Assam Current Affairs – May 29 – 31, 2019

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Current Affairs Assam – May 29 - 31, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of May 29 – 31, 2019 )

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May 29, 2019

India ranks 43rd in Worlds’ Most Competitive Economy
  • India has moved up one place to rank 43rd most competitive economy in the world on the back of its robust economic growth, a large labour force and its huge market size, while Singapore has toppled the US to grab the top position.
  • Hong Kong SAR has held onto its second place, helped by a benign tax and business policy environment and access to business finance.
  • The IMD Business School into account a wide range of statistics such as unemployment, GDP and government spending on health and education, as well as data from an executive opinion survey covering topics such as social cohesion, globalisation and corruption.
  • India’s ranking has improved by one place in past one year to 43rd, driven by a robust rate of growth in real GDP, improvements in business legislation and an increase in public expenditure on education
DRDO successfully test fires Akash-1S missile system
  • The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test-fired the Akash-1S surface to air defence missile system.
  • This is a new version of the missile fitted with an indigenous seeker.
  • Developed by the DRDO, the Akash missile system has the capability to neutralise aerial targets such as fighter jets, cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles as well as ballistic missiles.
  • The Akash-1S is capable of striking down enemy fighter jets and drones very effectively and accurately. 
  • The Akash surface-to-air missile was designed to intercept enemy aircraft and missiles from a distance of 18 to 30 km.
  • Akash missile system has already been deployed by IAF at its bases in Gwalior, Hashimara, Tejpur, Jorhat and Pune since 2013.
India elected to Executive Board of first UN-Habitat Assembly
  • India has been elected to the Executive Board of the first UN-Habitat Assembly at the Plenary Session of the Assembly started yesterday in Nairobi, Kenya.
  • The special theme for the UN-Habitat Assembly is “Innovation for Better Quality of Life in Cities and Communities”. 
  • The first session of the UN-Habitat Assembly started on May 27 at the headquarters of UN-Habitat in Nairobi and will go on till May 31.
NSIC signs MoU 2019-20 with Ministry of MSME
  • The National Small Industries Corporation Limited (NSIC) signs the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) for the year 2019-20.
  • The MOU was signed by Shri Ram Mohan Mishra, AS & DC (MSME) and CMD (NSIC) with Dr. Arun Kumar Panda, Secretary, MSME, and Govt of India .
  • The NSIC MoU 2019-20 with Ministry of MSME, Government of India envisages provision of enhanced services by NSIC under its Marketing, Financial, Technology and Other support services schemes, for MSMEs in the country.
  • The Corporation projects to increase ‘Revenue from Operation’ by 22 per cent from Rs 2540 crore in the year 2018-19 to 3100 crore in the year 2019-20.
  • Corporation also projects growth of 32 per cent in ‘Profitability’ during the year 2019-20.
  • Under the scheme of National SC-ST Hub, NSIC’s continued endeavour shall be to provide assistance to the SC/ST Entrepreneurs through different interventions and various outreach activities with the overall objectives to increase their participation in public procurement.
Russia launches world’s largest nuclear-powered icebreaker
  • Russia launched the world’s largest nuclear-powered icebreaker as the country responds to the commercial opportunities presented by melting Arctic sea ice.
  • Amid warming winters and rapid loss of sea ice cover, Russia is preparing for more shipping via what it calls the Northern Sea Route (NSR), which is expected to soon become navigable year-round.
  • The ship, named the Ural, was floated out at a dockyard in St Petersburg and is one of a trio of new vessels which will be the largest and most powerful fleet of icebreakers in the world.
  • It will eventually be handed over to Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy corporation Rosatom in 2022, when the other two icebreakers – the Arktikaand the Sibir – also enter service.

May 30, 2019

Telangana to set up Country’s First ‘Blockchain District’
  • Telangana released a draft blockchain policy to set up country’s first ‘Blockchain District’ in Hyderabad.
  • It is aimed to create an ecosystem for major blockchain companies, start-ups for promoting research, innovation and industry collaboration.
  • Earlier, the Telangana Government signed an agreement with Tech Mahindra to set up the Blockchain district in 2018.
  • The main focus will be given to the sectors such as banking, financial services and insurance, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, government institutions and departments, logistics and supply chains.
  • The incentives like access to investments, subsidies, tax credits will be rolled out to attract large enterprises, Small and Medium Enterprises and startups.
  • Other incentives include 25% subsidy on lease rentals up to Rs. 5 lakh per annum for the first three years of operations.
  • 100% reimbursement of State Goods and Services Tax (SGST ) for the first three years for startups with revenue less than Rs. 5 crore and along with one-time grant of Rs. 10 lakh, 75% subsidy in travel fare when the founders attend global conferences and 25% reimbursement on Internet charges would be provided.
IAF ties up with ISRO for Manned Mission Crew Selection
  • The Indian Air Force (IAF) signed an agreement with the state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for crew selection and training for the country’s prestigious maiden manned mission Gaganyaan by 2021-22.
  • The agreement was signed by Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Space Operations) Air Vice-Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor and Gaganyaan Project Director R. Hutton in the presence of the space agency’s Chairman K Sivan.
  • The crew selection and training will be conducted at ISRO’s Human Space Flight Centre, opened on January 31 adjacent to its headquarters in the city, to develop technologies for the manned space missions.
  • ISRO on January 31 opened a Human Space Flight Centre adjacent to its headquarters to develop technologies for manned space missions.
  • The Human Flight Space Centre will also develop engineering systems for crew survival in space and sustained human space flight missions.​
Jagan Mohan Reddy takes oath as Andhra Pradesh CM
  • YSR Congress chief Yeduguri Sandinti Jagan Mohan Reddy was sworn-in as the second Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh post its bifurcation.
  • Governor E S L Narasimhan administered the oath of office and secrecy in a grand public function at the IGMC Stadium in nearby Vijayawada.
  • The YSR Congress bagged 151 of the 175 seats in the state Assembly, decimating the TDP headed by N Chandrababu Naidu, who became the first chief minister of the state after it was bifurcated to carve out Telangana five years ago.
  • For the first time, special arrangements have been made at the Andhra Pradesh Bhavan in New Delhi for live streaming of the swearing-in ceremony.
  • Ambassadors of various countries, representatives from unilateral and multi-lateral agencies, international donor agencies, industry associations, multinational corporations and international media have been invited to witness the event at the AP Bhavan.
  • After taking the oath, Reddy addressed the invited dignitaries through the video link and present his vision and mission for building a new Andhra Pradesh.
ISRO sets up space tech incubation centre at NIT Trichy
  • The Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) Chairman K. Sivan from Bengaluru remotely inaugurated, a Space Technology Incubation Centre (S-TIC) at the The National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli.
  • The S-TIC was first of its kind incubation centre in the southern region of It aims to develop innovative indigenous technologies that could be used for ISRO projects and which will help lower the cost significantly.
  • The (S-TIC) will incubate startups to build applications and products in tandem with the industry and they would be used in future space missions.
  • The final year students will be exposed to the problems of relevance and importance to the ISRO and proof of concept or prototype developed by them will be validated through tied-up industries.
  • According to the NITT, the S-TIC is a novel concept conceived by the ISRO to tie up the academia, industry and research and development (R&D) institutions in different regions of the country.

May 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

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May 31, 2019

ISRO-IITGuwahati inks MoU on Space Tech Cell
  • The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, has signed an MoU with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Department of Space, Government of India, to set up an IITG-ISRO Space Technology Cell (STC) at the IIT Guwahati.
  • The IITG-ISRO STC would be a first of its kind in North East India and is bound to augment research and capacity building processes in the field of space technology.
  • The STC will consist of faculty members from IIT Guwahati, visiting scientists and experts from ISRO, research students and technical staff.
  • Through the STC, the IIT Guwahati aspires to partner with the ISRO for performing cutting-edge research not only catering to the socio-economic needs of the North East, but also to contribute towards the basic research activities of various ISRO projects across India.
  • It would serve as a platform for motivating and involving undergraduate, postgraduate students and research scholars and orient them towards the realms of space-research activities.
Narendra Modi takes oath as PM for the second time
  • Narendra Modi took over as the country’s Prime Minister for a second term after he was sworn in along with Union ministers. Modi, 68, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind at a glittering ceremony at the forecourt of majestic Rashtraparti Bhavan.
  • Top opposition leaders including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, corporate honchos, film stars, Chief Ministers and a galaxy of leaders from BIMSTEC countries were part of the nearly 8,000 guests at the ceremony.
  • Narendra Modi will be the 15th Prime Minister (in person) of India. He is the 4th Prime Minister of India who would serve two consecutive terms as Prime Minister of India
  • This is the second time Modi took the oath at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Modi was sworn in by the then President Pranab Mukherjee in 2014 in the presence of over 3,500 guests including the heads of SAARC countries.
  • Earlier, Chandra Shekhar in 1990 and Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 were sworn in at the sprawling forecourt.
  • Leaders of BIMSTEC countries including President of Bangladesh Abdul Hamid, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, President of Myanmar U Win Myint and Bhutanese Prime Minister LotayTshering also attended the gala event.
  • Kyrgyz President and current chair of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, and Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth also attended the event.
Admiral Karambir Singh takes charge as new Navy Chief
  • Admiral Karambir Singh took over as the Chief of the Naval Staff replacing incumbent Sunil Lanba. Having served the nation for the past four decades, Lanba served as the 23rd Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy
  • Admiral Karambir Singh PVSM AVSM ADC assumes charge as the 24th Chief of the Naval Staff.He is scheduled to continue in the post till November 2021.
  • Admiral Singh’s priority would be to expedite the long-delayed modernisation of the Indian Navy, including by inducting new warships, submarines and aircraft.

FACTFILE – The Chief of the Naval Staff

  • The Chief of the Naval Staff is the commander and the highest-ranking officer in the Indian Navy. The position is abbreviated CNS in Indian Navy cables and communication, and is always held by a full admiral.
  • The office of the Chief of the Naval Staff was created by The Commanders-In-Chief (Change in Designation) Act, 1955 of the Indian Parliament in 1955, replacing the erstwhile office of the Commander-in-Chief, Indian Navy.
  • Appointments to the office are made by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
  • The Chief of the Naval Staff generally reaches superannuation upon serving three years or at the age of 62, whichever is earlier.

May 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

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