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Q1. Recently, which company has signed MoUs with the Assam, Manipur, and Tripura governments for the development and promotion of oil palm cultivation under a central scheme?
Adani Wilmar
Godrej Agrovet
Dabur Ltd.
Patanjali Ayurved
Godrej Agrovet
Godrej Agrovet has signed MoUs with the Assam, Manipur, and Tripura governments for the development and promotion of oil palm cultivation under a central scheme.
Q2. Which state government has signed an MoU with the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) for the protection of its coasts?
Maharashtra
Gujarat
Odisha
Andhra Pradesh
Odisha
The Odisha govt has signed an MoU with the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) for the protection of its coasts.
Q3. Wholesale Price Index (WPI) in India is released by
Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Ministry of Finance
Indian Statistical Institute
Ministry of Labour & Employment
Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Q4. Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is related to which sports?
Field hockey
Badminton
Polo
Lawn Tennis
Field hockey
Malaysia’s premier men’s hockey tournament, the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2022 will be held from November 16 to 25 in Ipoh.
Q5. What is the rank of India in the Sustainable Development Index 2021?
87th
93rd
110th
120th
120th
India has been ranked at 120th position in the Sustainable Development Report 2021 or Sustainable Development Index 2021.
Q6. ‘Garba’ dance is recently nominated by India to be inscribed on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list, has originated from which state?
Gujarat
Odisha
Rajasthan
Kerala
Gujarat
India has recently nominated the dance form Garba to be inscribed on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list. The inclusion of ‘Durga Puja’ on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage representative was made last year.
Q7. Shumang Leela traditional form of theatre is held in which state?
Manipur
Nagaland
Arunachal Pradesh
Bihar
Manipur
The 50th All Manipur Shumang Leela Festival 2021-2022 kicked off at Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen in Imphal. Shumang Leela is a traditional form of theatre in Manipur and the roles of female artists are all played by male actors and male characters are played by female artists.
Q8. Which country will hold the presidency of the G20 from 1st December 2022 to 30th November 2023?
Canada
India
Argentina
Australia
India
India will hold the G20 Presidency from 1st December 2022 to 30th November 2023, and host the 18th G20 Summit in 2023.
Q9. Who has become the first Indian footballer to play in UEFA Women’s Champions League?
Anju Tamang
Bala Devi
Aditi Chauhan
Manisha Kalyan
Manisha Kalyan
Manisha Kalyan became the first Indian footballer to feature in a UEFA Women’s Champions League match as she made her debut for top-tier Cypriot club Apollon Ladies FC.
Q10. Who has been awarded UNESCO Peace Prize 2022?
Vladimir Putin
Volodymyr Zelensky
Joe Biden
Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel was awarded UNESCO Peace Prize for her efforts to welcome refugees.
Q11. Who has been recently appointed as the Executive Director (India) at IMF?
Shaktikanta Das
Anantha Nageswaran
Arvind Subramaniam
Krishnamurthy Subramaniam
Krishnamurthy Subramaniam
Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of the former Chief Economic Advisor (CEC) Dr. Krishnamurthy Subramaniam to the post of Executive Director (India) at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Q12. Which state has recently launched ‘School Hygiene Education Programme’?
Uttar Pradesh
Kerala
Tamil Nadu
Chhattisgarh
Uttarakhand
The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami has launched the School Hygiene Education programme for the children in the state.
Q13. Which Indian businessperson recently became the third-richest person in the world?
Gautam Adani
Mukesh Ambani
Cyrus Poonawala
Ratan Tata
Gautam Adani
Indian Business tycoon Gautam Adani recently became the third-richest person in the world. He is also the only one among the world’s 10 wealthiest people to have seen his net worth increase this year.
With a net worth of USD 137.4 billion, Adani has gained USD 60.9 billion this year, more than any other billionaire on the top 500 list. India had 18 billionaires in the top 500 list while the combined net worth of the top 500 billionaires has dropped 14% this year.
Q14. ‘National Sports Day’ is celebrated on August 29 to commemorate the birth anniversary of which sportsperson?
Bachendri Pal
Major Dhyan Chand
Sachin Tendulkar
Gurbachan Singh Randhawa
Major Dhyan Chand
‘National Sports Day’ or Rashtriya Khel Divas is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand, the hockey wizard of India.
It is an annual observance that falls on August 29 and it aims to create awareness about the need and benefits of incorporating sports and physical activities into our day to life. Major Dhyanchand played a key role in India’s gold medal victory at the Olympics in 1928, 1932, and 1936.
Q15. State Bank of India (SBI) has launched its first dedicated branch for Startups in which city?
‘Shillong Declaration’ adopted at 22nd National Conference on e-Governance
The 22nd edition of the National Conference on e-Governance held here concluded today. The two-day conference, attended by 535 delegates representing 28 States and all Union Territories, made the ‘Shillong Declaration’ in connection with the e-Governance.
The 10-point declaration is an outcome of the commitment made at the inaugural session on Thursday. It was prepared after two days of deliberations by participants representing States and Union Territories.
The 10-point ‘Shillong Declaration’ said that the Government of India and State governments would collaborate to improve the citizen’s experience with government services by promoting timely implementation of India Enterprise Architecture (IndEA) and implementing a single sign-on for interoperability and integration among e-Government applications throughout the country, to consolidate the successful State-level e-Governance projects and domain-based projects with the focus on replicating them as a common application software with configurable features, to ensure improvement in ease of living and ease of doing business by making a big shift in the role of the Government from service provider to service enabler.
It also agreed to take steps to enhance the activities of the Electronics Sector Skill Council in the North Eastern States and explore the possibility for opening an electronics skill centre in Shillong, to promote use of e-Office and move towards less paper State Secretariats in the North Eastern States and in the district-level offices, to improve the quality of delivery of e-Services in the North East to fulfill the vision of improved citizen experience.
The declaration further agreed to develop India as a global cloud hub and facilitate development of government applications and databases on cloud by default, to adopt emerging technologies for finding e-Governance solutions and to promote the Digital India Projects with focus on Smart Cities and Smart Villages through startups and smart entrepreneurship.
Rail Minister Piyush Goyal inducts first CORAS commandos in railways
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal inducted the Commando for Railway Security (CORAS) and promised to set up a commando training centre in Haryana to modernize and train commandos of the Railway Protection Force (RPF).
These CORAS commandos will be posted in Left extremist wing affected areas, northeastern region and Jammu and Kashmir where providing security to the passengers and the railway network is of utmost priority.
A new state-of-the-art commando training centre for RPF will be started in Jagadhri (in Haryana) which will have access to latest technology and equipment.
The RPF’s crack commando team of 1,200 officers will get the most modern equipment and world-class training. This will help train the other 60,000-65,000 fellow officers of RPF.
A network of CCTV cameras will be set up at every station.The link of these cameras will be given to the local stations, GRP, RPF, divisional office and even to the Minister’s office.
UP government signed a MOU with the Russian region of Zabaykalsky Krai
The Uttar Pradesh government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Russian region of Zabaykalsky Krai for cooperation in the fields of agriculture and food processing.
There are possibilities of development of agriculture and its allied areas in about 8 million hectares of far east Russia. This will open up investment opportunities in the region.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) are top research and development institutions in the field of agriculture and contract farming in India.
Their expertise and guidance will help in preparing the road map for integrated development of agriculture in far east Russia.
IIT Madras develops multimodal robot with human-like grasp
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-Madras) researchers have developed a multimodal robotic system with good grasping, manipulation and locomotion abilities for use in industrial and field applications.
Called ‘GraspMan,’ the system comprises a pair of graspers that are capable of holding objects securely and manipulate it much like the human hand.
A prototype of the grasper has been fabricated at the Robotics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Design, IIT Madras, and the experimental results confirm manipulation capabilities of the robot.
Two such graspers, equipped with the robotic platform provides behavioural adaptation, which is the capability to change the locomotion behaviour to adapt to the environment.
The research is being led by Prof Asokan Thondiyath, Robotics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Design, IIT Madras with his student and Research Scholar Mr. Nagamanikandan Govindan.
This new class of robot developed by the IIT Madras team has various industrial applications such as pipe climbing and inspection, which involves climbing, holding and assembling, all of which are possible in their design.
The robotic platform features a multipurpose grasper that is designed to perform complex manipulation and locomotion tasks, without the need for dedicated motors for manipulation, locomotion, and grasping.
August 16, 2019
Centre to fund model tribal villages in Tripura
The Centre will provide financial assistance to the Tripura Government to raise ten tribal model villages covering eight districts of the State, said Tribal Welfare Minister Mever Kumar Jamtia.
The proposed model villages will have all modern facilities – all-weather roads, pucca houses, toilets, electricity, drinking water supply, community halls, market sheds, Internet and mobile telephone network. A sum of Rs 10 crore will be spent on each model village.
Once the project is implemented, all the model villages will be transformed into a mini township with all modern facilities available.
The project will also lay emphasis on socio-economic development of the villagers. Special focus will be given on agriculture, animal resources and vocational training to upgrade skills of the villagers.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has set up a high-powered modality committee to look into aspects of socio-economic and linguistic development of the indigenous people of the State.
The committee is learnt to have recommended establishment of 10 model villages to ensure welfare of the indigenous people.
Odisha Govt announces ”Mo Sarkar” Initiative
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced a new initiative ”Mo Sarkar” based on 5T model of governance which will be implemented from coming Gandhi Jayanti.
The Chief Minister said that the new initiative will be implemented at all police stations and district headquarters hospitals in first phase from Gandhi Jayanti.
In the next phase, all the departments will execute the ”Mo Sarkar” initiative by March 5, 2020.
The state government is implementing the 5T model governance – Teamwork, Transparency, Technology, Time leading to Transformation.
Under ”Mo Sarkar” initiative, the Chief Minister and other Ministers would dial common citizens to seek their feedback on the kind of response they got during their visits to police stations and district headquarters hospitals.
He also announced that electricity connection will be provided to villagers within 48 hours of submission of application at concerned panchayat offices.
BRICS Minister of Environment Meeting
Acknowledging the importance of urban environmental management for improving quality of life in cities, the Environment Ministers of BRICS countries presented at the 5th Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Minister of Environment Meeting held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, agreed to work together to resolve the multifaceted environmental issues faced by the BRICS cities
Speaking on the occasion, Indian Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar highlighted the path breaking work done by India in achieving its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
India is walking the talk on NDC’s and it has achieved reducing energy intensity by 25 percent and already 78 Giga Watts of renewable energy has been made possible.
The forest cover of the country has also increased by nearly 15,000 sqkm and tree cover outside the forest is increasing rapidly.
The Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) saw another record when a lot of 1 kg tea was sold at Rs 75,000. The tea – ‘Golden Butterfly’ – is a speciality tea and was produced by Dikom Tea Estate owned by Rossell Tea Company.
The tea is bought by one of the oldest tea shops in Guwahati – M/s Assam Tea Traders for their customers. They have bought a lot of speciality tea in the past auctions at high prices.
The tea is named Golden Butterfly because only the soft golden tips go into making this exceptionally rare and special tea. In the evenings, these exclusive tea bushes witness a fleet of butterflies and hence the name reflects the meticulous care and attention to crop husbandry in Dikom’s tea fields.
An exotic tea is judged by its aroma, taste and colour, and this tea is characterised by extremely mellow and sweet caramel flavour that matches the exoticness it deserves.
One of the oldest tea buyers in the State, Assam Tea Traders has been providing quality tea to the buyers across India and even abroad.
Last month, the Gold Special tea of Manohari Tea Estate was sold for Rs 50,000 a kg, and a day later, the Maijan Ortodox Golden Tea tips broke the record, fetching Rs 70,501 per kilogram.
IIT-Madras researchers working on power from estuaries
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) are working on ‘Osmotic Power’ or power from estuaries, an alternative source of power.
Osmotic power generation is, based on the osmotic pressure that is generated when a semi-permeable membrane separates salt water from fresh water. This pressure can be converted into electricity.
The first osmotic power plant was built in 2009 in Tofte, Norway, and produced 4 kilowatt of power, which, while sufficient to perhaps run a clothes dryer, is inefficient for any large scale use.
The IIT-M team is trying to first produce membranes in the scale of square centimetres rather than square micrometres that are currently possible, with future plans to increase size further
This is based on the calculation that a single membrane, roughly one square meter wide, would generate enough power to light up 50,000 energy-saving light bulbs.
Indian Army emerges champion in Scout Masters contest
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presented the champions trophy to the Indian Army team which won the 5th Army International Scout Masters Competition held at Jaisalmer Military Station from August 6 to 14 in which teams from Armenia, Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Sudan and Uzbekistan also participated.
The Indian Army team was selected and trained under the aegis of Southern Command.
The closing Ceremony of the Fifth Army International Scout Masters Competition was held in Jaisalmer in which Rajnath Singh was the chief guest.
The ceremony was attended by General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff, Lieutenant General S.K. Saini, Southern Army Commander, delegations of participating countries, members of the International Organising Committee and several civilian and military dignitaries.
The Defence Minister gave away the Champions Trophy to the winning Indian team, Runners Up Trophy to Uzbekistan and the Second Runners Up trophy to Russia.
The International Army Games are organised by the Ministry of Defence of Russia. This year the games have 32 disciplines to be hosted by 10 countries — Russia, India, China, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Iran, Mongolia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. India hosted Stage 2 of the games.
August 18, 2019
Meghalaya’s economy to double in 5 years, says state CM Conrad Sangma
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government has clear vision to improve the well-being of every section of the society.
“I want to assure all of you that my government has a clear vision and strategy to improve the well-being of every section of the society including farmers, youth, entrepreneurs, elderly, school-going children, and citizens in rural areas,” Sangma said after unfurling the Indian flag and taking the salute at a parade here on the occasion of 73rd Independence Day.
“We are specifically focussing on Human development, Primary sector rejuvenation, Infrastructure expansion, Entrepreneurship promotion, Environmental protection and Governance reform,” CM Sangma said.
In order to achieve the goals and aspirations of the 3 million Meghalayans, the state’s economy needs to grow more strongly than in the past decade.
The present size of Meghalaya’s economy is about 30,000 Crore or 4.2 billion US dollar, the Indian economy will expand to 5 trillion dollars by 2024-25 in which Meghalaya’s economy also needs to double in the next five years and at least become 10 billion US dollars.
State’s growth rates should be higher than 10 percent in the next few years. To make such growth rates possible, investments by both the Government and Private Sector are necessary.
PM Modi launches several Projects in Bhutan, signs 9 MOUS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Rupay card in Bhutan and signed nine memorandums of understanding (MoUs), including one on the ISRO-built earth station in Thimphu and a power purchase agreement.
One power purchase agreement for the Mangdechhu hydroelectric power plant was also signed between the two countries.
Modi and Bhutan Prime Minister jointly inaugurate the 720 MW Mangdechu Hydroelectricity Project in Bhutan.
One of the MOUs include establishment of SATCOM Network in Thimphu for the utilisation of South Asia Satellite.
Other MoUs include cooperation in aircraft accident and incident investigation, peering agreement, cooperation in judicial education and mutual exchanges, and academic and cultural interchange in the areas of legal education and research.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated the ground station built by India’s space agency ISRO to allow Bhutan to use the South Asian Satellite for communication and disaster management.
Modi also announced linking Bhutanese students and researchers to Indian universities.
Royal University of Bhutan and IITs will cooperate under this programme and five Post Graduate scholarships for Bhutanese students will be provided by the Nalanda University in Bihar for five years.
High-level committee for Defense procurement formed
A 12-member high-level committee has been formed by the Union government to revise and align the procedure of Defence procurement with the aim of strengthening the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
The panel headed by the Director-General (Acquisitions) has been tasked to review the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2006 and the Defence Procurement Manual (DPM) 2009.
The DPP contains policies and procedures for procurement and acquisition from the capital budget of the Defence Ministry in order to modernise the Armed Forces including the Coast Guard.
The DPM contains principles and procedures relating to procurement of goods and services for the Defence Services, organisations and establishments.
The panel will also include provisions in the policies in order to promote Indian start-ups and boost research and development.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the constitution of the panel that has been given six months to submit its report of recommendations.
The panel will examine and incorporate new concepts, such as life cycle costing, life cycle support, performance-based logistics, Information Communication Technology (ICT), lease contracting, codification and standardization.
Bihar signs MOU to set up lightning alert system
The Bihar State Disaster Management Authority (BSDMA) has signed an agreement with Bangaluru-based Earth Networks to set up a lightening forecast system in the state.
Earth Networks monitors and collects data on lightning strikes around the world.
Its system will inform the BSDMA, District Collectors, Municipal Officers and other public representatives about an impending lightening strike 30 minutes before its occurrence.
The authorities will then sends alerts on a mobile application, which will help save lives in the state.
Assam CM launches state’s first CNG station in Dibrugarh
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the first-ever CNG fuelling station of the state in Dibrugarh.
Sonowal said that to make Assam free from air pollution and to promote the use of clean and green fuel, State government is preparing a roadmap for setting up CNG fuelling station in all districts of the state.
The Government is working sincerely to promote the use of compressed natural gas in the state.
Making a pollution free state is one of the primary objectives of the government and therefore, the government, has been taking series of steps to make Assam free from the scourge of pollution and its manifestations.
Prof PJ Handique takes over as VC of Gauhati University
Assam Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi had appointed Prof PJ Handique as the new Vice Chancellor of the Gauhati University. He takes over the charge from the outgoing VC Dr Mridul Hazarika.
A biotechnologist of repute, Prof Handique obtained his PhD degree from Gauhati University in the year 1992. He did post-doctoral research on molecular biotechnology at Leicester University, UK, during 2005-06 in the laboratory of Prof JS Heslop-Horrison.
Dr Handique is one of the pioneers who worked for the development of biotechnology in Assam as well as in North East India. He has been involved in frontline areas of research in biotechnology for the last 30 years.
Currently he was working as a Professor of Biotechnology in GU. He was the Head of the Department of Biotechnology of the University during 2010-13.
During the same period, he was also the Member of Executive Council and Member of the Gauhati University Court; Chairman, DRC-Biotechnology and Chairman, CCS-Biotechnology. Besides, he worked as a ‘Coordinator–Administration and Logistics’ in the GUIST (2009-12).
The newly appointed VC shall hold his office for a period of five years or till he attains the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier, as per provision under the Gauhati University Act-1947.
BIOGRAPHY – Gauhati University
Gauhati University is located in Jalukbari, Guwahati, is the oldest and one of the most renowned universities in North East India.
It was established in 1948 as a teaching-&-affiliating university.
Starting with 18 affiliated colleges and 8 Post Graduate Departments in 1948, Gauhati University, today, has 39 Post Graduate Departments, besides IDOL (Institute of Distance and Open Learning), a constituent Law and Engineering College.
It has 341 affiliated colleges offering undergraduate and post graduate courses in the faculties of Arts, Science, Commerce, Law, and Engineering. Gauhati University is a member of the Association of Indian Universities and the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranked Gauhati University 65 overall in India and 42 among universities in 2019.
It is accredited grade “A” by National Assessment and Accreditation Council.
Union Govt notifies amended Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code law
The government has notified the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Act, 2019, under which a deadline of 330 days has been set for completion of corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP), including litigation and other judicial processes.
The new law aims to provide greater clarity on the permissibility of corporate restructuring schemes, rights and duties of authorised representatives of voters, manner of distribution of amounts among financial and operational creditors and the applicability of the resolution plan on all statutory authorities.
The “resolution plan” under the new law, mandates an explanation why the insolvency resolution of a corporate debtor is a growing concern and may include provisions for corporate restructuring — by way of merger, amalgamation or demerger.
It also mandates that votes of all financial creditors covered under Section 21(6A) shall be cast in accordance with the decision approved by the highest voting share (more than 50 per cent) of the financial creditors on present and voting basis.
The new law also makes the resolution plan binding on all stakeholders, including the Central government, any state government or local authority, to whom a debt in respect of payment of dues may be owed.
India and Bhutan agree on close coordination on security and national interests matters
India and Bhutan has agreed to maintain close coordination on matters linked to each other’s security and national interests, and emphasised on the hydro-power development as one of the important areas of mutually beneficial cooperation.
They reiterated their commitment during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Bhutan. Modi and Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering reviewed all aspects of the bilateral ties as well as other regional and international developments. They also reviewed the bilateral discussions on the Sankosh Reservoir hydroelectric project.
PM Modi reiterated India’s commitment to advancing the economic and infrastructural development of Bhutan.
The two Prime Ministers jointly released Bhutanese stamps, commemorating five decades of mutually beneficial Indo-Bhutan cooperation in hydro-power sector.
They also launched the facility for use of Indian RuPay cards in Bhutan, which would facilitate Indians’ travel to Bhutan by reducing the need to carry cash, boost the Bhutanese economy and further integrate the two economies.
The two Prime Ministers inaugurated in Thimpu the Ground Earth Station of the South Asian Satellite, constructed with the support of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
They also agreed to collaborate on the joint development of a small satellite for Bhutan and form a joint working group to implement the project and other related activities, including developing a geo-portal system for Bhutan for natural resources and disaster management, using remote sensing and geo-spatial data.
They also inaugurated the inter-connection between India’s National Knowledge Network and Bhutan’s Research and Education Network.
August 20, 2019
Assam CM Sonowal inaugurates Khagen Mahanta Udyan
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated Khagen Mahanta Udyan – the park set up by the State government in memory of cultural doyen Khagen Mahanta at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati.
The programme was organised by Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra Society and the Cultural Directorate, Government of Assam.
Union Minister of State for Food Processing Rameswar Teli, Cultural Minister Naba Kumar Doley and noted singer and Khagen Mahanta’s son Angarag Mahanta also spoke on the occasion.
MP Queen Ojha and Media Adviser to the Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami were also present among other dignitaries in the programme.
FACTFILE – Khagen Mahanta Memorial Park
The Khagen Mahanta Smriti Udyan (Khagen Mahanta Memorial Park) is to be constructed at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra.
The Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra Society had submitted a proposal for the construction of the memorial park to the government an amount of Rs 1.5 crores in October 2015.
Finally, in March 2019, the work began at the Kalakshetra. While the structural work will be completed within the stipulated time, the beautification work will take some more time.
BIOGRAPHY – Khagen Mahanta
Khagen Mahanta was a singer and composer of folk and traditional music of Assam. Khagen Mahanta was a notable person in Assamese folk music and known as the “King of Bihu”.
His Bihu songs, Borgeet and other folk songs remain popular in Assam.
The artist, along with his wife Archana Mahanta and son Angaraag Mahanta who is known as Papon, represent one of the most influential families in Assamese music. He died on 12 June 2014.
He was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Academy award for folk and traditional music in 1992.Some of his awards/ recognitions are listed below: 1988 – Film Craft Award, 1992 – Sangeet Natak Academy, 1994 – Shrimoy Award, 1999 – Sangeetacharya
The researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, (IIT-G) have developed two membranes that can separate oil and water.
The research, by Uttam Manna, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, IIT-G, and his team, comprising Avijit Das, Dibyangana Parbat and Arpita Shome.
The membranes – super-water repellent in air, and super oil-repellent in water — could separate complex mixtures of oil and water. The oil-water separation membranes could also be used in oil spill management.
Scientists have studied the surface structures of lotus leaves and fish scales to understand superhydrophobicity (super-water repellence) and superoleophobicity (super-oil repellence), to replicate them for oil-water separation applications.
Manna and his team also developed a system of ‘super liquid-repellent’ materials, by combining the lotus leaf superhydrophobicity and fish scale superoleophobicity.
Layer-by-layer deposition technique was used to obtain alternating layers of ‘chemically reactive polymeric nano-complex’ and ‘amino graphene oxide nanosheets’ on a stretchable and fibrous substrate.
These systems allow continuous, parallel and selective separation of oil-water mixtures, irrespective of surface tension, density, and viscosity of the oil phase and chemical complexity in the water phase.
IIT-Mandi developing technology to convert heat into electricity
Indian Institute of Technology Mandi researchers in Himachal Pradesh are developing thermoelectric materials that can efficiently convert heat into electricity.
Generating power from heat, for example, is attractive as there is a lot of energy that is generated through human activity in industries like power plants, home appliances and automobiles, where most of this heat is lost.
A research team led by Ajay Soni, Associate Professor (Physics) with the School of Basic Sciences, IIT-Mandi, is studying materials that can convert heat into electricity.
The team has been engaged in research on thermoelectric materials and many of its papers have been published in reputed peer-review international journals, including Applied Physics Letters, Physical Review B and Journal of Alloys and Compounds.
About 70 per cent of energy globally is wasted as heat and this heat is released into the environment, becoming one of the key drivers of global warming.
The trapping and conversion of waste heat into electricity can serve the dual purpose of energy self-sufficiency and environmental preservation.
Tripura will soon have an IT hub at the Old Central Jail land to ease the unemployment problem in the State, said the Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb in his speech on the occasion of Independence Day celebrations.
The State has a population of 37 lakh and over 7 lakh registered unemployed youths. He said the tender process for setting up the IT hub has already started and the Government is determined to build the project at the earliest.
“Once the project is completed, youths need not rush to Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Chennai to get jobs in the IT sector. There will a lot of jobs for local IT professionals,” Deb claimed.
The Chief Minister said that the Government has been giving due importance to the development of the transport sector in the State.
President Ram Nath Kovind launches plantation drive
President Ram Nath Kovind planted a sapling of Maulsari in the Rashtrapati Bhavan Estate and launched a plantation drive as part of Van Mahotsav celebrations.
On the occasion, the President met students and urged them to encourage fellow citizens to plant more trees and reaffirm the commitment to a greener and sustainable planet.
As part of ”Van Mahotsav” celebrations, the President”s Secretariat over the next few weeks will be planting 3,252 trees and 2,962 shrubs in the President”s Estate
This will include ornamental and fruit trees such as Peepal, Neem, Maulsari, Champa, Gul Mohur, Mango, Chiko, Anjir and Amrud among others.
The President’s Estate, spread over 330 acres, harbours a rich biodiversity with noted trees of the Estate include Sita Ashok, Bistendu, Shisham, Gab, Gourd Trees, Wild Almond, Lemon-Scented Gum, Doon Siris and more.
DRDO hands over design of mobile metallic ramp to Army
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over the design of Mobile Metallic Ramp (MMR) to the Indian Army at an event held at DRDO Bhawan.
DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy handed over the design of MMR to Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Devraj Anbu.
With a load-bearing capacity of 70 metric ton (MT), MMR has been designed and developed by DRDO’s premier research laboratory -Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES).
Based on requirements projected by Army for reducing mobility time for mobilising armoured vehicles.
The ramp will provide strategic mobility for armoured and mechanized units and formations of the Army.
It is portable, modular in design, which can be easily assembled or disassembled.
Punjab launches health insurance scheme
In a tribute to late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 75th birth anniversary, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh launched his government’s flagship universal health insurance scheme, benefiting nearly 46 lakh families, i.e. 76 per cent of the total population.
E-cards were handed over to the first 11 beneficiaries from Mohali district to kick-off the ”Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana”.
Which would entitle beneficiaries to avail annual cashless treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year, including pre-existing diseases.
The scheme is aimed at ensuring the best possible treatment to the beneficiaries free of cost.
With this scheme, Punjab has become the first state in the country to offer medical insurance cover to the maximum number of its people, the Chief Minister said.
It would cover a total of 20.43 lakh smart ration card holder families, in addition to 14.86 lakh families enrolled as per Socio Economic Caste Census Data, and 46,000 small traders, among others.
The scheme has also been extended to around 4,500 journalists accredited to the state or those holding yellow cards.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the Seoul Peace Prize, while in south Korea on a two-day visit. The prime minister was conferred the honour for his efforts in promoting global peace and harmony through inclusive economic growth and for improving quality of life.
Prime Minister dedicated it to the people of India and the prize money of $200,000 that he contributed to the Namami Gange fund.
FACTFILE – The Seoul Peace Prize
The Seoul Peace Prize was established in 1990 as a biennial recognition with monetary award to commemorate the success of the 24th Summer Olympic Games held in Seoul, Korea, an event in which 160 nations from across the world took part, creating harmony and friendship.
The Seoul Peace Prize was established to reflect the wishes of the Korean people and to crystallize their desire for everlasting peace on earth. The nominating group consists of 300 Korean nationals, and 800 internationals.
The awardee receives a diploma, a plaque and honorarium of US$200,000.
All India Citizens Survey of Police Services to begin in March
With an aim to strengthen the good governance practices in the police, the Union Home Ministry commissioned the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) to conduct a pan-India survey called “All India Citizens Survey of Police Services.”
The survey will be conducted through the New Delhi-based National Council of Applied Economic Research.
The survey is aimed to understand public perception about the police, gauge the level of non-reporting of crime or incidents to the police, the situation on ground relating to crime reporting and recording, timeliness and quality of police response and action, and assess citizens’ perception and experience about women and children’s safety.
All states and Union Territories would be included in the survey, which will be completed in 9 months.
President of India approves changes in Stamp Act
President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to changes in the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, which will rationalise and harmonise the system of levying stamp duty and help curb tax evasion.
The Amendments to the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, were introduced as part of the Finance Act 2019, and was approved by Parliament.
The amendments propose to create the legal and institutional mechanism to enable states to collect stamp duty on securities market instruments at one place by one agency.
Cement Manufacturers’ Association inks pact with trade unions
Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) has signed a four-year wage settlement agreement with federations of major central trade unions entailing a rise of Rs 5,000 in gross monthly pay of 20,000 workers in the sector.
The agreement was signed with Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) before the chief labour commissioner.
The settlement is for four years from April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2022, and it will benefit around 20,000 employees in the Indian cement industry by way of an increase in gross pay, enhanced dearness allowance and service weightage.
The settlement provides for an increase of Rs 5,000 per month in the gross pay of cement employees.
A total of 21 cement companies, consisting major players which cover 60 per cent of the country’s total cement capacity, had authorised CMA to negotiate with the trade unions on their behalf.
FACTFILE – Cement Manufacturers Association(CMA) is the apex body of major cement plants in India. We are the Indian Cement Industry’s consolidated voice on issues such as environment, waste recycling, taxation, logistics and fuel supply among others.
HAL to make 16 Tejas this year for IAF
State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is ramping up production to deliver 16 of them for the Indian Air Force (IAF) operational fleet by this year-end. They have increased the production capacity with an upfront investment of Rs 1,380 crore in Bengaluru complex.
Recently Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd handed over the first three advanced light helicopters (ALHs) as part of the 22 ALH MK III contract to the Indian Army at the ongoing Aero India show.
As partner in co-developing and manufacturing the combat fighter, the city-based defence behemoth has already delivered to the IAF 16 Tejas in the Initial Operation Clearance (IOC) configuration.
The regulator Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (Cemilac) Chief Executive P. Jayapal handed over the FOC certificate and release-to-service documents to Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa.
Touted as the world’s only lightweight combat aircraft, the advanced fourth generation Tejas is a single twin engine, agile mutli-role supersonic fighter.
The ‘Made in India’ fighter has quadraplex digital fly-by-wire flight control system with advanced flight control laws.
FACTFILE – Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
HAL is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defence company headquartered in Bangalore, India. It is governed under the management of the Indian Ministry of Defence.
The government-owned corporation is primarily involved in the operations of the aerospace and is currently involved in the design, fabrication and assembly of aircraft, jet engines, helicopters and their spare parts.
It has several facilities spread across India including Nasik, Korwa, Kanpur, Koraput, Lucknow, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kasaragod.
WWF-India Ek Prithvi programme launched in Assam
Assam Education Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya launched the WWF-India Ek Prithvi programme in the state. Assam is the eighth State in the country where WWF-India is implementing the Ek Prithvi programme.
It is a pan-India programme designed to build conservation leaders by raising awareness about environment, engaging them in conservation action and building positive attitudes towards a sustainable lifestyle.
Along with the programme, the Ek Prithvi Leadership Manual and Teachers Manual in Assamese language for classes I to XII were also released.
The launch was followed by ‘Leadership and Teacher Training’ for SCERT officials, DIET nodal officers, principals and teachers towards implementing the Ek Prithvi programme.
The Ek Prithvi programme will empower more than 1,100 students in the State in the first phase. It starts from three schools namely, No. 144 Mayong LP School, Mayong HS School and Lokapriya GNB High School in Morigaon district.
FACTFILE – World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India)
WWF-India was founded with the express objective of ensuring the conservation of the country’s wildlife and natural habitats. It was set up as a Charitable Public Trust on 27 November 1969.
It was then known as the World Wildlife Fund-India, much before the terms ‘wildlife’ and ‘environment’ had caught the attention of the government or the public.
Goalpara district to adopts green tech for rural roads
At the initiative of the district administration, Goalpara has set an example by adopting green technologies in the construction of a number of rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) scheme across the district.
Adopting green technologies for road construction for enhancing accessibility in providing all weather road connectivity to the people, particularly those living in the rural areas.
The green technologies such as waste plastic technology, geo-grid technology, cell-filled concrete technology, interlocking concrete block pavement will not only reduce dependence on natural resources, but also make it economically viable by bringing down the construction cost as well as maintenance of the roads.
Around 150 km of roads have been constructed by using various green technologies in the last six months.
The Ministry of Rural Development has sanctioned a total of 565 km-length for the district under PMGSY for 2018-19 out of which the targeted 380 km will be completed.
February 23, 2019
Centre to deploy 100 companies of paramilitary forces in J&K
The Centre has decided to deploy additional 100 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) on an urgent basis in Jammu and Kashmir. Including 45 companies of the CRPF, 35 companies of the Border Security Force (BSF), and 10 companies each of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
The move came the night after raids were carried out in south, central and north Kashmir areas in which dozens of Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, including its chief Abdul Hamid Fayaz, were detained.
FACTFILE – The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) or Home Ministry
Home Ministry is a ministry of the Government of India. As the interior ministry of India, it is mainly responsible for the maintenance of internal security and domestic policy.
The Home Ministry is also the cadre controlling authority for the Indian Police Service (IPS), DANIPS and DANICS. Police-I Division of the ministry is the cadre controlling authority in respect of the Indian Police Service; whereas, the UT Division is the administrative division for DANIPS and DANICS and the All India Services officers posted and working in the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre.
Clean and Green Village Mission launched in Hailakandi District
Clean and Green Village Mission, a new initiative of the State Government, was launched in Hailakandi district.
The inaugural event at Paikan village under 6 Hailakandi Legislative Assembly Constituency (LAC) was organised under the MyGov Assam initiative.
Saplings were distributed among the people on the occasion. Local villagers took part in the programme with the promise of carrying forward the mission.
Team members of MyGov Assam, who are closely monitoring the progress, appealed to the villagers to complement the efforts of the State Government and the district administration in creating awareness about cleanliness and environmental-related issues.
The India-US CEOs Forum decided to set up working groups on financial services, healthcare and defence to suggest measures to accelerate trade and investment between the two countries.
3 working groups would be set up in addition to the existing four on energy and environment, ICT, emerging technologies and digital infrastructure, entrepreneurship and inclusive growth, as well as on infrastructure and manufacturing.
Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu led the Indian delegation and the American side was headed by US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster.
FACTFILE – India-US bilateral trade
Total bilateral trade (goods and services) with India was $126 billion in 2017, up 10.4% from $114.2 billion level in 2016.
Exports were valued at $49.4 billion and imports were worth $76.7 billion. The US goods and services trade deficit with India was $27.3 billion in 2017.
India is US’s ninth largest goods trading partner with $74.3 billion in total (two-way) goods trade during 2017. Goods exports totaled $25.7 billion and goods imports totaled at $48.6 billion. The US goods trade deficit with India was $22.9 billion in 2017.
While India was the United States’ 15th largest goods export market in 2017, the latter exported $25.7 billion of goods to India, up by 18.7 per cent ($4.1 billion) from 2016 and up 71.6 per cent from 2007.
US exports to India accounted for 1.7 per cent of overall US exports in 2017. The top export categories in 2017 were precious metals and stone (diamonds) at $7 billion, mineral fuels ($2.8 billion), aircraft ($2.2 billion), machinery ($2.1 billion), and optical and medical instruments ($1.4 billion).
US exports of services to India were estimated at $23.7 billion in 2017, 15.2 per cent ($3.1 billion) more than 2016, and 174 per cent higher than 2007 levels.
Leading services exports from the US to India were in the travel, intellectual property (computer software, audio and visual related products), and transport sectors.
In the imports bracket, India was the United States’ 11th largest supplier of goods in 2017.
Union Government increases MSP for sugar
Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of sugar has been increased to Rs 31 from Rs. 29 per kg in order to help millers clear pending dues of sugarcane farmers that now amount to Rs 20,167 crore.
The mills will not be able to sell sugar below Rs 31 in the open market. It will rovide more liquidity to the sugar mills so that they are able to pay the arrears or dues to the sugarcane
It would not lead to an increase in the retail prices and they will remain below Rs 40 per kg.
The total arrears to sugarcane farmers is around Rs 20,167 crore including Rs 7,229 crore in Uttar Pradesh, Rs 4,792 crore in Maharashtra and Rs 3,990 crore in
India’s First District Cooling System to be in Amaravati
India’s First District cooling system will come up in Amravati, capital of Andhra Pradesh. The government of Andhra Pradesh has entered into a 30-year concession with a UAE-based international cooling provider.
District Cooling System at Amaravati is part of Andhra Pradesh Government’s vision to create jobs and homes along with a world-class infrastructure at Amaravati.
The District Cooling System will meet the cooling requirements for the State’s Assembly, High Court, Secretariat and other government buildings that are currently under construction, for which cooling services will commence from early 2021.
FACTFILE – District Cooling Systems
It produce chilled water, steam or hot water at a central plant and then pipe that energy out (either underground or over rooftops) to buildings for air conditioning, space heating and water heating. So, these buildings don’t require their own chillers, air conditioners, boilers or furnaces.
District Cooling uses only 50 per cent of primary energy consumption for cooling urban building n compared to other cooling systems.
Ghumot to be notified as a Heritage Musical Instrument of Goa
The Art and Culture Minister of Goa, Govind Gaude has announced that Ghumot, an indigenous earthen drum will soon be notified as a Heritage Musical Instrument of Goa.
Ghumot is an indigenous earthen drum fashioned as a designed clay pot, with the skin of the monitor lizard stretched taut across the pot’s mouth, forming a drumhead.
Ghumot is a percussion instrument widely played during ‘Ganesh Chaturthi Aarties’.
February 16, 2019
World Bank extends $40 million loan for water project in Himachal Pradesh
The Indian and Himachal Pradesh governments and the World Bank signed a $40 million loan agreement to help provide clean and reliable drinking water.
The Shimla Water Supply and Sewerage Service Delivery Reform Programmatic Development Policy Loan is expected to improve water supply and sanitation services in and around the iconic hill city of Shimla, which has been facing severe water shortages and water-borne epidemics in recent years.
The agreement was signed by Khare, Prabodh Saxena, the state Urban Development Department Principal Secretary, and Junaid Ahmad, the World Bank India Country Director.
The World Bank-supported project will support the state programme of policy and institutional reform needed to bring continuous, pressurised water supply, efficient sewage collection and treatment for all households in the Greater Shimla area.
The $40 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a four-year grace period and a maturity of 15.5 years.
FACTFILE – International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is an international financial institution that offers loans to middle-income developing countries.
The IBRD is the first of five member institutions that compose the World Bank Group, and is headquartered in Washington DC, United States.
It was established in 1944 with the mission of financing the reconstruction of European nations devastated by WW II, but later, it’s mandate expanded to advancing worldwide economic development and eradicating poverty.
The IBRD and the International Development Association (its concessional lending arm), are collectively known as the World Bank as they share the same staff.
It offers a number of financial services and products, including flexible loans, grants, risk guarantees, financial derivatives, and catastrophic risk financing.
Rudra Barua Award bestowed on Guru Nadiram Deuri
The Luit Konwar Rudra Barua Award was presented to Guru Nadiram Deuri for his outstanding contribution towards promotion of Tiwa folk dance and music.
The award instituted by the Luit Konwar Rudra Barua Trust consists of a cash award of Rs 25,000, a citation and a shawl.
The award was presented at Jagiroad, coinciding with the 39th death anniversary of the legendary artiste and organiser.
BIOGRAPHY – Luit Konwar Rudra Baruah
Luit Konwar Rudra Baruah was one of the foremost music pioneers of Assam.
He was an actor, composer, lyricist, singer and musician. He served with Govt. of Assam in the Public Relations Department and established the Culture & Film Division in the 1970s.
He was conferred the title Luit Konwar in honour of the sterling work in the development of music and cinema in Assam.
MCI centre opened at the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital
The Medical Council of India’s Regional Centre for Medical Education Technologies at the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH), Jorhat.
The MCI Centre for Medical Education Technologies would upgrade the teaching competency of teachers commensurate with the new MCI curriculum, which would be implemented from August 2019.
The Centre would offer its services to 19 medical colleges from West Bengal, Sikkim,Meghalaya, Agartala, Manipur and Assam.
Sushil Chandra appointed as new Election Commissioner of India
President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Sushil Chandra as the new Election Commissioner.
Sushil Chandra Appointed as new Election Commissioner. His appointment fills the vacancy caused after the retirement of O.P. Rawat.
Sushil Chandra is currently serving as the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). Before that he has served as Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) International Taxation in Delhi, Director of Investigation, Mumbai and Director General Investigation, Gujarat.
Other two members of the Commission, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora and Election Commissioner (EC) Ashok Lavasa.
FACTFILE – Election Commissioner of India
The appointment was made under the clause (2) of Article 324 of the constitution.
The Election Commission shall consist of the Chief Election Commissioner and such number of other Election Commissioners.
The appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners shall, subject to the provisions of any law made in that behalf by Parliament be made by the President.
The President appoints the Election Commissioner based on the recommendations of the cabinet under the Transaction of Business Rules of 1961.
Framework of entrepreneurship curriculum approved by Delhi government
The Delhi government approved the framework of Entrepreneurship Curriculum, which will be launched in about 20 schools in April as a pilot while the full-fledged launch will take place in all Delhi government schools.
The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in its governing council meeting chaired by the Education Minister Manish Sisodia approved the framework.
The framework, formed by a 16-member committee comprising experts and teachers, will be released formally by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The curriculum will be activity-based and there would be no evaluation, examination and books for the curriculum.
The thought of the Education Minister behind the launch of the entrepreneurship curriculum is to make the students of Delhi government job creators rather than being job seekers.
Andhra Pradesh passes Bill for 5% quota to Kapus
The Andhra Pradesh Assembly passed a Bill to provide five per cent reservation to the Kapu community. The Bill to provide five per cent quota in education and employment to Kapus, Ontari, Balija and Telaga sub-castes was passed unanimously by the House.
The Bill was subsequently forwarded to the Centre seeking a Constitutional amendment to include Kapus in the backward classes list under Schedule IX as the five per cent quota proposed is over and above the stipulated 50 per cent reservations for all categories.
Last month, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government had announced it will give five per cent reservation to Kapus and its sub-castes out of 10 per cent quota announced by the Centre for the economically weaker sections (EWS).
February 09, 2019
Centre allocates Rs 59 cr for Asiatic Lion conservation
To protect and conserve the worlds last ranging free population of Asiatic Lions, the Ministry of Environment launched a three-year Asiatic Lion Conservation Project in collaboration with the state of Gujarat.
The project, at an estimated cost of Rs 98 crore, for which the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has allocated Rs 59 crore to Gujarat’s Gir sanctuary, will span over three financial years — 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021.
It will focus on the scientific management of the lion habitat with the involvement of communities, disease control and veterinary care for the overall conservation of Asiatic Lions.
The project, will use modern information and communication technology (ICT) for conservation, protection and development efforts of the Greater Gir region, including GPS based tracking, surveillance, animal and vehicle tracking, magnetic and movement sensors, infra-red heat sensors, night vision capability enhancement, GIS-based real-time monitoring, analysis and report generation.
FACTFILE – The Asiatic Lion in Gir
It is one of the 21 critically endangered species identified by the Ministry for taking up recovery programmes.
It is being listed in Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, to be accorded the highest degree of protection.
India signed MoU to train 1,800 Bangladesh civil servants
India will train 1,800 Bangladeshi civil servants in in e-governance and service delivery, public policy and implementation, information technology, decentralisation, urban development and planning, ethics in administration and challenges in implementation of Sustainable Development Goals.
The MoU was signed between the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) and the Ministry of Public Administration of Bangladesh.
The Bangladeshi civil servants will be trained at NCGG, an institute under the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DAR&PG) of the Ministry of Personnel.
This is the second time that NCGG would enter into an MoU for a training programme for Bangladesh civil servants. Under the first MOU signed five years ago, 1,500 Bangladesh civil servants have already been trained in NCGG.
Central Govt announces Great Indian Bustard as mascot for COP-13
The Centre announced that the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) will be its mascot for the 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the UN Convention on the conservation of migratory species (CMS) to be held in Gujarat.
Hosting the 13th COP would give India an opportunity to showcase its conservation initiatives for wildlife species.
It will provide a global platform for deliberations on the conservation and sustainable use of migratory wild animals and their habitat
The Indian sub-continent is also part of the major bird flyway network, i.e, the Central Asian Flyway (CAF), which covers areas between the Arctic Ocean and the Indian Ocean, and covers at least 279 populations of 182 migratory waterbird species, including 29 globally threatened species.
India is temporary home to several migratory birds and animals like Amur falcons, Bar-headed geese, Black-necked cranes, Marine turtles, Dugongs, Humpbacked whales etc.
FACTFILE – The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
Also known as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) or the Bonn Convention and CMS COP, is an international treaty under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme, aimed at conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range.
The CMS is the only global and UN-based intergovernmental organization established exclusively for the conservation and management of terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species throughout their range.
The Convention was signed in 1979 in Bad Godesberg, a suburb of Bonn, and entered into force in 1983.
The depositary is the government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
