Current Affairs Assam July 22-28, 2018
( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of July 22-28, 2018 )
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July 22
APDCL set to earn profit for first time
The Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL) is heading towards earning a profit for the first time in its 14-year-long existence. Till March 31, 2017, the accumulated loss of the public sector power utility was Rs 2,974.92 crore as was evident from the audited figures of its economic performance during the 2016-17 financial year.
The APDCL has also been able to improve its position in the Integrated Credit Rating Agency (ICRA) ratings. It has now got its position elevated to the 22nd among the 41 public and private distribution companies (Discoms) of the country. In 2015-16, it was 29th in the ICRA rating. This rating is important for the power companies in securing government or private financial institutions’ support.
The APDCL might be able to earn a profit of around Rs 100 crore during the financial year 2017-18.
A work culture imbibed among the field officials of the power utility through the initiatives taken by the present ASEB chairman, the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) grants from the Union government and significant reduction of the aggregate transmission and commercial (AT&C) loss have played major roles in improving the finance of the power utility during the last financial year.
The power utility has so far been incurring loss mainly because of high establishment cost, high power purchase cost, the phenomenal hike in the electric power transmission under the direction of the Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission (AERC). It needs mention here that earlier the total annual power transmission charge of the APDCL was confined to Rs 534.76 crore, but in 2017-18 it rose to Rs 1,207.09 crore. In the 2016-17 financial year, the power utility used to incur an AT&C loss of around 24.70 per cent. But in the 2017-18 financial year, it has come down to 15.6 per cent
Kashmiri students make solar boat for Dal Lake
In a bid to encourage tourism in Kashmir, Kashmiri students studying engineering in Chandigarh have made a solar boat for Dal lake. The two-seater boat, with the load carrying capacity of 150 kg, was launched 22nd July in function held at Nehru Park in Srinagar.
The boat which is made up of Deodhar frame and plywood body with a front steering system, is seven feet two inch long, three feet six inch wide and one feet four inch deep.
The boat’s battery gets charged by the solar light. This battery then gives power to the motor.
- Dal Lake is located in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
- The urban lake, which is the second largest in the state, is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is named the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir”.
- The lake is also an important source for commercial operations in fishing and water plant harvesting.
Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry to propose enhanced punishment for sexual assault of male children
The Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry is set to move a proposal before the Cabinet for enhanced punishment in cases of sexual assault of male children. The Law Ministry has cleared the proposal to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, for enhancing punishment in cases of sexual assault against young boys.
Amendments to the POCSO Act for enhanced punishment for sexual assaults of young boys have been approved by the Law Ministry.
The ministry was working on the proposal to amend the Act to make rape committed against any child below 12 punishable with the death penalty.
The Union Cabinet last week decided to introduce a bill that provides stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years.
FACTFILE – The Department of Women and Child Development
- The Department of Women and Child Development, Government of India, came into existence as a separate Ministry with effect from 30th January, 2006, earlier since 1985 it was a Department under the Ministry of Human Resources Development.
- The Ministry was constituted with the prime intention of addressing gaps in State action for women and children for promoting inter-Ministerial and inter-sectoral convergence to create gender equitable and child-centred legislation, policies and programmes.
734 youngsters shortlisted for Khelo India scholarship program
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has cleared the names of 734 players for a scholarship programme under Khelo India Talent Identification Development scheme for development of sports in the country.
The high-powered committee, which approved the names of the players, claimed that the scholarship program is designed to take care of the expenses of the players. The selected players will be eligible for an annual stipend of Rs. 1.2 lakhs on a quarterly basis to meet their out of pocket expenses, treating injuries and even smaller elements like local travel.
In another major step in the direction of growth of sports, various private, State and SAI academies have been accredited along with 21 non-SAI academies.
The plan is to develop more such academies so that young athletes can get access to the best training without having to travel long distances. The accredited academies will look after the training, boarding and tournament expenses of the athletes.
FACTFILE– The Khelo India programme
The Khelo India programme has been introduced to revive the sports culture in India at the grass-root level by building a strong framework for all sports played in our country and establish India as a great sporting nation.
Talented players identified in priority sports disciplines at various levels by the High-Powered Committee will be provided annual financial assistance of INR 5 lakh per annum for 8 years.
July 23
NBFCs set to raise Rs 50,000 cr via NCDs
NBFCs raised Rs 19,000 crore of NCDs (non-convertible debentures) in the first quarter of the financial year, higher than the Rs 5,000 crore raised during the entire last financial year. They have a healthy pipeline of about Rs 30,000 crore of NCDs, which will be raised in the next few months. This would be one of the highest fund raising programmes of NBFCs through NCD issuances.
The major issuances during the year was the Rs 12,000 crore NCD of DHFL. In two days the company raised Rs 11,000 crore and closed the issue on the second day as HNI and the institutional investor sections got oversubscribed. Shriram Transport Finance raised Rs 3,800 crore against an initial plan of Rs 5,000 crore with heavy demand from HNIs and retail investors.
Edelweiss Finance, the non-banking arm of Edelweiss group, is raising Rs 2,000 crore through NCDs . JM Credit Solutions, raised Rs 750 crore, also gave attractive rates of 9.25% to 9.75% on its bonds to retail investors.
FACTFILE – Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)
- A Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) is a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 of India, engaged in the business of loans and advances, acquisition of shares, stock, bonds, hire-purchase insurance business or chit-fund business but does not include any institution whose principal business includes agriculture, industrial activity or the sale, purchase or construction of immovable property.
Kerala is the best governed state, Assam 18th , as per Public Affairs Index 2018
Kerala has topped the Public Affairs Index (PAI) for 2018, released by the think tank Public Affairs Centre (PAC) in Bengaluru, as the best governed state for the third consecutive year since 2016 among large states.
Released annually since 2016, the index examines governance performance in the states through a data-based framework, ranking them on social and economic development they are able to provide.
Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat followed Kerala among the top five states delivering good governance, according to the report.
Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar ranked the lowest on the PAI, indicating higher social and economic inequalities in the states.
Among smaller states (with population less than two crore), Himachal Pradesh topped the list, followed by Goa, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura which figured among the top five states with good governance.
Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya were ranked at the bottom of the index among small states.
The states were divided into two categories, viz. large and small, on the basis of their population. States with more than two crore population were considered large.
Point2Remember – Assam is 18th in the overall rankings on the PAI for 2018.
FACTFILE – The Public Affairs Centre (PAC)
- PAC is a not-for-profit research think tank situated in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It works at improving the quality of governance in India. The institute conducts research activities in two major fields, public policy and participatory governance.
- Public Affairs Centre works under four different research groups, (a) Public Policy Research Group (b) Environmental Governance Group (c) Citizen Action Support Group (d) Participatory Governance Research Group.
- The Institute publishes Citizen Report Cards – research studies to improve public services – as well as for its work on electoral transparency, public works quality monitoring tools and approaches, and audits of the Right to Information Act and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in India.
Indo-Bangla meet suggests 6 more Border Haats in NE
The India-Bangla Joint Committee on Border Haats has suggested setting up of six more Border Haats in Northeastern States bordering Bangladesh. Timeline for setting up six more Border Haats that had earlier been agreed by both sides and the roadmap for further expansion of Border Haats were finalised in the first meeting of Joint Committee on Border Haats.
The first meeting of the India-Bangla Joint Committee on Border Haats was held on July 22 and 23 at State Guest House here. The Joint Committee visited the Border Haat at Kamalasagar in Sepahijala district of Tripura, opposite Brahmanbaria in Bangladesh on July 22 appreciated their vibrant functioning and noted the need for improvement of infrastructure, it said.
In the meeting, both sides noted the positive impact of Border Haats on the livelihoods of the people living in areas adjoining the Haats. Both sides had extensive discussion on a variety of issues related to Border Haats including review of operation of the four functional Border Haats and suggestions for improvement.
Of the total six proposed Border Haats, there will be two Border Haats in Tripura, while Meghalaya will get two in order to improve socio-economic condition of the border people through bilateral trade, said an official of the Tripura Government on condition of anonymity.
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