Assam Current Affairs October 29-31, 2018

Current Affairs Assam - October 29-31, 2018

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of October 29-31, 2018 )

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October 29

Manipur tops the medal tally in 1st North East Olympic Games 2018

Assam came second in the 1st North East Olympic Games 2018 held in Imphal. Final medal tally is as follows

Rank	Participating State	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Manipur	79	47	31	157
2	Assam	45	52	41	138
3	Arunachal Pradesh	18	20	38	76
4	Mizoram	08	15	29	52
5	Nagaland	06	09	26	41
6	Meghalaya	03	08	29	40
7	Sikkim	01	06	18	25
8	Tripura	00	03	17	20

Justice A. S. Bopanna is the new Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court

Justice A. S. Bopanna is appointed as the new Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court.
He was administered the oath of office by Governor Jagdish Mukhi. Justice Bopanna took over the charge from acting chief justice AK Goswami.

BIOGRAPHY – Justice AS Bopanna

Justice Bopanna enrolled as an advocate in 1984 and practised civil, Constitutional, company, service and labour matters in the High Court as well as in the Civil and Labour Courts.
He also worked as legal advisor to central public sector undertakings and as additional central government standing counsel from 1999 to 2005.
He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Karnataka High Court in 2006, and permanent judge in 2007

Arunachal Pradesh government signed a MoU with the British Council

The Arunachal Pradesh government signed a MoU with The British Council here to strengthen educational and cultural cooperation.
This MoU with the British Council which will enhance the opportunities for young people in Arunachal Pradesh and connect them to international expertise and ideas.
The MoU was signed by Tayek Talom, Director of Higher and Technical Education of Arunachal Pradesh, and Alan Gemmell, Director, British Council India, on the sidelines of the Tawang Festival.
As per the MOU, as many as 50 faculty members from government higher education institutions will be trained by the British Council every year, starting from December.
Further, 50 students of higher and technical education institutes will be trained in English language skills annually.

BSES launches rooftop solar initiative Phase 2 in Delhi

The second phase of Delhi power distribution company BSES’ Solar City Initiative was launched by Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Jain on 28^th
This phase, which will cover the Shakur Basti area, follows the success of the first phase started by the company in Dwarka where around 100 housing societies and apartment complexes have signed up for the initiative.
The Shakur Basti area is home to several colonies and has a substantial rooftop solar potential of around 15 MWp. BRPL (BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd) is targeting to realise around 5 MWp of rooftop net metering from the area by 2019-20.
Under the first phase in Dwarka, around 25 societies having installed solar capacity of 1.5 MWp have already been energised or are about to be energised. The work at the remaining societies is at different stages.
The rooftop soalr tariff identified through competitive bidding in the case of Dwarka residents was Rs 2.66/kWh (kilowatt hour) net of generation based incentive and is around Rs 2.50/kWh less than the electricity tariff.
The Solar City initiative, launched in January, is being implemented by BRPL in collaboration with Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ India) under its Indo-German Solar Partnership project.

India, Russia, Iran to meet on North-South Corridor

India, Russia and Iran will hold a trilateral meeting on the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) on November 23 to make the 7,200-km-long ship, road, and rail route operational soon.
The corridor is an important initiative taken by India, Russia and Iran to promote transport cooperation and to enhance connectivity with central Asian countries.
The INSTC is the shortest multimodal transportation route linking the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf via Iran to Russia and North Europe.
The estimated capacity of the corridor is 20 to 30 million tonnes of goods per year and will reduce time and cost by 30 per cent to 40 per cent.

FACTFILE – International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC)

The International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a 7,200 km multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.
The route primarily involves moving freight from India, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia via ship, rail and road.
The objective of the corridor is to increase trade connectivity between major cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan, Bandar Anzali, etc.
Dry runs of two routes were conducted in 2014, the first was Mumbai to Baku via Bandar Abbas and the second was Mumbai to Astrakhan via Bandar Abbas, Tehran and Bandar Anzali.
This will also synchronize with the Ashgabat agreement, a Multimodal transport agreement for creating an international transport and transit corridor facilitating transportation of goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf.

October 30

Assam Govt planning to take over tea garden hospitals

Assam state government is planning to take over the hospitals of tea gardens in the state and put in place a new health model to narrow down the healthcare gaps.
According to a survey by the Regional Resource Centre for North Eastern States of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, 649 tea estates had hospitals run by the TE managements, but the status of healthcare in those hospitals was unsatisfactory.
The in-patient department was absent in 45% of the tea garden hospitals and functional labour rooms are absent in 54% of the gardens. Newborn care facilities are not available in most of the hospitals. Doctors were not available in 38% of these hospitals.
State government is considering to run them through the National Health Mission. The government has also decided to provide General Nursing and Midwifery training to tea tribes girls who can later be deployed at the TE hospitals.
Assam Tea Employees Provident Fund Organisation has also proposed to set up four 100-bed specialty hospitals in the State, with special focus on maternity services. The hospitals will be set up on PPP mode, and the government will have to shell out around Rs 20 crore on each hospital every year, according to preliminary estimates.

India’s first engine-less train ‘Train 18’ unveiled

The Rs 100-crore indigenously developed high-tech, energy-efficient, self-propelled or engineless train was flagged off by Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani here on 29^th
India’s first trainset — Train 18 — will be a game-changer for the Indian Railways. The train was developed at nearly half the cost that is normally incurred for such development.
The train with a capacity to touch speed of 160 kmph will replace the Shatabdi Express.
With 16 coaches, the train will have the same passenger carrying capacity. There are now separate power cars. But it is about 15-20 per cent energy efficient and leaves less carbon footprint.
The trainset was conceived, designed and developed in about 18 months’ time as against the industry norm of about 3-4 years.
The trainset has aerodynamically designed driver cabins at both ends for quicker turnaround at destinations.
The train sports advanced regenerative braking system which saves power.

FACTFILE – Train 18

Train 18 is an Indian semi-high speed train and India’s first engine-less train.
It is also the first train to be designed and built entirely in India.
It was designed and built by Integral Coach Factory (ICF) Chennai under the Indian government’s Make in India Initiative over a span of 18 months.
The unit cost of the first rake was given as ₹100 crore (US$14 million), though the unit cost is expected to go down with subsequent production. It is estimated to be 40% less costly than a similar train imported from Europe.
The first set of trains will run between New Delhi and Bhopal, replacing the Delhi–Bhopal Shatabdi Express, which has been running for thirty years and reducing travel time along the route by 15 percent.
At an operating speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph), it will outpace the Shatabdi Express by 30 kilometres per hour (19 mph).
Train 18’s exterior appearance has been likened to that of a bullet train, with an aerodynamic narrowing of each end of the train.
Indian Railways and ICF are also planning the development of Train 20, another semi-high speed train that will replace the Rajdhani Express.

India and Qatar establish joint commission

India and Qatar recently established a joint commission to review all bilateral matters, as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.
Both countries have decided to establish a joint commission to strengthen the relations between the two countries in various fields with a view to further the common interests of their two friendly peoples.
The joint commission will be charged with the following tasks: formulating the required basis to strengthen the relations between the two countries particularly in the economic, commercial, cultural, scientific, technological, information technology and educational fields; following up the implementation of the agreements concluded between the two countries; finding suitable solutions for the resulting problems of the implementation thereof; facilitating the exchange of information and expertise, and encouraging bilateral consultation in service of cooperation between the two countries.
The commission will be co-chaired by the Ministers of External Affairs and Foreign Affairs of the two countries or their representatives and may include representatives of the sectors concerned with bilateral cooperation in both the countries.

FACTFILE – Qatar

The State of Qatar, is a country located in Western Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula.
Its sole land border is with neighboring Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) monarchy Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its territory surrounded by the Persian Gulf. An arm of the Persian Gulf separates Qatar from the nearby Bahrain.
Qatar’s total population is 2.6 million comprising of just around 313,000 Qatari citizens and rest 2.3 million are expatriates.
The country has the highest per capita income in the world, backed by the world’s third-largest natural gas reserves and oil reserves.
Qatar is regarded as the most advanced Arab state for human development.
Following Ottoman rule, Qatar became a British protectorate in the early 20th century until gaining independence in 1971.
Qatar emerged as a significant power in the Arab world, through its globally expanding media group, Al Jazeera Media Network.

India, Japan to enter into $75 billion currency swap agreement

India and Japan on Monday decided to enter into a $75-billion bilateral currency swap agreement which is expected to bring stability in foreign exchange and capital markets in the country.
The swap arrangement was 50 per cent higher than the previous such agreement between the two countries. The $75-billion agreement was one of the largest swap arrangements in the world.
The decision to conclude the arrangement was taken during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan where he discussed a range of issues with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.
With the arrangement in place, prospects of India would further improve in tapping foreign capital for country’s developmental needs.
Further India and Japan will start a 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue involving their respective foreign and defence ministers to work for peace and stability in the world.

FACTFILE – ‘Foreign Currency Swap’

It is an agreement to exchange currency between two foreign parties.
The agreement consists of swapping principal and interest payments on a loan made in one currency for principal and interest payments of a loan of equal value in another currency.
The purpose of engaging in a currency swap is to procure loans in foreign currency at more favorable interest rates than if borrowing directly in a foreign market.
The World Bank first introduced currency swaps in 1981 to obtain German marks and Swiss francs.
Each party continues to pay interest on the swapped principal amounts throughout the length of the loan and when the swap is over, principal amounts are exchanged once more at a pre-agreed rate or the spot rate.

October 31

Indian Army and Chinese Army hold meet at Bum-La of Arunachal Pradesh

The Indian Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army held military border personnel meeting on the Chinese side at Bum-La.
The meeting followed after 11 PLA troopers had intruded in the Upper Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh earlier this month.
The Indian delegation was led by Brigadier Zubin Bhatnagar. Senior Colonel Yao Shi Cheng led the PLA team.
Both sides highlighted importance of such meetings for maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The BPM mechanism in Bum-La sector was established in 1990, for enhancing interaction between the border guarding troops of the two sides.
The delegations interacted in a friendly environment and parted with a feeling of commitment towards enhancing cooperation and maintaining the peace along the LAC.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to uphold the agreements and protocols signed between their governments to maintain peace and tranquillity along the borders.

Prime Minister Modi unveils world’s tallest statue ‘Statue of Unity’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the world’s tallest statue, the ‘Statue of Unity’, built as a tribute to the freedom fighter icon Sardar Vallabhai Patel, on 31^st
The 182-meter statue is built at Sadhu Bet Island in Kevadiya in Narmada district of Gujarat, at a cost of about Rs.3,000 crore.
The project also includes a memorial park at the base of the statue, a visitor facilitation centre and a reception desk.
The statue is 29 metres taller than China’s Spring Temple Buddha (153 metres) and almost twice as high as the 93-metre Statue of Liberty in New York.
The construction was started on 31 October 2014 and completed in mid-October 2018. It was designed by Indian sculptor Ram V. Sutar.

FACTFILE – Vallabhbhai Patel

Sardar Patel was an Indian politician and served as the first Deputy Prime Minister of India.
He was a founding father of the Republic of India who played a leading role in the country’s struggle for independence and guided its integration into a united, independent nation.
His commitment to national integration in the newly independent country was total and uncompromising, earning him the sobriquet “Iron Man of India”.
He is also remembered as the “patron saint of India’s civil servants” for having established the modern all-India services system.

India’s 1^st container movement on inland waterways begins

India’s first container vessel movement on the river Ganga (National Waterways-I) began on 30^th October, with the Inland Waterways Authority of India transporting container cargo belonging to the food and beverages giant PepsiCo (India) from Kolkata to Varanasi.
Union Shipping Secretary Gopal Krishna along with IWAI Chairman Pravir Pandey flagged off the vessel carrying the consignment in the presence of PepsiCo representatives.
Cargo movement to the east and northeastern states will become easier with the new mode of transportation through waterways.
Development of multi-modal hubs within three years will lead to considerable increase in volume of cargo movement through waterways.
The central government is developing NW-1 (River Ganga) under Jal Marg Vikas Project form Haldia to Varanasi (1,390 km) at about Rs 5,369 crore with the technical and financial assistance from the World Bank.
The project would enable commercial navigation of vessels with a capacity of 1,500-2,000 DWT.
IWAI officials said container cargo transport reduces handling cost, allows for easier modal shift, decreases pilferage and damage, besides enabling cargo owners to lessen their carbon footprints.

IBM to acquire Red Hat for $34 billion

IBM announced to acquire Open Source Solutions leader Red Hat for a sum of $34 billion, in a deal which will make IBM dominant in the emerging $1 trillion Hybrid Cloud market.
IBM’s biggest acquisition will provide open approach to Cloud, featuring unprecedented security and portability across multiple clouds. Red Hat will operate as a distinct unit within IBM’s Hybrid Cloud team.
IBM’s and Red Hat’s partnership has spanned 20 years, with IBM serving as an early supporter of Linux, collaborating with Red Hat to help develop and grow enterprise-grade Linux and enterprise Kubernetes and hybrid cloud solutions to customers.
This acquisition is the third-biggest in the history of US technology, after the $67 billion merger between Dell and EMC in 2016 and JDS Uniphase’s $41 billion acquisition of optical-component firm SDL in 2000.

FACTFILE – Hybrid Cloud

Hybrid cloud is a computing environment which combines a public cloud and a private cloud by allowing data and applications to be shared between them.
When computing and processing demand fluctuates, hybrid cloud computing gives businesses the ability to seamlessly scale their on-premises infrastructure up to the public cloud to handle any overflow
Organisations gain the flexibility and computing power of the public cloud for basic and non-sensitive computing tasks, and at the same time, securely keeps business-critical applications and data on-premises, behind a company firewall.
It can allows companies to scale computing resources and also eliminates the need to make massive capital expenditures to handle short-term spikes in demand.
Oragnisations pay only for resources they temporarily use instead of having to purchase, programme and maintain additional resources which could remain idle over long periods of time.

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