Assam Current Affairs – October 8-14, 2018

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Current Affairs Assam – October  2018

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the month of October 2018 )

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October 12

Assam Agricultural University and Norwegian Govt to collaborate on climate project
  • A collaborative project between Assam Agricultural University (AAU) and the Norwegian government on climate resilient agriculture was launched at the AAU after both sides signed the MoU in the presence of the Norwegian Ambassador India Nils Ragnar Kamsvag and the State Agriculture Minister Atul Bora.
  • On behalf of the AAU, the Vice-Chancellor Dr KM Bujarbaruah signed the MoU while from the Norwegian side, the Director, Centre For International Development of the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NBIO), UdayaSekharNagothu, signed the document.
  • The NBIO will execute the project along with AAU in Assam and Odisha with support from Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (Bhubaneswar), International Water Management Institute (Colombo), MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (Chennai) and National Rice Research Institute (Cuttack) as partners.

FACTFILE – Assam Agricultural University (AAU)

  • Assam Agricultural University is an agricultural educationstate university which was established in 1969 in Jorhat in the state of Assam, India.
  • The jurisdiction of the University extends to the entire State of Assam with regard to teaching, research and extension education in the field of agriculture and allied sciences.
  • The University has a number of campuses with its headquarters at Borbheta, Jorhat.
  • The university has six Regional Agricultural Research Stations in each agricultural zone of Assam at:
    • Titabar – Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone
    • North Lakhimpur – North Bank Plain Zone
    • Shillongoni – Central Brahmaputra Valley Zone
    • Diphu – Hill Zone
    • Gossaigaon – Lower Brahmaputra Valley Zone
    • Karimganj – Barak Valley Zone
  • The university also has four Commodity Research Stations at:
    • Citrus Research Station, Tinsukia
    • Sugarcane Research Station, Buralikson
    • Horticulture Research Station, Kahikuchi
    • Goat Research Station, Burnihut
  • The university also has established Krishi Vigyan Kendras for extension purpose in all the districts of Assam.
  • It is the only educational centre in the world to offer a four-year degree program in Agriculture with specialization in Tea Husbandry and Technology.
India targets 100 GW installed capacity of solar energy by 2022
  • India has a target of 100 gigawatt (GW) installed capacity of solar energy by 2022, of which 40 GW is projected to come from rooftop solar systems.
  • The World Bank and Global Environment Fund (GEF) had launched a large financing program in 2016 to support clean energy.
  • Rooftop Solar photovoltaic technology is rapidly emerging as a solution for de-centralized renewable energy generation globally due to the plummeting cost of the technology.
  • The rooftop generates electricity from solar power beyond the limit of land availability, enabling higher penetration of renewable energy in the power system, leading to more reduction in Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and climatic change mitigation.

FACTFILE – Solar power in India

  • Solar power in India is a fast developing industry.
  • India’s total solar installed capacity reached
  • India expanded its solar-generation capacity 8 times from 2,650 MW on 26 May 2014 to over 23 GW as of 30 June 2018.
  • In January 2015 the Indian government expanded its solar plans, targeting US$100 billion in investment and 100 GW of solar capacity (including 40 GW from rooftop solar) by 2022
  • India’s initiative of 100 GW of solar energy by 2022 is an ambitious target, since the world’s installed solar-power capacity in 2017 is expected to be 303 GW.
  • The improvements in solar thermal storage power technology in recent years has made this task achievable.
  • India is also developing off-grid solar power for local energy needs. Solar products have increasingly helped to meet rural needs.
  • In January 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President François Hollande laid the foundation stone for the headquarters of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in Gurgaon. The ISA will focus on promoting and developing solar energy and solar products for countries lying wholly or partially between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
  • The alliance of over 120 countries was announced at the Paris COP21 climate summit.
India lost $79.5 billion due to natural disasters in 20 years
  • India has suffered economic losses of $79.5 billion due to natural disasters during the last two decades, according to the UN.
  • Between 1998 to 2017, two of the worst years for lower-middle income countries – a category that India falls into – were 2002 when a severe drought in India affected 300 million people, and 2015 again with a drought hitting India and other countries.
  • The last 20 years have seen a dramatic rise of 151 per cent in direct economic losses from climate-related disasters. During that period 77 per cent of the economic losses $2,908 billion were due to climate-related disasters.
  • The data for the report was drawn from a database maintained by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium.
  • In the period from 1998 to 2017, climate-related and geophysical disasters killed 1.3 million people and left a further 4.4 billion injured, homeless, displaced or in need of emergency assistance, across the globe.
  • Countries suffered maximum losses are
    1. USA – 944.8 billion
    2. China – 492.2 billion
    3. Japan – 3 billion
    4. India – 79.5 billion
    5. Puerto Rico – 71.7 billion
    6. Germany – $57.9 billion
    7. Italy – $56.6 billion
    8. Thailand – $52.4 billion
    9. France – $48.3 billion
    10. Mexico – $46.5 billion
Tushar Mehta appointed as Solicitor General of India
  • Union Cabinet’s Committee has approved the appointment of Tushar Mehta, Additional Solicitor General, as Solicitor General of India.

BIOGRAPHY – Tushar Mehta

  • He is a professional advocate since 1987 and was designated as senior advocate by Gujarat High Court in 2007.
  • He was Gujarat’s Additional Advocate General in 2008 and was appointed as Additional Solicitor General in June 2014.

FACTFILE – Solicitor General of India

  • Solicitor General is the second highest law officer in the country, subordinate only to the Attorney General of India.
  • Solicitor general is appointed for period of three years
  • Solicitor General and Additional Solicitor General are statutory posts.

October 13

Assam CM launches new RO RO  ferry service
  • Chief Minister SarbanandaSonowal inaugurated the modern RO RO (Roll-on/Roll-Off) vessel service between Kamalabari Ghat in Majuli) and Nimati Ghat (Jorhat) in the presence of his cabinet colleague DrHimantaBiswaSarma and MPs Pradan PradanBaruah and Kamakhya Prasad Tasa respectively.
  • The vessel christened as MV Bhupen Hazarika, has been built at a cost of Rs 10 crore by the Inland Waterways Authority of India, will be able to carry over 100 passengers along with eight goods-trucks with each weighing 25 tonnes or 25 small vehicles.

FACTFILE  – India’s Inland Waterways

  • India has an extensive network of inland waterways in the form of rivers, canals, backwaters and creeks.
  • The total navigable length is 14,500 km, out of which about 5,200 km of the river and 4,000 km (2,500 mi) of canals can be used by mechanised crafts.
  • Freight transport by waterways is highly under-utilised in India compared to other large countries and geographic areas like the United States, China and the European Union.
  • The total cargo moved by inland waterways was 0.1 percent of the total inland traffic in India, compared to the 21 percent figure for the United States.
  • Cargo transport in an organised manner is confined to a few waterways in Goa, West Bengal, Assam and Kerala.

FACTFILE – Roll-on/roll-off) ships

  • Ro-Ro vessels are designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using a platform vehicle, such as a self-propelled modular transporter.
  • This is in contrast to lift-on/lift-off (LoLo) vessels, which use a crane to load and unload cargo.
  • RORO vessels have either built-in or shore-based ramps that allow the cargo to be efficiently rolled on and off the vessel when in port.
Union Govt clarified Citizenship status of Assam Gorkhas
  • The Centre clarified the citizenship status of the Gorkha community living in Assam according to the provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946.
  • The Gorkha community, who were Indian citizens at the time of commencement of the Constitution, or those who are Indian citizens by birth, or those who have acquired Indian citizenship by registration or naturalisation in accordance with the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955 are not “foreigners” in terms of section 2(a) of the Foreigners Act, 1946 as well as the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939.
  • Any member of the Gorkha community holding Nepalese nationality and who has arrived in India by land or air over the Nepal border even without a passport or visa, and staying in India for any length of time shall not be treated as an illegal migrant if he or she is in possession of any of the identity documents, namely the Nepalese passport, Nepalese citizenship certificate, voter identification card issued by the Election Commission of Nepal, limited validity photo identity certificate issued by the Nepalese Mission in India when deemed necessary, and for children in the age group of 10-18 years, photo ID issued by the principal of the school, if accompanied by parents having valid travel documents.
  • No such document is required for children below the age of 10 years, the communication added, citing provisions of the India-Nepal Treaty signed in 1950.
  • However, the North East Students Organisation (NESO) demanded that the Indo-Nepal Treaty should not be made applicable in the Northeast and Govt of India should not allow Nepali citizens to settle and work in the Northeast.

FACTFILE – 1950 India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship

  • The 1950 India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship is a bilateral treaty between Nepal and India establishing a close strategic relationship between the two South Asian neighbours.
  • The treaty was signed at Kathmandu on 31 July 1950 by the last Rana Prime Minister of Nepal Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana and Indian ambassador to Nepal, Chadreshwar Narayan Singh and came into force the same day as per Article 9 of the Treaty.
  • The treaty allows free movement of people and goods between the two nations and a close relationship and collaboration on matters of defense and foreign policy.
NITI Aayog partners with Microsoft to boost AI accessibility in India
  • The National Institution for Transforming India, NITI Aayog, entered into a partnership with Microsoft to deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in areas such as agriculture, healthcare, natural language computing and sustainable environment.
  • As part of the agreement, Microsoft India will support NITI Aayog by combining the Cloud, AI, research and its vertical expertise for new initiatives and solutions.
  • Microsoft will also accelerate the use of AI for the development and adoption of local language computing, in addition to building capacity for AI among the workforce through education.
  • As part of the collaboration, Microsoft Research India (MSRI) will set up a “Microsoft-NITI Aayog Problem to Solution Incubation Test Bed.
  • Under the agreement, Microsoft will develop farm advisory services to help increase crop yield, pest detection and pest incident predictions as part of projects across locations identified by NITI Aayog.
  • This will involve applying data science, remote sensing and image processing apps to crop maps, yield data and weather data collected over five years.
  • The pest risk detection model will provide information five days in advance of expected attacks.
  • Microsoft will also build AI assisted models for diabetic retinopathy screening models to support early risk detection, risk assessment and timely medical intervention.
  • These models will be deployed as Proof of Concepts (POCs) across primary health centres identified by NITI Aayog.
  • The collaboration is also aimed at helping skill/reskill developers, academic institutions and students across the country in the areas of AI and Data Sciences.
  • Additionally, Microsoft will promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education in the areas of AI studies and Data Sciences for young women in institutes identified by NITI Aayog.
Asia’s largest ship-breaking yard at Alang to be developed as co-friendly yard
  • The Ministry of Shipping has decided to develop Asia’s largest ship-breaking yard at Alang as an eco-friendly yard. The yard will be the only such place in the world where even warships will be dismantled.
  • The Shipping Ministry will be developed by the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) and the Alang Ship Recycling Yard Association through a Rs 215-crore fund allocated through the Ferrous Fund setup for the purpose.
  • Due to the non-availability of facilities of warships to be dismantled anywhere in the world, tremendous business awaits at Alang.
  • The Ferrous Fund will also help create many infrastructure facilities such as service roads, pipelines for water for fire fighting, for LNG and PNG, boundary walls and sewage treatment plants etc.
  • Digital security cameras with night vision facility will be placed at strategic places in the yard. The fund will also be utilized for the Rs 5 lakh accident insurance for labourers.
  • The fund will also be utilized for setting up a 40-meter, six or seven-storeyed tower, similar to a lighthouse.

FACTFILE – Alang Ship Breaking Yard

  • The shipyards at Alang recycle approximately half of all ships salvaged around the world.
  • It is considered the world’s largest graveyard of ships.
  • The yards are located on the Gulf of Khambat, 50 km southeast of Bhavnagar.
  • In the past three decades, its beaches have become a major worldwide centre for ship breaking.
  • The longest ship ever built, Seawise Giant, was sailed to and beached for demolition in December 2009.
India’s September retail inflation rises to 3.77%
  • India’s September retail inflation to 3.77 per cent from 3.69 per cent in the month of August 2018.
  • Even on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in September 2018 was higher than in the corresponding period of last year, when it stood at 3.28 per cent.
  • The Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) rose 0.51 per cent in September from 0.29 per cent in August 2018.

FACTFILE – Inflation

  • Inflation is the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is rising and, consequently, the purchasing power of currency is falling.
  • Central banks attempt to limit inflation and avoid deflationin order to keep the economy running smoothly.
  • Retail inflation means the increase in prices of certain products or commodities compared to a base price.
  • In India, retail inflation is linked to Consumer Price Index (CPI) which is managed by Ministry of Statistics. CPI numbers are widely used as a macroeconomic indicator of inflation, as a tool by governments and central banks.

October 2018 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                                                 Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

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