General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - July 2023

Jul 2023

Mar 07, 2024

Difteen Years after Fallout, BJP-BJD Set To Join Hands for Lok Sabha, Assembly Polls in Odisha

In a boost for the National Democratic Alliance, the BJP and Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) are all set to join hands 15 years after they had a fallout over the seat-sharing deal in 2009. This will be yet another setback for the Congress-led INDIA block as coming together of the BJP and the BJD would result in a stronger alliance in Odisha which has 147 assembly seats and 21 Lok Sabha seats. Senior BJP leaders met top BJP leadership and discussed the way forward. After the meeting, the BJD issued a statement saying the party will take decisions that will be beneficial for the state.

Government Raises Minimum Age for Postal Voting to 85 Years

The Indian government, following consultations with the Election Commission of India (ECI), revised the minimum age criterion for senior citizens to avail the postal ballot voting facility. The decision, which came into effect immediately, raises the eligibility age from 80 to 85 years, marking a pivotal change in the electoral process aimed at ensuring greater convenience for the nation's elderly population.
According to electoral data published in February, India boasts a staggering electorate of 96.88 crore, with 1.85 crore citizens above the age of 80. Under the amended Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, the definition of "senior citizens" eligible for postal ballot voting has been updated in Section 27(A) (e) to include only those above 85 years, replacing the previous threshold of 80 years.

Brajesh Mehrotra is New Chief Secretary of Bihar

The Bihar government appointed senior IAS officer Brajesh Mehrotra as the new Chief Secretary of the state. This appointment underscores the government's commitment to efficient governance and administrative excellence.
Brajesh Mehrotra, a seasoned bureaucrat from the 1989 batch, brings a wealth of experience to his new role. Mehrotra's illustrious career is marked by dedication and competence.

Mar 06, 2024

Govt. Launches Gateway to Facilitate Post-harvest Financing for Farmers

The government launched an online digital platform named 'e-Upaja Kisaan Nidhi' to empower farmers with access to pledge finance against harvested commodities. This initiative enables farmers to store their agricultural produce with the Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) and secure post-harvest loans from banks.
Food Minister Piyush Goyal stated that the user-friendly digital gateway, developed collaboratively by the Department of Food and Public Distribution, the Department of Financial Services, and NABARD, simplifies the process for farmers to store their produce at any WDRA-registered warehouse for six months, with an interest rate of seven per cent per annum.

UP the First State in Country to Issue Five crore Ayushman Cards under Ayushman Bharat PMJAY

Uttar Pradesh emerged as the first State in the country to issue five crore Ayushman cards under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. According to a press release issued by the Uttar Pradesh government, the State has issued 50,017,920 Ayushman cards and benefited 74,382,304 individuals. A total of 3,716 hospitals in the state are empanelled under this scheme. Under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, a total of 3,481,252 health claims were filed, with 3,275,737 claims settled, representing a settlement rate of 92.48 per cent in the State.

Mar 05, 2024

BJP's J. P. Nadda Resigns from Rajya Sabha

BJP national president J. P. Nadda resigned as a Rajya Sabha MP. A senior leader of the saffron party, Nadda represented the Himachal Pradesh seat in the Upper House.
His resignation was accepted by the Rajya Sabha Chairman.
This came days after Nadda and three other BJP nominees, Jasvantsinh Parmar, Mayank Nayak and diamond baron Govindbhai Dholakia, were declared winners from Gujarat in the Rajya Sabha polls. Nadda was elected unopposed.

Himachal Pradesh Govt. Announces Rs. 1,500 per Month to Women

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced that the state government will give Rs. 1,500 per month to women in the age group of 18 to 60 years from the next financial year.
This was one of the 10 'guarantees' promised by the Congress ahead of the assembly polls.
Sukhu said that Rs. 800 crore would be spent on the initiative, Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojna, annually and over five lakh women would be covered under it.

J&K Ex-Governor N. N. Vohra Opens 2-day Seminar on Punjab

The National Institute of Panjab Studies, Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan, New Delhi, organised a series of international seminars on the overarching theme, 'Punjab at Crossroads'.
The series aimed to generate a serious and comprehensive debate around the challenges Punjab is grappling with.
The two-day seminar on 'Political economy and governance of Punjab', the first in the series, in collaboration with the India International Centre, was inaugurated by former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir N. N. Vohra, who has had a long association with the state and has witnessed its governance from close quarters.

Mar 04, 2024

Nagaland Assembly Adopts Resolution on FMR; Asks Centre to Reconsider Decision

The Nagaland legislative assembly unanimously adopted a resolution against the central government's decision to fence the Indo-Myanmar border and suspend the Free Movement Regime (FMR) agreement with Myanmar. This resolution reflects the concerns of the Naga people regarding the disruption of historical, social, tribal, and economic ties caused by these measures.
The resolution was adopted unanimously through a voice vote in the Nagaland legislative assembly, making Nagaland the second state after Mizoram to oppose the scrapping of FMR.
The resolution underscores the adverse impacts of suspending the FMR, which allows border residents to travel 16 km into each other's territory without visas. It emphasises the disruption to daily activities, particularly cultivation, and the traditional land-holding system that spans the international border.
India shares a 1,643 km border with Myanmar, running through four of its north-eastern states, of which 215 km is within Nagaland.

Centre Signs Tripartite Pact to Solve Problems of Tripura's Indigenous People

A tripartite agreement between TIPRA Motha and the governments of Tripura and India was signed in presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to bring a lasting solution to the problems of the state's indigenous people.
With the signing of the agreement, the government has respected history, corrected past wrongs and accepted the present reality to proceed towards a brighter future.
Under the pact, it was agreed to amicably resolve all issues of the indigenous people of Tripura related to history, land and political rights, economic development, identity, culture and language.
The tripartite agreement between Tripura Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance, popularly known as TIPRA Motha, and the state and central governments was signed at North Block in Delhi.

BJP's Harsh Vardhan Quits Politics

Former Union Minister and sitting BJP MP Harsh Vardhan announced his decision to quit politics. It came a day after the BJP released its first list of Lok Sabha election candidates, which did not include his name.
In its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP announced a major rejig in Delhi by dropping four sitting MPs -- Parvesh Verma, Ramesh Bidhuri, Meenakshi Lekhi, and Harsh Vardhan. The party chose new faces from their constituencies.

PM Dedicates HURL Sindri Fertiliser Plant to the Nation

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, marked a significant moment in the nation's journey towards self-sufficiency by dedicating the Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd (HURL) Sindri Fertiliser Plant at Sindri, Dhanbad, Jharkhand. The Prime Minister had laid the foundation of the fertilizer plant in 2018.
HURL, a collaborative effort between PSUs including NTPC, IOCL, CIL, and FCIL/HFCL, signifies a synergy aimed at driving economic growth and self-sufficiency.
The establishment of the state-of-the-art gas-based Sindri Plant, with an investment of Rs.. 8939.25 Crore, reflects the strategic partnerships and investments crucial for realising national objectives.

Mar 03, 2024

IPS Officer Anurag Agarwal is Head of Parliament Security

IPS officer Anurag Agarwal was appointed as the head of Parliament security.
Currently an inspector general in CRPF, the 1998-batch officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre has been appointed as joint secretary (security) for three years.
Agarwal took over his new assignment at a time when the security of the Parliament House complex is being overhauled after two men jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber on December 13 from the visitors' gallery and opened a can of yellow smoke.
The post of JS (Security) had been lying vacant since October 20 after the then joint secretary Raghubir Lal went back to his cadre. The post of JS (Security) is traditionally held by an IPS officer.

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