Current Affairs Assam – March 1 - 7, 2019
( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of March 1 – 7, 2019 )
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March 01, 2019
Union Cabinet approved construction of India’s longest Bridge over Brahmaputra connecting Assam and Meghalaya
- The Cabinet approved the construction of four-lane bridge including approaches over Brahmaputra between Dhubri in Assam and Phulbari in Meghalaya on National Highway 127-B.
- The construction of the bridge will save huge travel distance from 205.3 km to only 19.282 km and save in time of five hours to 20 minutes between Dhubri and Phulbari.
- The bridge will be built under the scheme of North-East Road Network Connectivity Project Phase-03.
QRSAM Missile successfully test fired from Chandipur, Odisha
- India has successfully test-fired two indigenously developed Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air missiles (QRSAM) from the Chandipur test range off the Odisha coast.
- The two missiles tested for different altitude and conditions successfully demonstrated robust control, aerodynamics, propulsion, structural performance and high maneuvering capabilities.
FACTFILE – Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air missiles (QRSAM) Missile
- This missile is developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in association with Bharat Electronics Limited and Bharat Dynamics.
- The missile is an all-weather, all-terrain missile with electronic counter measures against jamming by aircraft radars.
- QRSAM uses solid-fuel propellant and has a range of 25-30 km.
- The first test firing of the Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile took place on June 4, 2017 and this was followed by the second successful test on July 3, 2017.
Union Cabinet approved the proposal for setting up of a Centre for Disability Sports at Gwalior
- To be registered under the Societies Registration Act, the proposed Centre will entail an estimated cost of Rs 170.99 crore and be completed in five years.
- The improved sports infrastructure created by this Centre will ensure effective participation of persons with disabilities in sports activities and also enable them to compete at national and international levels.
International Arbitration Centre to be setup in New Delhi
- The Union Cabinet approved promulgation of an ordinance for establishing the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) to create an independent and autonomous regime for institutionalized arbitration.
- The NDIAC will be advantageous for people and public institutions in terms of quality of expertise and costs incurred and will facilitate India becoming a hub for institutional arbitration.
- NDAIC will seek to bring targeted reforms to develop itself as a flagship institution for international and domestic arbitration. It will also provide facilities and administrative assistance for conciliation mediation and arbitral proceedings.
Union Cabinet approved FDI up to Rs 25,000 crore in Vodafone Idea
- The Union Cabinet approved the proposal for Foreign Direct Investment of more than Rs 5,000 crore and up to Rs 25,000 crore in Vodafone Idea as part of the proposed equity fund raise through rights issue.
- It also approved to take on record the proposed changes in the indirect foreign investment in the subsidiaries of Vodafone Idea, which will take place on account of non-residents subscribing to the equity shares in the fund raise.
- FDI up to 100 per cent is allowed in telecom services sector wherein 49 per cent is under automatic route and beyond 49 per cent through government route. The 100 per cent FDI has been approved in the company.
- It is necessary to take the government approval for FDI beyond Rs 5,000 crore even if there is no change in the percentage of foreign equity already approved.
Union Cabinet approved two Metro rail projects in Kanpur and Agra
- The Union Cabinet approved two Metro rail projects in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur and Agra at an estimated cost of Rs 19,456.1 crore in order to boost urban public transport connectivity.
- The Kanpur project will include two corridors, one from ITT to Naubasta and the other from the Agriculture University to Barra-8. The project’s estimated cost is Rs 11,076.48 crore.
- The ITT-Naubasta corridor will cover 23.785 km and comprise 22 stations – 14 elevated and 8 underground, while the Agriculture University-Barra-8 corridor is 8.6 km and will have four elevated and four underground stations.
India and Bangladesh hold joint exercise ‘Mainamati Maitree Exercise 2019’ to boost confidence on Tripura border
- A series of joint exercises and exchanges are being held in the Tripura-Bangla frontier since a four-day standoff between the two forces centering 31 Rohingya people who were found crossing the international border into Bangladesh in January month.
- Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) concluded a three-day ‘Mainamati Maitree Exercise 2019’ as a part of ‘Confidence Building Measures’ between the two border guards.
- The objective of the Exercise was to plan and conduct anti-smuggling and anti-criminal activity related operations with an aim to achieve better joint operational efficiency and border management in the area.
- The exercise was held in Comilla district of Bangladesh and is named after a hill range situated 8 km west of Comilla township in Bangladesh, which is home to an ancient Buddhist archaeological site in the region.
March 02, 2019
Hailakandi tops among aspirational districts nationwide
- Hailakandi has made leapfrogged from the 52nd position to the No. 1 slot among the aspirational districts of India, according to the Delta ranking released by NITI Aayog.
- In the championsofchange. gov.in portal of the NITI Aayog, Hailakandi has been given the overall No. 1 ranking among the 112 aspirational districts of India on the basis of Delta ranking covering performance in November-December 2018 and in January 2019. Kondagaon of Chhattisgarh follows next.
- In the education sector, Hailakandi ranks No.1 followed by Khunti of Jharkhand.
- Aspirational district Hailakandi will be given an additional allocation of Rs 10 crore for securing the first overall ranking. Government of India has approved a special scheme for SDGs in aspirational districts under which additional allocation to districts on challenge method is envisaged on performance based competition.
- Earlier, Hailakandi district was put at the bottom rung of the aspirational districts among the least improved districts in the second Delta ranking conducted in June-October 2018. The then Deputy Commissioner Adil Khan (now posted as DC Bongaigaon) dashed off a letter to CEO, NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant, for his intervention to put things in proper perspective vis-a-vis rectifying the mismatch in official data and that of the data collected by TATA Trusts during its field survey.
Delhi Cabinet approves 1,000 electric buses
- The Delhi Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, approved 1,000 Low Floor Electric Buses for the national capital
- Delhi will become the first India city to have such a large no of electric buses.
- Last July, the Delhi government gave in-principle approval for the hiring of a consultant to run 1,000 electric buses at an estimated cost of Rs 2,500 crore in the national capital as promised in its 2018-19 Budget.
2nd sports academy in Arunachal Pradesh opened
- The second sports school of Arunachal Pradesh – State Sports Academy, Miao – was dedicated to the people of Tirap-Changlang-Longding region by Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Dr Mohesh Chai.
- The sports academy has been set up by the Government of Arunachal Pradesh with the twin objectives of improving the ecosystem and sports culture in the districts of Tirap, Changlang and Longding, as also to identity sports talents from these districts and train them for excellence.
- The Sports Academy will initially run from the Miao Sports Club before its permanent infrastructure is built. It will offer courses in four sports disciplines namely, archery, badminton, judo and table tennis.
Odisha CM inaugurates two power generation units of OPGC
- Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the third and fourth units of the state-owned Odisha Power Generation’s (OPGC) Ib Thermal Power Station at Banharpali in Jharsuguda district. These two thermal units, built at an investment of Rs 15,000 crore, will provide additional 1,320 MW electricity to the state.
- The Chief Minister also inaugurated a coal mine at Manoharpur in Sundargarh district through video conference. The coal mines at will feed coal to the two new power units of the ITPS.
- The state government owns the Odisha Coal and Power Limited (OCPL) mines at Manoharpur and dip-side Manoharpur.
FACTFILE – Odisha Power Generation Corporation Limited (OPGC)
- OPGC is the only thermal power generating company owned by Government of Odisha.
- It was incorporated under the Companies Act 1956 on 14 November 1984. OPGC started as a solely owned Government Company of the state of Orissa. It owns and operates 2 units of 210 MW power plants at Ib Thermal Power Station (ITPS), Banharpali in Jharsuguda District of Odisha.
- The entire generation from these units is committed to GRIDCO on the basis of a long-term Power Purchase Agreement.
IRCTC launches payment aggregator ‘IRCTC iPay’
- The Indian Rail Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) launched its much-awaited payment aggregator system ‘IRCTC iPay’.
- The exclusive digital payment gateway will provide better digital experience and improved online digital payment convenience to rail passengers availing online travel-related services through the website.
- With the launch of IRCTC iPay, the passengers will not need any third-party platforms. IRCTC iPay provides payment options like credit card, debit card, unified payment interface, international card.
- IRCTC will have full control of the payment system because of its direct relationship with acquiring banks, card networks and other partners.
- Moreover, in case an online transaction is unsuccessful or some other error occurs, IRCTC can directly get in touch with the bank instead of relying on an intermediate source which usually delays the process.
FACTFILE – Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)
It is a subsidiary of the Indian Railways that handles the catering, tourism and online ticketing operations of the Indian railways, with around 5,50,000 to 6,00,000 bookings every day is the world’s second busiest portal.
ICJ advised Britain to return Diego Garcia to Mauritius
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has advised Britain to return the Diego Garcia Archipelago in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius as soon as possible.
- The advisory has been issued by the ICJ on the request of the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to look into the issue.
- In a majority opinion, the court noted that the decolonisation of Mauritius was not lawfully complete when it attained independence because Britain carved away the Chagos Archipelago from it and retained control over it.
- Britain is under an obligation to bring an end to its administration of this Archipelago.
- It should be noted that Mauritius was the colony of erstwhile British Empire. When the calls of decolonisation grew stronger, the British granted independence to the Mauritius, but cut off the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965 and was handed over to the US to established its strategic Indian Ocean military base.
- Both the UK and the US had vehemently opposed the UN resolution which referred the matter to ICJ saying it was a bilateral matter with Mauritius. It is unlikely that the UK would accept the advisory.
FACTFILE – Diego Garcia
- Diego Garcia is an atoll just south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean, and the largest of 60 small islands comprising the Chagos Archipelago.
- It was one of the “Dependencies” of the British Colony of Mauritius until it was detached for inclusion in the newly created British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) in 1965.
- Between 1968 and 1973, the population was forcibly removed by the United Kingdom and the United States establish a large naval and military base.
- The atoll is located 3,535 km east of Tanzania’s coast and 1,796 km south-southwest of the southern tip of India.
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March 03, 2019
Assam CM inaugurates Sadarghat bridge, lays foundation for Mini Secretariat in Barak Valley
- Chief Minister SarbanandaSonowal inaugurated the long-awaited second RCC bridge over river Barak at Sadarghat in Silchar. The bridge has been constructed within four years at an estimated cost of Rs 59 crore.
- Sonowal also laid foundation stone of the much-awaited Mini Secretariat in Barak Valley along with a slew of projects including revamping of the new auditorium of District Library, sports stadium at the Police Parade ground under Utton scheme.
- The Swami Vivekananda Cultural Research Centre centre will come up at Assam University Silchar and 80 bigha of land. A sum of Rs 1 crore (first phase) has been allotted therein while the 1200-seater auditorium at District Library will be completed utilisingRs 29.13 crore.
- Rs 10 crore will be used for the state-of-the-art sports stadium and Rs 90 crore has been sanctioned for construction of the new bridge at Itkholaghat over river Barak connecting Dudhpatil with Silchar city.
- The Chief Minister also informed that Rs 160 crore has been sanctioned under AMRUT scheme for setting up safe drinking water plant in Silchar.
Agartala among 6 cities to be ‘live laboratories’ for Lighthouse Project
- Six cities across the country including Agartala have been selected as “live laboratories” for a pilot project under which 1,000 houses will be built using innovative technologies that are low-cost, sustainable and disaster-resistant, according to a senior official of the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.
- Six cities have been identified to serve as live laboratories for the Lighthouse project. These are Agartala (Tripura), Rajkot (Gujarat), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).
American 2019 Missile Systems Award to DRDO Chairman G. Satheesh Reddy
- Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman G. Satheesh Reddy is the joint winner of the 2019 Missile Systems Award given by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in the US.
- Satheesh Reddy was selected for his over three decades of national contributions to indigenous design, development and deployment of diversified strategic and tactical missile systems, guided weapons, advanced avionics and navigation technologies in India.
- Reddy is also the Defence Secretary and Director-General of DRDO’s aerospace arm Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). Reddy contributed to the Agni-5, the 5,000km range surface-to-surface, long-range strategic missile.
- The other winner of the missile award, Rondell J. Wilson is the retired principal engineering fellow of Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona.
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is a professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA is the U.S. representative on the International Astronautical Federation and the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences.
OSDA signs MoUS to boost skill ecosystem
- The Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA) signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to strengthen skill ecosystem. The first MoU was signed with Tata Community Initiative Trust to scale up the Nano Unicorn Programme of OSDA.
- Nano Unicorn is a programme of the OSDA where youths are nurtured through training and philanthropic capital to become small entrepreneurs and create employment.
- The second MoU was signed with the State Council of Technical Education and Vocational Training (SCTEVT) and CISCO Systems India Private Limited (CISCO).
- SCTEVT and CISCO will help in skill development, IT education and workforce development for the youth of Odisha undergoing training at industrial training institutes (ITIs) and polytechnics.
- To streamlining and pay more attention for improving employability of youths through systematic pattern of training, Government of Odisha has created the new department in the name of Skill Development and Technical Education Department.
- Government of Odisha has created State Employment Mission that seeks to create synergy in various development sectors in terms of skill development of youths and linkages of employment opportunities.
- The Mission’s principal task is to formulate sector and trade specific strategies for specialized skill trainings in order to maximize employment opportunities on a sustainable basis in the state supported and private sectors. To fulfill these objectives the Mission seeks to work in close coordination with National Skill Development Mission.
Railway Minister announced creation of a new railway zone announced for Andhra Pradesh
- Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal has announced the creation of a new railway zone for Andhra Pradesh as ‘Southern Coast Railway Zone’ with headquartered at Visakhapatnam.
- The Southern Coast Railway Zone would comprise of existing Guntakal, Guntur and Vijayawada divisions, which are presently within the South Central Railway.
- The South Central Railway will then consist of the Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Nanded divisions.
- Under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014, Indian Railways was required to examine establishing a new railway zone in the successor state of Andhra Pradesh.
- India currently has 17 zones and a total of 73 divisions. The new South Coast Railway Zone would be an 18th Railway zone.
March 04, 2019
Assam Govt announces PRANAM Commission
- The Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal has announced a PRANAM Commission to look after the issues related to the Parents Responsibility and Norms for Accountability and Monitoring (PRANAM) Bill.
- The Parents Responsibility and Norms for Accountability and Monitoring (PRANAM) Bill makes it mandatory for State Government employees to look after their parents and unmarried differently-abled siblings who do not have their own sources of income.
- The bill proposes that if any complaints related to ignorance towards parents or unmarried differently abled siblings, then 10 or 15 per cent of the employee’s salary will be deducted by the Government and paid to the parents or differently-abled siblings.
- also aims to cover the Employees of private companies and the Central Government working in the state at a later stage.
- The bill is first of its kind in the country and is an effort to financially protect elderly parents and unmarried differently-abled siblings.
Assam University demands chair professor post at Swami Vivekananda Cultural Research Centre
- A day after Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone for the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Research Centre to be set up across 80 bighas of land in the premises of Assam University Silchar, the university have placed a demand for the post of a chair professor and fellowship for better research activities at the centre.
- It may be mentioned that Rs 1 crore has been sanctioned in the first phase for the construction of the cultural research centre.
National Security Council meet chaired by Prime Minister
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the National Security Council. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale attended the meeting.
- The meeting comes amid a report that Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar getting killed in the bombardment by Indian Air Force (IAF) on a terror camp in Balakot going viral.
- It also comes after two militants, five security men and a civilian were killed in the 48-hour-long gunfight that ended on Sunday in Jammu and Kashmir’s border Kupwara district.
FACTFILE – The National Security Council (NSC)
- The National Security Council (NSC) of India is an executive government agency tasked with advising the Prime Minister’s Office on matters of national security and strategic interest.
- It was established by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government on 19 November 1998, with Brajesh Mishra as the first National Security Advisor.
- Prior to the formation of the NSC, these activities were overseen by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.
India, Bangladesh begins joint military exercise ‘Sampriti’
- India and Bangladesh began a two-week-long joint military exercise in Tangail, Bangladesh, to hone their tactical and technical skills to counter insurgency and terrorism.
- The eighth edition of the exercise “Sampriti” started at the Bongobondhu Cantonment, Tangail, Bangladesh, with an impressive opening ceremony.
- The Bangladesh contingent was represented by the 36 East Bengal Battalion, while the Indian side was represented by the 9th Battalion of the Rajputana Rifles.
- The aim of the exercise is to increase mutual cooperation, bonhomie and camaraderie between the two armies through inter-operability and joint tactical exercises.
- The exercise, which was started in 2009 with a platoon level engagement, graduated to the company level in 2015.
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March 05, 2019
2019 Assam State Science Awards announced
- Bhupendra Nath Goswami, a climate scientist of international repute, known for his discovery of the ‘Indian Ocean Dipole Mode’, and who was former Director of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and a Shantiswaroop Bhatnagar Awardee, has been chosen for the Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Young Scientist Award, DrManashita Borah, an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineening of Tezpur University was chosen for her contribution in the field of biomedical implementation, automated waste water treatment, etc.
- The CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology (formerly RRL-Jorhat) has been chosen for the award for the Best Scientific Organisation for promotion of science and technology for the benefit of society.
- The State Department of Science and Technology has been conferring Assam State Science Awards to eminent scientists, upcoming scientists and institutions for promoting science and technology since 2017.
Amulya kakati award conferred on Singer Pankaj Bordoloi
- Singer Pankaj Bordoloi was conferred the Swabhab Shilpi Amulya Kakati Memorial Award, 2019 for his unique contributions in promoting JyotiSangeet and RabhaSangeet in their purest forms.
- The award, given annually in the memory of playwright, writer, director and popular actor AmulyaKakati, has been instituted by the Students-Artistes-Litterateur Welfare Trust of the All Guwahati Students’ Union (AGSU), the Guwahati wing of AASU.
- The award carries a memento designed by noted sculptor BirenSingha, a gamosa, a cheleng chador, an eri jacket, a bouquet of flowers and a cash award of Rs 25,000.
Prime Minister Modi launches One Nation One Card
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched One Nation One Card, which would allow paying for travel on any mode of transportation.
- The newly launched card is an amalgamation of all the smart cards used for different public transport services, it can be used for paying for any mode of travel across the country.
- It could be used by the commuters in PoS machines at ticket counters to get a ticket or just like a Metro Rail smart card directly.
- Several agencies are involved in this including Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, banks, and Urban Development Ministry.
Museum on freedom struggle’s unsung heroes opens in Red Fort
- AzaadiKeDiwane, a museum paying homage to the unsung heroes of Indian freedom struggle, was inaugurated by Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma in the Red Fort.
- The museum talks about the sacrifices of great freedom fighters. It pays tribute to the selfless sacrifices of revolutionaries, brave female freedom fighters and valiant children.
- This new museum has been started in the series of Kranti Mandir to inspire the younger generation and letting them know the cost of freedom that the great fighters achieve by sacrificing their lives,
- The museums have been made in barrack buildings that were closed since decades in the Red Fort. The museum uses experiential touch displays, scenario-based installations, and the more conventional informative displays to recreate memories from Indian history between 1857 and 1947.
ISRO unveils ‘Young Scientist’ programme
- Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced the launch of its Young Scientist programme to train class 9 students in space technology and its applications.
- ISRO has launched the special programme for school children ‘Yuva Vigyani Karyakram’ (Young Scientist programme) to impart basic knowledge on space technology, space science and applications to the young ones to arouse their interest in space activities.
- Three students will be selected from each state/union territory to participate in the programme each year covering CBSE, ICSE and state syllabus.
- The space agency has approached the Chief Secretaries of the states for the selection of three students from each state and Union Territories.
- The selection is based on the academic performance and extracurricular activities. Students belonging to rural areas have been given special weightage in the selection criteria.
FACTFILE – Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
- The Indian Space Research Organisation is the space agency of the Government of India headquartered in the city of Bengaluru.
- Its vision is to “harness space technology for national development while pursuing space science research and planetary exploration.”
- Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was established by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of the Indian Government under the DAE in 1962, with the urging of scientist Vikram Sarabhai recognizing the need in space research.
- INCOSPAR grew into ISRO in 1969 also under the DAE. In 1972 Government of India setup a Space Commission and the Department of Space (DOS), bringing ISRO under the DOS.
- The establishment of ISRO thus institutionalized space research activities in India. It is managed by the Department of Space, which reports to the Prime Minister of India.
- ISRO built India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, which was launched by the Soviet Union on 19 April 1975. In 1980, Rohini became the first satellite to be placed in orbit by an Indian-made launch vehicle, SLV-3.
- Satellite navigation systems like GAGAN and IRNSS have been deployed. In January 2014, ISRO used an indigenous cryogenic engine in a GSLV-D5 launch of the GSAT-14.
- ISRO sent a lunar orbiter, Chandrayaan-1, on 22 October 2008 and a Mars orbiter, Mars Orbiter Mission, on 5 November 2013, which entered Mars orbit on 24 September 2014, making India the first nation to succeed on its first attempt to Mars, and ISRO the fourth space agency in the world as well as the first space agency in Asia to reach Mars orbit.[21] On 18 June 2016, ISRO set a record with a launch of twenty satellites in a single payload, one being a satellite from Google.
- On 15 February 2017, ISRO launched one hundred and four satellites in a single rocket (PSLV-C37) and created a world record.
- ISRO launched its heaviest rocket, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV-Mk III), on 5 June 2017 and placed a communications satellite GSAT-19 in orbit.
Punjab CM launches water supply, sewerage schemes
- Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh laid the foundation stones of three surface water supply schemes, in addition to a domestic sewage treatment plant, worth Rs 197.69 crore, for the rural areas of Amritsar district.
- The state currently has 14 lakh tubewells against 50,000 which was the required estimate after the construction of the Bhakra canal.
- This state-of-the-art project would be executed with financial assistance from the World Bank on a design, build operate and transfer (DBOT) basis, for which the tenders have already been floated.
- The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of an arsenic removal project for 102 villages of Amritsar district, involving a cost of Rs 21.97 crore.
- Arranged from the NITI Aayog after the demonstration of a pilot project undertaken by the State government in three villages based on nano-material technology developed by IIT Chennai.
TN CM launches Rs 2,000 special assistance for BPL families
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palanswami launched financial assistance of Rs 2,000 for 60 lakh below the poverty line (BPL) families in the state.
- At the state secretariat, Palaniswami handed over to 32 families the administrative sanction to deposit Rs 2,000 in their bank accounts.
- The outlay for this will be Rs 1,200 crore and will be made in the supplementary demands for grants to be made this fiscal. 35 lakh families in villages and 25 lakh families in cities will be benefited by this financial assistance.
- The government had paid Rs 1,000 as a cash gift and gift hamper to ration card holders-BPL and non-priority household with sugar-only ration card to celebrate Pongal festival.
March 06, 2019
CM Sonowal lays foundation of formalin plant at Dhaknamari
- Chief Minister SarbanandaSonowal laid the foundation stone of a formalin plant at Dhaknamari in Bongaigaon district .
- The plant, which will be built in an area of 163 bighas of land at a cost of Rs 100 crore, will make 200 tonnes of formalin, a chemical preservative, daily from methanol supplied by APCL’s methanol plant located at Namrup.
NEEPCO gets 2 Hydel power projects in Meghalaya
- The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) will execute two hydel power projects in power-starved Meghalaya.
- The two power projects are the Umja-ut Hydro Electric Power project with a capacity of 69 MW (renamed Wah Umiam Stage I) and the Umduna Hydro Power Project of 57 MW (also renamed Wah Umiam Stage II).
FACTFILE – North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO)
- North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) is a schedule-A ‘MINI RATNA’ Category-1 Central public sector Enterprise owned by the Government of India under the Ministry of Power.
- It was formed on 2 April 1976 to plan, investigate, design, construct, generate, operate and maintain power stations in the North Eastern Region of the country.
- It has 60% of total installed capacity of North east region, which is 1457 MW.
Delhi launches common mobility app
- The Delhi government launched a common mobility app ‘One Delhi’ to allow users plan more efficiently their journey with Delhi Metro and all city buses.
- To make travel easier in Delhi, the app allows users to access all bus stops, bus and metro routes, fares, expected time of arrival (ETA) of buses and metro.
- The Delhi government has been taking several initiatives to improve access, reliability and safety of Delhi’s buses. The government is in the process of augmenting the fleet of buses by adding 3,000 new buses.
- Recently Launched ‘Connect Delhi’ project to achieve the goal of connecting all colonies and villages of Delhi with a reliable bus service within 500 metre walking distance.
Andhra Pradesh signs MoUs with various companies
- The Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 21,0000 crore with various companies.
- The MoUs were signed in the presence of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, APEDB Chief Executive Officer J. Krishna Kishore and representatives of different companies.
- These MoUs would fructify into the investment potential of Rs 21,000 crore and generate direct employment of around 57,000 and indirect employment of around 1,65,000, said APEDB.
Nara Chandrababu Naidu is the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
Ekkadu Srinivasan Lakshmi Narasimhan the Governor of Andhra Pradesh
TATA Steel recognised as one of World’s most ethical companies
- Tata Steel has been recognised as one of World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute for 2019. This is the eighth time Tata Steel has got the recognition in the ‘Metals, Minerals and Mining’ category. Wipro is the other Indian company to find a place in this year’s list.
- Ethisphere Institute is a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices. 128 companies are recognized for exemplifying and advancing corporate citizenship, transparency and the standards of integrity in the year 2019.
FACTFILE – Ethisphere’s Ethics Quotient
The companies are listed World’s Most Ethical Companies based on their score in the Ethisphere’s Ethics Quotient which collects and objectively scores self-reported data in five weighted categories namely:
- Leadership and Reputation
- Ethics Compliance Programme
- Culture of Ethics
- Corporate Citizenship and Responsibility
- Governance
Bhagwan Lal Sahni appointed Chairman of the National Commission for Backward Classes
- Bhagwan Lal Sahni has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Commission for Backward Classes and Kaushalendra Singh Patel and Acharya Talloju have been appointed as the members of the commission.
FACTIFILE – National Commission For Backward Classes:
- It is a Constitutional body set up through the 123rd Constitutional amendment bill 2018 and 102nd amendment act under the provisions of Article 338B of Indian Constitution.
- It was established on 14 August 1993 under India’s Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
- The commission consists of one Chairman and five Members with the term of three years.
- The Commission is vested with the responsibility of considering inclusions in and exclusions from the lists of communities notified as backward for the purpose of job reservations.
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March 07, 2019
P K Bezbaruah reappointed as the chairman of Tea Board of India
- The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industries has approved the re-appointment of P K Bezbaruah as the Chairman of Tea Board for a second tenure.
- P K Bezbaruah is the first non-IAS chairman of the Tea Board. He has been urging the Indian Tea Industry to explore export opportunities in the vast Chinese market. He was instrumental in initiating a revamp of the old electronic auctioning system in association with the IIM.
FACTFILE – Tea Board of India
- The origin of the Tea Board can be traced to 1903 when the Indian Tea Cess Bill was passed to provide for levying a cess on tea exports. The proceeds of the cess were to be used for the promotion of Indian Tea both within and outside In
- The Tea Board of India is a state agency of the Government of India established to promote the cultivation, processing, and domestic trade as well as export of tea from India.
- It was established by the enactment of the Tea Act in 1953 with its headquarters in.
- It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industries.
- The Tea Board India is responsible for the assignment of certification numbers to exports of certain tea merchants.
- The Tea Board India’s tasks include endorsement of the diverse production and productivity of tea, financial support of research organisations and the monitoring of advances in tea packaging as it relates to health beneficial aspects.
- It coordinates research institutes, the tea trade and government bodies, ensuring the technical support of the tea trade in the global industry.
World Bank to provide Rs 2,200 crore loan for Andhra Pradesh healthcare project
- The World Bank will provide Rs 2,200-crore loan to Andhra Pradesh for a project aimed at strengthening the state’s overall healthcare systems.
- The Central and state governments and the World Bank signed the loan agreement for a $328-million project to improve the quality and responsiveness of public health services and increasing access of population to an expanded package of primary health services.
- The AP Health Systems Strengthening Project (APHSSP) will be implemented in the state with a focus on improved quality of care, improved responsiveness of public health services and increased access to an expanded package of primary health services.
- The $328-million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a six-year grace period, and a maturity of 29 years and 6 months.
- The agreement was signed by Bandana Preyashi, Director – MI, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India; Poonam Malakondiah, Special Chief Secretary to the government, Health Medical & Family Welfare Department, State Project Director, APHSSP, Government of Andhra Pradesh; and MohiniKak and Kari L. Hurt, representatives of the World Bank India.
FACTFILE – World Bank
- The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to countries of the world for capital projects.
- It comprises two institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and the International Development Association (IDA).
Assam CM launches pension scheme for workers of unorganized sector
- Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the State’s 1.80 crore workers under the unorganised sector will get old-age protection and social security with a minimal monthly contribution, once they opt to come under the ambit of the Pradhan MantriShram Yogi Maan-dhanYojana.
- Pradhan MantriShram Yogi Maan-dhanYojana would entitle an individual to a voluntary and contributory pension scheme, under which the subscriber would receive a minimum assured pension of Rs 3,000 per month after attaining the age of 60 years.
- Under the Shram Yogi Maan-dhanYojana, a worker of the unorganised sector can opt for the pension scheme within the age group of 18 to 40 years with a monthly income of Rs 15,000 or below.
- Once the beneficiary joins the scheme at this entry age, the beneficiary has to contribute till 60 years of age.
- On attaining the age of 60, the subscriber will receive by DBT the assured monthly pension of Rs 3,000 with the provision of family pension. If the subscriber dies, the spouse shall be entitled to receive 50 per cent of the pension as family pension.
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