Assam Current Affairs – December 29 – 31, 2019

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Current Affairs Assam – December 29 - 31, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of December 29 – 31, 2019 )

 

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December 29, 2019

  IIT Guwahati develops materials to generate power from water
  • Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed new materials that can generate power from both stagnant and flowing water.
  • These new ways of producing energy on a small scale can be employed in household environments to support decentralisation of energy sources.
  • The researchers employed the nanoscale phenomenon called “electrokinetic streaming potential” to harvest energy from flowing water on a small scale, like water flowing through household water taps.
  • They used another process called “contrasting interfacial activities” in which different types of semiconducting materials were employed to generate power from stagnant water.
  • A research team led by KalyanRaidongia, from the Department of Chemistry at IIT Guwahati, noted that the impending energy crisis has arisen from the dual problems of dwindling fossil fuel reserves and environmental issues associated with the use of such fuel.This has led to considerable research in alternative energy sources such as light, heat, wind, ocean waves, etc.
  • The findings demonstrate that power output can be improved by thousand times by attaining the best out of these parameters.In order to extract power from stagnant water, devices were fabricated by employing doped graphene flakes.
  • The complementary charge transfer activities of doped graphene flakes based devices generate power just upon dipping in any kind of water source, like lake, river or seawater.
  • Graphene is the sheet produced by oxidation followed by reduction of natural graphite flakes.The researcher doped graphene oxide with boron and nitrogen, separately, loaded the two forms of graphene into two filter papers that served as electrodes in an electrochemical cell.Dipping the two filter papers into water produces potential up to 570 millivolt, which was stable for 80 hours.
 Union Cabinet approve for updation of the National Population Register (NPR)
  • The Union Cabinet approve for updation of the National Population Register (NPR) with no requirement by people to submit any document or biometrics to prove their identity, and conducting of census of India 2021.
  • The NPR updation exercise will be conducted between April and September 2020 in all states and Union Territories and a head count will be ready by February 2021 — the Census year.
  • NPR will be on self declaration or self-certification basis and only head count will be done.
  • The Cabinet has approved the proposal for conducting Census of India 2021 at a cost of Rs 8,754.23 crore and updation of NPR at a cost of Rs 3,941.35 crore.
  • The NPR was first started in 2010 by the UPA government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, ahead of Census 2011, and was last updated in 2015.
  • The NPR is a register of residents of the country, prepared at the local (village/sub-town), sub-district, district, state and national level under the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003, which was subsequently updated in 2015 by seeding it with Aadhaar.
  • Census the largest administrative and statistical exercise in the world will be conducted in two phases — House listing and Housing Census (from April to September 2020) and Population Enumeration (from February 9 to February 28, 2021). The government said that 30 lakh field functionaries will complete this gigantic exercise — up from 28 lakh in 2011.
 Union Govt’s approval for Rs 6,000 crore Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL)
  • The Union Cabinet gave its approval for the implementation of the Rs 6,000 crore Atal BhujalYojana (ATAL JAL), to improve ground water management.
  • A central sector scheme to be implemented over a period of five years (2020-21 to 2024-25), it aims to improve ground water management through community participation in identified priority areas in seven states – Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
  • The implementation of the scheme is expected to benefit nearly 8,350 gram panchayats in 78 districts in these states.
  • This scheme will promote panchayat-led ground water management and behavioural change with primary focus on demand side management.
  • Out of the total outlay of Rs 6,000 crore, 50 per cent shall be in the form of a World Bank loan, and be repaid by the Central government.
  • The remaining 50 per cent shall be through Central Assistance from regular budgetary support.
  • The entire World Bank loan component and central assistance shall be passed on to the states as grants.
  • The scheme has two major components for strengthening institutional arrangements for sustainable ground water management in the states including improving monitoring networks, capacity building, and strengthening of water user associations.

 DECEMBER 30, 2019

 ONGC’s Rs 3,500crore project in Assam gets environment clearance
  • State-run ONGC has received environment clearance for carrying out onshore exploration, development and production of oil and gas in 100 locations in non-forest area of Assam, that would entail an investment of Rs 3,500 crore.
  • The Environment Ministry has given green clearance to ONGC, the country’s largest oil and gas exploration and production company, after taking into account the recommendations of a green panel.
  • The company proposes to carry out drilling in 100 locations to evaluate the hydrocarbon potential of 21 different onshore PML (petroleum mining lease) blocks in a non-forest area in Assam and Assam Arakan basin.
  • The total area of Sivasagar district PML is 957.73 square kilometres, in which Lakwa, Rudrasagar, Geleki and its adjoining areas are important oil producing fields in ‘North Assam Shelf’ of Sivasagar district.So far, more than 500 wells – exploratory wells and development wells – have been drilled in this field with depths ranging from 2,400 metres to 4,200 metres.
  • India is dependent on imports for crude oil, and the government is encouraging exploration and production of oil and gas. ONGC produces 70 per cent of the India’s total crude oil and 60 per cent of natural gas.
 Forest cover in NE decreases, as per State of Forest Report
  • While India’s overall forest and tree cover has increased by 5,188 square kilometres at the national level, in the northeastern States, barring Assam, it has seen a decrease.
  • The Indian State of Forest Report 2019 revealed the forest cover of the country is 712,249 sq km, which is 21.67 per cent of the geographical area of the country. The tree cover of the country is estimated at 95,027 sq km which is 2.89 per cent of the geographical area.
  • The forest cover in Assam has increased by 221.54 sq km as compared to the previous assessment report of 2017.
  • The current assessment shows an increase of 3,976 sq km (0.56 per cent) of forest cover, 1,212 sq km (1.29 per cent) of tree cover and 5,188 sq km (0.65 per cent) of forest and tree cover put together at the national level as compared to the previous assessment in 2017.
  • Thecurrent assessment shows a decrease of forest cover to the extent of 765 sq km (0.45 per cent) in the northeastern region. The northeastern States that recorded a decrease in forest cover are Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland.
  • One of the reasons for decrease in forest cover in the Northeast could be the practice of shifting cultivation and illegal activities like rampant rat hole mining in Meghalaya and open cast mining.
  • Among the northeastern States, Arunachal Pradesh has witnessed a decrease of 276.22 sq km of forest cover, which can be attributed to shifting cultivation and development activities.
  • The forest cover in Meghalaya has decreased by 27.21 sq km, the forest cover in Manipur has decreased by 499.10 sq km.
  • The forest cover in Mizoram has decreased by 180.49 sq km, while that in Nagaland has decreased by 2.60 sq km. Tripura also witnessed a decrease of forest cover by 0.41 sq km.
 Union Cabinet approved unification of the eight Group A services into Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS)
  • The Union Cabinet approved the organisational restructuring of the railways through the unification of the existing eight Group A services into one central service called the Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS).
  • The unification of services will end ”departmentalism”, promote smooth working of railways, expedite decision making and create a coherent vision for the organisation.
  • The Railway Board will be reorganised on the functional lines and be headed by a Chairman, and comprise four members and some independent members, who will be highly distinguished professionals with deep knowledge and 30 years of experience including at the top levels in industry, finance, economics and management fields.
  • These independent members will help Railway Board in setting a strategic direction. The restructured Board will start functioning after approval of the Board taking due care to ensure that officers are posted in the restructured Board or adjusted in the same pay and rank till their retirement.
  • The unification of the services come in the backdrop of various departments within railways. These departments – traffic, civil, mechanical, electrical, signal & telecom, stores, personnel, and accounts etc – are vertically separated from top to bottom and are headed by a Secretary level officer.
  • The existing Indian Railway Medical Service (IRMS) will be renamed as Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS).
 India’s Forest, Tree cover increased by 5,188 Sq.Kms
  • There has been an increase of 5,188 sqkms in the total forest and tree cover of the country as compared to the assessment of 2017. Union Ministry for Environment and Forests.
  • Out of this, the increase in the forest cover has been observed as 3,976 sq km and that in tree cover is 1,212 sq km.
  • Under the current assessment the total carbon stock in country’s forest is estimated 7,124.6 million tonnes and there an increase of 42.6 million tonnes in the carbon stock of country as compared to the last assessment of 2017.
  • The top three states showing an increase in forest cover are Karnataka (1,025 sq km) followed by Andhra Pradesh (990 sq km) and Kerala (823 sq km).
  • Mangrove cover has been separately reported in the ISFR 2019 and the total mangrove cover in the country is 4,975 sq km. An increase of 54 sq km in mangrove cover has been observed as compared to the previous assessment of 2017.
  • Top three states showing mangrove cover increase are Gujarat (37 sq km) followed by Maharashtra (16 sq km) and Odisha (8 sq km).
  • The extent of the bamboo bearing area of the country has been estimated 16.00 million hectares.
  • The total estimated green weight of bamboo culms is 278 million tonnes, showing an increase of 88 million tonnes as compared to ISFR 2017.

 DECEMBER 31, 2019

Three higher education institutes from Assam in QS India University Rankings
  • Three educational institutes of higher education from Assam have made it to the top-100 list in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) India University Rankings 2020.
  • While Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) grabbed the 10th place, Tezpur University earned the 35th spot, a place better than itslast year’s rank of 36th in the rankings. Gauhati University was placed in the 71-75 bracket in the top-100 list.
  • IIT-Bombay topped the (QS) India University Rankings 2020 for the second straight.
Bipin Rawat to be India’s first tri-service chief, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)
  • Army chief, General BipinRawat, who was due to retire after serving three years as Chief of Army Staff (COAS), will now assume charge as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
  • Government has decided to appoint General BipinRawatas the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) with effect from 31.12.2019 and until further orders and extension in service of Rawat.
  • As CDS, Rawat will head the military hierarchy as “Permanent Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee” (PC-COSC).
  • The COSC includes the chiefs of the three services — army, navy and air force. As permanent chairman, the CDS will be the first among this body of equals – primus inter pares.
  • The CDS will also have a significant role in higher defence planning and operational aspects of India’s nuclear arsenal.
  • CDS will be member of Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by RM, and Defence Planning Committee, chaired by National Security Advisor. He will also function as the Military Advisor to the Nuclear Command Authority
 Flipkart partners government to empower artisans, SHGs
  • Flipkart signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry’sDeendayalAntyodayaYojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) to empower skilled yet underserved sections of society by inducting them into e-commerce.
  • The e-commerce company will collaborate with state missions under the DAY-NULM to establish the ”Flipkart Samarth programme” in 22 states in India .
  • The government and the company will work with self help groups (SHGs), including local artisans, weavers and crafts producers, and producers of raw and organic food items to provide them market access, training and support.
  • Sellers under the programme shall receive time-bound incubation support from the company that extends to a host of benefits, such as cataloguing support, account management support and more.
  • This partnership will increase business and trade opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and provide them training and support to grow their business.

 

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