Assam Current Affairs – April 15 – 21, 2019

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Current Affairs Assam – April 15 - 21, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of April 15 – 21, 2019 )

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April 15, 2019

 Aizawl records highest temp in 20 years
  • The capital city of Mizoram on Monday, 15th April, 2019 experienced its hottest day in 20 years as the mercury soared to 34.2 degrees Celsius.
  • Temperatures are being recorded in the state since 1999, and the maximum temperature that was recorded before was on a day in April 2015 when it rose to 34.1 degrees Celsius, the Chief Scientific Officer of the Mizoram Directorate of Science and technology, Dr R K Lallianthanga, said.
  • Temperature over 32 degrees Celsius is regarded almost unbearable in this hilly state where the average temperature is generally between 11 and 21 degrees Celsius during winter and between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius during summer.
India successfully test fired sub-sonic cruise missile ‘Nirbhay’
  • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully test-fired 1,000 km strike range sub-sonic cruise missile named ‘Nirbhay’ from Odisha coast.
  • The 1,000-km range missile was fired for a shorter range from a launch pad from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Balasore district
  • India’s Aeronautical Development Establishment has said the cruise missile is India’s first indigenously designed and developed long-range missile.
  • Indigenously developed by the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), the Nirbhay missile can carry warheads of up to 300 kg.
  • The successful test of the 1,000 km long range missile will definitely provide a boost to India’s defence power.
Cabinet approves reservations in admission for Economically Weaker Section (EWS)
  • The Union cabinet approved provision of reservations in admission for economically weaker section students (EWS) in Central Educational Institution (CEIs).
  • With the cabinet approval, a total of 214,766 additional seats would be created (118,983 additional seats in 2019-20 and 95,783 additional seats during 2020-21).
  • A sanction of Rs 4315.15 crore has been approved for 158 CEIs for reservation to economically weaker sections.
  • The move follows Human Resource Development Ministry instructions in January to all CEIs to increase the intake of students in all branches of study in pursuance of the 103rd Constitutional Amendment to provide 10 percent reservation in economically weaker sections without adversely affecting SC/ST and Socially and Economically Backward (SEBC) classes and also not reducing the seats for general category.
Union Cabinet approves continuation of Phase-4 of GSLV
  • The Union Cabinet approved the ongoing Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) continuation programme’s phase-4 that consists of five GSLV flights during 2021-2024.
  • The phase-4 programme will enable the launch of 2 tonne class of satellites for geo-imaging, navigation, data relay communication and space sciences.
  • The total fund requirement for the phase-4 programme is Rs 2,729.13 crore and includes the cost of five GSLV vehicles, essential facility augmentation, programme management and launch campaign along with the additional funds required for meeting the scope of the ongoing programme.
  • It will meet the launch requirement of satellites for providing critical satellite navigation services, data relay communication for supporting the Indian Human spaceflight programme and the next interplanetary mission to Mars.
  • The phase-4 GSLV programme will meet the demand for the launch of satellites at a frequency of up to two launches per year with maximal participation by the Indian industry.
  • The GSLV Continuation Programme was initially sanctioned in 2003 and two phases have been completed. The third phase is in progress and is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2020-21.
3 Indian teams win awards at NASA rover challenge
  • Three Indian student teams won awards in NASA’s annual Human Exploration Rover Challenge at the US Space and Rocket Centre in Huntsville, Alabama.
  • The team from KIET Group of Institutions in Ghaziabad won the “AIAA Neil Armstrong Best Design Award” in the college/university division.
  • The Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management and Engineering from Mumbai won the “Frank Joe Sexton Memorial Pit Crew Award” in the college/university division. The school also won the System Safety Challenge Award at the competition hosted by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville and held at the US Space and Rocket Centre.
  • Lovely Professional University from Phagwara, Punjab, won the STEM Engagement Award.

April 16, 2019 

HDFC Bank tops Forbes Best Indian Banks 2019 list
  • Indian private lender- HDFC Bank was ranked at the top of the ‘Forbes Best Indian Banks 2019’ list.
  • Forbes has compiled a first-ever list of the World’s Best Bank 2019 in terms of customer services and technological advancements.
  • HDFC Bank claims to provide the best of its technological features to its 43 million customers. Another private lender ICICI Bank took the second spot, while DBS was at the third rank in Forbes list of Indian banks.
  • Kotak Mahindra Bank and IDFC Bank had managed to gain the fourth and fifth spot respectively. Syndicate Bank, PNB, Allahabad Bank, Vijaya Bank and Axis Bank were ranked from sixth to tenth respectively.
  • The banks were rated on the basis of the following attributes- Trust, Digital Services, Financial Advice and Fees
Cabinet approves creation of sixth deputy CAG post
  • The Union Cabinet approved creation of an additional post of Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General (Coordination, Communication and Information System) in the office of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.
  • The position in pay level 17 was created by abolishing one STS level post,. At present, the country’s top auditor has five posts of deputy CAGs.
  • The Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General shall oversee the coordination among state audits, audit of telecommunication and to coordinate the various information systems initiatives within the Indian Audit and Accounts Department.
  • The expenditure on account of creation of this post will be about Rs 21 lakh.

FACTFILE – The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India

  • CAG is an authority, established by Article 148 of the Constitution of India, which audits all receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and the state governments, including those of bodies and authorities substantially financed by the government.
  • The CAG is also the external auditor of Government-owned corporations and conducts supplementary audit of government companies, i.e., any non-banking/ non-insurance company in which Union Government has an equity share of at least 51 per cent or subsidiary companies of existing government companies.
  • The reports of the CAG are taken into consideration by the Public Accounts Committees (PACs) and Committees on Public Undertakings (COPUs), which are special committees in the Parliament of India and the state legislatures.
  • The CAG is also the head of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department, the affairs of which are managed by officers of Indian Audit and Accounts Service, and has over 58,000 employees across the country.
  • The current CAG of India is Rajiv Mehrishi. He is the 13th CAG of India.
  • The CAG is mentioned in the Constitution of India under Article 148 – 151.
  • The CAG is ranked 9th and enjoys the same status as a judge of Supreme Court of India in Indian order of precedence.
 India, UK renew Defence cooperation pact
  • India’s defence cooperation with the UK renewing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) amid their keenness to identify mutual capability needs and collaborate in the areas of defence and security.
  • The Defence Equipment Cooperation MoU renews the one signed on April 1, 1997, which was subsequently renewed on April 2007.
  • The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding underpins the collaboration between our two nations, building on our defence ties, and ensuring our nations are able to combat emerging threats for generations to come.
  • By collaborating and exploiting procurement opportunities together, both nations will be able to benefit from technological and manufacturing capabilities and support long-term cooperation between their defence and security industries.
  • The pact was signed by Air Marshal Richard Knighton on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence and Barun Mitra, Additional Secretary Defence Production in the Ministry of Defence on behalf of the Indian government.
  • At bilateral defence and security equipment talks in London, the two nations agreed to re-double efforts to identify mutual defence and security capability needs and collaborate on solutions.
UN owes India $38 million for peacekeeping operations
  • The UN owes India $30 million for its contributions to the peacekeeping operations, face frequent cash constraints that force the organisation to postpone the settlement of its obligations to troop- and police-contributing countries.
  • Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a report to the General Assembly on UN’s financial situation. He blamed the failure of member nations to pay their budget dues on time, in particular the US, for the arrears to India and other countries that send personnel to the peacekeeping operations.
  • Earlier, India’s Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin told the Security Council that the arrears were an “enormous burden for a TCC (Troop-Contributing Country) to bear, in addition to what they are doing in terms of providing people and personnel, equipment, etc”.

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April 17, 2019      

World Hemophilia Day 2019 observed on April 17
  • April 17, 2019 is marked as the 29th World Hemophilia Day. This year, the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) is focusing on reaching out and identifying new members of the bleeding disorders community.
  • For many years, the WFH has supported outreach projects in different countries and conducted educational events for both lay and health care professionals in conjunction with our national member organizations (NMOs).
  • The WHD2019 campaign will feature examples of WFH outreach initiatives such as organizing regional workshops, raising awareness of bleeding through media coverage or training health professionals and collecting data.
  • It will combine these examples with submissions from our community about outreach efforts in their own regions or ideas about what would be helpful for future initiatives.
  • This landmark day also helps to illustrate the importance of the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program—an important endeavour for the WFH that provides a range of integrated care development training programs to ensure the local infrastructure and medical expertise are available to optimize and appropriately use donated products.
India partner with Japan and UAE to set up projects in Africa
  • India is joining hands with Japan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to implement two projects in Africa as it seeks to extend its footprint on the continent where strategic rival China has made deep inroads.
  • India will build a cancer hospital in Kenya in collaboration with Japan, it will partner with the UAE to set up an information and communications technology (ICT) centre in Ethiopia.
  • India and Japan had announced the Asia Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC) with four major strands, including capacity building and human resource development in Africa, creating quality infrastructure and institutional connectivity, people-to-people partnership, and development and cooperation projects.
  • It also envisaged developing capacities to sustain infrastructure, greenfield projects, power grids, agriculture and agro-processing, besides health and pharmaceuticals.
China develops world’s first armed amphibious drone boat
  • China has successfully tested the world’s first armed amphibious drone boat which could be used in land assault operations and is capable of forming a combat triad with aerial drones and other drone
  • Having a maximum operation range of 1,200 kms, the Marine Lizard can be remotely controlled via satellites.
  • The 12-meter-long Marine Lizard is a trimaran propelled by a diesel-powered hydrojet and can reach a maximum speed of 50 knots while maintaining stealth. When approaching land, the amphibious drone ship can release four continuous track units hidden under its belly, and travel at 20 kms an hour on land.
  • The Marine Lizard’s payloads include an electro-optical system and a radar system. In the weapon department, it is equipped with two machine guns and a vertical launching system for anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles.
  • This amphibious drone boat is suitable for island assault operations as a swarm of such drone ships could lead an attack following a first wave of artillery and air strikes.
  • Guided by China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, the Marine Lizard can cooperate with other battle units in an integrated command system.

April 18, 2019 

Meena Kumari wins Gold in Cologne Boxing World Cup
  • India finished its campaign at the Cologne Boxing World Cup 2019 with a haul of five medals with Meena Kumari Maisnam winning the only gold medal for India.
  • Meena Kumari Maisnam (54kg) won the only gold medal for India in the tournament.
  • It was the only bout of the tournament for the Manipur pugilist Meena Kumari as she had been directly placed in the final due to a smaller draw.
  • Youth world champion Sakshi (57kg) and India Open gold medallist Pwilao Basumatary (64kg) lost their final bouts and finished with silver medals.
  • Pinki Rani (51kg) and Parveen (60kg) won bronze medals after losing their semi-final bouts.

FACTFILE – Cologne Boxing World Cup

  • Cologne Boxing World Cup earlier known as Chemistry Cup witnesses participation from more than 20 nations and 160 boxers in seven women and ten men weight classes.
  • It is one of the strongest international events in Europe with nearly 50 years of traditions.
Ministry of Corporate Affairs is likely to revamp LLP framework
  • The Ministry of Corporate Affairs is likely to review and revamp the decade-old Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) framework.
  • The review of LLPs, considered the lowest compliance hybrid between companies and partnerships, comes following representations against aRs 100 per day penalty for delayed filing and difficulties faced in dissolution of such entities.
  • The ministry may ask the Registrar of Companies (RoC) to consider revising an office memorandum, which barred LLPs from any manufacturing activity.
  • The memorandum had anguished some quarters in the industry and hence was withdrawn.
  • A committee would be set up to review the LLP framework and look into issues regarding its implementation.
  • The memorandum was implemented without any prior notice to companies which created confusion and the sudden withdrawal also created confusion.
Indian coast gaurd offshore patrol vessel deployed by General Bipin Rawat
  • Indian Coast Guard vessel Veera has been commissioned by General BipinRawat, Chief of Army Staff, in the presence of Director General of Indian Coast Guard Rajendra Singh, Chief of Eastern Naval Command Vice Admiral Karambir Singh and other senior dignitaries of the Central and State government in a ceremony organised at Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.
  • Veera, the third in the series of the new generation Offshore Patrol Vessel is under the administrative and operational command of the coast guard regional headquarters (east).
  • The 98-meter long, 15-meter wide vessel has a 3.6 m draft and a range of 5,000 nautical miles. It can attain a speed up to 26 knots. The vessel has 12 officers and 94 men. The ship is equipped with an ultra-modern navigation and communication system.

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April 19, 2019 

Nagaland lone North-Eastern State to join pan-India helpline number ‘112’
  • Twenty States and Union Territories, including the lone North Eastern State of Nagaland, have so far joined a pan-India network of a single emergency helpline number, 112, on which immediate assistance can be sought by anyone in distress.
  • The ‘112’ helpline is an integration of police (100), fire (101) and women (1090) helpline numbers and the project is being implemented under the Central Government’s Nirbhaya Fund.
  • The 20 States and UTs include Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Jammu and Kashmir.
  • The Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) envisages a single pan-India emergency number 112, which is an internationally recognised number, to target all types of emergencies.
  • A panic button is already provided on all mobile phones, which on activation will trigger an emergency call to 112. The Emergency Response Centre (ERCs), being set up by the States and UTs, can receive panic signal via voice call to 112, e-mail requests on the State ERSS website or the ‘112’ mobile app.
  • Location-based tracking of victim can be done through location-based services of all phones or even more accurately through GPS for smartphones.
  • The ‘112’ India app provides for ‘shout facility’ designed especially for women, for enlisting support of volunteers who have registered themselves with the State police for emergency response.
  • To access emergency services, a person can dial ‘112’ on a phone or press the power button of a smartphone three times quickly to send a panic call to the Emergency Response Centre. In case of a normal phone, a long press of the ‘5’ or ‘9’ key will activate the panic call.
  • People can also log onto the ERSS website for the respective State and send an emergency e-mail or SOS alert to the State Emergency Response Centre. They can use the ‘112’ India mobile app, which is available free on Google Play Store and Apple Store.
  • The Nirbhaya Fund was set up by the Central Government for projects specifically designed to improve the safety and security of the women.
India’s 1st Centre for drone development soon at IIT Hyderabad
  • Japan-based Terra Drone Corporation, Terra Drone India and the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, have signed a pact to establish a first-of-its-kind Centre of Excellence for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in India.
  • The centre will be set up at IIT Hyderabad.
  • Terra Drone Corporation is one of the world’s largest providers of industrial drone solutions.
  • The company is at the forefront of several innovations in the aviation industry, including promoting the application of AI technologies in drones and providing advisory services to the ongoing ‘flying car’ project in Japan.
  • Terra Drone will support IIT Hyderabad to organise workshops, seminars, lectures and joint projects that leverage cutting-edge unmanned technologies and drone LiDAR systems.
  • Terra Drone India would also offer internship programmes to talented students and prepare them for the real-world technology applications.
Saudi Arabia to host G20 summit in 2020
  • Saudi Arabia announced it will host the G20 summit in November next year in the capital Riyadh, The first G20 meeting in the Arab world will be held in November 2020.
  • G20 world leaders met for the first time in 2008 with focus on rescuing the global economy from the worst financial crisis in more than 70 years.
  • According to the final communique of the G20 summit last year in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which confirmed that the summit will be held in Japan in 2019, and in Saudi Arabia in 2020
  • Saudi Arabia confirmed that it looks forward to hosting the event.

April 20 2019 

3 North Eastern States to get DNA testing facilities
  • DNA testing facilities are being set up at forensic science laboratories of 13 States and Union Territories including the three North Eastern States of Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura at a cost of Rs 131.09 crore.
  • Cyber forensic laboratories and cyber forensic training facilities are being set up in these States as part of the Rs 223.19 crore Cyber Crime Prevention Against Women and Children project.
  • Five States – Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Uttarakhand – have already set up cyber forensic training laboratories.
  • A total of 3,664 personnel, including 410 public prosecutors and judicial officers, have been trained for the purpose.
  • The project is being implemented under the Nirbhaya Fund, set up by the Central Government for projects specifically designed to improve the safety and security of women.
  • According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 12,187 cyber crime cases were registered across India in 2016 in comparison to 11,331 cases in 2015. There was a 20.5 per cent increase in the number of cyber crime cases in 2015 over 2014 and 6.3 per cent increase in such cases in 2016 over 2015.
Japan-US welcomes growing ties with India
  • The US-Japan 2+2 ministerial meeting has welcomed the growing ties between their countries and India in the Indo-Pacific region that is of vital strategic interest to them.
  • The defence and diplomatic cabinet officials of the two countries expressed satisfaction with the trilateral meeting with India and noted significance of joint military exercises.
  • US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan met with Japan’s Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya for their high-level strategic meeting focused on building a free and open Indo-Pacific.
  • The Ministers also noted with satisfaction the first Japan-US-India trilateral summit meeting in 2018 and highlighted significant joint exercises, such as Malabar 2018 and Cope India 2018.
  • Building upon these various trilateral efforts, the Ministers welcomed the regularization of quadrilateral engagement among Japan, the Us, Australia, and India.
  • Ministers called for full respect for freedoms of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea, and reiterated the importance of activities that support those principles.
India suspends LOC trade with Pakistan
  • The Home Ministry issued orders to suspend the Line of Control (LoC) trade between Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Jammu and Kashmir effective from April 19.
  • The government has taken this step after receiving reports of cross LoC trade routes being misused by Pakistan-based elements.
  • It may be recalled that the LoC trade is meant to facilitate the exchange of goods of common use between local populations across the LoC in Jammu & Kashmir.
  • During ongoing probe of certain cases by NIA, it has been brought out that a significant number of trading concerns engaged in LoC trade are operated by persons closely associated with banned terror organisations involved in fueling terrorism/separatism.
  • So it’s decided to suspend LoC trade at Salamabad & Chakkan-da-Bagh in J&K. Meanwhile, a stricter regulatory and enforcement mechanism is being worked out & will be put in place in consultation with various agencies.

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April 21, 2019 

Indian Navy launched guided missile destroyer Imphal
  • Indigenously-designed and constructed guided missile destroyer ‘Imphal’ was launched at the Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. Yard.
  • As per maritime traditions, Reena Lanba, wife of Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba named the ship and broke a coconut on the 3,037 tonnes ship’s bow prior to the launch amidst invocations from the Atharvaveda.
  • Enhanced stealth features have been achieved through the shaping of hull and use of radar transparent deck fittings which make the ships difficult to detect. 
  • The ship is the third in the Project 15B vessels – the earlier ones launched are ‘Vishakhapatnam’ (2015) and ‘Murmagoa’ in 2016 – which feature cutting edge advanced technology and are comparable to ships of similar class anywhere globally.
  • Designed by the Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design, each ship spans 163 metres long and 17.4 metres at beam and displaced 7,300 tonnes.
Ebaku Bishu celebrated across Lakhimpur
  • Ebaku Bishu or the Bohagiyo Bisu of the Deori community was celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety across Lakhimpur district.
  • Observed on the first Wednesday of the Assamese month of Bohag, the EbakuBishu this time got under way on the same day.
  • The festivities began with offerings at various thaans of the Deori communities across the district and ceremonial bathing in the morning of the day.
  • The “Suwasani Puja” was also observed on that occasion in Deori households for the welfare of the members of the family.
  • In villages elaborate arrangements were made for ChhajeKhula, places which are situated either isolated from the village or middle of the village where husori were performed by the youth which began with a declaration by DeoriBharali following offerings at thaans.
  • The women of the community organised egg fights during the Bihu. Youngsters also revelled in smearing mud on each other.
NASA spots universe’s 1st molecule
  • NASA’s airborne observatory has detected the first type of molecule ever formed in the universe. This is the first time helium hydride has been found in the modern universe.
  • Scientists discovered the molecule in our own galaxy using NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), as the aircraft flew high above the Earth’s surface and pointed its sensitive instruments out into the cosmos.
  • SOFIA is a Boeing 747SP jetliner modified to carry a 106-inch diameter telescope. It found modern helium hydride in a planetary nebula, a remnant of what was once a Sun-like star.
  • Located 3,000 light-years away near the constellation Cygnus, this planetary nebula, called NGC 7027, has conditions that allow this mystery molecule to form.
  • The discovery serves as proof that helium hydride can, in fact, exist in space.
  • Scientists believe that around 100,000 years after the big bang, helium and hydrogen combined to make a molecule called helium hydride for the first time.
  • Helium itself is a noble gas making it very unlikely to combine with any other kind of atom.

 

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