Assam Current Affairs – December 01 – 07, 2019

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Current Affairs Assam – December 1 - 7, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of December 1 – 7, 2019 )

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December 01, 2019

Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta takes charge as DGP of Assam Police
  • Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, a 1988-batch Indian Police Service officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre today took over the charge as Director General (in-charge) of Assam Police from outgoing police chief Kuladhar Saikia.
  • Mahanta said controlling all kinds of crime will be his main priority. Assam Police has a good team of personnel and will work on community-oriented policing.

FACTFILE – Assam Police

  • Assam Police comes under direct control of Department of Home Affairs, Government of Assam.
  • The Assam Police is headed by Director General of Police.
  • Assam Police forces are organized into Police Ranges, headed by an Inspector General of Police (IG) or Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) who control several Police Districts.
  • The Police District is the fulcrum of state police activity and each Police District of the state is headed by a Superintendent of Police (SP).
  • The Police District is divided into Police Sub-Divisions and will be under the command of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) or Subdivision Police Officer (SDPO).
  • The Police Sub-Division is made up of one or more Police Circles, and is under the command of an Inspector of Police, often referred to as the Circle Inspector (CI).
  • Under the Police Circles are the police stations, generally under the control of a Sub-Inspector (SI).
  • Assam state police force also maintains its own Reserve Armed police force, Special Armed Police and Armed Police) which is responsible for emergencies and crowd control issues.
  • Assam Police also have an Elite Commando Group known as Black Panther equipped with Latest weapons and technology for Anti-Terrorist Operations & VVIP protection.
India conducts night trial of Agni-III missile
  • The night trial of the nuclear-capable Agni-III long-range ballistic missile was conducted from the Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast.
  • The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) provided logistic support for the test.
  • The test of the surface-to-surface missile was carried out from a mobile launcher at Compex-IV of the Integrated Test Range.
  • It was the fourth user trial in the Agni-III series carried out to establish the repeatability of the missile’s performance.
  • For the first time the test was conducted during night time.
  • Inducted into the armed forces in June 2011, Agni-III missile has a strike range of over 3,500 km. Indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
  • It is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads weighing up to 1.5 tonnes.
India Bhutan hold 2nd Annual Development Cooperation dialogue
  • India and close neighbour Bhutan held their 2nd Annual Development Cooperation dialogue here during which the two sides agreed to implement 21 new Project Tied Assistance projects.
  • The Indian delegation was led by T.S. Tirumurti, Secretary (Economic Relations), Ministry of External Affairs and the Bhutanese delegation was led by Kinga Singye, Foreign Secretary of Bhutan.
  • Both sides recalled the successful and productive visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bhutan in August 2019 with several significant outcomes which included inauguration of the Mangdhechu Hydroelectric project and Ground Earth Station for South Asia Satellite and launch of RuPay card in Bhutan.
  • They also recalled the very successful visit to India of Bhutanese Prime Minister LotayTshering in December 2018 and in May 2019.
  • The Annual Development Cooperation Talks is an important bilateral mechanism to review the entire gamut of India”s development partnership with Bhutan.
  • The two sides agreed to hold the next Development Cooperation Talks in 2020 in Thimphu on a mutually agreed date.
  • The Annual India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks were held in a friendly atmosphere in keeping with the close and friendly ties between the two countries.
India Japan holds 2+2 defence and foreign minister-level dialogue
  • India and Japan are holding their inaugural 2+2 defence and foreign minister-level dialogue which focus on cooperation in building a free and open Indo-Pacific.
  • Japanese Foreign Minister ToshimitsuMotegi and Defence Minister Taro Kono met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
  • Japan is only the second country after the US with which India has such a dialogue format.
  • The two sides already have dialogue formats such as the Annual Defense Ministerial Dialogue, Defense Policy Dialogue and the National Security Advisers’ Dialogue.
  • The two sides also exchanged views on the situation in the Indo-Pacific region and their respective efforts under India’s ‘Act East Policy’ and Japan’s ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision’ for achieving their shared objective of peace, prosperity and progress to realize a better future for the people of the two countries and the region.
DECEMBER 02, 2019
Assam ranks 6th among number of cyber crime
  • Assam ranks sixth among all the states and Union Territories (UTs) of India with regard to the number of cases registered under various cyber-crimes.
  • As per latest official data, a total of 1,120 cyber-crime cases were reported during 2017 in Assam, which is an increase of over 61 per cent compared to the previous year. In 2016, there were 696 such cases in the State.
  • Nationally, Assam’s share of cases reported under cyber-crimes during 2017 was 5.1 per cent of the total 21,796 such cases across India.
  • Altogether 1,261 persons were arrested under various cyber-crimes in Assam during the year under review and 726 persons were charge-sheeted.
  • Uttar Pradesh reported the maximum number of cyber-crime cases (4,971) in 2017, followed by Maharashtra (3,604 cases), Karnataka (3,174 cases), Rajasthan (1,304 cases) and Telangana (1,209 cases), with Assam registering the sixth-highest number of such incidents.
  • Nationally, a total of 21,796 cases of cyber-crimes were reported in 2017 compared to 12,317 in 2016, which is a jump of 77 per cent, as per the latest data.
Parliament passes Prohibition of E-Cigarettes Bill, 2019
  • Parliament has passed the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Bill, 2019, with the Rajya Sabha approving it. The Lok Sabha has already passed the bill.
  • Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan told that the legislation is aimed at ending the menace of e-cigarettes at the beginning itself.
  • The Minister asserted that the ordinance brought earlier on e-cigarettes was with pious intentions to wean away the country’s youth from the harmful substance.
  • A total of 28 members participated in the discussion on the bill in the Rajya Sabha.
  • The Prohibition of the Electronic Cigarettes Bill, 2019 bans production, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisements of e-cigarettes with stringent punishments for any violation. It replaces the ordinance promulgated on the 18th of September this year.
TN signed MoU for Rs 19K crore investments in last 10 months
  • Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami said that the state has signed 63 new Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) in the past 10 months. Speaking at the Investment and Skill Development Conclave.
  • Tamil Nadu government signed nine MoUs with different industries involving an investment of Rs 5,027 crore in the state in Palaniswami’s presence at the conclave.
  • The Indian arm of Chinese group BYD, to set up a phone component manufacturing facility with an investment of Rs 2,800 crore. The new project is expected to provide employment to 11,500 persons.
  • Palaniswami also inaugurated the projects promoted by US companies Kapisoft, ZL Technology and Kloud Learn.
  • The Chief Minister also launched three apex skill development centres involving an investment of Rs 60 crore. Two MoUs for new ITIs at an oulay of Rs 28.43 crore were also signed at the event.
  • The government signed a knowledge partnership with the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M), for the defence corridor coming up in the state and to make the state a major aerospace and defence manufacturing hub.

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DECEMBER 03, 2019
India-China military drill to be conducted in Meghalaya
  • The Indian and Chinese militaries will be engaged in a joint military exercise that will involve tactical-level operations in a semi-urban terrain for an international counter-terrorist operation.
  • The annual exercise ”Hand-in-Hand” 2019, with the theme of counter-terrorism under a United Nations mandate, is scheduled to be conducted at the state-of-the-art Joint Training Node at Umroi Cantonment, about 25 km from Shillong.
  • The Chinese contingent, from the Tibet Military command, will comprise 130 personnel and the Indian contingent will be of similar strength in the 14-day-long training exercise.
  • The exercise is planned at the company level with the respective Battalion Headquarters controlling the training.
  • The aim of the exercise is to practice joint planning and conduct of counter- terrorist operation in semi-urban terrain.
India, Sweden launchs project to tackle stubble burning
  • India and Sweden announced the launch of a pilot project to convert paddy stubble into green coal in Mohali, Punjab, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf inaugurated a bilateral high-level policy dialogue on innovation policy.
  • The two leaders launched the Agri-Waste to High Energy Biocoal pilot project, which has been established under the Prime Minister”s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) Waste to Wealth Mission.
  • The office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, in partnership with Bioendev, Sweden, has set up a torrefaction pilot plant for the conversion of agri-waste into biocoal at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) in Mohali, Punjab.
  • The India-Sweden Collaborative Industrial Research & Development Programme in the area of ”smart cities and clean technologies” and ”Digitisation and Internet of Things”, co-funded by the Department of Science &Technology (DST), India, and Vinnova.
  • The project aims to develop technologies that can be commercialised after two years through joint cooperation between India and Sweden.
  • Vinnova will provide funding to Swedish side participants up to 2,500,000 SEK as grant.
  • On the Indian side, conditional grant of up to 50 per cent with a limit of Rs 1.5 crore per project to Indian project partners will be provided.
  • The Department of Science & Technology, India, and the Swedish Research Council will fund 20 bilateral projects in the area of computer science and material science under the Indo-Swedish Joint Network Grant Awards.
  • The Swedish Research Council will fund 14 million SEK for 2 years for this programme. The Department of Science and Technology will provide activity matching funding to the Indian counterparts.
  • The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), India, and Vinnova will announce a joint programme in the area of ”digital health”.
  • The programme aims to provide scalable and implementable innovative, sustainable and flexible health solutions in both countries, using artificial intelligence-based technologies as a tool.
  • The India-Swedish Collaborative Industrial Research & Development Programme in the area of ”smart grids” co-funded by the Department of Science & Technology, India, and the Swedish Energy Agency was also announced.
  • The Swedish Energy Agency has allocated 25 million SEK over the next four years for this industry-led call.
  • Also announced the establishment of the new ”Joint Centre of Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship” between KTH Royal Institute of Technology and IIT Madras. The centre in Chennai is the first of four planned centres.
  • The joint centre aims to build an entrepreneurial spirit and cross-border teams creating innovations that could target the markets in both Sweden and India, as well as globally.
  • The Ministry of Earth Sciences, India, and the Ministry of Education and Research, Sweden, signed a MoU on cooperation in polar science.
  • The two ministries are committed to cooperate in the study of polar research by coordinating and sharing resources and data.
Central Govt moves Taxation Bill in Lok Sabha
  • The Govt in the Lok Sabha moved the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019 for its passage, seeking changes in the Income Tax law aimed at lowering tax rate options to domestic companies to promote growth and investment and attract fresh investment in the manufacturing sector.
  • The Bill seeking amendment to the Income-Tax Act, 1961 and to amend the Finance (No.2) Act, 2019 was moved in the House by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
  • The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 was promulgated on September 20 to amend the IT Act and the Finance (No. 2) Act, 2019.
  • It provides lower tax rate options to domestic companies to promote growth and investment and attract fresh investment in the manufacturing sector.
  • The Bill provides domestic companies with an option to pay tax at the rate of 22 per cent, provided they do not claim certain deductions under the Income Tax Act.
  • The Bill provides new domestic manufacturing companies with an option to pay income tax at the rate of 15 per cent, provided they do not claim certain deductions.
  • These new domestic manufacturing companies must be set up and registered after September 30, 2019 and start manufacturing before April 1, 2023.
  • A company can choose to opt for the new tax rates in the financial year 2019-20 or in any other financial year in the future. Once a company exercises this option, the chosen provision will apply for all subsequent years.
Ministry of Corporates Affairs launches databank of independent directors
  • The Ministry of Corporates Affairs (MCA) launched the databank of independent directors with an aim to strengthen the institution of independent directors under the Companies Act.
  • The databank, launched by Injeti Srinivas, MCA Secretary, can be accessed at “www.mca.gov.in” or “www.independentdirectorsdatabank.in”.
  • The initiative provides a platform for the registration of existing independent directors as well as individuals aspiring to become independent directors.
  • Companies also may register themselves with the databank to search, select and connect with individuals who possess the right skills and attitude for being considered for appointment as independent directors as the databank is expected to become a comprehensive repository of both existing independent directors as well as individuals eligible and willing to be appointed as independent directors.
  • It also provides for e-learning courses on various topics, including the Companies Act, securities laws, basic accountancy, board practices, board ethics and board effectiveness.
  • As per the notified rules, all existing independent directors are required to register themselves in the databank within three months, from December 1.
  • They are also required to pass a basic online proficiency self-assessment test, which will available from March 2020 within 12 months thereafter.

DECEMBER 04, 2019

Assam’s first CNG-fuelled buses roll out from Dibrugarh
  • Assam’s first compressed natural gas (CNG) fuelled bus was flagged off from Chowkidinghee by the Deputy Commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha.
  • The first CNG bus (converted from diesel) rolled out from the Assam State Transport Corporation’s (ASTC) bus terminus after a ceremonial inauguration by DC.
  • The CNG-fuelled bus will be plying from the city to Mulukgaon via Lahoal, Dikom and Chabua town.
  • Plying of two City Buses was also inaugurated on the same occasion.
  • The City Buses will operate from Assam Medical College to Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) at Lepetkata, via Dibrugarh University on a reciprocal basis and each of them are expected to make five rounds of trips per day per bus.
Mumbai Central certified as India’s 1st ‘Eat Right Station’
  • The Mumbai Central Terminus of the Western Railway (WR) has been certified as India’s first ‘Eat Right Station’ with a 4-Star rating awarded by the FSSAI.
  • The honour came on the basis of compliance of food safety and hygiene, availability of healthy diet, food handling at preparation, transshipment and retail/serving points, food waste management, promotion of local and seasonal foods and creating awareness on food safety and a healthy diet.
  • The WR, food quality regulator FSSAI and Indian Railways Catering Tourism Corporation trained food handlers, both in canteens and base kitchens, inspected catering establishments at the station, certified and rated the standards of food.
  • As part of efforts to help passengers make a healthy and right food choice, the Indian Railways launched the ‘Eat Right Station’ as part of the ‘Eat Right India’ initiative of the FSSAI started in 2018.
  • It focused on improving the health and well-being of the people by ensuring they eat healthy, with the FSSAI making suitable interventions on both the demand and supply side, besides related aspects.
  • ‘Eat Right India’ is built on two broad pillars of Eat Healthy and Eat Safe, and aims to engage, excite and enable people enhance their health and well-being.
AIIMS, Sweden jointly launch healthcare innovation centre
  • India and Sweden announced the launch of a Healthcare Innovation Centre in India for early diagnosis and digital intervention in the management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and cancer.
  • The Swedish Trade Commissioner’s Office, in collaboration with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi and Jodhpur, announced launch of the India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre in India.
  • The announcement was made at the India-Sweden Business Summit in the presence of Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and her Swedish counterpart Ibrahim Baylan.
  • The signing of the Memorandum of Intent took place at the event to mark 10 years of India-Sweden health cooperation.
  • AIIMS Delhi was represented by Director RandeepGuleria, and AIIMS Jodhpur by Director Sanjeev Misra, while Sweden was represented by Swedish Trade Commissioner to India Anders Wickberg.
  • The centre will mainstream digital, scalable and affordable healthcare solutions for early diagnosis and digital intervention in the management of NCDs such as diabetes and cancer.
  • The Centre is envisaged to develop an ecosystem of open innovation that healthcare delivery stakeholders can use to collaborate and address current and future challenges in the healthcare sector in India.
Lok Sabha passes Bill to restrict use of hazardous materials on ships
  • A Bill to enact a law to provide for restrictions or prohibitions on the use of hazardous material on ships and regulate recycling of ships by setting certain standards was passed in the Lok Sabha.
  • The provisions of the Bill shall not apply to any warship, naval auxiliary, or other ships owned or operated and used by the government for non-commercial purposes.
  • Union Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh Mandavia said the Bill has been moved in view of ship recycling activities in India and keeping in view standards for environmental protection and workers” safety.
  • The major purpose of the Bill is environment-centric and for the safety of the labour.
  • The Bill aims to grow such industries and clarified that these are not new industries but already existing ones.
  • The Bill, which was introduced in the House proposes to designate an authority to be called the National Authority to administer, supervise and monitor all activities relating to ship recycling and to designate an authority to be called the Competent Authority to perform the prescribed duties within the geographical areas of expertise.
  • It provides that no ship shall install or use any prohibited hazardous material notified by the Central government and issue a certificate on inventory of hazardous materials and Ready for Recycling certificate which is an essential document for ships designated to be recycled.
  • The Bill seeks to impose an obligation on the Ship Recycler to take measures for the protection of the environment during the process of ship recycling and providing for appeal against the orders of the Competent Authority to the National Authority and from the National Authority to the Central government.
Parliament passed the bill to merge the two Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
  • Parliament passed the bill to merge the two Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu with the Rajya Sabha approving the measure by voice vote.
  • The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019 seeks to provide better delivery of services to the citizens of both the UTs by improving efficiency and reducing paper work.
  • It is aimed at reducing administrative expenditure.
  • Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said that the bill was brought after discussing it with all the stakeholders concerned, including civil society.
  • The merged Union Territories would continue to be under the jurisdiction of Bombay High Court as it is closer (250 km) compared to Ahmedabad which is about 400 km away.
  • There would not be any change in administration, employment conditions, reservation etc following the merger. Further, the service conditions for Class 3 and 4 employees would also remain unchanged.
Punjab CM announces free police help to drop women safely home at night
  • Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced free police help to drop women safely home if they are stranded outside between 9 pm and 6 am.
  • The state-wide facility will be available on DIAL 100, 112 and 181, through which the woman caller will be connected immediately to the Police Control Room (PCR).
  • The Chief Minister has also directed Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta to ensure the implementation of the facility across the state.
  • The pick-up and drop facility will be available to women who do not have access to a safe vehicle, including taxi or 3-wheeler.
  • To give the woman caller a sense of total security, the Chief Minister has directed that at least one lady police officer should accompany her during the transportation.
  • The DSP/ACP (Crime Against Women) will be the Nodal Officer to implement the scheme in each district.
  • Their numbers would be available on the Punjab Government and Punjab Police websites. ADGP Crime, Punjab, GurpreetDeo will be the State Nodal Officer for the facility
IIT Hyderabad develops device to monitor ECG data in real time
  • Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) has developed a low-power device that can monitor electrocardiogram (ECG) and alert patients and doctors in real-time about the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
  • CVD tops the list of public health concern compared to other diseases and has almost become the primary cause of human deaths, as per a survey of the World Health Organization (WHO).
  • The main causes include changings trend in lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits, tobacco usage, low fruit and vegetable intake and lack of physical activity and lot of stress.
  • These factors necessitate developing a personalised CVD monitoring device powered by battery backup and with a very low form factor to achieve unobtrusiveness that works under the emerging cyber-physical system setup.
  • A novel System-On-Chip (SoC) architecture is developed in a low complex way by resource sharing concept for the CVD automation.
  • Thus the whole system can cover various ECG abnormalities and finally come up with the prototype board which looks similar to as a smartphone at the patient end.
Odisha CM launches ”Madhu” app to help school students
  • Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched ”Madhu” app, an e-learning mobile phone application for school students to understand their subjects in a better and efficient way.
  • The app named after ”UtkalGourab” Madhusudan Das is developed by Ganjam district administration for school students.
  • It is aimed at helping school students in learning their lessons taught in school classrooms through videos and practicing them.
  • Through the app, the students will have access to video explanation of the topics they are taught in their classroom.
  • The courses have been prepared to make the videos interesting using quality teaching learning material. It also features interactive question answering sessions.

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DECEMBER 05, 2019

Jurismita Puzari and Uday Shankar Borah from Assam gets United Nations award
  • Jurismita Puzari of Guwahati has won the National Karmaveer Chakra Gold Award from REX and United Nations for her commendable work for society. Uday Shankar Borah of Dergaon too has been awarded the National Karmaveer Bronze Award for meritorious service.
  • Both of them are former fellows of the Gandhi Fellowship programme and ZilaSwachh Bharat Prerak of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) and Tata Trust.
  • They are currently district leaders of Piramal Foundation and working in education leadership and water respectively.
  • Earlier in 2014-15, JurismitaPuzari had been recognised by REX and the UN for her contribution towards education and social empowerment and thereby honoured with both bronze and silver awards respectively.
  • The duo received their respective awards in New Delhi at an award function which is part of iCONGO’s REX Conclave in collaboration with United Nations.
  • These awards are presented in order to recognise people who have the courage of conviction to think differently and walk the path less trodden and to act on alternative/innovative ideas which may make a difference in the world.
India gifts patrol vessel “KAAMIYAAB” to Maldives
  • India handed over a patrol vessel to the Maldives and launched the RuPay card, during a video conference between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
  • India gifted a ”Made in India” patrol vessel named “KAAMIYAAB” to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).
  • The vessel will be manned by eight MNDF personnel trained in India and will be a valuable asset for the Maldives in enhancing its maritime security, fostering its blue economy and safeguarding its tourism industry.
  • The two sides exchanged MoUs for three grant projects for setting up neighbourhood fish plants in the southernmost atoll of Addu.
  • These projects are being implemented under the MoU signed during then EAM SushmaSwaraj”s visit to Maldives in 2019 and will help support livelihoods of the island communities in Addu.
  • Both sides exchanged an MoU between the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the Bank of Maldives (BML) to launch the RuPay Card in the Maldives.
Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh is New Chief of Personnel of Navy
  • Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh has taken over as Chief of Personnel from Vice Admiral R. Hari Kumar.
  • Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh is a qualified flying instructor with Master Green Instrument Rating.
  • As a Flag Officer he has held appointments as assistant controller carrier project and assistant controller warship production and acquisition at the Ministry of Defence (Navy).
  • He was also Flag Officer Goa Area and Flag Officer Naval Aviation at Goa, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet at Mumbai, Chief of Staff at Headquarters Western Naval Command at Mumbai and Director General Project Seabird at the Ministry of Defence (Navy).
  • As Chief of Personnel he heads the Personnel Branch of the Indian Navy and is responsible for all personnel issues of the Navy”s service and civilian manpower, including induction, training, career management, discipline, pay and allowances.
  • Vice Admiral R. Hari Kumar has been appointed as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee at the headquarters of the Integrated Defence Staff.
Punjab partners with WEF for e-mobility
  • The Punjab government has partnered with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to design a public-private pilot project on shared, clean and electric mobility.
  • The state, which is also formulating its own Electric Vehicle (EV) policy to support the adoption of e-vehicles, has been chosen for the pilot project by the WEF as it is well positioned for the shared EV transition.
  • The project will examine how public and private sectors can interplay to offer the most robust and successful EV ecosystem, as part of the collaboration to be formulated at the WEF annual meeting in Davos on January 2020.
  • The study will form a blueprint for EV implementation across cities and countries worldwide.
  • The collaboration is just one of the initiatives being taken by the state government to promote e-mobility as a way to transform the state’s transport system into a cleaner one.
  • The state has already banned new registrations of diesel and petrol three wheelers in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Mohali and Fatehgarh Sahib districts.
  • It is also encouraging the setting up of EV battery units in the new industrial park located over 380 acres in the Dhanansu village in Ludhiana district.
Parliament passes bill to legalise 1,731 colonies in Delhi
  • The Rajya Sabha passed the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Bill 2019 by voice vote.
  • Properties in these unauthorised colonies are generally held through general power of attorney (GPA), will, agreement to sale, payment and possession documents.
  • The properties in these colonies are not being registered by registration authorities and thereby the residents do not have any title documents in respect of such properties.
  • This bill is aimed at recognizing the power of attorney, will, agreement to sell, purchase and possession documents as a special one-time relaxation.
  • Following the regularisation of the colonies, property holders in these colonies would be able to get loans from banks.
  • They would also be entitled for public facilities like schools, parks, roads, electricity and water.

DECEMBER 06, 2019

India ranked fifth in Climate Risk Index
  • India was ranked fifth vulnerable globally.The Climate Risk Index 2020, an annual report by Germanwatch, ranks countries according to their vulnerability to extreme weather events.
  • It was released in the Spanish capital on the sidelines of the 25th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) or COP25 that is being held in the backdrop of climate impact biting globally.
  • India has also been badly affected, ranking fifth in the overall global vulnerability index in 2018, ranked first in terms of fatalities and second in the world in terms of losses in millions of dollars.
  • India’s overall ranking has drastically fallen from 14th in 2017, to fifth in 2018.
  • The results reflect the increasing damage caused by heatwaves, which scientists have found are being worsened by climate change.
  • The report shows that extreme weather, linked with climate change, is affecting not only the poorer countries like Myanmar and Haiti, but also some of the world’s richest countries.
  • Japan is the worst-hit country in 2018, while Germany and Canada were both also in the ‘bottom 10
  • Other countries ranking in the bottom 20 in the overall climate risk categories are the US at 12th, Vietnam at sixth, Bangladesh at seventh and France at 15th.
ONGC opens drinking water project at Dhitaipukhuri HS
  • The ONGC inaugurated a drinking water project at Dhitaipukhuri High School under its CSR initiative.
  • Executive Director (ED) and Asset Manager, ONGC, Assam Asset, Sanjeev Kakran inaugurated the project.
  • Kakran interacted with the students and teachers of the school about various facilities available in the school and how the ONGC can supplement its further infrastructural development.
  • He announced financial support of Rs 20,000 for purchasing musical instruments for the students and assured to extend support towards the existing computer lab of the school for the benefit of the students.
  • Providing clean and safe drinking water in schools in and around ONGC’s operational areas, is a CSR initiative by ONGC Assam Asset.
  • The project in Dhitaipukhuri High School is implemented by ONGC’s All India OBC and MOBC Employees Welfare Association.
Ministry of Home Affairs grants Rs 100 crore for women help desks in police stations
  • For setting up women help desks in police stations across the country, the Union Home Ministry has sanctioned Rs 100 crore from the Nirbhaya fund.
  • Women help desks would focus on making the police stations more women friendly and approachable, as they would be the first and single point of contact for any woman walking into a police station.
  • Essentially, lady police officers would be deployed at these help desks.
  • The scheme would be implemented by the states and Union Territories and officers on these desks would be trained to be sensitive towards women.
  • The officials at the women”s help desks would be trained to be sensitive towards women.
  • These help desks would have enlisted panel of experts like lawyers, psychologists and NGOs to facilitate legal aid, counselling, shelter, rehabilitation and training etc.
Union Cabinet approved the Personal Data Protection Bill
  • The Union Cabinet approved the Personal Data Protection Bill. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) moved the Bill in the Cabinet.
  • Telecom and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had recently informed the Upper House that the work on Data Protection law is in progress and would be introduced in Parliament.

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DECEMBER 07, 2019

Union Mininster announces Food parks in Meghalaya, Sikkim
  • Union Minister of State for Food Processing RameswarTeli announced the setting up of a mega food park in Meghalaya and a mini food park in Sikkim.
  • Teli said the Central government has given special emphasis on setting up food processing industries in the northeast
  • The Centre will provide 75 per cent subsidy to entrepreneurs to set up food-based industries in the region.
  • He also said that the government is planning to set up an IIT like institute in Guwahati for food related research.
Punjab signs pact for setting up Research University
  • The Punjab government and research-based Shoolini University agreed on establishing a research university in the state.
  • Documents pertaining to the expression of interest were exchanged during the Progressive Punjab Investors” Summit here between Secretary (employment generation) Rahul Tiwari and Shoolini University Pro Vice Chancellor Atul Khosla.
  • Punjab had invited the Himachal Pradesh-based Shoolini University to set up a campus keeping in view the research-based focus of the university.
  • It would make an investment of Rs 750 crore in 10 years and would provide direct and indirect employment to about 1500 people, as per the understanding.
India provides $190 million Lines of Credit for drinking water & solar project to Guinea
  • India has signed agreements for providing over $190 million in Lines of Credit for strengthening the drinking water and electricity supply and for solar projects in the West African nation of Guinea.
  • The two countries signed the agreements for providing Lines of Credit for $170 million for strengthening drinking water supply of Grand Conakry, and $20.22 million for two solar projects.
  • And also for supply of electricity and drinking water for seven public universities and solar project for electrification and refrigeration in 200 health centres.
  • The agreements were inked during the meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with his visiting counterpart from Guinea MamadiToure.
  • The discussions between the two sides covered all aspects of bilateral relations including development partnership, capacity building and trade and commerce.
  • Both the ministers underscored the need to further expand and deepen bilateral engagement to realise the true potential, particularly in new areas, such as defence.
  • Both ministers expressed satisfaction about the regular high level political exchanges including the successful visits of President Ram NathKovind to Guinea in August 2019 and Prime Minister of Guinea IbrahimaKassoryFofan to India in March 2019.

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