Current Affairs Assam – December 2018
( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the month of December 2018 )
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December 24
Assam most vulnerable to climate change in Indian Himalayan region
- Among the 12 states in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), Assam is found to be the most vulnerable to the changing climate, according to a Department of Science and Technology (DST) vulnerability assessment.
- As a part of the Swiss-funded Indian Himalayas Climate Adaptation Programme (IHCAP), a study named “Climate Vulnerability Assessment for the Indian Himalayan Region Using a Common Framework” was done by the IIT Guwahati and IIT Mandi in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
- The assessment is significant for India as a majority of its population is dependent on agriculture which requires water. The Himalayas are a source of many rivers which supply this water.
- The vulnerability assessment was done on the basis of four major factors, viz. Socio-economic, demographic status and health, the sensitivity of agricultural production, forest-dependent livelihoods and access to information services and infrastructure.
- Vulnerability index is found to be the highest for Assam and Mizoram, followed by Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya and West Bengal, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
- Mountainous regions are one of the most fragile environments across the world and other preliminary studies reveal that the IHR will experience higher levels of climate change and its associated impacts.
Law and order situation improved in Northeast India
- The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has admitted that the overall law-and-order situation in the Northeast has improved considerably in 2018, because of which, the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act could be withdrawn from certain areas of the region.
- The peaceful publication of the draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as one of the highlights for this year.
- The MHA report said the security scenario in the Northeast is improving constantly. The last year recorded the lowest insurgency-related incidents and casualties among the civilians and security forces since 1997.
- There is almost no insurgency left in Tripura and Mizoram, there has been a marked improvement in security situation in other States of the region.
- In the last four years since 2014, there has been 63 per cent reduction in insurgency-related incidents in the region.
- There is huge reduction of 83 per cent in civilian deaths and 40 per cent in security force casualties in 2017, compared to 2014.
- The lifting of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from all areas of Meghalaya on March 31 is an illustration of the improving security scene in the region.
- In Arunachal Pradesh, the areas under AFSPA have also been reduced from 16 police station and outpost areas bordering Assam to 8 police stations.
- The situation along the borders with Bangladesh, Myanmar and China has greatly improved in recent times.
PM Modi releases Rs 100 coin in memory of Atal Bihari Vajpayee
- A day ahead of the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, PM Narendra Modi released a commemorative Rs 100 coin to honour the late leader.
- Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Finance Minister ArunJaitley, Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma, BJP national President Amit Shah and veteran BJP leader and Vajpayee’s contemporary L.K. Advani were also present at the event to release the coin.
- Commemorative coins are usually issued to celebrate some special occasion or to mark a special event. They also have been issued as a mark of respect towards some distinguished individuals or monument.
Consumer Protection Bill, 2018
- The Consumer Protection Bill, 2018 was passed in Parliament’s Lok Sabha, to provide protection of the interests of consumers and establish authorities for timely and effective administration and settlement of consumer’s dispute.
- The Bill will replaces the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, enforces consumer rights and provides a mechanism for redressal of complaints regarding defect in goods and services.
- As per the Bill, Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions will be set up at the district, state and national levels for adjudicating consumer complaints and appeals from the district and state commissions will be heard at the next level and from the national Commission by the Supreme Court.
- The bill defines unfair and restrictive trade practices and establishes Consumer Protection Councils at the district, state and national levels.
- The Bill intent to sets up Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (consumer courts) to hear complaints on matters like defect in goods or deficiency in services, unfair or restrictive trade practices, excessive pricing, knowingly selling goods or providing services that do not meet safety norms, and product liability.
- The commissions will attempt to dispose of a complaint within three months, if the complaint does not require analysis or testing of commodities.
December 25
251 Sangai deer in Manipur Keibul Lamjao sanctuary
- Manipur Forest and Environment Minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar informed the Manipur Assembly session that there are a total of 251 Sangai i.e. brow antlered deer at Keibul Lamjao, the only floating wildlife sanctuary in the world, located in Manipur’s Loktak Lake.
- The Forest department has also started demarcation of the national park in consultation with the State Revenue department.
FACTFILE – Loktak Lake
- Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India and is famous for the phumdis floating over it.
- The largest of all the phumdis covers an area of 40 km2 (15 sq mi) and is situated on the southeastern shore of the lake, which also housed the Keibul Lamjao National Park.
- This ancient lakeserves as a source of water for hydropower generation, irrigation and drinking water supply.
- Considering the ecological status and its biodiversity values, the lake was initially designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on 23 March 1990.
- It was also listed under the Montreux Record on 16 June 1993, “a record of Ramsar sites where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring or are likely to occur.
FACTFILE – Keibul Lamjao National Park
- Keibul Lamjao National Park is the only floating national park in the world.
- The park is the last natural refuge of the endangered Sangai (state animal), Rucervus eldii eldii or Manipur brown-antlered deer (Cervus eldi eldi), one of three subspecies of Eld’s deer.
Manipur CM opens North East Obstetrics and Gynaecological Societies Conference
- Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh inaugurated the 29th edition of NEOGSCON (North East Obstetrics and Gynaecological Societies Conference) at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal.
- CM stated that Manipur has one of the lowest Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in the country and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) is also around 60 per one lakh live births as compared to the Indian MMR of about 178 per one lakh live births.
Indian firm takes over operations of Chabahar port in Iran
- Indian firm India Ports Global Limited took over the operations of the Shaheed Behesti Port at Chabaharon the southeastern coast of Iran, being jointly developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan.
- The company opened its office following the first meeting of the follow-up committee for implementation of the trilateral Chabahar Agreement between India, Afghanistan and Iran at the level of Joint Secretary/ Director General.
- Positive and constructive discussions were held between the three sides on full operationalisation of the Trilateral Transit Agreement for international transit and transport through the Chabahar port.
- The Convention on International Transport of Goods Under Cover of TIR Carnets (TIR Convention) is a multilateral treaty aimed at simplifying and harmonising the administrative formalities of international road transport.
FACTFILE – Chabahar Port
- Chabahar Port is a seaport in Chabahar located on the Gulf of Oman.
- It serves as Iran’s only oceanic port, and consists of two separate ports named Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti, each of which has five berths.
- The India–Iran–Afghanistan three-way memorandum of understanding (MoU) plans have committed at least $21bn to Chabahar–Hajigak corridor, including $85m for Chabahar port development by India, $150m line of credit by India to Iran, $8bn India-Iran MoU for Indian industrial investment in Chabahar Special Economic Zone, $11-billion Hajigak iron and steel mining project awarded to seven Indian companies in central Afghanistan, and India’s $2bn commitment to Afghanistan for developing supporting infrastructure including the Chabahar-Hajigaj railway
- It has potential for several times more trade via connectivity to 7,200-km-long multi-mode North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) connecting to Europe and Turkey, R297 Amur highway and Trans-Siberian Highway across Russia, and planned Herat to Mazar-i-Sharif railway providing access to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
- Chabahar Port also provides direct access to India’s Farkhor Air Base in Tajikistan.
- Chabahar route will result in 60% reduction in shipment costs and 50% reduction in shipment time from India to Central Asia.
Government comes out with draft rules for social media
- The Electronics and IT Ministry has come out with draft IT rules for social media platforms.
- The instances of misuse of social media by criminals and anti-national elements have brought new challenges to the ‘Law Enforcement Agencies’, including inducement for recruitment of terrorists, circulation of obscene content, spread of disharmony, incitement of violence, public order, fake news etc.
- A number of lynching incidents were reported in 2018 mostly alleged to be because of fake news or rumours being circulated through ‘Whatsappand other Social Media’ sites.
- The rules laid out by the social media platforms advise the users against displaying or uploading any information which is “grossly harmful, harassing, blasphemous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, libellous, invasive of another’s privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically objectionable, disparaging, relating or encouraging money laundering or gambling.”
- The rules also need to forbid users from posting content which “threatens the unity, integrity, defence, security or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign states, or public order, or causes incitement to the commission of any cognisable offence or prevents investigation of any offence or is insulting any other nation”.
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