Assam Current Affairs – October 08 - 14, 2019

Current Affairs Assam – October 8 - 14, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of October 8 – 14, 2019 )

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October 08, 2019

IAF celebrates 87^th Air Force Day

Indian Air Force (IAF) celebrated 87th anniversary on Air Force Day at Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria were present at the event.
Every year, the Air Force Day is celebrated at Hindon base in presence of the IAF chief and senior officials of the three armed forces.
The IAF was founded on October 8, 1932, and the force has participated in several crucial wars and landmark missions.

FACTFILE – Indian Air Force (IAF)

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks fourth amongst the air forces of the world.
Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflict.
It was officially established on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire which honoured India’s aviation service during World War II with the prefix Royal .
After India gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, the name Royal Indian Air Force was kept and served in the name of Dominion of India. With the government’s transition to a Republic in 1950, the prefix Royal was removed after only three years.

Nobel prize in physics awarded to James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz

2019 Nobel Prize in physics awarded to James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz for research on cosmology and exoplanets.
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm awarded half of the 9 million Swedish kronor (£740,000) prize to Canadian scientist Peebles for his theoretical discoveries about the evolution of the universe.
A Swiss duo of astronomers, Mayor and Queloz, have awarded the prestigious prize for their discovery of the first planet beyond our solar system. The duo has succeeded in discovering the first exoplanet 50 light years away in the constellation of Pegasus.

William Kaelin and Gregg Semanza and Peter Ratcliffe win Nobel Prize in Medicine for work on how cells adapt to oxygen

Three Americans, William G. Kaelin and Gregg. L. Semanza and Briton Peter J. Ratcliffe, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute announced that the three recipients were recognized for their discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability.
With their work they were able to understand how oxygen levels affect cell metabolism and physiological function.
Their discoveries could pave the way in the development of new strategies to fight anemia, cancer and other diseases, according to the institute.
Kaelin, born in New York in 1957, is a specialist in internal medicine and oncology.
Semenza, born in 1955 and also a New Yorker, is a paediatrician.
Ratcliffe was born in Lancashire in 1954, and is an expert in nephrology, a medicine specialising in kidneys.

FACTFILE – The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

It is awarded yearly by the Nobel Foundation for outstanding discoveries in the fields of life sciences and medicine.
One of five prizes bequested in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, it is an award for scientific progress through laboratory discoveries in experimental physiology.
As of 2019, 110 Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine have been awarded to 207 men and 12 women.
The first one was awarded in 1901 to the German physiologist Emil von Behring, for his work on serum therapy and the development of a vaccine against diphtheria.
n 1902, the award went to Ronald Ross for his work on malaria while staying in India.
The prize consists of a medal along with a diploma and a certificate for the monetary award.

India receives first Rafale fighter in France

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh formally received the first of the 36 Rafale fighter jets in France, The fighter jet was handed over at Merignac at a facility of Dassault Aviation.
Rajnath Singh was shown a short audio-visual clip on the history of aircraft manufacturing by Dassault before the handing over ceremony.
His French counterpart Florence Parly was also present during the handover ceremony.
India chose October 8 for receiving the first Rafale jet not only because it is the occasion of Dussehra, but the day is also celebrated as Air Force Day every year.
The first jet bears the tail number RB 001 which is the initials of Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria, who played a key role on behalf of India in the Rafale negotiations with France.
India had entered into an inter-governmental agreement with France and Dassault in September 2016 to acquire 36 Rafale jets in flyaway condition at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore.
Rafale, a 4.5 generation multi-role combat aircraft, will greatly increase India”s geo-political stature in South Asia because no other country, including Pakistan, has as advanced an aircraft in its inventory.
The first squadron of the Rafale aircraft will be stationed at the Ambala Air Force Station in Punjab, considered as a strategic air base given its proximity to the Indo-Pakistan border.
The second Rafale squadron will be based at the Hashimara Air Force Station in Alipurduar district of West Bengal which at present is home to the ageing MiG 27 Russian aircraft.

October 09, 2019

India ranks 68^th on Global Competitiveness Index

India has moved down 10 places to rank 68th on the annual global competitiveness index, while Singapore has replaced the U.S. as the world’s most competitive economy.
India, which was ranked 58^th in the annual Global Competitiveness Index compiled by Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF), is among the worst-performing BRICS nations along with Brazil.
India ranks high in terms of macroeconomic stability and market size, while its financial sector is relatively deep and stable despite the high delinquency rate, which contributes to weakening the soundness of its banking system.
India is ranked also high at 15^th place in terms of corporate governance, while it is ranked second globally for shareholder governance.
India also punches above its development status when it comes to innovation, which is well ahead of most emerging economies and on par with several advanced economies.
The healthy life expectancy, where India has been ranked 109th out of total the 141 countries surveyed for the index.
India needs to grow its skills base, while its product market efficiency is undermined by a lack of trade openness and the labour market is characterised by a lack of worker rights’ protections, insufficiently developed active labour market policies and critically low participation of women.
India is followed by some of its neighbours including Sri Lanka at 84^th place, Bangladesh at 105^th, Nepal at 108^th and Pakistan at 110^th

National Health Mission index: Haryana, Assam, Kerala among top 5 performers

Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Assam, Kerala and Punjab have emerged as the top five states or Union Territories in the first ever exercise to rate their performance on several parameters of the National Health Mission.
Twenty per cent of NHM funds are based on the states’ performance, which means better performing states received a financial incentive — Rs 3,000 crore is set aside for incentive-based payments.
West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Bihar were penalised as they didn’t achieve the set benchmarks for mental health services.
Twenty-three states earned an incentive for screening of 30-plus population for non-communicable diseases, including 11 states that earned full points for screening more than 15 per cent of the 30-plus population.
Tamil Nadu reported 100 per cent screening, followed by Goa (68 per cent) and Daman and Diu (57 per cent).
Only six states — Assam, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Kerala, Punjab and Tripura — earned full incentive for implementation of the Human Resource Information System (HRIS). Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and UP were able to partially achieve the target in terms of HRIS implementation.
Among the parameters, the highest weightage was given to incremental improvement as per the NITI Aayog ranking of states on ‘Performance on Health Outcomes’. Other parameters include operationalisation of Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs), provisioning of mental health services in districts covered under the National Mental Health Programme, screening of 30-plus population for non-communicable diseases, implementation of HRIS and grading of Primary Health Centres (both urban and rural).
Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Sikkim did not make the cut for assessment.

Union Govt launches Ganga Aamantran Abhiyan

Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat yesterday launched a unique initiative called ‘Ganga Amantran’ to connect with the stakeholders of the river.
It is a pioneering exploratory open- water rafting and kayaking expedition on the Ganga River and will continue till 11th of next month.
The expedition will start at Devaprayag and culminate at Ganga Sagar covering the entire stratch of over 25,000 kilometres of the River.
This is the first ever effort by National Mission for Clean Ganga to raft across the entire stretch of the river.
And also the longest ever social campaign undertaken through an adventure sporting activityy to spread the message of River Rejuvenation and Water Conservation on a massive scale.

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launches eDantseva

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched a website and mobile application of ‘eDantseva’, the first-ever national digital platform on oral health information and knowledge dissemination.
e-DantSeva is the first-ever national digital platform that provides oral health information both in the form of a website and mobile application.
The initiative of the Union Health Ministry with the AIIMS and other stakeholders aims to sensitize the public about the significance of maintaining optimum oral health and equips them with the tools and knowledge to do so, including awareness on the nearest oral health service facility.
The Union Health Minister also released the Braille booklet and voice over on oral health education for the visually impaired individuals along with the oral health posters for pregnant women and children.
e-DantSeva contains information about the National Oral Health Program (NOHP), detailed list of all the dental facility and colleges, Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material.

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October 10, 2019

Study finds poor wages, housing, healthcare in Assam TEs

Assam Govt initiated study report ‘Addressing The Human Cost of Assam Tea’ on the working and living conditions of plantation workers found crumbling houses with no toilets, poor wages, lack of quality health and education entitlements.
The new research, commissioned by Oxfam India and undertaken by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), found that the State government’s commitment to increase the minimum wages of tea plantation workers to Rs 351 met with hurdles of financial viability of the sector.
The research showed that the relentless squeeze by supermarkets and brands on the share of the end consumer price for tea makes poverty and hardship for workers in Assam.
Combined with rising costs and the impacts of the climate crisis, it is also contributing to a severe economic crisis for the entire Indian tea industry.
The research also found that despite working for over 13 hours a day, tea workers earn between Rs 137 and Rs 167.
Many women tea-leaf pluckers regularly work upto 13 hours a day receiving between Rs 110 and Rs 130 per day.
Tea brands and supermarkets typically capture over two-thirds of the price paid by consumers for Assam tea in India – with just 7 per cent remaining for workers in tea estates.
Indian tea estates are legally obliged under the Plantation Labour Act to provide decent working condition, besides housing, healthcare and education facilities.
The condition of housing and sanitation is very poor in majority of tea estates with dilapidated or nonexistent facilities.
The Indian tea sector continues to be the largest private sector employer but poor implementation of labour laws is putting at risk the viability of the tea industry as a whole.

WHO to collaborate with govt to accelerate Ayushman Bharat

The Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) provides a strategic roadmap for WHO to work with the Central government towards achieving its health sector goals, in improving the health of its population and bringing in transformative changes in the health sector.
The WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019-2023 has identified accelerating progress of the Ayushman Bharat programme as the top strategic priority.
The CCS covers the period 2019-23 and it notes that significant improvements in health have been achieved in the past two decades.
The document notes that the government has set a series of ambitious goals in its National Health Policy 2017, including achieving universal health coverage, with a focus on poor and vulnerable populations, and doubling public spending on health.
The four areas identified for strategic cooperation of WHO with the country encompass: to accelerate progress on UHC, to promote health and wellness by addressing determinants of health, to protect the population better against health emergencies, and to enhance India’s global leadership in health.

FACTFILE – Ayushman Bharat Yojana or Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) or National Health Protection Scheme

It is a national scheme that aimed at making necessary interventions in primary, secondary and tertiary health-care systems,in a holistic fashion.
It was launched in 2018, under the aegis of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India.
26 states and union territories accepted the scheme, except four states: Delhi, Odisha, West Bengal and Telangana. More than a lakh (100,000) people have taken benefit of the scheme till October 2018.
More than 825,000 e-cards were generated and there was a push to recruit private hospitals to the scheme

Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval to MoUs in radio, TV

The Union Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval for the memorandum of understandings (MoUs) signed between Indian and foreign broadcasters in radio and television.
The MoUs will help the public broadcaster explore new visions and strategies to address the demands of new technologies and competition, media liberalisation and globalisation.
Broadcasting of programmes to be obtained through mutual exchange, co-production will lead to equity and inclusiveness among viewers and listeners of DD (Doordarshan) and AIR (All India Radio).
Exchanges of technical know-how, expertise and training of manpower will help the public broadcaster meet challenges in the field of broadcasting.

IIT Madras students develop AI-based Drones for disaster relief

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras students have developed an Artificial Intelligence(AI)-based solution called ‘Eye in the Sky’ for disaster management and aid services, utilizing drones with swarm intelligence for collecting data and analyzing it in real-time.
A team of engineering students is building drones enabled with AI and computer vision to develop an end-to-end solution for identifying accurate and critical information on people trapped in disaster-hit areas and communicate them to relief task force.
Its analytical modules are based on the latest available technology with the team creating their own databases for some of the modules.
The team plans to collaborate with hardware companies that can provide scalable drone technology to conduct the required spot surveillance of disaster struck areas.
According to the students, the final aim of the startup is to make end-to-end drone software solutions which can be used by any disaster response force of the world and thus help in saving lives.
The project uses some innovative technologies that can help in among other things accurate detecting of people from high and low altitudes, detecting whether a person is able to move or not, detection of people buried under the debris where only a part of the body is visible to the outside world.

India, Thailand seek to enhance physical & digital connectivity

India and Thailand discussed ways to enhance physical and digital connectivity between them as well as identifying areas for cooperation in fields such as agriculture, science and technology, and information technology.
The issues were discussed in the 8th Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai.
The Ministers had a restricted bilateral meeting, which was followed by delegation-level talks.
Both sides reviewed the progress made in all areas of bilateral relationship, including political, defence and security, economic and commercial, connectivity, cultural, tourism and people-to-people ties.
Both sides noted that bilateral trade has grown by 20 per cent last year and the investment is also growing.
Both sides decided to hold the next meeting of Joint Trade Committee to discuss ways and means to enhance trade and investment.
They also exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest, including cooperation in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Indian-Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC), UN and other sub-regional and international organizations.
Both Ministers also witnessed the signing of MOU between the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) of India”s Ministry of External Affairs and Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs of Thailand”s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

October 11, 2019

Audiovisual archive for NE region comes up in Shillong

An archive aimed at preserving the rich audiovisual productions of the Northeastern region has been inaugurated at St Anthony’s College in Shillong.
Documentary films, newsreels, interviews, amateur footage, sound recordings and photographs related to the states of the region are available in analogue and digital formats in the archive located at the St Anthony’s College.
The Northeast India Audiovisual Archive can also be accessed online at www.nearchive.in.
Supported by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) of Japan, the archive will also be working in collaboration with Japan’s Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival for their expertise. The SPF carries out a range of programmes aimed at promoting international understanding, exchanges and cooperation.

Union HRD Ministry launches Dhruv platform to promote talents in childrens

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry launched the Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme called ”Dhruv”, a platform to help meritorious students achieve excellence in science, performing arts and creative writing.
The programme has been launched to identify and encourage talented children to enrich their skills and knowledge.
HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said the programme included students of performing arts, since it had the power to move ideas and people.
In the first batch, 60 outstanding students have been selected. To begin with, it will cover science and performing arts. The students have been broadly chosen from classes IX to XII. At the 14-day programme science and performing arts students will be separated into two groups.
The programme was launched at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) headquarters in Bengaluru.

Kolkata’s e-plan bags global award at C40 meet

The low carbon commute transition of Kolkata with planned introduction of 5,000 e-buses and electrification of all ferries that run across the Ganges river by 2030 won the world”s seven best climate projects.
The announcement of the 2019 C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards was made at the C40 World Mayors Summit.
The awards showcased projects that demonstrated ambitious climate action while ensuring better, longer lives for the greatest number of people.
Each of the seven winning cities are formidable examples of what leadership looks like in building an innovative, resilient, and inclusive future.
Worldwide, cities account for about 70 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions, making them uniquely positioned to have a significant impact in the fight against climate change.
Finalists for the 2019 C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards were selected from projects featured in Cities100, which showcases 100 of this year”s most forward-thinking and inclusive climate action projects from around the world.
Cities100 is a collaboration between C40 and Nordic Sustainability and is funded by the Danish philanthropic association Realdania.

Andhra Pradesh launches free mass eye screening programme

The Andhra Pradesh government launched a free mass eye screening programme with an aim to eradicate blindness.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the programme ”Dr YSR Kanti Velugu” at Anantapur on the occasion of ”World Sight Day”.
As a part of health reforms the government decided to implement the programme to provide cashless comprehensive primary, secondary and tertiary quality eye care services to the state”s entire population.
The programme, to be implemented in six phases over the next three years, is estimated to cost about Rs 560.88 crore including free eye screening, spectacles, strengthening of government institutions, hiring of temporary staff, cataract surgeries and other secondary and tertiary eye care management.
The first phase will continue till October 16, over 70 lakh students will receive primary basic screening by Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), teachers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) and other staff members.
The two-months-long second phase will be launched on November 1. In this phase, secondary screening and prescription of spectacles will be provided to the students.
From the third to sixth phase, the state government will provide primary mass eye screening, prescription and distribution of spectacles, secondary and tertiary care management.
The Program will be conducted through village volunteers, ASHA, ANM, Primary Health Centre staff, Para Medical Ophthalmic Officers (PMOOs), all government institutions, Vision Centres, NGOs and all other healthcare functionaries.

AASHRAY’s best eco-friendly Puja pandal award to Bishnupur Guwahati puja

Bishnupur Bimalanagar Durga Puja Samiti of Guwahati with a theme of Eco-system was adjudged as the best eco-friendly Durga Puja pandal in Assam by AASHRAY an organisation working for environment conservation.
The Subhash Pally Kalibari Durga Puja Samiti Dibrugarh with the theme Education was declared as the second.
While Dergaon Rajahuwa Durga Puja Samiti with the theme of forest conservation and traditional dhak and Barowary Durga Puja Samiti with the theme Assamese Culture were declared jointly third.
The Sripuria Purbanchal Durga Puja Samiti with the theme rhino conservation was named for the fourth position.
To make awareness on cutting down the use of plastic in Durga Puja pandals and to ensure cleanliness during the puja celebration, the best puja pandal award was announced at the state level.

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October 12, 2019

Environmentalist Chandi Prasad gets Indira Gandhi award

The Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for this year has been awarded to eminent environmentalist, Chandi Prasad Bhatt.
The award carries a citiation and cash of Rs 10 lakh will be given to Bhatt by Congress President Sonia Gandhi on October 31, the martyrdom day of Indira Gandhi .
Bhatt, who hails from Uttarakhand, is an eminent Gandhian environmentalist and has been associated with the Chipko Andolan
Bhatt has been the recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Padmi Shri, Padma Bhushan and Gandhi Peace Prize in the past.
The award was announced by Motilal Vora, Member Secretary to the Advisory Committee for the award.

BIOGRAPHY – Chandi Prasad Bhatt

Chandi Prasad Bhatt is an Indian Gandhian environmentalist and social activist, who founded Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh (DGSS) in Gopeshwar in 1964, which later became a mother-organization to the Chipko Movement, in which he was one of the pioneers.
He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1982, followed by the Padma Bhushan in 2005.
He is known for his work on subaltern social ecology, and considered one of India’s first modern environmentalists.

Asian Development Bank approved the first installment of Rs 1,650 crore for Tripura

The first instalment of Asian Development Bank”s (ADB) Rs 1,650 crore loan for infrastructure development in seven of the eight district headquarter towns in Tripura, has been approved.
The Department of Economic Affairs, under the Finance Ministry of the Indian government has approved the first instalment of Rs 17.75 crore ($2.5 million) of the ADB loan to take up development of seven district headquarters through Urban Development Department of the state government.
The first instalment of Rs 17.75 crore would be spent mainly for conducting engineering survey, preparing estimates and DPRs (Detailed Project Reports) for roads, water supply, drainage, sewerage and major urban infrastructure works in these seven district towns.

Union Ministry of Health launches ‘Mission 2023’

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the ”World Health Organization (WHO) India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019-2023: A Time of Transition programme in New Delhi.
The Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) aims to provide WHO with a strategic roadmap to plan its work with India to achieve its health sector goals.
Four areas have been identified for strategic cooperation with WHO.
The objective of the programme is to protect people”s health, promote healthy lifestyle and strengthen India”s global leadership in the health sector
The government has also launched several initiatives to support the same including the Fit India movement, Poshan Abhiyaan and the Eat Right India movement

October 13, 2019

‘Lachit-I’ the first sailing expedition on Brahmaputra to start

NCC Directorate of North Eastern Region has embarked on a pioneering project to conduct the first-ever sailing expedition on the Brahmaputra to commemorate the Battle of Saraighat.
The ‘Lachit-I’ 10-day expedition will be flagged off from Biswanath Chariali on October 16 and after traversing 220 km, it will culminate at Pandu on October 25.
ADG NCC Maj Gen Bipin Bakshi said the waters of the mighty Brahmaputra have been selected for this ambitious initiative, using the expertise available with the military personnel of NCC, three sturdy whaler sailing boats of the Naval NCC Units and support from the Army Eastern Command as well as the Assam government.
The focus of this expedition on the same waters where the famous Battle of Saraighat was fought in 1671, is to rekindle the memories of the epic bravery of the sons of the soil of Assam, while fostering a spirit of adventure amongst the youth.

Assam CM opens Kaziranga park for tourists

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal opened the Kaziranga National Park for the visitors for this season.
Sonowal ceremoniously put the Bagori and Kohora Range of the park open for the tourists at functions held at Bagori and Mihimukh.
Sonowal said that it is a matter of great pride and prestige that Kazirnaga National Park has earned its name in the 17 most iconic centres of the country.
Sonowal also called upon every stakeholder to make a united effort for the serenity and beauty of the park.
Emphasising on the cleanliness of Kaziranga National Park, Sonowal said that all households, restaurants, hotels, resorts must keep their peripheral areas clean to make Kaziranga more beautiful and serene.

Lieutenant General Harsha Gupta named new Commander of White Knight Corps

Lieutenant General Harsha Gupta has been appointed as the new Commander of the White Knight Corps, the XVI Corps of the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir.
He took over from Lieutenant General Paramjit Singh Sangha, who relinquished the post with a traditional wreath-laying ceremony at the Nagrota Military Station
Lt Gen Gupta, who belongs to the Sikh Light Infantry, asked officers and troops to remain combat ready on order to thwart the enemy”s designs by maintaining synergy between the Army, the civil administration and the para-military forces.
Lt Gen Sangha conveyed his appreciation to all ranks for their professionalism and steadfast dedication to duty.

FACTFILE – The White Knight Corps

The White Knight Corps, a part of the Northern Command of the Indian Army, was raised in June 1972
It has its headquarters at Nagrota Cantonment, Nagrota, Jammu district, Jammu and Kashmir.
In 2005 IX Corps (India) was raised in part of the XVI Corps’ area, taking over two of its divisions. It includes 10th Infantry Division (India), headquartered at Akhnoor, 25th Infantry Division, headquartered at Rajauri and 39th Infantry Division, with its headquarters at Yol.
It is the largest wheeled formation in the world.

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October 14, 2019

**Khasi film ‘Iewduh‘ wins award at Busan film fest in South Korea**

Iewduh, a Khasi film directed by Pradip Kurbah and produced by Shankar Lall Goenka, has won the Kim Ji-seok Award at the 24th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in South Korea.
Iewduh was the first film from Meghalaya to enter the BIFF, which is an important destination for Asian filmmakers.
Iewduh director Pradip Kurbah dedicated the Kim Ji-seok Award to the people of Meghalaya and thanked Goenka for producing the film.
Iewduh, also known as Barabazar, is one of the oldest and largest daily markets in Shillong. The film talks about the daily lives of the people in the market.
The film, made under the banner of Shiven Arts, will premiere in India at the 21st Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival later this month.
Iewduh has also been selected for the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa.

IIT Madras inks pact with ExxonMobil for research on energy and biofuels

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT M) has signed an agreement with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company for conducting collaborative research on energy and biofuels.
The five-year agreement is focused on data analytics, gas conversion and transport and is aimed towards finding low-emission solutions.
One of the projects being taken up is for developing novel approaches to convert agro residue biomass to sugars and high value chemicals.
The current trend is to develop fuels and fine chemicals from non-food lignocellulosic biomass and agricultural residues, known as second-generation biomass.
Lignocellulosic biomass is the only source of renewable carbon with the ability to maintain carbon neutrality in the environment by reducing the net greenhouse gas emissions.
India is the third highest producer of agro-residues globally with surplus potential of over 230 million tonnes annually, after China and Brazil.
The biofuel potential is expected to get realised in the near future with the new biofuel policy of the government.

Indian origin Abhijit Banerjee and his wife Esther Duflo wins Nobel Prize in Economics

Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Michael Kremer of Harvard University were awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics “for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.”
In just two decades, their new experiment-based approach has transformed development economics, which is now a flourishing field of research.
Banerjee, born 1961 in India, got his PhD in 1988 from Harvard University. Duflo, who was born in 1972 in Paris, obtained her Ph.D in 1999 from MIT. Kremer, who was born in 1964, got his doctorate from Harvard in 1992.
The three were recognized for their ability to divide the vast issue of tackling global poverty into smaller subjects.

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