Assam Current Affairs –November 15 – 21, 2019

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Current Affairs Assam – November 15 - 21, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of November 15 – 21, 2019 )

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November 15, 2019

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal Sonowal launches app ‘Shishu Suraksha’ for securing child rights
  • Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched a mobile app ”Shishu Suraksha” of the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, which is expected to help securing the rights of children.
  • Remembering the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, on his birth anniversary, which is also observed as Children”s Day across the country.
  • Sonowal urged the society to put emphasis on the holistic development of children, who will carry forward the society.
  • Calling on the people to sustain the qualities of humanity, empathy and respect in the society, Sonowal underlined the importance of keeping the children away from superstitions and dogmas by instilling a scientific temperament in them.
Children design postage stamps on child rights
  • Two postage stamps touching of the theme of child rights, designed by Indian children as part of a UNICEF competition, were released on the occasion of Children’s Day in India.
  • The top two winners, who will receive Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 respectively, were selected out of over 14,000 entries and were announced by the Department of Posts and UNICEF.
  • Nidhi Rahul Mhatre, 15, from Maharashtra and Vibhushi Agarwal, 12, from Uttar Pradesh. The winners, along with other runners-up, will be awarded at a national event on November 20, World Children’s Day.
MHA appoints 2 advisors to assist J&K Lt Governor
  • The Ministry of Home Affairs has appointed two advisors to assist the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The two are retired IAS officer K.K. Sharma and former IPS officer Farooq Khan.
  • An IAS officer of 1983 batch, Sharma retired as the Secretary Higher Education in the Union ministry of Human Resources Development in February last year.
  • Farooq Ahmad Khan, an IPS officer of 1994 batch, was appointed as advisor to then J& K Governor Satya Pal Malik after being shifted from Lakshawdeep, where he served as administrator.
  • He was instrumental in creation of the Special Task Force, J& K police”s anti-militancy wing, in 1994-95 when the erstwhile State was under President”s rule.
Andhra Pradesh launches new scheme to upgrade government schools
  • Andhra Pradesh state government launched a new programme to revamp Government schools by providing better infrastructure and amenities at a cost of Rs 12,000 crore.
  • Under the scheme ”Mana Badi Nadu Nedu” (our school then and now), 45,000 government-run schools will undergo a complete makeover in the next three years, bringing them on par with or even better than the ones in private and corporate sectors.
  • The programme, launched by Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy at Ongole on Children”s Day, gives a pictorial view of schools showing how they look now and how they will look after implementing the scheme.
  • Taking nine parameters into consideration – provision of lights, fans, blackboards, furniture and compound wall, construction of toilets, repairs and painting of classrooms, providing safe drinking water and provision for English labs.
  • The first phase will cover 15,715 government schools for a period of one year, at a cost of Rs 3,500 crores.
  • This programme in addition to upgrading teaching and learning skills, introducing English as the medium of instruction from class 1 to 6 with Telugu or Urdu as a compulsory subject
  • Improving quality of mid-day meals, supply of textbooks, uniforms and shoes to the students on time and maintaining teacher-student ratio is expected to transform the education sector.
  • The government has also formed a committee to monitor the functioning of private schools.

November 16, 2019

 Union Govt plans to set up NE Industrial Corridor
  • Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the Government is planning to set up a North East Industrial Corridor that will create numerous job opportunities for the people of the region.
  • Singh said the Arunachal corridor would act as a land bridge between India and South East Asia, that will provide employment opportunities and give a fillip to trade and tourism.
  • The Union Defence Minister was speaking at the 11th Maitree Diwas celebrations at Tawang bordering China.
  • The two-day socio-military cultural extravaganza is being jointly organised by the Indian Army, Tawang civil administration and volunteers at the Gyalwa Tsangyang Gyatso High Altitude Stadium, Tawang.
Odisha takes conservative measures for protection of Olive Ridley turtles
  • The Odisha government has geared up the efforts for the protection and conservation of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles during the mass nesting.
  • The government directed the departments of Fishery, Forest and Marine police to operate in close coordination and ensure strict enforcement of the conservation rules.
  • Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy chaired a meeting of the high power committee for protection and conservation of Olive Ridley turtle.
  • The Coast Guard was requested to have realtime intelligence sharing with the departments about any illegal fishing.
  • The state government has already imposed a seven-month ban on fishing from November 1 to March 31 next year.
  • It has decided to pay a compensation amount of Rs 7,500 to around 8,000 fishermen families who will bear a loss for fishing ban.
  • The conservation and protection activities will be carried on in coordination with coast guard, naval wing, Integrated Test Range (ITR), Fisheries and Animal Resource department, police, various port authorities, community based organisations and forest and environment department.

FACTFILE – Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

  • The olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), also known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, are the second smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world; this species of sea turtle is found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They can also be found in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
  • These turtles, along with the related Kemps ridley turtle, are best known for their unique mass nesting called arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.
  • Olive ridley turtles are best known for their behavior of synchronized nesting in mass numbers, termed arribadas. Females return to the same beach from where they hatched, to lay their eggs.
  • In the Indian Ocean, the majority of olive ridleys nest in two or three large groups near Gahirmatha in Odisha. The coast of Odisha in India is the largest mass nesting site for the olive ridley, followed by the coasts of Mexico and Costa Rica.
  • The Gahirmatha Beach in Kendrapara district of Odisha (India), which is now a part of the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, is the largest breeding ground for these turtles.
  • Bhitarkanika mangroves were designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 2002. It is the world’s largest known rookery of olive ridley sea turtles. Apart from Gahirmatha rookery, two other mass nesting beaches have been located, which are on the mouth of rivers Rushikulya and Devi.
TiE Women raises $70,000 during New Delhi summit
  • TiE Women, an initiative launched by not-for-profit organisation TiE Global to promote women entrepreneurs across its 61 chapters globally, raised $70,000 during two days of its global summit.
  • The initiative aims to empower women entrepreneurs globally through sustainable and easy-to-adopt programmes that will track the entire entrepreneurial journey with measurable metrics.
  • Hemalatha Annamalai, Founder, Ampere Vehicles Ltd., and President TiE Coimbatore, will be the Chair for TiE Women.
  • The programme will culminate in an annual mega event where these women will showcase their successes and get access to funds, scholarships, accelerators and more.
  • Hosted by TiE Delhi-NCR, the fourth edition of TiE Global Summit witnessed power-packed conversations by eminent ecosystem stakeholders.

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November 17, 2019

 Mizoram accounts for 14% of bamboo cultivation in India
  • With 32.07 per cent of its total geographical area under bamboo cover (estimated at 6,760.71 square km), Mizoram accounts for 14 per cent of the bamboo cultivation in India.
  • This was highlighted during a seminar ‘Bamboo Composite Materials for Structural Applications’ held in Aizawl. The seminar was co-organised by the Mizoram Science, Technology & Innovation Council (MISTIC), Directorate of Science and Technology and Bhopal-based Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (CSIR-AMPRI).
  • Mizoram is said to have 36 species of bamboo, of which 24 are indigenous and 12 have been introduced.
  • The dominant species Melocanna baccifera – locally referred to as ‘Mautak’ – constitutes almost 95 per cent of the state’s bamboo forests.
  • Bamboo forests are found mainly along the river banks and abandoned jhumland as a dominant secondary vegetation.
 Dr Jiten Gohain Memorial Green Awarded to Nagaon Govt Boys’ HS School
  • Nagaon Govt Boys’ HS School was presented the ‘Dr Jiten Gohain Memorial Green Award’ for taking up cleanliness drive.
  • The award has been introduced for the first time and will be conferred to a Government-run educational institute every year to encourage for a green and healthy environment.
  • Noted innovator, Dr Uddhab Bharali presented the award to Dipika Laskar, Principal of Nagaon Govt Boys’ HS School. Dr Bharali.
Amit Shah launched winter grade diesel for Ladakh region
  • Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched winter grade diesel for the entire Ladakh region. The Indian Oil Corp”s (IOC) Panipat refinery has come up with a kind of diesel that can withstand the harsh winter conditions.
  • The winter grade diesel produced by Panipat Refinery for the first time has a pour point of – 33 degree C and does not lose its fluidity function even in the extreme winter weather of the region, unlike the normal grade of diesel which becomes exceedingly difficult to utilize.
  • Amit Shah launched the supply of this special grade diesel in Ladakh via video conferencing from the national capital. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP MP from Ladakh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, were present on the occasion.
  • The first tank truck containing winter grade HSD has been flagged off from IOC”s Panipat marketing complex.
  • Subsequent supplies of such diesel would be sent from the Jalandhar Terminal to the Leh and Kargil depots to meet demands of customers in the Leh-Ladakh region during peak winters.
WWF-India’s ‘Ek Prithvi’ programme
  • The WWF-India witnessed coming together of 700 students, principals, teachers and dignitaries at the Panda Fest organised by WWF Assam State Office at Pobitora.
  • WWF-India conceived the ‘Ek Prithvi’ programme in 2016 to build conservation leadership among students through experiential learning.
  • The programme aims to embed the approach of environment education into the schools’ education system through innovative teaching methodologies, which ultimately facilitate awareness generation, skill building and action competence in students for pro-conservation attitudes and sustainable lifestyle choices.
  • Over 2,400 students from eight Government schools in Morigaon district are enrolled in the ‘EK Prithvi’ programme.

 

November 18, 2019

 Justice SA Bobde takes oath as 47th Chief Justice of India
  • Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde took oath as the 47th Chief Justice of India. President Ram Nath Kovind administered him the oath of office at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
  • Justice Bobde succeeds Justice Ranjan Gogoi. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP Veteran L K Advani were present on the occasion among others.
  • Justice Bobde will have a tenure of around 18 months till his retirement on April 23, 2021.
  • Justice Bobde was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court on April 12, 2013.

FACTFILE – The chief justice of India (CJI)

  • CJI is the head of the judiciary of India and the Supreme Court of India. The CJI also heads their administrative functions.
  • As head of the Supreme Court, the chief justice is responsible for the allocation of cases and appointment of constitutional benches which deal with important matters of law.
  • As per Article 145 of the Constitution of India and the Supreme Court Rules of Procedure of 1966, the Chief Justice allocates all work to the other judges.
  • The Chief Justice also carries out the following functions: maintenance of the roster; appointment of court officials and general and miscellaneous matters relating to the supervision and functioning of the Supreme Court.
  • Once appointed, the chief justice remains in the office until the age of 65 years.
  • He can be removed only through a process of impeachment by Parliament.
Assam Cabinet approved Assam Bamboo and Cane Policy
  • Assam Cabinet also approved the Assam Bamboo and Cane Policy that aims at sustainable development and utilisation of bamboo and cane resources in the state through scientific management and stakeholders participation.
  • Incentives will be provided for establishment of various bamboo-based industries, processing units and development of traditional sectors like handicraft and furniture making.
  • Among other incentives are 50 per cent capital investment subsidy on eligible plant and machinery and internal electrical installations subject to a ceiling limit of Rs 5 crore and for startups in bamboo & cane sector a grant of up to Rs 5 lakh for innovative ideas.
  • The Cabinet made it compulsory for industries and factories to keep sanitary napkins for women employees. The Cabinet also approved the policy for financial autonomy to veterinary farms, pig breeding policy and goat farming policy.
Unio Govt working to set up new tech training centres
  • Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the government was working to set up new technology training centres for quality production.
  • The Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and MSME said this while addressing an event to inaugurate the 39th India International Trade Fair (IITF).
  • The theme for the 2019 edition of IITF was revealed as “Ease of Doing Business inspired by the unique achievement of India of rising up to the 63rd rank on the World Bank”s Ease of Doing Business index from 142nd rank in 2014.”
  • Several countries, including Australia, Iran, the UK, Vietnam, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Egypt, Hong Kong and Indonesia are participating in the 14-day trade fair.
  • This year, the status of partner country has been accorded to Afghanistan, while Bihar and Jharkhand are the focus states.

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November 19, 2019

 Meghalaya to ink with Korean tech firm for waste management
  • The Meghalaya government would be seeking the expertise of a South Korean company for solid waste management and an agreement is likely to be inked during Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s visit to Seoul.
  • Ambassador of South Korea to India Shin Bong-Kil said that the Meghalaya government has expressed interest in a Korean company’s expertise in solid waste management.
  • The Meghalaya government gave a presentation on mining highlighting the pollution caused by it over the years.
  • The State government sought access to Korean technology to find ways to purify the rivers and streams.
  • Bong-Kil was the chief guest at the closing ceremony of Cherry Blossom Festival, which was held at the Polo Grounds yesterday. South Korea was the partner country of the festival this year.
Bengaluru-based environment think-tank Ashoka Trust to receive UNESCO prize for eco-conservation
  • Bengaluru-based environment think-tank Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) will be awarded the 2019 UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize for environmental conservation.
  • The award is being given in recognition of ATREE”s socially-just environment conservation and sustainable development activities in Sikkim and Darjeeling regions.
  • The prize also recognises its contributions towards the discovery of new species in the Western Ghats, outreach to raise awareness about India”s biodiversity and training environmental leaders.
  • The prize consists of $100,000, a diploma and a medal. The award ceremony will be held in Budapest, Hungary, during the upcoming World Science Forum.

FACTFILE – Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE)

  • Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) is a research institution founded by Kamaljit S. Bawa based in Bangalore, India focusing in the areas of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
  • The trust works to generate rigorous interdisciplinary knowledge for achieving environmental conservation and sustainable development in a socially just manner, to enable the use of this knowledge by policy makers and society, and to train the next generation of scholars and leaders.
  • ATREE contributes to the conservation of diverse environments throughout India, including the Eastern Himalayas, the UNESCO Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and the Western Ghats world heritage site, Vembanad lake, Kaziranga and Manas National Parks, the grasslands of Kutch, the wetlands of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and the urban landscapes of Karnataka.
National Green Tribunal (NGT) fine Rs 10 crore penatly on UP Govt
  • The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a penalty of Rs 10 crore on the Uttar Pradesh government for failing to check sewage discharge containing toxic chromium into river Ganga at Rania and Rakhi Mandi in Kanpur. Besides, the NGT has also slapped a fine of Rs 280 crore on 22 tanneries for causing pollution.
  • A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said the problem has not been tackled for the last 43 years and this has resulted in contamination of groundwater affecting the health and life of the inhabitants.
  • The environment compensation of Rs 280.01 crore was also assessed by the state pollution control board.
  • The NGT also held UPPCB liable and directed it to pay Rs 1 crore for ignoring illegal discharge of sewage and other effluent containing toxic chromium directly into Ganga.

FACTFILE – National Green Tribunal Act, 2010

  • National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 is an Act of the Parliament of India which enables creation of a special tribunal to handle the expeditious disposal of the cases pertaining to environmental issues.
  • It draws inspiration from the India’s constitutional provision of Article 48A which assures the citizens of India the right to a healthy environment.
  • On 18 October 2010, Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta became its first Chairman. Retired justice Adarsh Kumar Goel is the incumbent chairman of national green tribunal.
  • The Principal Bench of the NGT is in New Delhi and has regional benches in Pune (West), Bhopal (Central), Chennai (South) and Kolkata (East).
India and Singapore exchanges Letter of Intent in defence sector
  • India and Singapore exchanged a Letter of Intent (LoI) for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) whereby the latter’s defence establishment could use the Chandipur Integrated Test Range in Odisha.
  • The exchange of the Letter of Intent took place in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a two-day trip to the Southeast Asian nation, and his Singaporean counterpart Dr Ng Eng.
  • The Integrated Test Range, a missile testing facility of the Defence Research & Development Organisation, is located on Dr Abdul Kalam Island, formerly known as Wheeler Island, off the eastern coast of India in the Bay of Bengal.
  • Singh co-chaired the 4th Singapore-India Defence Ministers Dialogue. Singh also offered setting up of Joint Test Facilities under the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme of India following which Dr Ng agreed to explore opportunities for a joint collaboration.
  • The Ministers also agreed to explore cooperation in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Geo-Spatial Data Sharing and Cyber Security.
  • It was also agreed to hold the 5th Defence Ministers Dialogue in India next year on mutually convenient dates.

November 20, 2019

  Arunachal Pradesh gets ‘Best Emerging Green Tourist Destination Award’
  • Arunachal Pradesh has been awarded the ‘Best Emerging Green Tourist Destination Award’ by Travel & Leisure magazine.
  • Arunachal Pradesh is one of the last ‘Truly Unexplored’ destinations in the world which offers an awe-inspiring experience to the discerning tourist.
  • The award is a boost to the efforts of the Tourism department in bringing Arunachal Pradesh prosperity through sustainable tourism.
  • The awards were given to Tourism departments and stakeholders in recognition of their efforts towards promoting green tourism.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Deputy PM of Singapore
  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Heng Swee Keat. Singh is on a two-day visit to Singapore to co-chair the 4th India-Singapore Defence Ministers” Dialogue.
  • The Defence Minister referred to India’s stand on the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific region and stressed that the Indo-Pacific for India meant an open, inclusive and stable region, connected through secure seas, integrated by trade and anchored by the unity and centrality of Asean.
  • He said India’s stand on implementation of international laws and norms, freedom of navigation, unimpeded lawful commerce and peaceful settlement of disputes was the only way to ensure a rule-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.
  • Singh conveyed to Keat that India”s vision of a comprehensive agenda of regional cooperation was rooted in ”SAGAR”, that”s ”Security and Growth for All in the Region”.
  • During the meeting, they also agreed upon furthering bilateral defence cooperation.
  • Singh also took a sortie in the Super Puma Helicopter of the Singapore Air Force at the Sembawang Air Base and visited Singapore naval ship RSS Stalwart.
  • He paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his Marker in Singapore and also to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Indian National Army martyrs at their memorial.
Facebook partners with WCD Ministry to boost digital literacy
  • In a bid to make social networking secure and safe for women and children, Facebook made partnership with the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) at Facebook”s “South Asia Safety Summit”.
  • Formation of an ideal “Internet Consortium” to propose recommendations for online child safety and launch of ”We Think Digital”, the company”s global digital literacy programme.
  • The summit was joined by over 100 organisations from Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and India.
  • Facebook is set to launch another campaign called “Thumbstoppers” next year, which will be a series of short creative mobile videos under 10 seconds from India”s advertising community, focusing on empowering and educating people on issues like gender equality, domestic violence and education for the girl child.
  • Facebook said it is committed to support economic growth and social good in India and is working with partners to train more than five million people by 2021.
ISRO to launch Cartosat-3, 13 commercial nano satellites
  • India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C47 will launch Cartosat-3 and 13 commercial nanosatellites into Sun Synchronous orbit from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.
  • PSLV-C47 is the 21st flight of PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration, that is with 6 solid strap-on motors.
  • This will be the 74th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota.
  • Cartosat-3 satellite is a third-generation agile advanced satellite having high-resolution imaging capability.
  • PSLV-C47 will also carry 13 commercial nanosatellites from the United States of America as part of commercial arrangement with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), Department of Space.

FACTFILE – Cartosat-3 satellite

  • Cartosat-3 is an advanced Indian Earth Observation satellite built and developed by ISRO, which will replace the IRS series.
  • It has a panchromatic resolution of 0.25 metres making it the imaging satellite with highest resolution in the world and Mx of 1 metre with a high quality resolution which is a major improvement from the previous payloads in the Cartosat series.
  • Potential uses include weather mapping, cartography or army defence, and strategic applications
  • ISRO launched additional satellites in the Cartosat-2 series through 2016, 2017 and 2018.

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November 21, 2019

 Assam State Cabinet approved the Assam Excise (Amendment) Bill 2019
  • The State Cabinet approved the Assam Excise (Amendment) Bill 2019 that seeks to bring molasses in the list of excisable items.
  • The Bill seeks to amend section 2(h) and section 84(2)(d) of the Assam Excise Act, 2000 such that the list of excisable articles will be expanded to include molasses as an excisable item.
  • It also seeks to regulate import, export, transport or possession of molasses. A new section will be inserted to define the term molasses for the purpose of the Assam Excise Act.
  • The amendments in the Excise Act will facilitate the introduction of necessary rules to control and regulate the production, storage, distribution, possession and sale of molasses in the State to deal effectively with the challenges posed by the rampant production, trade and consumption of the spurious liquor.
India, Uzbekistan sign security cooperation agreement
  • India and the central Asian country of Uzbekistan inked an agreement on security cooperation including in the field of counter-terrorism, organized crime and human trafficking.
  • The agreement was signed during a meeting between a delegation from Uzbekistan, led by Minister of Internal Affairs, Pulat Bobojonov, with an Indian delegation, led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
  • The two sides discussed areas of mutual interest, including counter-terrorism cooperation and training for Uzbek security personnel in Indian institutions, capacity building, border guarding and disaster management.
  • The Agreement on Security Cooperation, signed by the two ministers, will further strengthen cooperation between India-Uzbekistan in the diverse fields including counter-terrorism, organized crime and human trafficking.
  • The Indian delegation included Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai along with other senior officers from the Ministry.
LS passes Bill for transparency in Chit Fund schemes
  • The Lok Sabha passed a Bill that aims at putting in place a mechanism to ensure transparency in chit fund schemes, protect subscribers and regulate the industry.
  • To facilitate orderly growth of the chit fund sector, Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur said through the Chit Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2019 the government was making changes in the rules for starting a chit fund.
  • The Minister had moved the Bill, which seeks to amend the Chit Funds Act, 1982.
  • With the amendments, the prescribed ceiling of aggregate chit fund amount for individuals would be raised to Rs 3 lakh from Rs 1 lakh, and Rs 18 lakh from Rs 6 lakh for firms.
  • Besides, words ”gross chit amount”, ”share of discount” and ”net chit amount” would be substituted with ”chit amount”, ”dividend” and ”prize amount”, respectively.
  • The amended Act would confer powers upon the state governments to specify the amount up to which any chit fund shall be exempted under the Act.
India successfully test-fires nuke-capable Prithvi-II
  • India successfully testfired its indigenously developed nuclear capable surface-to-surface Prithvi-2 missile as part of a user trial by the Army from a test range off Odisha coast.
  • The trial of the missile, which has a strike range of 350 km, was carried out from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the ITR.
  • The missile was randomly chosen from the production stock and the entire launch activity was carried out by Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the Army and monitored by scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of the training exercise.

FACTFILE – Prithvi-II missile

  • Prithvi-2 is capable of carrying 500-1,000 kg of warheads and is powered by liquid propulsion twin engines.
  • The state-of-the-art missile uses advanced inertial guidance system with maneuvering trajectory to hit its target.
  • Inducted into the armory of Indian defence forces in 2003, nine-metre tall ‘Prithvi’ was the first missile to have been developed by DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh holds bilateral meets on ADMM-Plus
  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand in Bangkok where they have come to attend the 6th ASEAN Defence Ministers” Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus). He reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral defence relations with his various counterparts and discussed ways to further improve the ties.
  • Rajnath Singh and US Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper expressed satisfaction over the increasing defence engagements between the two countries. The two will be meeting again for the 2+2 meeting in Washington DC later next month.
  • He had a detailed discussion on adding further momentum to India-Japan defence cooperation with Japanese counterpart Taro Konowas.
  • He also met his counterparts from Australia – Linda Reynolds – and New Zealand – Ron Mark – and discussed ongoing defence cooperation and potential areas for enhanced engagement.

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