Most Important Current Affairs
Union Cabinet recommends President’s rule in Maharashtra
President Ram Nath Kovind has signed the proclamation imposing President’s rule in Maharashtra. The Union Cabinet has recommended the President rule on the report of the Governor invoking Article 356 of the constitution in the state. Present-Day Maharashtra came into existence on 1st may, 1960 and this is the 3rd time the state has come under the central rule.
Article 356, commonly known as President’s rule is applied where ‘constitutional machinery has failed’. This implies that, whenever the state government is unable to function in accordance with the constitution, the state will come under the president rule i.e. under the direct control of the central government or the Government of India. In the above situation, the central government exercises executive authority through the Governor who is appointed by the Government of India.
Important points to be remembered:
⚫President’s rule was imposed for the first time in India in the state of Punjab in 1951.
⚫The President’s rule was imposed for the first time in Maharashtra in 1980 and the second time in 2014.
⚫Presently, Maharashtra is the only Indian state where President’s Rule has been imposed.
Sri Lanka becomes 1st South Asian country to call match-fixing a crime
Sri Lanka has become the first South Asian nation to bring match-fixing cases to the category of crime as its parliament passed a bill related to ‘Prevention of Offences Related to Sports’. This new legislation related to match-fixing and corruption will apply to all sports & if a person is found guilty of corruption in the game, he can be punished for up to 10 years and also be required to pay other fines.
⚫The Government of India has given approval for setting up four medical device parks in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala with a view to support Make in India initiative and provide world-class products at an affordable price for treatment.
⚫The Supreme Court’s five-judge bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi ruled that the office of Chief Justice comes under the transparency law, the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
⚫Union Minister for Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan inaugurated an exhibition of Technologies in Food Processing developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research organized in New Delhi.
⚫Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is undertaking a mass cleanliness-cum- awareness drive in 50 identified beaches under the programme called ‘Swachh- Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan’.
⚫39th India International Trade Fair 2019 begins in New Delhi with the theme of ‘Ease of Doing Business’. This year the status of ‘Partner Country’ has been accorded to ‘The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’ and ‘The Republic of Korea’ will be the ‘Focus Country’. Bihar and Jharkhand will be the focus states in this edition of the fair.
⚫The Khadi Pavilion has been inaugurated at the India International Trade Fair (IITF) in New Delhi. The Pavilion entrance has been themed upon Sabarmati Ashram, with melodious Shehnai celebrating the ‘spirit of Indianness’.
⚫India will contribute USD 13.5 million for various operational activities of development across the UN agencies for the year 2020.
National Affairs
⚫The 5th edition of Global Exhibition on Services (GES 2019) will be held at Bengaluru, Karnataka, to engage industry and governments across the world and to promote greater exchange of trade in services between India and the rest of the world.
⚫Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the India Pavilion at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC).