Current Affairs Assam – October 2018
( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the month of October 2018 )
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October 19
Forest Dept’s Gallantry award to forest personnel
- Four forest personnel of Biswanath Wildlife Division in Biswanath district were presented with gallantry awards by the Department of Environment and Forest, Government of Assam recently on the occasion of 64th Wildlife Week for their outstanding performance, great contribution along with optimum dedication and sincerity towards the forest and wildlife conservation in the area.
- The honoured forest personnel include Ranger of Kaziranga Northern Range, Pranjal Baruah and forest workers Pranjit Hazarika, Gautam Chakravarty and Ajay Das.
FACTFILE – Wildlife Week
- Wildlife Week is celebrated every year in India between October 1 and 8.
- Wildlife Week was conceptualized in 1952 with the overall goal of raising awareness to serve the long-term goal of safeguarding the lives of wildlife through critical action.
- Throughout Wildlife Week, experts conduct hands-on workshops to bring the more complex aspects of wildlife conservation within the reach and understanding commoners.
Piyush Goyal receives Carnot Prize award for rural electrification
- India’s Union Minister Piyush Goyal receive the prestigious Carnot Prize, given “for distinguished contributions to energy policy”, from the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, in recognition of his work for rural electrification while he held the power and renewable energy portfolios.
- During his tenure as Power Minister, Goyal directed a fast-track effort to electrify 18,000 villages in remote parts of India, helping bridge the country’s vast energy divide, and after becoming the Minister for Railways and Coal, headed the Power and Renewable Energy Ministries from 2014 to 2017 and oversaw the the big push for rural electrification.
- The university cited an International Energy Agency (IEA) report that said that if the pace of electrification continued, India will achieve “one of the largest successes in the history of electrification” by having electricity for all by 2020.
RBI eases norms to increase liquidity flow for NBFC sector
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) came out with new measures to increase the liquidity flow to non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and housing finance companies (HFCs).
- The move comes amid concerns of a credit crunch for the NBFC sector post default by some of the IL&FS Group companies.
- It has been decided that, with immediate effect, banks will be permitted to also reckon government securities held by them up to an amount equal to their incremental outstanding credit to NBFCs and HFCs, over and above the amount of credit to NBFCs and HFCs outstanding on their books as on October 19, 2018, as ‘Level 1 HQLA under FALLCR’ within the mandatory SLR (Statutory Liquidity Ratio) requirement.
- This will be in addition to the existing FALLCR of 13 per cent of NDTL, and limited to 0.5 per cent of the bank’s NDTL.
- In September, RBI said it will ease SLR norms from October to induce liquidity into the financial system amid concerns of a credit crunch.
- As per the notification, the additional FALLCR will be available up to December 31.
- The single borrower exposure limit for NBFCs which do not finance infrastructure stands increased from 10 per cent to 15 per cent of capital funds, up to December 31, 2018.
World Food Day observed on October 16
- The World Food Day is observed globally on 16 October with the aim to raise public awareness about hunger challenges and encourage people around world to take action in fight against hunger.
- It also mark the foundation of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations in 1945.
- This year’s theme was: ‘Our actions are our future- A zero hunger world by 2030 is possible’.
- World Food Day was instituted in November 1979 by FAO’s Member Countries to raise awareness of issues behind poverty and hunger.
FACTFILE – Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
- FAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations, under the UN Economic and Social Council (UNESC), to leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
- It was established on 16 October 1945 and its headquarters are in Rome, Italy.
- It has 194 member states, along with the European Union (member organization).
- It helps modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices, ensuring good nutrition and food security for all.
October 20
Nagaland recorded 20,000 HIV+ve cases
- The prevalence rate of HIV is alarmingly high in Nagaland with the State recording over 20,000 HIV+ve cases.
- Though 20,000 plus HIV +ve cases have been recorded only about 7,000 are availing ART (anti-retroviral therapy) and ARV (anti-retroviral) drugs.
- More than 90 per cent HIV transmission is through the sexual route in the state.
- Recently a programme has been organised to bring all the stakeholders together to understand the importance of the HIV (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017 and work more cohesively towards prevention and control of HIV and AIDS and also for the protection of human rights of the HIV positive people.
FACTFILE – HIV/AIDS Act 2017
- The Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017, came into force on September 10, 2018.
- The country aims to decrease new infections by 75 per cent between 2010 and 2020 and eliminate AIDS by 2030.
- The Act prohibits discrimination of HIV-infected people on any grounds. It prohibits denial or discontinuation of healthcare services, right of movement, right to reside, purchase, rent or occupy property and hold public or private office etc.
- The state and Centre must make diagnostic facilities, anti-retroviral therapy and opportunistic infection management available to all HIV-infected people.
- Each state to have Ombudsmen(s) to inquire into violations of the provisions of the Act.
Point2Remember – India has the third-largest HIV-infected population, with an estimated 2 million people.
India calls for early adoption of anti-terrorism treaty
- India’s Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu called for early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention of International Terrorism (CCIT) that it had introduced in the UN in 1996.
- During his interventions at the 12th Asia-India Meeting (ASM), he said India valued ASM as a platform that brings together leadership of Asia and Europe.
- Terming terrorism as a major threat to peace and stability, he called for an early conclusion of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, stressing peace is the prerequisite for progress, and peace cannot be achieved without combatting terrorism.
- Naidu also cited India’s international connectivity projects and emphasised “connectivity initiatives must meet universally recognised international norms such as respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
FACTFILE – Comprehensive Convention of International Terrorism (CCIT)
- The CCIT proposed treaty intends to criminalise all forms of international terrorism and deny terrorists, their financiers’ and supporters’ access to funds, arms, and safe havens.
- The negotiations for this treaty are currently under way has been under negotiation at the United Nations General Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee established by Resolution 51/210 of 17 December 1996 on Terrorism and the United Nations General Assembly Sixth Committee (Legal).
- Although consensus eludes towards adoption of the terrorism convention, but discussions have yielded three separate protocols to tackle terrorism:
- International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, adopted on 15 December 1997;
- International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, adopted on 9 December 1999;
- International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, adopted on 13 April 2005.
FACTFILE – ASEM
- Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM) is an Asian-European political dialogue forum to enhance relations and various forms of cooperation among its partners.
- It was established on 1 March 1996 at the first summit in Bangkok, Thailand, by the then 15 members of the European Union (EU) and the European Commission, the then 7 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the individual countries of China, Japan, and South Korea.
- A series of enlargements saw additional EU members join as well as India, Mongolia, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and the Russian Federation, Bangladesh, Norway, Switzerland, Croatia and Kazakhstan.
EU, Bill Gates launch $115mn clean energy fund in Europe
- The European Commission and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, an investment fund led by Microsoft Corporation co-founder Bill Gates, launched a joint project to foster innovation in the energy sector in order to tackle climate change.
- The new investment fund, Breakthrough Energy Europe (BEE), is the brainchild of Gates and European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas.
- With a capitalization of 100 million euros ($115 million), BEE will give a strong signal to markets and investors that the global transition to a modern clean economy is here to stay. With this initiative, the Commission takes action to continue leading in the fight against climate change and to deliver on the Paris Agreement.
- Maro? ?efcovic, Vice President of the Commission, presided the official Memorandum of Understanding for the BEE which both Gates and Moedas signed.
FACTFILE – The European Commission (EC)
- EC is an institution of the European Union, responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the EU treaties and managing the day-to-day business of the EU.
- The Commission operates as a cabinet government, with 28 members of the Commission. There is one member per member state, but members are bound by their oath of office to represent the general interest of the EU.
Point2Remember
- President of EC is Jean – Claude Juncker
- Seat of Administration – Brussels, Belgium
Chinese-made world’s largest amphibious aircraft AG600 completes successful flight
- China’s home-grown amphibious aircraft AG600, claimed by Beijing as the world’s largest, carried out its first take-off and landing on waters.
- Developed and built by the state-owned aircraft giant Aviation Industry Corporation of China.
- The AG600 is the third member of China’s “large aircraft family” following the large freighter Y-20 and large passenger aircraft C919.
FACTFILE – AG600
- The AVIC AG600 Kunlong is a large amphibious aircraft designed by AVIC and assembled by CAIGA.
- Powered by four WJ-6 turboprops, it is one of the largest flying boats with a 53.5 t (118,000 lb) MTOW.
- It made its first flight from Zhuhai Airport on 24 December 2017 and delivery will start in 2022.
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