General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - March 2024

Mar 2024

Mar 15, 2025

Department of Posts Signs MoU with FSID, IISC, for Documentation of Technology Architecture for D...

Department of Posts undertook an initiative namely "Digital Address Code" aimed at establishing a digital public infrastructure for a standardised, geo-coded addressing system in India ensuring simplified addressing solutions for citizen-centric delivery of public and private services to establish ―Address as a Service‖ (AaaS) in India.
As a part of this initiative, the Department of Posts (DoP), under the Ministry of Communications, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Foundation for Science Innovation and Development (FSID), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, for designing and documenting the technology architecture for the Digital Address Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
This strategic collaboration aims to lay foundational technological principles and design for establishment of digital address DPI which is envisioned as a standardised, georeferenced and interoperable addressing system that will revolutionize the ways in which address data is created, shared and consumed in the country. It will serve as a foundational public infrastructure that integrates with government, business, and citizen services to streamline service delivery, emergency response, financial inclusion, and urban planning.

IGNCA Strengthens Cultural Outreach with the Inauguration of its Tenth Regional Centre in Tirupati

Marking a significant milestone in the preservation and promotion of India's rich artistic and cultural heritage, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) inaugurated its tenth Regional Centre in Tirupati in collaboration with the National Sanskrit University, Tirupati. The newly established centre is envisioned as a vibrant hub for research, documentation, and dissemination of Vaishnava Agama, and other architectural traditions of India, while also engaging with the region's diverse cultural heritage, deeply intertwined with the spiritual and historical essence of Tirupati.

CCRAS Workshop Train Scholars to Unlock Ayurvedic Manuscripts

The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, in collaboration with the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM), Ministry of Culture, is organising a "Transliteration Capacity Building Workshop on Ayurvedic Manuscripts" from March 13 to 24, 2025, at the Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI), Bhubaneswar.
The workshop aims to train young Ayurveda researchers and Sanskrit scholars in studying, transliterating, and publishing Ayurvedic manuscripts, unlocking their vast potential for contemporary research. Odisha, with its rich manuscript heritage, presents a significant opportunity, and this workshop will help build a skilled human resource pool to preserve and promote Ayurvedic knowledge. 30 scholars from Odisha will participate under the guidance of over 10 eminent experts.

Mar 14, 2025

India Signs MoU with Qatar to Boost Economic, Financial Cooperation

India and Qatar signed an agreement to promote and develop mutual collaboration in public-private partnership framework and investment, use of financing tools, as well as economic policies, the finance ministry said.
The ministries of finance of both countries shall promote models and areas of joint collaboration between them, such as organising expert workshops, seminars and conferences; exchanging documentary and technical information in areas of joint work and keeping pace with the dialogue between the business communities of the two countries.
The MoU signifies the commitment of both sides to work together and unlock new opportunities for investment, growth and development.

Mar 13, 2025

BJP Sweeps Haryana Local Polls, Wins 9 of 10, Congress Loses In Hooda Bastion

The Congress slumped to a second successive election defeat in Haryana after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party won polls for 9 of 10 mayoral positions, including in Gurugram and Rohtak, the stronghold of Bhupinder Hooda, one of the opposition party's senior-most state leaders.
The BJP won in Ambala, Karnal, Panipat, Sonepat, Hisar, Rohtak, Faridabad, Gurugram and Yamunanagar. Its only setback came in Manesar where party rebel Inderjeet Yadav defeated BJP nominee Sunder Lal.

Union Minister of Jal Shakti, C. R. Patil Inaugurates Water Sustainability Conference 2025

The Bureau of Water Use Efficiency (BWUE) under the National Water Mission (NWM), Ministry of Jal Shakti, in association with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), organised a one-day conference titled 'Water Sustainability Conference 2025', with a focus on Industrial Water Use Efficiency. The conference was held on March 12, 2025 at the NDMC Convention Centre, Palika Kendra, Sansad Marg, New Delhi.
The event was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, C. R. Patil, who highlighted the Government's commitment towards promoting industrial water use efficiency through innovative technologies and strategic frameworks.
The conference brought together participants representing central government agencies, industry leaders, water management experts, research institutions, and PSUs.

Mar 12, 2025

Amit Shah, Addresses 'Shashwat Mithila Mahotsav-2025'

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, addressed the 'Shashwat Mithila Mahotsav-2025' in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, The event was graced by several dignitaries, including Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Rajya Sabha Member Sanjay Kumar Jha.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted Gujarat's long-standing tradition of welcoming people from across the country and the world. He emphasised that Gujarat has always embraced diverse ideologies and lifestyles. Acknowledging the contributions of people from Bihar, particularly those from Mithilanchal, he said that they have played a significant role in the development of the state. He assured them that they are safe, respected, and always welcome in Gujarat.

Mar 11, 2025

Muslim Literacy Rate Sees 9.4% Increase in a Decade

The literacy rate among Muslims in India has shown a significant improvement over the years. As per the Census 2011 data, the literacy rate among Muslims aged 7 years and above rose to 68.5%, marking an increase of 9.4 percentage points from 59.1% in Census 2001. However, this figure remained lower than the all-India literacy rate of 73.0% in 2011. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24 further highlights an improvement, showing the Muslim literacy rate at 79.5%, compared to 80.9% for all religious communities.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs plays a crucial role in improving the educational and socio-economic conditions of six notified minority communities, including Muslims. The government has implemented several schemes focused on educational empowerment, economic development, and infrastructure enhancement to uplift these communities.

India Takes Part in the 69th Session of UNCSW in New York

A delegation of the Government of India led by Smt. Annpurna Devi, Union Minister, Women and Child Development (WCD), participated in the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which started on 10th March 2025 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The Minister reaffirmed the Government of India's unwavering commitment to the empowerment, protection, and holistic development of women and children across the nation. Addressing in the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the Minister outlined the progress of India on gender equality addressing the 12 critical areas of concern.
She highlighted the transformative impact of flagship schemes, which have significantly contributed to improving health, nutrition, education, and economic opportunities for women and children.
Emphasising the need for strengthened implementation and outreach, the Minister reiterated the government's resolve to ensure that every woman and girl has access to their rights and entitlements. She said that the welfare of women and children is at the core of our nation's progress. Through a multi-pronged approach, we are working towards a future where every woman is empowered and every child is nurtured in a safe and supportive environment.
The session witnessed large-scale participation from all UN member states, intergovernmental organisations, the private sector, philanthropists, academia, civil society, women's collectives, and UN agencies.
CSW is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality, the rights and the empowerment of women. A functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the forthcoming session of the Commission will be held from 10th to 21st March, 2025.

Dr. Jitendra Singh Chairs the 34th Meeting of SCOVA

Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare is committed towards the welfare of Central Government pensioners. It has been mandated with the task of formulation of pension policies and redressal of pensioners' grievances in active coordination with other Ministries/Departments of Government of India. Further, the Department also actively engages with the Pensioners' Welfare Associations, representing lakhs of Central Government pensioners across the country.
To institutionalise the coordination among DoPPW, Ministries/Departments and Pensioners' Welfare Associations, the Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies (SCOVA) was constituted by Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare in 1986 under the chairmanship of Minister of State for Personnel Public Grievances and Pensions with Secretary, Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare as Secretary.
The SCOVA consists of 15 non-official members, representing Pensioners' Welfare Associations and Official Members represented by Ministries/ Departments of Government of India. It provides a feedback on program implementation of the Department, discusses critically important policy issues relating to Pensioners and mobilizes voluntary efforts to supplement Government action.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions chaired the 34th meeting of the Standing Committee of Voluntary Agencies at New Delhi on 11th March, 2025. The SCOVA works as a consultative forum of Voluntary Agencies i.e. Pensioners' Welfare Associations. It provides Pensioners' Welfare Associations, an institutional forum for raising issues concerning pensioners' welfare directly before the concerned Ministries/ Departments through constructive deliberations.
In the 34th SCOVA meeting, Pensioners' Welfare Associations from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Gujarat would be participating. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Controller General of Defence Accounts, Department of Expenditure, Central Pension Accounting Office, Ministry of Railways, Controller General of Communication Accounts, Department of Posts, Department of Financial Services, Department of Personnel and Training, Department of Telecommunications and Indian Bank also participated in the meeting to discuss the issues concerning pensioners.

National Youth Parliament Programme 2.0 Open to Citizens across the Country

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India has unveiled an upgraded version of the National Youth Parliament Scheme (NYPS) web portal, known as NYPS 2.0. Unlike the previous version, which was limited to students of recognised institutions, NYPS 2.0 is open to all citizens across the country regardless of economic status, gender, caste, creed, religion, race, region and place. Participation can be facilitated through the following ways: -
Institution Participation: All educational institutions can participate in this category by organising the Youth Parliament sittings as per the guidelines available on the portal. The students from classes VI to XII may be selected for the "Kishore Sabha" sub-category and Under Graduate and Post Graduate level students may be selected for the "Tarun Sabha" sub-category.
Group Participation: A group of citizens can participate in this category by organizing the Youth Parliament sittings as per the guidelines available on the portal.
Individual Participation: An individual citizen can participate in this category by attempting a quiz on the theme of 'Bharatiya Democracy in Action'.

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