Current Affairs Assam – January 29 - 31, 2019
( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of January 29 – 31, 2019 )
January 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook PDF
Go To Assam Current Affairs Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz
January 29, 2019
India to participate in PISA-2021
- The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry signed a pact with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for the participation of students from Central government schools to take the PISA-2021.
- PISA is a competency-based test, which tests the learning levels of 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics and science.
- With the signing of the pact, Indian students aged 15 will be able to take the Programme for International Student Assessment or PISA, which is conducted every three years.
- Under this initiative, students will be tested in reading, maths, and science. I am sure that Indian students will come out with flying colors.
- Schools run by Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) and schools in the UTs of Chandigarh will participate.
Regional medicine warehouse opened at Pamohi, Assam
- Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, Chemicals & Fertilizers Mansukh L Mandaviya inaugurated the Regional Warehouse under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadi Pariyojana (PMBJP) at Pamohi.
- It is set up by the Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI), which would facilitate the seamless supply of medicines to all PMBJP Kendras functioning across the North East.
FACTFILE – Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI)
- Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) is the implementing agency of Pradhan Mantri Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).
- BPPI was established in December, 2008 under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India.
January 30, 2019
India ranked 78 in Global Corruption Index 2018
India has improved its ranking by three positions in the Global Corruption Index 2018 while the US has dropped out of top 20 countries for the first time since 2011.
India is ranked 78 in 2018, improving it’s position by 3 place from 81st in 2017.
The CPI measures public sector corruption in 180 countries and territories, drawing on 13 expert assessments and surveys of business executives to give each country a score from zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
Point2Remember: Denmark and New Zealand topped the 2018 index while Somalia, Syria and South Sudan were at the bottom.
Central assistance of Rs 7,214 crore from for Puducherry, 6 states
- The Centre announced additional assistance of Rs 7,214 crore to six states and Puducherry, which were affected by natural disasters like floods, landslides, drought, cloudburst and cyclone during 2018-19.
- A high-level committee chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh approved the additional central assistance of Rs 7,214 crore from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
- The committee has decided to provide Rs 317.44 crore to Himachal Pradesh, Rs 191.73 crore to Uttar Pradesh, Rs 900.40 crore to Andhra Pradesh, Rs 127.60 crore to Gujarat, Rs 949.49 crore to Karnataka, Rs 4,714.28 crore to Maharashtra and Rs 13.09 crore to Puducherry (cyclone).
FACTFILE – The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
- NDRF is a specialised force constituted “for the purpose of specialist response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster” under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
- The Apex Body for Disaster Management in India is the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
- The Chairman of the NDMA is the Prime Minister.
- The responsibility for disaster management in India’s federal system is that of the State Government.
- When ‘calamities of severe nature’ occur, the Central Government is responsible for providing aid and assistance to the affected state, including deploying, at the State’s request, of Armed Forces, Central Paramilitary Forces, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and such communication, air and other assets, as are available and needed.
- National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is under the National Disaster Management Authority.
Padma Shri Award to Assam’s Ilias Ali and Udhab Kumar Bharali
- Assam surgeon Ilias Ali and social innovator Udhab Kumar Bharali have been hounoured with Padma Shri awards, India’s the fourth highest civilian award.
- Ilias Ali is known for working on family planning and education of Muslim women, whereas Udhab Kumar Bharali has more than 100 innovations to his credit, mostly at the grassroots level.
- Two others from North East region, to get the Padma Shri award are archer Bombayla Devi Laishram from Manipur and musician Thanga Darlong from Tripura.
FACTFILE – Padma Shri Award
- It is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. It is awarded by the Government of India, every year on India’s Republic Day.
- Padma Awards were instituted in 1954 to be awarded to citizens of India in recognition of their distinguished contribution in various spheres of activity including the arts, education, industry, literature, science, sports, medicine, social service and public affairs. It has also been awarded to some distinguished individuals who were not citizens of India but did contribute in various ways to India.
Bharat Ratna Award to Dr. Bhupen Hazarika
- India’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna is conferred on Dr Bhupen Hazarika, the music maestro form.
- Hazarika is only the second person from Assam, after the state’s first chief minister Gopinath Bordoloi, to have been honoured with Bharat Ratna which is conferred “in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order”.
FACTFILE – Bharat Ratna Award
- The Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India.
- Instituted in 1954, the award was originally limited to achievements in the arts, literature, science, and public services, but the government expanded the criteria to include “any field of human endeavour” in 2011.
- Bharat Ratna recipients rank seventh in the Indian order of precedence.
- The first recipients of the Bharat Ratna were C. Rajagopalachari, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and C. V. Raman, who were honoured in 1954.
Assam launched subsidy scheme for farmers
- Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal ceremonially launched the Farmers’ Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme.
- The Assam Farmers’ Credit Subsidy Scheme under which all short-term crop loan availed from scheduled commercial banks, regional rural banks and the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank will be availed at 25 per cent government subsidy for any loan availed between April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019. Govt will provide subsidy to a maximum limit of Rs 25,000 per farmer for a minimum loan amount of Rs 1 lakh.
- Under the Assam Farmers’ Interest Relief Scheme, farmers can avail short-term crop loan up to Rs 2 lakh at zero per cent interest rate. It will provide a one-time cash incentive up to Rs 10,000 per account for activating the overdue and NPA KCC account.
- The scheme was launched marking the Krishak Swahid Divas to honour the martyrdom of nearly 140 peasants who laid their lives in 1894 protesting against the increasing land tax rate and other exploitation by the British Raj.
FACTFILE – Patharughatar Ran / Patharughatar Uprising
- On 28 January 1894, around 140 peasants were killed and a large number of people were injured in an unprovoked police firing while protesting against enhanced revenue.
- It is also known as Assam’s Jallianwala Bagh.
- Since 2000, the army has been paying homage to the martyrs on 29 January every year and has also set up martyrs’ column in memory of the 140 peasants.
January 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook PDF
Go To Assam Current Affairs Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz
Pages: 1 2