General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - September 2023

Sep 2023

Nov 25, 2025

CSIR and ICMR Hold High-Level Brainstorming Meeting to Chart Joint Health Research Roadmap

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) convened a high-level Brainstorming Meeting at the CSIR Science Centre, New Delhi, to strengthen ongoing collaborations and outline a forward-looking, integrated roadmap for joint health research.
The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR, and Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Director General, ICMR and Secretary, Department of Health Research. Directors of several CSIR and ICMR laboratories, along with senior officials from both organisations, participated in the discussions.
During the deliberations, the two organisations reviewed the progress of major ongoing collaborative initiatives, including CSIR molecules moving into clinical trials, the status of ICMR-supported Centres of Advanced Research in CSIR laboratories, and the implementation of big-ticket projects. The need to continue and expand wastewater surveillance for multiple pathogens across cities, hospitals, and communities was highlighted, with a consensus to strengthen joint efforts through the One Health Mission.

India, Canada to Resume Trade Deal Talks

India and Canada have agreed to resume talks for a free trade agreement (FTA), commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said as both countries aim to strengthen economic and trade ties. "We have agreed to begin negotiations for a high ambition Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and double the trade between the two nations by 2030," Goyal said at a conference organised by Indo-Canadian Business chamber.
The minister said a CEPA or FTA has many strategic elements and it's the demonstration of trust between the two countries. He said it gives confidence to investors, it gives confidence to businesses, to the provinces to engage with the two countries and the underlying theme of any such pact has to be mutual trust and respect.

Nov 24, 2025

Punjab Scheduled Castes Commission Opens Separate Courtroom to Ensure Faster Hearings

In a move aimed at improving access to justice, the Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission inaugurated a separate courtroom exclusively for handling cases concerning the Scheduled Caste (SC) community. This facility is the first of its kind under any state�'level Scheduled Castes Commission in India. The initiative is designed to ensure faster hearings, more timely case disposal, and enhanced efficiency in the Commission's functioning.

PM Modi Returns to Delhi after Concluding G20 Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to the national capital after wrapping up his South Africa visit for the twentieth meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20), a Head of State and Government meeting held at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa from November 22–23, 2025.
Despite the US boycott, leaders approved the G20 declaration, signalling renewed alignment on development, climate goals and reforms in a multipolar world. The attending nations endorsed a 122-point document centred on global equity, multilateral restructuring and sustainable development.
During his official visit to Johannesburg Modi attended multiple summit sessions and engaged with several world leaders.
Among his key bilateral meetings was one with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, where both sides adopted the India-Italy Joint Initiative to Counter Financing of Terrorism, reaffirming their shared commitment to combat terrorism.

Sixth International Agronomy Congress Held in New Delhi

India is hosting the Sixth International Agronomy Congress (IAC 2025) from 24 to 26 November 2025 in New Delhi, uniting over 1,000 delegates from across the globe. With the participation of world-renowned experts, agricultural leaders, policymakers, and young researchers, the event aims to chart a path toward future-ready farming systems. Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the congress, emphasising India's leading role in sustainable agronomy.
The theme of IAC 2025 is: "Re-envisioning Agronomy for Smart Agro-Food Systems and Environmental Protection"
This theme captures the urgent need for creating climate-resilient, sustainable, and nutrition-sensitive agricultural systems. The Congress will serve as a platform to discuss innovative agronomic strategies that balance productivity with environmental sustainability, ensuring food and nutritional security for future generations.

Historic Labour Reform: Centre Implements All Four Labour Codes

The Government of India officially made all four Labour Codes effective in November 2025, marking one of the biggest labour reforms in independent India. These Codes consolidate 29 earlier labour laws into four simplified, modern, and worker-centric frameworks. With this step, India strengthens worker protection, expands social security, and creates a transparent, business-friendly environment aligned with global standards.
This reform is positioned as a key milestone for building a future-ready workforce, improving ease of compliance, and empowering workers across organised, unorganised, gig, platform, migratory, MSME, export, and hazardous sectors.

Nov 23, 2025

Southern Railway Introduces India's First Coast-to-Coast Parcel Express

Southern Railway is set to introduce India's first coast-to-coast parcel express service connecting Royapuram in Chennai with Mangaluru Central. The new logistics corridor enhances freight mobility across Tamil Nadu and Kerala with a time-tabled, dependable delivery framework tailored for business needs.
The service begins on December 12, departing Mangaluru Central and reaching Chennai the next day. The weekly operations run on Fridays from Mangaluru and Tuesdays from Chennai. Scheduled halts at key commercial hubs including Salem, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod enable efficient parcel handling.

India, Israel Sign Terms of Reference to Begin Free Trade Agreement Talks

India and Israel formally signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) to begin negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marking a significant step toward strengthening economic ties between the two countries.
The signing ceremony was attended by India's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal and Israel's Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat in Tel Aviv.
According to Goyal, the FTA will open the doors to greater market access, flow of capital, investments and trade, both in goods and services.

Nov 22, 2025

Ayush Pavilion Emerges as a Major Attraction at India International Trade Fair 2025

The Ministry of Ayush is showcasing the best of India's traditional healthcare heritage at the India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2025 under the theme "आयुष के साथ – स्वस्थ भारत, श्रेष्ठ भारत." The thematic stalls in the Ayush Pavilion emerged as one of the most visited attractions of the fair, drawing thousands of visitors keen to explore holistic wellness solutions rooted in Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, and Homoeopathy.
Each stall highlights a distinct aspect of Ayush health systems—ranging from digital diagnostics and dietary demonstrations to interactive games and expert consultations. The pavilion is designed to engage visitors of all age groups through participatory activities, live demos, and educational sessions.

Regional Open Digital Health Summit 2025

The Regional Open Digital Health Summit 2025 was held in New Delhi, bringing together policymakers, technologists, public health leaders, and global experts from across the WHO South-East Asia Region (SEAR).
Organised by the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics and IT, in collaboration with the National Health Authority (NHA), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, WHO-SEARO and UNICEF, the summit aimed to accelerate the adoption of open, interoperable, and standards-based digital health ecosystems across the region.

Government Appoints 7 New Secretary-rank Officers

The Government appointed seven new secretary-rank officers, including the new heads for oil, telecom and agriculture ministries.
As per reports, the appointments committee of cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to appoint Neeraj Mittal, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, as petroleum secretary, replacing Pankaj Jain, who was named member secretary of the Eighth Pay Commission.
Manoj Joshi, a 1989- batch IAS officer, moved to pharmaceuticals from the department of land resources, while V. Vidyarthi moved from tourism to the department of empowerment of persons with disabilities. Replacing him is fellow officer from Karnataka, Srivatsa Krishna.
Atish Chandra, a 1994-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre, who is currently in the Prime Minister's Office, was named officer on special duty in the department of agriculture and farmers welfare, and will take over as secretary at the end of Feb, when Devesh Chaturvedi retires.
Chennai Port Trust Chairman Sunil Paliwal was named Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India.

Nov 21, 2025

Samrat Choudhary Named BJP Leader in Bihar, Vijay Kumar Sinha Named Deputy

Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha were retained as Deputy Chief Ministers in Bihar while Mangal Pandey, Dilip Kumar Jaiswal, Nitin Nabin, Ram Kripal Yadav, Sanjay Singh Tiger, Arun Shankar Prasad, Surendra Mehta, Narayan Prasad, Rama Nishad, Lakhendra Kumar Raushan, Shreyashi Singh and Pramod Kumar too made the cut from the saffron party.
JD(U) leaders who were sworn in include Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Ashok Choudhary, Lesi Singh, Shravan Kumar, Mohammad Zama Khan, Madan Sahani and Sunil Kumar. From the LJP (RV), Sanjay Kumar and Sanjay Kumar Singh were given ministerial berths.

PM Inaugurates South India Natural Farming Summit 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the South India Natural Farming Summit 2025 in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu and also release over Rs 18,000 crore monetary support to farmers on the occasion.
The summit brought together many farmers, researchers, and innovators working in this field.
The summit also aimed to accelerate the shift towards natural and regenerative farming as a viable, climate-smart and economically sustainable model for India's agricultural future.
The summit also focused on creating market linkages for farmer-producer organisations and rural entrepreneurs, while showcasing innovations in organic inputs, agro-processing, eco-friendly packaging, and indigenous technologies.

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