Assam Current Affairs – January 15 – 21, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – January 15 - 21, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of January 15 – 21, 2020 )

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JANUARY 15, 2020

World Bank has approved a Rs 630-crore loan to the Assam Inland Water Transport
  • The World Bank has approved a Rs 630-crore loan to the Assam Inland Water Transport (AIWT) for modernisation of the State’s passenger ferry services on the Brahmaputra and other rivers.
  • Under the Assam Inland Water Transport Project (AIWTP), the infrastructure of passenger ferry services will be improved and the capacity of institutions running the inland water transport will be strengthened.
  • Better-designed terminals and energy-efficient vessels will make the ferry services more sustainable with least disruption to nature.
  • Of the total project cost of Rs 770 crore, the bank will provide Rs 630 crore.
  • The loan was signed between AIWTP and the Country Director, India, World Bank in presence of Additional Secretary (FB&ADB), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India in New Delhi.
  • The Indian delegation on behalf of Government of Assam was represented by Adil Khan, State Project Director, Assam Inland Water Transport Development Society.
  • With the World Bank’s support, the government will create an institutional framework to turn inland waterways into a mode of transport which is both attractive and well-suited to the people.
  • The project will also improve the infrastructure of ferry services and focus on safety of women passengers.
  • The terminals will have better access, lighting and signages, while the new vessels will be equipped with individual seats and washroom facilities.
  • A strengthened regulatory regime will ensure reduced overloading, adherence to time schedule and better crew standards.
Solar plant of one MW set up at NIT Agartala
  • A one MW capacity solar rooftop power plant was commissioned at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) at Agartala, which will save energy valued at Rs 60 lakh per year.
  • Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development (MHRD), Sanjay Dhotre formally inaugurated the solar power plant, sanctioned by the union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
  • Around Rs 6.5 crore was spent to install the solar power plant, commissioned by an Odisha-based private company. With the installation of the solar power plant, it is expected that on an average energy worth of Rs 5 lakh would be saved per month.
India celebrates its 72nd Army Day
  • The Army Day is celebrated on January 15 every year as it was this day when Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa’s taken over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India, on 15 January 1949.
  • The day is celebrated in the form of parades and other military shows in the national capital New Delhi as well as in all headquarters.
  • On 15 January 2020, India celebrated its 72nd Indian Army Day in New Delhi.
  • Army Day marks a day to salute the valiant soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect the country and its citizens.
  • The main Army Day parade is conducted in Cariappa Parade ground in Delhi cantonment. Gallantry awards and Sena medals are also awarded on this day.
  • In 2020, 15 soldiers were presented with bravery awards. ParamVir Chakra and Ashok Chakra awardees participate in the Army Day parade every year.
Lt Gen Girish Kumar re-appointed Surveyor General of India
  • The Centre appointed Lt General Girish Kumar as the Surveyor General of India in Survey of India on contract basis for a period of one year.
  • Appointment Committee of the Cabinet approved the proposal from re-appointment of Kumar on the post for one year with effect from January 1, 2020 or from the date of assumption of charge, whichever is later and until further orders.
  • Kumar was earlier appointed as Surveyor General Of India on September 30, 2017 under the Survey of India, the national survey and mapping organization of the country.

FACTFILE – Surveyor General of India

  • The Surveyor General of India is the Head of Department of Survey of India, a Department under the Ministry of Science and Technology of Government of India.
  • He/She is the senior most member of the Survey of India Service.
NAREDCO launches e-commerce portal for housing
  • National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) annnounced the launch of an e-commerce housing portal, ”HousingForAll.Com”.
  • The portal will be open for home buyers with a 45-day sale period starting February 14.
  • The portal will be open for one month. i.e from January 14 to February 13, 2020, for developers to register their projects.
  • During the first 15 days of the 45-day sale period, the portal will be opened for buyers and they would be able to view offers and shortlist properties. They will be able purchase the shortlisted properties in March.
  • The buyers will be able to view information such as floor plans, room dimensions, video tours of units and external views looking out from windows and balconies.
  • Also, they will be able to directly book or reserve a unit from the portal with a refundable payment of only Rs 25,000.
  • They will also get ”money back guarantee”, where their initial buyer deposit made on the portal is secured and is fully refundable in case the buyer chooses not to purchase the unit.

JANUARY 16, 2020

Assam Cancer foundation sign MoU with NRL
  • As a CSR initiative aligned with NRL’s focus area of improving community health, an MoU was signed between NRL and Assam Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF) to equip the upcoming radiotherapy block annexed to the Barpeta Medical College & Hospital.
  • The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 16.83 crore.
  • The MoU was signed by Debasish Choudhury, Senior Chief General Manager (HR & Legal), NRL, and GautamChintey, Project Director, ACCF, on behalf of NRL and ACCF respectively in the presence of officials from both the sides.
  • NRL will support ACCF to procure cancer treatment equipment such as LINAC–True beam without SRS, HDR brachytherapy, dosimetry and immobilisation unit and CT simulator.
India, Finland ink MoU to enhance defence cooperation
  • India and Finland inked an MoU to enhance bilateral defence cooperation, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and and the Finnish Defence Ministry”s Permanent Secretary, JukkaJuusti signed the Mou.
  • MoU was signed on co-operation in the field of production, procurement, research and development of defence-related equipment and industrial cooperation on the sidelines of Raisina Dialogue 2020.
  • Under the broad ambit of the MoU, cooperation between Finnish companies and Indian defence public sector undertakings could be explored.
  • The MoU was under discussion since the Defence Expo 2018 and has now been formalised in the run up to Defence Expo 2020, to be held in Lucknow between February 5-9.
Anand Prakash Maheshwariwas appointed as CRPF chief
  • The Uttar Pradesh cadre, 1984 batch IPS officer, Anand Prakash Maheshwariwas appointed CRPF chief.
  • Maheshwari took over from ITBP Director General S.S. Deswal who was given the additional charge to head the country”s largest paramilitary force, after DG R.R. Bhatnagar retired on December 31.
  • Maheshwari, who will hold the post till his retirement in February next year, was handed over the DG”s ceremonial DG at the CRPF headquarters and also accorded a guard of honour by force personnel.
  • The Special Secretary, Internal Security, in the Ministry of Home Affairs prior to this, he has earlier worked in the CRPF as Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General.
  • He has also headed the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) and served as an Additional DG in the Border Security Force.

FACTFILE – The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

  • Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is India’s largest Central Armed Police Force. It functions under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the Government of India.
  • CRPF’s primary role lies in assisting the State/Union Territories in police operations to maintain law and order and counter insurgency.
  • It came into existence as the Crown Representative’s Police on 27 July 1939. After Indian Independence, it became the Central Reserve Police Force on enactment of the CRPF Act on 28 December 1949.
  • Besides law and order and counter-insurgency duties, the CRPF has played an increasingly large role in India’s general elections. During the Parliamentary elections of September 1999, the CRPF played a major role in the security arrangements. Of late, CRPF contingents are also being deployed in UN missions.
  • With 239 battalions and various other establishments, the CRPF is considered India’s largest paramilitary force and has a sanctioned strength of more than 300,000 personnel as of 2017.
Maharastra CM launches first girder of India’s longest sea-bridge
  • Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray launched the first girder for the country’s longest sea-bridge, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL).
  • Thackeray, along with top officials of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and others launched the girder at the Mumbai-end of MTHL in Sewri.
  • The girder weighing 1,000 tonnes was set off by a 1,400-tonnes ”launching girder” and mark the erection of the first span in the civilian works of the MTHL.
  • The MTHL, the second road link cutting through the Arabian Sea in the island city”s eastern coast, will connect the mainland with Sewri and Chirle respectively.
  • Estimated to cost around Rs 14,260 crore, it is being financed by a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
  • The total bridge will be 22 kms long of which 16.5 kms will run in the sea, with interchanges on both sides, making it the longest sea-bridge in India, and second after the Rajiv Gandhi BandraWorli Sea Link, which is now being extended up to Andheri.
Himachal Govt Pact with AAI for greenfield airport in Mandi
  • A memorandum of understanding for development of a greenfield airport at Nagchala in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh was signed between the state and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
  • Director Tourism and Civil Aviation Yunus on behalf of the state and AAI Executive Director Planning H.S. Balhara signed the agreement in the presence of AAI Chairman Arvind Singh.
  • The development of airport will be through a joint venture company (JVC) wherein the AAI will hold 51 per cent equity and the remaining will be held by state or its designated agency.
  • The JVC will undertake the functions of design, finance, construction and completion of the airport project for commercial civil aviation operation and maintenance and management of the airport.
  • The state will acquire and transfer land for airport to the JVC.

 

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JANUARY 17, 2020

Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi flags off National Integration Tour
  • Governor Professor Jagdish Mukhi flagged off a national integration tour from the NE states to Pune and naval dockyard Mumbai, at the Raj Bhavanin a move to imbibe a pan-Indian vision and attitude in students.
  • Organised by Moreh Battalion of 26 Sector Assam Rifles under the aegis of Inspector General Assam Rifles (South), the national integration camp is aimed at helping the students know different states of India and develop a pan-India attitude.
  • The objective of the tour is to enable the youths of NE states to see the amalgamation of the varied and rich culture of India and develop a feeling of ‘unity in diversity’ that the country stands for as well as to develop a strong bonding between NE region and rest of the country.
  • The tour includes various aspects like sightseeing, visits to defence establishments, DRDO and interactions with prominent personalities like governors, etc.
India’s communication satellite GSAT-30 put into orbit
  • The European space agency Arianespace put India’s communication satellite GSAT-30 and Eutelsat Konnect – into geo-stationary transfer orbit with its heavy lift of Ariane 5 rocket. The 3,357 kg GSAT-30 was produced by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
  • The GSAT-30 will provide high-quality television, telecommunication and broadcasting services ensuring continuity of service for INSAT 4A satellite.
  • By operating GSAT-30, ISRO will – once again – use space to help bridge the digital divide in the Indian subcontinent as part of its ambitious space programme.
  • GSAT-30 has a unique configuration of providing flexible frequency segments and flexible coverage.
  • The satellite will provide communication services to Indian mainland and islands through Ku-band and wide coverage covering Gulf countries, a large number of Asian countries and Australia through C-band.
  • GSAT-30 will provide DTH Television Services, connectivity to VSATs for ATM, Stock-exchange, Television uplinking and Teleport Services, Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) and e-governance applications.
  • The satellite will also be used for bulk data transfer for a host of emerging telecommunication applications.
  • The GSAT-30 was the 24th ISRO satellite orbited by Ariane-series launchers.
Punjab Assembly passes Bill for water regulation authority
  • The Punjab Assembly passed unanimously the Punjab Water Resources (Management and Regulation) Bill, 2020, thus paving the way for the creation of Punjab Water Regulation and Development Authority to manage critical water resources in the border state.
  • The Chief Minister reiterated his government’s commitment to resolve the problem, which was particularly acute in southern Punjab districts like Muktsar Sahib, leading to large number of cancer cases.
  • The Chief Minister apprised the House that his government had already signed an agreement with Israeli company Mekorot for formulation of a master plan for the conservation and management of water resources.
IIM Indore partner with TikTok for dialogue series
  • Indian Institute of Management-Indore and Chinese short-video sharing application TikTok will jointly lead India-wide conversation and dialogue series on responsible leadership and how to make policy work better for people.
  • The focus of the partnership will remain on creating high quality first of a kind education module for top B-school students, mid-career senior management professionals, government officers, smart city CEOs, bureaucrats, family owned businesses and entrepreneurs to prepare them for management challenges of the future and digital disruption.
  • IIM-Indore and TikTok plan to host joint training and workshops on sharing good practices on using the internet safely and productively along with hackathons for government departments, law enforcement agencies, and the government scheme executing partners.
  • This will be further strengthened by the launch of several high level policy engagements and e-services delivery and problem solving workshops for key decision makers helping them harness the power of the Internet better.

JANUARY 18, 2020

Dr Krishnakanta Handique chosen for 2020 Bokulbon Award
  • Noted folk artiste Dr Krishnakanta Handique, has been selected for 2020 Bokulbon Award.
  • The award is given annually by the Bokulban Trust here in memory of noted poet late Ananda Chandra Baruah, who was popularly known as “BokulbanarKabi” and was also a former president of AsamSahitya Sabha.
  • The award carries a cash prize, a citation, a selengsador and a packet of books.
  • Dr Handique founded the well-known Bihu troupe named JhanjipariaBihudol which is a popular Bihu group across the state. Dr Handique has also authored several books on Assam’s folk art.
IAF enhances strike capabilities in Indian Ocean Region
  • The Indian Air Force is enhancing its strength there by inducting Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets armed with lethal Brahmos missile at its new squadron based in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur.
  • The presence of Su-30s in south Inaid will augment the Indian Navy”s strength and air strike capabilities of the Indian armed forces as a whole, as the Brahmos have been tried and successfully tested for anti-ship operations.
  • The Su-30 has a range of 1,200 km and with addition of 300 km range of the Brahmos, India can strike at locations deep inside the region.
  • The new squadron will initially have around five to six fighter jets but gradually it will operate with full strength of 18 aircraft. This will be the first fighter squadron to be set up by the Indian Air Force in its Southern Command.
  • The integration of Brahmos with Su-30 was fast tracked after the Balakot air strikes in 2019. Further strengthening of the armed forces’ firepower in the southern region will act as a move towards tri-service synergy
Bharti Foundation partner with Ericsson to set up Robotic Lab in Punjab
  • Bharti Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises, in partnership with Ericsson India launched “The Robotic Lab” at the Satya Bharti Senior Secondary School, Jhaneri, Punjab.
  • The state-of-the-art lab in the government school in Jhaneri will benefit the underprivileged students from Class IV to Class VIII and further stimulate their interest in science and technology.
  • The program curriculum aims to introduce these students to the world of digital technology by improving their general understanding as well as providing hands-on experience of programming and digital tools.
  • During the robotic classes, students will learn the basics of programming and develop the skill sets to create precise and accurate instructions.
  • The three-year partnership with Bharti Foundation aims to impart knowledge that inspires students to pursue a career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
  • This program will provide knowledge in the areas of new technologies, coding, programming and robotics to name a few.

 

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JANUARY 19, 2020

 Two ministers inducted in Assam Cabinet
  • Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal expanded his cabinet by including two more Ministers. Sanjay Kishan and Jogen Mohan were administered the oath of office and secrecy by state Governor JagdishMukhi at a ceremony at the Raj Bhavan”s Darbar Hall.
  • Sanjay Kishan is a lawmaker from Tinsukia, while Jogen Mohan was elected to the Assembly from Mahmora. They were both inducted as Ministers of State with independent charge.
  • With this, the strength of the Sonowal government has risen to 18 including the Chief Minister.The two vacancies were created after Topon Kumar Gogoi and Pallab Lochan Das resigned following their victory in the Lok Sabha elections last year.
Assam Govt has identified 4 sites for solid waste management
  • The State government has identified four sites for setting up of the integrated solid waste management facility (ISWMF) for the Guwahati Capital Region and possession of all these sites have been handed over to the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC).
  • The State Biodiversity Board is going to undertake a feasibility study for clearing and cleaning the legacy waste at the Boragaon solid waste dumping site.
  • It has been decided that the clearing and cleaning of waste from the dumping site will be conducted in a pattern similar to that of the Neel Khas near the Yamuna Diversity Park, Noida.
  • The four ISWMF sites include
  • a 40-bigha plot of land located on the Old Chandrapur Thermal Power Station campus of the Assam Power Generation Corporation Ltd (APGCL).
  • A 27-bigha plot covered by dag no.32 in the Tamulikuchi NC under SonapurMouza of Sonapur Revenue Circle, Kamrup (Metro) district
  • A 20-bigha, 1-katha, 19-lessa plot of land covered by dag no.33 at Odalbakra under BeltolaMouza of Dispur Revenue Circle, Kamrup (Metro) district
  • And a 37-bigha, 3-katha, 5-lessa plot of land covered by dag no.139 at Basistha under BeltolaMouza of Dispur Revenue Circle, Kamrup (Metro) district.
Andhra Assembly passes three-capital Bill
  • Andhra Pradesh Assembly passed a Bill to develop three capitals with Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy assuring justice to Amaravati farmers.
  • The Assembly passed by a voice vote Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill 2020 to develop Visakhapatnam and Kurnool as the capitals in addition to Amaravati.
  • Capital Region Development Authority Repeal Bill 2020 was also passed to repeal the CRDA Act passed in 2015 to develop Amaravati as the state capital.
  • The House also passed a resolution for development of three state capitals. According to the resolution, the move is aimed at decentralisation of governance and for ensuring inclusive development of all regions.

JANUARY 20, 2020

 Three new frog species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh
  • Three new species of small frogs have been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Subansiri district by scientists of Zoological Survey of India.
  • The new species discovered from Talle Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) have been named as ‘Liurana himalayana’, ‘Liurana indica’ and ‘Liurana minuta’. The frogs are so small in size that one can sit on a coin.
  • A study has been published in a science journal, the Records of the Zoological Survey of India’, which confirmed that the species are new discoveries.
Vice President calls for national movement to promote all Indian languages
  • Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu called for a national movement to promote all Indian languages, he said that promotion and protection of ancient Indian languages is the need of the hour as they offer a window to our ancient civilisational values, knowledge and wisdom.
  • Speaking at the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), the vice president called for according a sense of dignity and pride to those who speak, write and communicate in Indian languages.
  • He also urged people to use their mother tongue at home, in the community, in meetings and in administration.
  • The vice president commended CICT for translating the ‘Thirukkural’ into all Indian languages and also in some foreign languages.
  • He further called for translation of ancient and popular Tamil texts into Indian and foreign languages for the wider benefit of humanity.
  • The vice president also visited the International Institute of Tamil Studies, and saw the cultural centre with the permanent exhibition set up to recreate the history of Tamils that has been uncovered through research spread over the decades.
World Economic Forum & TikTok launch diversity campaign
  • In collaboration with World Economic Forum (WEF), Chinese short-video sharing application TikTok launched the #AllTheDifference challenge to promote inclusion in diversity ahead of the Davos summit that will discuss inclusive societies.
  • From January 21 to 27, TikTok users in over 75 global markets are encouraged to celebrate inclusion and diversity by joining the #AllTheDifference challenge.
  • A special “I say” sticker is available on the app to help TikTok users express themselves.
  • The WEF will be held in Davos, Switzerland, from January 21 to 24. The event brings together 3,000 global leaders.
  • The theme of this year”s meet is ”Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World”.
Bengaluru hosts ‘RevHack 2020’ first Indian language based hackathon
  • The Silicon Valley of India – Bengaluru hosted RevHack 2020 – first Indian language based hackathon. Around 200 participants battled it out to build solutions to drive – Language Equality on the Indian Internet.
  • The hackathon was organised by Reverie Language Technologies and NASSCOM.
  • The main objective of the event was to build an ecosystem to drive language equality on the Indian Internet space

 

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JANUARY 21, 2020

Jonbeel Mela begins in Jagiroad District
  • The historic Jonbeel Mela began at Jonbeel Pathar in Jagiroad of Assam.
  • Jonbeel Mela is a community fair held on the weekend of ‘Magh Bihu’ at a historic place known as Dayang Belguri at Jonbeel.
  • The ceremonial ‘king’of Gova Kingdom Gova Tiwa Deo-raja-Deepsing along with his court members namely Barbarua, Senapati, Deka-Doloi, Arandhara, Bordoloi, Khatoniar and others assembled at the Mela site to attend a community feast which was also joined by a host of leading personalities .
  • Nearly 3,000 people from Karbi Anglong and Meghalaya have assembled at the Jonbeel Pathar. The people will ‘barter’ their essential items at the Mela site, followed by ‘community fishing’ at Jonbeel.
Su-30 MKI squadron inducted in Thanjavur base
  • The Indian Air Force (IAF) has commissioned the 222 squadron, also known as ”Tigersharks”, for their Thanjavur base.
  • The squadron has six Sukhoi-30 specially modified fighter jets, each carrying 2.5 tonne air-launched supersonic BrahMos cruise missile.
  • The squadron based in Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu will keep a check on increase in Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean region.
  • It will also augment Indian Navy”s strength and air strike capabilities of the military as a whole.
  • The squadron will be operating closely with the Indian Army and Navy to get the ball rolling in jointness of the Indian armedfforcesThe squadron will be operating closely with the Indian Army and Navy to get the ball rolling in jointness of the Indian armedf forces.
  • The Su-30 has a range of 1,200 km, with addition of 300 km in range of the Brahmos. It can strike at locations deep inside the Indian Ocean region.
  • The decision to choose Thanjavur as the base for the induction of the Su-30 MKI squadron was made because of its strategic location.
  • The induction ceremony culminated with a flying display by Light Combat Aircraft, Sarang Helicopter Display Team and Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team.
Haryana passes Constitutional Amendment to extend reservations
  • The Haryana Assembly unanimously passed a motion to ratify the 126th Constitutional Amendment to extend reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Punjab for another 10 years.
  • Moving a motion in the House, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said now the Rajya Sabha secretariat “is to be apprised with the ratification” made in this regard.
  • Haryana Governor SatyadeoNarain Arya said the special session was convened to ratify the amendments to the Constitution.
Odisha CM Patnaik launches online property tax module
  • Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched an online module to facilitate payment of property tax.
  • Patnaik also launched an initiative – Municipal Premier League (MPL) – in order to facilitate urban local bodies to enhance their revenue collection.
  • The name MPL has been inspired from the Indian Premier League (IPL), and its main objective is to motivate tax officials, recognise their efforts and improve internal revenue generation.
  • This is an idea of conducting competition among tax collecting officials of nine urban local bodies (ULBs), five municipal corporations and four municipalities, where the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) is being implemented.
  • Awards will be given to top five tax officials in different categories.
  • The online property tax module will help people in urban areas. The payment can be done through credit card, debit card, net banking and e wallets.

 

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