State General Secretary for the BJP four times.
Prem Chand Bairwa, who won the Dudu seat, and former MP Diya Kumari, who secured the Vidhyadhar Nagar Assembly seat against Congress' Sitaram Agarwal, were named Deputy Chief Ministers in Rajasthan.

Dec 12, 2023

BJP Picks Mohan Yadav as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh

The BJP named a surprise pick as the new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh - Mohan Yadav, a leader from the Yadav OBC community. OBCs make up more than half of the state's population but, interestingly, the Yadav community is not among the most influential.
Soon after the BJP announcement, Yadav met Governor Mangubhai Patel and staked a claim to form the next government.
Notably, the BJP retained power in Madhya Pradesh in the November 17 assembly polls by winning 163 seats in the 230-member assembly, while the Congress finished a distant second with 66 seats.

Joe Biden Not Coming to India for Republic Day, Quad Meet Postponed

US President Joe Biden is not expected to visit India next month as the Chief Guest for Republic Day celebrations. In September, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said that PM Narendra Modi invited President Biden to be the Chief Guest for the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2024, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.
Now, the Quad summit is proposed to be held in India in the later part of 2024. Earlier, India was trying to schedule the next Quad Summit on January 27. The Quad bloc groups India, Australia, Japan and the US, which oversees overall cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Rajendra Shukla Deputy CM of Madhya Pradesh

Rajendra Shukla, a five-time MLA from Rewa constituency, was appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh along with Jagdish Devda by the BJP. The decision came as a recognition of Shukla's contribution in consolidating the party's base in the Vindhya region, which was once a Congress stronghold.

Dec 11, 2023

Opposition Comes Up with 'We, not me' Tagline to Counter Brand Modi

The Congress-led opposition INDIA bloc plans to counter brand Narendra Modi with a 'Mai nahi, hum' campaign ahead of the 2024 General Election where they seek to pitch collective leadership above individual personalities.
Ahead of the INDIA parties meet on December 19, Congress sources said the 'who against Modi' leadership challenge would be overcome by pitching 'We, not me'.
The Opposition acknowledged that the absence of a leader against PM Modi remained a challenge, which would be overcome by projecting a collective leadership.

Amit Shah Chaird 26th Meeting of Eastern Zonal Council in Bihar

Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 26th meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council in Patna, Bihar's capital.
The Eastern Zonal Council comprises the states of Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand. The meeting was organised by the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the MHA in collaboration with the government of Bihar.
Five Zonal Councils were established in 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. Union Home Minister is the Chairman of these five Zonal Councils, while the Chief Ministers of the states and the administrator as well as Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territories from the respective Zonal Council are its members, one of whom is the Vice-Chairman by rotation every year.

BJP Names Vishnu Deo Sai as Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh

The BJP selected former Union Minister and tribal leader Vishnu Deo Sai as the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. Sai was made the CM despite former CM Raman Singh being the strong contender. In fact, Raman Singh himself proposed the name of Sai for the top post. The selection Vishny Deo Sai can prove to be a masterstroke for the BJP not only in the state but also for the upcoming Lok Sabha assembly election.
Vishnu Deo Sai is a popular face in Chhattisgarh's tribal region and holds a good command within the organisation. Chhattisgarh's total population consists of about 32% tribal, which is 7.5% of India's total tribal population.

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