Current Affairs Assam – January 2019
( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the month of January 2019 )
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January 24, 2019
Union Cabinet approved amendment to improve powers of the autonomous district councils
- The Union Cabinet approved amendment to Article 280 and the sixth schedule to the Constitution to improve the financial resources and administrative powers of the autonomous district councils of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura to fulfil the “long standing aspirations” of tribal population residing in these northeastern states.
- The amendment provides for constitution of state finance commissions in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.
- The amendment provides for transfer of additional 30 subjects including Public Works Department, Forests, Public Health Engineering, Health and Family Welfare; Urban Development, Food and Civil Supply department to Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council (KAATC) and Dima Hasao Autonomous Territorial Council (DHATC) in Assam, thus strengthening the autonomous councils and giving them a major role in the day to day governance and developmental activities.
- The changes will also fulfill the commitments made under tripartite memorandum of settlements signed by Central Govt, state governments of Assam and Meghalaya, United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), Dima Halam Daogah(DHD) and Achik National Volunteers’ Council(ANVC).
Union Cabinet gave approval for amendment to the “Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC Member Countries”
- The Union Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval for amendment to the “Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC Member Countries” to incorporate a ‘standby swap’ amounting to $400 million.
- The standby swap was operated within the overall size of the facility which amounts to $2 billion. The government said that due to heightened financial risk and volatility in global economy, short-term swap requirements of SAARC countries could be higher than the agreed lines and the amendment builds in flexibility with respect to modalities of its operation, such as period of swap and roll over.
- The Cabinet gave its approval after due consideration of conditions of requesting SAARC member countries and domestic requirements of India.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launches TN Aerospace and Defence Industrial Policy
- Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Tamil Nadu Aerospace and Defence Industrial Policy and invited the industry to invest in these sectors, assuring them of support by the Central government. It will facilitate well-planned, efficient industrial base for enhanced defence production.
- In the Union 2018 Budget, two Defence corridors were announced in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
- The Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor, also called the Tamil Nadu Defence Production Quad, will include Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Coimbatore and Tiruchi. These nodal cities have defence ecosystem in the form of OFBs, vendors working with Defence PSUs, and other allied industries.
JSW Group signs MoU with Andhra Pradesh to build jetty, slurry pipeline
- The JSW Group has signed an MoU with Andhra Pradesh government to build a jetty at Ramayapatnam Port and a slurry pipeline with a total investment of Rs 4,500 crore.
- JSW Group signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) at the World Economic Forum.
- The company will invest Rs 1,000 crore to establish a jetty at Ramayapatnam Port in Prakasam district. It also plans to build a slurry pipeline with an investment of Rs 3,500 crore for the group’s plant in Bellary district of Karnataka.
- The Andhra Pradesh government has formed a special purpose vehicle, the AP Maritime Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, to develop the Ramayapatnam port at a cost of Rs 4,240 crore (phase-1) with eight berths.
- The Asia Pulp & Paper Group is proposing to make an investment of Rs 24,000 crore in its pulp and paper manufacturing unit at Ravuru in Gudluru amandal’ of Prakasam district.
Phyto-Pharma Plant Mission to promote cultivation of medicinal plants in NE
- Around eight to ten plants have been identified as initial priorities under the Phyto-Pharma Plant Mission in the northeastern region which seeks to promote cultivation of medicinal plants and link it with the phyto-pharmaceutical industry.
FACTFILE – The Phyto-Pharma Plant Mission
- The Department of Biotechnology has sanctioned Rs 50 crore for the Mission.
- The Mission aims at conservation and cultivation of endangered and threatened endemic medicinal plants of Northeast India and discovery of new botanical drugs for unmet medical needs using the rich traditional ethno-botanical knowledge and biodiversity of these states.
- This mission would also help to improve the availability of authentic and quality botanical raw material on sustainable basis for a boom in the phyto-pharmaceutical industry.
- It is expected that this mission would enable farmers and phyto-pharmaceutical industries to export some quality botanical drugs.
- The Department of Biotechnology is the nodal coordinating and implementing department for this mission and it would work closely with the Ministry of DoNER.
January 25, 2019
Indian rocket lifts off with DRDO’s ‘Microsat R’ and KalamsatV2
- India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket lifted off with the country’s defence imaging satellite “Microsat R” and student satellite ” KalamsatV2“.
- The GSAT-7 and GSAT-7A are the two dedicated military communication satellites, while all other earth observation and communication satellites launched earlier were of dual use.
- The KalamsatV2 is a payload developed by students and Chennai-based Space Kidz India. It will be the first to use the rocket’s fourth stage as an orbital platform. To reduce weight and increase the mass, an aluminium tank is being used for the first time in the fourth stage.
- Microsat-R is an earth observing satellite manufactured by DRDO and is meant for military use.
TN signs 304 MoUs for Rs. 300,000 crore investments
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami said the two day Global Investors Meet 2019 (GIM 2019) has attracted investment proposals worth over Rs. 300,000 crore.
- The state has signed 304 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) during the investors meet involving an investment of Rs. 300,431 crore.
- The investment proposals have the potential to provide job opportunities for 10.50 lakh persons.
- The major investment proposals are: Rs. 27,400 crore for a petroleum refinery by Chennai Petroleum Corporation in Nagapattinam; Rs. 7,000 crore expansion plan and start of electric car manufacturing by car maker Hyundai Motor India; Rs. 3,100 crore by tyre maker MRF Ltd; Rs. 10,000 crore by Adani group for expanding its Kattupalli port here; Rs. 1,250 crore by PSA France to make Peugeot cars; and Rs. 1,500 crore expansion by two wheeler maker Eicher Motors.
Mauritius PM inaugurates SBM Bank (India) Ltd in Mumbai
- SBM Bank (India) Ltd’ started Indian operations in 1994 under the name of SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd, has branches in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Ramachandrapuram in Andhra Pradesh.
- Now ‘SBM Bank (India) Ltd’ shall operate as a full-fledged universal bank, headed by Managing Director and CEO Sidharth Rath.
- The SBM Bank would offer all retail, corporate, trade finance services, capital markets, trading and stockbroking, asset management and custody services for the Indian customers.
- As a new entity, the SBM Bank (India) Ltd will expand its Indian network by end-March 2020 with four more branches focusing on the mid-market segment comprising mid-corporate and higher-end SMEs, besides building its retail banking footprint in this country.
- The bank will support Indian companies investing in eastern Africa, given its strong presence in Kenya to facilitate India-Africa trade.
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