Assam Current Affairs – July 01-07, 2020

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Assam Current Affairs & GK – July 1 - 7, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of July 1 – 7, 2020 )

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July 01, 2020

Assam government prohibits use of spiked bits on horses
  • The Assam government has banned the use of spiked bits or yokes with spikes on horses, by enforcing a prohibition under the cruelty provisions to the Drought and Pack Animals Rules, 1965.
  • This order was issued recently by Assam’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department Secretary Devajyoti Hazarika following a complaint by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA-India).
  • PETA India had launched a nationwide campaign in 2019 based on the outcome of a multi-state survey of government efforts to impose a ban on using spiked bits on horses.
  • Other states like Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh have already issued orders enforcing these prohibitions.
India ranked 117th in SDG Index 2020
  • India is ranked at 117th position with a score of 92and is also facing major challenges in 10 of the 17 SDGs including zero hunger, good health, gender inequality among others.
  • The index has been topped by Sweden with score of 84.72, Denmark scored 84.56, Finland scored 83.77.
  • The 2020 report has reviewed the performance of 193 UN Member States out of which 166 were ranked under SDG index 2020.
  • The report identifies five key measures that global cooperation should include:
    1. Disseminate best practices rapidly;
    2. strengthen financing mechanisms for developing countries;
    3. Address hunger hotspots;
    4. Ensure social protection;
    5. Promote new drugs and vaccines.
  • Since its launch in 2016, the report provides the most up-to-date data to track and review the performance of all 193 UN member states on the 17 SDGs.
HDFC Bank launches ”e-KisaanDhan” app for farmers
  • HDFC Bank launched ”e-KisaanDhan” mobile app for farmers across India to access various agricultural and banking services.
  • The Mobile App, which serves as a repository of knowledge and information for any individual engaged in farming, helps meet needs of the rural ecosystem.
  • This will also provide value-added services, like mandi prices, latest farming news, weather forecast, information on seed varieties, SMS advisory, e-pashuhaat, multiple banking services, like procuring loans, opening bank accounts, insurance facilities, online calculation of KCC loan eligibility.
  • This app is a part of the bank’s ”HarGaonHamara” initiative to reach out to customers in the rural and under-served areas.
World Bank offers $750 million loan for India’s MSMEs
  • The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a $750 million MSME Emergency Response program to support increased flow of finance into the hands of India’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
  • The MSME Emergency Response program will address the immediate liquidity and credit needs of 15 lakh MSMEs to help them withstand the impact of the current shock and protect jobs.
  • The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan of $750 million has a maturity of 19 years including a 5-year grace period.
  • This program will support the government’s efforts to channel liquidity to the MSME sector by de-risking lending from banks and NBFCs to MSMEs through a range of instruments, including credit guarantees.
  • The World Bank has so far committed $2.75 billion to support India’s emergency COVID-19 response.
Uniform stamp duty on securities market instruments from July 1
  • The amendments in the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, to bring about uniformity of the stamp duty on securities across states will come into effect from July 1, 2020.
  • Central Govt has created the legal and institutional mechanism to enable states to collect stamp duty on securities market instruments at one place by one agency, through the stock exchange or clearing corporation authorised by it or by the depository on one instrument.
  • The amendment will improve the ease of doing business and bring in uniformity of the stamp duty on securities across states, which can help building a pan-India securities market.
  • Stock exchanges will now collect stamp duty for trading in securities at a unified rate from July 1 and deposit the proceeds with the Centre, which will then divide it among states where the trade took place.
  • At present, market participants collect stamp duty at rates fixed by the state where the trade takes place. This created a complex system with multiple tax rates and differing regulations in different states, posing a challenge to settle deals.
  • Under the new provisions, stock exchanges/clearing agencies would collect duty on securities transactions and deposit it with the centre, for off market transactions platform, the depositories would collect stamp duties.
  • This centralised collection mechanism is expected to ensure minimise cost of collection and enhance revenue productivity. It will help develop equity markets and equity culture across the length and breadth of the country, ushering in balanced regional development.
Microsoft collaborate with Accenture to nurture B2B startups in India
  • Microsoft announced to collaborate with global professional services company Accenture to host the third edition of the Accenture Ventures Challenge for B2B startups in India.
  • It will recognise startups in India in four categories: supply chain resilience, channel shift to digital commerce, systems resilience and responsible technology.
  • Microsoft, in February 2020, launched the “100X100X100” programme to bring 100 companies to commit $100,000 each for enterprise-ready solutions from 100 business-to-business (B2B) startups in the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) space in India over the course of 18 months.
  • Accenture Ventures Challenge identifies the best B2B tech startups to develop solutions for real-world challenges faced by businesses. Its’ 2020 edition will identify 12 innovative startups that are helping to address the business and human impact of COVID-19.
  • The winner in each category will be given an opportunity to join the Accenture Ventures Open Innovation partner programme and co-create solutions for Accenture clients around the world.

July 02, 2020

 Assam Govt decided to upgrade Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary into National Park
  • Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced that the state government has decided to upgrade the DehingPatkai Wildlife Sanctuary, which is home to a vast variety of flora and fauna, into a national park.

FACTFILE – Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary

  • Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia Districts of Assam and covers an area of 111.19 km2 rainforest.
  • It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 2004.
  • The Dehing Patkai forms the largest stretch of lowland rainforests in India.
  • The Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary and a part of Dehing Patkai Rainforest, due to their importance for elephant habitat, were declared as Dehing-Patkai Elephant Reserve under Project Elephant.
Railways to invite private players for passenger train operations
  • Indian Railway has invited request for qualifications for private participation for passenger train operations on 109 pairs of routes through 151 modern trains.
  • Railway ministry plans to allow private entities to operate passenger trains. The project would entail private sector investment of about Rs 30,000 crore.
  • The private investment for running passenger trains over Indian Railways network
  • began last year with the introduction of Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
  • The objective of this initiative is to introduce modern technology rolling stock with reduced maintenance, reduced transit time, boost job creation, provide enhanced safety, provide world class travel experience to passengers.
  • The 109 (origin-destination) pairs of trains have been formed into 12 clusters across the Indian Railway network. The private entity shall be responsible for financing, procuring, operation and maintenance of the trains. Trains shall be designed for a maximum speed of 160 kmph and should reduce journey time.
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur develops new micro porous film
  • Researcher Dr Tushar Deshpande of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, has developed an elastomeric film that has multiple uses. The film can be used as a bandage to prevent a wound from getting infected. It will also speed up healing by aiding tissue building around the wound, by allows air to pass but no virus.
  • Deshpande said the film can also separate petrol from water. The film doesn’t absorb any liquid and has been made with polydis methyl siloxin, ethyl acetated and water and its thickness is 150 microns.”
  • It could also be used in making personal protection equipment (PPE) kits to prevent coronavirus infection. The film will also be effective in making tissues of other organs, including heart, liver and brain.
Delhi CM Kejriwal announces India’s first Coronavirus plasma bank in Delhi
  • Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced the first plasma bank in the country for the novel coronavirus patients in the city and urged the Covid survivors to come forward and donate plasma to save lives. He also launched the helpline number to register names for plasma donation.
  • The patients who were treated from Covid-19 and have completed 14 days after their treatment are eligible for donating plasma. They must be between 18 and 60 age groups, must have weight more than 50 kg.
AAI inks MoA with Cachar District for financial assistance to Cacahr Cancer Hospital
  • The Cachar District Adminstration and authorities of Airports Authority of India (AAI) Silchar airport signed an Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for providing financial assistance for procurement of ambulance for Cachar Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Silchar amounting to Rs 13 Lakh.
  • The MoA was signed by Cachar Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli and Silchar Airport Director PK Gorai.
  • As a part of the CSR initiative, the Airport Authority of India will support the project by providing financial assistance for procurement of sophisticated ambulance for the cancer hospital.
World Bank approves $500 million project STARS to better education quality in 6 Indian states
  • The World Bank board of executives has approved a new project worth $500 million to improve learning outcome and governance of government schools in six Indian states.
  • The project STARS (Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program) will be implemented through the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan in partnership with Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan.
  • STARS will help improve learning assessment systems, strengthen classroom instruction, and remediation, facilitate school-to-work transition, and strengthen governance and decentralized management.
  • The STARS program builds on the long partnership between India and the World Bank, since 1994, for strengthening public school education and to support the country’s goal of providing ‘Education for All’.
  • The program will support individualized, needs-based training for teachers that will give them an opportunity to have a say in shaping training programs and making them relevant to their teaching needs.
India, World Bank sign loan agreements for housing sector in Tamil Nadu
  • The Govt of India, state Govt of Tamil Nadu and the World Bank signed legal agreements to help low-income groups in the state of Tamil Nadu get access to affordable housing.
  • The loan agreements were signed for two projects:
  • The $200 million First Tamil Nadu Housing Sector Strengthening Programme supports the government’s ongoing efforts to increase the availability of affordable housing by gradually shifting the role of the state from being the main provider to an enabler.
  • It aim to unlock regulatory barriers and incentivise private sector participation in affordable housing for low-income families.
  • $50 million Tamil Nadu Housing and Habitat Development Project is also approved to support innovations in housing finance and strengthen housing sector institutions in the state. It will finance the newly created Tamil Nadu Shelter Fund (TNSF) – an innovation in housing finance in India.
  • These loans from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) have a maturity of 20 years including a grace period of 5 years.
Former RBI Governor C. Rangarajan gets Mahalanobis award
  • Former Reserve Bank of India Governor C. Rangarajan has been conferred the P.C. Mahalanobis Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution to official statistics, on the occasion of Statistics Day on June 29.
  • Rangarajan had also held the posts of Chairman, Financial Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, and Chairman, Madras Faculty of Economics.

BIOGRAPHY – Chakravarthi Rangarajan

  • Chakravarthi Rangarajan is an Indian economist and 19th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
  • He is the former Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, he resigned the day the UPA lost power. He is also the Chairman of the Madras School of Economics; former President of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).
  • He served as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu.
  • He was also the chairman of the Twelfth Finance Commission.
  • In 2002, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian award.
Madhya Pradesh launches ‘Hamara Ghar-Hamara Vidyalaya’ campaign
  • To maintain the academic regularity of students during the Corona crisis, the State Education Center has prepared a ‘HamaraGhar-HamaraVidyalaya’ means My Home-My school scheme, in which children will be taught at home in a school-like environment.
  • Under the scheme, the school bells are going to be heard within the student’s house and the teachers will begin the class of the students after the bell. It provides a school-like environment for the children taught at their home through online classes.

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July 03, 2020

Two new species of butterfly ‘Striped Hairstreak and Elusive Prince’ discoved in Arunachal Pradesh
  • Lepidopterists have discovered two new species of butterfly, namely the Striped Hairstreak and Elusive Prince, in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh
  • The Striped Hairstreak, was first recorded by Japanese entomologists in Hainan province of China. And the Elusive Prince, has a Vietnamese connection and was thought to be the more familiar Black Prince found in the Eastern Himalayas.
  • The findings from Arunachal Pradesh indicate the rich biodiversity of the State. India now has 1,327 species, up from 1,318 in 2015
  • The Striped Hairstreak (Yamamotozephyruskwangtugenesis) was located in Vijaynagar bordering Myanmar while the Elusive Prince was found in Miao on the periphery of the Namdapha National Park.
Delhi launches remote teaching-learning activities and LEAD portal
  • Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia announced the commencement of remote teaching-learning activities for students of city government schools.
  • The Directorate of Education has devised an alternate teaching-learning plan to reduce the academic loss of students in classes KG to XII of all government and aided schools in Delhi.
  • A plan of action in this regard has been worked out for the students through a combination of strategies using digital devices and support of the parents and the school managements.
  • Apart from these regular teaching-learning activities, additional optional online teaching-learning activities will be added from time to time to enhance the learning activities of the students.
  • Delhi Deputy Chief also launched a comprehensive e-learning portal called LEAD (Learning through E-Resources Made Accessible for Delhi)— which has more than 10,000 instructional materials and course content for school students.
  • Through LEAD, students will have access to textbooks, study material and course content as per the syllabus of the CBSE, NCERT and the Delhi government’s curriculum.
Global e-waste increased by 21% in five years, says UN
  • As per the UN’s Global E-waste Monitor 2020, a record 53.6 million metric tonnes of electronic waste was generated worldwide in 2019, up 21 per cent in just five years.
  • The prediction of global e-waste (defined as any discarded products with a battery or plug) will reach 74 Mt by 2030, almost a doubling of e-waste in just 16 years.
  • e-waste became world’s fastest-growing domestic waste stream, fuelled mainly by higher consumption rates of electric and electronic equipment, short life cycles, and few options for repair.
  • Region wise: Asia generated the greatest volume of e-waste in 2019, some 24.9 million metric tonnes, followed by the Americas (13.1 million metric tonnes) and Europe (12 million metric tonnes), while Africa and Oceania generated 2.9 million metric tonnes and 0.7 million metric tonnes respectively.
  • Only 17.4 per cent of 2019’s e-waste was collected and recycled.
  • E-waste is a health and environmental hazard, containing toxic additives and substances such as mercury, which damages the human brain and/or coordination system.

FACTFILE – The Global E-waste Monitor 2020

  • The Global E-waste Monitor 2020 is a collaborative product of the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP), formed by UN University, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the International Solid Waste Association, in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme.
Railways runs longest train ”SheshNaag” of 2.8-km length
  • The Indian Railways broke its own record of the longest train ever to run on Indian Railways, by operating ”SheshNaag”, a 2.8-km-long freight train. The South East Central Railway in Nagpur division attached long haul freight train consisting of four BOXN that is 251 wagons hauled by four electric locomotives.
  • The train had three rakes of 58 wagons and one rake of 59 wagons.
  • The whole train got the power of the four railway locomotives as a result. With this formation, Indian Railways will be able to save time required for the movement of freight trains in the Indian Railways network.
Bharti Airtel’s Ajai Puri appointed new Chairman of COAI
  • The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) announced the appointment of Ajai Puri, Chief Operating Officer (India and South Asia), Bharti Airtel as its Chairman for the year 2020-21.
  • Pramod Kumar Mittal, President, Reliance JioInfocomm, will be the Vice Chairman of the Association.
  • Ajai Puri has been with Bharti Airtel since 2004, and has held several senior leadership positions including Director for Market Operations and Director and CEO, DTH.
Indra Mani Pandey appointed India’s Permanent Representative to UN
  • Indra Mani Pandey has been appointed as India’s next Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva.
  • Indra Mani Pandey, a 1990-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently serving as an additional secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
  • Before, Pandey served in Indian missions in Damascus, Cairo, Islamabad, Kabul, Muscat and Geneva.
  • He also served as joint secretary in the Disarmament and International Security Affairs division of the MEA.
Giriraj Singh launches the first edition of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Newsletter “Matsya Sampada”
  • Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Giriraj Singh launched the first edition of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Newsletter “MATSYA SAMPADA”. It would be published on a quarterly basis.
  • Published by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India and the Operational Guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
  • The Newsletter is an outcome of the endeavours of the Department of Fisheries to reach out to the stakeholders especially fishers and fish farmers through various means of communication, and to inform and educate them about the latest developments in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
Fitch slashes India’s growth projection from 9.5% to 8% for FY22
  • Fitch Ratings cut India’s growth forecast for 2021-22 fiscal to 8 per cent from 9.5 per cent projected last month. Though it retained projection of Indian economy contracting by 5 per cent in the current fiscal.
  • Indian economic growth stood at an estimated 4.2 per cent in 2019-20. Earlier, Fitch projected Indian economy to grow 5.5 per cent in 2022-23.
  • S&P has forecast a 5 per cent contraction in the current fiscal year and the growth to recover to 8.5 per cent next fiscal.
  • Moody’s predicts India’s real GDP to contract by 4 per cent in fiscal 2020 due to the shock from the coronavirus pandemic and related lockdown measures, followed by 8.7 per cent growth in fiscal 2021.

July 04, 2020

 Andhra Pradesh govt Launches Corporation for Outsourced Services
  • Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the Andhra Pradesh Corporation for Outsourced Services (APCOS) to recruit employees for various government departments in the state.
  • The establishment of a separate department is expected to eliminate contractors and middlemen who used to control outsourcing for government services.
  • The move is part of the reforms undertaken by the state government to usher transparency in governance.
  • APCOS will handle processes such as recruitment and salaries, including the ESI and PF benefits. It will hand over 50,449 appointment letters to the employees working in various departments across Andhra Pradesh.
ICMR to launch 1st indigenous Covid vaccine by August 15
  • The Indian council of Medical Research (ICMR) plans to launch indigenous vaccine for COVID-19 by August 15 after the completion of the clinical trials. It has selected 13 institutions across the country for clinical trials and asked them to initiate subject enrollment by July 7.
  • ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava informed the selected institutions that it has partnered with Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) to fast-track clinical trials of the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine (BBV152 COVID vaccine).
  • The vaccine is being derived from a strain of SARS-CoV-2 isolated by ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune.
  • Institutions involved in vaccine trials include Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad, King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam, University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi and AIIMS Patna.
RBI announces special liquidity scheme for NBFCs and HFCs
  • Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said the government of India has approved a scheme to improve the liquidity position of NBFCs/HFCs through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to avoid any potential systemic risks to the financial sector.
  • To be eligible under the scheme, RBI laid out the conditions:
    • The Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFCs), including Microfinance Institutions that are registered with the RBI, under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, excluding those registered as Core Investment Companies.
    • Housing Finance Companies that are registered under the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.
    • CRAR/CAR of NBFCs/HFCs should not be below the regulatory minimum, i.e., 15% and 12% respectively as on March 31, 2019.
    • The net non-performing assets should not be more than 6% as on March 31, 2019.
    • They should have made net profit in at least one of the last two preceding financial years (i.e. 2017-18 and 2018-19)
    • They should not have been reported under SMA-1 or SMA-2 category by any bank for their borrowings during last one year prior to August 01, 2018.
    • They should be rated investment grade by a SEBI registered rating agency.
    • They should comply with the requirement of the SPV for an appropriate level of collateral from the entity, which, however, would be optional and to be decided by the SPV.
  • SBICAP has set up a SPV (SLS Trust) to manage this operation.
India-Bangladesh form 50:50 Joint Venture (JV) for LPG business in Bangladesh
  • India and Bangladesh signed an agreement for the formation of a 50:50 Joint Venture Company for LPG business in Bangladesh.
  • The agreement was signed between the IOC Middle East FZE, Dubai, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and RR Holdings Ltd., Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, the holding company of Beximco LPG of Bangladesh.
  • The Joint Venture will help reduce the cost of imprt of LPG and make it more affordable for the consumers in Bangladesh. The LPG market in Bangladesh is fast expanding and the new project will draw upon the strengths of the Indian oil and Beximco in their respective areas.
  • The company plans to diversify into LPG export to the north eastern states of India from Bangladesh which will mutually benefit both the countries.
  • The new Joint venture company set up takes further the ‘neighbourhood first’ policy of the government of India. The energy cooperation between India and Bangladesh has made significant achievement in the recent years.
IIT Kanpur develops classroom-to-home teaching setup ‘Mobile Masterjee’
  • IIT Kanpur has developed a classroom-to-home teaching setup, named ‘Mobile Masterjee’, that can record the lectures by the teachers while using their available smart phones.
  • The product is lightweight and has adjustments to fit sheets and book on it for delivering instructions to the kids. The “Mobile Masterjee” can hold, position, and focus the whole recording setup, while making the online class a comfortable home environment. 

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July 05, 2020 

PM launched the Digital India Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Innovate Challenge
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Digital India AatmaNirbhar Bharat Innovate Challenge to identify the best Indian apps, already being used by citizens and have the potential to scale up and become world class.
  • The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology along with the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) have come up with this challenge, which will run in two tracks promotion of existing apps and development of new apps.
  • For the promotion of existing apps and platforms across the categories of e-learning, work-from-home, gaming, business, entertainment, office utilities and social networking, the government will provide mentoring, hand-holding and support.
India ranks 34th in Global Realty Transparency Index
  • India’s Global Real Estate Transparency Index ranking has improved by one rank to 34 on the back of regulatory reforms, better market data and green initiatives, according to property consultant JLL.
  • India was ranked 35th in the index during 2018 bi-annual survey, while the country was at 36th position in 2016 and 39th in 2014.
  • The United Kingdom ranks first in the list of 99 countries, followed by the United States, Australia, France, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden and Germany.
  • Top 10 countries are categorised as highly transparent, while those in the 11th position to 33rd are termed as transparent.
  • The INDIA rank of 34 is with higher levels of transparency observed due to regulatory reforms, enhanced market data and sustainability initiatives.
  • This improvement is led by structural reforms such as the Real Estate Regulation and Development Act 2016 (RERA), GST, Benami Transaction Prohibition (Amendment) Act, 2016, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and digitisation of land records have brought about greater transparency in what was an erstwhile largely unregulated sector a few years back.
Care Ratings forecasts Indian Economy to contract by 6.4%
  • Care Ratings revised India’s GDP growth forecast for the current financial year to – 6.4 per cent as economic activity continues to be under restriction due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
  • Forecast for GDP growth is now -6.4 per cent for FY21 with GVA degrowth estimated to be around -6.1 per cen.
  • The sharper fall in real GDP also means that the nominal GDP for the year will also decline assuming inflation of 5 per cent which in turn will affect the projected fiscal deficit number of the central government which will be in the region of 8 per cent for FY21.

July 05, 2020 

Government of India declares Nagaland as “Disturbed Area” for six more months
  • Union Govt declared the entire Nagaland as “disturbed area” for a further period of six months till December-end.
  • The Home Ministry notified that the area comprising the whole Nagaland is in such a disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in aid of the civil power is necessary. Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (No.28 of 1958) the central government hereby declares that whole of the said State to be a ‘disturbed area’ for a period of six months with effect from 30th June, 2020 for the purpose of that Act.
  • Nagaland has been under the coverage of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for almost six decades.
IIT Madras launches world’s first online BSc degree in Programming and Data Science
  • The Indian Institute of Technology Madras has launched the “world’s first” online BSc degree course in Programming and Data Science. The course will be open to anyone who has passed class 12 with English and Maths at class 10 level, and enrolled in any on-campus undergraduate course.
  • Even the current batch of students who are completing their class 12 are eligible to apply. Graduates and working professionals can also take up this programme.
  • The course will be offered in three different stages – Foundational Programme, Diploma Programme and Degree Programme. At each stage, students will have the freedom to exit from the programme and receive a certificate, diploma or a degree, respectively.
PM Modi dedicates Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power project to nation
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power project, to the nation via video conference.
  • Prime Minister said the Rewa project will make the entire region a major hub for pure and clean energy in this decade. Madhya Pradesh would be the main centre of solar energy in India, as such major projects are in progress in Neemuch, Shajapur, Chattarpur and Omkareshwar.
  • Solar energy as one which is ”Sure, Pure & Secure”. Sure because of the continuous supply of energy from the Sun, pure as it is environment friendly and secure because it is a secure source for our energy needs.

FACTFILE – Rewa Ultra Mega Solar

  • Rewa Ultra Mega Solar is the first solar project in India to break the grid parity barrier. It is an operational ground mounted, grid-connected photovoltaic solar park spread over an area of 6.4 km2 in the Gurh tehsil of Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh.
  • The project was commissioned with 750 MW capacity in December 2019.
  • This Solar plant is India’s first solar project to get funding from Clean Technology Fund (CTF), which is available at a rate of 0.25% for a 40-year period, and from the World Bank.

July 2020 Current Affairs Monthly PDF  |  Assam 2020 Yearbook  | July 2020 Quiz Monthly PDF

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July 07, 2020 

India Ranked 31st in INFORM Risk Index 2020 for Humanitarian crises & Disasters
  • India has been ranked at 31st position with an inform risk of 5.4, means risk of humanitarian crises and disasters. 
  • This report is produced by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) on behalf of all INFORM Partners. It is the first global, objective and transparent tool for understanding the risk of regions based upon crises and disasters.
  • The report considers the following while framing the index
    • Natural Factors: Tsunami, Earthquake, Drought, Flood, Epidemic and Tropical Cyclones;
    • Human Factors: Human Conflicts and conflict risks;
    • Socio-Economic factors: Inequality, vulnerable people, deprivation and aid dependency;
    • Institutional: DRR, Governance; Infrastructure: Communication, Physical infrastructure, Access to health system.
  • North Korea ranks among the most dangerous places to live as its people are exposed to high risks of natural disaster, poverty and social injustice. 
Black Panther spotted in Karnataka’s Nagarhole Tiger Reserve
  • A forest range officer (FRO) in Karnataka’s Nagarhole Tiger Reserve (NTR) spotted a black panther. About half a dozen black panthers in Karnataka forests and one in Nagarhole.
  • NTR stretches between Kodagu and Mysuru districts and was a protected reserve from the time of the Wodeyar dynasty, rulers of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysuru.

FACTFILE – Nagarhole National Park

  • Nagarhole, which served as an exclusive hunting reserve of the Wodeyars, was made a wildlife sanctuary in 1955, covering an area of 284 square km – later stretched up to 643 square km.
  • Nagarhole National Park is a national park located in Kodagu district and Mysore district in Karnataka, India. It is one of India’s premier Tiger Reserves along with the adjoining Bandipur Tiger Reserve and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • This park was declared the thirty seventh Project Tiger, Tiger reserves of India in 1999. It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
  • The park has a healthy predator-prey ratio, with many tigers, Gaur, elephants, Indian leopards, and deer.
Venkaiah Naidu launches social media app ‘Elyments’
  • Vice President, M Venkaiah Naidu launched India’s first indigenously developed social networking super app ‘Elyments’.
  • The Vice President urged every Indian to adopt the AtmaNirbhar Bharat campaign to transform “Local” India into a “Glocal” India.
  • The AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan was aimed at giving a new boost and a quantum jump to the economic potential of the country by strengthening infrastructure, using modern technologies, enriching human resource, and creating robust supply chains.
  • It was a launchpad for fostering entrepreneurship, nurturing innovation, and creation of an ecosystem for rural-urban symbiotic development.
  • Elyments is one of the first home-grown social media apps to emerge in the Indian market, developed by over 1,000 IT specialists, who are volunteers with spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s The Art of Living organization.
  • The makers of Elyments have designed the app keeping in mind the user’s privacy as one of the primary keys of concern. It has an end-to-end encryption feature to ensure user’s private conversations are not seen by any third party.
Odisha Launches ‘Balaram’ Yojana 
  • Odisha government launched, ‘Balaram Yojana’ to provide crop loans to landless farmers. Under the new scheme the landless cultivators will get loans through joint liability groups (JLGs).
  • Under the scheme, the government has set a target to provide farm loans to 7 lakh landless farmers in next two years, with a kitty of Rs 1,040 crore.
  • IMAGE and Agricultural Technology Management Agencies (ATMA) will coordinate the implementation of the yojana at the State and the district levels, respectively.
  • 7,000 branches of several banks and Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies will coordinate the implementation in rural and small towns.
CBSE tie-up with Facebook to introduce curriculum on digital safety
  • Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has partnered with Facebook to launch a curriculum to teach digital safety & online well-being and augmented reality (AR) to students and teachers.
  • The digital safety and online well-being curriculum will be rolled out in phases. In the first phase, from July to October, it will be implemented across national education boards such as CBSE. In the second phase, it will be made available to state education boards.
  • The curriculum will cover online safety, privacy, and mental health, and will use Instagram’s guide for building healthy digital habits.
  • The AR course will teach the fundamentals of AR and train students and teachers how to use Facebook’s Spark AR Studio platform to create augmented reality experiences.

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