Assam Current Affairs – September 1-7, 2018

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Current Affairs Assam – September 1-7, 2018

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of September 1-7, 2018 )

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September 1

India opened Zokhawthar check-post in Mizoram, along the border with Myanmar
  • India has opened an immigration check-post in Mizoram along the border with Myanmar, a reflection of India’s growing closeness with the Myanmar.
  • The central government has designated Zokhawthar land check-post in Mizoram as an authorised immigration centre for entry into and exit from India with valid travel documents for all passengers to or from Myanmar.
  • Recently, India and Myanmar opened the land border crossing at Zokhawthar-Rih. Zokhawthar is in Champhai district of Mizoram, while Rih is in Myanmar’s Chin province.
  • Zokhawthar will be the second immigration check-post in Mizoram along the Myanmar border, after Zorinpui in Lawngtlai district, which was opened in September 2017.

FACTFILE – The India–Myanmar border

  • India shares a 1,643-km-long border with Myanmar which touches Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur.
  • It is the fifth largest after Bangladesh (4,096.7 km), China (3,488 km), Pakistan (3,323 km) and Nepal (1,751km).
  • Imphal-Moreh-Mandalay national highway upgrade – In May 2017, the Indian Ministry of Road Transport and Highway stated that it plans to widen the 108 km Imphal-Moreh highway in Manipur which currently serves as an important trade route between India and Myanmar.
  • Mizoram-Kalemyo Highway is a new road planned by India. In May 2017, the Indian Ministry of Road Transport also plans to construct a 120 km highway linking Zokhawthar-Rih near Champhai, a border town in Mizoram, with the trilateral highway at Kalemyo.
  • India had long historical relationship with Myanmar, cultural exchanges included Buddhism and the Burmese script, which was based off the Indian Grantha script. In particular, Theravada Buddhism has tremendously influenced Burmese society and culture for millennia.
  • Myanmar was made a province of British India and again separated in 1937.
  • It was in Japanese-occupied Burma that Indian nationalist Subhas Chandra Bose delivered his “Give me blood and I will give you freedom!” slogan.
WHO South-East Asia meets in Delhi
  • 11 Member countries of the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Region are meeting in New Delhi from September 3 to 7 to discuss priority health issues in the region.
  • These 11 member countries will discuss measures to intensify action to eliminate malaria and improve access to essential medicines, besides addressing the increasing threat of dengue in the region, which is home to one-fourth of the world’s population.
  • Health ministers and senior officials from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, North Korea, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste, are expected to participate in the 71st session of the Regional Committee of WHO South-East Asia Region, the highest policy making body of WHO in the region.
  • The 11-Member countries of the Region which accounts for one-fourth of the global population, a disproportionate 58% of the global burden of Plasmodium vivax malaria, and is at increasing risk of dengue and other vector borne diseases in view of the increasing urbanization and climate change.
  • WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO South-East Asia Regional Director Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, and WHO Deputy Director General Jane Elizabeth Ellison will be participating in the meeting, along with representatives of a number of partner organisations and civil society.

FACTFILE – World Health Organization (WHO)

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is concerned with international public health.
  • It was established on 7 April 1948, and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • The WHO is a member of the United Nations Development Group.
  • Its predecessor, the Health Organization, was an agency of the League of Nations.
  • The WHO is responsible for the World Health Report, the worldwide World Health Survey, and World Health Day.
  • The current Director-General of WHO is Tedros Adhanom.
Dr. B. K. Misra to receive Dr. B. C. ROY National Award

Eminent Doctor and Gamma Knife Radiosurgery  specialist Dr. Basant Kumar Misra will be honoured by the President of India, Shri. Ram Nath Kovind, with the Dr. B. C. ROY National Award in the most prestigious category of ‘Eminent Medical Person’ of the year, the highest award in the field of medicine in India.

BIOGRAPHY – Dr. B. K. Misra

  • B. K. Misra is one of the leading Neurosurgeons in India and is the Head of the Department of Surgery & Head of Neurosurgery & Gamma Knife Radiosurgery at P. D. Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre. Under his guidance P. D. Hinduja Hospital was the first hospital in South Asia to acquire Gamma Knife Radiosurgery Facility.
  • He was the first in the world to do Image Guided Aneurysm microsurgery and the first in South Asia to perform Gamma Knife Radiosurgery.
  • He was also the first neurosurgeon in India to do Awake Craniotomy for brain tumors.
  • Currently Dr. Misra is the President of Asian Australasian Society of Neurological Surgeons (First Indian), President of World Federation of Skull Base Societies (First Asian) & 2nd Vice President of World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies after completing his 4-year term as Secretary of WFNS (First Asian).
  • He was also recognized as one of the World’s Top Neurosurgeons – published in JO LEE magazine as “The World’s Top 16 Neurosurgeons THAT MATTER “.

FACTFILE –   Dr. B.C. Roy National Award

  • B.C. Roy National Award is considered the highest medical honour of the nation. The highest medical honour of India, instituted by the Medical Council of India in 1962.
  • The Award is given annually in each of the following categories: Statesmanship of the Highest Order in India, Medical man-cum-Statesman, Eminent Medical Person, Eminent person in Philosophy, Eminent person in Science and Eminent person in Arts.
  • It is presented by President of India in New Delhi on July 1, National Doctors’ Day.
  • It was first awarded in 1973 to Sandip Mukerjee, FRCS.
  • In India, the National Doctors’ Day is celebrated on 1st July every year to honour the legendary physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy.
India’s Fiscal Deficit has Reached 86.5% of the 2018-19 Budget
  • According to the monthly review of accounts of Government of India released by the Ministry of Finance, a fiscal deficit Rs 5.40 lakh crore for April-July 2018-19 has been reached. This is 86.5 percent of the budgeted target, which is less than 92.4 percent in the same period last year.
  • India has received Rs 3,49,467 crore (19.22 percent of corresponding BE 18-19 of Total Receipts) up to July 2018 comprising Rs 2,92,611 crore Tax Revenue (Net to Centre), Rs 43,125 crore of Non-Tax Revenue and Rs 13,731 crore of Non-Debt Capital Receipts.
  • Non Debt Capital Receipts consists of Recovery of Loans (Rs 4,512 crore) and Disinvestment of PSUs (Rs 9,219 crore).
  • Rs 2,12,414 crore has been transferred to State Governments as devolution of the share of taxes by the Government of India up to this period.
  • Total expenditure incurred by the country is Rs 8,89,724 crore (36.43 percent of corresponding BE 18-19), out of which Rs 7,78,387 crore is on Revenue Account and Rs 1,11,337 crore is on Capital Account.
  • Out of the total Revenue Expenditure, Rs 1,80,844 crore is on account of Interest Payments and Rs 1,41,682 crore is on account of Major Subsidies.

Fiscal Deficit – A Fiscal Deficit occurs when a government’s total expenditures exceed the revenue that it generates, excluding money from borrowings. Deficit differs from debt, which is an accumulation of yearly deficits.

Fiscal Deficit  – A Fiscal Deficit is regarded by some as a positive economic event. For example, economist John Maynard Keynes believed that deficits help countries climb out of economic recession. On the other hand, fiscal conservatives feel that governments should avoid deficits in favor of a balanced budget policy.

September 2

PM Modi launches India Post Payments Bank
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the payments bank of Indian postal department that will take banking to the doorstep of every citizen through an unmatched network of post offices and almost 3 lakh postmen and ‘Grameen Dak Sewaks’.
  • India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) will be like any other banks but its operations will be on a smaller scale without involving any credit risk. It will carry out most banking operations like accepting deposits but can’t advance loans or issue credit cards.
  • The freshly-minted payments bank will accept deposits of up to Rs 1 lakh, offer remittance services, mobile payments/transfers/purchases and other banking services like ATM/debit cards, net banking and third-party fund transfers.
  • Deposits in any account that exceed Rs 1 lakh will be automatically converted into post office savings account.
  • The government owns 100 per cent in IPPB, which has been set up under the aegis of the Department of Posts and will offer products and services through multiple channels such as counter services, micro ATMs, mobile banking app, messages and interactive voice response.
  • It will use Aadhaar to open accounts, while a QR card and biometrics will drive authentication, transactions, and payments.
  • Grameen Dak Sewaks will be armed with smartphones and biometric devices to handle transactions.
  • IPPB has teamed up with financial services providers like PNB and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance for third-party products like loans and insurance.

Point2Remember – Suresh Sethi is the MD & CEO

Govt launched Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements
  • To promote a culture of innovation and research in higher education, the Union government has introduced Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA).
  • ARIIA will rank educational institutions for innovation output and measures some parameters which are India-specific considering the current scenario and status of higher education in India.
  • ARRIA parameters are primarily organised in five broad heads which are further elaborated into suitable sub-heads. Each of the five main parameters has certain weightage assigned to it and the sub-heads also have appropriate weight distribution.
  • The institutions will be rank-ordered based on scores. The overall score can take a maximum value of 100.

Significance of ARRIA:

  • ARRIA will inspire Indian institutions to reorient their mind-set and build ecosystems to encourage high quality research, innovation and entrepreneurship.
  • It will focus on quality of innovations rather than quantity and measure the real impact created by these innovations nationally and internationally.
  • It will set tone and direction for institutions for future development for making them globally competitive and in forefront of innovation.
Flood-hit Kerala to rope in KPMG as consultant for rebuilding state
  • The Kerala government to appoint KPMG as project consultant partner for rebuilding the state ravaged by massive floods. KPMG is one of the largest professional service companies in the world and services for projects related to revamping the state would be free of cost.
  • Tata Project Ltd was entrusted with the task of reconstructing roads, buildings and bridges destroyed in the rain fury at Pamba, the foothills of famous Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala.
  • A high-level committee with Chief Secretary Tom Jose as chairman would be constituted to supervise the reconstruction work at Pamba and to ensure its completion on a time-bound basis in view of the annual Mandala-Makkaravillku pilgrimage season at Sabarimala shrine which begins on November 17.
  • The state decided to raise funds from foreign countries where Kerala expatriates live in large numbers. A minister and necessary officials would be deployed for mobilising funds from countries such as the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Germany, USA and Canada.
  • The total amount received towards the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF) has touched Rs 1,026 crore.
Sunil Mehta elected as new Chairman of Indian Bank’s Association
  • Punjab National Bank’s (PNB’s) Managing Director and Chief Executive, Sunil Mehta was elected as the new chairman of Indian Banks Association (IBA) for year 2018-19.
  • Bank of India’s managing director and chief executive Dina Bandhu Mohapatra was elected as the Deputy Chairman. Shyam Srinivasan, Managing Director & CEO, Federal Bank and Rajnish Kumar, Chairman, State Bank of India, continue to be Deputy Chairmen.

FACTFILE – Indian Bank’s Association (IBA)

  • It is an association of Indian banks and financial institutions.
  • It was established on September 26, 1946.
  • It is headquartered in Mumbai.
  • Its objective is to strengthen, develop and foster coordination among Indian banking stakeholders.
  • It also facilitates various member banks.
  • Managing Committee of IBA consists of a chairman, three deputy chairmen, one honorary secretary as well as 26 members.
  • The members of IBA comprise of public sector banks, private sector banks, foreign banks having offices in India, co-operative banks, regional rural banks and all Indian financial institutions.
  • Currently it has 237 members from banking sector operating in India.

September 2018 – eBook Monthly PDF | eBook Monthly Quiz PDF

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                                                  Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

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