Current Affairs Assam – September 2018
( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the month of September 2018 )
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September 26
North Eastern states get Rs 190,000 crore for road projects
- The central government has sanctioned a whooping Rs 190,000 crore to develop 12,000 km road projects in the northeastern states.
- The government had sanctioned Rs 166,026 crore for construction of 10,892 km of roads in all eight states under the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corp Ltd.
- Another amount of Rs 17,257 crore was sanctioned for various states’ Public Works Departments for construction of 2,421 km length of roads.
- The National Highway Authority of India has been sanctioned Rs 7,000 crore for road construction.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
- The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is a ministry of the Govt of India, is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules, regulations and laws relating to road transport, and transport research, in order to increase the mobility and efficiency of the road transport system in India.
- In India, roads are used to transport over 60% of the total goods and 85% of the passenger traffic. Hence, development of this sector is of paramount importance for the India and accounts for a significant part in the budget.
ADB keeps growth forecast for Asia at 6 percent
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced that it will maintain its growth forecast for this year in Asia at 6 percent but warned of the fallout of the ongoing trade tensions between China and the US for the region. However, for 2019, the ADB has cut its growth prospects slightly to 5.8 percent.
- Asia’s GDP remained stable, especially in China and India, and high oil and gas prices, which benefit energy-exporting countries such as Kazakhstan
- The ADB lowered China’s forecast growth to 6.3 percent in 2019 due to the risks of the trade war with the US and despite the monetary and fiscal measures taken by Beijing to help mitigate the impact.
- Despite the depreciation of the rupee, India’s economy will maintain its upward trend this year with growth of 7.3 percent and 7.6 percent next year, owing to its demonetization measures and the introduction of a national tax on goods and services.
- The high price of oil and gas, coupled with increased exports and investment, has boosted growth in central Asia, where the economy is expected to advance 4.1 percent this year.
FACTFILE – The Asian Development Bank (ADB)
- ADB is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines.
- The company also maintains 31 field offices around the world to promote social and economic development in Asia.
- The bank admits the members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, formerly the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East or ECAFE) and non-regional developed countries.
- From 31 members at its establishment, ADB now has 67 members, of which 48 are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside.
- ADB is an official United Nations
- Traditionally, and because Japan is one of the largest shareholders of the bank, the president has always been Japanese.
Point2Remember – Takehiko Nakao is the President of ADB
Air quality monitoring station inaugurated at Pollution Control Board, Assam
- The first Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) in government sector in the North East was inaugurated by Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya at the Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) headquarters.
- The Central government has made provisions for setting up of such CAAQMS in all state capital cities.
- The PCBA has got the station with a 90 per cent share of Central government and 10 per cent of the Board.
- Continuous data will be able to show the variation of air quality throughout the day. Based on such data, proper management of air pollution can be done.
- The station will generate air quality data in terms of Particulate Matter 10, PM 2.5, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ammonia, carbon monoxide, ozone, benzene, toluene and xylene. Besides these, weather-related data on rainfall, humidity, wind speed and wind direction will also be generated at the station.
FACTFILE – State Pollution Control Board, Assam
State Pollution Control Board, Assam is an autonomous statutory organization constituted on 2nd June, 1975 under the provision of section 4 of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act 1974 to protecting the environment and preventing and controlling the pollution of water and air in Assam.
Function & Activities
The primary activities, functions and responsibilities of the Board are
- Comprehensive programme on Water, Air, Land etc., Pollution Control and Execution thereon.
- Advice and liaison with the State Government on any matter concerning environmental pollution.
- Collection and dissemination of data and information on pollution and environmental problems and preparation of reports thereon.
- Investigation and research relating to pollution and environmental problems.
- Collaboration with the programmes of the Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment and Forests, State Government, NGOs and other organizations relating to pollution control and environment and organise Mass Education Programmes.
- Issue of N.O.C. and Consent to industries and other development projects.
- Inspections of sewage, trade effluent sites, industries, various industrial, plants and Sewage Treatment Plants.
- Monitoring of industrial/trade effluents, water bodies, air and soil, and laboratory analysis thereon.
- Laying down or modification of effluent and emission standards.
- To evolve economical and reliable methods of treatment of sewage and effluent.
- To establish or to recognize laboratories for performing functions under the Acts and Rules.
- Assessment and collection of water cess.
- 13 Environmental education to public, students and others, and publication of mass-education materials.
- Advise the State Government regarding location of industries, etc.
- Enforcement of the provisions of the aforesaid rules and monitoring thereof.
FACTFILE – Air Quality Index (AQI)
- An air quality index (AQI) is a number used by government agencies to communicate to the public how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is forecast to become.
- As the AQI increases, an increasingly large percentage of the population is likely to experience increasingly severe adverse health effects.
- Different countries have their own air quality indices, corresponding to different national air quality standards.
India’s biggest cyclotron facility ‘Cyclone-30’ becomes operational
- India’s biggest cyclotron facility named Cyclone-30 became operational at Kolkata-based Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC).
- Cyclotron is used to produce radioisotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic use for cancer care. Radiations from these isotopes are used to destroy cancer cells.
FACTFILE – Cyclone-30
- It will produce radioisotopes vital for diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
- It will be the first and only cyclotron facility in India to produce Germanium 68 radioisotopes, which is used in diagnosis of breast cancer.
- It will also produce Palladium 103 isotopes, which is used for the treatment of prostate cancer.
- In its future stages, it will also produce Iodine 123 isotopes, which can help detect thyroid cancer.
- The beam from this facility was used to produce fluorine-18 isotope for preparation of radio-pharmaceutical luorodeoxyglucose (FDG), which is used for diagnose various types of cancer.
- It will start regular production by mid-2019 after supporting nuclear systems and regulatory clearances are commissioned.
- The high-energy and high-yielding Cyclone-30 machine will provide for affordable radio isotopes and related radiopharmaceuticals for whole India.
- It will also help in bringing down imports, while raising possibility of exporting radioisotopes in the future.
Currently, many radioisotopes for cancer treatment are imported while some are produced in nuclear research reactors such as Apsara at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and remaining in cyclotrons facilities run by large private hospitals, making cancer treatment costly.
September 27
Sikkim’s first airport opens at Pakyong
- PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Sikkim’s first-ever airport at Pakyong. Pakyong airport is India’s 100th functional airport and one of the country’s five highest airports.
- Before the opening of the Pakyong airport, Sikkim was the only state in India remaining without a functional airport.
- Operationalization of Pakyong airport will give a big boost to connectivity and tourism to the north-eastern state of Sikkim. It will cut down air travelling time to Sikkim by almost 5 hours and thus will save travel time for the tourists.
- It is also strategically relevant from the country’s security point of view. Indian Air Force during critical situations.
FACTFILE – Pakyong airport
- It is India’s 100th functional airport and one of the country’s five highest airports.
- It is located on top of a hill about two km above Pakyong village at 4,500 feet above sea level.
- It was carved from the mountain side using massive geo technical ‘cut and fill’ engineering works.
- It has 1.75 km long runway.
- It has capacity to handle 50 in-bound and as many out-bound passengers flights.
Saudi Arabia to join China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as third strategic partner
- Pakistan has invited Saudi Arabia to join the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as the third strategic partner. Pakistan’s main interest in inviting Saudi Arabia in CPEC is to ensure huge investment from cash rich gulf country.
- Saudi Arabia has a long history of financially bailing out Pakistan during economic crisis.
- Saudi Arabia had loaned Pakistan $1.5 billion in 2014 to strengthen its rupee currency, six months after Pakistan obtained its last IMF bailout.
FACTFILE – China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
- CPEC is a flagship project as part of China’s multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aimed at enhancing China’s influence around the world through China-funded infrastructure projects.
- It is a collection of infrastructure projects that are currently under construction throughout Pakistan.
- CPEC aims to construct and upgrade transportation network, energy projects, deep-water port at Gwadar and special economic zones (SEZs) to eventually support Pakistan’s industrial development as a manufacturing hub by 2030.
- CPEC will be linking Gwadar in South Western Pakistan to China’s North Western region Xinjiang through vast network of highways and railways.
IAF successfully test fires air-to-air Astra missile
- The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully test fired the indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) Astra from a Su-30 aircraft.
- The missile, tested at Kalaikunda Air Force Station, “successfully engaged a maneuvering target with high precision meeting the mission objectives”.
- In the series of trials held till date, Astra has been launched in the complete Su-30 flight envelope.
- The flight test assumes significance as it was part of the series of final pre-induction trials. Astra, deemed to be the best in class weapon system, has undergone more than 20 developmental trials.
FACTFILE – Astra missile
- Astra is an all weather beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, India.
- It is the first air-to-air missile developed by India.
- It features mid-course inertial guidance with terminal active radar homing.
- Astra is designed to be capable of engaging targets at varying range and altitudes allowing for engagement of both short-range targets at a distance of 20 km (12 mi) and long-range targets up to a distance of 80 km (50 mi).
- Astra has been integrated with Indian Air Force’s Sukhoi Su-30MKI and will be integrated with Dassault Mirage 2000 and Mikoyan MiG-29 in the future.
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