General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2022

May 2022

May 20, 2023

G20's RIIG Conference on Scientific Challenges and Opportunities

As part of India's G20 presidency, Research and Innovation Initiative Gathering (RIIG) Conference on Scientific Challenges and Opportunities for a sustainable blue economy was held at Diu. The main theme of the conference was "Research and Innovation for an Equitable Society".
As per reports, over 35 foreign delegates and 40 Indian experts, delegates, and invitees participated in the conference. Several issues including Blue Economy Sectors and Opportunities, Marine Pollution, Coastal and Marine Ecosystems and Biodiversity, Deep-Sea Exploration, and New and Renewable Offshore Energy discussed in various sessions held as part of the meeting. As part of the meet, the weeklong exhibition depicting India's journey of G 20 was inaugurated at Diu. India's G 20 sherpa Amitabh Kant, Secretary of Union Science and Technology Department Shrivari Chandrasekhar Administrator of Union Territory of Diu Daman and Dadra Nagar Haveli Praful Patel were present at the inauguration ceremony.

India Launches 'Operation Karuna' to Assist Cyclone-hit Myanmar

India launched 'Operation Karuna' to assist Myanmar which was devastated by Cyclone Mocha. Four Indian Navy ships carrying relief material reached Yangon, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said.
The ships are carrying emergency food items, tents, essential medicines, water pumps, portable generators, clothes, sanitary and hygiene items, etc.
Indian Ambassador in Myanmar Vinay Kumar handed over the first batch of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) material to the Chief Minister of Yangon region.
Super cyclone Mocha hit Bangladesh and Myanmar causing widespread devastation and killing hundreds. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said that relief agencies were ready to deliver food and essential supplies, but were awaiting approval from the military regime.

Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan Launches ORAN Test Bed Project

Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan launched Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) test bed project for conformance, certification and interoperability testing of O-RAN based solutions at a function in New Delhi.
It will facilitate testing of ORAN elements and will facilitate development of fully indigenous 5G radio network in India. The Minister also released a Postal Stamp to mark the glorious 20 Years of Universal Service Obligation Fund of Ministry of Communications. It provides telecom facilities in rural and remote areas of the country.

May 19, 2023

Arjun Ram Meghwal Replaces Kiren Rijiju as Law Minister

Kiren Rijiju was removed as Law Minister. In the government's cabinet shuffle, Rijiju was replaced by Arjun Ram Meghwal, who was assigned the independent charge as Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice, in addition to his existing portfolios. Kiren Rijiju was given the portfolio of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. Union Minister Jitendra Singh was holding charge of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. President Droupadi Murmu, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reallocated portfolios among ministers in the Union Council of Ministers.

Pramod Bhasin New Chairman of Data Security Council of India

Genpact founder Pramod Bhasin wasn appointed the new chairman of the Data Security Council of India (DSCI). Bhasin is currently also the chairman of Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).
He succeeded Rajendra S. Pawar, the chairman and cofounder of NIIT Group. Pawar served as the chairman of DSCI for a period of three years prior to this transition.
Bhasin established Genpact in 1996 and led it until 2011, shaping the business process industry in India.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh Inaugurates 8th All India Pension Adalat in Delhi

Union Minister Jitendra Singh is set to inaugurate the 8th All India Pension Adalat in Delhi. This initiative, organised by the Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare, aims to resolve chronic pension-related cases. Additionally, the Minister will preside over the 50th pre-retirement counselling (PRC) workshop, providing retiring civil employees with essential information and guidance for a smooth transition into retirement.
The All India Pension Adalat, launched on an experimental basis in 2017, has been instrumental in resolving pensioners' grievances efficiently. Through the integration of technology and a collaborative approach, stakeholders involved in each case are brought together on a common platform, ensuring timely resolution of pension-related issues. In the previous seven adalats, a total of 24,218 cases were taken up, with 17,235 cases successfully resolved.

May 18, 2023

Govt. Appoints Anil Kumar Jain as New PNGRB Chairman

The government appointed seasoned bureaucrat and gas sector expert Anil Kumar Jain as the new chairman of the oil and gas sector regulatory body, PNGRB.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Jain, who retired as coal secretary in October 2022, as the new chairman of the Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB).
Jain's appointment as the Chairperson PNGRB is for a period of five years from the date assumption of charge of the post or till attaining the age of 65 years, or until further orders, whichever is the earliest.
Bihar-born, 1986-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre filled a position that has been lying vacant since Dinesh Kumar Sarraf retired on December 4, 2020.

PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates International Museum Expo

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the International Museum Expo 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
The International Museum Expo is a significant event organised as part of the ongoing Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, commemorating the 47th International Museum Day (IMD).
The Museum Expo seeks to facilitate a comprehensive dialogue among museum professionals, fostering their evolution into cultural centers that play a crucial role in India's cultural diplomacy.
During the inauguration, the Prime Minister virtually unveiled a walkthrough of the upcoming National Museum located at the North and South Blocks.
The Mascot of the International Museum Expo is an artistic representation inspired by the iconic Dancing girl sculpture in the Chennapatnam art style.

Siddaramaiah Karnataka CM, Shivakumar His Deputy

Siddharamaiah was named as the next Chief Minister of Karnataka and state Congress chief D. K. Shivakumar as his deputy.
A decision to this effect was reached following parleys at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The state cabinet to be sworn in along with the CM is expected to have 20 ministers.
Siddharamaiah again emerged on top of the Karnataka power game having held sway since his entry to the Congress in 2006.
Siddharamaiah was the CM in 2013 also when the Congress had mustered a majority after 14 years since 1999.

May 16, 2023

MEA Faces Tough Choice as Taliban Pick a New Ambassador for Delhi

The Taliban regime's decision to recall Afghan Ambassador Farid Mamundzay and appoint current Trade Counsellor Qadir Shah as the chargé d'affaires (Acting Ambassador) in his place has posed a tough decision for the government on the situation in Afghanistan and its engagement with the Taliban.
While rejecting the Taliban regime's appointment could see repercussions for India's technical mission in Kabul, accepting the Taliban's appointee would be seen as handing over the embassy in Delhi to the insurgent group that took power in Kabul in 2021, but has not received recognition from any country so far.
While most countries where Afghanistan ran missions have refused to accede to the Taliban appointments, Russia, China, Pakistan, the Central Asian states and Iran have allowed the Taliban-appointed diplomats to run the missions, and even raise the Taliban or "Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan" (IEA) flag rather than that of the democratically elected previous "Islamic Republic of Afghanistan" .
The tussle between the two became public, after Afghan media outlets published a letter from Afghans based in India accusing the existing Ambassador and other officials of corruption.

Government Makes Unique ID Mandatory for Doctors

Doctors will now have to get a Unique Identification Number (UID) to be able to practice medicine in the country, as per the new regulations by the National Medical Commission (NMC).
The UID will be generated centrally by the NMC ethics board and thereby grant the practitioner, registration in NMR and eligibility to practice medicine in India.
According to the new notification by NMC, there will be a common national medical register for all the registered medical practitioners of the country. The same will be maintained by the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) under the NMC. This register will contain all the entries of the registered medical practitioners of all State Registers maintained by the various State Medical Councils and will have all relevant information regarding the medical practitioner.
The licence to practice medicine issued to a registered medical practitioner will be valid for a period of five years after which the medical practitioner will have to renew the licencing by making an application to the State Medical Council.

Govt. Appoints Ravneet Kaur as CCI Chairperson

The government appointed Ravneet Kaur as the Chairperson of the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
There has been no full-time Chairperson for the competition regulator since Ashok Kumar Gupta demitted office in October 2022.
CCI Member Sangeeta Verma has been acting as the Chairperson since October 2022.
The appointment of Ravneet Kaur, a 1988 Punjab cadre IAS officer, is for a period of five years or till the date of attaining the age of 65 years or until further orders, whichever is the earliest.

Himachal CM Sukhu Launches 'Him Data Portal'

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched the 'Him' data portal, a common digital platform to improve the delivery of welfare schemes by integrating real-time and accurate data of all government bodies.
Addressing a conference organised by the Bharti Institute of Public Policy of the Indian School of Business (ISB) on governance and technology in Punjab's Mohali, Sukhu said that state government agencies should collaborate, connect, and respond to the needs of the public more efficiently by accessing accurate and real-time data.
From July 2023, the Himachal Pradesh government would start the 'Him Parivar' project which will give a special digital identity to the people of the state.

FinMin Invites Applications to Appoint CEO and Chairperson of NLMC

The Finance Ministry invited applications for appointing Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and a non-executive chairperson to the board of National Land Monetisation Corporation (NLMC).
NLMC was incorporated in June 2022 as a wholly-owned government company to carry out monetisation of surplus land parcels held by various Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and government agencies.
The appointment of full-time CEO and chairman would accelerate the formulation of strategy for monetisation of the land assets of CPSEs.

May 15, 2023

Congress Registers Emphatic Win in Karnataka

The Congress scored an emphatic win in the Karnataka assembly polls, winning 135 seats. The victory vindicated the party strategy of contesting the election on local issues, especially those affecting people's lives, such as inflation and corruption, and keeping state leaders in the forefront rather than meeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on its pitch of Hindutva or national issues.
The BJP was reduced to just 65 seats, down from 104 in 2018, while the Janata Dal (Secular) managed to win only 19 seats. It had won 37 seats in 2018.

Amit Shah Inaugurates Training Programme on Legislative Drafting

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated a training programme on legislative drafting.
The programme was organised by the Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies (ICPS) in collaboration with the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE).
It is aimed at creating an understanding of the principles and practices of legislative drafting among officers of Parliament, state legislatures and various ministries, statutory bodies and other government departments.
Legislative drafting has a major impact on the interpretation of policies and the regulations implemented for the welfare of the society and the state.
Since legislative draftsmen are responsible for producing legislation which promotes democratic governance and gives effect to the rule of law, it is necessary that they are imparted training from time to time to sharpen their skills.

Ten Manipur MLAs Seek Separate Governing Body

In all, 10 tribal MLAs belonging to the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi group in Manipur urged the Centre to create a separate administration for their community in the wake of the violent clashes between the Meiteis and tribals.
Of the 10 legislators, seven belong to the BJP, two from Kuki People's Alliance (KPA) and one Independent.

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