National | India Current Affairs

National Nutrition Month observed across India to fight malnutrition

The National Nutrition Month is being celebrated across the country in September to mark the fight against malnutrition. The month will focus on adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers to eliminate the deficiencies prevailing in the Health sector.

Health Ministry releases draft rules on sale of drugs by e-pharmacies

The Union Health Ministry has released draft rules on sale of drugs by e-pharmacies to regulate online sale of medicines across the country. The rules aim to provide patients access to genuine drugs from authentic online portals.

India, Nepal sign MoU on preliminary survey of railway line between Raxaul, Kathmandu

India and Nepal have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on conducting a preliminary survey of a railway line connecting Indian border town Raxaul to Nepal's capital Kathmandu.

Law Commission floats Consultation Paper on family law reform

The Law Commission has floated a Consultation Paper on Family Law Reform. The paper discusses a range of provisions within all family laws, secular or personal and suggests a number of changes in the form of potential amendments and fresh enactments.

NITI Aayog kick-starts ‘Mobility Week’ in run up to ‘MOVE: India’s First Global Mobility Summit 2018’

NITI Aayog, in collaboration with various ministries and industry partners, will organise ‘MOVE: Global Mobility Summit’ in New Delhi on September 7-8, 2018.

HRD Ministry launches Atal rankings for Higher Education Institutions

The Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar has launched the Innovation Cell and Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) in New Delhi. The development aims to promote a culture of innovation and research in higher education.

Shipping Ministry signs new wage agreement to benefit over one lakh port workers, pensioners

The Shipping Ministry has signed a new wage settlement agreement for Group C & D category of Port and Dock Workers in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The move will benefit around one lakh 35 thousand port and dock workers and pensioners in 12 major ports across the country.

Article 35A of the Indian Constitution: What is the controversy?

The Article 35A of the Indian Constitution was in news recently as the Supreme Court on August 6, 2018 adjourned the hearing on pleas challenging Constitutional validity of Article 35A pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

Indian Railways, GAIL India sign MoU for use of Natural Gas in railway workshops and production units

This MoU is an in-principle agreement between GAIL and Indian Railways for both industrial and domestic purposes. The MoU aims to replace industrial gases like Dissolved Acetylene, LPG, BMCG and Furnace Oil, High Speed Diesel (HSD) oil with environment friendly Natural Gas.

HRD Ministry launches third edition of ‘Smart India Hackathon’

The third edition of world’s biggest open innovation model ‘Smart India Hackathon 2019’ was launched by the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi. The SIH-2019 is expected to witness participation from over 1 lakh students from around 3000 institutions across the country.

Top Cabinet Approvals: 30 August 2018

The Union Cabinet has approved to release an additional installment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners with effect from July 1, 2018. This will benefit about 48.41 lakh Central Government employees and 62.03 lakh pensioners.

Union Cabinet approves Earth Sciences Ministry’s umbrella scheme ‘O-SMART’

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved implementation of an umbrella scheme ‘Ocean Services, Technology, Observations, Resources Modelling and Science (O-SMART)’. The scheme will cover a total of 16 sub-projects, which will address ocean development activities such as services, technology, resources, observations and science.

Union Government, World Bank and Rajasthan sign agreement to improve power distribution in Rajasthan

This ‘Second Programmatic Electricity Distribution Reform Development Policy Loan’ for Rajasthan is the second in the series of two operations planned for a comprehensive turnaround of Rajasthan’s electricity distribution sector. The First Loan closed in March 2017.

JNPT, Maharashtra, MP and Ministry of Railways sign MoU for Indore-Manmad Railway Line Project

A Joint Venture Company will be formed between the Ministry of Shipping or its nominated entity including JNPT with equity share of 55 percent; Maharashtra or its nominated entity; Madhya Pradesh or its nominated entity; and others with equity share of 15 percent each.

CBSE to provide digital board exam documents to flood-hit Kerala students

In a special gesture to students from CBSE affiliated schools in Kerala, whose board exam documents such as mark sheets/ migration certificates/ pass certificates have got lost or damaged in the state’s floods, the CBSE will provide them with digital mark sheets, migration certificates and pass certificates through the ‘Parinam Manjusha’ portal/ DigiLocker.

Government signs MoU with 6 states for construction of Lakhwar Multi-Purpose Project in Uttarakhand

The Lakhwar project envisages construction of a 204 m high concrete dam across river Yamuna near Lohari village in Dehradun district of Uttarakhand with a live storage capacity of 330.66 MCM.

Government announces Drone Regulations 1.0 for safe commercial usage of Drones

As per the Drone Regulations 1.0, the airspace has been partitioned into three zones- the Red Zone in which flying is not permitted, Yellow Zone that is a controlled airspace; and the Green Zone for automatic permission.

J P Nadda launches logo of Ayushman Bharat Scheme; announces that 29 states and UTs signed MoU for implementation of scheme

Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna is a National Health Protection Scheme, which will provide a defined benefit coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries).

Defence Ministry clears procurement of 111 naval helicopters at cost of Rs 21000 crore

The Defence Acquisition Council has given its approval for the acquisition of 111 utility helicopters for Navy at an estimated cost of over Rs 21,000 crore. The Ministry also approved separate procurement proposals worth nearly Rs 25,000 crore.

Delhi-Mumbai Expressway work to begin from December 2018: Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari

The expressway is expected to begin from Gurugram on the Delhi outskirts and run parallel to the existing highway up to Jaipur, from where it will turn eastwards to Rajasthan's Alwar and Ratlam in western Madhya Pradesh and then move westwards to Baroda.