Assam Current Affairs – April 22 - 28, 2019

Current Affairs Assam – April 22 - 28, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of April 22 – 28, 2019 )

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April 22, 2019

Birangana Sadhani Divas observed in Sivasagar

Birangana Sadhani Divas was observed centrally in Sivasagar Boarding Field by the Department of Cultural Affairs in association with the Sivasagar district administration.
Birangana Sadhani was a symbol of sacrifice and patriotism and her act of heroism will continue to inspire not only the Chutias but all others in Assam.
Chutias were one of the oldest warring tribes of NE India who came into the Hindu fold centuries ago. Defeat of Chutia king Bhismak of the scriptures at hands of Lord Krishna and marriage of Bhismak’s daughter Rukmini with Krishna was symbolical of Chutias accepting Aryan culture.
The Chutias got assimilated with broad Assamese culture after the defeat of Nitipal at hands of the Ahoms and they were the first people to use Assamese language in the Brahmaputra valley.

Earth day 2019 observed on 22^nd April

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated globally on April 22, to remind us about the vulnerability of the Earth and the need to wake up to save it for the sake of posterity, was observed by Early Birds, an NGO fighting for protection of Nature.
Worldwide, various events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day now includes events in more than 193 countries which are now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network.
The 2019 theme for Earth Day is to protect threatened and endangered species.
On Earth Day 2016, the landmark Paris Agreement was signed by the United States, China, and some 120 other countries.
This signing satisfied a key requirement for the entry into force of the historic draft climate protection treaty adopted by consensus of the 195 nations present at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.
In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, peace activistJohn McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be celebrated on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere.
This day of nature’s equipoise was later sanctioned in a proclamation written by McConnell and signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations.
A month later a separate Earth Day was founded by United States SenatorGaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970.

Indian, US Navies hold anti-submarine warfare exercise

Indian and the US Navies have held a joint submarine-hunting exercise in the Indian Ocean, aiming to lay the groundwork for coordinating maritime patrol and reconnaissance.
Indian and the US’ P-8 anti-submarine aircraft, along with the USS Spruance, a guided-missile destroyer, participated in the anti-submarine warfare training.
The Indian P-8I Neptune aircraft from the Naval Air Squadron 312 based at Naval Station Rajali in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, joined the US P-8A Poseidon aircraft from Patrol Squadron VP-8 “Fighting Tigers”, based in Jacksonville, Florida, in the exercise.
The Spruance and VP-8 are operating with the 7th Fleet, which is the largest forward deployed fleet of the US and operates in the Indo-Pacific region.
The exercise was the latest in efforts to develop military coordination between the two countries with an eye on the Indo-Pacific.

April 23, 2019

Khongjom Day observed in Manipur

In remembrance of the brave sons of the soil who fought in the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891, the Khongjom Day was today observed at the Khongjom War Memorial Complex at Khebaching.
Manipur Governor Dr Najma Heptulla and Chief Minister N Biren Singh led other ministers, MLAs, government officers, police personnel and the public in laying floral wreaths on the Khongjom War Memorial and the statue of Paona Brajabasi.
The dignitaries also offered tarpan in Khongjom river. A guard of honour, general salute, sounding of last post and two minutes’ silence were also part of the observance.
The Anglo-Manipur War of 1891 is of great historical significance for the people of Manipur as it changed their course of history. From an independent princely State, Manipur became a colony of the British Empire after it lost the war. Historical records amply bear out the fact that a handful of Manipuri soldiers with primitive weapons fought valiantly against an overwhelming number of British soldiers who were equipped with far more superior weapons.
The War of Khongjom is not only a glorious saga of the freedom struggle of Manipur but is truly representative of the spirit of freedom that engulfed the whole country in a later part of history, she said.

India to have 12 more nuclear plants

India will soon have 12 more nuclear plants soon to improve the power situation and ensure there is a free flow of uninterrupted power supply for both industries and residential use.
The Atomic Energy Commission of India’s ChairmanK.N. Vyas, said at the 11th International Forum AtomExpo 2019.
Nuclear technology helps in betterment of lives through varied usages and is an irreplaceable source of clean, pollution-free energy.
The first stage of India’s indigenous nuclear power programme has now attained maturity with 18 operating Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs).
Citing the record run of Kaiga Nuclear Power Station, he said a small unit of indigenously-developed 220-250MW reaction has completed 962 days of uninterrupted run at about 99.3 per cent capacity and the amount of electricity it has generated is “tremendous”.

Ayush Ministry inks MoU with CSIR

The Ministry of AYUSH inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi for cooperation in research and education in areas of traditional systems of medicine and its integration with modern science.
The MoU was signed by AYUSH Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha and CSIR Director General DrShekhar C Mande and Secretary, DSIR in the presence of senior officials from both organisations.
In view of the surge in the usage of herbal medicines and supplements globally, the endeavour of Ministry and CSIR aims to bring the organisations under an umbrella understanding for pursuing focused R&D efforts in the domain.
Under the MoU, both organisations shall jointly pursue R&D covering fundamental research; AYUSH specific diagnostic tools; linking microbiome, gene expression and prakriti; multi-ingredient herbal formulations, including their standardisation; exploring modern scientific methods for integration with traditional Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) and linking disease signatures.
Furthering the collaboration in preserving and protecting traditional knowledge related to the Indian systems of healthcare, through the existing TKDL platform and development of international standardised terminologies (disease-morbidity codes) in Ayurveda,Siddha and Unani (ASU), Database on Medicinal plants and foods.

India Post partners with TCS to modernize the e-postal network

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has partnered with the Department of Posts (DoP) to modernise a network of more than 1.5 lakh post offices across the country, making it the largest distributed e-postal network in the world.
The multi-year digital core programme will transform the DoP into a multi-service digital hub, modernise the delivery of mail and packages, enhance customer experience and launch innovative services that will drive new revenues.
Objective of the transformation is to use the DoP’s nation-wide reach to drive financial inclusion and accessibility of citizen services in remote areas.
This is being accomplished through over 1.3 lakh DARPAN (Digital Advancement of Rural Post Office for A New lndia) hand-held devices that gramindaksevaks use to provide postal, banking, insurance and cash management services in remote villages, even those without network connectivity.
The web portal has an e-marketplace to help rural artisans, self-help groups and women entrepreneurs reach out to buyers throughout the country.

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April 24, 2019

Devotees throng Charantala Mela in West Garo Hills

The Charantala Mela, devoted to Goddess Kali, saw the convergence of thousands of devotees at Babedpara, Selsella, in West Garo Hills district.
The annual festival is not only the biggest congregation of Hindus in the Garo Hills, but it also witnesses visits by people from other States seeking blessings from the Goddess.
According to folklore, the Charantala Mela began at the site after Goddess Kali appeared in a dream and promised to rid the village of a small pox epidemic that afflicted the people in 1965. The village saw about 20 deaths due to the disease that year.
In the same year, after the epidemic abated, local residents made a makeshift temple from where prayers were offered to the Goddess for her blessings. The word spread far and wide, leading to a huge number of devotees queuing up to offer their prayers.
The number of devotees, according to the latest estimates available to the committee, has been increasing every year.

National Panchayati Raj Day observed on 24^th April

National Panchayati Raj Day (National Local Self-Government day) is the national day of Panchayati Raj System in India celebrated by Ministry of Panchayati Raj on 24 April annually.
Then Prime Minister of IndiaManmohan Singh declared the first National Panchayati Raj Day on 24th April 2010.
He mentioned that if Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs) functioned properly and locals participated in the development process, the Maoist threat could be countered.
The Constitution of India recognizes Panchayats as ‘Institutions of self government’.
There are 2.51 lakh Panchayats in our country, which include 2.39 lakh Gram Panchayats, 6904 Block Panchayats and 589 District Panchayats.
There are more than 29 lakh Panchayat representatives. Under the 14^th Finance Commission for the period 2015-20, more than 2 lakh crore Rupees is being allocated to Gram Panchayats for 5 years to undertake physical and social infrastructure projects in the villages.

‘RTS,S’ – World’s first malaria vaccine launched in Africa

The world’s first and only malaria vaccine was launched in the African country of Malawi as part of a landmark pilot program hoping to protect, in particular, hundreds of thousands of children under five against one of the world’s leading killers.
Thirty years in the making, RTS,S is the first and to date the only vaccine that has demonstrated it can significantly reduce malaria in children.
In clinical trials, the vaccine was found to prevent about four in ten malaria cases, including three in ten cases of life-threatening severe malaria.
An outcome of public-private partnership under the WHO’s coordination, the pilot vaccine program is designed to generate evidence and experience to inform WHO policy recommendations on the broader use of the vaccine.
It will look at reductions in child deaths; vaccine uptake, including whether parents bring their children on time for the four required doses; and vaccine safety in the context of routine use.

April 25, 2019

Steps taken to preserve 3 heritage police stations in Assam

Assam’s Directorate of Archaeology has taken steps to preserve the century-old, heritage police stations at Chatia, Gohpur and Dhekiajuli and it has by this time completed the restoration work of the Chatia Police Station. Chatia was earlier spelled as Sootea.
Director of Archaeology Dr Deepi Rekha Kouli said conservation of this kind of heritage sites of the British colonial era is a new step taken by the Directorate. All possible standards have been maintained to restore the structure of the Chatia Police Station as per its original layout while conserving the structure.
Restoration work of the Gohpur Police Station is also going on, while that of the Dhekiajuli Police Station is yet to be started, as, Kouli said the Police Station is yet to be handed over to the Directorate by the Department concerned.
Restoration of these structures will continue to inspire the archaeological conservationists in the days to come as far as conservation of the colonial heritage structures of the State is concerned, said Dr Kouli.
It needs mention here that the State’s Directorate of Archaeology has been entrusted with the task of conservation of the heritage police stations at Chatia, Gohpur and Dhekiajuli by the State Government with an announcement in the State Budget for the 2017-’18 fiscal.
Gohpur Police Station, in the present day Biswanath District, was set up in 1901, while the Chatia Police Station in the same district and Dhekiajuli Police Station in Sonitpur District were set up in 1913.
These three police stations also bear the memory of the Quit India Movement against the British Colonialists in the State. When the Quit India Movement was at its peak in 1942, freedom fighters marched to the police stations of the State to hoist the Indian National Flag atop the buildings.
The police stations at Chatia, Gohpur and Dhekiajuli witnessed unprecedented assemblage of the freedom fighters on September 20, 1942. Eight persons, including three women, were shot dead by the British Police on the spot on the Dhekiajuli Police Station compound, when a 5,000-strong group of processionists, led by Kamalakanta Das, entered it to hoist the National flag atop the building of the police station.
Kanaklata Barua, a teenaged member of the Mrityu Bahini (Death Squad) was shot dead by the colonial police on the Gohpur Police Station compound when she was leading a group of freedom fighters to hoist the Indian National Flag atop the building of the police station.
Thus, the above three police stations have become inalienably linked with the socio-political life of the State’s people, said Dr Kouli.

UNICEF, NITI Aayog signs LoI for children empowerment

NITI Aayogs Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and UNICEF India signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to provide an open platform to promote participation, skilling and empowerment among young children across different communities.
The plan will be implemented through Atal Tinkering Lab initiative to orient the burgeoning innovation ecosystem towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals with a focus on child rights.
The LoI was signed by Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF representative in India, and RamanathanRamanan, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission.
Through this collaboration, AIM and UNICEF seek to promote participation, skilling and empowerment of adolescent girls and boys in and out-of-school, via Atal Innovation Mission’s programs.
This strategic partnership will also help effectively build capacities of adolescents, young entrepreneurs, mentors and teachers.

Manipur had the lowest malaria cases among NE States in 2018

Manipur has the lowest number of cases of malaria among the North Eastern States with only 12 malaria cases reported in 2018. Manipur is approaching nearer the ‘Zero Malaria’ status, said a DIPR report released in connection with the World Malaria Day observance in the State.
The national target is to eliminate local malaria by the year 2030.
Manipur has set the target of 2020 for eliminating local malaria, but changed it to 2021 following the 12 malaria cases found positive in 2018. Senapati district had zero malaria cases and deaths in 2018.
In 2017, the WHO estimated 219 million malaria cases and 4,35,000 malaria deaths in 87 countries.
The African region has a high share of global malaria with 92 per cent of malaria cases and 93 per cent deaths in 2017.
India represents 4 per cent of the global malaria burden.
Among Indian States, Odisha contributes 25 per cent followed by Meghalaya, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand.

World Malaria Day observed on 25^th April

World Malaria Day (WMD) is an international observance commemorated every year on 25 April and recognizes global efforts to control malaria. Globally, 3.3 billion people in 106 countries are at risk of malaria.
On World Malaria Day 2019, WHO joins the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, the African Union Commission and other partner organizations in promoting “Zero malaria starts with me,,” a grassroots campaign that aims to keep malaria high on the political agenda, mobilize additional resources, and empower communities to take ownership of malaria prevention and care.
In 2012, malaria caused an estimated 627,000 deaths, mostly among African children. Asia, Latin America, and to a lesser extent the Middle East and parts of Europe are also affected.
WMD is one of eight official global public health campaigns currently marked by the World Health Organization (WHO), along with World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Immunization Week, World Tuberculosis Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Hepatitis Day and World AIDS Day
According to the most recent World Malaria Report, the global tally of malaria reached 429,000 malaria deaths and 212 million new cases in 2015.
The rate of new malaria cases fell by 21 per cent globally between 2010 and 2015, and malaria death rates fell by 29 per cent in the same period. In sub-Saharan Africa, case incidence and death rates fell by 21 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively.

India Rises to 17^th Spot in Startup Blink’s Startup Ecosystem Ranking

According to data released by Startup Blink, India moved up to 17th position in 2018 from 37th spot last year in the Startup Ecosystem Ranking for 2019.
India ranks 17 globally among 100 countries, based on the strength of its startup ecosystem, according to Startup Blink, which tracks startup ecosystems on a number of parameters.
It used data from startups, accelerators and coworking spaces registered on it platforms as well as data received from global partners such as Crunchbase and SimilarWeb.
The cities with the most vibrant startup ecosystems in India are Bangalore, New Delhi and Mumbai.
In terms of global rankings, the top three spots remained unchanged with the United States, United Kingdom and Canada taking the first, second and third rank respectively.
The report has taken the startup ecosystems of 1,000 cities and 100 countries into consideration.
According to Inc42 Data Labs, 3800 new startups were launched in India during the last year. Overall, Indian startups received $11 Bn of funding through 743 deals in 2018.
Bengaluru was as the top startup city in India at 11th, while New Delhi followed in the 18th spot. Mumbai stood at 29th rank, while Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune also made it to top 100.
The top three cities in India at the end of 2018 were Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR and Mumbai which had 11,000, 8500 and 9,000 startups respectively.
Among the leading cities, startups in Bengaluru received $4.7 Bn, while those in Delhi-NCR received a funding of $4.4 Bn, followed by those in Mumbai which received a funding of $914 Mn in 2018.

Tagore Literary Prize 2019 awarded to Rana Dasgupta

The second edition of Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize was awarded to author Rana Dasgupta for his 2010 novel “Solo”, a tale of estrangement and the ultimate failure of material existence.
An amount of $10,000, a Tagore statue and a certificate for contribution to literature was given to Dasgupta.
The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize for social achievement was awarded to YoheiSasakawa, the World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, for “his incredible efforts to uproot leprosy and great contribution to world peace”. The Prize was also awarded to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen as “a beacon of democracy”.

FACTFILE – Tagore Prize

Tagore Prize is founded and launched with a strong vision to be a platform and a vehicle for improving and inspiring World Peace, Literature, Art and Education.
The prizes promote the culture and beauty of literature just as Rabindranath Tagore had taught us to, but also, the culture and society of tolerance, harmony and non-discrimination.

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April 26, 2019

Assam records all-time high of 81.52 per cent voting

The overall Lok Sabha poll turnout in Assam stood at an all-time high of 81.52 per cent. The polling percentage this time is the highest ever recorded in the State in any parliamentary elections so far. It surpassed the previous highest figure of 80.12 per cent which was recorded in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
As per the data released by the Election Commission, the turnout among male voters in the State stood at 81.73 per cent, while the polling percentage among female electorate was 81.30 per cent.
In the first Lok Sabha elections held 1951-52, the voter turnout in Assam was 47.96 per cent, while it stood at 46.14 per cent in the 1957 elections, 52.75 per cent in 1962, 54.99 per cent in 1967, 50.69 per cent in 1971, 54.88 per cent in 1977, 53.37 per cent in 1980, 77.40 per cent in 1985, 75.25 per cent in 1991, 78.50 per cent in 1996, 61.06 per cent in 1998, 71.26 per cent in 1999, 69.11 per cent in 2004 and 69.54 per cent in 2009.

North East agriculture vulnerable to climate change

In the North East region, climate change-induced higher agricultural vulnerability, is observed in its northern parts and the vulnerability declines towards its south, says a research paper ‘Climate change vulnerability profiles for North East India.’
The paper says that additionally, high relative variability and inter-annual variability of rainfall have created increased occurrence of droughts and floods in the recent times, leading to uncertainty in yield and increased agricultural vulnerability.
It has projected the very high vulnerability of the districts of Tirap, West Siang, Nalbari, Changlang and Dibrugarh remain very highly vulnerable. In the future scenario, the vulnerability of West Sikkim, North Sikkim, East Sikkim and Imphal East to decrease from high to moderate levels, while the vulnerability of the districts of Bishnupur and South Tripura are projected to be decreasing from moderate to low levels.
The northern part of the NE region shows a reduction in precipitation varying from 3 per cent in the northwest portion to about 12 per cent in the northeastern portion. In the remaining part of the NE region, there is an increase in precipitation varying from zero per cent to as much as 25 per cent in the central portion. Major parts of the NE region, except for some parts of Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur and Assam, show an increase in the evapotranspiration during the near-term scenario.
State-wise analysis shows that in Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, parts of Meghalaya and Nagaland, the flood magnitude is likely to increase by about 25 per cent in the future compared to the present. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim and parts of Meghalaya are likely to experience floods of lower magnitude (about 5 per cent to 10 per cent less) in future, compared to the present.
The number of drought weeks during monsoon months shows an increasing trend in Arunachal Pradesh, parts of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur, to the tune of about 25 per cent increase in future.

Point2beNoted: Evapotranspiration

Evapotranspiration is the process by which water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil and other surfaces and by transpiration from plants.

World Intellectual Property Day observed on 26 April

World Intellectual Property Day is observed annually on 26 April. The event was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000 to “raise awareness of how patents, copyright, trademarks and designs impact on daily life” and “to celebrate creativity, and the contribution made by creators and innovators to the development of societies across the globe”.
This year’s World Intellectual Property Day campaign – Reach for Gold – takes a closer look inside the world of sports. It explores how innovation, creativity and the IP rights that encourage and protect them support the development of sport and its enjoyment around the world.
26 April was chosen as the date for World Intellectual Property Day because it coincides with the date on which the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization entered into force in 1970.
This event has been criticized by a number of activists and scholars as one-sided propaganda in favor of traditional copyright, ignoring alternatives related to copyleft and the free culture movement.
Following a statement made at the Assembly of the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in September 1998, the Director General of the National Algerian Institute for Industrial Property (INAPI) proposed on 7 April 1999 the institutionalisation of an international day for intellectual property.

Government decides to put Medicine labels in regional language

In order to counter fake, sub-standard and expired drugs, the Union Health Ministry has said Hindi and regional language will be used in the tendering process.
Drug names and expiry date during tendering will be in Hindi/regional language too for — polio drop and Iron tablets — procured for children under the government programmes.
The Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) recently recommended that government procurement agencies should take necessary steps in the tendering process to include the regional language, along with English, on the label of iron tablets and polio drops in government programmes.
Since last year, the government has been working on ensuring the most stringent quality control for both the products which directly affect almost all the children born in India.
The Board constituted a sub-committee under the chairmanship of Dr. R.N. Tandon, honorary secretary general, IMA, New Delhi to examine and give recommendations to streamline the labelling requirements of drugs so as to provide the requisite information to the consumer.

April 27, 2019

Land survey in Assam to be completed in a year

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said proper land surveys have not been carried out in Assam for a long time and that is why land patta could not be issued to the people.
Sonowal said as the people do not have land patta, they are deprived of various government schemes and those without patta also find it difficult to obtain loans from banks and financial institutions.
The Chief Minister said that to deal with the problem, the government has started a proper land survey covering the entire State and it is expected that it would be completed within a year. After completion of the land survey, all the records would be computerised and the process of issuing land patta to rightful owners would gather momentum.
The process of issuing land patta has started in parts of the State, but once the survey is completed and all records are computerised, the process would gather momentum.

18 young Indian scientists in Google contest

Google selected 18 young scientists from India who will compete in the 2019 Google Science Fair contest for the winning prize of $50,000 and other rewards.
The global science competition inspires teenagers in the age group of 13-18 years to solve real-world problems with science, technology, engineering and maths.
This year’s competition saw thousands of entries from more than 100 countries representing some innovative ideas in science and technology.
From addressing health-related issues to creating more eco-friendly adhesives and fuel to making our water safe to drink, the young students from India presented novel and creative ideas.
The entries were evaluated based on the creativity, scientific merit and potential for impact of each submission to narrow down the entries to 100 finalists globally.

Japan creates first artificial crater on asteroid

Japanese scientists have succeeded in creating what they called the first-ever artificial crater on an asteroid, a step towards shedding light on how the solar system evolved.
They confirmed the crater from images captured by the probe located 1,700 metres (5,500 feet) from the asteroid’s surface.
Creating an artificial crater with an impactor and observing it in detail afterwards is a world-first attempt.
JAXA scientists had previously predicted that the crater could be as large as 10 metres in diameter if the surface was sandy, or three metres if rocky.
The surface is filled with boulders but yet we created a crater this big. This could mean there’s a scientific mechanism we don’t know or something special about Ryugu’s materials.
The aim of blasting the crater on Ryugu is to throw up “fresh” material from under the asteroid’s surface that could shed light on the early stages of the solar system.
The mission, with a price tag of around 30 billion yen ($270 million), was launched in December 2014 and is scheduled to return to Earth with its samples in 2020.

FACTFILE – The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is the Japanese national aerospace and space agency.
Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on 1 October 2003.
JAXA is responsible for research, technology development and launch of satellites into orbit, and is involved in many more advanced missions such as asteroid exploration and possible manned exploration of the Moon.
Its motto is One JAXA and its corporate slogan is Explore to Realize.

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April 28, 2019

Govt to increase number of Foreigners Tribunals to 1,000

The Assam Government has decided to increase the number of Foreigners Tribunals under the provisions of the Foreigners Act to 1,000 in phased manner to expedite the cases relating to suspected foreign nationals.
At present, one hundred Foreigners Tribunals are functioning in the State, but that is not adequate to deal with the cases and around two lakh cases are pending before the Tribunals.
Moreover, after the publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the persons, whose names will not appear in it, will have the right to appeal before the Tribunals, which will add extra burden. If the number of Tribunals is not increased, it will take years to dispose of the cases.
Keeping these aspects in mind, the Government decided to increase the number of Tribunals to 1,000 so that the cases can be disposed of as quickly as possible. The State Government sought approval of the Centre for increasing the number of Tribunals and recently, the required approval has been received.

SBI launches India’s First Green Car Loan

India’s largest bank State Bank of India (SBI) launched ‘Green Car Loan’ to encourage customers to buy electric vehicles (EVs) in the country.
The interest rates on the loan will be 20 basis points (0.2 per cent) lower than SBI’s existing auto loans.
Thus, the equated monthly instalment (EMI) per Rs 1 lakh will be lower at Rs 1,468 for 96 months (8 years) against Rs 1,622 for 84 months, based on the maximum tenor of existing schemes.
The scheme comes with the longest repayment period of up to 8 years. The loan is offered with zero processing fee for the first 6 months of the launch.
SBI along with Wipro joined the Climate Group’s EV100 initiative for enhancing the launch of electric vehicles worldwide.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work held on 28 April

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an annual international campaign to promote safe, healthy and decent work. It is held on 28 April and has been observed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) since 2003.
The World Day celebration on 28 April 2019 will be only the beginning of worldwide events and activities to continue throughout the rest of the year.
Inspired by the ILO centenary and discussions on the future of work, the world day this year attempts to take stock of a 100 years of work in improving occupational safety and health and looks to the future for continuing these efforts through major changes such as technology, demographics, sustainable development including climate change and changes in work organization.
In 2003, the International Labour Organization (ILO), began to observe World Day in order to stress the prevention of accidents and diseases at work, capitalizing on the ILO’s traditional strengths of tripartism and social dialogue.
28 April is also the International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers organized worldwide by the trade union movement since 1996.
The annual World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April promotes the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. It is an awareness-raising campaign intended to focus international attention on the magnitude of the problem and on how promoting and creating a safety and health culture can help reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries.

Indian Army signed MoU with NHPC to build underground tunnels

The Army has roped in the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd (NHPC), a public sector undertaking, to construct the caves or tunnels. A memorandum of understanding (MoU).
The Indian Army, in order to stock up on ammunition in a sensitive environment, has set about constructing caves and semi-underground tunnels at mountain ranges near the northern border.
The project, which is on a pilot basis currently, envisions caves at four locations, to be built at a total cost of around Rs 15 crore.
There are a total of four proposed tunnels, including one in Tawang sector and one in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Army is also increasing its ammunition stockpile. Last year, it had finalisedaRs 15,000 crore long-term plan to get domestic private sector players to manufacture seven different types of ammo.
It also signed 19 contracts worth Rs 11,740 crore to get Smerch rockets, Konkurs anti-tank guided missiles, 125-mm armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot ammunition for its T-90S and T-72 tanks, and other ammunition.

World Veterinary Day 2019 observed on 27^th April

World Veterinary Day will take place globally on Saturday, April 27th, 2019 as it has been always observed on the last Saturday in April since 2001. This year’s theme is: Value of Vaccination.
In 2000 the World Veterinary Association created the World Veterinary Day in order to promote the veterinary profession all over the world.
There is a different theme for this day every year. With the themes, pet owners are reminded of the importance of animal care and how veterinary technicians can help.
Every year, in order to celebrate the World Veterinary Day, the World Veterinary Association (WVA) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) organize the World Veterinary Day Award.
The goal of this initiative is to reward the most successful contribution of the veterinary profession on the theme which has been chosen for that year.

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