1. Central government will reconsider giving minority status to Hindus in some states
Tags: National News
The Centre informed the Supreme Court that the power to notify minorities is vested with the Union government and any decision in this regard will be taken after discussion with states and other stakeholders.
The petition, filed in the Supreme Court, had sought a direction to frame guidelines for identification of minorities at the state level.
The petition said that Hindus are a minority in 10 states.
Population of Hindus in 9 states
1% in Ladakh
2.75% in Mizoram
2.77% in Lakshadweep
4% in Jammu & Kashmir
8.74% in Nagaland
11.52% in Meghalaya
29% in Arunachal Pradesh
38.49% in Punjab
41.29% in Manipur.
Who are the Minorities?
Minorities are not explicitly mentioned anywhere in the Constitution.
Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jain and Zoroastrians (Parsis) have been notified as minority communities under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
According to the 2011 census, the percentage of minorities in the country is about 19.3% of the total population of the country.
The population of Muslims are 14.2%, Christians 2.3%, Sikhs 1.7%, Buddhists 0.7%, Jain 0.4% and Parsis 0.006%.
Article 29 of the constitution deals with the “protection of interest of minorities”.
The constitution recognizes religious minorities in India and linguistic minorities in India through Article 29 and Article 30.
2. Home Minister Amit Shah confers President's Colours Award to Assam Police in Guwahati
Tags: National News
Home Minister Amit Shah presented the President's Color Award to Assam Police in Guwahati and said that terrorism is almost over and talks are on for peace.
Assam is the 10th state in the country to receive this honour which is given in recognition of exceptional services.
About President's Colours Award
The President's colour Award is one of the "greatest honours" given to a military unit in recognition of exceptional service rendered to the nation during both war and peace.
It is also known as ′Nishan′.
It is an emblem worn by all officers of the unit on the left hand sleeve of their uniform.
Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Gujarat and Tripura are the other states that have received this award.
Delhi is the only Union Territory to receive this prestigious award.
About Assam
Assam is known for Assam tea and Assam silk.
The first site for oil drilling in Asia.
The state shares its borders with Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, and West Bengal.
The state shares international borders with Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Bhutan.
Chief Minister - Himanta Biswa Sarma is the 15th Chief Minister
Governor - Prof Jagdish Mukhi is the 30th Governor
3. In 2020, Ladakh recorded highest sex ratio in the country, Manipur lowest
Tags: Popular National News
According to the annual report on Vital Statistics based on 2020 Civil Registration System report the Union Territory of Ladakh recorded the highest sex ratio at birth in the country in 2020, followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Tripura and Kerala.
Highest Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) state are -
Ladakh (1104)
Arunachal Pradesh (1011)
A&N Islands (984)
Tripura (974)
Kerala (969)
Lowest Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) state are -
Manipur (880)
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (898)
Gujarat (909)
Haryana (916)
Madhya Pradesh (921)
In 2019, the highest sex ratio at birth was reported by Arunachal Pradesh (1024), followed by Nagaland (1001), Mizoram (975) and A&N Islands (965).
The lowest sex ratio was reported in 2019 - Gujarat (901), Assam (903), Madhya Pradesh (905) and Jammu & Kashmir (909).
No data from 4 States
As per the report the requisite information from Maharashtra, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi on sex ratio at birth was “not available.”
None of the States or Union Territories have recorded sex ratio at birth below 880.
Infant deaths
The report noted that 1,43,379 infant deaths were registered in 2020 and the share of rural area was only 23.4%, while that of urban area was 76.6% in total registered infant deaths.
Non-registration of infant deaths in rural areas is a cause of concern.
It is compulsory to report births and deaths to the Registrar of Births and Deaths under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969.
What is Sex ratio at birth?
Sex ratio at birth is number of females per thousand males.
“The Sex Ratio (Number of females per thousand males) at birth of registered events is an important indicator to map the sex differential of the population at the beginning of their life.
The sex ratio at birth has been calculated after deducting the delayed registration of more than one year for the year 2020.
4. Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy inaugurates ISBT terminus in Manipur
Tags: State News
Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region G. Kishan Reddy inaugurated the Inter State Truck Terminus at National Sports University Campus, Khuman Lampak, Sekmai Manipur.
The opening ceremony was organised during the North East Regional Sports Week to commemorate the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
The Inter State Truck Terminus was completed during 2021-22 and is the first and only Truck Terminus in the State.
It is situated 2.5 km from NH-02 on Khurkhul Awang Sekmai Road with campus area of 18.34 acres.
It was constructed under NEC funding to provide a formal transit point for inbound and outbound trucks and goods carriers for the state.
5. Centre keen on lifting AFSPA from northeast
Tags: National News
PM Narendra Modi said that AFSPA may be partially withdrawn from Assam, Manipur and Nagaland (from 1st April) due to peaceful conditions since 2014.
AFSPA will now be applicable only in 31 districts and partially in 12 districts in four states of Northeast Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
These four states together have 90 districts.
AFSPA was withdrawn completely in Meghalaya in 2018, Tripura in 2015 and Mizoram in the 1980s.
What is AFSPA?
Armed Forces Special Powers Act, (AFSPA), gives armed forces the power to maintain public order in “disturbed areas.”
It came into force decades ago in the context of insurgency in the northeastern states.
It provides "special powers" to the army, air force and central paramilitary forces.
The Act provides that if "reasonable suspicion exists", the armed forces may also arrest any person without warrant; May enter or search premises without warrant and prohibit possession of firearms.
AFSPA is presently in force in areas falling under the jurisdiction of 3 districts of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and 8 police stations of Arunachal Pradesh bordering Assam.
What are the Disturbed Areas?
A disturbed area means which is declared by notification under Section 3 of the AFSPA.
A region may be disturbed because of differences or disputes between members of different, racial, religious, language or regional groups or castes or communities.
The Central Government or the Governor of the State or administrator of the Union Territory have power to declare the whole or part of the State or Union Territory as a disturbed area.
6. Manipur celebrates Khongjom Day at Khongjom War Memorial Complex
Tags: State News
Khongjom Day was celebrated on 23rd April at Khongjom War Memorial Complex at Khebaching in Thoubal District of Manipur.
Khongjom Day is celebrated every year on 23 April in Manipur.
This day is observed in the memory of the brave Manipur warriors who made the supreme sacrifice against the British in the battle of Khongjom during the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891.
The day is celebrated annually by the Government of Manipur at Khongjom War Memorial Complex located in Thoubal district.
The Khongjom War Memorial Complex, a historic war memorial site, houses the world's tallest sword statue built in memory of the soldiers who fought in the war.
Anglo-Manipur War
The Anglo-Manipur War was an armed conflict between the British Empire and the Kingdom of Manipur, which was fought from 31 March to 27 April 1891.
This historic war started due to jealousy, discontent, distrust and discord among the princes of Manipur.
This war was fought at Kheba hills of Khongjom in Manipur and hence the name of this day is Khongjom Day.
After the war ended on 27 April 1891, Manipur was under direct control of the British.
After this war, the British government prosecuted many people and sentenced them to death.
7. NITI Aayog's Energy Climate Index
Tags: National
NITI Aayog has released the State Energy and Climate Index - Cycle 1 (SECI) in which Gujarat has topped the list of large states while Goa has topped the list of smaller states.
The index compares states and union territories based on several indicators and will encourage them to transition to energy.
This index by NITI Aayog aims to rank the states and union territories on the basis of performance on six parameters, which include the performance of power distribution companies, energy efficiency and access to energy.
According to the commission report, Gujarat is followed by Kerala and Punjab respectively. In this list, states like Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand have been placed at the last position.
Goa tops the index among smaller states. It is followed by Tripura and Manipur respectively.
The objective of SECI Round-I is to rank the states and union territories on six parameters. These six parameters can be seen in the following points:
Performance of Electricity Distribution Companies (Discoms),
access, affordability and reliability of energy,
clean energy initiative
energy efficiency,
sustainable environment and
New initiatives are included.
A total of 27 indicators are included in these standards.
States and Union Territories will be able to compare their benchmarks using the index and will be able to develop better policy regimes.
Chandigarh tops the Union Territories (UTs). This is followed by Delhi and Daman and Diu/Dadra and Nagar Haveli respectively.
Punjab has been ranked first among large states as per DISCOM performance, while Kerala topped in energy access, affordability and reliability categories.
Similarly, Haryana in the Clean Energy Initiative category and Tamil Nadu in the Energy Efficiency category has been the best among large states. This index is based on the figures of 2019-20.
Administrative Structure of NITI Aayog
Chairman: Prime Minister
Vice President: Rajiv Kumar at present appointed by the Prime Minister
Governing Council: Chief Ministers of all States and Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories.
Regional Council: The Prime Minister or a person nominated by him presides over the meeting of Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors to address specific regional issues.
Ad-hoc Membership: 2 ex-officio members on rotation from leading research institutes.
Ex-officio Membership: A maximum of four members of the Union Council of Ministers nominated by the Prime Minister.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Secretary to the Government of India who is appointed by the Prime Minister for a fixed term.
Special Invitees: Experts from various fields nominated by the Prime Minister.
8. Yogi Adityanath sworn in second time as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
Tags: Popular State News
The Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP ) leader Yogi Adityanath was sworn in as the 22nd Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh by the Governor Mrs. Anandiben Patel on 25 March 2022. Yogi Aditya nath who was made Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 2017 was sworn in for the second time as the Chief Minister.
- The swearing in ceremony was held at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana cricket stadium , Lucknow. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top BJP leaders and Ministers.
- The swearing-in ceremony was attended by the Chief Ministers of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the center . Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar ,Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma , Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan , Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Das , Manipur Chief Minister N.Biren Singh, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai, Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Prema Khandu, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur were present during the ceremony.
- 52 ministers were sworn in including Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya as Deputy Chief Minister
- The BJP won 255 seats in the 403 Uttar Pradesh legislative Assembly which went to the polls in 2022. The alliance partner Apna Dal won 12 seats and the NISHAD party won 6. The total seats won by BJP and its alliances are 273.
The election to constitute the 18th Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly was held in seven phases from 10 February to 7 March 2022.
About Yogi Aditya Nath
Yogi Adityanath contested the assembly election from Gorakhpur Urban seat and won it by defeating Samajwadi Party candidate Sabhawati Shukla by a margin of 1,03,390 votes.
He is a five time Member of Parliament from Gorakhpur constituencies (in 1998, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014 )
Yogi Adityanath has become the first chief minister of Uttar Pradesh to return to power after completing a full tenure of five years.
The last chief minister to win consecutive terms in Uttar Pradesh (undivided) was Narayan Dutt Tiwari in 1985. This makes Yogi Adityanath the first chief minister to retain power in 37 years.
He was born as Ajay Singh Bisht in Pauri Garhwal in Uttrakhand .
In 2014 he became the head mahant of the Gorakhnath Math located in Gorakhpur after the death of mahant Aavaidyanath.
The first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh was Gobind Ballabh Pant (1950-1952) of the Congress party.
9. N Biren Singh sworn as Manipur CM
Tags: Popular State News
Nongthombam Biren Singh of Bhartiya Janta Party(BJP) was sworn in for the second term as the Chief Minister of Manipur on 21 March 2022. He was administered the oath of office by the Manipur Governor La Ganeshan .
N. Biren Singh was the Chief Minister of Manipur from 2017-22 and was reelected form his assembly constituency of Heingang at the recently held Manipur legislative assembly election 2022.
BJP won 32 seats in the 60 member Manipur Legislative Assembly election held in two phases on 28 February and 5 March 2022.
N.Biren Singh before joining politics was a footballer and a journalist . He played for the Border Security Force (BSF) football team.
He is the 12th Person to be the Chief Minister of Manipur . The first Chief Minister was M.Koireng Singh.
10. BJP poised to form government in 4 states and AAP sweeps Punjab polls
Bharatiya Janata Party is set to form governments in Uttar Pradesh,Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa while the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) swept away Punjab.
The general election to constitute a new legislative Assembly in the states of Manipur, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab was held by the Election Commission of India from 14 February 2022 to March 7 ,2022.
Uttar Pradesh voted in 7 phases from February 10 to March 7 to elect 403 vidhan sabha members of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly
The 40-member assembly of Goa went to polls in a single phase on February 14.
The 70 member assembly of Uttarakhand went to polls in a single phase on February 14.
The 117 member assembly of Punjab went to polls in a single phase on February 20.
The 60 member assembly of Manipur went to polls in two phases on 28 February and 5 March 2022.
State | Total Seats | Majority seats | Second place | Others |
Punjab | 117 | Aam Aadmi Party -92 seats | Congress(I)- 18 seats | Shiromani Akali Dal-3 seats |
Uttar Pradesh | 403 | BJP-255 seats | Samajwadi party-111 seats | Congress-2 seats |
Uttrakhand | 70 | BJP-47 seats | Congress-19 seats | Others - 2 seats |
Manipur | 60 | BJP-32 seats | National People’s Party -7 seats | Congress-5 seats |
Goa | 40 | BJP-20 seats | Congress-11 | AAP-2 seats |
In Uttar Pradesh,the alliance partners of BJP were Apna Dal(Sonelal) and NISHAD Party(Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal") .The alliance partner Apna Dal won 12 seats and the NISHAD party won 6. The total seats won by BJP and its alliances are 273.
Notable winners of the Poll
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of BJP won from Gorakhpur Urban seat by defeating Samajwadi Party’s Subhawati Upendra Dutt Shukla. This was the first time he contested an Assembly poll.
Samajwadi party leader Akhilesh Yadav won the Karhal seat by defeating the Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Satya Pal Singh Baghel.
Manipur Chief Minister N.Biren Singh of BJP defeated Congress's P Sharatchandra from Heingang seat.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant won the Sanquelim assembly constituency seat as he defeated Congress leader Dharmesh Saglani.
Notable losers
- Uttarakhand Chief Minister and BJP leader, Pushkar Singh Dhamilost the election from Khatima to the Congress candidate Bhuwan Chandra Kapri.
- Punjab Chief Ministerand Congress Party (I) candidate Charanjit Singh Channi contested from two constituencies and lost both . He was defeated by Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) candidate Labh Singh Ugoke in the Bahadaur assembly seat. He also lost his traditional Chamkaur singh sahib seat to his name sake ,Chanranjit singh Channi of Aam Aadmi Party.
- Former Chief Minister of Punjab ,Captain Amrinder Singh who formed a new party, Punjab Lok Congress lost his Patiala Urban constituency to AAP's Ajit Pal Singh Kohli.
- Congress Party Punjab chief , Navjot Singh Sidhu lost the Amritsar East seat to AAP candidate Jeevanjyot Kaur
- Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was defeated by Pallavi Patel of Samajwadi Party in Sirathu constituency .
Pushkar Singh Dhami and Charanjit Singh Channi have resigned from their post .
Chief Election Commissioner of India : Sushil Chandra .
