General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2024

May 2024

Dec 30, 2025

Mumbai Civic Body Polls: BJP to Contest 137 Seats, Shiv Sena 90

In the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest 137 seats and the Shiv Sena 90 seats. A seat-sharing pact was announced by Mumbai BJP president Amit Satam, as nomination papers deadline neared on December 30. Both parties plan to allocate some seats to alliance partners from their quotas. The BMC election is a key political battleground ahead of national elections, with governance, municipal services and local development at the centre of campaigning. Local leaders expect a closely fought contest given the scale of the urban ward elections.

BMC polls: BJP 137 seats, Shiv Sena 90 seats
Seat-sharing pact announced ahead of nominations deadline
Alliances may allocate seats to partners
Election seen as test for governance and development in Mumbai
Nomination deadline: December 30
Local issues predominate in campaign discourse

Dec 29, 2025

PM Modi Chairs Fifth National Conference of Chief Secretaries

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the fifth National Conference of Chief Secretaries in New Delhi. The three-day event aimed to strengthen Centre-State partnership through structured dialogue on national development priorities. The conference adopted the theme Human Capital for Viksit Bharat, focusing on early childhood education, schooling, skilling, higher education, and sports. Six special sessions addressed deregulation, technology in governance, AgriStack for smart supply chains, one state, one world-class tourist destination, Atmanirbhar Swadeshi, and post-left wing extremism strategies. Chief Secretaries, senior state officials, and domain experts participated to craft a unified roadmap for inclusive growth.

Fifth National Conference of Chief Secretaries held in New Delhi.
Theme: Human Capital for Viksit Bharat with focus on education and skilling.
Sessions covered deregulation, governance technology, and AgriStack.
Emphasis on public-private collaboration for national development.
Aim: strengthen Centre-State partnership for inclusive growth.

Tripura Hosts Second Prabashi Tripurabasi Summit

Tripura hosted the second Prabashi Tripurabasi Summit in Agartala during December 2025-26. The event reconnects with Tripuri natives living outside the state, aiming to strengthen diaspora ties and foster inclusive growth. Organisers hope to leverage diaspora networks for investment, cultural exchange, and developmental partnerships. The summit reflects the state government’s broader policy to maintain emotional and economic links with people sharing Tripuri heritage, supporting both domestic and international engagement. Participants included community leaders, business representatives, and government officials, who discussed strategies for sustainable development and cross-border collaboration.

Second Prabashi Tripurabasi Summit held in Agartala, Dec 2025-26.
Focus on reconnecting with Tripuri natives abroad.
Aims: diaspora engagement for investment and development.
Event highlights cultural exchange and partnerships.
Part of broader Tripura policy to sustain homeland ties.

PM Modi Hails Year-End Achievements in Mann Ki Baat

In the year-end Mann Ki Baat address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted India’s progress across technology, science, culture, and global influence. He cited space missions, digital reforms, and youth-led innovation as key drivers of momentum. The Prime Minister underscored the country’s growing international stature and urged continued focus on national resilience, governance reforms, and inclusive development. The remarks align with ongoing policy efforts to deepen urban and rural development, energy security, and digital inclusion as India moves into the next calendar year.

Modi highlights tech, science, culture, and global influence.
Cites space missions and digital reforms as milestones.
Emphasizes resilience, governance reforms, and inclusive growth.
Signals continued focus on development priorities for 2026.

Dec 28, 2025

Anu Garg to be Odisha's Next Chief Secretary, to be First Woman on Post

Senior IAS officer Anu Garg was named the next Chief Secretary of Odisha, making her the first woman to be appointed to the top post.
Garg, a 1991-batch officer, will succeed Manoj Ahuja, who will retire on December 31, according to a government notification.
She is currently serving as the Development Commissioner. She had also scripted history in February 2023 by becoming the first woman to be appointed as the development commissioner, the second-highest-ranked bureaucrat in the state administration.

Amit Shah Inaugurate Anti-terror Conference

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Anti-Terror Conference organised by the National Investigation Agency on December 26, 2025.
The two-day conference included sessions on collecting evidence from foreign jurisdictions, digital forensics and data analysis in counter-terrorism investigations, effective trial management, addressing radicalisation, espionage, and emerging hybrid threats sbb to national security, among other topics related to terrorism.
Additionally, sessions on disrupting terror financing networks — tools, techniques, and case learnings — as well as creating future-ready counter-terrorism strategies and building institutional capacities to address emerging national security issues were incorporated.

Dec 27, 2025

Govt. links Intel Grid to National Population Register

The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), a secure platform for the police and investigating agencies to access government and private databases in real-time, has been linked to the National Population Register (NPR), which has the family-wise details of 119 crore residents in India, government officials said.

Constitution of India Translated into Santhali Language, Released by President of India, Draupadi...

On December 25, 2025, on the occasion of the Good Governance Day and the Birth Centenary year of the Ol Chiki script developed by Pandit Raghunath Murmu in 1925, the Constitution of India translated into the Santhali language, published for the first time by the Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice was released by the Hon'ble President of India, Draupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.
The Santhali language, which was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution through the 92nd Amendment Act, 2003, is one of the most ancient living languages of India. It is spoken by a significant number of tribal people in Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar.

Dec 26, 2025

Saleem Ahmad Appointed RVNL Chairman and Managing Director

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) announced a leadership change with Saleem Ahmad taking over as Chairman and Managing Director. He succeeds Sukhmal Chand Jain, who stepped down in December 2025. Ahmad holds a civil engineering degree from Jamia Millia Islamia University and brings over 35 years of experience across large-scale infrastructure projects, including bridges, tunnels, ports, metro systems, and major residential and commercial developments. RVNL, a central public sector enterprise, plays a pivotal role in rail infrastructure. The appointment aligns with ongoing expansion of the national rail framework and project execution across multiple states.

Saleem Ahmad named RVNL Chairman and Managing Director
Sukhmal Chand Jain stepped down in December 2025
Ahmad is a civil engineering graduate from Jamia Millia Islamia University
Brings 35+ years of infra experience across bridges, tunnels, ports, metro projects
RVNL is a key public sector entity in Indian rail infrastructure

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