General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2022

May 2022

Sep 15, 2023

VP Jagdeep Dhankhar Inaugurates International Conference on Dam Safety

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated International Conference on Dam Safety at Jaipur in Rajasthan. Professionals from across the nation and about fifteen countries participated in the conference. Jal Shakti Ministry said that there are over six thousand dams in India and it is ranked third globally in terms of large dams. Approximately 80 per cent of these dams are over 25 years of age.
The conference aimed to provide a major platform for experts to come together and debate cutting-edge topics in dam safety and management. Dams have been essential to civilization's development, and have played a multifaceted role in meeting the increasing demand for drinking water, irrigation, hydropower and flood protection.

Assam Governor Launches 'Sarpanch Samvad' App

Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria launched the 'Sarpanch Samvad' app.
The launch ceremony, held at the Raj Bhavan, was attended by over 30 sarpanchs from different parts of the country.
The app has been developed by the Quality Council of India (QCI).
QCI chairperson Jaxay Shah said that the objective of this initiative is to provide comprehensive support to sarpanchs and foster their growth as leaders.
The app is aimed at connecting approximately 2.5 lakh sarpanchs across India, and serves as a holistic platform for networking, knowledge dissemination, and collaboration.
The app not only ensures a single platform for idea-sharing, but also reinforces QCI's commitment to empower grassroots leaders.

Sep 14, 2023

Bhupesh Baghel Launches 'Largest Wholesale Market'

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel laid the foundation stone of three projects — commercial hub, aerocity and Shaheed Memorial — during an event in Raipur.
This day marked the foundation stone laying of the country's largest wholesale commercial market which is expected to generate employment opportunities for lakhs of people.
With the aim of promoting investment, settlement, and commercial activities in Nava Raipur, a commercial hub will be developed on 1,083 acres.

Fourth G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group Meeting in Varanasi

The fourth and last meeting of the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG) under India's G20 presidency was held in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi.
The two-day meeting brought together over 80 delegates from G20 member countries, special invitee countries and international organisations.
The meeting focused on finalising the 2023 G20 sustainable finance report.
The key highlight of the 4th SFWG meeting reflected and shared experiences by G20 members on the progress made in the implementation of the G20 Sustainable Finance Roadmap.
SFWG aims to help scale up private and public sustainable finance and in doing so, accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Paris Agreement is an international treaty on climate change adopted in 2015. The agreement covers climate change mitigation, adaptation, and finance.

Sep 13, 2023

President Droupadi Murmu Inaugurates First Global Symposium on Farmers' Rights

The President of India, Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the First Global Symposium on Farmers' Rights in New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the farming fraternity of the world is its foremost conserver and they are the true guardians of crop diversity. She further said that the farmers are bestowed with exceptional power and responsibility. She emphasised that we all must appreciate farmers' endeavour to protect and revive many varieties of plants and species whose existence is crucial to all of us.
This Symposium was organised by the Secretariat of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (International Treaty) of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome and hosted by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in collaboration with Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (PPVFR) Authority, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), and ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR).

Gopal Baglay Appointed India's High Commissioner to Australia

Senior diplomat Gopal Baglay was appointed as India's High Commissioner to Australia.
A 1992-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Baglay was India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka.
Prior to serving as India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Baglay served as Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office.
He served in various capacities in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, including as the official spokesperson of the Ministry, joint secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran) Division, director in the External Affairs Minister's Office and in the United Nations Division and deputy secretary looking after Eastern and Central Europe.
Baglay has also served as the deputy high commissioner of India in Pakistan, counsellor for Press, Information and Culture in the Embassy of India, Nepal and in other diplomatic capacities from 1994-2002 in Ukraine, Moscow and London.

India and Saudi Arabia Sign Agreement on Cooperation in Energy Sector

India and Saudi Arabia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of energy to develop a stronger partnership between India and Saudi Arabia in the field of energy.
The MoU was signed by Union Minister for New & Renewable Energy and Power R. K. Singh who represented the Indian side and Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud present in the meeting for the Saudi side.
As per the MoU, India and Saudi Arabia will cooperate in the Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Hydrogen, Electricity and Grid Interconnection between the two countries, Petroleum, Natural Gas, Strategic Petroleum Reserves and Energy Security.
The agreement will also encourage bilateral investment in the field of Renewable Energy, Electricity, Hydrogen and Storage; and Oil and Gas and will promote digital transformation, innovation and cyber-security and artificial intelligence in the field of Energy.

Sep 12, 2023

G20 Summit: StartUp Bridge between India and Saudi Arabia Announced

Following the announcement of a Saudi Arabian investment facilitation centre in India, Prince Fahad Bin Mansour Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia spoke about a StartUp Bridge initiative between the two nations.
After congratulating India for successfully hosting the 2023 G20 Summit, Prince Fahad Bin Mansour spoke about the initiative that aims to foster entrepreneurship ecosystems in both nations and foster a climate of collaboration and innovation that StartUp India and Invest Saudi would facilitate.
The StartUp Bridge, a joint endeavour between the two countries, is expected to pave the way for numerous initiatives to solve pressing issues.

Rajasthan Congress Leaders Jyoti Mirdha, Sawai Singh Choudhary Join BJP

Rajasthan Congress leaders Jyoti Mirdha and Sawai Singh Chaudhary switched to the BJP ahead of assembly elections due later this year.
While the BJP claimed that the development reflected a wave in its favour in Rajasthan, the Congress downplayed it saying leaders leaving or joining any party is a usual occurrence before any election and the departure of the two will not impact the ruling party in the state.
Mirdha, a former MP from Nagaur in Rajasthan, and Chaudhary joined the BJP in the presence of senior leaders including Rajasthan BJP chief C. P. Joshi at the party headquarters in Delhi.

Sep 11, 2023

PM Modi Chairs a Session on the Theme - One Future in G20 Summit

In a significant victory for India's G-20 presidency, the member nations unanimously adopted the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration. On the first day of 18th G-20 Summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the adoption of the declaration by the bloc of world-leading economies during the second session of the G20 summit, titled One Family.
Inclusive growth, accelerating actions to deal with climate change and increasing medical supplies to be future ready for health emergencies among others are the focus areas of the G-20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration. The member countries expressed their commitment to accelerate sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth with effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They also expressed commitment to accelerate action to address the issue of climate challenges by pursuing low carbon emissions, climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable development pathways.
The Declaration while referring to the Ukraine war, underscored that all states must act in a manner consistent with the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter in its entirety. It added that in line with the UN Charter, all states must refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state. It also added that the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that history has been created with the adoption of the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration. He added that united in consensus and spirit, we pledge to work collaboratively for a better, more prosperous and harmonious future. He expressed his gratitude to all fellow G20 members for their support and cooperation.
On the second and final day of the G20 Leaders' Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the session based on the theme- One Future. The Prime Minister held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and also do a pull-aside meeting with Canadian leaders, and bilateral meetings with leaders of Comoros, Türkiye, UAE, South Korea, European Union, European Commission, Brazil and Nigeria.

PM Modi Launches Global Biofuels Alliance at G20 Summit in New Delhi

The Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) was formally launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the presence of leaders of a number of partner countries on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi. The GBA has been in the works for some time now and is a key initiative and priority under India's G20 presidency. The alliance is aimed at facilitating international cooperation and intensifying the use of sustainable biofuels, along with facilitating global biofuels trade and technical support for national biofuel programmes.
The GBA, the effort for which was spearheaded by India, the United States, and Brazil, was launched with nine initiating members–India, the US, Brazil, Argentina, Bangladesh, Italy, Mauritius, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates–while Canada and Singapore are observer countries. In all, 19 countries and 12 international organisations have already agreed to join the GBA.
Seven of the 19 countries are from the G20, four are among the G20 invitee countries, while eight are neither G20 members nor invitees. The World Bank, Asian Development Bank, World Economic Forum, International Energy Agency, International Energy Forum, International Renewable Energy Agency, and International Civil Aviation Organization are among the organisations that have agreed to join the alliance.

India, Bangladesh Sign 3 MoUs ahead of G20

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina held a bilateral talk in New Delhi, the two countries also signed three memorandum of understanding (MoUs), including one on cooperation in Digital Payment mechanisms. The MoU on cooperation in Digital Payment mechanism was signed between National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Bangladesh Bank.
Another MoU focused on the renewal of the Cultural Exchange Program (CEP) between India and Bangladesh for 2023-2025. The third MoU was signed between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (BARC).
PM Modi, Sheikh Hasina also looked forward to beginning of negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), covering trade in goods, and services, and protecting and promoting investment.

Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya Vadodara and Airbus Sign MoU

Indian Railways' Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) Vadodara and Airbus, a global aviation giant, embarked on a strategic collaboration aimed at fortifying the Indian aviation sector. This partnership, sealed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi, signifies a significant milestone in fostering industry-academia alliances to propel India's aviation industry to new heights.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics, and IT, who also serves as the First Chancellor of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya.
Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) Vadodara, established through an Act of Parliament in 2022, is dedicated to nurturing top-tier manpower and talent for the transportation and logistics sectors. GSV aims to fulfill the mandates of key national development plans, including the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan 2021 and the National Logistics Policy 2022.
The collaboration between Airbus and Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya encompasses several key aspects:
Co-development of Skilling Courses: The partnership will result in sector-relevant skilling courses and programs tailored for both regular students and working professionals.
Joint Research and Industry Experiences: Faculty members from both institutions will engage in joint research endeavors and gain valuable industry experience.
Internships and Placements: GSV students will have the opportunity to undertake internships and secure placements within Airbus and related industries, ensuring they are well-prepared for careers in the aviation sector.
Scholarship Programs: The collaboration includes initiatives to provide scholarships to deserving students, fostering equal access to quality education.

Chandrababu Naidu Arrested

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Chief Chandrababu Naidu was arrested for alleged corruption. The former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister was taken into custody by the Crime Investigation Department (CID).
Naidu was arrested in a multi-crore Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) scam. Several other TDP leaders were also put under house arrest following the arrest of Naidu.

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