Current Affairs Assam – February 15 - 21, 2019
( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of February 15 – 21, 2019 )
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February 19, 2019
Assam CM inaugurates weavers’ convention
- Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated a weavers’ convention at Amingaon recently under the aegis of the State Handloom and Textiles Department by lighting the ceremonial lamp.
- Nearly 35,000 weavers representing eight districts, including Goalpara, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup (M), Kamrup, Darrang, Morigaon and Nagaon attended the convention.
India, Argentina reiterate commitment to fight terrorism
- India and Argentina reiterated their commitment to fight terrorism in all its forms and underscored the need to ensure that terror outfits do not get access to any weapon of mass destruction (WMD), technologies or finances, during an official visit of Argentine President Mauricio Macri to India from February 17 to 19.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Macri reiterated their commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and asserted that “strong measures” should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who “encourage, support, finance and provide safe haven to terrorists and terror groups”.
- The leaders also affirmed their support for a UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that will advance and strengthen the framework for global cooperation and reinforce the message that no cause or grievance justifies terrorism.
FACTFILE – Argentina
- Argentina located in South America, with capital city as Buenos Aires.
- With a mainland area of 2,780,400 km2, Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world, the fourth largest in the Americas, and the largest Spanish-speaking nation.
- The almost-unparalleled increase in prosperity led to Argentina becoming the seventh wealthiest nation in the world by the early 20th century.
- Argentina has the second largest economy in South America, the third-largest in Latin America, and membership in the G-15 and G-20 major economies
- It is also a founding member of the United Nations, World Bank, World Trade Organization, Mercosur, Union of South American Nations, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Organization of Ibero-American States.
- Argentine peso is the currency of Argentina.
India, Morocco signed bilateral cooperation agreements
- India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita o signed four bilateral cooperation agreements in the areas of security, housing, investments and youths.
- The signing of these agreements will strengthen the legal framework governing the relations between the two countries.
FACTIFLE – Morocco
- Officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in the Maghreb region of North West Africa
- Its capital is Rabat, the largest city Casablanca.
- Morocco is a member of the Arab League, the Union for the Mediterranean and the African Union. It has the fifth largest economy of Africa.
- Dirham is the Morocco currency.
World’s first diesel to electric converted locomotive in Varanasi
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the world’s first diesel to electric converted locomotive in Varanasi.
- In a first, the Indian Railways has converted a diesel locomotive into an electric one, as part of efforts to completely electrify the broad gauge network.
- The work on the project began on December 22, 2017 and from concept to execution of the conversion of the diesel locomotive to electric was carried out in just 69 days.
- In keeping with the Indian Railways’ Mission 100 per cent electrification and de-carbonization agenda, DLW has developed a new prototype electric locomotive converted from diesel locomotive.
February 20, 2019
India and Spain express support for multilateralism
- Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Spanish counterpart Josep Borrell agreed, following a bilateral meeting in the Spanish capital, that both countries supported the promotion of multilateralism and a rules-based concept of free trade.
- Both chief diplomats broached the budding potential of closer economic ties and industrial and technological cooperation between the Mediterranean and South Asian nations, especially in fields in which Spanish businesses are global leaders such as the civil use of nuclear energy, transport, the railway sector and renewable energy.
- Borrell presented Swaraj with the prestigious Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit medal to honour India’s support for Spanish victims of the earthquake that devastated Nepal in April 2015.
- India and Spain had already strengthened their relationship on December 1 when Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina.
- Diplomatic relations between India and Spain were established in 1956 with the opening of the Spanish Embassy in New Delhi. Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II, the Maharaja of Jaipur, was appointed in 1965 as the first Ambassador of India to Spain.
12th edition of the biennial Aero India 2019 air show in Bengaluru
- The 12th edition of the biennial Aero India 2019 air show took off with a dazzling flying display of aircraft at the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Yelahanka base.
- Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman flagged off the five-day aerospace and defence expo, about 5,000 guests and invitees were treated to a two-hour spectacular flying display of fighter jets, helicopters and civilian aircraft.
- The display included the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL’s) Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Light Utility Helicopter (LUH).
FACTFILE – Aero India
- Aero India is a biennial air show and aviation exhibition held in Bengalur, at the Yelahanka Air Force Station.
- The Defence Ministry of India, Indian Air Force, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Department of Space, the Union Civil Aviation Ministry and other such jointly organise the Aero India show, making it the largest air show in Asia.
Union Cabinet approved four ordinances, including triple talaq
- The Union Cabinet approved four ordinances, including the one making triple talaq a criminal offence, the Companies (Second Amendment) ordinance, the Medical Council ordinance and the ordinance against unregulated deposits (Ponzi schemes).
- The government has to bring these ordinances as the matters are pending for a long time and could not be cleared by the Rajya Sabha due to disruptions.
- The government steered clear of an ordinance on the controversial Citizen Amendment law.
Union Cabinet approved a new exploration and licensing (E&L) policy framework
- The Union Cabinet approved a new policy framework on reforms in exploration and licensing (E&L) sector that aims to enhance domestic exploration and production of oil and gas by providing more attractive terms to investors.
- Under the new policy framework, bidders of oil and gas blocks in the country will be encouraged to invest more on exploration activities and start sharing revenue with the government only at the production stage.
- This scheme will be applied for auction of unallocated or unexplored areas of producing basins.
- Through this policy, a transparent, investor friendly and competitive policy framework is envisaged to accelerate exploration activities and provide impetus to expeditious production of oil and gas
Union Cabinet approved ordinance to prevent chit fund scams and protect small investors
- The Union Cabinet approved the promulgation of the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance, 2019 to prevent chit fund scams and protect small investors.
- The proposed Ordinance will immediately tackle the menace of illicit deposit taking activities in the country launched by rapacious operators, which at present are exploiting regulatory gaps and lack of strict administrative measures to dupe poor and gullible people of their hard-earned savings.
- The ordinance will altogether ban unregulated deposit taking schemes, also called Ponzi schemes, and have adequate provisions for punishment and disgorgement or repayment of deposits in cases where such schemes somehow manage to raise deposits illegally.
Union Cabinet proposed National Rural Economic Transformation Project
- The Union Cabinet approved the implementation of the National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP).
- This project under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) will be through loan assistance from the World Bank.
- The technical assistance provided by NRETP and the higher level interventions facilitated by the project will enhance the livelihoods promotion, access to finance and scale-up initiatives on digital finance and livelihood interventions.
- The projects under NRETP would have alternate channels of financial inclusion, creating value chains around rural products, introduce innovative models in livelihoods promotion and access to finance and scale-up initiatives on digital finance and livelihoods interventions.
Govt approved the launch of Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan
- Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan aims to provide financial and water security to farmers.
- The proposed scheme consists of three components, with the aims to add a solar capacity of 25,750 MW by 2022.
- Component-A is 10,000 MW of decentralized ground mounted grid connected renewable power plants
- Component-B is installation of 17.50 lakh standalone solar-powered agriculture pumps and
- Component-C is solarisation of 10 lakh grid-connected solar powered agriculture pumps.
India to setup a new company under Dept of Space
- India is going to set up a new company under the Department of Space, to commercially exploit the research and development work carried out by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
- The new company would look at opportunities for commercial exploitation of ISRO programmes, including small satellite technology transfer to industry.
- Manufacture of small satellite launch vehicles in collaboration with the private sector; transfer of technology developed by ISRO centres and marketing of some spin-off technologies and products.
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